Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

“Speaking of which,” Lucret suddenly turned to Ainz, with a hint of curiosity, “Does Mr. Momo believe in reincarnation?”

Ainz did not answer immediately.

The firelight danced on his full-face helmet, reflecting a flickering light. He sat there, motionless, like a statue.

"Mr. Momo?"

"Ah... I'm sorry." Ainz finally spoke, his voice so calm it betrayed no emotion. "I was just thinking, if souls could truly traverse the Ocean of Souls and be reborn..."

He paused.

"That is indeed a very romantic thing."

“Right!” Luke slapped his thigh. “I knew it!”

“However,” Ainz’s voice suddenly interrupted Rukrut, “that Black Knight… what kind of person is he?”

This question brought a moment of silence to the campfire.

Peter thought for a moment and then said, "There aren't many records about the Black Knight. Some say he was a cursed warrior, others say he had demon blood flowing through his veins. But one thing is certain: he was very powerful, powerful enough to confront a demon god head-on."

“Moreover,” Dain added, “it is said that he ultimately died protecting his comrades.”

Nina raised his head slightly.

“So,” Lukeluth patted Nina on the shoulder, unusually without a teasing tone, “if you really are the reincarnation of the Black Knight, that’s not bad either. At least it shows you’re a good person at heart.”

“I’ve always been a good person,” Nina muttered, but a slight smile played on her lips.

A burst of laughter rang out from around the campfire.

Ainz watched this scene without saying a word.

Beneath the helmet, the skull face had a flickering light in its skull eyes, as if it were deep in thought.

Reincarnation.

Innate superpowers.

Ocean of the soul.

These concepts were somewhat unfamiliar to Ainz. In YGGDRASIL, players could revive at a base after death, which was a kind of "reincarnation" in a sense.

But this world is different. In this world, when the strong die, their souls, carrying traces of their past lives, descend upon their newborn bodies.

If this is true...

Does that mean that those companions who disappeared when YGGDRASIL shut down might still exist in this world in some form?

Ainz's fingers tightened slightly.

The campfire was still burning, sparks crackling as they rose into the night sky before going out.

Late at night.

Peter was the first to stand up, yawning, "Time to sleep, we have to travel tomorrow."

The others gradually got up and returned to their tents. Ainz was the last to leave the campfire; he stood there and looked up at the night sky.

The stars are very bright.

"Mr. Feifei?"

Enfreya's voice came from behind. Ainz turned around and saw the boy standing in front of his tent, holding a blanket, looking at him hesitantly.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

"She went to sleep." Enfreya nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Mr. Feifei...do you really believe in reincarnation?"

Ainz was silent for a moment.

Why do you ask that?

“Because…” Enfreya lowered his head, his voice becoming very soft, “If people can really be reincarnated after death, then there are some things… wouldn’t there be a chance to make amends?”

Ainz did not answer.

He simply looked at the boy, at his face that appeared somewhat forlorn under the starlight.

"Go to sleep early," Ainz said. "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

“Okay.” Enfreya nodded and went into the tent.

Ainz stood there for a long time.

Then he turned and walked toward his tent.

A night breeze blew across the grassland, carrying the scent of earth and grass. The embers of the campfire still glowed faintly red, like a half-closed eye, slowly dying out in the darkness.

Ainz stopped in front of the tent.

He glanced back at the road he had come from.

Nothing could be seen in the darkness. Only the stars shone silently overhead, one by one, as if they would never go out.

He bent down and crawled into the tent.

Chapter 36 Clementine and Cargit

On their way to Karn Village, the group was ambushed by goblins.

These goblins were well-trained and well-equipped, unlike ordinary wild goblins. Just as conflict was about to erupt, Enri ran from the direction of the village. The goblins were obeying her commands.

Ainz quickly realized that the girl was a villager from Carne Village whom he had saved under the name "Ainz Ooal Gown," and that the "Horn of the Goblin General" he had casually given her was now protecting the village.

Enfreya became emotional upon seeing Anri. His reaction made Ainz realize that this village meant much more to Enfreya than just a place to gather herbs.

Enfreya astutely connected "Flying" with "Ainz Ooal Gown." Faced with Enri's testimony and the clues of the potion, Ainz no longer denied it. The boy bowed deeply to him, thanking him for saving Enri and the village.

The herb-gathering mission led them deep into the forest. This forest had recently become unusually active, with even ogres daring to trespass into the territory of the Forest King.

As the group ventured deeper into the forest, Ainz briefly separated from the group with Narberal to reunite with Aou, who was already waiting in the woods. He instructed Aou to find the Forest Wise King and bring him before him—another move by Ainz to enhance his reputation.

The battle between Ainz and the Forest Wise King ended in a subtle atmosphere.

To Ainz, this monster known as the "Forest Wise King" looked exactly like an absurdly gigantic Ghulkarna hamster. It had a round, silver body, black eyes, and a pink nose, and its belly was covered in fluffy, soft fur when it stood on its two hind legs.

"I am the Forest Wise King you speak of. I have no other name," the monster declared.

The battle itself wasn't intense. Ainz tentatively exchanged blows with it while mentally criticizing it. This magical beast had decent physical defense and could use several low-level spells, but in Ainz's opinion, its combat strength was only around level 30 in YGGDRASIL. Its title of "Forest Wise King" didn't match the appearance of this giant hamster in front of it at all.

During the battle, Ainz even thought of a guildmate who had been depressed for a week because of the death of his pet hamster.

