Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

His face was stained with blood, some of his own and some of that of the orcs, and his azure eyes were bloodshot.

Tachimi walked up to Rune until they were only a step apart.

"Lord Luen..."

His voice was hoarse, as if something was stuck in his throat.

Her lips trembled violently, and the mist in her eyes finally condensed into tears, which slid down her cheeks.

"It's all my fault..."

His body was trembling, and the veins on his hand gripping the sword were bulging.

"If I can protect the girl and prevent her from getting caught, the adults won't have to..."

"Tachimi".

Rune's voice interrupted him.

"This is not your fault, you have done a very good job."

Tapimy suddenly raised his head, tears welling up in his red eyes.

"Leave the rest to me."

Rune carefully felt the temperature of the magical artifact in his arms, confirming that he had bought enough time, and then turned back to face Gazok and the lion-beastman captain.

"I promise you."

Gazok's pig ears twitched twice, and then a smug smile appeared on his face.

“But there’s a condition.” Rune held up one finger.

The lion-orc captain narrowed his eyes.

“Let that child go.” Rune’s gaze fell on the small, thin figure in his hand. “And all the soldiers of the Aindora tribe in the camp. I’ll go with you alone.”

"Otherwise, I would rather die in battle than surrender."

Upon hearing this, more Aindora soldiers lowered their heads to wipe away the tears from the corners of their eyes.

Gazok and the lion-orc captain exchanged a glance.

The boar-orc leader exhaled two thick breaths from his nostrils, and the lion-orc captain remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"Fine, a little girl is worthless. These cavalrymen... humph, it doesn't matter whether we release them or not."

He shook the little girl in his hands, as if weighing a piece of cargo.

Rune sheathed his longsword, the blade rubbing against the hilt of the scabbard, and let out a sigh that had been suppressed for a long time.

He raised his hands, palms facing outward, to indicate that he was not carrying any weapons.

Then he took a step and slowly walked towards Gazok and the lion-beastman captain.

The soldiers of Aindora stood still, watching helplessly as that figure receded into the distance.

They lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling violently, but they bit their lips so hard they didn't make a sound.

The adjutant's hand was on the hilt of his sword, almost ready to draw it, but he still didn't move.

Simply because it was an order from an adult.

The lion-beastman captain's gaze was fixed on the approaching man, his claws pressed against the girl's throat.

He had seen many opponents who feigned surrender only to launch a sudden counterattack.

This human lord is very powerful; we must be wary of him taking the opportunity to rescue his illegitimate daughter.

The lion-beastman captain's attention was almost entirely focused on Rune, and he didn't even spare a glance for the small, thin figure in his claws.

In his view, the terrified little girl posed no threat whatsoever.

however

"Ha... Kimi."

The sound came from the girl beneath him, hoarse and dry, like a rusty door hinge being forcibly turned.

The lion-orc captain's ears twitched slightly, but he didn't look down to check.

Rune paused for a moment, looking at the lion-orc captain with some surprise.

Ha... Kimi? Calling a lion "Hakimi" is a bit of a stretch.

But Rune quickly realized what was happening.

The girl was probably saying "tachimi".

The girl hadn't spoken for so long that her vocal cords were like strings forgotten in a corner, producing distorted and uncontrollable sounds, even the simplest syllables.

But she still managed to say it.

Touchi, who was behind Rune, also heard the voice.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with astonishment that almost overshadowed his self-reproach and pain.

'So she can talk?'

From beginning to end, he thought the girl couldn't speak; she never made a sound.

The girl's eyes pierced through her messy golden hair and met Tapimi's gaze for a moment.

“Le...No…”

This time, she used all her strength to speak, but it was still even more awkward than the three words "Tachimé".

Clearly, the girl silently recited her own name far less often than she silently recited Tapimy's name.

“Le...No…”

As if worried that Tapimy hadn't heard her clearly, she called out her name again in full.

Tajimi was stunned.

He still hadn't figured out the meaning of the syllables the girl was making.

After confirming that Tapimy had heard her, the girl suddenly broke into a sweet smile.

This was another expression that Tapimy had never seen on a young girl's face before.

Her eyes curved into crescents, and her messy golden hair was blown by the wind, revealing her thin but still delicate face.

suddenly.

With all her might, she rammed her neck against the lion-man captain's claws that were pressed tightly against her.

The action was so sudden that no one had time to react.

The lion-orc captain's attention was still on Rune, and he had no idea that this motionless girl would do such a thing.

The girl's carotid artery ruptured suddenly under the pressure and impact of the claws.

Blood gushed from the wound, drawing a dazzling arc in the air, like a flower that blooms and withers in an instant.

The lion-orc captain finally lowered his head.

He looked at the small body in his hands, which was still twitching slightly, and a hint of disbelief flashed in his beastly eyes.

This harmless human cub just ran into me?

Blood was still gushing from the girl's neck, flowing down her thin neck.

She still had a smile on her face.

His eyes were curved, and the corners of his mouth were turned up, as if he had finally accomplished something he had been looking forward to for a long time.

She turned her head, her gaze passing over the chaotic battlefield and the noisy figures, and landed on Tapimi.

His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

Suddenly, Tapimi, who had been stunned, understood everything.

He remembered the first question he asked the girl when they first met.

Is she answering by her own name?

The light in the girl's eyes gradually faded, her head drooped, and her limbs hung limply at her sides.

Chapter 96 Severing Space

Everything happening before their eyes was developing in a way that Rune had not anticipated.

Rune felt the temperature of the magical item in his arms fading, its heat suddenly cooling down from its previous scorching state.

Sebastian has arrived.

Rune didn't need to look to be certain of this.

When the magical artifacts on Sebastian's body are close enough, the temperature returns to normal, which means that Sebastian has definitely entered observable range.

But the problem is...

The script has been disrupted, and time is running out. Rune has no reason to be captured now, and naturally, he can't use this to provoke Tapimi.

The audience arrived, but the play went awry.

Or should I pretend to be angry and impulsive, and then charge in unarmed to deliver the blow?

No, with Sebastian's keen eye, he would probably see through it.

Adding unnecessary scenes will only expose the flaws.

Rune's thoughts raced in a flash.

His gaze swept across the battlefield. Gazok stood to the side, holding his giant club horizontally, while the lion-orc captain stared in astonishment at the dying human cub in his hand.

Rune caught a glimpse of the figure in the black tuxedo out of the corner of his eye.

The old steward appeared at the edge of the camp at some point, standing ramrod straight with his hands hanging at his sides.

Sebastian was observing the battlefield but hadn't made a move yet, probably distracted by the brief pause in the fighting.

'It's over, it's completely too late.'

Just as Rune was getting so frustrated that he was about to give up.