《King of Knights》 A Knights Test Prologue I¡¯ve always loved heroes. Every single day, I¡¯ve dreamed about being as strong and inspiring as the great men and women in the stories I¡¯ve read, with their daring exploits and dashing heroics. There are countless legends of valiant heroes, but my favorite is called ¡°The Sword of the Sun.¡± Long ago, before there were kings and leaders, during the age of just humans and monsters, two dragons emerged. Their hatred for each other was immense, and their ensuing battle shook the world with chaos and destruction. What was once beautiful, grassy land was now covered in harsh, unforgiving dragon fire. Mountains once thought indestructible quickly crumbled to dust, hapless victims of the furious battle raging on their slopes. Ash clouds covered the sky, leaving the land dark and lifeless. No town or city was safe from their destructive battle; neither dragon seemed to have the upper hand, and their battle seemed never-ending. All hope was lost¡ªuntil one brave knight appeared. After a long and treacherous journey, he fought the two dragons with unforeseeable speed and power. With a swing of his sword, the brave knight slayed the dragons, bringing their destructive battle to an end. Standing atop the ruins of what was once a mighty citadel, with the world now saved, the brave knight planted his foot on what was once an indestructible rampart and thrust his sword toward the heavens. A huge beam of light shot up to the sky like a beacon of peace, and the world was calm once more. The burning land returned to lush green, and the sun shone through the bleak clouds. It shined brightly on the radiant blade¡ªand from that moment on, the sword became known as the ¡°Sword of the Sun.¡± The knight became a hero, and his story became legend as he was crowned the first King of Knights. Chapter 1 It was a typical September day, the sky covered by a gray pall of clouds. Harsh winds blew across the forest, ripping leaves off the trees and howling briefly interrupted by the loud crack of stray branches hitting the ground. The cold wind blasted against Dante, making him shiver. The sun was nowhere to be found; a huge storm was approaching. Dust and dirt plagued his eyes, but Dante moved through the forest quickly, scavenging the area. His age had not caught up to his body yet¡ªthe previous battles he had fought were more painful with far higher stakes. As he picked up the pace, the shoulder strap on his armor loosened. Without breaking his stride, Dante held the strap in place, adjusting it. Ensuring it fit tightly against his body once more. His leather armor covered his front and back; the spaulder left the rest of his arms exposed, though his boots and pants covered most of his lower body. Though Dante¡¯s equipment was serviceable, it was far from the best; quality arms and armor were difficult to come by in his impoverished village, a backwater township on the outer reaches of the kingdom, far from the capital. Due to this distance, the villagers relied on one another for trade and supplies. Goods from the capital were always out of reach, too expensive for common folk. Those with knowledge of the forest were tasked with retrieving materials from deep within the woods. Dante was grateful to his neighbors for taking him in but sometimes wished he had been born in the mage kingdom¡ªadvanced MagiTech would have made his job a whole lot easier. Despite being tied to the village by obligations, even if he could have left, he would have still chosen to stay. With a bag of firewood in his left hand and his old axe in his right¡ªthough weathered, it was as sharp as ever. He had been scavenging the forest for firewood when a faint sound made him pause. Listening closely, Dante realized that what he had initially thought was the sound of a small animal was actually the cry of a baby! He gripped his axe tightly, sweat running down his face as he scanned the area for threats. The baby''s shrieks echoed through the forest, seemingly carried by the wind. Carefully but urgently, he made his way towards the crying. His heart pounded as Dante faced the uncertainty of what he might encounter. The forest was known for its fae creatures, some fabled to be malevolent or monstrous, their tricks said to lead inexperienced travelers to their doom. Thinking quickly, he used nearby bushes and trees as cover, hiding himself from potential dangers. As the cries grew louder, he peeked out from the bushes, making as little noise as possible. Scanning the area for threats, Dante¡¯s tension turned to concern¡ªthere was a baby on the ground, covered in dirt and dust, its dirty blanket hindering its movement. He picked up the starving baby, amazed that no beast had found it yet despite its loud cries. A loud crack of thunder caused the infant to shriek louder, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded. Dante smiled out of pity for the crying child, knowing the decision he must make¡ªone similar to the decision made by the previous hunter who had found him years ago. Resolute in his decision, he carried the baby home. The child''s wailing continued with every step he took. The winds, once merely harsh, turned cruel and punishing with his added load, casting dust in Dante¡¯s face and clogging his nose and eyes, making the burden of carrying the baby even more challenging. As he stepped into his home, the baby¡¯s crying finally ceased. Even the harsh thunder no longer seemed to faze the infant. Back then, he lived alone in the village; his home was a single room with only the essential stone and wood furnishings. The simple cotton sheets haphazardly strewn across his bed and the iron pot above the fireplace were his only concessions to decor. Dante¡¯s prized bookshelf, full of heroic tales collected over the years, stood proudly next to the fire. He lit his pitch-black room with candles out of habit, their feeble yet warm light illuminating his spartan home. Though he had always wished for more technology, like a heater, his home shielded him from the elements, so he couldn¡¯t complain. He moved the infant to the table next to his bed; caring for the child was one of the greatest challenges Dante had ever faced. The baby, a young boy with a head of luscious brown hair and sparkling dark red eyes, took hours to calm and comfortable. Despite the difficulty, he ensured the child felt secure and safe. Dante looked upon the baby with sadness and pity. ¡°I thought you would never stop crying. I¡¯m sorry for what you had to go through at such a young age.¡± After cleaning the blanket, he discovered letters embroidered in the top right corner. ¡°Tanner¡± He delicately tucked the blanket back around the child, making sure not to wake him. ¡°Tanner, I guess that¡¯s your name.¡± He placed his hand on the baby¡¯s head, stroking him gently in a comforting manner. ¡°Hello, Tanner. Welcome to the village.¡± ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 years later: ¡°God, it¡¯s so hot,¡± I curse to myself as I wipe sweat from my brow. The sun seems especially bright as it mercilessly shines in the cloudless sky. My sweaty hands struggle to grip my wooden sword as I practice against a nearby tree. Noah sits on the ground, watching me with admiration as I continue. His red hair and blue eyes shine in the sun, and no matter how terrible the day is, he always brightens it up. ¡°Tanner, you¡¯re so cool. You look just like a knight! I hope I can be a knight just like you.¡± Panting heavily, I stop moving and sheath my wooden sword, taking a break from the heat and the constant quick movements. ¡°Thanks Noah, study and train hard, and you¡¯ll get there too.¡± ¡°Tanner, Noah, give me a hand with the firewood!¡± Sighing, I put away my sword and head to the tree line where my father is waiting for me. Hefting the bundle of firewood onto my shoulder, the three of us make our way to the village school. Thankfully, due to the heat, the bundle is light. Even if it weren¡¯t, I¡¯d still have a skip in my step. Today is a special day for me¡ªthe day I leave for the Royal Capital to take the knights¡¯ exam. My little farm town is very far from the Sword Kingdom Capital, so to make it on time, I need to leave a few days early. Sword City is completely different from my farm town¡ªcrowded with millions of people and with technology that is vastly more advanced compared to what little is available in my hometown. After we finish our errands, all that¡¯s left is to finalize my preparations. Due to the long journey ahead, I need to pack light, so packing is bittersweetly short. While I¡¯m excited to go on this adventure, it¡¯s sad to leave behind my way of life and everything I know. In the end, I settle on a few rations, some money, my wooden sword, my knife, and a short bow. With my preparations complete, I stand on the path toward the exam and my first step toward becoming a knight. As I work myself up to begin my journey, I hear familiar voices behind me. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet¡ª10 copper that he dies on the way to the kingdom.¡± ¡°Does he really think he can be a knight when, even after 16 years, he¡¯s still so short and weak?¡± ¡°Well, if he fails, at least we¡¯ll get a funny story out of it.¡± It¡¯s Jayson and two of his friends. He¡¯s tall and strong with short black hair. They¡¯re wearing clothes slightly worse than my travel attire¡ªragged gray long-sleeved shirts and ragged black pants that go to their ankles. I never want to hate people, but it frustrates me how popular he is in town despite how he acts toward me and his arrogance when he does something. He was a nice person when I was younger, but after that combat training match we had, he revealed his true colors to me. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 years ago: It was near the end of the school day when my teacher brought the entire class outside behind the red barn to a small ring made of wood embedded in the ground. After a long day spent indoors, it felt great to finally feel the warmth of the sun and a light breeze. Nothing seemed capable of bringing me down from enjoying the weather. Immense excitement filled me as my favorite class was about to start. The class was combat training; I finally got to hold a sword and feel like a knight from the stories my father used to read to me before bed. Academics weren¡¯t my greatest strength; I¡¯d always hated taking timed tests because they made me feel rushed and stupid. Unlike me, Jayson has talent and always seems to get the best grades. So it felt wonderful to finally take a break from the teachers getting frustrated at me; someone who was the opposite of Jayson. ¡°Everyone, please form a single-file line for footwork drills!¡± Our teacher shouted to get our attention. We all lined up horizontally in front of the wooden ring. This was the most boring part of the class, but I still made an effort to work on my footwork as best I could. Footwork drills were rough and exhausting; keeping my form and moving quickly was extremely difficult, as it was a weakness of mine. ¡°Okay everyone, great work. Grab a weapon and practice your weapon training. You have 15 minutes!¡± Sweat poured down my face, and my breath was harsh and unsteady. With urgency, I quickly made my way to the pile of weapons. Swords were my favorite kind of weapon, but I especially loved the long sword. Although my exhaustion was great, I practiced swinging my sword and footwork to the best of my ability. I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw Jayson behind me. ¡°Hey Tanner, how did your training session yesterday go?¡± I looked at him, confused; it was dark yesterday, so I wasn¡¯t sure how he had seen me. ¡°You saw me practicing?¡± He had a sorry expression on his face. ¡°Sorry, I heard noises near my place, so I was curious. Your bladework and footwork aren¡¯t very good. You¡¯re going to need to move really fast and have better blade work to beat people with a bigger reach.¡± I took in the feedback he gave me. ¡°Okay, so I need to know my opponent¡¯s distance and my own and use my speed to gain the advantage, right?¡± He gave me a confusing look. He was smiling, but I couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry or frustrated. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± Before I could turn around and continue, Jayson spoke up with curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re really passionate about weapons. Have you ever thought about making them instead of becoming a knight?¡± I was confused by the question, not sure why he was asking, but I was still happy to answer. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true that I like to look at weapons, but it¡¯s really inspiring to see how the knights fight and inspire people. I want to be just like the knight in the Sword of the Sun story.¡± The confused expression was back, and he sighed. ¡°Alright, whatever.¡± ¡°Okay everyone, today is another sparring match. Please give both of them some feedback, and as usual, I will be grading everyone on participation and comments, as well as the two people sparring individual skills.¡± Everyone sat down in a circle around the fighting ring, excited to see who would be fighting. ¡°Tanner and Jayson, please step into the ring.¡± We both stepped into the ring. I was holding a long sword while Jayson was holding a wooden stick representing a lance. Jayson looked confident while I felt nervous. Breathing was difficult, almost as if I were being constricted, and my palms were sweating. I tried to take deep breaths, and while it helped, it didn¡¯t fully eliminate my nervousness. ¡°Fighters ready? Begin!¡± Although nervous, I charged straight at Jayson. I swung my sword at his right side, but he blocked the attack with incredible ease. Jayson was always physically gifted for his age. I backed away, trying to distance myself from him. Using the lance¡¯s length, Jayson swung it towards my shoulder. His swift attacks were tough to follow. By a stroke of luck, I managed to block his strike. The force of the attack was enough to keep me pinned down, and I was stuck, unable to move. Using his overpowering strength and speed, he ran up and kneed me in the chest. My body was flung out of the ring, and I coughed up spit from the pain of the assault. Crap, I was completely overwhelmed! ¡°The winner is Jayson!¡± The entire class cheered for him. He walked up to me and reached out his hand. I smiled, and he helped me up. He put his head next to my ear. ¡°No one here thinks you can be a knight, not even the teacher. Everyone here thinks you can¡¯t physically do anything. Give up. You¡¯re too short, weak, and stupid to be a knight.¡± A state of shock took over my body. I didn¡¯t think Jayson would say something like this. He¡¯s usually very nice to people, but secretly he¡¯s like this! I looked around, staring at everyone in a daze. It¡¯s not just Jayson... everyone is like this to me. I looked down at my feet with an incredibly depressed expression. Everyone really says things like this behind my back. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Present Day: ¡°Is everything okay, Tanner?¡± I snap back into reality after hearing my father¡¯s words. His stern but worried look makes me collect myself; the last thing I want is to let him worry. I lift my head and smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, everything is packed.¡± Even after all this time, he hasn¡¯t aged a bit. He is still the father who works hard and worries about others. Noah starts to cry, knowing he won¡¯t be seeing me for a long time. His tears and sniffling make it difficult for him to speak, but I manage to understand him. ¡°I will miss you, but show everyone that you can do it. I want to see you as a knight when I get older.¡± Keeping up the big brother act is extremely tough right now. I am going to miss him too, but I need to keep a strong face regardless of what¡¯s happening around me. I give him a soft hug. ¡°I will miss you too. Make sure to take care of Dad for me, okay?¡± Rubbing his eyes, he hugs me back. The tears and snot are getting on my clothes, but I don¡¯t mind; I¡¯d probably do the same if I were in his position. ¡°Remember, Tanner, you always have a place here if you ever want to come back. Make sure to write.¡± His words make me smile. I¡¯m incredibly grateful for the education and training he¡¯s given me. Even though he wasn¡¯t the best father, I know he had the best intentions, and I¡¯m glad he raised me. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure to write every day to both of you; I¡¯ll do my best to become a knight.¡± ¡°Good luck, Tanner,¡± my dad says with a bittersweet smile. ¡°Tanner!... Wait!¡± The shout comes from the direction of my old school. It¡¯s my teacher, Ms. Brighid. She¡¯s running as fast as she can, her long red hair swaying in the distance. Her worried expression is clear until she finally stops in front of me, panting and out of breath. After a few seconds, she regains herself and stands up. ¡°Tanner, I...¡± It looks like she wants to say something she¡¯s been holding back, but she hesitates. Maybe I¡¯m reading too much into it. ¡°Tanner, good luck. I know you will do great.¡± Smiling gratefully, I give Ms. Brighid, my father, and my little brother a hug. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it. I¡¯m off now; I¡¯ll do the best I can!¡± I wave goodbye to my teacher and family, and I start my journey to Sword City. The journey is long, but after a few days, I finally make it to the capital. The Sword Kingdom capital looks completely different from my hometown. The streets are filled with cars, an unfathomable number of well-dressed people bustling through the area, colorful signs for restaurants and buildings, and knight guards with glistening armor making sure they are seen by many. I feel completely out of place. This is way too overwhelming! People keep bumping into me, and I keep bumping into them. It is extremely difficult to navigate around the capital. ¡°Sorry!¡± Whenever I bump into someone, they are very cautious, giving a disgusted look and checking their pockets. ¡°Watch where you''re going next time, kid!¡± It really hurts that a lot of these people don¡¯t show any kindness, but I guess it¡¯s understandable considering how I am dressed. Looking around this crowded area is a complete nightmare. The streets are so confusing to follow. I am so lost... where is the Knights Academy? I walk up to one of the guards nervously; I¡¯m not mentally ready to speak to someone in this giant city yet. Looking down at the ground, I speak to the guard next to a restaurant standing proudly. ¡°Excuse me, sir, can you show me where the Knights Academy is?¡± The guard looks at me with a questioning expression on his face. ¡°Sorry, kid, could you speak up? I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Clearing my throat to try to calm myself down, I speak up a little louder. ¡°Can you show me where the Knights Academy is?¡± After standing still for a few seconds, the guard understands what I am saying. ¡°Oh, okay, but are you the scribe for the academy?¡± I look at him confused and slightly let down. ¡°No... I am here to try to become a knight.¡± The guard lets out a hearty laugh. ¡°Okay, kid, the Academy is the giant building in the center of the capital.¡± His laughter stings, but I do my best not to show my emotions. Faking a smile, I walk away in the direction he points. Moments like this always happen to me, and they always infuriate me. This moment reminds me of a similar memory from my childhood. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 years ago: It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day with no clouds in the sky. The grass was a brilliant green, spreading through the town and into the forest. Farmhouses of different colors, shapes, and sizes stood with small crop lands next to each one. The wind gently sighed through the trees and ruffled my brown hair. While I could feel the wind, my focus was on the people around me. I knew this area like the back of my hand. I watched as a football was cleanly thrown across the field, landing perfectly in someone¡¯s arms. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Jayson started charging right at me. He was tall, fast, and strong, like an unstoppable train I had learned about in school. ¡°Tanner, it¡¯s on you!