Knight's Tale : the Dark Knight

Ari was busy taking care of one of his beloved livestock, three Woolcows, which are among the most popular livestock in his village because Woolcows are known as unique and beneficial animals.

They have a very large body, measuring approximately three to five meters in length for adults. Woolcows have distinctive physical characteristics, with very thick fur, large muscular bodies, and colors that vary depending on their diet. Woolcow fur is ideal for making warm clothing, and their highly nutritious milk is suitable for both children and adults.

Alone, Ari was busy bathing his three Woolcows. Since both of his parents passed away several years ago due to illness from Mana Particles Poisoning and his younger brother died a year ago due to village disputes, Ari, who lived alone, decided to continue as a farmer and has succeeded in becoming quite a successful one.

On that peaceful afternoon, someone called out to Ari from the fence separating his house from his neighbor's.

"Ari, could you help me carry some sacks of chicken feed to the warehouse?"

"Sure, Grandpa Jon. I will bring the chicken feed after taking care of Woolcow."

Ari referred to the man as Grandpa Jon. An elderly man over 80 years old who was still very active in farming and gardening. Grandpa Jon had a thin but agile body, although not very strong. He had around two dozen chickens and a large plot of land full of vegetables that served as a primary source of food in the village.

According to rumors, someone Grandpa Jon's age should only be lying in bed every day and unable to do anything. spending time in weakness while waiting for death's embrace. meanwhile,  Grandpa Jon seemed to be one of the few exceptions in this world.

That afternoon, after Ari finished bathing and taking care of his three Woolcows and letting them graze in his pasture, he hurried over to Grandpa Jon's house to fulfill his promise.

Ari found three sacks of chicken feed neatly placed in front of Grandpa Jon's house, seemingly left there by the animal feed merchant as a sign of his professionalism. But Ari also knew that the feed merchant did not like Grandpa Jon and deliberately placed the chicken feed in front of his house to make things difficult for him.

Sometimes Ari can still feel a great deal of astonishment towards the people in his village. They often intentionally make things difficult for others just out of trivial dislikes.

Ari decided to carry all three sacks of chicken feed at once by stacking them on one of his shoulders. Each sack weighs around ten kilograms, but for Ari, this livestock feed is still considered very light.

Ari easily hoisted the three sacks of chicken feed and promptly carried them to the warehouse through the path beside Grandpa Jon's house. Ari was unaware that a wooden beam accidentally detached from Grandpa Jon's house wall and was now hanging horizontally in front of his head.

Ari, accustomed to lowering his head, a bad habit he acquired from his troubled youth, accidentally bumped his head into the horizontally hanging beam.

Thud!

Ari's head hit the wooden beam quite hard, but not hard enough to injure him. However, the physical wound was just a minor part of the recent event he experienced.

Inside Ari's mind, a sudden image appeared very vividly. This image, more precisely described as a memory, was something Ari himself couldn't understand why it surfaced in his mind.

The memory showed a box-shaped object called television with moving images inside. Ari could sense a feeling, a glimpse of emotion from the person owning this memory as he watched the figure inside the television move according to his desires. The person inside the memory was currently playing a video game!

Inside the box was a character named Mike the Hero, who, along with his three friends, was battling inside a floating castle against a massive figure clad in dark war armor.

The intense and gripping battle between Mike and his friends against the black-armored knight raged on. Mike found himself defeated by the formidable strength of the black-armored knight multiple times, only to be revived by his friends.

The knight's massive sword and thick shield served as their primary weapons against Mike and his companions. Each swing of the sword could knock down Mike and his friends, while the sturdy shield easily deflected various attacks and served as a deadly alternative weapon.

The game concluded with the defeat of the black-armored knight, yet Mike the Hero had to exert all his abilities and even sacrifice his friends.

Meanwhile, the memory owner displayed feelings of admiration and pride. The black-armored knight was their favorite character, and despite having to defeat the knight, the memory owner intentionally ensured that the character they controlled was on the brink of defeat just to witness the knight's honorable loss.

"I aspire to be the black-armored knight!

He is strong, brutal, and immortal!

His defeat against the hero is merely dictated by the game's storyline!"

The memory faded, leaving Ari bewildered and excited as they knelt down. Confused by the sudden memory and yet filled with enthusiasm. The memory felt vivid and the emotions it evoked were incredibly strong. Strong enough for Ari to sense a shift in their thought patterns and priorities.

Ari was also incredibly excited. Tremendously excited because after the memory faded and Ari returned to themselves, they realized that the desires of the person in the memory could be achieved in their own land today.

