Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

Rune did not look back as the carriage drove away from the temple.

He leaned against the carriage wall, looking out the window through the half-drawn curtains.

As the morning light receded, the streets of the church gradually faded away, and the white walls, the neat stone slabs, and the peaceful expressions on the faces of the pedestrians all resembled a slowly unfolding scroll painting.

The morning mist had not completely dissipated, gently entwining the spires of the distant temples, making the solemn buildings appear somewhat unreal, like silhouettes from a dream.

Hill, no, now it should be said that the real Hill, should be standing behind a window right now, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance.

Maybe she was crying, maybe not, Rune didn't know.

He looked away and drew the curtains.

The carriage became a little darker.

"Young Master Rune," Aldred's voice came from the other end, as steady as ever, "The reception from the Holy Kingdom is far more grand than expected."

This is a test.

Rune glanced at the old butler. His face, etched with the marks of time, was devoid of any superfluous expression, but in his cloudy eyes lay a probing look that could only be understood through years of acquaintance.

"Because the name of the Aindora family is prestigious enough," Rune replied casually.

Aldred did not ask any further questions.

He simply lowered his head slightly, as if accepting the explanation.

Rune knew he hadn't accepted.

But that's enough.

Some things don't need to be explained too clearly.

Aldred is the Eindora family's old butler, loyal and devoted, but precisely because of this, there are some things he's better off not knowing.

Rune was actually curious to know what kind of expression the old butler would have on his serious old face if he knew what had happened during that time, and that his young master had been worshipped as a descended god by the High Priest of the Holy Kingdom.

But Rune obviously couldn't risk exposing his identity just because of his quirky hobbies.

The wheels continued to turn, making a rhythmic rumbling sound.

Rune's gaze fell on the figure on the other side of the carriage.

Hill sat in the corner.

Still in the same spot, still in the same posture, knees together, hands clasped on the knees, back straight.

The light gray dress hugged her slender body perfectly, and her blue braids hung quietly over her shoulders.

Everything looks the same as when we arrived.

But everything is different now.

Those eyes.

The eyes that appeared when he arrived were cautious, somewhat timid, and would immediately look away when he looked at them.

At this moment, those eyes, also yellowish-brown, were like a still pool of water, quietly gazing into the void, lost in thought.

Noticing Rune's gaze, she turned her head.

Eyes facing each other.

Those eyes held no emotion, only an almost empty calm, like the surface of a frozen lake in the depths of winter, revealing nothing hidden beneath.

Logically, this child should be very grateful to me right now.

Rune was somewhat puzzled, 'Why is he starting to resemble the character from the original work?'

But then he thought again that perhaps it was because this child, so young, was leaving her hometown, and her instinctive fear of the unknown made her afraid. The dejected expression in her dead fish eyes might be a self-defense mechanism for the child.

Rune withdrew his gaze and leaned back against the carriage wall.

The carriage continued its journey, and the interior was so quiet that one could hear their own breathing.

The light from outside seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, thin shadows on the floor, which swayed gently with the swaying of the carriage.

Rune closed his eyes and began to sort out the gains and losses of the trip to the Holy Kingdom in his mind.

His identity was now established. Gaining the approval of the Supreme High Priest meant that he had secretly taken control of the most powerful nation in human history—the Slane Theocracy.

The security levels were set up securely enough. Apart from the Water High Priest, the high priests only knew that the "God of Judgment" had descended, but they did not know his specific identity.

The Water God and Zesshi Zesshi will jointly attest to the existence of this God of Judgment.

By cooperating with the Supreme High Priest, one can gain complete control over the theocracy.

The captains of the Six Colored Scriptures will receive no information. Even if someone is searched by Nazarick's [Memory Reading Magic], they won't be able to extract any truly valuable information about the runes.

And the child he left in the church.

Rune opened his eyes and looked out the window.

The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was gentle. The fields in the distance receded slowly from view, and occasionally, one could see the figures of farmers working in the fields.

