Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Rune controlled his strength each time, not wanting to hurt her, but each time he made sure she lost decisively. Every time Si fell, she would immediately get up, her eyes growing brighter, her defiant spirit becoming increasingly 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 filled with pure admiration, without any hint of frustration.

Rune sat down next to her.

"You're not bad either."

“You’re lying.” Si 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.”

Si 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 Silk 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.

The level of the silk should be about the same, but it is classified as a faith-based magic profession, so it is much inferior to the rune in pure melee combat.

Si 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 picked a blade of grass off her hair. “You should read more books too, so you can know that in the future.”

Si 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 a little stubborn. “I want to be as good as Onii-chan.”

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,” 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, he can teach you later."

Silk's eyes brightened a little more.

"Really?"

"real."

Chapter 6 Dinner

"Then teach me now!"

Si scrambled to her feet, grabbed the wooden sword again, and demanded, "Teach me how to hit Onii-chan!"

Listening to Si's energetic declaration, Rune felt inexplicably uneasy.

Before he could think it through, Rune was pulled up by his sister.

"Okay. Then tell me first, when you rushed over just now, how were you thinking about hitting me?"

Si thought for a moment, then raised her sword and gestured.

"Just... just fight like this."

"Didn't you think about where I might hide?"

Silk shook its head.

"Didn't you consider how you would strike next if I parried your attack?"

Silk continued to shake her head.

Rune nodded, walked up to her, took her hand holding the sword, and adjusted the angle.

"Now think about it," he said. "If you were me, how would you have dodged that sword strike?"

Si paused for a moment, then lowered her head and looked intently at the sword in her hand.

The sunlight was warm, shining on the two people and casting long shadows on the ground.

By evening, Si was finally exhausted.

She sat on the lawn, looking up at the sunset. The orange-red light fell on her face, giving her a warm glow.

"Onii-chan," she suddenly said.

"Ok?"

"Do you think a knight can protect everyone?"

Rune was tidying up the two wooden swords when he heard this, and his hands paused for a moment.

Why do you ask that?

“Because in the story Teacher Cecilia told, the Silver Knight couldn’t protect himself,” Silk’s voice was soft. “He died. But the people I want to protect, I don’t want them to die.”

Rune remained silent for a moment.

He put away the wooden sword, walked back, and sat down next to the silk.

“A knight cannot protect everyone,” he said.

Si turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion and a faint disappointment.

“But,” Rune continued, “we’ll protect as many as we can. We’ll protect them for as long as we can.”

He looked at the sunset on the horizon, his voice calm.

Si looked at him for a while.

Then she laughed.

"Then I will protect Onii-chan."

Rune paused for a moment.

"And Father, Mother, Teacher Cecilia, and... and so many other people." Si counted on her fingers, but eventually ran out of fingers and gave up. "Anyway, I have to protect them all."

Looking at her earnest little face, Rune suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Young Master Rune, Miss Silk, it's time for dinner," the butler Aldred said, coming to the rescue.

Butler Aldred, nearing fifty, had served at the royal residence for thirty years, from the time of the old Earl until now. His hair was gray, but his back remained ramrod straight, and his dark gray tailcoat was without a single wrinkle.

That face, etched with the marks of time, always wore a perfectly timed smile that neither made people feel distant nor overstepped their bounds.

"We're here!" Silk jumped up from the lawn, grabbed Rune's hand, and ran outside. "Hurry, hurry, I'm hungry!"

Rune was pulled along by her, and his pace quickened involuntarily.

The restaurant in Aindora's house wasn't very big, but it exuded the refined elegance characteristic of old-fashioned aristocrats.

The long dining table was covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth, and six thin candles flickered in silver candlesticks, illuminating the room with a warm and bright light. The tapestry on the wall was woven with the family crest and a standing black sword with a long hilt and the ancient inscription "As firm as a rock" below.

The father was already seated in the main seat.

Alvis Saricdru Eindora, Earl of the Kingdom of Riestij, was nearly forty years old, yet still maintained the upright posture of his youth. His hair was a deeper gold, meticulously combed, and his facial features bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Rune, only with a touch more adult composure and sharpness.

He was looking at a thin document, his brows slightly furrowed.

His mother sat to his right, and when she saw the two children come in, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Eleanora Elbein Eindora, before marrying into the Eindora family, was the eldest daughter of the Elbein noble family. She didn't have the overbearing air of those noblewomen in the capital; her eyes always carried a reassuring gentleness. Her light brown hair was styled into an elegant updo, with a simple pearl hair ornament tucked behind her ear.

"You're all sweaty from running," she said softly, beckoning to Si, "Come here, let your mother wipe you down."

Si obediently walked over, tilting her head back so her mother could wipe the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. Her light green eyes narrowed, like a kitten being stroked.

Rune walked to his seat and nodded to his father.

"Father."

The count grunted in acknowledgment, looked up from the documents, and glanced at Rune.

What are you doing today?

"I attend classes in the morning and practice swordplay with Si in the afternoon."

The count's gaze lingered for a moment on that youthful yet overly calm face.

It's remarkable that a six-year-old can remain so composed in front of him. Sometimes he even feels that his eldest son's eyes hold more depth than his own as his father.

But he didn't ask any further questions.

"How's the training going?" he asked.

“Silk is very talented,” Rune said. “In a few years, I might not be able to beat her.”

"Really? Really?" Si had just finished wiping her sweat and immediately leaned over upon hearing this. "Onii-chan said I'm very talented!"

Her mother gently pressed her shoulder, gesturing for her to sit down. Only then did Si remember, and obediently sat down in the seat next to Rune.

Then the servants began to serve the dishes.

A tender chicken roasted to a golden brown and crispy perfection, stewed meat drizzled with a rich sauce, freshly baked white bread, and a plate of sliced ​​seasonal fruit. Each dish was presented neatly and elegantly on a delicate silver platter.

Looking at the food in front of him, Rune couldn't help but recall the dry bread and nutrient solutions he was forced to eat in his previous life in order to save money on YGGDRASIL.

"What a decadent feudal aristocracy," Rune said, taking a big bite of the roast chicken to vent his anger.

Si quickly forgot about the conversation and focused on the stewed meat on her plate. She ate very seriously, her little mouth puffed out, and occasionally she would let out a satisfied hum.

Her mother looked at her, her eyes full of smiles.