Chapter 3: Rebellious Spirit

“Chng!” Vladkov twisted sharply, his knight’s spear leaving behind a dazzling trail of dark light. The dark devouring magic that surged with the spear’s attack rushed forward at the moment of collision, engulfing everything in its path.
Jacques trembled lightly, his sacred combat energy, already pushed to its limit, suddenly erupted. Waves after waves of this energy spread outward, while his knight’s spear emitted a faint metallic resonance. Especially at its tip, a silver-white sacred glow appeared, colliding head-on with the dark devouring force.
Both Vladkov and Jacques felt the immense counterforce resulting from this direct collision. The dark devouring force acted like an endless black hole, threatening to drown out all the sacred combat energy. Yet, amidst the turmoil, the sacred energy managed to emerge at the last moment. Amidst the chaos, thirty-three sharp sounds of metal clashing forced the two fighters, who had been constantly changing positions in mid-air, to land in defeat.
None of them managed to secure a decisive victory in the final strike. The power struggle between the leader and vice-leader of the Black Flame Knight Order remained unresolved, with the outcome to be determined only in their next duel three months later.
Upon landing, Vladkov glanced at his opponent. The fluctuating energy in his body indicated that the dark backlash was about to cause further trouble. But Vladkov wasn’t concerned. With his current strength, such backlash posed no real threat. He was more interested in how his opponent would react to his fierce attack. It seemed the opponent had handled it quite easily, at least on the surface. Yet Vladkov was certain the opponent wasn’t as relaxed as he appeared—otherwise, the roles of leader and vice-leader of the Black Flame Knight Order would have already changed.
Jacques was also calming the turbulent energy within him. As Vladkov had predicted, it wasn’t easy for Jacques to withstand that devastating attack. The fierce dark backlash nearly eroded his sacred powers. If he hadn’t continuously released sacred combat energy to counter it, that fierce strike would have left him in a humiliating position. But Jacques knew he was still slightly weaker than his opponent. Although the opponent seemed exhausted after that attack, Jacques was truly unable to retaliate. Fortunately, his composure preserved his dignity and set the stage for their next duel.

This is the regular sparring match of the Black Flame Knights. Here, there are few constraints or restrictions; everything is aimed at improving one’s strength and experience. Among the dozens of members in the knights’ order, their abilities are fairly evenly matched, making it unlikely to defeat an opponent easily. Moreover, the small attack groups formed based on each member’s strengths possess considerable combat power. In addition to the mutual training and sparring among the knights, battles between these small groups are also a key part of their training, which greatly enhances cooperation and coordination among the Black Flame Knights.

Komer highly appreciated this sparring method pioneered by Vladkov. It not only helped improve individual abilities but also fostered friendship and mutual understanding among members, as well as a sense of belonging to the group. At least when facing external threats together, such mutual understanding and sense of honor played a crucial role.

“Mr. Vladkov, Mr. Jacques, are your companions ready?” Komer asked, looking at the Black Flame Knights who were still discussing and sparring in small groups. Their rebellious attitude could be seen from the way they treated him, their nominal lord—ignoring his arrival entirely and continuing with their own plans. Yet Komer wasn’t upset by this. He didn’t need them to be utterly loyal to him. These members, formed from outcasts among knights, couldn’t possibly follow knightly codes as strictly as those from regular knight orders. He didn’t require them to adhere rigidly to those codes either; all he needed was for them to win, by any means necessary. Victory was his only requirement of them.

“Lord Komer, do we really need to prepare seriously just to play a game with those barbarians? Do you lack so much confidence in our Black Flame Knights? If that’s the case, why did you send us all the way to Flanders?” Jacques asked, casting him a sidelong glance with a complex expression. It was said that Tracy had also left Nicosia for the Southern Central Seas region, but there was still no definite news about her. Could it be related to this man before him?

“Mr. Jacques, I’m just reminding you that barbarians aren’t as foolish as you think, and large-scale wars aren’t as simple as small-scale battles. Your victory doesn’t mean the war is won. If you defeat your enemies but they still achieve their strategic goals, that’s still a defeat,” Kommer retorted bluntly. There was no need to beat around the bush with these people; being direct was better.

“Then what do you need from us, Lord Kommer? Do you expect the Black Flame Knights to obtain everything you desire for you?” Jacques countered.

“No, I don’t have such unrealistic ideas. I merely hope the Black Flame Knights will fulfill their role properly. The Minglan Knights and the Rockhold Troops—only when all forces unite can we form a perfect whole. Only by fulfilling each one’s duties can we secure victory in this war,” Kommer said calmly.

Vladkov nodded firmly. “Lord Kommer, the Black Flame Knights will carry out our duties and obligations as you require. We just hope this war isn’t too monotonous. We’d like it to bring some surprises and thrills to the Black Flame Knights. Fighting against barbarians alone, as Jacques and I see it, is probably too dull.”

“Vladkov, does that imply something?” Kommer narrowed his eyes.

“I’ve heard that the royal knight order of Sparta has many skilled and strong members. Could we be allowed to visit again in our free time? We’ve long admired the prowess of the Sword Saint,” Vladkov said leisurely.