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± I yelled with determination and confidence. Both of us charged straight at each other and clashed. I slowly started being pushed backward, but I gritted my teeth in determination, planting my feet firmly in the ground. Jayson pushed through, throwing me to the ground and scoring a touchdown for his team. Everyone on the opposing team cheered, while my teammates lay on the ground, panting in defeat. A few of my teammates who had tried to catch Jayson tiredly walked toward me, their frustration clear. ¡°I knew we couldn¡¯t trust Tanner with defending the end zone.¡± Another boy walked up to me and helped me up. ¡°Sorry, Tanner. I guess he was a little too tough for you.¡± Jayson then spoke up with a lot of confidence. ¡°Is there any doubt that I would ever lose to Tanner?¡± The boy who helped me up spoke, thinking he was comforting me. ¡°You may be taller, but you could have at least tried to go easier on him.¡± I hated it when people said that to me. It was something I was all too familiar with. Everyone in this small town always underestimated me just because I was shorter than the average boy my age. No matter what I did, my efforts were always undervalued. ¡°At least I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Present day: I arrive at the Knights Academy. The academy features a giant arena with vomitoriums where we can watch from a safe distance. Right next to it is a castle that looks incredibly sturdy. It¡¯s gray in color and stands tall, bigger than any of the buildings in the city. The registration booth is located in the center of the colosseum. It¡¯s a square arena, and the ground is entirely made of concrete with a white circle in the center. Looking at the ring reminds me of the combat class back at school. Is that the fighting ring they will use for the test? Many nobles wear clean and colorful clothing. If there is anywhere in the capital where I feel out of place, it¡¯s here. My ragged clothes don¡¯t help either. Everyone¡¯s confidence increases the intimidation I feel, along with their sense of pride. With my head down, I slowly walk to the booth, waiting for my turn to register for the exam. It¡¯s finally my turn, and I meet an exhausted man at the booth. ¡°Please tell me your name and date of birth.¡± Concerned for his well-being, I make sure to be quick so I don¡¯t hold up the line and can make his job easier. ¡°Tanner, August 1st, 2001.¡± His eyes look like they are about to shut down; he could fall asleep at any moment. ¡°Your name will be shown on the board with your scores, and your name will be called for the physical exam.¡± I look at him and smile. ¡°Okay, thank you sir.¡± I walk away to find a place to sit down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A haughty voice stops me in my tracks. Curious about who is talking to me, I turn around. A girl with black curly hair and clear skin interrupts me. She wears a shining white battle dress that looks more suited for sparring than actual combat. There is no doubt that she is a high-ranking noble. Her gaze brings intimidation and confusion to my eyes. I¡¯m not sure what I did wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± She starts to get irritated, and I begin to get nervous as sweat flows down my face. ¡°Why did you register for the exam? I hope you realize that a peasant like you is just wasting the judges'' time?¡± I stand still, not sure how to react. For all her clean and fancy clothing, her attitude is just as unpleasant as the people in my hometown. I look at the floor shyly, lacking the courage to respond. The girl gives me an arrogant look, making sure I feel the humiliation and disrespect. I can hear people murmuring around me. I can¡¯t make out what they are saying, but I can tell they are discussing my status and skills. With my head still down, I walk away and sit in a corner, away from everyone. After 30 minutes of waiting, registration closes and the test finally starts. ¡°Everyone taking the Knights Exam, please follow me to the lecture hall!¡± A professor from the academy walks all of us over to a gigantic lecture hall. Even though I can hear her, my height makes it difficult to see in front of the crowd. Slowly and nervously, I follow the crowd and make it to my destination. The room is completely different from what I had back at home. The walls are made of synthetic vinyl stone, with the floor covered in synthetic vinyl wood. The chairs have wheels on the bottom of the legs, the seats are completely soft, and the tables don¡¯t wobble even with the slightest shake. The professor stands on the podium with a white board behind her. Everyone quickly finds a seat, and a few professors pass down one giant packet of paper. No book or packet of homework could compare to it. ¡°You all have three hours to answer all of these questions on the test, and your scores will be quickly calculated once the exam is done. Anyone caught cheating on the test will be penalized and not allowed to take the Knights Exam for the next few years. There are no exceptions. You may now begin the first part of the exam!¡± I look through the packet and see that there are 200 questions. Is it even possible for me to complete the test in this time frame? The exam is split into categories by subject: math, reading, writing, history and important leaders, science, magic, and technology. What makes the first part of the Knights Exam extremely difficult for peasants like me, is that some of these subjects are tough to teach in the area I grew up in. Peasants don¡¯t tend to have strong magical power, but nobles do. Even if they did, it¡¯s not like a peasant could afford the equipment necessary to increase their mana or even learn to control it. Magic and technology are the two subjects I will struggle with the most because of that, but if I¡¯m being honest, every subject is difficult for me. Damn it! There isn¡¯t a single easy question on this test. Frustration starts to get to me, and time is passing quickly. Despite my frustration, I channel my focus into all the questions the best I can. ¡°You all have 5 minutes left to finish the test.¡± A state of panic takes over my body; there are still many questions left for me to answer. I don¡¯t have much of a choice but to push through. With a sense of urgency, I skim through the rest of the questions, answering them the best I can in the little time I have left. ¡°Time is up! Pencils down and hand in your test!¡± The stress and anxiety of the test is finally over, and I finish it way too close to the deadline for comfort. I look around the room and see everyone calm and ready to leave. Compared to me, everyone looks confident while I sit here like a nervous wreck. Turning my attention to my packet, my confidence starts to shrink. ¡°The first part of the exam is finished. Congratulations for making it through. Please make your way to the arena for the start of the secondary exam where your scores will be released in an hour.¡± Waiting for the results is the most stressful thing I have ever done. I have never liked waiting for the results of a test. Anxiety and nervousness about my score continue to rise while everyone around me looks so calm. How is everyone able to stay so calm in a situation like this? After what feels like an eternity of stressful waiting, the results are finally posted. I look at the board, frantically searching for my name, unsure of what to expect. Finally, I spot my name. My heart sank in disappointment and anger towards myself. Out of everyone who registered for this exam, I am at the bottom of the list. Years of studying and hard work, and this is the best I can do? It feels like how I disappointed my teacher back in school when I was younger. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 years ago: I was in a classroom waiting for everyone to leave. The entire room was made of wood, with multiple lamps hanging from the ceiling, filling the room with bright light. Ms. Brighid did not have a pleased look on her face. Multiple red marks dominated the pages I received from her in all of my subjects. I hung my head in shame, knowing what was about to come next. After everyone had left, Ms. Brighid slowly walked toward me. ¡°Tanner, you know why I am here, right?¡± I started to shed tears, and it was getting hard to speak. ¡°I¡¯m... sorry.¡± Her expression did not change; she still wore that disappointed and dismayed look on her face. ¡°Is this something I need to bring up to your dad?¡± Not sure what to say, the only thing that came to mind was that I was trying. That I was doing the best I could. If forgetting isn¡¯t an excuse, what was I supposed to say? Why can¡¯t I be normal? Tears continued to roll down my cheeks. I had had this same conversation with my dad as well. There were many times when I was told to do something or memorize things, and even then, I still forgot, even if I wrote things down. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for an answer, Tanner.¡± My head stayed down, not knowing what to say. I felt like I was a waste; everything Ms. Brighid and I worked on seemed useless in my mind. Is there a point in trying anymore? ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ms. Brighid gave a defeated sigh and looked away, having exhausted all her options. ¡°I want you to tell me the reason tomorrow once you¡¯ve calmed down, okay?¡± Walking away from me, she grabbed her belongings from off her desk and made her way out of the room. I continued to sit there with tears in my eyes, unsure where to go from here. I had dealt with this kind of scenario both at school and home, and nothing was changing. Was I just meant to be a failure? ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Present day: I look back at the board, hiding my tears, but I quickly wipe them away, mumbling to myself: ¡°I can¡¯t just give up here. There is still one more test to do; I still have a chance.¡± The next test is the physical test where knight candidates are paired up with each other. They are tested on their abilities to fight both monsters and people in case of war and strife. Several teachers watch us closely from a balcony above the ring. One steps forward and begins to speak loudly, commanding our attention. Everyone turns to look up at her. She has long silver hair and wears a silver plate of armor that glistens in the sunlight, almost blinding me. ¡°Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to take the Knight''s Exam! You are our nation¡¯s diamonds in the rough. Below me is the ring, the birthplace and final resting place of many heroes before you. This test is the next part of your journey. Each of you will be paired with another person randomly, regardless of class or skill, and will spar with each other. You lose if you step out of the ring, pass out, or give up. Are there any questions?¡± The silver-haired knight stands there for a few seconds, waiting. No one raises their hand. ¡°Okay, if there are no questions, we will be starting the next test now.¡± The students retreat to the vomitoriums to watch the fights from a distance. I sit down on the floor, leaning against the wall, watching all the matches. Every single person, regardless of who won or lost, has incredible skill. The next pair is called. ¡°Laura Creston and Alphen Berlet, please step into the arena!¡± I hear murmurs from other potential knights. ¡°Laura Creston... didn¡¯t she have the best academic score?¡± ¡°I heard her parents were unbelievably strong knights.¡± ¡°I feel bad for Alphen; she is going to destroy him.¡± Wanting to get a closer look, I stand up and walk closer to the ring. I stare at the girl, curious to see if she lives up to the rumors. I try to absorb as much as I can, making sure I learn anything about how she fights. The first thing that strikes me is her electric pink hair, falling over her shoulders in elegant curls but partially tied back for tactical efficiency. Her skin is a deep hazelnut brown that makes her pink eyes stand out. You can tell she is powerful because she only wears a burgundy battle dress that goes down to her knees and no armor. She is around my age, maybe a little younger. Just like the rumors said, she looks like she comes from a really impressive royal family. Crests on clothing are big parts of nobility. Compared to Laura, Alphen looks overly simple but still has an unwavering determined look. I continue to stare at both fighters intently. Laura takes a sword that has a knuckle bow on the hilt. Her opponent holds a lance and looks incredibly confident. The judge looks at both fighters, making sure they are fine with their choice of weapon. ¡°Fighters ready?... Begin!¡± Laura charges at Alphen with incredible speed and footwork. She swings her sword, causing Alphen to jump back and parry from his right side. Using the momentum and his lance¡¯s range, he swings down straight at Laura¡¯s head; her reaction time looks almost inhuman. While still moving forward, Laura goes low to the ground, lunging, and brings her sword to her head, blocking the attack. She quickly recovers and moves to the side, getting distance away from her opponent. From opposing sides of the battlefield, Alphen and Laura charge at each other with amazing footwork and form. Laura jumps in the air, about to swing, giving Alphen an opening to thrust his lance at her abdomen. Laura shouts what I believe is a magic spell of some kind. ¡°Tempest!¡± Her speed increases, and she moves even faster than before. She hits the edge of the lance, bringing it up in the air. Alphen sees an opening to push her out of the ring. Using the back of the lance, her opponent thrusts the lance right up to Laura¡¯s shoulder, causing her to wince in pain and push her back. This causes her opponent to leave a huge opening. Taking this chance, Laura uses her magic to propel herself forward and swings her sword right at Alphen¡¯s stomach. He blocks it, but the momentum of the swing is so great that it pushes him out of the ring. She has incredible speed and power, and her opponent is putting up a good fight. It¡¯s incredibly difficult to keep up with their speed and power. I can barely see some of the movements they are making. ¡°The winner is Laura Creston!¡± My confidence completely shatters. I¡¯m not sure what I could do against an opponent of that level. Did I really go through all this for nothing? Are they right? Am I really that much of a failure compared to everyone else? Is there even a point in tr¡ª Boom! A loud sound reverberates through the entire academy, snapping me right out of my thoughts. I duck and cover, the ringing in my ears and the smoke and dust making it hard to hear or see anything. I hear a muffled sound of a professor shouting a wind spell to clear the smoke. As the smoke clears, I see a boy on the ground, face first, in the center of the arena. He gets up, grunting and looking around as if he is not sure what the result of the match was. The judge starts coughing, trying to speak clearly but is not very successful. ¡°The winner is Addam Horn!¡± Despite the victory, Addam does not look pleased. As I get a better look at him, I see he is about my age, with black hair that seems to constantly fall in front of his eyes. My ears are still ringing, but fortunately, no one got hurt from the explosion. The presiding professor ensures that everyone is okay and nothing is damaged before resuming the test. I watch multiple matches with many talented people until finally, I hear my name being called. ¡°Emma Bright and Tanner, please step into the ring.¡± I slowly make my way to the ring. The sweat from my palms and forehead causes my anxiety to spike. I force myself to look at the ring and see who my opponent is... it¡¯s the girl who insulted me earlier today. Emma is already at the ring; her weapon of choice is a long sword. Her intimidating glare forces me to quickly pick a weapon. My sweaty hands finally find the long sword, and urgently make my way to the ring. ¡°Fighters ready... begin!¡± Both of us charge at each other, clashing swords and struggling to push the other back, overwhelmed by each other''s strength. I feel myself being pushed back, so I jump backwards, increasing the distance from my opponent. She does not give me a moment to react; as soon as my foot touches the ground, she sprints swiftly towards me. She¡¯s so fast! Emma swings at my shoulder, but I block it. Seeing an opening, I swing at her shoulder. Her reaction time is incredibly quick. She jumps to the side, making me completely miss my swing and leaving me open for an attack. Emma¡¯s sword hits my arm, causing me to yell in pain. Using every ounce of speed I have, I run away to get distance from her. This time, I manage to get away, but I can¡¯t celebrate because it feels almost like she let me get away. She smirks, and I start sweating¡ªnot from the intense movement, but from her intimidation. Her speed and power are overwhelming, and she seems to be on a completely different level compared to me. What makes this worse is that it feels like she isn¡¯t even trying. Can I even win here? Is it even possible? What can I do? She then starts charging at me, leaving no time to think. The cocky knight swings her sword, and instinctively, I jump and throw myself to the ground, dodging her swing. I grab her foot and use the momentum to swing myself behind her. I yell loudly and swing with all my might, landing a clear hit on her back. Her painful scream echoes through the arena. Her expression shifts from annoyed to furious. She turns around and starts charging at me again. When I think I¡¯m in striking distance, I swing my sword straight toward her head. But at the last second, Emma changes direction and attacks my side. I manage to block the attack, but the angry knight keeps moving and changing directions. She moves so fast that it almost looks like she is coming from multiple directions. Her attacks are extremely hard to follow; all I can do is stay on the defensive, blocking her attacks and praying she makes a mistake. She is moving faster than before; I can¡¯t keep up! Her voice is cocky, but I can still hear the frustration. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Hearing her voice, I swing behind me, but she moves her entire body, making me completely miss the attack. With a swift change in direction, she aims at my stomach and thrusts with full force, throwing me out of the ring. ¡°The winner is Emma Bright!¡± The little hope I had left shatters completely. Emma quickly walks towards my direction and reaches out her hand. I grab her hand, and she lifts me off the ground. I give her a confused look, not understanding her motive. She then leans in and whispers in my ear. ¡°The way you fought is an insult to knights. You see the professors muttering? They¡¯re not saying anything good about this fight. They¡¯re wondering why a peasant failure like you is even trying. Give up; you have no place here.¡± I look down at my feet, on the verge of tears. I walk out of the ring defeated. I have lost all hope for the exam, and I have lost hope in myself. Can I even keep the promise I made to myself 10 years ago? I sit down on the floor while the exam continues, keeping to myself. It¡¯s late in the day, and the sun is setting. The Knights Exam has finished, and the results are posted on the board. Why am I even looking at the board? Defeated and hopeless, I search for my name, but of course, I can¡¯t find it. I failed the exam. I walk out of the academy and sit down on a nearby bench. It looks like a noble area of the capital. The area is really scenic. There are beautiful houses that look tall and luxurious, much bigger than any building I have ever seen in my small town. The trees are filled with cherry blossoms, and the setting sun turns the sky a beautiful orange color. The streetlights glisten over a nearby playground with trees and grass. The park, filled with many nobles and children, offers a view that I can¡¯t even describe. Even though it is beautiful, it doesn¡¯t cheer me up at all. I can¡¯t hold back; tears stream down my face. I hate this. I hate what everyone has said to me. I hate how weak and stupid I am. Even after putting in my best work practicing my entire life, my best result is the very bottom spot. I don¡¯t want to return home and give people back home the satisfaction that they were right about me. I guess I really am that much of a failure. With my head down in defeat, I reluctantly get up and decide to go home. After standing, I look up at the sky and see something strange... boxes floating in the air. ¡°What is¡ª¡± Boom! Explosions erupt in the air, clouding the bright and beautiful orange sky. In shock, I fall to the floor; adrenaline rapidly floods my body. The smoke clears, and chaos spreads throughout the kingdom. Monsters with big glowing red eyes emerge. These monsters start attacking homes and the people living in them! In just a matter of seconds, the beautiful scenery is completely destroyed. Houses collapse under the onslaught of monster attacks. Innocent civilians meet a cruel and violent end as monsters devour and kill them; blood stains the ground, turning this peaceful noble area into a scene of horror. My fight-or-flight response triggers, and I start running. I hate how I can¡¯t protect anyone; I¡¯m useless in this situation. I almost break down as I hear the cries of innocent people pleading for their lives and begging for help. ¡°Someone help, I can¡¯t move!