Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

By the standards of a march, this was a rather sumptuous meal.

“Lord Sebastian,” the young man placed the tray on the small table and straightened up, “Lord Rune specifically instructed us to reserve this food for you.”

Sebastian's gaze, however, did not fall on the food.

He was looking at the young man.

The disheveled appearance of pushing the carriage during the day has been cleaned up, and the mud on the breastplate has been carefully wiped away, revealing a dull silver-gray luster once again.

Only the mud stain that had accidentally gotten on my cheek remained, which I probably hadn't noticed.

Sebastian picked up the brown bread from the tray, brought it to his mouth, and took a bite.

The bread was baked to a very high standard, with a slightly crispy crust and a soft interior, carrying the unique aroma of wheat.

Just then, a faint sound came from the other side.

"Gu..."

The sound of a stomach growling when you're hungry.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet tent.

The boy's face flushed instantly. He quickly turned his head away, a distinct blush rising at the base of his ears, and even his neck turned slightly red.

Sebastian put down the bread in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly.

He returned to camp quite late.

According to military practice, the soldiers should have already had dinner by this time.

Aindora leads the troops to distribute food at fixed times, and it should be past dinner time by now.

Haven't you had dinner yet?

Sebastian voiced the question that had been bothering him.

This is no small problem.

Withholding soldiers' rations is a major taboo in any army and can undermine morale.

How can soldiers be expected to fight if they can't even get enough to eat?

In particular, the young man in front of him had just helped an elderly man he didn't know push his cart earlier that day, which gave Sebastian a very good impression.

If even soldiers like these are being cheated out of their food, then the underlying problem is quite serious.

“Lord Sebastian, I…” The young man stammered, his gaze darting left and right before finally settling on the ground in front of his boots. “I… have already eaten.”

Sebastian, seeing his guilty look, had already made up his mind.

The boy was really bad at lying; he didn't even dare to look him in the eye.

“Then,” Sebastian’s voice was devoid of any emotion, “I will report to Lord Rune in a moment.”

"No, no!" The boy suddenly raised his head, his face showing obvious signs of panic.

After a struggle with his thoughts, his shoulders slumped.

“Actually…” the boy’s voice trailed off, “I shared my dinner with the kids in the neighborhood.”

He paused for a moment, then quickly added, "Please, Lord Sebastian, don't tell Lord Rune. Don't let Lord Rune be distracted by such a trivial matter."

Chapter 28 Tachimé

Sebastian looked at the boy, and his impression of his kindness deepened.

"Didn't you bring any money?" Sebastian asked. "I remember that Lord Rune distributed a lot of money to each soldier before they set off."

If you don't get to eat because of this, you can use the money you're given to buy food from the surrounding residents.

Buying food with money, rather than plundering food from the residents, does not violate the military regulations of the Aindora territory.

The young people lowered their heads even further.

"The money..." His voice was so soft it almost disappeared into the night, "...was also shared with them."

After saying that, he paused for a moment.

Then, as if to prove that he was right, he suddenly raised his head and his voice suddenly became much louder.

"They have all lost their fathers."

The voice echoed in the tent, carrying the enthusiasm unique to young people. His eyes were fixed on Sebastian, his gaze filled with an almost stubborn determination.

But then he realized he was being too loud, so he lowered his head again and lowered his voice.

"I want to give them whatever help I can."

Sebastian looked at the young man in front of him.

Another image suddenly appeared in his mind.

It was a tall and imposing figure, his full-body silver armor gleaming softly in the sunlight.

This is the light that Sebastian can never forget, and the faith that was engraved into his soul when he was created.

"Helping the weak needs no reason."

The sound came from the distant past, piercing through the long years, and once again clearly reached Sebastian's ears in this simple tent.

Sebastian's breath hitched for a moment as the two voices overlapped, and that dazed feeling returned.

He looked ahead again and realized that it was the boy in front of him who had said those words.

The boy didn't notice Sebastian's strange behavior, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

Then his eyes lit up, flashing with a kind of intense light.

“Lord Sebastian,” he stepped forward, his hands clenching slightly at his sides, “you are so powerful, could you teach me to become stronger?”

Sebastian did not answer immediately, his light gray eyes fixed on the young man before him.

"Why do you want to become stronger?" Sebastian asked.

"For justice!"

The boy answered without any hesitation. He hadn't thought about it; he had answered this question countless times in his mind, the answer was already etched into his bones.

His voice was firm, and the flame of the oil lamp flickered slightly at the sound of his voice.

"I want to become stronger, and then help more people. Protect the weak, and let justice prevail!"

Those azure eyes shone brilliantly in the dim light, filled with unreserved sincerity.

Sebastian looked into his eyes.

There was not a single impurity in it, only pure faith, much like the light he had looked up to countless times, a light that had never faded from the depths of his memory.

Sebastian remained silent for a long time.

Then he reached out, picked up the bread from his tray, and handed it to the young man.

"No, no, no, how can that be!" The young man hesitated for a moment, then waved his hands repeatedly, taking half a step back. "This is Lord Sebastian's dinner, I can't."

“At your age,” Sebastian’s voice was gentle, yet carried a weight that the boy could not refuse, “you can’t become stronger if you don’t eat properly.”

The young man was stunned.

He looked at Sebastian's wrinkled yet gentle face, and felt as if something was stuck in his throat.

Sebastian pushed the bread forward and added calmly, "I'll tell you how to become stronger after you finish eating."

The boy pursed his lips, took the bread, and chewed quickly, probably wanting to finish it as soon as possible so he could hear the answer.

Sebastian waited quietly.

The young man swallowed the last bite of bread and stood ramrod straight.

"What's your name?" Sebastian asked.

The young man stood tall.

"My name is Tapimy."

The world fell silent at that moment.

The night breeze blew gently outside the tent, ruffling the canvas and making a soft rustling sound.

In the distance came the soft sound of patrolling cavalry hooves and the crackling of campfires burning at the edge of the camp.

These sounds are all there, yet they seem to be separated by a thin film of water, blurry and distant.

Sebastian was stunned.

An extremely rare wavering appeared on that usually composed face; his lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

This name.

Sebastian's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Before the boy answered, he still harbored this absurd expectation in his heart: what a coincidence it would be if the young man's answer happened to be that name.

But this was just a fleeting thought; Sebastian never really expected it.

But the boy said his name was Tapimy!

Just when Sebastian thought it was just another nostalgic moment triggered by the scenery, the boy uttered that name himself.

Sebastian looked at him.

The boy stood ramrod straight, his face showing a slightly nervous yet composed expression as if he were being watched by an elder.

He clearly had no idea what the name he had just mentioned meant to Lord Rune's guest.

Sebastian's memories began to surge uncontrollably.

He recalled the rumors he had heard since coming to this world, the stories about the reincarnation of powerful souls.

Sebastian looked at the boy's youthful face.

The vessel of the soul may change; appearance, voice, physique—all these external aspects may differ.

But if the soul itself exists, if those things that constitute a person's essence can truly transcend the boundaries of the physical body and remain.

So, what standards should be used to identify a soul?