Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 242 The Fury of Thunder

What the Ghost General found most unbearable was the training ground.

While his younger brother was learning swordsmanship in custom-made mithril light armor, he could only wear ill-fitting old leather armor and was used as a live target by the knight instructor.

"Hold on, you little bastard!" The instructor's blunt sword slashed at his shoulder again. "Your mother was killed by three blows from the barbarians!"

One late night, Rhine secretly slipped into the family cemetery.

Under the moonlight, the mother's tombstone was half a head shorter than the maid's.

He knelt down and used his broken sword to dig through the soil, burying the breadcrumbs he had saved—her favorite honey bread.

"One day," the boy pressed his face against the cold stone tablet, tears washing away the bloodstains on his cheekbones, "I will make the blood of the Rhine family flow out."

The ghost general's bone armor suddenly emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound, the sound of his joints squeezing as he unconsciously clenched his fist.

Mad keenly sensed something amiss and followed his master's gaze—on the manor's walls, a middle-aged man wearing a purple-gold coat of arms was patrolling.

The moonlight shone on the second-order badge on his chest, reflecting a chilling light.

“It’s Lord Horn,” Mad’s voice was very low, but he couldn’t hide his trembling. “What’s he doing here?”

Heavy breathing could be heard coming from beneath the demon general's mask.

The sight of his uncle instantly transported him back to that rainy night when he was fifteen.

He was forced to kneel in the courtyard as punishment, while the man stood on the veranda watching coldly.

He was covered in blood, but he could still hear his uncle saying to his father, "For the sake of the family's reputation, get rid of this bastard as soon as possible."

"Retreat." The ghost general's gesture was swift and decisive, and the five figures instantly disappeared into the shadows of the wheat field.

Mad lay on the edge of the field, watching Horn Rhine on the city wall raise the Order Crystal to inspect the surroundings.

That crystal can detect energy fluctuations within a three-mile radius; it is specifically designed to guard against intruders.

The old knight's back was covered in cold sweat.

"Plan changed." The Ghost General's voice seemed to come from the abyss. "Mad, take the others and evacuate along the original route." His visor turned to a lit window in the main building of the manor, where a blond youth was enjoying grapes with the help of a maid. "The Order Knights are quite powerful. As long as the Lord comes, they will all die. I hope Horn can bring a few more legendary knights."

As the night wind blew through the wheat field, Sir Horn suddenly frowned and looked into the darkness.

The Order Crystal was slightly warm, but the fluctuations it displayed resembled the movement of an owl.

He shook his head and continued his inspection.

"Damn it." The ghost general's voice seemed to come from the abyss, "Tell me... what would happen if this badge were to fade away forever?"

The old knight's pupils suddenly contracted.

He knew all too well that Horn was not only the strongest force in the Rhine family, but also the key to maintaining the delicate balance with the royal family.

Three years ago, during the coup, it was this second-tier knight who single-handedly intimidated seven rival families.

The demon general's brain began to work quickly. Since following Robin in battle, he had gradually figured out a secret.

After each battle, the lord would personally reap the heads of the strongest enemies. The essence of those fallen warriors would eventually transform into coveted fruits of power.

The demon general's fingertips brushed across the trophy pouch at his waist, which contained three bloodstained knight badges, bearing the words "the fruit of the lord's power."

The demon general turned his mask towards the main building of the manor, where his younger brother, who was enjoying himself, was reflected on the bone armor. "Horn's head will be the best gift to offer to the lord."

As the night wind blew across the wheat fields, the Ghost General's revenge plan took shape.

Killing Horn would not only avenge her, but also bring Robin a precious second-tier Devil Fruit.

The downfall of the Rhine family will inevitably attract more legendary knights to attack, which means more power fruits.

"Let's go back and prepare." The ghost general's figure began to blend into the night. "You all stay in the territory and wait for my signal."

The flames of the amethyst lamp danced on Robin's fingertips, casting the parchment scroll of the "Thunder Fury" breathing technique on and off.

Dried bloodstains remained on the edge of the scroll, spurted from the throat of the last heir of the Crawford family.

“Good stuff.” Robin’s thumb rubbed the lightning-shaped patterns on the scroll. These mithril threads would spark with tiny electric sparks when touched. “Just what I need.” He suddenly looked up at the ghost general kneeling on one knee. “But you’ve given me a pleasant surprise by managing to snatch the Earl’s family’s ancestral breathing technique.”

The crimson power fruit streaked through the air, and black mist suddenly seeped from the gaps in the Ghost General's bone armor, precisely catching this peak power fruit that was enough to drive the outside world mad.

His breathing under the mask became noticeably heavier, but he did not swallow it immediately. Instead, he carefully put the fruit into the hidden compartment of his breastplate.

"My lord," the ghost general's voice was hoarse with a metallic scraping quality, "a big fish has come to my homeland." The blood patterns on his bone armor suddenly twisted into the emblem of the Rhine family, "Second-tier Order Knight, Horn Rhine."

Robin's Bauhinia Ring suddenly heated up, and a system screen popped up with a combat power analysis of the Order Knights. His fingertip lingered on the "Domain Suppression" data for a moment, then he suddenly smiled: "You want to use me to take revenge?"

The ghost general's bone armor creaked under the strain.

The mask slowly rose, revealing a face pierced by scars, including the sword wound on the right cheek left three years ago.

“I dare not lie.” His one eye stared directly at Robin. “The hatred for killing my mother is irreconcilable. Her death was deliberately orchestrated by that son of a bitch, Horn, to prevent her from entering the Rhine family.”

"Of course, if I can help my lord reap the second-tier fruit, I will die without regret."

The candlelight suddenly burst into flames, casting Robin's shadow on the wall, which transformed into a dragon-like shape, ready to devour its prey. As he rose, the sharp edge of the Dragon-Slaying Spear swept across the Ghost General's scar: "As my capable lieutenant, I can report this for you. Lead the way." The spear tip lifted the other's chin. "It just so happens that your strength has recently made a breakthrough."

A thunderclap boomed outside the window, illuminating the ghost general's suddenly wet, single eye.

Raindrops began to patter against the glass, just like the night he was kicked out of his home years ago.

The ghost general's bone armor gleamed with a dark purple light under the candlelight. He remained kneeling on one knee without moving, but subtly shifted back half an inch—a slight movement that just avoided the shadow cast by Robin's Dragon Slayer Spear.

“My lord is wise.” His voice echoed with a metallic tremor. “Horn’s domain of order covers an area of ​​three hundred feet. I need to find out who his entourage is first.”

A few wisps of black mist seeped from the gaps in the bone armor, condensing in the air into a simple map of the manor's defenses. "In particular, the scribe who always wears gold-threaded soft armor is likely a hidden legendary knight."

Robin's fingertips tapped lightly on the scroll of "Thunder Fury," each touch sparking tiny bolts of electricity.

"I await your good news." A glint of light flashed in the Bauhinia Ring. "I look forward to the day you ascend to legendary status."

(End of this chapter)