¡± ¡°There needs to be somewhere safe!¡± ¡°Where are the knights!¡± As I continue to run, I hear the screams of terror all around me. Blood stains the ground, and the smell of fire and smoke surrounds me. Knights lie on the ground, pale and lifeless. I start to panic; I don¡¯t know where I can go that is safe! Everywhere I run, there are ferocious monsters ripping people apart, eating and killing them. There has to be somewhere I can hi¡ª I snap out of my thoughts as I hear a crying child begging for help. I stop running and look in the direction of the helpless kid, panting from exhaustion. ¡°Someone help me, I can¡¯t move!¡± A little boy is trapped; a piece of large debris has fallen on his legs, pinning him down. A horde of monsters is near the boy: two pack wolves, three large stinger bees, and one bear. All of these monsters are enough to make even a small team of knights struggle. What the hell... these monsters usually don¡¯t act like this. Why are they in small groups? No, I can¡¯t focus on this right now. I need to protect this kid. Self-doubt and fear jolt through my body, and I go into a trance-like state. ... Can you even protect him? You scored the lowest. You will probably end up getting yourself killed. I stare at the kid. It doesn¡¯t look like he sees me. Time feels slow as I look toward the ground; a long sword lies in the hand of a dead knight. A voice in my head starts appearing. Are you giving up? ¡°What the hell?¡± The voice appears again. Are you giving up? Thoughts about the promise I made to myself ten years ago flow through my mind. It was the day after I fought Jayson, the same day I had an argument with my dad. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 years Ago: It was dark outside, and I had a huge fight about my grades. I woke up feeling thirsty, grabbed a bowl, and walked toward the barrel of water. His words from our argument echoed in my mind. ¡°Forgetting isn¡¯t an excuse, so tell me why you¡¯re not doing well. I can¡¯t help you if you can¡¯t communicate.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to him. I can¡¯t tell him I just forgot, I don¡¯t know why it is hard either. Are my efforts really going to be pointless? After opening it and taking a sip of water I looked around the room. A knife was on the table, I didn¡¯t remember my father taking out a knife for dinner. If I really am meant to be a failure, then I just wanted this to end. Tears rolled down my cheeks, emotions of anger, regret, depression all fueled my body. Grabbing the knife, I aimed it right at my chest-- I continued to cry sniffle. Am I better off doing this? Does my life even matter? My hands were shaking and so many emotions were running through me-- after what seemed like hours, I put the knife down and walked back to my bed curled up into a ball and cried myself to sleep. I woke up, and it was the same day as usual. Everyone around me continued their two-faced attitude. I was so blinded by it; everyone secretly made fun of my goals and my academic and physical abilities. Everyone in my class was playing outside on the grassy field near the barn. I looked around, and no teachers seemed to be looking in my direction. At that moment, time felt like it slowed down, and I was faced with a decision that changed my life. This was my chance; I could run away... I could leave this hell and never look back. I¡¯m a failure anyway, so why does this choice matter? ...Why does it matter? Do my goals even mean anything? Does my life mean anything? What is even the best choice for me if it doesn¡¯t matter? I remembered the moments I had in my life: my father reading stories to me, helping him bring wood to people, my father helping me train, meeting my baby brother for the first time. All these moments had rough edges; often, I was yelled at either at home or in school. I took a step forward¡ª ¡°Are you giving up?¡± A voice in my head spoke. This trait had been drilled into me by my father. ¡°Are you giving up?¡± I had a choice. I could run; I had the choice to just give up and prove them right. To everyone, no matter how much I trained, I could never do anything... I made my choice that day. I almost forgot what it meant to live with the promise I had made to myself and see it through to the end. I didn¡¯t care what everyone thought; this was my goal. No matter how impossible it seemed, I would chase it until I died. It didn¡¯t matter if the world said I was a failure; I would move forward towards the person I wanted to be. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Present day: My instincts completely take over my body, I run towards the helpless boy, one of the wolves jumps to attack the kid. I make it just in time and I swing my sword downwards from my head towards the enemy in front of me. The swift wolf bites into my sword. The running drained a lot of my energy; making it harder to fight. I turn my head to the left side to reassure the kid. It¡¯s hard to tell what he looks like all I can see from the corner of my eye is that he has pink hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will keep you safe!¡± As he looks up his scared and teary eyes almost breaks me, reminding me of my little brother back home. ¡°Please save me!¡± I force a fearless expression and look at the wolf forcing every amount of energy I have left in my body. Without hesitating the second wolf runs up and starts biting my left shoulder as I turn my head. I scream in pain. My sword is still stuck in the wolf¡¯s fangs, and the pain of the wolf digging into my shoulder nearly forces me unconscious. Using all my strength, I shift my sword to its side and thrust the blade into the wolf¡¯s stomach. The monster biting my shoulder winces in pain and lets go. As soon as the wolf hits the ground, it stops moving. The other wolf, still biting my sword, flails and starts slashing its claws. Luckily, it can¡¯t hit me. Then, three bee monsters zip toward me. One stings my right shoulder, another stings my left shoulder, and the last one stings the side of my stomach. My energy drains quickly from the stings, causing me to be pushed against the wall by the wolf''s strength. The impact causes my head to bleed, and my focus starts to waver. I can barely see what is in front of me, but I have just enough energy to keep the wolf from hurting me any further. I am panting heavily and can hardly stand. With all the energy I have left, I kick the wolf biting my sword in the head. It lets out a loud yelp. Without hesitation, I swing my sword at the wolf¡¯s head, decapitating it. The bear slowly starts making its way to the young boy. I quickly climb to get higher ground, and as soon as I get up, the bee monsters sting me in the same places as before. I am about to pass out. This can¡¯t be it, I can¡¯t die yet... I refuse to die! I feel something unusual that I have never felt before in my life. My energy quickly returns to me, and I feel stronger and faster than ever. I don¡¯t know why this is happening. I feel like a ruthless monster. I can see clearer than before; I am stronger than when I was at the exam. With a strong, swift strike using all the energy I have left, I slash at the stingers of the bees, making them fall to the ground and flail in pain. The bear is done waiting and starts charging toward the kid. I jump down from the building and aim right at its neck. ¡°I won¡¯t give up, I will be a knight!¡± With everything I have I swing as hard as I can and slash the head of the bear off making the head roll away from me. I start to lose consciousness. I can¡¯t even focus my eyes. Everything fades to black, and the last thing I see is a beautiful girl with pink hair running toward me. Tanners Path Chapter 2 The city was buried in harsh apocalyptic flames. The smell of smoke burned Laura¡¯s throat, causing her to cough and struggle to breathe. Monsters flooded the area, killing any unprepared knights that stood in their way. The horrific screaming of the innocent tested her vigilance and composure. The training Laura had undergone as a little girl was supposed to prepare her for moments like this, but the battlefield was considerably harsher and more chaotic than any amount of training. If she hadn''t undergone the proper training, she would have instantly given in to fear and met her doom. Through the harsh and unforgiving chaos, she spotted a horrified family trapped under fallen debris, surrounded by a small pack of wolves and a minotaur looming behind them, almost as if it were waiting for something. The growling was feral and ferocious, and the wolves¡¯ glowing red eyes struck fear and despair, scaring the little girl and causing the father to tear up and lose hope. Fighting against the wolves would be no problem, but the minotaur was another story. She needed to think of a plan quickly; she couldn¡¯t let what had happened to her ten years ago happen again. As she finished that thought, the pack¡¯s leader hastily moved toward the family, attacking the little girl. The screams of terror from both parents made her legs move on instinct. She shouted a spell that increased her speed. ¡°Tempest!¡± Laura swung her sword, jumping in front of the trapped child and cutting through the wolf¡¯s leg and shoulder, killing it. Through the pain, the father struggled to speak. Seeing their helpless state almost brought her to tears and reminded her of what had happened ten years ago. The father was trapped under multiple huge blocks of stone covering his lower half; a slide was thrown on its side, trapping the little girl¡¯s right leg; and the mother was covered in pieces of the playground and stones from other buildings, leaving only her head, right arm, and shoulder exposed. The father¡¯s bleeding head blocked one of his eyes from seeing her. No words could convey the despair and horror in the man¡¯s voice as he reached out his hand as far as he could, as if pleading for any small amount of hope she could give him. ¡°Please save my family, don¡¯t let my wife and daughter die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you and your family safe.¡± The harsh growling of the two other wolves quickly grabbed her attention. With a sense of urgency, she readied her blade and jumped to the side, high into the air, avoiding the wolves'' razor-edged teeth. Studying their movements, she noticed one of the wolves on the right started acting strangely, running in place. Quickly, the wolf moved before Laura hit the ground, completely defenseless in the air. She needed to time this right, or she¡¯d end up getting bitten. Her foot lightly touched the ground. Staring at the wolf in the air, she saw its sharp, feral fangs directed at her shoulder. Using all the strength she could muster, she pressed all her weight onto her right foot and jumped to the side. Without hesitating, as soon as the wolf hit the ground, she slashed its neck. She couldn''t let her guard down with her back turned. She was lucky the second wolf¡¯s ferocious growling was coming from behind. With her speed still increased from the spell, she turned around and perfectly lowered her body, slashing its stomach. With the wolves defeated, all that was left for her concern was the minotaur. The minotaur was going to be a problem if it had the intelligence to use magic. A minotaur could already give a small team a hard time with its rough skin and sharp bladed weapon. Monsters with enough intelligence to use magic thought abnormally and could be very difficult to kill, often resulting in the death of a knight if they were not careful. The huge monster slowly walked in her direction, holding its axe in its right hand with the hilt upward. Seeing the minotaur, Laura could tell it was enraged; it started drooling and gritting its teeth. The scraping of its stone axe and the loud rumbling from its steps, along with its sharp glowing red eyes, struck fear into the family behind her. Their screams and pleading made her focus sharper than ever before. She took a fighting stance with her sword in front of her body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you. None of you will be harmed as long as I am standing.¡± The feral monster viciously sprinted toward her, crushing the ground with its weight. With all the speed and power she had, the minotaur and Laura clashed weapons, causing sparks to fly. The minotaur¡¯s strength clearly overpowered her, and she was flung back. Using the momentum to catch herself, she brought her hand to the ground and executed a one-handed backflip, landing low in a squatting position. Urgently, she stood upright and sprinted toward the monster, swinging her sword at its arm. With surprising speed, it parried the attack and swung its axe right toward her unprotected neck. She ducked under the swing, barely avoiding the oncoming strike, and moved past the minotaur. As Laura moved, she swung at the side of its leg, causing it to kneel to the ground. This was her chance; using all her focus and strength, she aimed at the monster''s leg and back, cutting deep enough to severely injure it but not to sever its limbs. She ran back to the trapped family in a protective stance, watching the minotaur for any sudden movements. Her eyes wandered around her surroundings, readying herself for another round of combat. They widened in horror as she saw a building in the distance crumble to the ground, and all her focus was lost. She couldn¡¯t move; she could barely breathe. So soon as a knight, she already needed to make an impossible decision. ¡°Watch out!¡± Distraught, she couldn¡¯t register what was happening. She saw a boy running toward her, pushing himself and her to the ground. She stared at the boy and then at the minotaur, realizing that it had gotten up and started moving again, trying to kill her. Despite being severely injured, the minotaur¡¯s stubbornness clearly showed its strength. The man who had saved her was wearing a blue robe and had brown hair that almost covered his face. He was panting and sweating from exhaustion but quickly got up. She could tell he had used a lot of mana and had fought his own harsh battles. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He reached out his hand, offering to help her up. She accepted the offer, grabbing his hand and pushing herself off the ground while he pulled her up. Thanks to his help, she regained a bit of her composure. Her focus, however, remained on the collapsed building. She needed to get there as soon as possible. ¡°I need to leave. Is there any way you can beat the monster by yourself?¡± The young man looked nervous but focused on the minotaur. He pulled out what seemed to be a light brown grimoire and got into a fighting stance. ¡°Go, I can handle this, but make sure to call some strong knights here. I can beat this monster, but if a swarm arrives, it could be trouble.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She ran as fast as she could toward the building, letting other knights know about the location of the family and the boy. Finally, what seemed like an eternity to her, she caught sight of the building from a distance. Her gaze turned to a young boy on top of the ceiling, which looked like it was barely holding itself together. The power she saw from him was unlike anything she had ever witnessed. He was surrounded by a white aura that resembled a dragon. ¡°What is that!?¡± With a sense of urgency and uncertainty about what she had just seen, she ran faster toward the building, only to find a corps of monsters everywhere, her brother unharmed, and a young boy passed out on the ground, bleeding. The crying and wailing from her brother almost broke her. She could hardly hold back her tears. ¡°Laura!¡± She ran up to her brother and hugged him, making sure the tears she had started shedding couldn¡¯t be heard or seen. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Will. I won¡¯t let you get hurt.¡± Regaining her composure, she noticed the young boy who had protected Will was not moving. His blood loss and injuries were severe; he was minutes away from death. With the chaos dying down, doctors urgently started checking for anyone who might be injured. ¡°Help! I need a doctor¡ªsomeone is about to die!¡± Everyone seemed too busy with the chaos; there were so many injured that the nurses and doctors combined could barely keep up. She didn¡¯t have a choice. Her priority was to keep the healing potions for her brother and herself but if Laura didn¡¯t use it on this young man he would die. She stared at the young wounds, it was very hard to tell but it looks like he is slowly regenerating but it is not quick enough to help him in his current state. Laura takes out the potions and gives it to the boy. The healing potions are good but it may only be enough to slow his death. The potion is working but I can slowly see the young boy start to lose color, if someone doesn¡¯t come soon he is going to die! ¡°Someone! Anyone, a citizen is about to die! Help please!¡± ¡°I finally found you! I will help him! Go find a doctor¡± The voice belonged to the boy who had helped Laura with the minotaur. Slowly, she got up, calling for help for her brother and the young man. With a stroke of luck, doctors heard her plea, and the young man and her brother were brought onto stretchers and taken to the hospital. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ One hour after the attack: The figure stood atop a towering tree far from the kingdom, cloaked in a brown hooded cloak that covered his entire body, leaving only his hands, feet, and the lower half of his face exposed. From this vantage point, he watched the chaos and destruction unfolding below. The sky was a sea of stars, and the moon cast a beautiful glow over the night, a sight that could only be enjoyed in peace¡ªsomething that had been robbed from all the citizens. The forest below was dense with leaves and branches, obscuring the ground. ¡°This took a lot longer than expected; it doesn¡¯t matter, the result is still the same. Let¡¯s see how far they get this time,¡± came a mutter. The figure continued to observe the kingdom, watching many knights move with incredible speed. Their speed was impressive, covering a monumental amount of ground in just a few seconds. Compared to this figure, the kingdom''s knights were child¡¯s play. Very few could hold their own against him. As the knights began to get a bit too close for comfort, a shiny blue stone was pulled out, fitting perfectly in his hand. ¡°Send me back.¡± Without a trace, the figure disappeared. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Four days after the attack: A red carpet stretched from the entrance of the room to a busy desk covered with mountains of paper. On either side of the room stood two classic-looking knight armors, perfectly parallel to each other. Behind the desk was a bullet- and magic-proof glass wall that offered a view of the kingdom, bathed in the bright sunlight that filled the room. Arthur sat at the desk, dressed in a red cloak with white fur trim. The cloak covered his body but reached down to his knees. He wore plain white pants and brown combat boots. His sword gleamed in steel, the hilt glistening in gold and white with a rain guard featuring a gold winged design. He struggled to sit still after the incident that had occurred a few days ago. How was this possible? Not even the best knights and ninjas in the kingdom could find a trace of information. ¡°Hey Arthur, are you busy?¡± The words behind the door pulled him out of his thoughts. ¡°Come in, Zak.¡± A young man in his mid-twenties walked into the room. He wore long black pants, a black shirt, and a gray hoodie unzipped, with long brown hair cascading to his shoulders. Though his look was casual, his clothing was surprisingly strong in combat. ¡°We need to call off our ninjas and knights. They haven¡¯t slept or eaten properly in the past four days. Your knights plan to keep searching even if it costs them their lives, but no one has found anything inside or outside the kingdom.