Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

"what?"

A sharp voice broke the silence.

Albedo took a step forward, her golden vertical pupils filled with displeasure.

She looked down at Kurushe, who was kneeling on the ground, and a slight smile appeared on her lips, a smile that had nothing to do with gentleness.

"A mere lizardman dares to speak directly to Lord Ainz?"

Her voice carried a chilling, oppressive quality.

"The envoys from the previous tribes didn't even have a chance to surrender, so what makes you think you can?"

Albedo.

Ainz's voice wasn't loud, but it brought Albedo to an abrupt halt.

She turned her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her golden vertical pupils.

"Lord Ainz?"

Ainz didn't explain, he just raised his hand, gesturing for her to step back.

Albedo retreated behind Ainz, but her expression showed a hint of resentment.

Ainz's gaze returned to Kurushe.

Ainz took a step forward.

When he stopped, he was less than two meters away from Kulu Xue.

From this distance, he could clearly see the white scales between the weeds, their faint white sheen resembling polished ivory.

Albinism.

In nature, such individuals typically do not live to adulthood. This is because they are too conspicuous to camouflage and cannot withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight.

But she survived.

Not only that, but he also became the representative of this tribe.

interesting.

The collector's soul deep within Ainz is quietly awakening.

In YGGDRASIL, he was passionate about collecting all sorts of rare items and limited-edition equipment.

Those rare items that only drop during specific events and are limited to only a handful across the entire server always give him an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

And this sense of satisfaction is being quietly awakened by the albino lizardman in front of him.

Rare species.

Ainz silently repeated the word in his mind.

A completely natural albino lizard man—you probably can't find another one like him in the world.

I'm a little reluctant to kill it.

"Raise your head."

Ainz's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Kurushue's body trembled slightly. She slowly raised her head, her red eyes meeting the two deep, dark red flames in Ainz's eye sockets.

Those were very peculiar eyes. Unlike the yellowish-brown or amber color of ordinary lizard people, they were a bright red, like rubies.

The red eyes of albinism are even rarer in reptiles.

Ainz scrutinized her, his gaze shifting from her red eyes to the white scales peeking out from between the weeds.

The scales shimmered softly in the sunlight, their edges even possessing a translucent quality.

rare.

It is indeed rare.

Ainz extended his hand.

His fingertips brushed against the clump of weeds on Kurushue's body, making a soft rustling sound. The dry grass blades crumbled under his fingertips, revealing more intact white scales underneath.

Ainz gently parted the weeds, revealing more of the white scales.

It feels good.

He silently assessed them in his mind. The scales felt smooth to the touch, with the coolness characteristic of reptiles, yet they were more delicate than the scales of ordinary lizardmen.

Kurushue's body was as stiff as a stone.

Her breathing became rapid, and a flicker of emotion that Ainz could not understand flashed in her red eyes.

Ainz didn't care. He continued to push aside the weeds, wanting to get a clearer view of the rare species.

White scales, red eyes, and...

Immersed in observing the rare artifacts, Ainz was unaware that such actions were a courtship custom among lizardmen.

Kurushue's body began to tremble slightly.

She took a deep breath and then spoke in an almost resolute tone.

"If Lord Gong could spare the Red-Eyed Clan..."

Her voice was firm, each word sounding as if it were being forcefully squeezed out from the depths of her throat.

"I'm willing to sleep with Lord Gong!"

Silence.

The entire wetland seemed to be under a spell that stopped time.

Ainz's fingers were still on Kurushe's body, and his jaw slowly opened.

"what?"

He didn't even realize he had made a sound when the syllable slipped out of his mouth.

go to bed?

What do you mean?

Is that what he meant?

After a brief period of blankness, Ainz's mind began to race.

Wait a minute. The lizardmen's "sleeping" might just be sleep in the literal sense. After all, some races do indeed refer to simple rest as...

"It means... mating."

Kurushe added, her voice even softer than before. Her head drooped even lower, the weeds completely obscuring her face.

Ainz's fingers froze.

mating.

The word struck him like a thunderbolt, shattering all his wishful thinking about its "literal meaning."

He mechanically withdrew his hand, the coolness of the white scales still lingering on his finger bones.

Chapter 13 Ainz's Love at First Sight

Albedo stood behind Ainz, her face contorted to the point of near collapse.

A fierce rage burned within its golden vertical pupils, as if it wanted to incinerate the kneeling white lizardman into ashes.

The air around her seemed to grow heavy because of her emotions.

Several death knights who were standing close together instinctively moved half a step to the side.

Wearing white silk gloves, her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles trembling slightly from the excessive force.

But she still didn't move.

Her respect for Lord Ainz kept her anger firmly locked inside.

Even though she had already torn that lowly lizardman to pieces a thousand times in her mind.

Dimitrius was the only one who remained calm throughout the entire match.

He stood about three steps behind Ainz, his cunning face devoid of any extra expression.

But his brain is working at an unprecedented speed.

What is Lord Ainz thinking?

Demiurge's gaze swept over Kurushe, the white lizardman kneeling on the ground, his body trembling slightly.

His strength is negligible, and judging from his performance just now, his intelligence is not outstanding either.

Why would such a being pique Ainz's interest?

Demiurge pushed up his glasses.

Lord Ainz's every step is so profound.

Given the current situation, he simply cannot deduce Lord Ainz's true intentions with his current intelligence.

What a crime this is.

When Lord Ainz wanted to take action, he, as his subordinate, was unable to prepare in advance.

If he had seen through Lord Ainz's thoughts sooner, Lord Ainz wouldn't have had to personally intervene and reveal his intentions to such a lowly creature.

Demiurge was filled with shame.

Ainz sensed that something was wrong.

The invisible flames behind Albedo, Demiurge's overly focused gaze behind his glasses, and the instinctive retreat of the Death Knights around him.

But he really wanted to keep this rare item.

Albino lizard people.

It's such a waste to kill him like this.

Ainz's mind began to race.