Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 35 Man in Black Robe

At the beginning, Raymond kicked Robin out of the house on the grounds that he was a bastard and did not have the status of a knight's apprentice. Although it caused some controversy at the time, no one really stood up to speak for Robin.

But now, everything is different.

Robin not only became a knight's apprentice, but was also awarded the family knight's emblem by Lord Blot himself.

His status and strength were increasing rapidly, while Raymond's progress was stagnant.

This huge gap made Raymond feel extremely anxious.

"No, I can't just sit there and wait for death..." Raymond clenched the sword in his hand, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

He had to find a way to stop Robin, or at least buy himself more time.

Just then, his attention was drawn to a wounded moose.

There was a deep wound on the moose's leg, and blood stained its fur red.

Raymond was delighted and immediately chased after him.

The fur and antlers of moose are both precious materials. If you can hunt it, you may be able to gain some resources for yourself.

However, he did not notice that he had unknowingly entered the heart of the Black Forest.

The trees around us grew denser and denser, and the light became dimmer.

There was a strange smell in the air, as if something was watching him in secret.

"Well, there's only one knight apprentice, which is a bit disappointing." A sinister voice suddenly came from behind Raymond.

Raymond turned around suddenly, unsheathed the sword in his hand, and looked vigilantly at the source of the sound.

I saw a man in a black robe slowly walking out from behind a black pine tree with a strange smile on his face.

His face was hidden by the shadow of his hood, and only a pair of eyes gleaming with a faint light could be seen.

"Who are you?" Raymond asked harshly, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

The black-robed man chuckled softly, his voice hoarse and low: "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is...your current situation."

Raymond's heartbeat quickened. He felt an invisible pressure enveloping him, making it difficult to even breathe. He gripped his sword tightly, trying to suppress the fear within with his aura. "What do you want to do?"

The black-robed man slowly raised his hand, and a ball of black energy emerged from his palm, as if it could devour all light. "Your heart is filled with fear and resentment, which is exactly the nourishment I love most. Although you are only a knight's apprentice, it is better than nothing."

Raymond's pupils suddenly contracted, and he realized that he was in great danger. He swung his sword violently, trying to take the initiative, but the black-robed man just waved his hand lightly, and the black energy turned into a chain, instantly wrapping around Raymond's wrist.

"Ah!" Raymond screamed in agony, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground. He felt his vitality being madly drained by the black chain, and his body gradually became weaker.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you." The black-robed man whispered, a hint of teasing in his tone, "You're still useful. I need a puppet, and you... are perfect."

Raymond's consciousness gradually became blurred, and his eyes were filled with despair and unwillingness.

He wanted to struggle and call for help, but his body was completely out of control.

Finally, his eyes lost their luster and he stood there like a puppet.

The black-robed man nodded with satisfaction and muttered to himself, "With this puppet, I can more easily trick out more knight apprentices, or even knights."

He waved his hand, and Raymond turned stiffly, following him and slowly disappearing into the depths of the Black Forest.

Meanwhile, Robin was standing on the training grounds of the military camp when a sudden, inexplicable unease surged within him. He raised his head and looked towards the Black Forest, his brows furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Lily's voice came from the side, with a hint of concern in her tone.

Robin shook his head and whispered, "I don't know why, but I feel like something's wrong."

Lily patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't think too much, maybe you are too tired recently. Take a rest."

Robin nodded, but the uneasiness in his heart did not dissipate.

In a cave deep in the Black Forest, dim light shines through the cracks in the rocks, illuminating the strange scene inside the cave.

The black-robed man slowly lowered his hood, revealing a face burned by flames.

His skin was twisted and deformed, scarred and crisscrossed, making him look hideous and terrifying. However, his eyes were unusually bright, flashing with a cold and crazy light.

"A scene of brothers killing each other? It's really interesting, I like it very much." The man in black robe muttered to himself, with a hint of morbid joy in his voice.

His fingers gently slid across Raymond's body, and a dim light flickered at his fingertips.

Raymond's body was fixed on the stone platform, with various test tubes and unknown wires inserted into his body, like a disassembled machine.

The man in black robe extracted a large amount of information from Raymond's memory, the most of which was about Robin.

He saw Raymond's jealousy, fear, and deep-seated resentment towards Robin. These emotions flashed through his mind like pictures.

"Robin... a knight's apprentice of the Blot family, gifted and highly regarded by the lord." The black-robed man murmured softly, a sneer curling his lips. "What a perfect chess piece."

He slowly walked to a corner of the cave and took down a crystal stone that was gleaming with a faint light from the stone wall.

The crystal seemed to contain some kind of power, emitting a heart-pounding aura.

The man in black robe placed the crystal on Raymond's chest and whispered an obscure spell.

"Using darkness as a guide and resentment as a medium, I awaken your deepest desires..."

As the spell was chanted, the energy in the crystal was gradually injected into Raymond's body.

His skin began to form strange black lines and his eyes fluttered open, pupils glowing crimson.

"Wake up, my puppet." The man in black robe whispered, with a hint of expectation in his voice.

Raymond slowly sat up, his movements stiff and mechanical.

His eyes were empty, yet filled with cold murderous intent. The black-robed man nodded with satisfaction and whispered, "Go, find your brother Robin, and let him feel your 'love.'"

Raymond nodded stiffly, then stood up and walked out of the cave.

Although his steps were mechanical, his speed was extremely fast, and he disappeared into the shadow of the black forest in the blink of an eye.

The man in black robes watched Raymond's departing figure and chuckled softly, "The drama of brothers killing each other is always a sight to behold. Robin, let me see how you will deal with this 'family affection'?"

Afterwards, the man in black robe seemed to remember something, and he became agitated and began to smash and jump around in the cave. It took him a long time to calm down, and he went back to do the experiment quietly.

"Just wait, Blot. I'll be back for revenge soon."

(End of this chapter)