¡± Arthur sighed in exhaustion and frustration. Their best knights hadn''t been able to bring justice to whoever had harmed them. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll report to the leaders of the mission and tell them to return. We aren¡¯t machines; we must keep everyone healthy.¡± Whoever had orchestrated this not only had a lot of time to plan but must have been incredibly strong, considering the number of monsters with the intelligence to use magic. Zak noticed that Arthur needed to clear his mind. It was obvious that, like his knights, he hadn¡¯t slept or eaten in days since the incident. ¡°By the way, even though the results of the knights¡¯ exam have concluded, I have some interesting information.¡± Arthur looked puzzled. The results were final, so he wasn¡¯t sure what information Zak could be referring to. ¡°What happened with the knight''s exam? Is there an issue with the applicants?¡± ¡°Quite the opposite. I¡¯ve heard rumors of a certain young peasant boy who not only defeated several monsters but also protected Ms. Creston¡¯s son.¡± ¡°How many monsters did he defeat?¡± ¡°Six monsters, including the Alpha.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes widened, and he stood up from his chair in disbelief, lost for words. Defeating an Alpha monster was something he had struggled to achieve at that age. ¡°What was his score on the exam?!¡± Zak was taken aback by Arthur''s shocked reaction, almost snickering because he knew Arthur usually acted so noble and professional. ¡°This is what I wanted to talk to you about. It turns out this applicant scored the lowest on the exam but clearly has some skills that were overlooked during the test.¡± Arthur stood in silence for a few seconds, unsure what to do. It was true that knights could enter the academy through other means, but this was a rare case; these were rumors, not facts. ¡°It¡¯s this applicant''s lucky day. As your king, I see that this knight has overlooked skills and heart that even the test couldn¡¯t reveal. You have two orders: give him another version of the test related to combat and confirm if the rumors are true. If he passes, then he is allowed into the academy.¡± With a confident smile, Zak saluted, holding his sword with the blade pointed downward, touching the hilt to his chest near his heart. ¡°Understood, Arthur.¡± ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I feel groggy, sore, and in pain everywhere in my body. I¡¯ve never felt this terrible in my life. Slowly, my eyes start to open. I hear the beeping of a machine next to me. I look around, unsure of where I am; this place looks much cleaner and more technologically advanced than any place at home. The bed I¡¯m lying on is much softer, with pillows that are more comfortable than what I¡¯m used to. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve slept, but my eyes feel like I haven¡¯t slept in days. Slowly and carefully, I sit upright in bed to get a better look at the room. A white blanket covers me, and next to the bed is a window. The floor is made of white tiles, and the ceiling has lights embedded in it, though I¡¯m not sure how they work. To my right is a brown door, which I assume is the entrance and exit to this room. Beside the door are two chairs with two people sleeping in them. As I get a closer look, I realize who they are: a boy and a girl. The girl has beautiful long pink hair, and the boy wears a blue mage robe, with bangs covering his face. My head starts throbbing, my chest feels like it¡¯s being ripped apart, and my legs are so sore and in pain that I can barely move them. Bandages cover most of my chest, with additional bandages on my forehead, outer thigh, and stomach. The two people start to wake up, stretching from their seats and yawning from exhaustion. The boy in the blue robe is the first to notice I¡¯m awake, his eyes focusing on me. The girl wakes up slowly after him. ¡°Holly crap, he¡¯s alive!¡± The dark-skinned girl jumps in shock, waking up quicker and making her shout as well. ¡°What, really?!¡± Their surprise causes me to grip my head in pain, giving me a massive headache. ¡°Gah, my head!¡± Just then, an older woman who looks to be in her late forties rushes to the door, shouting at everyone in the room. ¡°Keep your voices down; there are patients here sleeping!¡± My head throbs in pain, as if it''s going to explode from all the shouting. The nurse walks up to me and pulls a chair next to my bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The older woman spreads her hands apart and starts casting a spell on my right leg. The spell takes the shape of a small green circle that covers part of the bandages, focusing on my leg. ¡°Apart from the pain, I¡¯m doing okay¡ªat least I¡¯m alive.¡± Magic is incredible. I can see the focus it takes just to cast one spell. Most of the pain begins to slowly disappear. This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Not many people at home know how to use magic, and the ones who do don¡¯t usually have a lot of mana. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯ve healed most of the pain and damage from your leg. If we continue your treatment, you should be fully healed in about a week.¡± I sigh in relief, thankful that I can make a full recovery. ¡°If your friends hadn¡¯t shown up when they did, you would have died. You¡¯re very lucky to have such good friends. Now that you¡¯re awake, I believe you three want to catch up. I will leave for now, but I¡¯ll be back later to check on how you¡¯re doing. Pull the red line if there¡¯s an emergency.¡± I smile gratefully at the nurse. ¡°Thank you, miss.¡± The nurse walks out of the room, leaving the three of us to talk. An awkward silence fills the room, but the girl is the first to speak up. ¡°My name is Laura Creston. A few days ago, when monsters attacked the kingdom, my little brother was trapped in one of the residential buildings. If it weren¡¯t for your heroic actions, my little brother would have died. Thank you so much; you have my deepest gratitude.¡± She bows down, showing me her gratitude. Her words feel sincere and thankful, as if there¡¯s nothing she could do to repay me. ¡°My name is Addam Horn. During the incident, I helped Laura get to you on time. When she was fighting monsters, I got lucky and was able to find her and cast magic to heal you enough to keep you from dying. When I arrived at the hospital, I told her about it, and we¡¯ve been helping the nurses around the area and nursing you back to health.¡± I stare at both of them, unsure of what to say. I¡¯ve never received this amount of help or appreciation from strangers before. I¡¯m happy that my efforts helped someone in need. ¡°Laura, Addam, if anything, I should be thanking you. I was basically on the verge of death, and you all decided to help a stranger¡ªand a peasant, no less.¡± Addam smiles gratefully, almost as if he feels he has a debt to repay. ¡°Again, we should be thanking you. Both our homes are in the residential district. If it weren¡¯t for your selfless actions, our families and friends might not be alive today.¡± I remember the little boy I saved. ¡°Laura, is your little brother okay? How is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing okay. He got lucky that his injuries healed quickly. He wanted to meet with you and thank you, but it has been so chaotic everywhere that we haven¡¯t had the time to bring him here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s okay.¡± All three of us fall silent for a few seconds, and it¡¯s getting awkward since we didn¡¯t know each other at first. Laura decides to speak up, looking like she has something on her mind. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I watched your fight during the knight''s exam and during the monster attack. For a moment, I saw power that I¡¯ve never seen before. If you had used that, you could have beaten your opponent.¡± I stare at her, confused. What power is she talking about? ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Both Addam and Laura look at each other, puzzled. Then Addam speaks up. ¡°During the incident, after I defeated a monster, I started looking for Laura to see if I could help her. When I got to the residential district, I saw a glowing white light coming from a destroyed building. When I arrived, Laura was healing you. It wasn¡¯t until I got the full story from her that I found out that power came from you.¡± What power are they talking about? I remember helping a kid and jumping from a building, but aside from that, I don¡¯t have any special power. ¡°Sorry, but I really don¡¯t-¡± Before I can finish my sentence, a man and a woman who look like knights walk into the room. The man has long brown hair that goes to his shoulders, with a sword hanging by his waist. The woman next to him closely resembles Laura; she has the same pink hair and skin tone. She wears red light armor with metal shoulder plates and a sword hanging at her side. She has on white pants that look comfortable and very sturdy. The elegance of her clothing indicates that she is a high-ranking knight, while the man looks more laid back and casual. The woman seems to be about 40 years old, while the man appears to be in his late 20s. ¡°Mother, what are you doing here?¡± The woman calmly speaks to the young girl, giving her a hug. ¡°Hi Laura, are you and Will okay at home?¡± ¡°We¡¯re managing, but why are you and this knight here?¡± ¡°I came to meet a young boy named Tanner.¡± Addam and Laura look at me, confused and a little worried. The male knight eases our worries as he directs his attention to me. ¡°Hello everyone. My name is Zak Griffin, and this is Shera Creston. First, I want to say that all three of you have shown tremendous bravery and skill. You¡¯ve all saved lives and demonstrated what it means to be a knight.¡± I look down at my hands, tightening them into fists as I remember that I failed the exam. I may have failed, but at least I am able to help someone. ¡°Thank y¡ª¡± ¡°However, I realize that you, Tanner, did not pass the exam, and I have strict orders from the king himself.¡± I look up at the strong knight, fearing what he might say next. Laura and Addam are both knights, but I¡¯m just a regular citizen who acted recklessly. I know I¡¯m not strong, but I couldn¡¯t just let the kid die. ¡°Our orders from the King¡­ are to give you another chance at the academy.¡± I am speechless; I can¡¯t believe the words I¡¯m hearing. Did I even hear them correctly? ¡°Sorry, say that again?¡± ¡°The King, Ms. Creston, and I have decided to give you one more chance at the academy. However, to be fair to others, we will not tell you what your challenge is. The choice is up to you: do you accept, or do you want to wait until next year?¡± I fall silent for a few seconds, still in shock and almost in tears. It¡¯s not over; I still have one more chance to prove myself. I can¡¯t believe that, despite everything I¡¯ve been through, I¡¯m given one final chance. I give the two knights a determined look. I can¡¯t throw this chance away. Everything I¡¯ve worked so hard for is about to pay off. This chance doesn¡¯t feel earned, but even so, I don¡¯t want to pass it up. ¡°This chance doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve earned it, but regardless, I still want to become a knight more than anything. So, I accept the challenge. Name the time and place.¡± Everyone in the room smiles, ecstatic that I¡¯ve accepted the challenge. I have a hunch that they hoped I would give them that answer. It¡¯s a little hard to tell, but I think Addam looks more excited and enthusiastic than anyone else in the room. Ms. Creston smiles, her cheeks seeming to be a little pink, almost like she is blushing. Is she blushing? What for? ¡°Alright, Zak, you heard the young man. We should start preparing for the test; we can¡¯t keep him waiting. When did the doctor say you will make a full recovery?¡± ¡°The nurse says I should make a full recovery within a week.¡± ¡°Alright, Tanner. In a week, Zak, Laura, Addam, and I will all meet you back at the hospital to get ready for the test.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± The nurse who healed my leg arrives to check up on me. Everyone leaves the room to help around the hospital and the kingdom. One week. One more chance to become a knight. If the test is anything like the knight''s exam, I need to mentally prepare myself for anything. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Finally, the long and painful week of waiting and healing is over. I may be nervous, but I am ready to take on this challenge in any way I can. I stand in front of the hospital, waiting for everyone. The sun shines brightly, with a light breeze complementing the hot sun. The hospital has stainless steel doors with glass windows, and on either side are two concrete pillars supporting the entrance. The name ¡°Sword Hospital¡± is imprinted in giant red letters, visible to the bustling city with people coming and going. The kingdom still looks a bit damaged, but it is quickly recovering, with places starting to look better and safer than before I arrived. While I was injured, I am lucky that Addam and Laura came to the hospital to check up on me and help theorize and prepare for the test. ¡°If Laura¡¯s theory is correct, it means I will be doing some kind of combat test. Addam mentioned that the monsters acted differently too, so putting the two together, I might be fighting a monster for the test and providing information on why they were acting so weird.¡± ¡°Hey Tanner, looks like you¡¯re feeling a lot better.¡± Addam snaps me out of my thoughts. I am so lost in my thoughts that I don¡¯t notice him walking toward me. Getting a better look at his expression, he seems excited but also more nervous than I am. ¡°Hey Addam, you¡¯re looking happier than usual. What¡¯s got you excited?¡± ¡°Seeing you fight is really inspiring. Even though you lost, the way you fought and didn¡¯t give up despite the slim chances of winning helps me learn about my own fighting style and how I can improve. I want you to pass so we can train together.¡± His words make my day. I didn¡¯t think my actions could inspire someone, and I certainly didn¡¯t expect two high-ranking nobles to speak so highly of me. ¡°Thanks, Addam. I¡¯m not sure if I can pass, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± From the corner of my eye, I see Zak, Shera, Laura, and a little boy who looks to be the same age as Noah. The pink-haired girl impatiently speeds up her pace and runs in my direction, finally reaching us. ¡°Hi Tanner, Hi Addam. You both look well, and I¡¯m glad to see you fully recovered. I assume you¡¯re ready for the test, Tanner?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lie; I am very nervous, but I will do my best.¡± Laura smiles lightly, giving me a strange sense of calmness and warmth. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will do great. We did our best to help you prepare. Now it¡¯s time to use the knowledge we gave you. We¡¯ll be out there cheering for you.¡± I know her words are meant to encourage me, but I can¡¯t help but feel more nervous now that others will be watching and seeing the disappointed looks on their faces if I end up failing. A shy little voice speaks, drawing my attention away from my nervous thoughts. ¡°Um¡­ Hello.¡± I look down to see a little boy with spiky pink hair and blue eyes shyly looking up at me. He¡¯s wearing a dark red shirt with dark blue pants, hiding behind Ms. Creston with his head peeking out from the side of her leg. ¡°My name is Will. I want to thank you for saving me. You were really cool.¡± I stare at him for a moment. No wonder he looks familiar; he¡¯s the little boy I saved during the attack. ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Will. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay. You have a strong mother and sister¡ªkeep them close to you.¡± ¡°I will, and when I get older, I will be a strong knight just like you.¡± I¡¯ve never felt happier hearing those words from someone. He reminds me a lot of Noah from back home. ¡°If you train hard and don¡¯t give up, I know you will grow up to be a great knight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Knight. I will work hard.¡± ¡°Please, call me Tanner.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Tanner.¡± Zak speaks up after the small talk with the little boy. ¡°Are you ready for the test, Tanner?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. I won¡¯t lie¡ªI am a little nervous.¡± The adult female knight turns her gaze toward me, her face showing no emotion. I can¡¯t tell what she is thinking. ¡°Prepare yourself. This challenge is something even we cannot prepare you for.¡± I start sweating nervously from her words, and we all make our way to the location of the test. Our destination is the fighting ring that was used during the exam. Parts of the field look damaged, but aside from a few small holes in the ground, it appears to be well intact. Everyone stands still, placing their right hand with their sheathed weapon on their chest. I do not know who this high-ranking noble in front of me is. I don¡¯t know what to do, so I stand there awkwardly. Who is this guy? ¡°Please, everyone. I may be the king, but you are all Knights and Knights of the Round. We all deserve equal respect for our titles.¡± Everyone immediately stops saluting, bringing their weapons down, and returns to their casual standing positions. I am in complete shock. The King of Knights, the strongest knight in the kingdom¡ªno, the entire world¡ªis standing right in front of me! He looks so cool! The red robe he wears looks fit for a king, and the blue and gold sword looks so shiny and intimidating. He is the coolest knight I have ever seen! The king turns his gaze toward me. ¡°You, young man, are you Tanner?¡± So many emotions start to overwhelm me. I don¡¯t know what to say or do. How do I speak to someone normally when he is exactly the knight I want to be? I stumble through my words, making any attempt to sound normal. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Tanner.¡± The king smiles and takes off his red cape. ¡°No need to be so tense. I am just a knight like everyone else.¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s really tough to speak when someone with the position I look up to is standing in front of me.¡± The king laughs slightly and smiles at me. His smile is different from everyone else¡¯s, except my father¡¯s; it¡¯s a smile that shows support. ¡°It¡¯s great that you want to become a knight. I believe that regardless of status, anyone can achieve great things if they work hard towards it. Work hard, and eventually, you will become a great knight.¡± I shyly scratch the back of my head, my cheeks turning slightly pink. ¡°Thank you. It means a lot.¡± ¡°Now, I have some words I¡¯d like to say to you as a knight and your king. Tanner, Zak has told me about your efforts in saving Ms. Shera¡¯s son. Your bravery and efforts do not deserve to go unnoticed. You have my deepest gratitude for risking your life to help a citizen I could not protect. That is why, if you pass this test, I, the king, will personally let you join the academy and be the first peasant to become a knight and stand side by side with royalty.¡± My nervousness shows. I don¡¯t know what to say. It feels like such an honor¡ªsomething I didn¡¯t even think could happen to someone like me. ¡°Thank you for giving me this chance, my king.¡± ¡°Please, call me Arthur.¡± Both Zak and Shera look confused, wanting to speak but deciding it is best to let the king speak, as he is not done talking with me yet. ¡°The knight''s exam is designed to handpick both the smartest and strongest knights in the kingdom. Tell me, Tanner, why do you want to become a knight?¡± I try to speak, but the memories of my past discourage me. They feel nauseating and painful. Despite the aching feeling, the scars of my memory keep resurfacing. A weak peasant like you has no right to become a knight. Your blade work and footwork aren¡¯t very good. You¡¯re going to need to move really fast and have better blade work to beat people with bigger reach. Is this something I should bring up to your dad about your academic scores? No matter what I do mentally, I am unable to say it, even though I know my reason. I never really got support other than from my father and brother. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say it yet.