Chapter 301: The Dark Knight Order

“This is…”
Messel asked in surprise, looking at the blueprint.
“This is the flying magic ship I designed. Theoretically, it should be able to achieve a manned flight capability similar to that of an alchemical airship. However, the actual performance will only become clear after it’s modified!”
Hentia’s words inspired Donald. He had been stuck in a misconception, focusing solely on using magic arrays to make the ship take off, forgetting the basic physical laws that apply in both past and present lives.
Weren’t the original goblin airships and the current alchemical airships products of the combination of technological industry and magical industry?
“This is the main lifting mechanism for the new magic ship!”
Donald pointed to his designed blueprint, explaining his concept to the other mages.
“It was Hentia who reminded me. By mimicking the alchemical airship, since those hot air balloons can lift airships, then using a sufficiently large air sac to lift the magic ship should also work!”
“Of course, to reduce the load, we need to add suspension magic arrays to the ship’s hull. This way, it can lift off through physical means, with the ship’s inherent elements providing propulsion. The speed will likely be slower than that of an airship—after all, it’s already quite large and must carry around 300 people.”
Kris said excitedly, “Slower isn’t a problem. At least it’s much faster than our current marching speed, and more convenient. Once this is built, Dalaran will have another great invention!”
“It’s not really a new invention; it’s just a modified large-scale alchemical airship!”
Donald wasn’t complacent. What he wanted wasn’t a bulky airship like those from his past life, but a ship truly driven by the power of magic and arcane arts!
Messel looked at his disciple with satisfaction. Every time, his ideas brought him novel experiences! The ability to constantly come up with innovative ideas in daily life was an excellent talent for an alchemist!
“As a master alchemist, you’ve already surpassed me, your teacher. Entrusting the traditions of our faction to you is the greatest achievement of my life. I hope you’ll further develop and pass on the spells of our school!”
Donald nodded solemnly upon hearing this, and then the mages devoted themselves to researching the new flying magic ship.

As soon as they began their research, the mages forgot about time. It was not until they heard the cries of horses and the shouts of the troops outside that Donald came to his senses. He reached out mentally and immediately changed expression before rushing out of the carriage and moving to the front of the group.

“Stop! They’re our own people—don’t fight!”

He had been so absorbed in his research that he forgot about Black Knight Jack and his knights waiting ahead. He also neglected to inform the rest of the group, so when they saw those people in the forest ahead, they assumed it was an ambush, leading to this misunderstanding.

When Donald appeared and defused the tense situation by introducing both sides, the misunderstanding was resolved. “This is Sir Jack, a knight from my family. These are the Dark Knights he led here to help us fight against Theron’s magical plague! I was conducting research with my teachers and forgot to remind His Highness—the fault is mine!”

Since the title “Black Knight” could no longer be used, Donald gave them the similar name “Dark Knights,” matching his own Dark Manor. Jack and his brothers were pleased with this name; they were originally knights who hid in the darkness, emerging to deal fatal blows to their enemies. “Dark Knights” suited them well.

Prince Duri was puzzled by how so many knights suddenly appeared under Donald’s command. However, having more combat forces was beneficial for his mission. Besides, he had already agreed to let Donald handle personnel arrangements and combat strategies, so after saying a few words, he stopped worrying and left them alone.

With Jack and his men already there and others present, it was not appropriate for him to say anything further. Donald ordered them to follow the group while he continued his research.

The three hundred knights all brought their own horses. Though not all were warhorses, most were of excellent quality, with good endurance, making them suitable for charging into battle and able to keep up with the infantry.

By evening, they had traveled dozens of miles away from Peace Harbor. Concerned about their slow progress, Prince Duri consulted Donald. Seeing the powerful mages working on a solution, he realized there was no need to rush. So he stopped disturbing their research and ordered a campsite for the night, continuing their journey the next day.

After dinner, Donald put his research aside temporarily and gathered the three hundred knights to the other side of the campsite to give them a speech.

Not all of these 300 knights were actual knights; there were also over twenty from other professions. Since they all wore black uniforms and rode warhorses, it might lead one to think they were all knights. Among those twenty-some, some were loyal members of the original bandit gang who were kept by Jack as spies and scouts, serving as the knights’ eyes and ears. A few others were not suitable to be knights, so they chose to train as swordsmen; even the strongest among them had reached the peak of bronze rank, making them valuable allies. As for the remaining over 200 black-clad knights, the oldest was no more than 25 years old, with most being around 17 or 18. Each of these knights, carefully selected and trained by Jack Black, had reached the peak of black iron rank or higher, with over thirty having reached bronze rank. What was most remarkable was that most of them were orphans. After joining, they lived and trained together for years, receiving strict military training, becoming as close as brothers and true comrades who could trust each other completely. They were also extremely loyal to Jack as their leader. The former affiliated organizations of the bandit gang, having committed many evil deeds, had mostly joined the evil faction. So when Jack decided to break free from Macbeth’s control, he abandoned them, disappearing without leaving a trace. The knight order was secretly formed behind Macbeth’s back, and aside from those few who chose loyalty, the former bandit gang members knew nothing about their secret base. To Donald’s surprise, these young knights, having grown up lonely and trained in pairs—one focusing on offense and the other on defense—along with their almost complete isolation from the outside world, had developed many same-sex relationships. The rest maintained pure brotherly bonds, free from family ties, allowing them to trust each other to the death. This was particularly important on the battlefield. It reminded Donald of the knight companions of the great emperor who once ruled Europe in his past life. Perhaps only warriors with such emotional bonds could achieve such an unyielding spirit, ultimately becoming invincible! Donald, a young man of the new century from Earth who had been influenced by modern ideas, though he couldn’t accept such things himself, wouldn’t discriminate against others. In his words, it was enough to take care of oneself—what did it matter if others did whatever they wanted as long as it wasn’t illegal and didn’t bother you?

So back then, when he was online, he could criticize corrupt officials, express his dissatisfaction, and complain about certain news stories, but he would never, like some low-quality netizens who seem to fear everything, unjustly reject or even slander those few who existed.