Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

There was a knock on the study door.

Three very light taps, carrying a certain cautious probing.

Before Rune could speak, the door opened a crack, and a golden head poked in.

"Onii-chan—"

Lahoz drawled out her words, her light golden eyes filled with anticipation. She had changed out of her formal class attire and was now wearing a light white training uniform, with a thin leather belt around her waist from which hung a wooden short sword.

"Play with me!"

Rune glanced at the ashes in the bronze plate, then at the small figure that had squeezed in through the doorway, and remained silent for a second.

"I'm busy."

"You're busy every day." Lajus walked in and stood confidently in front of him. "Professor Cecilia said that even nobles need proper rest and can't just read all the time. Besides..."

She tilted her head, a hint of slyness in her eyes.

"And every time you say you're busy, the book is closed."

Rune choked for a moment.

When did this child learn to observe this?

"I'm just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?" Lahoz leaned closer, looking curiously at the table. The table was clean and tidy, with only a few closed books and a quill pen that had just been put away.

She didn't see the papers that had turned to ashes.

Rune looked at her face so close to his own; her eyes were as clear as a lake in early spring, without a trace of impurity.

"I'm thinking about how to find you a better teacher," he said casually.

"Cecilia is great!" Lajus immediately retorted, then grabbed his sleeve. "Get up and practice swordsmanship with me. You said you'd be my first opponent."

Rune remembered that he had indeed said those words.

That was a few months ago, when Lajus first heard the "fairy tale". She excitedly ran to him and asked, "Onii-chan, do you want to be a knight with me in the future?"

Rune understood; the little girl wanted to play house. He said, "Okay, then I'll be your first opponent."

Lahoz remembered the promise made by her six-year-old child for months.

Rune looked down at his sleeve that was being tugged at. The little hand was clenched tightly, the knuckles were even a little white, as if afraid that he would run away.

"Okay." Rune stood up. "I'll play with you."

Lahoz's eyes lit up immediately.

The sun was shining brightly on the lawn in the backyard.

The Eindora family's garden wasn't very large, but it was meticulously maintained. A neatly trimmed hedge enclosed a flat lawn, and several rose bushes climbed along the base of the wall, blooming beautifully. The faint sound of a fountain could be heard in the distance, and servants who occasionally passed by would always walk around it.

Laju stood in the middle of the lawn, holding the wooden sword in both hands, striking a proper starting stance.

"Come!" she called.

Rune also had a wooden sword in his hand, which Lajus had just given him. The blade was longer and heavier than Lajus's, probably made to fit his size.

He gripped his sword, looking at his younger sister across from him, her little face tense and trying hard to appear serious, and suddenly felt like laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Lahas looked at him warily.

"I wasn't smiling." Rune suppressed a smile. "Come on."

Lahoz rushed over.

Her movements were swift; though her steps were somewhat unsteady, her momentum was undeniable. The wooden sword whistled down, its target clear—Rune's shoulder.

Rune stepped aside, dodging the sword.

Lahas lost her balance and stumbled forward two steps before regaining her footing. She turned and glared at him, yelling, "You're not allowed to dodge!"

"You can't even dodge a fight?"

"We are knights!" Lajus declared emphatically. "Knights must face the enemy head-on!"

Looking at her, Rune suddenly felt that what the girl said seemed to make some sense.

"Okay," he said, "I won't dodge."

Lahoz rushed over again.

This time, Rune didn't dodge, but instead raised his wooden sword to parry. The two wooden swords collided with a muffled thud. Lajus was jolted, her hand trembling, and the sword almost slipped from her grasp, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward with all her might.

Rune felt the force coming from the sword.

It was a bit bigger than he had imagined, but that was all.

With a flick of his wrist, he gently guided Lahoz's sword, causing her to lose her balance, stumble forward two steps, and then land on her backside on the grass.

"oops."

Lahoz sat on the ground, staring blankly at her empty hands. The wooden sword lay on the grass two steps away, a few blades of grass still clinging to its blade.

Rune walked over, picked up the sword, and handed it to her.

"Want to come again?"

Lahoz took the sword, stood up, and brushed the grass clippings off her clothes.

"Again!"

This time she persisted for five strikes.

Then came the Seven Swords.

Then came the four swords.

Rune controlled his strength each time, not wanting to hurt her, but each time he made sure she lost decisively. Every time Lajus fell, she would immediately get up, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, her indomitable spirit becoming more and more apparent.

After falling to the ground again, she did not get up immediately.

She lay on the grass, face up, her chest rising and falling slightly, fine beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. The sunlight shone on her face, making her small cheeks flush slightly.

"Onii-chan is amazing," she said, her tone devoid of frustration, only pure admiration.

Rune sat down next to her.

"You're not bad either."

"Liar." Lajus turned her head to look at him. "I didn't hit you once."

"You're only six years old," Rune said. "For a six-year-old to charge at me with a sword is already quite impressive."

Lajus blinked, as if trying to determine if he was trying to comfort her. Then she rolled over, lay face down, and rested her chin on the back of her hand.

"Onii-chan, aren't you only six years old too?"

Oops, I forgot I'm a kid.

"Of course it's because Lajus has a stronger magical talent, so she should focus more on magic," Rune quickly changed the subject. "I'm not as good as my brother. He's not very smart, so I can only work on my fighting skills."

The real reason is indeed so. Although he can't bring up the level panel like in the game, Rune estimates that his level should be between lv.5 and lv.6.

And almost all of them are warrior-type professions. The reason is that Cecilia taught him faith magic, which Rune couldn't cast at all. It seems that getting a job in this world really depends on talent.

Lajus's level should be about the same, but she's been assigned to a faith-based magic class, so she's much weaker than Rune in pure melee combat.

Lahoz blinked, seemingly distracted by Rune's words.

"Onii-chan isn't stupid!" she retorted seriously. "Onii-chan knows everything. Every time Cecilia-sensei asks a question, Onii-chan is the first to answer."

"That's from reading." Rune reached out and plucked a blade of grass from her hair. "You should read more books too, so you can know that in the future."

Lajus tilted her head and thought for a moment, seemingly accepting the explanation. But soon she frowned again.

"But I don't want to only know magic," she said, her tone slightly stubborn. "I want to be as good as Onii-chan too."

Rune looked at her.

Sunlight fell on her face, making the fine beads of sweat glisten. Her eyes were serious, not like she was being coquettish, but rather stating something she had already decided.

"You can learn from me," Rune said, "but you don't have to compare yourself to me in everything."

Why?

Because the level cap for humans in another world is limited, it is usually difficult to exceed level 30. In this case, choosing a pure path is the only way to reach a higher level cap.

But when it comes to Old Man Ainz, they're all pretty much the same. Anyway, as long as she can use Old Man Ai's name in the future, let her do what makes her happy.

"Because you are my sister." Rune paused, then found a way she could understand, "Sisters don't need to compare themselves to their brothers. What your brother knows, I can teach you later."

Lahoz's eyes brightened a little more.

"real?"

"real."