He quickly lost interest in fighting seriously. After easily deflecting a round of attacks from the monster, Ainz unleashed a weakened version of "Despair Aura V," and an aura of fear immediately caused the giant hamster to roll over, exposing its belly, and loudly surrender: "I surrender! I have lost!"

Looking at its defenseless, soft belly, Ainz sighed. Killing it seemed a bit of a waste, whether out of nostalgia for his comrade or because turning it into a zombie wouldn't serve much purpose.

“My real name is Ainz Ooal Gown. If you are willing to submit to me, I will spare your life,” Ainz finally said.

"Thank you! For sparing my life, I will repay the Forest King with utmost loyalty and dedicate my life to the great warrior Ainz Ooal Gown!" The monster immediately jumped up, its whiskers trembling with excitement.

Ainz named it "Kurasuke". Although he immediately thought the name was tasteless, the monster itself was very satisfied.

When Ainz rode Kurasuke out of the forest, the Black Sword members and Enfreya, who were waiting outside, were stunned. But the reason for their surprise was completely different from what Ainz had expected.

"This is the Forest King! It's amazing, a truly magnificent magical beast!" Nina exclaimed.

"Just by looking at it, you can feel its immense power!" Dain exclaimed.

Ainz was stunned. He looked at the round hamster beneath him, then at the adventurers before him, their faces filled with awe. The Forest Sage they saw seemed to be a completely different creature from the one he was seeing.

"...Everyone, don't you think this monster's eyes are cute?" Ainz asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened as if they had heard something unbelievable.

“Mr. Feifei! Do you think this monster’s eyes are cute?” Peter’s reaction was the most exaggerated.

Ainz looked around and found that apart from Narberal, who remained expressionless, everyone else's expressions seemed to say, "Are you crazy?" He looked at Kurasuke's round, dark eyes in confusion, and could only conclude that: this world's aesthetic sense might be a bit off.

After the initial shock, Enfreya raised a practical concern: without the deterrent power of the Forest Wise King, would other magical beasts attack Carne Village?

This was exactly what Ainz wanted to do. He was planning to use this opportunity to demonstrate his strength and further solidify his relationship with the apothecary's grandson. However, Enfreya's next request was completely unexpected.

"Mr. Ainz! Please let me join your team!" The boy's eyes were sincere, and his tone was firm. "I want to protect Anri... to protect Carne Village. But I don't have that power right now. So I want to become stronger! Even if it's just a little bit, I hope Mr. Ainz can pass on his great power to me! I have some confidence in my pharmacology, and I'm willing to do anything, whether it's carrying luggage or any other chores! Please agree no matter what!"

Ainz fell silent. He recalled how, in Yggdrasil, countless people had sought to join the Ainz Ooal Gown guild, mostly for personal gain. This boy, however, was doing it simply to protect a village and someone he loved.

"Ha, ha ha ha ha!" Ainz couldn't help but laugh, a laugh devoid of sarcasm, only pure joy. He removed his helmet and bowed solemnly to Enfreya, causing Narberal behind him to gasp in surprise.

“I’m sorry, I lost my composure.” Ainz looked up. “I admire your determination, but to join my team, you must meet two conditions, and you have only met one. So I cannot let you join. However, I will do my part to protect this village.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Enfreya's face, but hope quickly returned, and he nodded vigorously.

Two days later, the group finished their gathering and returned to Yelantil.

Ainz rode Kurasuke down the street, feeling like he was engaging in some kind of humiliating play. His round, chubby body forced him to sit in an extremely undignified posture, like a lonely old man riding a carousel. However, the passersby and adventurers around them cast admiring and envious glances, some even whispering, "Is that the legendary Forest Wise King?" and "What a magnificent beast!"

Ainz could only question the world's aesthetic standards once again.

Back in town, the group decided to go to Enfreya's house to collect their reward. The members of the Black Sword escorted Enfreya ahead, while Ainz took Narberal and Kurasuke to the Adventurers' Guild to register Kurasuke.

The procedures took longer than expected, mainly because drawing a portrait of Kurasuke took a lot of effort. When Ainz finally finished registering and rode Kurasuke to the Enfreya family's shop, they were greeted by an anxious-looking old woman named Rigivale, Enfreya's grandmother.

“Are you the one who went to gather herbs with my grandson? Where is my grandson now?” Lizzie asked.

“He should have already returned with the herbs. We’re on our way there to collect our payment,” Ainz replied.

Rigi seemed relieved and offered to go with them. But as they opened the shop door, a sense of foreboding washed over Ainz.

The shop was eerily quiet; there was no sign of human presence. Ainz placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Narberal immediately drew hers.

They followed the scent to a herb storage room, where a horrific scene unfolded before their eyes.

Peter, Lucrete, Dain, and Nina slumped against the wall, a large pool of blackened blood beneath them. Their eyes were vacant, their faces deathly pale.

“Zombies,” Ainz said in a low voice.

Just then, Peter's body moved like a puppet on strings. Without hesitation, Ainz flashed his greatsword, and Peter's head rolled off. With a backhand strike, Lucrete, who had just stood up, also fell. Dain staggered to his feet, only to have his throat pierced by Ainz's sword.

Rigi screamed in terror and rushed into the house to look for Enfreya, while Ainz walked up to Nina, the only one who hadn't turned into a zombie. He knelt down and gently lifted Nina's face.

The face was unrecognizable, swollen like a pomegranate, and the left eye was ulcerated with vitreous humor oozing out. Ainz pulled open his clothes and found that his entire body was covered in marks of brutal beatings, with almost no patch of intact skin.

“…It’s a little unsettling,” Ainz murmured.

Lizzie returned quickly, her face deathly pale: "Enfreya is gone!"