"Alright, let's go back to the first question.
avenge everything. what do you want to avenge exactly? "
Ari began to ponder, with a mind still filled with fear and a body unable to move, about what the terrifying figure in front of him was asking. He recalled the moving images he had seen before arriving in this room, reminiscing about his past experiences and the darkest moments when he felt immense anger towards the world for taking away his parents and siblings.
Truth be told, Ari had long forgotten and buried his dark past. He chose to move on with his life and let go of his grudges, which led him to a small success he now left behind for his new aspirations.
"At that time... I truly... hated the world and wanted to seek revenge for my pain towards the world."
That was all Ari could express to depict his anger and vengeance in the past that had now completely vanished. The terrifying figure seemed to ponder for a moment, staring at Ari intently even though Ari couldn't locate where the creature's eyes were.
"Well then, why do you want to become a knight?
Honestly, I feel avenging the world is a strong enough reason to make you an extraordinary knight."
"T..that's because... I have always aspired to become a knight... and... and I only dare to do it now."
The figure gazed at Ari without the slightest movement. It remained completely still and silent as if it might suddenly transform into a statue made of flesh and bone, which surely was already destroyed to the point of being unrecognizable.
Ari felt a little guilty. Becoming a knight was never his aspiration, at least not his long-time dream. Ari truly started desiring to become a knight only after he received that strange memory, which then sparked a motivation that moved his body up to this point. Ari could tell about his strange dream, but there was a feeling that troubled his heart. It was as if the memory itself refused to be let out of his mind, locking his mouth and thoughts so Ari wouldn't say anything about it.
"AHHH!
Alright, my friend, let's continue with our question.
What kind of knight do you want to become?"
If only Ari could move a little more freely, surely he would have jumped in surprise when that figure suddenly shouted as if just finishing something enjoyable. It took a few seconds for Ari to calm down before he could start thinking about the question given, even though the figure's condition continued to disturb his eyes and thoughts.
"I want to become an extraordinary knight, who can prot-"
"Stop right there, my friend.
You and I both know that's just a plain lie.
Just tell the truth.
You can say you want to become a knight who can kill a king or just want to become a knight to be famous in your village, I don't care, but I ask you to be completely honest."
Ari considered what the figure, whose appearance did not help to calm him down, was saying. It could even be said that the figure truly disturbed his mind with the way he spoke, always accompanied by body gestures as if he had a pair of shadow arms and often brought his face close to Ari, making Ari involuntarily really notice all the flaws on the figure's face.
"Well... alright... I will be honest...
becoming a knight is my new dream. I want to become a knight like the ones I saw in... mmmphhhh"
As Ari suspected, he couldn't tell about the strange dream he had. His lips suddenly went numb, and his mouth muscles couldn't move when Ari tried to talk about his dream. The figure in front of Ari seemed to realize something and then continued with the questions as if Ari had already answered the previous questions very satisfactorily.
"Well then, let's continue.
Are you sure you are ready to become a knight?
I'm sure you have seen some knights on your journey to the Knight's Headquarters. Out there, there are many more knights with various natures and characters. some of them are evil, some are cruel, while others are very generous and full of compassion.
Are you ready to become one of them?"
"Well.. of course, I am ready!
I come to the Knight's Headquarters fully prepared!"
"Very interesting.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
One last question then, my friend.
What if you don't end up becoming a knight but end up like me instead?
No hands, a disfigured face, burnt skin, and legs twisted in the wrong direction.
Are you ready?"
Ari suddenly choked, unable to answer immediately. The physical appearance of the figure suddenly became very clear and detailed in Ari's eyes. Every detail of the crushed flesh, every burn and bruise, muscles pulled and torn, all appeared extremely detailed and more terrifying than what Ari had seen before. like his eyes were suddenly gifted with an ability to see a very detailed image from the being in front of him.
Ari even began to see himself receiving the same treatment, feeling the shadow of pain from the cruel torture experienced by the figure in front of him who silently awaited Ari's answer. Doubt began to fill Ari's heart, deep-seated fear began to run through him as an image appeared in his mind showing himself being tortured and burned to ashes and ruins.
"How about that? Quite intriguing, isn't it?
But that's just a small part of what people can do for you if you become a knight and fall into the wrong hands.
Humans are fascinating creatures; they can find thousands of ways to harm each other but struggle to find one way to bring joy to one another.
Are you ready for everything that might happen to you in the future?"
The image of himself being tortured and destroyed by his enemies became clearer in Ari's memory, shattering all his beliefs and spirit about becoming a great and strong knight. Ari even felt certain that he had been fooling himself all this time and that he should return to the village, continuing his peaceful job as a Woolcow farmer.
