Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The alley was so quiet you could hear the drops of blood falling.

Rune stood beside the baron's corpse, looking at his blood-stained hand. It was a small hand, with delicate knuckles, the kind of hand a six-year-old should have. But now it was dripping warm liquid, one drop, two drops, three drops, making small dents in the filthy ground.

He took a deep breath and turned his head.

Lajus had already stood up. The swollen, red handprint on her face was shocking, and the blood at the corner of her mouth had dried, turning into a thin, dark red line. But her eyes were bright, brighter than ever before.

"Onii-chan..."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing something.

Then she laughed.

Rune had seen that smile before—it was one of adoration for his older brother.

"Onii-chan is amazing!"

She staggered over, each step aggravating the injuries on her face, but she seemed completely oblivious to the pain.

"Onii-chan defeated the demon! I knew Onii-chan was the strongest knight!"

Rune opened his mouth.

He couldn't say anything.

It felt like something was stuck in my throat, hard and astringent, choking off all the words I had prepared.

Speak up.

He urged himself on in his heart.

Let Lajus go first. Just say you need to clean up the scene. Say it's something a knight must do. Say whatever you want. Once she's gone, stage the scene, and it'll be none of Rune's business.

"Onii-chan?"

Lahoz tilted her head to look at him, her light green eyes filled with worry.

"Is Onii-chan hurt? Does your hand hurt?"

She reached out to grasp Rune's blood-stained hand.

Rune instinctively tried to pull away, but the little hand had already grasped hers. Warm, soft, with the unique warmth of a child. Blood stained her fingertips, but she didn't mind the dirt; she just held it, gently and carefully.

"Onii-chan killed the demon and saved everyone," Lagisu said earnestly. "Onii-chan is a hero."

Rune lowered his head.

He looked at the little hand holding his, at the earnest little face, and at the shocking red and swollen palm print.

Shut up, just say it already.

He cursed himself in his heart.

Say it! Let her go! Let her leave alone first! Then you can do what you're supposed to do! Didn't you already have a plan? Say it!

He opened his mouth.

"Lahashi".

"Um?"

"You... take that little girl and go first."

The words that came out of his mouth were light and airy, but they were completely different from what he wanted to say.

Lahoz blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Onii-chan, aren't you coming along?"

"I..." Rune paused, "I have something to do."

"What is it?"

Lahoz's eyes widened, filled with confusion and worry. She gripped Rune's hand tightly, as if afraid he would run away.

Rune looked at her and remained silent for a second.

Then he spoke.

"Although the demon has been killed by my brother, but..."

His voice gradually became solemn, carrying a tone familiar to Lajus from those chivalric novels.

"But the spirit of the devil still lingers among us."

Lahoz's eyes lit up immediately.

"Brother needs to cleanse the evil soul of the demon." After saying this, Rune cursed himself inwardly—how could he lie to his sister in this way?

But Lahoz falls for that.

She released Rune's hand, straightened her small chest, and responded in the same solemn tone:

"Since that's the case—"

She took a step forward and stood next to Rune.

"—I will stand with my elder brother to fight against the Purifying Demon!"

Rune: "..."

He paused for a second.

Why isn't this girl playing by the rules?

According to the plot of those chivalric novels, shouldn't they have obeyed their brother's orders and led the innocent people to evacuate first?

Rune took a deep breath, trying to maintain the solemnity on his face.

"Lahashi".

"exist!"

"Your task..."

He paused, his gaze falling on the small, trembling figure curled up against the wall. The child had been huddled there since earlier, like a frightened little animal, shrinking herself into the smallest ball. She would occasionally glance up in their direction, her eyes filled with fear and confusion.

"Your mission is to protect the innocent little girl."

Rune lowered his voice.

"Take her away from here, away from the attacks of demonic spirits."

Lajus followed his gaze and saw the little girl. She paused for a moment, then a complex expression appeared on her face—sympathy, responsibility, and a little…hesitation?

"But Onii-chan is all alone..."

"That's an order."

Rune's tone became a little harsher.

Lahoz pursed her lips.

She looked at Rune, then at the little girl, and back at Rune. A flicker of struggle crossed her light green eyes, but it was quickly replaced by something more resolute.

"Yes, ma'am."

She nodded solemnly, then walked over to the little girl, squatted down, and reached out her hand.

"Don't be afraid, I'm Lahas, I'll protect you. What's your name?"

The little girl looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with disbelief. She looked at the girl in front of her, who was about her age, at the red, swollen handprint on her face, and at the clean little hand that was outstretched to her.

"I... Hill, my name is Hill."

"Let's go." Lajus took her hand and pulled her up. "Brother is cleaning up the demon's soul; we can't disturb him."

The little girl was pulled along and stumbled to her feet. She glanced back at the depths of the alley—the obese corpse lying on the ground, the boy standing beside the corpse, and the bloodstains that looked particularly glaring in the sunlight.

Then, Lahoz pulled her along, step by step, toward the alley entrance.

The sunlight grew brighter and brighter.

As they reached the alley entrance, Lahoz suddenly turned around.

"Onii-chan!"

Rune raised his head.

Laju stood in the sunlight, her light blue skirt billowing slightly in the breeze. The swollen handprint on her face was still visible, and dried blood clung to the corner of her mouth, but her smile was brighter than the sunlight.

Be careful!

"Um."

Rune nodded.

Lahoz smiled with satisfaction, then took the little girl's hand and disappeared into the light at the alley's end.

The alleyway fell silent again.

Rune stood there, looking at the empty alleyway entrance, listening to his own breathing.

Sunlight filtered through a sliver of sky overhead, illuminating him but failing to penetrate the depths of the alley. The baron's corpse lay against the wall, his obese body contorted in a strange posture, blood still seeping from the wound on his chest.

He looked down at his blood-stained hands.

"I can't believe I breathed a sigh of relief?"

He asked himself.

They clearly chose a riskier path. Blaming the little girl would have been the most rational choice.

But he didn't.

"You're an idiot too."

Rune said softly.