章節 6: Chapter 6 – Classroom: History of Knights
The morning sunlight streamed through tall windows of the academy's lecture hall. Rows of wooden desks creaked under restless students as Instructor Harla adjusted her glasses and tapped a chalkboard with her pointer.
"Today," she declared, "we begin your theoretical foundation: the History of Knights."
A groan swept across the room.
"Quiet." Her glare froze them instantly. "If you think swordplay alone makes a knight, you're already failures. A knight without history is a sword without a sheath—dangerous, wild, and doomed to break."
Toma sat in the middle row, still sore from the push-ups. His classmates eyed him, whispering "Tomato" under their breath. He clenched his jaw, but kept quiet.
Inside, however, the System was very loud.
"Ooooh, history lesson! Bet they're gonna talk about how knights were basically just armored tomatoes in the past—ripe for battle!"
"Please. Not now," Toma hissed under his breath.
"No, really. Imagine: The Great Salad Wars of Old, where Lord Tomato the First led his ketchup crusaders—"
"Shut up."
Harla's pointer smacked the chalkboard. "Toma. Talking in class?"
Dozens of eyes turned.
He shot up. "N-No, Instructor!"
"LIES," the System giggled.
---
Harla began her lecture, chalk scratching across the board as she wrote out five sigils.
"Long before our academy existed, the world was divided among five knightly orders. Each bound themselves to ideals, elements, and destinies. These became the seeds of the job paths you all aspire to."
She drew symbols for each:
Ironfang Order – Might, loyalty, and the sword. (Swordsman → Knight → Lord Knight)
Runeblade Order – Magic-wielding warriors. (Mage-Knight → Rune Knight)
Dragonspire Order – Riders and slayers of dragons. (Dragon Knight path)
Shadowfang Order – Cunning assassins who still bore knightly crests. (Scout → Nightblade → Shadow Knight)
Verdant Order – Guardians of nature, healers, and paladins. (Priest-Knight → Paladin → Crusader)
"These orders shaped cities, cultures, and wars," Harla said. "Though many fell, their traditions live on. Which path you take will define you."
Students leaned forward, their eyes shining with ambition. Some whispered excitedly about the orders they'd join.
Toma's stomach sank. Each city only trained one path. He wanted all of them.
"See? You're doomed," the System sang. "They're all picking one flavor, but you… You're the whole fruit basket. Honestly, greedy."
"…Greedy, or genius?" Toma whispered.
"Pfft. Both."
---
Harla turned to the class. "Who can tell me which order defended the Northern Plains during the Siege of Ashfall?"
Selira's hand shot up. "The Dragonspire Order!"
"Correct. And what was their symbol?"
"A crimson dragon, wings unfurled."
Harla nodded. "Good. Toma next."
Toma froze.
She narrowed her eyes. "Which order created the Rune Seals still carved into our academy walls?"
Whispers began immediately. "He won't know.""Tomato's brain's probably just seeds.""Bet he says ketchup."
Toma's fists clenched. Sweat prickled at his temples.
"Psst. Partner. Want me to help? I've got the answer right here."
"…You do?"
"Of course! I'm a genius system, remember? Now, repeat after me: 'The Salad Order.'"
Toma's eyes widened. "That's not real."
"Trust me. 100% correct. Very historical. Salad knights, wielders of the fork."
Toma groaned. "No—"
Harla tapped the board impatiently. "Toma. Answer."
He took a shaky breath. "…The Runeblade Order?"
Silence.
Harla blinked. "Correct."
Gasps erupted.
"Wait, Tomato got it right?!""No way!""He must've cheated!"
Toma sat taller, a small smile tugging his lips.
The System pouted. "…You didn't use my answer. Boo."
"Because your answer was stupid!"
"Stupid? I gave you a chance to be legendary: Tomato of the Salad Knights. Think about it—your enemies would die laughing before you even swung."
Toma slammed his forehead on the desk.
---
The lecture rolled on. Harla spoke of the rise and fall of knightly orders, of betrayals and legends, of heroes whose names were etched into history.
But Toma barely heard the words. His mind burned with the idea of the job paths, the cities, the orders.
Every student here would be locked into one path. But he… he had the System. He could go further, deeper, higher than any of them.
He clenched his chair leg under the desk.
"I'll do it," he whispered.
"Do what?" Selira asked from the next desk, raising an eyebrow.
"N-Nothing."
"He means: eat salad every day," the System snickered.
Selira blinked. "…What?"
Toma groaned.
Closing Scene: The Oath
When class ended, Toma lingered behind, staring at the chalkboard. The five sigils glowed faintly in the evening sun.
The Ironfang's blade.The Runeblade's rune.The Dragonspire's wings.The Shadowfang's dagger.The Verdant's shield.
Most would choose one. But he would walk them all.
The System hummed. "You're biting off more than you can chew, Tomato."
Toma smiled faintly. "Then I'll chew until my teeth break."
"…Horny."
"…What?"
"Sorry, sorry. Wrong mood. Carry on."
Toma shook his head, chuckling despite himself. For all its trolling, the System gave him courage.
As the sun set, he made his silent vow:He would not be Tomato the mocked. He would be Toma the Knight of All Paths.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票