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Although the other party looks down on humans, a proper beach should be open to trying all kinds of flavors.

Thinking about it this way, Ainz is really despicable for changing this setting.

Rune had a lot of complaints in his mind, but in reality he responded calmly: "Lady Albedo, you are joking. I'm afraid you are not drunk. If someone saw through your sobriety and took the opportunity to flirt with you, that would be absolutely not the behavior of a gentleman."

Albedo chuckled softly upon hearing this, the sound echoing in the stairwell with a hint of languor.

"But Lu Enqing, I'm really drunk."

She deliberately called Rune by his name, her voice softening slightly with a hint of rising at the end, as if savoring the lingering aftertaste of the name on her tongue. The allure emanating from her was almost tangible.

Rune's brow twitched involuntarily, and he cursed Ainz a few more times in his mind.

Then he said in a serious tone, "So I chose to escort Lady Albedo upstairs, and the gap I left in between is enough to catch you before you fall. This is the best solution I can think of that is neither impolite nor offensive to Lady Albedo."

Albedo looked at him for a few seconds. The drunkenness in her golden vertical pupils seemed to have faded a bit, but a scrutinizing look had appeared.

"Well, Lord Rune is quite boring."

She withdrew her gaze, resumed her steps, and walked towards the end of the stairs.

Rune followed beside him, letting out a long sigh of relief in his heart.

He escorted Albedo to the door of her room.

It was a dark oak door, with intricate carvings on the door panel, which gleamed with a warm luster under the light of the corridor wall lamps.

Rune stopped in front of the door and turned to the side.

"Lady Albedo, the room is ready. Toiletries and changes of clothes are in the closet. If you need anything, please feel free to send a servant to me."

Albedo stood by the door, her beautiful face flushed with a lingering blush.

She tilted her head slightly: "Lord Rune even prepared a room in advance? It seems you expected me to do this."

“It is my duty as the person in charge of the banquet,” Rune said calmly. “Whether Lady Albedo is drunk or not, providing a place for our distinguished guest to rest is part of etiquette.”

Albedo did not respond immediately.

After a moment, she chuckled softly: "Lord Rune is indeed meticulous in his work."

"Lady Albedo is too kind. In that case, I shall take my leave."

Rune took a half step back, then turned around and walked steadily toward the stairwell.

He didn't turn around.

As I turned the corner, I caught a glimpse of the oak door gently closing.

As Rune descended the stairs and returned to the hall, a flurry of activity and lights surged forth.

Several nobles were huddled together, talking in hushed tones. When they saw him come down from upstairs so quickly, their eyes gleamed with a hint of smugness, as if they had somehow surpassed Rune.

Ignoring the stares, Rune walked straight to the western pillar, picked up the wine glass he had just placed there, and took a small sip to calm himself.

On the second floor, the oak door closed behind Rune.

There were no lights in the room, only the moonlight streaming in from the window, casting a silvery-white band on the dark floor.

Albedo stood behind the door, her previous languid drunken state completely gone, like a beach washed by the tide, leaving no trace.

She leaned against the closed door, her gaze fixed on the empty space illuminated by the moonlight, and let out a soft laugh.

"As expected of the human that Lord Ainz has included in the Nazarick reserves."

Her voice regained its calmness, and she made an objective assessment.

"Even among such an inferior race as humans, there are still some decent individuals. At least, they are much better than those insects downstairs who don't even know their own worth."

She straightened up and took a few steps toward the center of the room.

The moonlight fell on her deep purple dress, outlining its smooth silhouette.

"Come out."

The moment the words fell, the shadow in the corner of the room seemed to be stirred by something, and began to distort slightly.

Several figures emerged from the shadows, silently, like fragments peeled from the darkness itself. They wore dark, tight-fitting outfits, their faces concealed.

Hanzo.

Albedo summoned her own high-ranking mercenaries using Ainz's personal gold coins in the name of searching for the Supreme One.

At this moment, they knelt quietly on the floor, their posture humble, awaiting orders.

"Is there any information worth noting?" Albedo asked, adopting the demeanor of someone in a superior position.

The leader, a Hanzo, bowed his head, his voice low and respectful: "Reporting to Lady Albedo, I overheard several nobles' private conversations during the banquet. They mostly revolved around territorial disputes and power struggles, nothing particularly noteworthy."

"Speak the key."

Hanzo's body tensed slightly, then he quickened his pace: "When I was passing by the manor, I overheard two guards from the Aindora territory whispering to each other. They mentioned a name."

Albedo's gaze sharpened slightly. "What name?"

“Touchimi,” Hanzo’s voice lowered further, “one of them said, ‘That kid Touchimi is really getting better and better. I heard Lord Sebastian even gave him some special pointers on swordsmanship, it’s truly enviable.’ Another chimed in, ‘Indeed, that move he made on the battlefield that day… what was it called again? Spatial Slash? That was really terrifying.’”

The room fell silent for a moment.

"...Tachimi."