¡± Arthur looks disappointed but still smiles through it. ¡°Very well. If you don¡¯t feel confident saying your answer now, I suppose I will hear it another time.¡± Arthur takes his sword from his waist and hands it to Zak. Slowly, he walks over to the box of wooden weapons and grabs a sword. ¡°Tanner, your test is a match against me. I will decide if you are worthy of becoming a knight at this academy.¡± Addam and Laura scream in shock. Laura speaks up, clearly viewing this as something completely unfair. ¡°King Arthur, a match against you is impossible for him. Not even Zak and my mother combined could defeat you.¡± Addam backs up Laura¡¯s statement, expressing his concern. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest knight, not just in this kingdom but in the world. No one is able to defeat you.¡± Arthur crosses his arms standing stoically showing the decision is final. ¡°Is that what all of you thought when those monsters attacked the citizens of this kingdom? Did you look and say it¡¯s impossible and then run away? No, you both stood your ground and fought against them, protecting the innocent despite the chaos and destruction. No matter how fearful someone is, a knight¡¯s job is to face the impossible. Tanner, do you accept these conditions, or are you going to walk away?¡± I am completely dumbfounded; I don¡¯t know what to say or do. I thought I would be fighting a monster, but this is completely different. I don¡¯t even have a strategy. Do I even have a chance of winning? What am I supposed to do? How can I win against him? But if I walk away, what was the point of me trying? I made a promise to myself 10 years ago; walking away would be like breaking that promise. I may have doubts about myself and lack confidence, but if I don¡¯t try, then I don¡¯t deserve to stand next to Laura and Addam. ¡°I accept your conditions.¡± Arthur smiles, proud of my response and decision, still standing showing his stoic expression. ¡°Excellent. This match will be different from the matches during the exam. This entire training area will be our arena. Grab your weapon of choice, and let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I walk towards the basket with weapons, see a long sword, and grab it. My hands feel wet, sweat pours down my face, and my hands start shaking. It¡¯s getting hard to breathe; I almost pass out from the harsh, uncontrollable, raspy breaths. ¡°Tanner!¡± I turn around and see that it¡¯s Arthur who spoke. ¡°Remember, this is a test!¡± I¡¯m not entirely sure what he means by those words, but they manage to slightly calm me down, giving me a moment to take a deep breath. Glancing around the arena, I see everyone watching while I walk towards the ring. Everyone but Zak is sitting far away from the ring. Zak gestures, indicating he will be the referee for the match. ¡°The match will be over when one side concedes defeat or is in a position near death. Are both fighters ready?¡± The king and I respond simultaneously. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°... Begin!¡± I instantly take a step back. The intimidation I feel from him is stronger than anything I have ever experienced. The king speaks up and starts running toward me. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to strike, then I will!¡± Before I even blink, he is already right in front of me. He swings his sword, hitting me on the side of my arm and throwing me across the arena. ¡°If this is all it takes to beat you, then you have no chance of winning this fight!¡± I can¡¯t hesitate against him. Even if he is clearly stronger than me, if I don¡¯t attack, I have no chance of winning. I get up, run at him, and swing my sword, aiming anywhere I see an opening. Arthur doesn¡¯t even have to block. His distance and footwork is perfect. His sword is down, and he easily dodges all my attacks. Arthur smirks at me, and I can tell he¡¯s trying to provoke me. ¡°Come on, where is that strength you had when you fought those monsters? I¡¯m a little disappointed, Tanner.¡± The king jumps high into the air, the physical length of the jump surpassing anything I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°Thunder Wings!¡± The king starts flying through the air with sparks that look like wings on his back. I am in awe, everything from his fighting abilities to his magic is completely superhuman. His movements become faster than before, which I didn¡¯t think was even possible. With lightning-quick movements, he flies through the air toward me, attacking my right shoulder, then my back, and then hitting me in my stomach. I gasp in pain, and the momentum is enough to send me flying across the arena. Grunting through the pain, I slowly get up. The pain from the flurry of attacks makes it very difficult to focus. He¡¯s moving way too fast. There has to be something¡ªanything¡ªI can do. What opening does he have? If I don¡¯t think of something quickly, then this match will end, and I won¡¯t be able to become a knight. ... Wait, that¡¯s it! This entire fight, he has been so confident in his strength. If that¡¯s the case, then I need to try this. I only have one chance; I need to time this perfectly. Arthur then flies straight toward me. I blink, and of course, he is right in front of me. He goes for an open swing, aiming for my left side, leaving his right side open for an attack. Standing my ground, I swing, aiming at his right shoulder. I¡¯m not sure if I imagined it, but his expression seems to change. I follow through with my attack, but to my surprise, I don¡¯t hit anything. He¡¯s gone. I feel a sword slash across my back with tremendous power, and I¡¯m thrown back. The king then flies right at me, trying to end the fight. With a stroke of luck, I block the attack. With my back against the wall, the only thing I can focus on is Arthur¡¯s weapon. This can¡¯t be it. There has to be something I can do to get out of this. Self-doubt floods my body and mind. No matter what I do, it feels hopeless to me, and it¡¯s visible in my eyes. Arthur has a serious expression on his face, as he slowly starts pushing more and more of his strength toward my weak spot in the bind of our blades. ¡°What are you going to do now?! It is clear I am better than you! You will be facing knights who are way stronger than you. If you give up now, you could go home without any more harm to you!¡± He¡¯s right. I have no chance of beating him. My only option was to aim at an open spot, but even he planned for it. I can¡¯t win here; it¡¯s... impossible. ¡°You may be right; it may be impossible to beat you, and I may not be confident in myself... but giving up here would be a disgrace to the people who gave me this opportunity, to the people who spent so much time helping and supporting me!¡± I start to shed tears, knowing that I¡¯m going to lose. ¡°Even if it is impossible to beat you, I won¡¯t give up¡ªnot until I become a knight!¡± Arthur closes his eyes, smiling. ¡°I see.¡± The powerful knight pushes even more strength toward my blade, forcing it down and knocking it out of my hand, aiming his sword threateningly at my neck. Zak then raises his hand, declaring the winner. ¡°The winner is King Arthur!¡± I fall to the ground, continuing to shed tears, knowing I¡¯ve failed the last chance I had left. I want to scream in frustration. I wish I were stronger; I couldn''t even hold my own against him. Throughout the entire match I was just a punching bag. Everyone in the vomitorium quickly rushes toward Arthur and me. Once everyone arrives, Addam and Laura help me up. Laura speaks, concerned about how I am doing. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I look down at my feet. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± Addam then starts healing me from all the bruises I got from this match, he stares at me confused but I didn¡¯t really care at the moment . Arthur then speaks, waiting for everyone in the group to calm down and give us some space. ¡°Tanner, it¡¯s time for your results. Please get on one knee.¡± With my head down, I follow his instructions and kneel. The king then unsheathes his sword and looks down at me. ¡°Young man, there is no doubt that you have shown great bravery in the fight against me and in saving the family. Even though you lost the battle, not once did you give up, showing your heart and dedication to being a knight. However, nothing can change the past. You still scored the lowest, and you still lost the fight against me.¡± I can''t take it anymore. I failed, even after everyone helped me. The result speaks for itself¡ªwhy is he dragging it out for so long? I failed. Nothing can change that now. ¡°In your battle against me, there was one brief moment when I needed to get serious despite leaving openings to give you a chance. Even then, you did not give up. With that being said¡ª¡± I feel a sword touch my left shoulder and then my right. ¡°I, as the king, declare you are now a knight at the academy!¡± I look up in shock, not sure if I heard him right. ¡°What? I... passed!?¡± ¡°Yes, congratulations. You are now a knight.¡± Addam jumps and gives me a one-armed hug from my shoulders while Will tackles me from the front. ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Tanner! You did it; you¡¯re finally a knight!¡± ¡°You did it! You¡¯re like a superhero now!¡± Laura is a lot calmer but smiles happily and proudly. ¡°Congratulations, Tanner. You did it.¡± I am smiling from ear to ear. I can¡¯t believe that, against all odds, I am finally a knight. I have dreamed of this moment and finally it¡¯s happening. ¡°Thank you all. I couldn¡¯t have done it without your help.¡± Zak, still proudly smiling from the results, speaks up. ¡°No, you pass this test on your own merit.¡± Shera nods in agreement and follows up with Zak''s statement. ¡°The test was never about winning the match; it was about showing your bravery, resolve, and dedication. You were tested the moment you fully recovered from the hospital.¡± King Arthur gives a serious expression, wanting to speak one more time before he leaves. He holds out an envelope with a letter inside. ¡°This here is a letter of acceptance to the knight''s academy. You earned this.¡± I reach out my hand, but the letter is quickly pulled away. ¡°Tanner, before I give you this, I feel I must say this, one knight to another. During our fight, every swing you made felt like you doubted yourself. Self-doubt is a person¡¯s biggest weakness. A knight who lets self-doubt and anxiety control them will always lose before the challenge even starts. Promise me you will work hard and become a knight who overcomes their self-doubt.¡± I look at him, understanding what he means. ¡°I won¡¯t lie; it will be hard, but... I will beat my self-doubt and become a knight worthy of standing with the best.¡± Arthur smiles, clearly pleased with my answer, and hands me the envelope. ¡°Excellent. I expect great things from you. Show us nobles the power of a strong heart.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I receive a bunch of congratulatory responses from everyone. Finally, once we all calm down, Ms. Shera decides to give me one final gift. ¡°Tanner, let¡¯s show you around the capital, and while we¡¯re doing that, let¡¯s get you clothing fitting for a knight as thanks for saving my son.¡± ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t accept that. I saw the prices of things here. I can¡¯t let you buy things for me.¡± Laura insists, arguing with me. ¡°Tanner, let us buy equipment for you. Don¡¯t forget, you, Addam, and I are a team now, so we should help each other.¡± Addam also smiles at me. He¡¯s not going to let this go. ¡°Alright, you win.¡± We leave the arena and walk around the capital. We arrive at a shop that looks like a place where knights go to buy equipment and clothing. The shop, while small, is still big enough to hold a crowd of people. It has pale textile flooring and concrete walls. The ceiling is bright with lights attached to it, similar to the hospital room. The shelves are wooden, with boxes of weapons lying in them, and mannequins display armor that fits their size perfectly. Everyone looks around the shop while Zak and I approach the shop owner to look at weapons and armor. ¡°Hello, we were wondering if we can get a long sword for this young knight here.¡± The shop owner smiles, expressing his excitement and happiness. ¡°Sure, this shop has plenty of long swords, or if you want a custom-made one, it will cost more but will be of higher strength and quality.¡± I look around, trying out every long sword in their stock, but sadly, none of them feel right. Shera notices my expression and speaks to the shop owner. ¡°How much is a custom long sword and how long will it take to finish?¡± ¡°A strong custom long sword is about 300 gold and will take about 6 to 8 hours.¡± ¡°Okay, Tanner, what do you want it to look like?¡± I interrupt Ms. Shera, I can¡¯t have her pay for something so expensive. ¡°Ms. Shera, this is way too expensive. I can¡¯t let you pay for this!¡± Ms. Shera walks over to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°You are the one who risked saving my child¡¯s life when no one else could. As a mother, I want to repay you for your selflessness in protecting him. Please let me do this to thank you.¡± I sigh in defeat, feeling that saying no now would be rude. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°Can you make it look like the sword from the story of the Sun?¡± The shop owner laughs happily. ¡°Alright, kid, you¡¯ve got yourself a deal. I¡¯ll make this my best work.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We all leave the shop and decide to come back when the sword is done. Using this opportunity, everyone helps me get familiar with the city. I discover that the city is one giant circle with named districts. The center of the capital is the academy where all the knights live. To the right of that district is the residential area, where all the rich nobles live. Continuing right is Station Street, the main area for trains and the airport. The train is used to travel from faraway places, though it can¡¯t reach every village. The Entertainment District is next, full of places for movies, plays, shops¡ªanything you can imagine. The final place is the Financial District, where many banks and businesses are located, useful for depositing money or finding a part-time job. After hours of walking and making our way through the kingdom, it is finally time to see the sword. It¡¯s entirely made of shiny gold with a green gem between the blade and the hilt, which bears the symbol of the sun. I put on the clothes I chose and show everyone how I look. I wear a green headband on my forehead to match the green shirt underneath, paired with a white and red jacket that is unzipped and goes down to my waist. I have on long light brown combat pants and darker combat boots. ¡°Okay, everyone, how do I look?¡± Addam and Laura smile proudly in my direction. ¡°Like a knight.¡± A Knights Mantle CHAPTER 3 Saying the Knights Academy is difficult is an understatement. We have to have good grades and must be physically fit while also training in our respective weapons. Not only that, but we have so much homework I''m barely able to keep up. Laura, Addam and I decided to make a study group to keep each other on track with homework and tests. My friends usually help me get used to this modern technology despite the constant struggle. Whenever we have free time on our hands, we spend it watching movies and playing video games to have fun while also teaching me how to use this amazing technology. Present Day: ¡°Tanner, are you ready yet? You can¡¯t be late for the Magic Affinity test! Laura is waiting for us!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there, Addam! Just give me a minute to tie my shoes!¡± I finish tying my shoes and glance out the window to check the weather. The sky is bright blue with fluffy clouds and the sun shining brightly, illuminating my room; The day looks incredibly beautiful. I grab my longsword, strap it to my back, and open the door to find Addam waiting for me. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Addam greets me with a smile, and we start walking toward the Affinity Test room. ¡°Do you have any idea what your magic affinity is?¡± ¡°No, not quite. I¡¯m still not fully sure how magic works.¡± ¡°Well, let the mage of the group help you understand.¡± ¡°Enlighten me, oh great and wise one.¡± We both laugh at my comment. ¡°Everyone has only one type of magic affinity. The affinities are Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Lightning, Darkness, and Light. Everyone has some level of magical ability, but each person can store a different amount of mana in their body. Think of it like a glass of water. A full bottle represents your total mana. You can increase it through training, but that takes time. Some people practice their magic in areas with high mana levels. Others use magic potions to keep their mana up during missions. That¡¯s the basics.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the basics, I¡¯m not sure I can handle the complicated stuff. Hold on, what are yours and Laura¡¯s affinities?¡± ¡°Laura¡¯s is Air, and mine is¡­¡± He hesitates, and I look at him, confused. Why the pause? ¡°If you don¡¯t feel comfortable telling me, it¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t mean to pry.¡± Addam forces a smile. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s troubled, but he speaks up anyway. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My affinity is Light.¡± ¡°Cool! You guys are awesome with your magic affinities. I¡¯m excited to figure out mine.¡± We reach the Magic Affinity room, where Laura and Zak are sitting on a bench waiting for us. ¡°Good morning, Addam, Tanner! I was just talking to Laura about some exciting news¡ªonce we figure out your magic affinity.¡± Laura speaks up excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m assuming Addam explained magic and magic affinities to you, right?¡± I rub the back of my head, feeling a bit sheepish. ¡°He did, but there¡¯s a lot to memorize all at once.¡± Laura smiles comfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, It was a lot for me to learn as well. Just have some patience and you will be able to understand magic. You¡¯ll learn a lot more once you start actually using magic. Addam¡¯s excitement is very noticeable, and I can tell he¡¯s eager to see my affinity. But is it really that special? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± We walk into the room, and it¡¯s the exact opposite of what I imagined a magic room would look like. There¡¯s a giant mana crystal in the center, but off to the side, a row of computers line the wall. A young woman is working at one of them. She has short black hair and glasses that keep slipping down her nose. She is wearing a white lab coat over a green shirt, white skirt, and black heels. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Am I correct in assuming one of you is here to check your magic affinity?¡± I step forward, both nervous and excited. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Please let me know what I need to do.¡± The woman looks at me, surprised. ¡°Where are my manners? I¡¯m sorry, young man. I¡¯m Kathrin.¡± I extend my hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Kathrin. I¡¯m Tanner, a new knight at the academy.¡± She smiles warmly as her glasses slowly slide down her face again. ¡°Oh, how exciting! Well, I won¡¯t take up too much of your time, so let¡¯s get started. Please place your hand on the giant mana crystal.¡± I walk toward the crystal, feeling nervous. I¡¯ve never done anything like this before. So I have no idea what to expect. I place my hand on the crystal, and Kathrin moves to the computer, focusing on the screen. ¡°Good! Just keep your hand on the mana crystal while I jump-start it.¡± I follow her instructions, staring at the crystal. Slowly, it begins to glow. I feel a surge of energy¡ªunusual, but strangely familiar. ¡°What?! This is unbelievable. I need to document this immediately!¡± I start to worry. What exactly is happening to me? ¡°Um, is everything okay?¡± Kathrin is dumbfounded, but she manages to speak. ¡°Tanner¡¯s magic abilities don¡¯t match any of the effects from the mana crystal. There¡¯s no clear answer!¡± Addam, Laura, and Zak all stand frozen, saying in unison: ¡°What?!¡± Zak speaks up, unsure if he heard her correctly. ¡°Sorry, but did you just say the mana crystal can¡¯t determine what type of magic Tanner has?¡¯ Kathrin stares at me, unsure of how to respond. ¡°Yes.