Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

“Father,” Rune said, “I’m fine.”

The count did not answer.

He reached out and placed his hand on Rune's shoulder, the pressure a little heavy, as if confirming something. After a few seconds, he slowly released his hand, straightened up, and the tension on his face relaxed slightly, but his brows were still furrowed.

"what happened?"

His voice was low and carried a seriousness that only a father and son could understand.

Rune opened his mouth, but before he could speak...

"Lord Alves, why the rush?"

An unfamiliar voice came from the doorway.

The sound was not loud, even gentle, but it carried a natural, undeniable presence.

The tone wasn't questioning, nor was it commanding; it was something in between, as if the speaker was certain that what they said would be obeyed.

Rune looked past his father's shoulder toward the doorway.

The person was walking into the room.

He was tall and thin, wearing an exquisitely tailored dark blue suit with intricate silver embroidery on the collar and cuffs.

His golden hair was meticulously combed back into a slicked-back style, revealing a broad forehead. His skin was an unhealthy paleness, clearly the result of infrequent sun exposure.

A pair of slender blue eyes.

Her lips are very thin.

He looked older than his actual age, but the light in his eyes was sharper than that of any young person.

Elias Brandt Dale Raven.

Marquis Raven, one of the six noble families of the Kingdom of Riestij.

Rune's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

But in just a moment, his expression returned to the calm, slightly bewildered calm that a six-year-old child should have.

Raven entered the room, his steps unhurried. He glanced at Count Alves, a perfectly timed smile appearing on his lips—polite and friendly, yet somehow unsettling.

“Lord Alvis, Rune has just woken up. Asking questions too hastily will frighten the child.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Rune on the bed.

Those slender blue eyes lingered on Rune's face for a moment, as if examining something interesting. Then he smiled, his smile becoming even more amiable.

"Little Rune, how are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Little Rune.

Rune pondered the title in his mind. How could someone be so familiar with calling someone by their name when they were meeting for the first time?

There was not a hint of awkwardness in it, and "Bat's" social skills were equally impressive.

Rune looked at his father with feigned confusion.

Rune looked at his father.

Count Alves received his son's gaze, and his brow twitched almost imperceptibly—a reaction so subtle that Rune wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't known him well enough.

But the count said nothing.

He simply turned to the side, making room for himself on the edge of the bed, and nodded to Rune.

“Runn, this is Lord Marquis Raven.”

His voice had returned to its usual calm and steady tone, and the tense demeanor he had just displayed had completely disappeared, as if it had never existed.

"The Marquis came to visit you after hearing that you were injured."

I came here specifically to visit you.

Rune pondered these words in his mind.

A noble marquis, the most powerful among the six noble families, made a special trip to the Water God Temple to visit a six-year-old child who was injured.

Who would believe that if I told them?

But Rune's face showed no sign of anything amiss.

He braced himself against the edge of the bed, making a gesture as if he wanted to get up and bow, his movements subtly conveying his weakness. His brows furrowed slightly, and his body swayed.

"No need for such formalities."

Lei Wenhou reached out and gently pressed down on him, gesturing for him to lie down. The gesture was gentle and natural, as if it came from genuine concern.

“Rune, you just woke up and your body hasn’t recovered yet, so it’s fine to talk while lying down.”

Rune lay back down, his eyes filled with the timid curiosity a child has towards a strange adult.

"Thank you, Your Excellency Marquis."

His voice was soft and sweet, with a slight hoarseness from just waking up.

Lei Wenhou smiled.

That smile was incredibly warm and friendly.

"Little Rune, is your body still in pain?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Rune shook his head. "The lord of the temple healed me."

"That's good." Raven nodded, his gaze lingering on Rune's face for a moment. "Before you fainted, you seemed to have said something. Would you mind telling your uncle?"

coming.

Rune's nerves tensed instantly, his mind racing with calculations.

But the expression on his face changed to one of lingering fear, much like a child who had survived a disaster.

Chapter 13 Q&A

Why is Raven Marquis here?

How could the death of an honorary baron possibly alarm the most powerful figure among the six noble families?

On the bright side, perhaps his injury as the heir of the Eindora family has caught the Marquis's attention.

After all, although Aindora could not compare to top nobles like Marquis Raven, it was still an old earldom. It was barely acceptable for the marquis to come and visit after the heir was attacked.

But

Not too possible.

Rune quickly dismissed the idea in his mind.

Raven's abilities are beyond doubt; in the original work, he is worthy of being called "the greatest contributor to preventing the collapse of the country."

But the current Lord Raven is not the "Bat" who later wavered between the royal faction and the noble faction. Lord Raven maintains the balance of the kingdom because of his son.

The newly enthroned Marquis Raven has no children and is undoubtedly an ambitious man.

An ambitious man who wanted to overthrow the monarchy, but he was very good at disguising himself, like a "bat" in the night.

The Aindora family actually leans towards the "pro-king faction".

So, is Lord Raven trying to use this opportunity to target House Aindora? Or rather, to strike at the "pro-kingdom faction"?

'What a fake.' Rune thought, looking at Raven's still-present "friendly" smile.

"That day I secretly took my sister..."

As Lu En spoke, he glanced timidly at his father.

The look in his eyes carried a child's guilty conscience, like someone caught skipping class, both afraid of being scolded and unable to resist trying to explain.

Count Alves's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

But he didn't say anything.

He simply stood by the bed, his hands behind his back, his perpetually serious face revealing no emotion.

Raven noticed the subtle interaction between the father and son.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a hint of interest flashed in his slender blue eyes.

"Sneaking around?" He deliberately lowered his voice, asking in a coaxing tone, "What did you sneak around for, little Rune?"

Rune lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of the blanket.

"...Go out and play."

His voice became even softer, like a child confessing to something they had done wrong.

“When I woke up this morning, the weather was lovely, so I…I just wanted to go for a walk with my sister. I didn’t tell Butler Aldred, or even Father…”

Lei Wenhou chuckled softly.

“Children are playful, that’s normal,” he said, turning his gaze to Count Alves. “Lord Alves, don’t you think so?”

The count did not respond.

He simply looked at Rune, his deep eyes holding a hint of scrutiny, and something else that Rune couldn't understand.

Rune did not look up.

But he could feel his father's gaze on him, heavy and like some kind of silent pressure.

"And then?" Raven's voice drew attention back. "Little Runes, what happened when you went out to play?"

Rune twisted his fingers on the corner of the blanket.

"I... my sister and I went to the market."

He spoke slowly, as if recalling and recounting something.

"The market was so lively, there were so many people selling all sorts of things. We... watched for a while, then got tired and went home. But I wanted to wander around in a less crowded area, so I went to a side alley."

He paused.

"Then I heard someone kicking the wall in the alley."