It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Companions would do the same, sitting around campfires and tents, preparing dinner, maintaining weapons, and chatting with each other—just like the dark knights sitting here, each doing their own thing, chatting with each other, and even...

"Hey, the Holy Son and the poet are out! Dinner's almost ready, sit down for a while."

A knight who looked slightly thin, wearing only the lower half of his body armor. He looked neat and tidy, even his hair was buzzed. Although he looked rather harsh, he gave off an amiable demeanor - perhaps because he was cooking a delicious meal.

He smiled and greeted the two of them, and several people in the crowd also cast their eyes in this direction. A lady with a wheat-colored complexion and brown hair patted the seat next to her.

"Poet, the place for the Holy Son is reserved over here, come over here quickly."

There was no hint of alienation in her words; it was as if she were calling out to an old friend, incredibly natural. The poet also took Bai Lin's hand and walked over naturally.

Without a single glance at Bai Lin, in a fleeting moment, the two of them were absorbed into this scene of peaceful life. Bai Lin was slightly taken aback by the sudden peace and perfect warmth. But the poet, who seemed to be quite reluctant to approach strangers, had already blended in. Without giving it any further thought, she took a step forward and sat down.

"Eh—is this the Holy Son? His skin is so good, just like a poet's. He's obviously busier and more tired than us, but he still manages to maintain such good skin. He's really cheating. I'm so envious."

As soon as Bai Lin sat down, the girl with brown hair looked him up and down, and without too much distance, she said the above words. Bai Lin scratched his head, not knowing how to respond, and could only reply,

"Well, it's okay, I didn't pay much attention to it."

"Of course. Compared to good-looking people, ugly people care more about their appearance, right? Your tone is exactly like our Xiao Nuo. She doesn't care about this either. But she also happens to have the best skin. Oh, these damn young people, they are so young and don't understand the value of it!"

The elder sister's speech seemed a bit off-line. Her complaints were mixed with 70% joking and 30% sincerity, which was her true nature. Bai Lin was a little confused.

"Xiao Nuo...?"

"That's the brat you punched in the stomach this afternoon. She's the most bad-tempered one among us, and when she ran into you, she really got hit hard!"

At this time, a yellow-haired bearded man came over to Bai Lin and the others, holding a small bowl. It seemed to be filled with hot broth, probably prepared in advance from the big pot over there. As he spoke, he pointed to the opposite side and said,

"Nuo, that most beautiful little furry child. He looks quite cute, but his mouth and heart are really not cute at all, ah."

Following his fingertips, Bai Lin saw a beautiful girl. Like Bai Lin, she hadn't taken off her armor. Like a lace leaf, her emerald green eyes, dripping with morning dew, shone with a fierce glint. She was clutching two steamed buns, shoving them into the hands of a smaller boy next to her, who was even shorter than her. She then tapped the knee of a stronger boy next to her and cursed him, pointing at his nose.

"Gambling, gambling, gambling! I've told you so many times, but you won't change your bad habits! And now, you want to deny it after losing? I really don't know what to say to you. I'll train you later."

"Big sister, please don't do that—you understand me. Anything else is fine, but not this..."

"Shut up! Of course I know what kind of person you are. There's no room for negotiation on this matter!"

Her flowing, creamy-blonde hair, paired with her youthful yet charming face, made it difficult to align her behavior with her appearance. Even this slight loss didn't diminish her breathtaking beauty. She was like a lily, the most arrogant among the wildflowers, yet inherently pure and beautiful. To call it a disharmony of beauty might be a bit of an exaggeration, but to call it a synthesis of beauty was more palatable.

It's just like another copy of the white-haired, golden-eyed woman in a cloak who always swears.

When she finished her work, clapped her hands on her thighs, and sat down, she instantly noticed Bai Lin's gaze. Their eyes exchanged for a moment, and then Xiao Nuo stood up as if nothing had happened, walked over to the knight who was cooking, and poured two bowls of hot soup. Then, she strode towards Bai Lin.

She stood in front of Bai Lin and handed the bowl to him.

"Hey, you were really rude this afternoon."

Thinking that the adults here were so familiar, Bai Lin wasn't surprised that this little one would act this way. Her face still bore fresh bruises from the beating she'd received, adding a touch of ferocity to her expression. But this ferocity meant nothing to Bai Lin. It wasn't just her composure as an adult, it was also because she felt nothing but purity in him.

She took the broth and replied,

"Don't be discouraged. It's not bad if you can take two hits."

"Tsk, you can't even fool yourself with that, right? That's clearly a planned combination punch, and the rest isn't even finished yet."