But then the memory resurfaced, a memory of a little child playing a video game. A surge of spirit re-emerged from within Ari through that memory, a pure and innocent childish spirit yet so strong that it could erase all the dreadful visions Ari saw in his own mind.
'I want to be a knight!'
"I am ready to become a knight!"
Ari said it in his heart, mind, and mouth. A strong, pure conviction that is untainted by experience or expectations. Ari wants to become the great knight he saw in the video game in his memory.
Ari will be the Last Boss like in video games, bringing disaster and chaos to the world but also providing purpose and reason for the world to unite.
"I like those eyes.
Eyes filled with pure conviction.
Keep that conviction, young one, and you will soon become the knight you envision."
The words from that figure sounded very sincere, strengthening and convincing Ari of the decision he had made. Ari even smiled a little, feeling that his fear of the figure had diminished slightly.
"To conclude everything. Please, Enjoy."
HAHAHHAHAHAA!
Ari suddenly fell into a dark hole that appeared under his chair. Flashes of images of torture and very intense training surfaced and submerged in Ari's mind. It felt like a lot of images were being forced into Ari's brain, not just shown briefly as had happened before.
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGG!
*****
Ari woke up with a start and immediately sat up in a panic. His eyes scanned the surroundings and he realized that he was back in the hospital room, the same room where he had been treated before. To his right and left, Ari could see his two new friends, Alma and Leon, still asleep with pained expressions on their faces.
Attempting to get out of bed, Ari planned to take a short walk around the room, but his body was too weak and his legs were difficult to move, so he abandoned the idea. Ari noticed another empty bed on the far side of the room, neatly made as if it had never been occupied.
Looking out the window to his left, Ari gazed at the dark night sky outside. He tried to recall what he had just experienced, the figure he had encountered, and the new memories implanted in his mind. Ari could vividly remember all the memories implanted in his mind, all the simple training methods, and the expected difficulty levels of those exercises.
He also remembered all the images of torture implanted in his memories, along with a warning that the torture was only intended for the most wicked and unforgivable enemies. Ari felt reassured by the warning because it meant he would only face punishment with terrible torture IF he did something unforgivable. What exactly is the action called unforgivable, Ari had no idea.
After being awake for an hour, Ari decided to go back to sleep. He lay back down in his bed, and closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the comfort of the hospital bed and the stillness of the night.
"The quiet night feels pleasant."
*****
The next day, Ari was greeted by Alma and Leon who had changed into Knight Academy uniforms. The uniforms consisted of long-sleeved shirts, long pants for male students, and long pants with a simple skirt for female students. Additionally, they both wore a pair of comfortable hard leather boots, arm guards, and a thick vest that seemed to provide some protection.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Would you like a plate of bread for breakfast?"
"Quiet, you crazy Alma!"
Ari and Alma laughed together after Alma offered breakfast in an exaggerated noble servant style and called Ari "sleeping beauty." Meanwhile, Leon could only shake her head at the strange antics of his two friends.
After Ari finished putting on his new uniform, which turned out to be very easy to wear, the three of them left the hospital and found an instructor standing in front of the main door, waiting for the cadets to come out and approaching them immediately.
"you three, keep these documents safe on you. you can only open them in a place where you feel secure.
Come to the location mentioned in the documents tomorrow at six in the morning."
The teacher then left after giving the three of them each an envelope sealed with a wax, containing a letter and other items inside. Curious about the contents of the document, Ari and his two friends quickly left the hospital. Following Leon's suggestion, the three of them agreed to open their envelopes together at Alma's residence.
Alma's residence was a four-story house with minimal but beautiful decorations, as the first and second floors of the house were used as a shop. meanwhile, Alma led Ari and Leon to his room on the third floor.
"Let's break the seal together.
One, two, THREE!"
Ari broke the wax seal on his envelope and promptly took out the letter from inside. He opened the letter and read it quickly and carefully.
To Ari,
Greetings from the Knight Academy of Mountframe.
This letter serves as proof that ARI from Westedge has PASSED the entrance exam to the Knight Academy and has been placed in the Special Class.
Please wear the academy uniform you have received and gather at the Knight Academy located in the northeast corner of Mountframe City at exactly six o'clock.
It is highly recommended to handle your check-out registration if you are staying temporarily at an inn/hotel as the Knight Academy provides dormitories for you.
Congratulations on your success!
We look forward to your great achievements in the future.
Warm regards,
Knight Academy Mountframe.