¡± Laura then suggests a solution. ¡°Tanner, you should have a spell now that you''ve tested your affinity. The mana crystal should have given you a simple spell for you to use. Try it out and see.¡± Addam looks concerned, but he¡¯s also eager to see what happens. ¡°I think we should move somewhere if you need to test this spell.¡± I look down at my hand, then up at everyone. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to move. I have a feeling this spell isn¡¯t meant for offense.¡± Everyone looks confused, but Addam is the first to speak up. ¡°How do you know? Can you tell?¡± I look at Addam and Laura, confident in my feeling, while Kathrin watches, curious about my magic. ¡°Okay, try it out then.¡± I extend my hand toward Kathrin. ¡°Light Heal!¡± A small ball of light shoots from my hand and quickly makes its way to Kathrin. ¡°Wow! I feel so much better. You must have healed me? If that little ball of light is any indication, then I guess that means your affinity is Light.¡± I look at her curiously, my mind flooded with questions. ¡°If I have healing magic, that makes me a healer. In that case, I need to learn magic as quickly as possible.¡± Laura and Addam both smile, excited to learn about my magic affinity. Laura speaks up. ¡°Let¡¯s start a training session then. Adam and I both need to train anyway, so we can begin after our classes.¡± Before we can settle on a time, Zak interrupts, clearly excited to share something. ¡°Sorry, everyone, but it looks like your training session will have to wait. I have some exciting news for all three of you.¡± We all make our way to an empty classroom while waiting for Zak. Addam, Laura, and I sit up straight, eager to hear the news. It only takes a few minutes for Zak to pull out a letter and place it on the teacher¡¯s desk. ¡°This is a very special letter from the king. It took a while to get here, and it¡¯s of high priority. It¡¯s a mission from the king.¡± All three of us stare in shock. ¡°Yes! Finally, our first mission!¡± I¡¯m so excited. Finally, I get to show off my training and hard work. Laura and Addam share the same excitement. Missions are a big deal for knights. They¡¯re how we get paid and rise in rank. The more missions we complete, the less time we spend in school, but usually, starting missions are easier, though they can be great for ranking up. Addam speaks up, his excitement clear. ¡°When and where is our first mission?¡± ¡°The location is Dragtree Village. Tanner, I believe you¡¯re from there, right?¡± I freeze for a moment, but I don¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m from there. Does that mean I¡¯ll be able to see my family?¡± Zak smiles, clearly pleased with our reactions. ¡°You will get to see your family, but keep in mind this letter was planned carefully. There are rumors that bandits are nearby and might attack your village.¡± I start to feel nervous and worried. Is my village going to be okay? Is there any way we can help them? Zak notices my concern and reassures me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tanner. These are just rumors. It¡¯s not confirmed that the bandits will attack. Dragtree is surrounded by trees, with only one small path leading in. I¡¯m sure your family is safe. We¡¯re going to investigate and confirm whether the rumor is true. Would you be willing to help us?¡± I nod with determination, my thoughts on my father and little brother. The idea of anything happening to them scares me. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the job of a knight to protect people. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to protect my village.¡± I turn to Laura and Addam, my face filled with both determination and a silent plea. ¡°Laura, Addam, will you help me protect my village?¡± Addam smiles and gives me a one-armed hug. ¡°Do you really have to ask? Of course, we¡¯ll help. Like you said, we need to protect people.¡± Laura stands up, walks to me, and places her sheathed sword over her heart. ¡°I promise to use all my power to help your village.¡± I smile, grateful for being so lucky to have such good friends. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Zak then gives us the final details. ¡°We¡¯ll take a car for this journey, since it¡¯s a long distance. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. and meet me at the academy entrance. The mission will last three days, so plan accordingly.¡± Laura, Addam, and I exchange looks, making sure we understand what needs to be done. Laura looks at Zak, her expression stoic. ¡°I think you¡¯ve given us all the information. If we have any questions, we¡¯ll call you.¡± ¡°I need to do everything I can to protect my village,¡± I say quietly. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The next day I make my way to the front of the school, still yawning from the early morning. ¡°I hope Dad and Noah are doing okay. I guess we¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± I spot Zak, Laura, and Addam in the distance. I quicken my pace and reach the front of the school. ¡°Hey, everyone, sorry if I kept you waiting.¡± Addam yawns, trying to speak through his exhaustion. ¡°You¡¯re okay. We weren¡¯t waiting long.¡± Still tired, we all head to the car and drive to my village. The car ride is mostly quiet, with Laura, Addam, and I catching up on sleep, getting the rest we need. We step out of the car, and I see a familiar little boy with red hair sprinting toward me. ¡°Tanner!¡± Noah¡¯s shout comes as he runs so fast he tackles me to the ground, making me grunt in pain. ¡°Hey, Noah! You''re just as energetic as ever. I take it you and Dad are okay?¡± Noah smiles, ecstatic to see me. His grin stretches from ear to ear, showing just how happy he is. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re doing fine. Work has been tough without you around, but we¡¯re good¡ªand even better now that you''re here.¡± I grunt as I get up and introduce my brother to my friends. ¡°Everyone, this is Noah, my little brother. He¡¯s a bit energetic, but if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask him.¡± Laura is the first to speak up. I can tell she¡¯s acting like a big sister because of how she talks to him. ¡°Hey, Noah. My name is Laura. This here is Addam, our teammate, and Zak, our instructor. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could give us a hand, and in turn, we¡¯ll do the same.¡± Noah looks at Laura, then turns his gaze toward me. ¡°Are you and Tanner dating?¡± Addam and Zak start giggling. They try to hide it, but I can still tell. I blush uncontrollably from the embarrassment. ¡°Noah, you can¡¯t just ask that! Use your brain. I¡¯ve only been gone a few weeks; it takes longer than that to form a connection with someone.¡± Laura, however, is the complete opposite of me. She keeps her cool and looks at Noah. ¡°Tanner is someone I have great respect for. After the Knights¡¯ exam, he risked his life to protect my little brother, and I can¡¯t thank him enough for that.¡± I can still see Addam and Zak holding back laughter. I look back at them in frustration, which makes them stop. Finally, after composing themselves, both Addam and Zak walk over. Addam speaks first. ¡°Sorry, Tanner. That was just a 10-year-old question we couldn¡¯t hold in.¡± I sigh in defeat, understanding they weren¡¯t laughing at me but rather at my brother¡¯s innocent question. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. Anyway, aside from his random chaos, where¡¯s Dad? I thought he¡¯d be with you.¡± Noah looks at me, still grinning. ¡°Dad¡¯s out collecting firewood for our school. He should be back soon.¡± I glance at Noah, then at Zak and Addam, a little worried. They can tell why I¡¯m concerned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tanner. You can relax. They aren¡¯t here yet. We¡¯re a few days ahead of when they¡¯re supposed to arrive.¡± I can tell Zak is being vague to avoid causing Noah any panic. I start to calm down. ¡°Okay, then. If that¡¯s the case, let me show you all around the town. It¡¯s pretty small, so don¡¯t expect a long tour.¡± Noah jumps around excitedly since it¡¯s rare to have guests over. ¡°Can I please lead the tour?!¡± Laura and I chuckle lightly, while Zak and Addam smile. I pat Noah on the head, trusting him to lead the way. ¡°Of course you can. But make sure to explain what everything is so they know, okay?¡± Noah smiles happily and eagerly agrees. ¡°Okay, I will!¡± Noah and I show my teammates and instructors around my small village. We visit my home, the school, the park, and the neighborhood housing. After about 30 minutes, we finally meet up with my dad and is the first to extend his hand to greet him. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. I¡¯d like to explain why we¡¯re here.¡± Dad¡¯s expression turns serious, concern clear in his face. ¡°I want to thank you for taking up this task, especially since this village is difficult to get to. This is about the bandits, correct?¡± I stare at my father, concerned about how long these rumors have been circulating. ¡°How long have these rumors been going around?¡± Dad gives me a reassuring smile, letting me know he and Noah are safe, as we can hear him playing outside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tanner. Everyone¡¯s safe for now. The rumor started when I got a note at my door a few days after you left.¡± Zak and Laura exchange confused looks, unsure whether they believe my father. Zak, being our mentor, is the first to speak up. ¡°May I please see the note?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Dad pulls out the note, showing that he isn¡¯t lying. ¡°Laura, Tanner, and Addam, there are a few things about this mission that don¡¯t add up. Do you know what that is?¡± I think for a moment. ¡°Is it that the note seems too obvious? I don¡¯t think bandits act like this. They don¡¯t give others time to prepare.¡± Laura speaks up quickly. ¡°The note is way too obvious. Bandits don¡¯t give you time to prepare¡ªthey attack without warning. But this one explicitly states they will be coming, giving the town time to prepare and hope that help will arrive.¡± Addam looks at Laura and Zak, piecing the clues together, but Addam speaks first. ¡°Meaning this note doesn¡¯t add up. We might be dealing with something much stronger than regular bandits.¡± I speak up, curious and worried about what exactly we¡¯re up against. ¡°Can we tell what these people are after? Why would they give us time to prepare?¡± Zak smiles, like he was expecting us to ask that question. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Sadly, that¡¯s something I don¡¯t have the answer to. The most basic assumption is they want your supplies, but right now, none of us can come up with a solid explanation. For now, I want you all to patrol the village for the next few days. Anyone who needs to leave should report to us, as we¡¯ll be handling those tasks. Protect this village and show them the pride of a knight.¡± We all salute, bringing our weapons to our hearts in loyalty to that order that was just given. As I salute, I notice a wave of pride and happiness on my dad¡¯s face as he watches me. The five of us begin to patrol the village, letting the residents know that we¡¯re here to keep them safe without causing panic. It¡¯s a lot of work, but with help from my father and Noah, we manage to get most of it done. While helping at the school, I¡¯m stopped by my teacher, Ms. Brighid. She has a happy yet guilty look on her face. ¡°Hey, Tanner, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± I smile at her. ¡°Yeah, it has. How are the newer students doing? Are they behaving?¡± Ms. Brighid smiles and laughs lightly, but her guilty expression doesn¡¯t fade. ¡°They¡¯re behaving, though some of them can be a pain. But I know they have good hearts. So, Tanner... you¡¯re finally a knight, like you dreamed of, right?¡± My smile brightens as I feel a little more confident. ¡°Yes! It took a lot of hard work, but it all paid off in the end.¡± The guilt on her face deepens. It looks like something has been bothering her for a while. ¡°Tanner... I just want to say I¡¯m sorry. I pushed you so hard, and I said some things I wish I¡¯d said differently when you were younger. But I want you to know I¡¯m so proud of you for becoming a knight, and I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t a better teacher to you.¡± Tears start flowing down her face. I think back to how hard it was to learn anything in school, how some of the things she said made me feel like there was something wrong with me. I hug her, knowing how much this has been weighing on her. My short height means I can¡¯t see her face, but I speak to let her know how I truly feel. ¡°It¡¯s true that it was hard for me to learn. But I want to thank you for pushing me. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. I know it was tough, but I understand now that you did it to help me achieve my goal. So, Ms. Brighid, thank you for being my teacher.¡± She cries even more. I realize this is what she wanted to say before I left, but kept to herself. After a few minutes, she stops crying. ¡°Thank you, Tanner. You were a wonderful student. I wish you the best.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Brighid. I wish you the best, too.¡± We exchange one last hug before I let her know I have to continue patrolling the village. I meet up with Laura, and we start patrolling together, since Addam and Zak are handling the forest around my home. As we walk and see Addam and Zak finishing their patrol in the forest, I hear a voice I never want to hear again. ¡°Wow, Tanner, is that you? Don¡¯t tell me the knights in this kingdom are getting desperate.¡± I turn around to see Jayson, and immediately, I lose all my confidence. I am unable to speak. My head drops to the ground, and my body starts to shake lightly. Laura notices, glancing at me and then back at Jayson, realizing he¡¯s not a good person. ¡°And who is this chick? You look sexy. How about you have me patrol the village with you instead of this guy? He¡¯s not worthy of being around someone as beautiful as you.¡± I can¡¯t see her face since I¡¯m stuck looking at the ground, but I can tell Laura isn¡¯t happy with the way he¡¯s talking. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, but my teammate here earned his place on this team, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you showed him the same respect you give me and my teammates.¡± Jayson laughs arrogantly. ¡°Do you realize that the person you are with is the weakest fighter in this village? Knights are supposed to be tall, strong, smart and honorable soldiers. Yet he is small, weak, stupid and has no skill with a sword.¡± I muster the courage to look up and see Laura¡¯s face, calm, but her clenched fist shows just how angry she is. ¡°Let me ask you a question. If there is a child stuck and unable to move and a hoard of deadly monsters starts attacking you and the child, would you be willing to die protecting them?¡± Jayson looks at Laura like she¡¯s asked a stupid question. ¡°Huh... obviously not. I can¡¯t just throw my life away because of one person. That''s so stupid.¡± Laura gives Jayson a stern, angry look. ¡°A knight¡¯s duty is to fight for its people, to protect them, and to risk their lives doing the impossible. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll never be a knight. Tanner is someone who has risked his life to protect others, even though he isn¡¯t the strongest. As far as I¡¯m concerned, Tanner is a stronger person and knight than you could ever be.¡± This angers Jayson, and it looks like he wants to throw a punch, but instead, he just walks away, muttering angrily. Finally I am able to speak again. ¡°Thank you Laura.¡± She looks at me and smiles. ¡°We¡¯re a team, right? We should have each other¡¯s backs. I know you would¡¯ve done the same. Come on, let¡¯s finish our patrol for the day.¡± I smile, grateful to have people who have my back. ¡°Alright let''s go.¡± We finish up our first patrol of the day, luckily with no incidents aside from dealing with Jayson. We have dinner at my place while I help my friends and teammates set up a tent. Since my house is too small to accommodate guests, we set up a campsite to sleep in. I smile as I look at the camp. ¡°Addam, Laura, thank you for dealing with Noah all day. He¡¯s very chaotic, but he has a good heart.¡± Addam smiles brightly, clearly happy to help. "Don''t worry, Tanner. We are knights; it''s our job to help people. He kind of acts like me when I was his age." I notice Laura blushing happily, and she looks like she wants to say something about my brother. "Your little brother is so cute; I can tell he admires you a lot. I¡¯m sure that if Noah and Will met, they¡¯d be great friends." My expression relaxes even more. I feel incredibly relieved that my hometown and family are safe and liked by my friends. Zak glances at the time, realizing how late it is. "Great job, everyone, on your first day of patrol. Now, please get some rest. We need to wake up early tomorrow. I¡¯ll take the first watch. Laura, I¡¯ll wake you up in four hours. The order will be me, Laura, Tanner, and Addam. Congratulations on your first day¡ªnow get the rest you deserve." We all speak at the same time. "Thank you, Sir." We all sleep soundly until it''s time for our turn. The night passes surprisingly smoothly. If bandits were going to show up, it would be now, while we''re asleep. Regardless, I¡¯m not complaining since it means my village is safe. Since we¡¯re not used to sleeping in shifts, we feel a little groggy but slowly start to wake up once we go through our routine. The town is very quiet since no one is awake yet. It¡¯s around 6:00 a.m. We split into two groups, with Zak and me at the forest and Addam and Laura in the town. As the day goes on, the town becomes livelier as people begin to wake up. We continue to help more and more people until it''s time for lunch at 12:00 p.m. The sandwiches aren¡¯t the best¡ªthe bread is stale, and the vegetables and meat don¡¯t taste fresh. But I¡¯m not going to complain; there have been times when I¡¯d either eat very little or nothing at all due to the lack of crops and food we could manage in the village. We continue our patrol for the second day for about four more hours. Addam and Zak have just finished patrolling the forest when my worst fear for this town comes true. Laura stares at the forest with a shocked expression¡ªone that doesn¡¯t fit her personality at all. Zak and Addam hurry over to us, quickly drawing their weapons. Addam pulls out his Grimoire while Zak unsheathes his sword. Two figures stand in the forest. One is a hooded figure, cloaked in a brown hoodie that covers most of his body, while the other doesn''t hide his face but carries a giant axe. The weapon is so large, I don''t even know how he¡¯s able to carry it. The man has a giant scar on his face, and his upper body is clad in strong armor that looks like it belongs to medieval times. From what I can tell, they¡¯re not from this village, and they clearly have malicious intent. It¡¯s terrifying how strong they seem, even just standing there. They don¡¯t even feel human. Laura shouts in a rage so intense, it''s unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen from her. ¡°You Bastard!¡± Laura starts running toward the two men as they split up, the hooded figure heading into the town while the man with the giant axe runs into the forest. I call out after her, but she¡¯s too enraged to listen to anyone. Addam calls out after us with concern, but we don¡¯t listen. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Tanner, Laura, wait! This is a trap!¡± I run after Laura, trying to catch up with her. Her speed is faster than when she moved during the Knight¡¯s exam. ¡°Laura, wait!¡± We both keep running until we reach an open area. We¡¯re too far to call for help or escape. We need to come up with a plan, or we¡¯re both going to die. The man with the scar on his face starts smiling creepily. It¡¯s a sadistic, twisted smile that sends chills down my spine. "I didn¡¯t think it would be that easy to lure you guys away. I guess Eclipse really was right¡ªa simple plan was the better one." I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. Eclipse? Who is Eclipse? And what plan? What could they want with my village? It¡¯s a town far from the capital, with barely any supplies. Laura, in her anger, speaks up. It sounds like she doesn¡¯t care about the mission anymore or what this person has to say. "You¡¯re going to pay for what you did!" The big, burly man looks at her in confusion, unsure what she means. "Sorry, kid, but I don¡¯t remember you. Who are you again?" This only aggravates Laura further. Her hands turn into fists, her knuckles going white. ¡°You killed my father 10 years ago. I was the little girl you laughed at when you took my father''s life away!