Chapter 880: It seems that I can’t teach you

A combination punch, as the name suggests, is a combination of striking moves. Generally speaking, each strike is coordinated with the others, linking together to hit a weak point, looking for an opening, or pursuing a fatal blow. The first punch won't be fatal. Xiao Nuo's implication was that Bai Lin was talking nonsense.

It seems that she has a very strong character. If she loses, she loses. There is no point in being stubborn. On the contrary, admitting defeat shows her pride.

As Xiao Nuo said this, he pulled a bench over and sat down casually.

"Everyone is looking forward to your arrival as a hero. However, I have never been very trusting of the guidance spread by poets. Everything should be seen for oneself."

"So, am I satisfactory to you?"

Bai Lin smiled slightly and asked, while Xiao Nuo frowned and shook his head.

"It's hard to say. Let's wait and see. What's the point of beating me? If you can beat me, you can succeed. This world won't have to wait for you to come."

As she spoke, Xiao Nuo glanced at Bai Lin, who hadn't started to eat yet. She waved the spoon in her hand, pointed at Bai Lin in front of her, and said,

"Hurry up and eat. I've already told you that everyone has been looking forward to your coming. Although we generally don't like formalities, who knows, someone might want to challenge you to a duel. You'll be exhausted."

Faced with this sudden concern, Bai Lin shook his head helplessly and replied,

"It's useless for me to eat, Xiao Nuo. I still have to get a portion for the boss--"

Just as Bai Lin was saying this, a man in a cloak, whose face looked like a person of science and engineering, brought food and handed it to the poet. The poet took it and replied,

"Thank you, Alvin. But I can handle this kind of thing myself."

"Don't think too much about it. If I hadn't seen you guys already chatting about it, I wouldn't have done such a thing. It's normal for companions to bring each other food."

A steady, middle-aged man replied, and quickly left. Before leaving, his eyes met Bai Lin's for a moment. From his dark, inky pupils, Bai Lin read a sudden, intensified warning.

In fact, from the moment the man named Aiwen appeared, his eyes were fixed on Bai Lin, and he didn't look at the poet much. Bai Lin also noticed this, so she returned his gaze. She was surprised that he didn't dodge at all and actually made such a move.

"Hey, that's good, let's start."

However, now does not seem to be a good time to focus on this matter. Xiao Nuo's urging voice reached Bai Lin's ears, and Bai Lin sighed and said,

"It seems that everyone here is finally no longer the kind of person who is in awe of you at the mere mention of your name, but is now able to get along with you like this. I never thought that one day my responsibilities would be taken over by someone else."

"I can have friends too, okay, Holy Son."

The poet naturally knew that Bai Lin was not jealous, but just teasing, so her tone was a little light when she refuted. Bai Lin nodded, no longer caring about the poet, and started to fight. Only the tea-haired sister beside her sighed and said,

"Then it seems that I will have to do it myself. You guys eat first."

Bai Lin smiled at him apologetically, then looked at Xiao Nuo and said,

"Bring me this bowl of soup. Do you have any requests for me? Tell me, I'm not a great hero. At best, I'm just a decent worker. As long as the compensation is reasonable, I can basically take on any commission."

"Huh, reward? I really don't have anything to offer."

Obviously, Xiao Nuo did not quite understand what Bai Lin said, but she also naturally revealed her intentions. Bai Lin also raised his hand and replied,

"Why don't you try to tell me what you want me to do first?"

Xiao Nuo suddenly hesitated and spoke slowly.

"Um... this might be a little hard to say—"

"Isn't it just that you want to become the Dark Knight? What's so difficult about that? But as a little girl, can you please stop thinking about all these things all day long and live a normal life like a normal girl—"

"Shut up, Golden Shar-Pei, I'm talking to the Holy Son. Besides, I'm an adult. What little girl? Have you ever seen a little girl who can fight as well as me?"

The bearded man interrupted Xiao Nuo's hesitation, and was then interrupted fiercely by Xiao Nuo. The somewhat angry term was obviously also the bearded man's nickname. He raised his hands to declare surrender, squatted to the side with the bowl in hand, until Xiao Nuo's eyes were no longer on him. Bai Lin asked in confusion,

"Dark Knight? What do you mean? If you want to become a Dark Knight, I don't have any good methods to teach you. Don't be fooled by the fact that my armor is also black. I am different from you. I haven't learned anything about what a Dark Knight is. The skills I rely on for survival are not the result of studying a specific field, but are learned from a variety of places."

"So, it seems I can't help you much."

There was nothing wrong with what Bai Lin said, but Xiao Nuo didn't seem to understand it deeply enough. She put the spoon into the bowl and stirred it a little impatiently, but at the same time she looked at Bai Lin and said,

"That's not what I meant. I'm not trying to learn how to be a Dark Knight. I don't really understand the details, but anyway, the old guy in the settlement told me to come to you and learn something."