Feeling a new and strange but exhilarating urge, Ari hurriedly placed Grandpa Jon's chicken feed in the warehouse and headed towards the village center. Ari's destination was the only shop and inn in the village.

Ari ran with great haste. Each step of his bare feet sinking slightly into the soft dirt road, a result of the rain a few days ago and the sun that had yet to shine brightly due to the clouds covering the sky.

After running for twenty minutes, Ari finally arrived at the village center. His chest tight, gasping for breath, he struggled to take in as much air as possible for his lungs. But Ari's spirit did not diminish at all!

Ari rushed into the shop and barged in. Inside the shop, Ari was greeted by the bustling atmosphere of the villagers who were busy singing and dancing while enjoying lunch and snacks. In the middle of the shop, there were four musicians and a female singer giving a performance. They seemed to be traveling performers.

The female singer sang with her melodious and sweet voice, delighting the villagers' ears with poetic lyrics accompanied by lively and spirited music. The beautiful singer's performance also boosted the spirits of the male villagers, while the female villagers seemed less interested in the aspect of beauty, although they still enjoyed the songs being performed.

Listen to the Tale of sunset

About a lady and a knight

in a village they united

Separated by a harsh fact

Listen to the tale of the knight

Training and fighting for power and might

Until he finds the love of his life

Who he can never have

Listen to the tale of a lady

Living in a village, feeling captive

Encountering a brave knight briefly

Yet destined never to be

Listen to the Tale of sunset

Where humans meet but not forever

Each returning to path they set

Dark and full of sorrow together

Ari's gaze swept across the entire shop, searching for a figure that could unlock his new dreams and hopes. Unfortunately, that figure was not present in the shop, leaving Ari disappointed and contemplating giving up.

However, the shop door suddenly opened again, and the person Ari was looking for appeared before him. The person was an adventurer named Thomas, who happened to be known as Warrior Thomas. He had undergone training at the knight academy, although he had to accept the fact that he was not good enough and was expelled from the academy at the end of his first year.

Ari quickly approached Thomas and dragged him to a dimly lit corner, leaving Thomas puzzled by Ari's behavior, as Ari was more often known as "The Big Friendly One."

"What's up, Ari? Why did you suddenly drag me here?"

"Thomas, I want to ask you something. How can I apply to the knight academy?"

"The knight academy? Why do you suddenly want to apply to the knight academy? I thought your ambition was to be a successful Woolcow farmer and trader."

"My reasons are my own. The important thing is you have to tell me how to apply to the knight academy!"

"Hey, buddy, calm down! Don't push me like that! You're not usually this rough with people around you. What's going on with you?"

"Tell me quickly, Thomas!"

"Alright, alright!"

Enrolling in the knight academy is easy. You simply need to go to the nearest town and visit the knight's barracks. There, you can pick up a form and fill in your personal information.

The challenge lies in the costs, time, and training. To enroll, you must pay ten gold coins upfront, a considerable amount for villagers like us. the next issue is the timing of the entrance exam will be notified to you on a different day after your registration. It could start the next day or several years later, no one knows for sure.

Following that, there is the issue of training. The knight academy's training is extremely rigorous, bordering on deadly. If you manage to complete all training processes successfully, you will undoubtedly become a strong knight, attracting the interest of many castles and nobles to recruit you.

However, if you fail during training, you will only have two options: be expelled from the academy or lead a tough life as an outcast knight. Without a master and dignity, the only proof of your graduation is a specially designed identification mark indicating that you are a failure."

Ari was stunned and appeared hesitant. The newfound urge within him told him that there was no reason that could stop him from becoming a knight. Even being an outcast knight was better than not becoming one at all. On the other hand, as a common village resident, Ari felt that the risk of becoming a knight was too significant. Extremely significant.

"I suggest that you refrain from attempting to become a knight, Ari.

If you truly desire to engage in combat, you can try becoming an adventurer like me."

Ari gazed at Thomas's face, his blond hair and angular features conveying an expression of kindness and care. Thomas had always been his favorite customer and also one of Ari's closest friends. Thomas was one of the widest windows for Ari to learn about the vast outside world.

Ari's gaze gradually changed. His doubts seemed to disappear, replaced by a confident expression. He told himself that he did not want to continue being a Woolcow farmer. Not because it wasn't profitable, but because he knew being a farmer would not fulfill his new dream of becoming a knight.

Drawing his sword, striking his shield, all done in the sturdy armor that protected him from physical and magical attacks. All of this was still vivid in Ari's memory and served as a new fuel to ignite the flames of passion within him.

"Tell me where it is, Thomas. I want to become a knight!"