¡± The scar-faced man smiles and laughs harder, as if everything is a joke to him. "Ah, I get who you are. Yeah, your father died a painful death. I¡¯m surprised you stayed alive. Maybe I should visit your mother and see what she thinks." Without any hesitation Laura sprints and swings her sword to his head. After Laura and Tanner left: Zak speaks up and goes into a fighting stance. ¡°They can¡¯t worry about them right now; the guy is coming. Right now, their top priority is the safety of everyone in the village. It doesn¡¯t seem like they want to make friends.¡± Addam, although worried for them, starts to focus on the task at hand. He gets into a fighting stance and readies himself. ¡°If I don''t focus on controlling his magic, then people will die. It''s now or never.¡± ¡°Everyone get inside and don¡¯t come out until the fight is over!¡± All of the residents start going inside. Panic starts showing on everyone''s faces, and muttering of worry can be heard throughout the small village. Zak looks worried for Addam, unsure if now is the right time for him to fight. Addam has strong magic but has never been able to control it. ¡°I need to be the one to carry out most of the fighting. Letting Addam fight might be too risky; he might end up hurting himself or others.¡± ¡°Addam, get behind me and support me from the back. Let me handle the fighting, protect the residents, and make sure no one gets hurt!¡± Addam gives off a determined but worried look. He calms himself down and focuses on his teacher and the hooded figure. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Zak runs toward the hooded figure and swings his sword, aiming at the figure''s shoulder. But with extreme ease, the figure dodges the swing and starts floating in the air. Zak then jumps high into the air and swings his sword again, missing a second time. The brown-hooded figure frowns in disappointment. ¡°Is this really the best you¡¯ve got? I guess the sword kingdom doesn¡¯t have any capable knights this year.¡± This angers Addam. He gets ready to release a spell, aiming it at Zak. ¡°With the light of the world, increase man''s physical form. Light tempest!¡± Zak starts running and moving a lot faster than before. He jumps into the air, swinging his sword again. This time, he is fast enough to jump up and make the hooded figure bring out their own weapon. The sword the figure carries has a gold hilt. ¡°Wow, congratulations. You actually managed to take my weapon out. Not many people have the power to do that. Let¡¯s see how much you and your student can take.¡± Zak changes his fighting stance, smiling cockily. ¡°Bring it on! With his honor as a knight, he will protect this village and its people!¡± Back to Tanner and Laura: 10 years ago: A man with a muscular build, holding a sword and shield, moved swiftly through a training arena. ¡°Laura, your stance is too wide, and your swings are too predictable. Change it up.¡± Laura was swinging her sword, struggling with the training from her father. She was sweating and panting heavily, trying to move as swiftly as she could to match her father. ¡°Yes, father.¡± Despite her tired state, she listened to her father''s feedback and implemented it. ¡°Good, Laura! That¡¯s better. Let¡¯s stop here for today. You¡¯re doing a great job.¡± Laura put her hands to her knees, breathing heavily. ¡°Thank you, Dad. Does this mean I can finally get ice cream with you?¡± Laura¡¯s dad pretended to ponder for a moment, smiling at his little daughter. ¡°Well, since you did such a good job in both your academics and training, I think you deserve a little reward.¡± Laura jumped for joy, ecstatic that she got to spend time with her father. She quickly ran and gave him a hug. ¡°Yay, thank you, Daddy! Can Mommy come along too?¡± Laura¡¯s dad smiled happily, thankful that he could make his daughter happy. ¡°Of course, sweetie. Let¡¯s change out of these clothes first and shower as well.¡± Laura had a big smile on her face and ran back into her home. ¡°Okay, Daddy, I will let Mommy know, and I will be out of the shower quickly.¡± Laura¡¯s family got ready and went out to their favorite ice cream place. It was a small spot in the residential district next to the park that Laura¡¯s family used to visit before she started training as a knight. Laura, Shera, and her father all sat down at a table outside, listening to the kids playing in the background. Laura¡¯s father patted Laura on the head. ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job, I¡¯m proud of you. Your grades are excellent, and your fighting skills are improving very quickly.¡± Laura smiled happily at her father''s praise and his gesture, but Shera spoke up, sighing at the man. ¡°Honestly, Darius, I¡¯m proud of her too, but she can¡¯t have ice cream after every training session. You¡¯re spoiling her way too much.¡± Darius chuckled at Shera, knowing that she was right but still couldn¡¯t help but see his daughter happy. ¡°I know, I know, but come on, you have to admit that she¡¯s doing much better than the other high-ranking noble children. She deserves to be a kid.¡± Shera sighed. They both knew that Laura was strong for her age, but she wanted Laura to eat healthily and stay disciplined. She put her hand to her head, almost like she had a headache, but secretly enjoyed the moment she was having with them. ¡°Honestly, you two are impossible.¡± Laura and Darius laughed together, enjoying their peaceful moment. The Creston family enjoyed their time together, happily walking around the kingdom, talking, eating, and having fun as a family. But that all changed quickly. Their happy moments turned into complete and utter chaos in just a few minutes. Screams of horror could be heard from people around the kingdom. Buildings were burning and destroyed, knights were on the ground, bloody and lifeless. All from one man. The man held a giant axe and wore big armor that looked incredibly intimidating. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Darius. I heard he is one of the strongest knights in this kingdom.¡± Darius looked at the man, then back at Laura, while Shera readied her weapon, standing next to Darius. Darius carefully spoke up. ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡± The man with the big axe had spoken up, smiling sadistically. ¡°I was given orders by someone I can¡¯t say just yet. And¡­ I wanted to see how strong this man is.¡± Shera had become furious, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her sword. ¡°So, you killed all these innocent people just to fight Darius?!¡± The man''s sadistic smile had widened, becoming creepy. ¡°Of course how else would I get the strongest knights to come to my direction. Now tell me where he is before I kill you and your family.¡± Darius had become furious towards him, shouting at the axe wielder. This had scared Laura, and she had hidden behind her father with scared tears in her eyes. I am Darius if you want to fight me fine, but stay away from my wife and daughter you understand me! Or you will never see the light of day again!¡± The sadistic man had continued to smile, and the two of them had sprinted toward each other, swinging their weapons at each other. Sparks had flown through the air, and Shera had used this moment to swing toward the big man''s back. The axe wielder sees this and kicked her hard in the stomach knocking her away. ¡°I am here to fight Darius. Stay out of this before I kill you too.¡± Darius started to get scared for his wife and child. ¡°Honey, protect Laura, I can hear monsters running around. I will deal with him!¡± Shera was about to interject when she saw hordes of monsters behind them. ¡°On it.¡± Laura started crying but had looked toward her mother. ¡°Mommy Let me help.¡± Shera, without hesitating, had quickly interjected. ¡°No you can¡¯t handle these monsters, there are way too many for you, your training was not enough for this.¡± Laura stood there, stunned, tears flowing down her face, scared for what might happen to her parents. Laura turned around to see her father fighting for his life against the axe wielder. He swung towards him and slashed his face. ¡°Damn you really are strong. But too bad I¡¯m stronger!¡± The axe-wielder swung his weapon toward Darius. Due to the harsh and quick swings, Darius became completely defensive. Shera started getting worried as she continued fighting the monsters in front of her, unable to assist her husband. The axe wielder used this opportunity and swung his axe towards Darius¡¯s arm and succeeded cutting his arm off, before Darius could even react the axe wielder again swung at his shoulder leaving a deep opened wound with his blood slowly spilling out. ¡°Daddy!¡± Shera looked terrified and worried for both her daughter and husband but couldn¡¯t do anything and continued fighting the horde of monsters that never seemed to end. She looked back at her daughter who was crying and running towards her father. Shera was doing her best to hide her tears feeling helpless. ¡°Laura wait, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Laura didn''t listen and ran to her father. ¡°Daddy please get up! You said you were strong, that no one can beat you please!¡± Darius smiled at his daughter putting his hand on Laura¡¯s head. ¡°Hey sweetie sorry but it looks like I won¡¯t get to stay with you.¡± Laura started bawling, and her tears didn''t stop. ¡°Please get up. I promise to be a strong knight please, Ple-¡± She was unable to say any words, and only tears and her sad screams were uttered from her mouth. ¡°Hey it¡¯s okay Laura we will see each other again. Protect your mother and tell your mother to protect your brother. You have a kind heart so don¡¯t ever lose it.¡± Laura held on to her father''s hand, which was still touching her head, until it fell to the ground. ¡°Daddy please no!¡± The axe wielder smiled sadistically before his expression changed to disappointment. ¡°This is disappointing and here I thought he would be a tougher opponent.¡± Laura got up and took out her sword. Her eyes shifted from those of an innocent little girl to those of a raging and furious killer. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± She sprints towards the man swinging her sword, but he punches her sending her flying. Shera finally finished beating the monsters and quickly made her way to Laura. The man saw this and, smiling at Laura, said one final thing. ¡°If you want to kill me, get stronger and make it fun.¡± Shera hugged Laura, trying to comfort her in any way she could while Laura cried in her mother''s arms. Through her tears, Laura spoke, making a vow to herself and to her mother while hugging her. ¡°I swear I will kill him, make him pay for killing daddy. I promise to kill him and make him pay!¡± The axe wielder disappeared without a trace, leaving a trail of dead civilians and in her wake. A few days later, Shera held a funeral for her husband. She rubbed her stomach, holding back her tears as she looked at the grave, holding Laura¡¯s hand. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he figured out I was pregnant with another child. And I¡¯m sorry he will never be able to see his father.¡± Current Day with Laura and Tanner: As Laura runs to the bulky man, he effortlessly blocks the attack with his giant axe. They continue their fight, with the man toying with her while I stand back, stunned and unable to move. ¡°There needs to be something I can do. It seems Laura and this guy have some history but if we want to live, I have to do something. Damn it, what can I do? What should I do? Do something damn it!¡± I look back at my sword, remembering King Arthur''s words. ¡°A knight''s biggest weakness is their self-doubt promise me you will learn to overcome it.¡± I take a deep breath, assessing the movements of both the man and Laura. ¡°My first action needs to be helping Laura if we don¡¯t help each other right now we will both die. She is too angry to listen to anyone right now, so the best course of action should be to help her fight and when there is an opening run back to my village.¡± Their attention is on each other. The man is focused on aggravating Laura, while she continues to fall for the taunting. I see an opening at the mans back and swing my sword towards the opening. But he easily blocks the attack. ¡°Did you really think that it would be this easy? You¡¯re a fool if you think that slow and weak attack is enough to even scratch me!¡± He swings his axe, throwing me far. my back hits a tree causing me to grunt in pain. It feels like I¡¯ve broken a few bones. Despite the pain, I manage to get up and try to help Laura. The man is still toying with Laura, making sure she¡¯s as angry as possible. Usually, Laura is calm and collected, but this doesn¡¯t even look like her. Her ferocious, angry face doesn¡¯t match her. Her anger completely changes her fighting style, her swings are so predictable that even I can tell where they¡¯ll land. She usually elegantly dodges and attacks unpredictably. But in this fight, she¡¯s only attacking, not caring who or what she hits. The bulky man swings his axe, aiming it at Laura¡¯s right side. I use all my speed and strength to stand my ground and block the attack, protecting Laura. Laura doesn¡¯t seem to care; her focus is only on the scar-faced man. ¡°Tempest!¡± Laura starts floating in the air, jumping from tree to tree. She moves so fast that even I can¡¯t follow her. The burly man smiles, clearly enjoying the show of Laura¡¯s speed. ¡°Go to hell!¡± She thrusts her sword straight at the man''s back. With complete ease he blocks the attack, smirking. I see the opening Laura unintentionally made, and i¡¯m not going to make it in time. The big man swings his axe smashing her to the ground, then kicks Laura like a ball causing her body to go flying across the forest hitting multiple trees. Her body starts bleeding heavily, yet the anger is still clearly visible on her face as she tries to get up. I run to her, only to be stopped by the humongous man in front of me. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to get up for a while so why don¡¯t you help entertain me?¡± I start sweating from how terrifying he looks. His height is monstrous compared to mine, his arms and hand looked to be the size of my face and the giant axe that he wields looked even more massive up close. It was the largest weapon I have seen in my life! My hands begin to shake, but I stand my ground. The scar-faced man looks at me with a smile on his face, his smile sickens me at my core and is disgusting and cruel, clearly enjoying watching others bleed. ¡°Hahaha! I didn¡¯t think that a scared kid like you would even come close to being a knight. How did a small weak and pathetic kid like you end up a knight?¡± I¡¯m still shaking from intimidation, but I manage to speak my mind. ¡°I became a knight because the king saw potential in me.¡± The buff man laughs, clearly seeing me as a joke. ¡°Hahahahaha! A small and weak person like you, appointed by the king?! Wow, if you are a knight King Arthur must have lost his touch.¡± This angers me, since Arthur is someone I respect a lot and I am not going to have someone look down on him. ¡°You have no right talking bad about King Arthur. He protects, inspires and gives people hope! A stupid dumb ass like you shouldn''t even be talking when you aren¡¯t even a knight yourself!¡± The scar-faced man stops laughing for a few seconds. It¡¯s creepy, almost as if time stood still for a moment, until he shows me his eerie, joyful smile. ¡°Big words for such a small and weak kid. But let''s see if you can back up the talk.¡± I run up to him and swing my sword at his right side. With ease he blocks the attack, he brings his leg up and tries to kick me. I roll to my left going around him, jumping as far as I can to create some distance. The man charges at me and swings his heavy axe at turbo speed attacking me in multiple directions. It takes all my strength and speed just to block the oncoming attacks multiple times and the weight of his attacks messes up my parries and keeps throwing me back. ¡°Come on, where is all that big talk? You¡¯re more disappointing than the girl!¡± The big man then swings his weapon faster than before in the match with Laura. The blade of the axe hits me right on the shoulder with blood splattering everywhere. I scream in pain from the swing and the cut covering the wound with my hand. Luckily my arm didn¡¯t get cut off, but I can tell from his skills he was not aiming for a clean cut. He swings downward toward my head, I block the attack but yell in pain as the force is enough to break the ground. The force of the impact and my weak arm caused me to get smashed to the ground. My injured body is bleeding everywhere and my body is in a lot of pain. As I try to get up but the giant man kicks me, sending me flying towards Laura. She looks in my direction, finally calming down slightly, showing a bit of worry for me, but still has the angry expression aimed at the man. ¡°Great, now I can heal Laura.¡± Weakly, before the giant man can run toward me, I shout a spell. ¡°Light heal!¡± The light surrounds her, all the broken bones in her body start healing, and open wounds begin to close. The blood fades away, and her energy starts returning. ¡°N-no Tanner you idiot!¡± The big man starts smiling. ¡°Oh, so you can heal people. And a very good one at that. But it looks like you should have healed yourself first!¡± He runs towards me and Laura get up and runs towards me but is not fast enough to protect me. The scar-faced man thrusts with the small blade on his axe into my chest. He lifts me up with his weapon like an animal that was just speared, and throws me across the forest. I hit a tree and feel the blood leave my body. I start feeling cold, and the life in my eyes begins to fade. I hear Laura calling my name, concerned for me, but I have too many serious injuries to answer. My eyes close as everything grows colder. ¡°Tanner!¡± Back to Addam and Zak: Zak sprints toward the hooded figure, moving faster than before thanks to Addam¡¯s magic. He aims right at the hooded figure¡¯s head, but the hooded figure blocks the attack with ease and counters, aiming for Zak¡¯s side. Zak blocks it just in time. Quickly, Zak swings his sword toward the masked man¡¯s head, seeing an opening. But the hooded figure blocks it with their hands, moving faster than before. The hooded figure is impressed with Zak¡¯s movements, taking an interest in their opponent. ¡°Tell me, are your names Zak and Addam?¡± Zak and Addam stand still, dumbfounded. Addam speaks up, still in shock. ¡°Yes, how did you know our names?¡± The hooded figure frowns sadly, as if almost in pain. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I came here to fulfill my goal.¡± Zak, determined, speaks up. ¡°And that is?¡± The hooded figure still has a sad expression. ¡°You would never understand.¡± Zak gives a confused look, clearly not understanding his opponent. ¡°Try me. What is it that this village has that¡¯s so important?¡± The hooded figure then stands still, not moving. ¡°Lives that shouldn¡¯t be allowed to live anymore.¡± The hooded figure runs toward Zak, swinging his sword at his shoulder. Zak does the same, and their weapons clash with sparks flying as they start their combat, trying to land a blow. Each attack is either parried or dodged, making for a pretty even match. Addam tries to focus on aiming his next spell but hesitates. ¡°They¡¯re moving too much! I can¡¯t get a clear shot for an offensive spell!¡± The hooded figure then produces a magic spell, summoning a giant ball of light aimed directly at one of the houses. Addam jumps in front of the house and shouts his own spell. ¡°Light Shield!¡± Addam¡¯s Grimoire starts glowing, and a giant shield of light forms in front of him, protecting the house from any potential danger. Zak is slowly starting to lose his endurance. He swings and attacks the hooded figure¡¯s head, but it¡¯s blocked. Quickly, he jumps away to gain some distance. Zak is panting heavily, showing how fast he¡¯s been moving. ¡°Alright then, I guess I need to show Addam why I¡¯m a teacher.