"Well... that's a bit complicated. If possible, I'd like to talk to that old guy you mentioned first. At least I need to know what he means."

As soon as these words came out, Xiao Nuo's eyelids drooped a little, and his eyes revealed a hint of sadness and deep loneliness. He curled his lips and looked to the side.

"He, he's gone."

"Died of old age, just two years before you arrived."

The poet found his place to speak, adding to Bai Lin's remarks. Bai Lin then realized that he had touched a nerve. Death by natural causes was indeed unavoidable. But if that were the case, it would be peaceful, at least reaching the end of one's life in peace.

She didn't apologize or encourage him, probably because Bai Lin knew very well that it was meaningless to do such a thing in front of someone like Xiao Nuo. She just slowly raised her hand.

Chapter 881 The Story of the Dark Knight

He threw the head in his hand forcefully onto the floor in front of the general. The head rolled for a long time before hitting the general's feet, staining the general's shiny silver armor. But the general didn't seem to care at all. He just held his sword upside down, showing respect to the warrior in front of him, and asked,

"May I ask, brave man, what do you request? You have rendered such great service on behalf of our army. I will do my best to meet your needs."

"Take care of my family, and by the way, give me a new set of equipment, that would be nice."

He asked for nothing superfluous; fame and status seemed meaningless to him. He pursued nothing superfluous, only satisfaction to a certain degree. This made the general's eyes flash with surprise. He reached out and wiped the other's cheek, which was completely obscured by the blood. When he saw the young face beneath his face, he couldn't help but ask with a trembling voice, "What are you doing?"

"Brave man, what a moral code you have inherited. What sage could have taught you to be a knight who embodies both bravery and integrity to the utmost?"

"I'm the Dark Knight, that's all."

The boy's answer was unusually brief.

There's no need to dwell on this encounter. The Camitran central government, already seeking to recruit talent from the countryside, immediately dispatched General Edward, accompanied by Lord Bernice, to recruit talented young men from the surrounding villages. They promised that if anyone joined Camitran, the government would provide for their entire immediate family.

At the time, Camitlan, which had limited resources and therefore hadn't recruited many soldiers, made such a generous promise for the first time. One person joining the army, the safety of the whole family—although this enlistment did have its conditions, it sounded like a truly wonderful deal.

Soon, they achieved success, and the men they recruited were mostly "young men." Or, there were those who weren't quite young, but had youthful personalities, with a touch of rebelliousness. This was a real headache for Edward. Soldiers weren't just about strength; disobedience and disobedience to orders were a real problem.

"Leave it to me."

The young man had simply uttered this sentence. Since everyone had already accepted the conditions imposed by the Camillan authorities, all he needed to do was unify them, not through coercion or bribery.

In just one month, this group of young talents with distinct personalities were able to work together neatly and efficiently to carry out their mission. And even after that, they remained the same, at least fulfilling the most basic requirements of being an army. More importantly, they gained a unified, new name.

"Dark Knight."

As for Camitlan, naturally no one knew how a young man who had never received a normal education could do this. And the rumors from inside only fueled the rumors.

Some say the book the boy is reading is actually an ancient tome passed down by long-ago Dark Knights, which is why it's so powerful and instructive. The boy also claims to have "heard" and "felt" similar content in the book long ago, suggesting that from a young age, he's been accompanied and chosen by gods and ancient spirits similar to those believed in by the Dark Knights, or perhaps even by ancient knights themselves.

His specific method was actually similar to missionary work. This was why these young people, brought together by fate, were so quickly convinced.

"Of course, this part is a bit nonsense. It's fine to call it a missionary, but the leader who guides us doesn't convince us all by just talking with a book. In the eyes of our group, action is the most important thing. Those who are not good at action rather than talking will probably not become Dark Knights."

The bearded man paused slightly, adding this to Bai Lin's words. His previously casual gaze now revealed a profound longing, and Bai Lin understood that this was something beyond the power of a few words. Just as she and the poet might not have spent much time together, her experiences and relationship couldn't be summarized in a single sentence.

Because for the parties involved, not a single minute or a second can be streamlined...

The bearded man continued,

Regardless of the rumors, the facts were clear. With the addition of this force, Camitran's positive strength was replenished, allowing it to "hold on" for a period of time. A team of "chosen" warriors achieved periodic success, and the then-saint, Saint Hierlin, completed a significant research achievement, posing a significant threat to the alien races.

And so, after another round of fighting, the battle came to a tragic end with the invaders' retreat. Although they didn't win, the humans who persevered to the end finally welcomed a new... dawn?

