Chapter 121: Sun Fire Knights

"Pick up the pace! One more lap!"

The Knight-Lieutenant shouted to everyone.

He's watching the recruits while also bathing under the sunlight as he wanted to clearly see their condition during the training.

"Yes, Sir!"

The fifty recruits they had for this year were quite low in number but he was happy about this. This way, their training would become even more solid as they wouldn't lack training spaces and they could easily control all the equipment required for their practices. 

"Hmm… They are all looking good… You guys did well in recruiting them." The Knight-Lieutenant said as he looked at a couple of recruiters beside him. 

Tristan, who recruited Diether, is one of them.

"Mhmm… They're all in your hands now, Sir Oliver. I hope that one of them can become a Knight Champion someday…"

"Haha! Knight Champion? Tristan, you're thinking too much… Although I'm the best trainer here… It would be difficult unless they really have potential… Wait, are you thinking that some of the recruits you brought here have that kind of talent?"

"Eh… I couldn't really say. However, I'm sure that they will reach incredible heights someday."

Tristan said as he looked at the Knight-Lieutenant.

His name is Oliver and he is known as the strictest trainer in the Sun Fire Knights. He's assigned to watch over the recruits for two years until they become suitable to become a squire. 

After all, none of these people had proper training, unlike those kids who grew up in the nobility.

Diether, on the other hand, didn't identify himself as a son of a baron so he was treated as a commoner. Anyway, he didn't mind it since their skill is what will matter in the long run.

After seeing that all the recruits are doing well, Tristan and the other recruiter left the field and let Oliver handle everything. 

The latter then gathered the fifty recruits after they completed the last lap…

Haa… Haa… Haa…

Everyone was a bit tired after running under the sun. However, no one complained as they looked at the Knight-Lieutenant.

Oliver has red, greasy hair tied in a ponytail. It reveals his strong and radiant face as he looked at everyone sternly. 

He's only in the early thirties so his body was still full of energy and his aura remained very strong. No one dared to make loud noises as everyone tried to control their breathing.

The gender balance of the recruits for the Sun Fire Knights this time was quite better than the previous batch. There were 30 young boys and 20 young girls… 

They all wearing the same uniform given by the Knights Order as they stood straight in front of the knight.

Their age was all between 10 and 17 years old but none of it matters in front of Oliver.

"You can have fifteen minutes break for now… After that, you need to complete a set of sword practices in the training field. Everyone will be allowed to use the Training Solar Sword but you have to be careful. Do not hurt each other… You will have a chance someday." Oliver added as he smirked for a moment…

He didn't teach them how to use the solar sword but he plans to provide one to each of them. He wanted to see how they will adapt to a new weapon they picked up…

He then left the place to let the recruits have their rest… Once he was away, everyone in the field started sitting on the ground as they rested their soring legs... Some of them even lied down due to exhaustion.

Only a few of them weren't gasping for breath and seemed relaxed during the whole time. 

Not all of them have good physical strength as some of them specialize in different things…

"Diether… You're amazing… You don't look tired at all." Kazim complimented his friend as he gasps for breath. 

"Well, I'm used to running around the village from where I lived, so it wasn't a problem." Diether answered as he looked around the place. He noticed that there were indeed just a few of them who could still stand straight after the running session.

"How about you Sevdi?"

"Me? I already rested enough…" 

Diether, Kazim, and Sevdi were the children that Tristan recruited. They were all 10 years old and were living in the same place readied by their recruiter. 

They were already training here for a month and had gotten closer to each other. 

"That scary guy is just increasing the lap every other day… Can't he train us a little more seriously? Even the sword practice later… We will just hit the dummies however we want. They're not even teaching us a technique…"

Kazim complained after remember their sword practices before.

They were given a wooden sword and they have to strike the wooden dummy for 15 minutes without rest. 

After the allotted time, it will be replaced by a sturdier and larger dummy and this will continue five times…

"Mhmm… It should be every other three days, Kazim… Anyway, it's a good thing that he's not increasing it in bulk and he's doing it slowly as we adapt our bodies." Sevdi said as she fixed the hair blocking her eyes… 

She then decided to remove the tie on her hair and asked Diether to tie it again for her… Diether just accepted the cloth tying her hair without any words as he helped her. 

Their movements were natural so it seems that they had done this before as well…

Sevdi continued as she let Diether fix her hair. 

"Anyway, we'll now be handling the Training Solar Sword. He told us to be careful so I guess it would be different."

"Hmph!  Solar sword… They're useless. I wanted to kill those werewolves… What would a solar sword that only works effectively during the day do?" Kazim said but Sevdi immediately hushed him.

"What are you saying? Be quiet!" Sevdi reprimanded the boy who says whatever he has in mind. 

They were in the Sun Fire Knight's Headquarters at Saalstein City… The place where the Solar Swords were being produced to be used as a weapon of the Sun Fire Knights. 

Kazim calmed down after hearing her. Luckily, no one was paying attention to them.

"Haa~ Anyway, he probably doesn't want us to get burned by the solar sword." 

"I guess so… Then let's just control the Spiritual Energy we'll use when we touch the sword. There shouldn't be an issue if there is no energy to trigger the solar sword…"

Diether just remained silent in their conversation as he was also not that interested in the Solar Sword. What he wanted to possess as a weapon was the Jade Sword that was being used by Knight Lieutenants of the Knights Order. 

The Knighthood wasn't a simple journey…

From being a recruit, they have to be trained to be a qualified squire. 

Once they become a squire, they will be assigned to a Sun Fire Knight for several years and help them with various things before their own accolade or knighting ceremony…

Of course, it wouldn't end just like that. Once you become a Knight, you have to aim for a higher position. After all, the order wants everyone to become stronger. 

Apparently, there were ranks in the Knighthood. 

A Knight can become a Knight-Lieutenant, followed by a Knight-Captain where you will be assigned with a unit of Knights. The size of the units depends on the capability of the Knight-Captain. However, they can only have two Knight-Lieutenant in their unit.

After the Knight-Captain was the position of Knight Commander. 

Normally, on every base of the Knights Order, a Knight Commander is assigned to take the lead.

Then, it would be the Marshal who oversees the whole Knights Order. 

Finally, it will be the Knight Champion who is recognized as the strongest member of the Order. They were the only ones who aren't subjected to the Knight Commander and could act based on their own judgment.

Within the Sun Fire Knights, there are only three Knights Champions recognized, and each one of them is rumored to be as strong as Maximilian, the Kingdom's General and the Great Hero, known throughout the whole kingdom.

"Diether? Who do you think is the strongest among the recruits? Of course, do not include me since that's a given."

"Heh~" Sevdi chuckled at Kazim's words. 

"The strongest? Hmm… I'm not sure… However, we have three recruits that are 17 years old. They must be very strong."

"What? Don't think like that. Have you not defeated anyone older than you?"

"I… I have… But everyone here passed the recruiter's exam. So they must be talented."

"I see… However, I think that that young girl with scary red eyes can defeat them. She's probably equal to my skills."

"Scary red eyes? Ahh… Calliope… I heard that she's a slave and she flee to this country after the slave traders were attacked by Evil Beasts." Sevdi said after realizing the person that Kazim was talking about.

"Oh… I didn't know about that…" Diether honestly commented.

"I just heard it from her two other teammates. She was being transported together with other captured slaves. However, before they were sent to their buyers, the carriage they were imprisoned in was destroyed by a rampaging troll. She luckily survived and ended up here." The young girl said as they all looked at Calliope.