Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

"Miss Antilin," Rune decided to change the subject, "I'd like to go for a walk."

"go out?"

"Hmm." Rune nodded. "We've come all this way to the Theocracy; we can't just stay in the Sanctuary forever. I want to see how the people of the Theocracy live."

This is the truth.

Although the murals in the sanctuary gave him a more direct understanding of the history of the Holy Kingdom, he was even more eager to see with his own eyes what this country, founded by his former comrades, actually looked like now.

Antilinen was silent for a moment.

Then she put away the Rubik's Cube, and the huge scythe disappeared behind her at some point.

"it is good."

She reached out and naturally took Rune's hand.

The hand was still slightly cool, yet surprisingly reassuring. Rune hesitated for a moment, then didn't pull away.

"Let's go."

------------

When I stepped out of the sanctuary, the sunlight was just right.

The streets of the Kingdom of Theology are completely different from those of the capital. The stone-paved roads are smooth, and there are neat houses on both sides of the road with snow-white walls and colorful flowers on the windowsills.

A faint fragrance filled the air, like the scent of some unknown flower mixed with the aroma of baked bread.

The streets were bustling with people, yet they didn't feel crowded. People wore expressions rarely seen in the capital—a sense of peace, contentment, and belief that tomorrow would be better.

"Where does Little Rune want to go?"

Antilin's voice came from above, still in that cold tone.

Rune thought for a moment: "Let's just wander around."

They walked through the fountain square, through the temple district, and through the commercial street. Antilin didn't talk much, only occasionally stopping to look at the shops on the street. Rune didn't talk much either, just quietly observing this familiar yet unfamiliar country.

until--

"Feed".

A childish voice came from the street corner, carrying a kind of arrogance that was incongruous with its age.

"Hey kid over there, you're blocking my way."

Rune stopped in his tracks.

It's not because of the content of the sound.

Rather, it's because of the sound itself—

It looks somewhat familiar.

He turned his head and looked at the source of the sound.

A little girl, about five or six years old, was standing at the street corner.

Her blue hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, neatly braided into two small braids that hung over her shoulders. Her brown eyes, with a hint of impatient arrogance, were looking this way with her chin tilted back.

That face—

Rune was stunned.

That's Hill's face.

The same.

But their expressions were completely different.

The Hill he remembered was always timid, speaking softly, and shrinking into the smallest ball. But this girl was standing there with her hands on her hips, chin held high, her brown eyes filled with an arrogant "I'm not to be trifled with" attitude.

"Hill?"

Rune spoke instinctively.

"What are you doing here? Where's Butler Aldred?"

The little girl blinked.

Then her eyebrows furrowed, and a clear displeasure flashed in her brown eyes.

"ha?"

She tilted her head and looked at Rune with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot.

Who is Hill?

That tone, that expression, that slightly rising intonation at the end—

She's a total little devil.

Rune's lips twitched.

He looked at Antiline, hoping to get an explanation from her. But Antiline simply stood there quietly, her heterochromatic eyes watching the scene unfold, her face expressionless.

"Hill," Rune turned to look at the little girl, trying to keep his voice calm, "It hasn't been that long, how come you've gone astray already?"

The little girl's eyes widened even more.

"Hey, hey, hey," she took two steps forward, tilting her head back to look Rune up and down, her brownish-yellow eyes filled with undisguised disdain, "Who are you? Do I even know you?"

She paused, then added:

"And who is Hill? That's such a corny name! Who would have a name like that?"

Rune: "..."

He took a deep breath.

This is definitely not Hill.

Hill would never speak in that tone.

But this face—

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Judge... Mr. Rune."

Rune turned his head.

The High Priest was walking briskly towards them, a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment on his aged face.

He clearly changed "God of Judgment" to "Mr. Rune" at the last minute in order to avoid revealing Rune's identity.

The High Priest's gaze fell on Rune, then on Antilin, and finally on the little girl with her hands on her hips at the street corner.

His expression subtly shifted.

"You've met Alice."

"Alice?"

Rune repeated the name.

"Yes." The High Priest stepped closer. "Alice Ishte, a child of the Ishte family."

He paused, then added, "The Ishtar family is a long-standing divine-human bloodline family in the Holy Kingdom."

Divine bloodline.

They are the descendants of the six great gods.

Rune's gaze fell once again on the little girl named Alice, who was looking at them with a wary look that seemed to say, "What are you whispering about?" Her brown eyes were alert and proud.

"What the High Priest means is," Rune said, looking at the little girl named Alice, "that she is not Hill."

This statement is less of a question and more of a confirmation.

Rune paused for a moment.

He suddenly remembered a question.

"Didn't the High Priest just say he had urgent official business to attend to?"

The High Priest's expression froze for a moment.

But in just a moment, a polite smile returned to that aged face.

"It's been taken care of."

His tone was impeccably sincere.

Rune took a deep breath.

Forget it.

Let's not dwell on this.

He turned his head and looked at the little girl named Alice.

"High Priest," Rune asked, "what's the situation with this child?"

"Your Majesty, although Alice von Ishtar is young, she is one of the most outstanding magical geniuses in our theocracy in recent years."

The High Priest approached Rune and lowered his voice.

"Her magical capacity far exceeds that of her peers, and even surpasses that of many adult priests. According to the temple's assessment, if she continues to grow normally, she will definitely be able to enter the realm of 'heroes' in the future, and may even reach an even higher level."

A magical genius.

A magical capacity far exceeding that of her peers.

This small figure stood in the sunlight, hands on hips, chin tilted back, looking as if she were announcing to the world, "I am the best."

Rune looked at her and suddenly remembered a name.

Infinite magic.

In the original work, the eleventh seat of the Dark Scripture of the future Theocracy was initially a problem child, extremely arrogant, until he was taught a lesson by Zetsu Zetsumei and became normal.

I never expected that this kid would have such a sissy personality when he was a child.