'Hill.'

Rune silently repeated the name in his mind.

There were no promises, no agreements, not even a single "I will come to see you." To that child, he was probably a cruel man—bringing her from the capital to the theocracy, and then abandoning her.

But that's correct.

What Rune does next is extremely dangerous. The less connection Hill has with Rune, the safer she will be. Moreover, staying in the Theocracy will ensure she receives the best care; the High Priest himself promised to raise her as a child of the Theocracy.

The carriage remained quiet for a long time.

Butler Aldred looked at everything in the carriage and remained silent.

From his perspective, after Hill was taken away by Rune for a while, he returned as a taciturn man who seemed uninterested in anything.

The young master himself also looked preoccupied.

The old steward's gaze darted back and forth between the two men, his brow furrowing slightly as he recalled the depravity of certain nobles in the capital.

"Young Master Lu En."

Aldred's voice suddenly rang out.

Rune opened his eyes.

The old butler's expression was somewhat subtle. His usually serious face now carried a complex look that Rune had never seen before, as if he were carefully choosing his words, with a hint of hesitation.

"There are some things I'd like to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Rune raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

Aldred paused for a moment, his gaze shifting back and forth between Rune and "Hill".

Then he spoke.

"Young Master Lu En."

His voice was so low that only two people could hear it.

"It's too early for you to be thinking about this now."

Rune paused for a moment.

"What is it?"

Aldred didn't answer directly. He simply glanced at Rune, then at the quiet figure in the corner of the carriage, his gaze carrying a certain meaning.

Rune followed his gaze.

Hill remained seated there, expressionless and motionless, like a delicate doll.

Then something in Rune's mind went "ding".

He turned his head sharply and stared at Aldred with wide eyes.

The old butler's expression remained unchanged, but his slightly pursed lips clearly said, "You know what I mean."

"You..." Rune's voice trailed off, "You don't actually think..."

Aldred bowed slightly, his tone impeccably sincere: "I am merely reminding you, young master, that His Excellency the Earl has stipulated that matters of this kind should not be undertaken until at least four years later."

Rune's lips twitched.

Four years later.

I was ten years old.

Ten years old?!

"I didn't!" Rune practically gritted his teeth as he said it. "Aldred, you're thinking the wrong thing!"

The old butler's eyebrows twitched slightly, a perfectly timed look of confusion on his face: "You're getting the wrong idea? I was merely reminding you, young master, to take care of your health and not overwork yourself. What are you thinking?"

Rune: "..."

He choked.

The carriage was silent for a second.

Then Aldred added, "Young master's reaction just now was so intense, could it be that you were indeed thinking of something inappropriate? I will report this truthfully to the Earl."

Rune took a deep breath.

He realized he had been tricked.

Are all the hearts of the aristocracy this dirty?

Rune opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but swallowed the words back. How could he explain? He couldn't say anything.

Rune could only grit his teeth and say in as calm a tone as possible, "You're overthinking it. I just... I just felt sorry for Hill and wanted to take care of her."

"I see." Aldred seemed to agree and nodded. "However, it would be better for the young master to calm down and study at this stage."

Rune felt the veins throbbing on his forehead and secretly resolved that once he inherited the Earl's title, he would definitely deduct Aldred's salary.

In the corner of the carriage, a pair of yellowish-brown eyes moved slightly.

Hill saw Rune's face, speechless after being choked by the old butler, saw the slightly twitching corner of his mouth, and saw the fleeting resentment in his eyes.

Her lips twitched slightly.

It was an extremely small arc, so small that it would be completely unnoticed unless you looked at it intentionally.

Approximately two pixels in height.

Then the curve was compressed, and the speed was so fast it was as if it had never existed.

But somewhere in her heart, she was happily churning.

Lady Alice is not stupid.

After leaving that room, the High Priest assigned Hill a task called "Replacement." From that moment on, Lady Alice had figured out the whole story—the "lecture" she received was definitely related to this guy.