¡± Zak yells with all his might, surrounded by a blue and red aura. Zak sprints towards the hooded figure and without Addam¡¯s spell he is moving faster, hitting harder. His speed and strength are far beyond what they were during his teachings back at school. Zak swings his sword at the figure¡¯s waist. The attack is blocked, and the hooded figure swings at Zak¡¯s neck. Just as quickly, Zak blocks the attack with incredible reflexes. The fight continues back and forth, neither one landing a decisive blow. Addam stands still, in awe of his teacher¡¯s strength. ¡°I need to find a way to be helpful. I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing while Zak does all the fighting.¡± Addam starts charging up a magic spell. And just then, a giant ball of light shoots from his hands, and his Grimoire starts glowing brightly. Addam¡¯s eyes widen as it looks like the magic attack will finally hit its target. But sadly, the magic attack changes direction and hits Zak. Zak is sent flying across the village, hitting the ground multiple times. ¡°Zak, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Zak, in pain, grunts as he speaks. ¡°Focus on protecting the villagers! Understand!¡± Zak is panting heavily. Addam can tell his endurance, combined with the magic attack, is starting to take its toll. Zak, despite being exhausted, continues to fight at the same speed and strength, showing his incredible resilience. Zak jumps high into the air and swings his sword at the hooded man¡¯s side, but it¡¯s easily blocked by the hooded figure. Looking closely, the hooded figure seems to not even be breaking a sweat. He¡¯s breathing normally, calmly, as though he isn¡¯t even trying. Zak doesn¡¯t stop, maintaining the impressive speed of his attacks, but the hooded figure easily dodges each one. The hooded figure swings his sword, aiming for Zak¡¯s head. Luckily, Zak blocks the attack, but the hooded figure then releases a flurry of monstrously powerful and swift attacks. While Zak is able to parry them, it¡¯s not enough to block everything, and he still gets hit, suffering cuts and bruises before being thrown back to the ground. Zak is bleeding and bruised, doing everything he can to get up, but his injuries are too severe. ¡°There has to be something I can do to help. I¡¯m just slowing him down. I need to think of something¡ªsome way to control my magic. Some way to be useful! How can I turn myself into a weapon?¡± It¡¯s only after thinking these words that Addam gets an idea for controlling his magic. ¡°A weapon?¡± Addam looks down at his Grimoire, remembering how many mages like himself had weapons aside from just a book. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve had my magic all wrong. I¡¯m not a mage who can just use spells as attacks like other mages. I¡¯ll fight like Laura and Tanner. I¡¯ll fight like my teacher¡ªfight with honor, like a knight!¡± Just then, Addam¡¯s Grimoire starts glowing, ascending high into the air. A sword of glowing light drops down to the ground. Zak continues to try to stand up, turning toward Addam in complete shock at what he¡¯s witnessing. The hooded figure flies straight toward Zak to finish him off. But before anything happens to Zak, Addam gets into a fighting stance and swings his sword at the hooded figure from a distance. To the hooded figure¡¯s shock, a slash in the shape of light quickly flies toward him. It hits the hooded figure directly. ¡°Yeah, eat that, you hooded bozo!¡± The smoke clears, and the hooded figure is still floating in the air as if nothing happened. ¡°Oh, come on! Not even a scratch?!¡± The hooded figure begins to run at Addam as fast as possible. ¡°Oh crap!¡± Addam swings his sword, trying to protect himself, and luckily blocks the attack, but the hooded figure relentlessly swings his sword, attacking Addam swiftly. It takes everything Addam has to block some of the attacks, but he still receives multiple cuts on his body because of his lack of experience with a sword. Zak still tries to get up but is still unable to. He finds a healing potion and opens it, but just before he can drink it, the hooded figure shoots a small magic attack at the potion, destroying it. The hooded figure looks at Addam and Zak. ¡°Let me show you just how futile it is to fight against me.¡± The hooded figure moves so fast that no one can keep up. He slashes Addam across the shoulder, legs, and arms, then kicks him across the village. Both Zak and Addam are bloodied on the ground, struggling to move. Back to Laura and Tanner: ¡°Am I dead? No, clearly not. I can still hear Laura calling my name. I¡¯m so cold, it¡¯s so dark, and I can¡¯t move. I need to get up. Get up. Fight. Why am I fighting? Oh, that¡¯s right. That strong man with an axe is threatening my home.¡± I see a small ball of light. It feels warm, comforting, and powerful. I walk over to it. ¡°I want strength, power, enough to protect others and keep them safe.¡± The ball of light slowly starts moving into my body. I feel an unwavering amount of power from it. ¡°Get up. It¡¯s time to get up.¡± I realize what is at stake¡ªmy friends, my family, my home. I can¡¯t let it be destroyed. ¡°I refuse to let some random bandits destroy my home and harm my friends. I am a knight and my duty is to protect people!¡± I start to get up and see my wounds healing. No, not healing¡ªI¡¯m¡­ regenerating?! All of my injuries are fixing themselves, but my mana begins to lower. ¡°So, I can regenerate as long as I have mana.¡± I see the giant man start walking toward Laura. ¡°It looks like your little friend is dead... Oh now I remember you. You¡¯re the little girl crying that your dad was too weak to kill me.¡± Laura then starts yelling angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll make sure your death is so painful you will beg for mercy!¡± Quickly, I run up to the man and block his attack from hitting Laura. The giant man looks at me, smiling with a creepy, excited grin on his face. ¡°Oh, you actually lived; and here I thought you were dead. This is going to be fun.¡± The man swings his axe downward toward Laura, but I quickly push her out of the way and move myself to avoid the attack. I then find a spot to hide for both of us behind a few bushes. Laura¡¯s expression exudes anger. Her fierce look almost intimidates me, but I grab her hand before she can give away our hiding spot. ¡°What the- Tanner your alive?! Let go of me Tanner, I have to kill him!¡± This really hurts me. I don¡¯t like seeing someone I respect like this, carrying so much pain. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Laura look, I want to beat him just like you do. I have an idea, can you work with me?¡± Laura still looks angry, but her expression slowly softens into a more calming one. ¡°Okay fine... what is your plan?¡± The giant man swings his axe, trying to find us, destroying bushes and deeply cutting into the trunks of trees. ¡°Come on! This is boring I was having fun. Come on show yourself! Fight like the stupid honorable knights you are!¡± I start whispering since he''s getting closer to us. ¡°Laura, can you use any other magic spells aside from tempest?¡± Laura looks offended. I can tell that if I¡¯m not careful with my words, she might not follow the plan. ¡°I can¡¯t control any other wind magic spells. It¡¯s hard for me to control and learn new magic spells.¡± I look at her, still hopeful about my plan. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to control it. If anything, I need you to let loose. Make it as powerful as possible, don''t worry at all about control.¡± Laura looks at me, confused. ¡°What?¡± I grip the sword on my back, ready to fight. ¡°Listen, Laura, there¡¯s a cliff nearby. I need your help luring him to the edge, and when I¡¯m there, I want you to stay a good distance behind us and use your wind magic. The debris and wind might be enough to knock him off the cliff.¡± ¡°Tanner, are you positive that this is going to work?¡± I look at her, beads of sweat falling down my forehead. "Honestly, no. But if that doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯ll both die here. I refuse to die in my hometown when there are people here I care about. If you have a better idea, please tell me." Laura looks up with a still angry, but determined, expression. ¡°I have nothing¡­ fine, I¡¯ll go along with your plan.¡± The man with the axe sees us and gives the creepiest look I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. ¡°Found you.¡± He swings his axe downward, and both Laura and I quickly jump to opposite sides, dodging his powerful swing. I run and jump till I am eye level with him and swing my sword at his head. But he blocks the attack with ease. ¡°What a puny attack! Let me show you a strong swing!¡± I run to the side, and as he swings his axe downward, just barely avoiding the swing. The ground beneath me shakes, and dust, dirt, and grass fly into the air, creating a smoke screen. The force of the attack sends me flying backward. Laura then jumps and swings her sword right towards his side. But the man blocks the attack, I use this time and the smoke of the dust to swing at his back when he isn¡¯t looking. ¡°Your opponent is me, you bastard!¡± The giant man gives a creepy, cocky smile. It doesn¡¯t even look like I¡¯ve hit him. ¡°Fine, let''s see how long your regeneration ability lasts!¡± Instead of attacking I jump back to create distance from him. But he runs straight towards me and swings his giant axe to the side of my head. I block the attack, but it sends me flying. The force of the attack was so strong that the swing cut the tree that I was just behind knocking it to the ground. I continue to fight him, getting beaten in both strength and speed. I¡¯m not even trying to fight him at this point; I¡¯m just trying to maintain distance and survive. As I continue to distract him, I make it to the cliffside. I look back at the forest and see Laura still charging up a powerful magic spell. The man with the axe starts walking menacingly in my direction, not paying attention to Laura at all. ¡°Come on Laura, hurry!¡± He starts raising his axe, getting ready to swing it downward toward me. ¡°This was amusing but not enough for me to keep you alive. Goodbye Tanner!¡± He swings his axe downward with incredible speed and strength. I jump to the side, barely avoiding the attack, and the force sends me flying. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t think with your brain because we just won against you!¡± I stab my sword into the ground, making it as deep and sturdy as I can. ¡°Laura, do it now!¡± Laura doesn¡¯t hesitate and releases her powerful stored up magic spell. ¡°Hurricane!¡± The spell causes the trees and bushes that were cut down earlier in the fight to be sent flying toward the cliff. They hit the man, sending him falling downward toward the bottom of the cliff while I grip my sword as tightly as I can. Laura is filled with many emotions, almost as if she¡¯s struggling between them. "Laura, we need to go now! Addam and Zak are fighting on their own! We can''t win against them unless we work together. The other guy may be down now, but I''m certain he isn''t dead. But if we don''t leave now, Addam and Zak might die." Laura looks conflicted for a few moments, but then anger completely consumes her, just like the fight with the giant man. ¡°You''re telling me I should just leave while the man that killed my father is right here unconscious!? Unable to move!? Screw this. I want to make sure he has the worst pain he ever experienced!¡± She starts sprinting toward the cliff, but just before Laura even gets far down, I grab her hand and stop her from moving, leaving Laura with a shocked expression. ¡°Let go of me Tanner! This man deserves to die for everything he has done!¡± I struggle to hold her back; it¡¯s taking all my strength just to keep a grip on her hand. "We are knights, Laura. We can''t go around killing others, no matter how messed up it is. Knights are supposed to be a symbol of honor and protection. If your father were here right now, do you think he would want to kill another person out of anger? He would want to make sure that what happened to you doesn¡¯t happen to others. Please... please fight the urge to kill him and help me protect my home!" Laura stands still, petrified, almost like a statue. She struggles and stutters through her words. ¡°Okay... lets go.¡± Both of us run back to Addam and Zak as fast as we can. When we get there, we see Addam and Zak on the ground, bleeding. I shout the healing spell to help heal Zak and Addam. ¡°Light heal!¡± Addam and Zak both look up, sighing in relief that we finally came back. Zak is the first to speak. "Good to see you two are finally back. How about giving us a hand?" The hooded figure then speaks, drawing our attention to him. "All the pieces are almost in place. Finally, it''s time to kill the real enemy." The hooded figure then sprints into my house. I¡¯ve never felt more fear in my life than what I¡¯m about to witness. The hooded figure grabs my father and brings him high into the air. ¡°Dad no!¡± My little brother calls out after him as well. ¡°Dad!¡± Hooded figure and Dante: Dante isn¡¯t scared; rather, he remains eerily calm. He grunts from the uncomfortable feeling of being held by his shirt, hundreds of feet off the ground. "I was wondering if someone like you would show up. You''re the one who unleashed the monsters into the kingdom, right?" The hooded figure has a frown on his face. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s sad Dante knows about his plan, but rather that he¡¯s upset about what he needs to do. "Yes, you''re correct. I did it for a reason¡ªreasons you would never understand." "With age comes wisdom, I''ve lived longer than you. Tell me, who are you? I should at least know the person who''s going to kill me." The hooded figure pulls down his hood. "I see, it all makes sense. If there is no other way then I will accept this." The hooded figure speaks, frowning. "This isn¡¯t going to be easy for me either. I¡¯m sorry." The hooded figure then flies down fast and slams Dante to the ground. Dante starts grunting in pain. Back to Tanner: ¡°Dad!¡± I sprint toward my father, running faster than I ever have before. ¡°Tanner, stay back!¡± I don''t listen and keep running toward him. ¡°Tanner, take care of Noah.¡± The hooded figure then releases a blinding light, as if he¡¯s exploding. The hooded figure stares at my father. ¡°Goodbye.¡± A giant explosion of light bursts forth, blinding all of us. When the light appears, we are surrounded by a black force field that protects me, Laura, Addam, Zak, Noah, and Ms. Bridget. The force field disappears, and to my complete and utter horror, I see that my entire village is destroyed. A giant crater, the size of the village, surrounds me. So many emotions flood through me. I couldn¡¯t protect my father; I failed to protect my home. I scream and cry from the result of my effort. 2 hours later: We stay at the village so Zak can make a report about what happened to the king. Laura, Addam, and I all wear depressed expressions, knowing what we must live with now, and how much our failures have cost everyone their lives. We failed our mission in the worst way possible and innocent people paid the price. "Noah, I''m sorry I wasn''t strong enough to protect everyone." It¡¯s hard hearing my brother cry. All of his friends, everyone he knew, is dead because of my failure. Noah, my little brother, who is only 10 years old, now has to live with the fact that everyone he knows is gone. Noah continues to cry in my arms. I can¡¯t hold back my tears either and cry with him. Laura: Laura is at the edge of the forest, hiding behind a tree. Her eyes are red and swollen, a result of how much it feels like she caused the failure of the mission. Tanner¡¯s words echo in her mind countless times. "We are knights, Laura. We can''t go around killing others, no matter how messed up it is. Knights are supposed to be a symbol of help and protection. If your father were here right now, do you think he would want to kill another person out of anger? He would want to make sure that what happened to you doesn''t happen to others.Please... please fight the urge to kill him and help me protect my home!" Tears start to form on Laura''s face as she deals with so many conflicting emotions about her father, what Tanner said, and her actions during the mission. "I was so sure that I knew what being a knight meant. I lived and trained like a knight my entire life. But now... I don¡¯t even know what it means to be a knight anymore. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. And because of me, Tanner¡¯s..." Laura continues to cry harder, uncontrollably. Addam: Addam thinks back to the fight he had against the hooded figure. He feels how useless he was, how useless he still feels. The fact that it¡¯s too late for him to do anything meaningful eats at him, and how he made everything worse instead of better. Out of anger at himself, he punches a tree hard, cursing himself. "Damn it. Why do I have to be so useless?! I made a promise to Tanner, to Laura, that we would succeed in protecting his village. Screw this stupid body! Screw this stupid Mana! Why¡­ Why did I have to be born with this?" Zak: "Damn it. These kids shouldn¡¯t have to live with something like this. Seeing a mission fail never gets any easier. I hope these kids are going to be okay. They should know it wasn¡¯t their fault; it''s rare for a mission like this to receive false information. I hope this is something they can recover from. If they want to be strong knights, as cruel as it sounds, all three of them need to overcome this. For now, they can cry, but they need to learn to get up and learn from this." Tanner: I hold Noah¡¯s hand as I walk him to the outer side of the village. I see Addam and Laura looking down at the ground ashamed. ¡°Guys, can we talk?¡± This causes Addam and Laura to wince, scared of what I might say. "Noah, can you go to Miss Bridget and stay with her for a bit? I need to talk with them." Noah listens and walks to Ms. Bridget, while I turn my attention to Laura and Addam. Their eyes are squeezed shut, and I can tell they¡¯re both barely holding back tears. "Help me get stronger, not just physically, but mentally as well. I need to be able to stand on my own and face whatever comes next." Addam and Laura look at me in surprise. Laura speaks up, and I can tell she¡¯s holding back tears. "You''re not angry at me for... almost ignoring your village?" Addam speaks up as well. "Your village is destroyed, and you''re not angry with us?" I look at them with a determined expression, my red eyes from crying so much clearly showing to them. "My father would be pissed off if I sat and cried for the rest of my life. He wanted me to become a knight who protected people. It wasn¡¯t any of your faults that my village is gone; it¡¯s the fault of that hooded man and the axe-wielder. So help me fight against them. Help me get stronger so that what happened to me doesn¡¯t happen to anyone else." Laura and Addam look at each other, then back at me. Addam is the one who speaks up. "We will help you get stronger, but just know this: it isn¡¯t you or Laura who¡¯s going to be the King of Knights. It''s going to be me." Laura speaks up as well. "Excuse me, you''re looking at the best knight in the academy. If anyone is becoming the King of Knights, it¡¯s going to be me." I speak up, smiling, but can still see the sadness in my eyes, showing that I¡¯m going to be strong and move past this. "I''ve wanted to be a knight more than anything else. It will be me who becomes the King of Knights." ¡°Addam, Laura¡­ let''s get stronger together.¡± Addam and Laura look at me, wiping their tears as well, speaking at the same time. ¡°Right stronger together.¡± A few days before the attack on Tanners Village: It is damp, dark, and cold. The rain hits the ground heavily, the sound of thunder loud and frightening, but not as frightening as what the young boy feels at this moment. The loud sounds of car engines, breaking branches, and the shouting of men and women intimidate anyone in this man''s situation. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away!¡± ¡°There he is! I see him!¡± "For the glory of the Shield Kingdom, don''t let him get away!" A young man looks pale and sickly. Scratches and scrapes cover his body, and it looks like he hasn''t slept or eaten in days. The Sword Kingdom is in the distance as he does everything he can to reach it and alert them of the oncoming threat. He starts panting heavily, with only the rain cooling down his body. The only thing keeping him going is the message he needs to deliver to the Sword Kingdom. ¡°We need to catch him before he gets to enemy territory!¡±