Chapter 299: The Black Knights Brotherhood’s Surrender

As night fell, around nine o’clock in the evening, silver moonlight bathed the outskirts outside Peace Harbor. In an open area near the woods, Donald stood quietly, accompanied by Kelsas, who was wrapped in a cloak, waiting for their caller to arrive.

In the moonlight, faint rustling sounds came from beyond the woods. If Donald and his companion hadn’t been both powerful warriors above the Silver rank, ordinary people would have thought it was just the wind and paid no attention.

Suddenly, a dark figure rushed into their clearing. But before it could get close, it was forced to stop abruptly by a powerful pressure that made it stagger.

The figure removed its mask—it was the young noble from the banquet. Dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, he resembled a nobleman of the night, strikingly handsome at first glance. Of course, for Donald, it was merely admiration; he wouldn’t allow the man to get within ten steps of him.

“You’re late!” Donald said softly.

The young noble looked embarrassed. Having encountered that desperate, infatuated woman before, even though he had traveled under a disguise for years, experienced many romantic encounters, and was skilled in dealing with such situations, it had taken him a great deal of effort to get rid of her. With so many people around, he couldn’t just disappear suddenly. Only after being dragged to a deserted place, and as the noblewoman excitedly prepared to engage in intimate acts, did he manage to knock her out with sword energy and avoid being seduced by her.

That’s why he was almost late for their evening meeting. Thinking of that woman, he shuddered. He quickly adjusted his emotions and performed a proper knightly salute to Donald, his movements so precise as if he had practiced thousands of times—flawless in every way.

“Black Jack? I greet Baron Merlina!”

Donald was curious. Such a knightly salute wasn’t something a thief leader could learn. He saw that this man not only had the bearing of a knight but also a military air—his background must be complex. Having fallen to become a thief leader, there surely was a fascinating story behind it!

“Are you the Black Jack who founded the Black Knights Brotherhood?”

Blake?Jack said with respect and admiration, “Yes, my lord baron. For certain reasons, I had to lead a group of brothers and embark on this path! Although we are a band of thieves, we have never done anything evil to the weak—only robbing those wealthy merchants and nobles who are greedy!”
Donald nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ve heard of the Black Knight’s reputation. Though rumors often contain exaggerations, I’m not one of those so-called righteous people who can’t distinguish right from wrong. There’s no exact definition of good and evil in this world. As long as you’re not on the evil side, you won’t arouse my hostility!”
Blake?Jack replied gratefully, “Truly worthy of being one of the greatest mages in the North—such a broad-minded person. No wonder my lord baron has been able to build such a great empire at such a young age!”
“Enough. You don’t need to flatter me. Tell me, why did you invite me here?”
Blake?Jack’s expression immediately became serious. He knelt on one knee in the manner of a knight swearing loyalty to his lord, saying with hope, “Blake?Jack is willing to be the most loyal servant of Lord Donald?Merlina. Please accept my loyalty, along with that of the three hundred knights under my command!”
Donald was stunned by Blake?Jack’s sudden move.
What was going on? Had he really acquired some kind of protagonist aura or imperial presence after crossing over? Even before showing off his dominance, silver-ranked subordinates were coming to him asking to follow him—plus three hundred more subordinates as well?
It was only when the leader of the Black Knight Brotherhood spoke that Donald realized just how high his reputation in Celt had become. Even a renowned silver-ranked warrior like Blake?Jack could only look up to him.
Although Donald wasn’t complacent, he couldn’t help feeling proud.
Blake?Jack—actually, he should be called Jack?Blake—was originally a young knight in the Principality of the Siren Knights. As a rising star among knights, he had reached the early bronze level just after turning adult. He was appreciated by his squad leader and given the chance to prove himself and advance. He was a typical example of someone rising from commoners to the upper class.
Just like in those melodramatic knight novels, the young knight fell in love with a beautiful princess. The Grand Duke of Siren had no male heirs, meaning marrying the princess would grant him the right to inherit the principality.

Although the two were in love, the princess’s marriage was not yet settled, and the competition for her hand remained fierce. How could those established nobles allow a commoner knight like Black to rise to their position? Thus, various schemes were directed at Jack, and soon he was accused of treason. Even the knight commander could not protect him, forcing Jack to abandon his love and career and flee to the northern lands, where continental influence was minimal. But how could the proud Jack accept such an outcome? He secretly gathered followers in the north, building strength with the aim of returning to his homeland as a victor one day to claim his beloved princess. Initially, Jack had no intention of forming a band of thieves; instead, he gathered a few like-minded youths to establish a mercenary group composed mainly of knights. However, their activities were discovered by Lord Macbeth, the most powerful noble in the north at the time, who forced them to work for him, creating a band of thieves dedicated to enriching the Macbeth family. Though young, Jack had endured many conspiracies and setbacks, deliberately training himself to transform from an honest and passionate young knight into a cunning and scheming figure. Although he was forced to obey the Macbeth family due to their strength, he usually feigned compliance while secretly gathering talented youths to build his own force. He entrusted shady tasks to other members, and the knights he trained never interacted with outsiders, focusing solely on combat while maintaining an honest and simple mindset. In this way, he used the Macbeth family’s resources to cultivate two organizations—one visible and one hidden. Once his secret organization had grown strong enough, Jack, the leader of the Black Knight Brotherhood, took advantage of the conflict between Macbeth and Donald to break free from Lord Macbeth’s control. He also informed Donald, a rising noble mage, of Macbeth’s plans in return for a favor, securing his own escape route. Unbeknownst to him, this escape route would turn out to be his best option yet!