If it weren't for this guy, she would definitely still be living a privileged life in the Theocracy. Every day she would have delicious snacks, a comfortable room, and the careful guidance of her teachers. She would be nurtured into an elite member of the Theocracy, and perhaps even become a member of the Six-Colored Holy Scripture in the future.

What now?

Now, however, he has to disguise himself as someone else and suffer as a servant in that poor, remote part of the kingdom, serving a young master who is even younger than himself, spending his days serving tea and water.

Lady Alice felt as if her life had been stolen.

The culprit is this seemingly kind and righteous guy right in front of us.

Although the High Priestess's orders were not to be disobeyed, that didn't mean she couldn't secretly rejoice. Seeing Rune humiliated, Lady Ben-Iris was extremely pleased.

Her gaze fell on Rune, whose empty eyes remained devoid of any emotion, like a stagnant pool.

But if you look closely, something tiny is gently swaying in the deepest part of that stagnant pool.

Like a small fish quietly flicking its tail at the bottom of a lake in the dead of winter.

The carriage continued on its way, its wheels beating rhythmically, and the course of history, like the turning of a wheel, began to unfold.

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

Lucian Alvein Dale Aindra.

As the name suggests, Aindora Territory is a valley landscape. Dale translates to valley.

The territory has tens of thousands of inhabitants.

Compared to the kingdom's population of approximately eight to nine million, this is not a large number.

The territory is located in the valley area east of Ye Pespel.

This location isn't very good.

Rune, who had already returned to the territory of Aindora, looked at the map and thought to himself.

This is true for ordinary nobles, given their proximity to that place. According to the original story, the Great Tomb of Nazarick will appear on this land thirteen years later, and Ye-Rantir will be the first city to suffer.

But for Rune, this position offers much more room for maneuver.

He stared at the marked place names on the map, his mind racing through various possibilities. Too close, and he risked being drawn into the war; too far, and he wouldn't be able to keep up with the changing situation. The territory of Aindora, however, was situated precisely at the intersection of danger and opportunity.

There was a knock on the door.

Rune raised his head.

Hill stood at the doorway, holding a tray, staring blankly at Rune with his DHA-rich eyes.

Hill was wearing a black and white maid's outfit, probably an old one that had been altered to fit the territory's maids. The skirt just covered her knees, and the white apron was tied neatly, with a simple bow at the neckline. The sleeves were a bit long for her, so they were rolled up twice, revealing a small section of her slender wrists.

There was a subtle sense of incongruity about the clothes on her.

It looks like a doll that has stolen and put on an adult's clothes.

She walked in.

The black skirt swayed gently with each step, white stockings covered her calves, and she wore the black leather shoes uniformly issued by the territory, which seemed to be a size too big and made a slight "clack-clack" sound when she walked.

She placed the tray on the table.

The movement was very light, without making a sound. The tray landed steadily on the table, and the black tea in the teacup didn't even ripple.

A cup of black tea sits on the tray, its color clear and its aroma wafting.

"Young Master Lu En, your black tea is ready."

Her voice was as flat as if she were reading a textbook, without any inflection. After speaking, "Hill" took a step back and stood to the side with her hands at her sides.

Rune picked up his cup and took a sip.

Then he got burned.

The scalding tea made his tongue go numb, and he almost dropped the cup.

Hill's leisurely voice finally rang out: "I forgot to mention, Young Master Rune, be careful, it's hot."

Her expression remained unchanged, and her tone was flat.

Looking at the calm-faced "Hill", Rune had a feeling that she was up to no good, but her expression didn't quite seem like it.

Rune put down his cup and stared at that expressionless little face for a long time.

There was no flaw on that face.

A perfect disguise, a perfect performance.

But Rune had a strange feeling—this seemingly quiet little girl might be secretly laughing inside.

Rune withdrew his gaze and looked back at the map.

Oh well, let her be.

Anyway, there's still a long way to go.