Regardless, life within the city gradually began to return to normal, laws and regulations were gradually relaxed, and reconstruction work in the surrounding villages was slowly underway. Logically, the lives of the Dark Knights should have also returned to normal. However, their workload was only slightly lighter than during the war, and their hours were barely reduced at all, meaning their schedules were incredibly busy.

Things like cleaning up the surrounding area, exploring new areas to gain information, and even cleaning up dangerous pollution within the city—these kinds of chores typically performed by adventurers today were now assigned to the Dark Knights. Logically, after the war, the hardest-working individuals shouldn't continue to do the cleanup work; they deserved a good rest. But it was clear they weren't receiving the retirement benefits they deserved.

The official explanation for this is, "Humanity has a lot of work to do in the future, building industries internally and continuing to develop externally." They point out that the Dark Knights work separately from the public, and shouldn't be idle. Furthermore, the Knights are almost all young, and with such energy, they can collectively withstand this pressure.

It seemed quite reasonable, and the knights all accepted it. It was understandable, after all, they were still responsible for their families' food, shelter, and safety. While life was a bit harder, the pay was good. So, they did manage to withstand the pressure.

This burden lasted for several years. Even when the city gradually took shape and settled down, their work did not stop.

Chapter 882 The truth is often very simple

The official explanation kept changing, and the Dark Knights began to feel increasingly perplexed and questioned the authorities. One day, officials promised that once a certain number of adventurers had been recruited, the Dark Knights would be restored to free status, free to enter and exit the city with the same honor as knights. However, since they no longer had to obey official orders, they could no longer operate as a full-fledged military organization and would be disbanded immediately, completing the final handover in batches.

The Dark Knights, having received their official medals, temporarily carried out the final handover work within Camitran, using a loosely organized structure. However, a questionable point emerged: even with the division of responsibilities and some time off, the Knights still had to submit a request for leave to visit their families. The reason given was, "Even though this is the final moment, please remain at your post and do not desert."

The reason wasn't entirely convincing, but this was truly the last chance. Two more days of endurance wasn't a big deal. After all, I'd be reunited with my family forever. With the honor of having helped save humanity, I could enjoy a peaceful, pastoral life for the rest of my life.

But the Dark Knights never lived to see the day when reasonable and fair conditions would arrive.

During the political upheaval that established theocracy, the Dark Knights fell victim. Unbeknownst to them, they were branded traitors. For a time, they were spurned by the entire city, expelled by the masses. The divided Dark Knights were no longer an unstoppable force, but at best, a group of formidable young men.

Young people, how could they have ever seen such a scene? Under the official instigation, it was all accomplished swiftly. They didn't realize what had happened until the moment Molotov cocktails shattered their windows. And the Dark Knight's reputation was quickly tarnished, rarely mentioned in Camillan...

"Isn't this a bit sudden? Actually, it's Camitlan who's anxious. Because our boss discovered their secret."

The bearded man narrowed his eyes, and his tone became heavier, as if all these years had passed, and just mentioning this incident had caused a surge of emotions. He took a deep breath and said,

"Our families, the authorities have always said, are being centrally arranged, and some are being taken to the edge of Camillan for resettlement. Their locations are kept secret, but guaranteed to be absolutely safe. Even during wartime, Dark Knights are allowed to submit applications to visit their families every once in a while."

"At first glance, it sounds reasonable, doesn't it? But in reality, the war situation was so urgent, how many places were safe? Those deployed troops could be wiped out at any time. Can they really guarantee the safety of our families? Although they did miraculously survive, and we all saw it, you must have noticed that something was wrong, right?"

Bai Lin frowned slightly. Indeed, this sounded very lucky, but being so lucky, and with everything under official control, was indeed problematic. It was impossible to deploy a large number of troops in those places. With the military already short of manpower, how could they possibly do that?

If money is invested in supporting the families of the soldiers in a safe place, productivity is also insufficient, and resources are extremely scarce, Camitlan only hired the Dark Knights at such a price. Is the investment too much?

You have to understand that during wartime, "not taking a single needle or thread from the people" was already a commendable act. Officials generally only paid pensions to the families of military personnel who died in the line of duty, and regularly provided them with a stipend for their own use. Care for relatives was also provided "after the war," or as "descendants of martyrs." During wartime, the lives of ordinary people were the least valuable.

So, why do this?

The answer is simple: they don’t.

"The authorities deceived you. They used cheap tactics, right?"

Bai Lin's eyes trembled slightly, and she quickly came up with an answer that made her feel a little horrified. The bearded man also sighed and nodded.

"exactly."