Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

Night was falling.

Rune sat on the edge of the bed, and Lajus sat next to him, her legs dangling over the edge. The moonlight streaming in from the window fell on her face, making the blush that had risen with excitement even more pronounced.

"Onii-chan is going back to his territory?" Lagisu's voice suddenly rose, and her swaying legs stopped.

"Yes." Rune nodded, his gaze fixed on the full moon outside the window. "We'll leave tomorrow."

"And what about me?"

"You stay here."

Lahoz was stunned.

Her light green eyes widened in disbelief. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but seemed unsure where to begin.

The moonlight shone on her face, clearly illuminating the grievances that were welling up inside her—her eyebrows first furrowed slightly, then her nose twitched gently, and finally her lips were pressed into a thin line.

Then she lunged forward, her little hands gripping Rune's sleeve tightly.

Her fingers were cold and clenched tightly, as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let go.

"I want to go too!"

"no."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going back to train," Rune said, bringing out the excuse he had prepared beforehand. "Knightly training is very tough, and you're too young to go."

Lahoz narrowed her eyes.

Rune recognized that look—it was the same expression Lajus always gave him when she found him being cunning.

"Onii-chan".

"Um?"

You're lying.

Rune's heart tightened, but he maintained a calm expression: "I'm not lying to you."

"We're the same age," Lahas said, enunciating each word clearly, her grip on his sleeve tightening. "Why can you go, but I can't?"

Rune choked.

Why is this girl so hard to fool?

He racked his brains, searching for reasons that could persuade her.

Have it.

"Because..." He lowered his head, meeting Laju's bright eyes, his tone becoming serious, "because my heart is more mature than yours."

Lahoz blinked.

"Knightly training isn't just about swordsmanship; it's also about cultivating the mind," Rune continued. "Those who aren't mentally mature enough can't endure the hardships of knightly training. When you're old enough, you can begin your training."

Rune felt a little guilty when he said that.

But Lahoz's expression changed.

She released her grip on his sleeve, lowered her head, and her small shoulders slumped slightly. Moonlight fell on the top of her golden hair, making that soft patch of hair shine.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"That……"

Her voice was muffled, with a hint of grievance.

"Then Onii-chan, you have to grant me a few wishes."

Rune paused for a moment.

"What is your wish?"

"You have to agree first." Lajus raised her head, her eyes red, but she stubbornly held back her tears. "If you agree, I'll let you go."

Looking at her like that, a part of Lu En's heart softened.

"Okay," he said. "Go ahead."

Lahoz started counting on her fingers.

"First, you must write to me. Write to me often, don't forget."

"it is good."

"Secondly, you need to come back to play with me from time to time. You can't just stay in the territory and never come back."

"it is good."

"The third one..."

Lahoz paused, then looked up at Rune.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating her small face with exceptional clarity. In those light green eyes, there was no coquetry, no grievance, only a serious light that sent chills down Rune's spine.

"Did you want to run away with me in the beginning, Onii-chan?"

Rune's smile froze on his face.

The room fell silent.

It was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat and the rustling of the leaves in the night wind outside the window.

Lahoz stared at him, her eyes unblinking.

Rune opened his mouth.

What are you trying to say? Deny it? Or continue making up stories?

But when he looked into those eyes, he suddenly realized that he couldn't utter a single word of what he had prepared.

Those eyes were so clean.

His cleanliness made all his carefully crafted excuses seem ridiculous.

"I……"

His voice was a little hoarse.

Lahoz didn't urge him. She just looked at him and waited.

The moonlight fell quietly on the two people, casting their shadows on the floor, where they merged together.

Rune lowered his head.

silence.

A long silence.

I don't know how much time passed—maybe a moment, maybe a long time—Lahasu's voice rang out again.

"My last wish."

Rune raised his head.

Lahoz stood before him, her small figure appearing particularly slender in the moonlight. But she stood very straight, her face tilted back, like a sapling striving to grow towards the sun.

"I hope Onii-chan has the courage."

Her voice was soft, yet it reached Rune's ears clearly.

"When facing evil again in the future, do not run away."

She paused, then her lips curved slightly into a small but incredibly earnest smile.

"Because onii-chan looks so cool."

Rune was stunned.

He looked at the little girl in front of him—his twin sister, the girl whose eyes would light up with excitement at knight stories, the girl who rushed into the alley empty-handed and stood in front of the common people.

He remembered her standing in the dark alley, reciting those lines word by word to the baron with his fierce face.

"In the name of justice, I command you to release that child."

At that time, he thought it was childish and funny, and he felt that this girl had been greatly influenced by those chivalric novels.

But now—

"kindness."

Rune heard his own voice.

"Brother promises you."

The words escaped his lips faster than his reason, earlier than his calculations.

Lahoz's eyes lit up.

That light was brighter than the moonlight outside the window and warmer than the daytime sunlight.

"real?"

"real."

Lahoz smiled.

That smile was like the first flower to bloom in spring, like the first ray of sunshine after the rain. She rushed over, hugged Rune tightly, and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Onii-chan is the best."

Rune raised his hand and gently patted her back.

The moonlight fell silently, enveloping the two small figures in a soft, silvery glow.

A night breeze rustled the leaves outside the window. In the distance, the long, drawn-out chime of the night watchman could be heard, sounding especially clear in the still night.

"Onii-chan".

"Um?"

"Remember to think of me even when you're in your territory."

"it is good."

"You should think about it every day."

"...It's a bit tough every day, isn't it?"

"Then think about it every other day."

"OK."

"No, I should think about it every day."

"..."

"Onii-chan?"

"I'm thinking about it."

Lahoz smiled contentedly and buried her face even deeper into his shoulder.

Looking at the bright moon outside the window, Rune didn't know why he had agreed to the request.

Was it because of Lajus's expectant gaze, or did Rune also harbor a deep-seated fantasy of becoming a hero?