Max's POV:
"Why are you here?"
Kamian's voice carried a wary edge, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
His expression was off-putting to anyone who saw it. It seed clear that he really hated .
I figured it would be like that since it was sothing I already knew.
"Why? On the contrary, I want to ask you sothing. I'm a person who climbs this mountain almost every day."
It was true.
This was a place I commuted to and from every day to learn archery from Hiresia. But he won't believe that.
It honestly didn't make sense that I, known as a problem child, would climb a mountain every day instead of going to the entertainnt district.
"Speak with sense."
Kamian's frown deepened. My words probably sounded like mockery.
Whatever.
That was how I felt, but I couldn't end the conversation here. It wasn't ti yet.
I took out Marcus Bow as if it were nothing. To others, it might just look like a shabby bone bow.
But it was undoubtedly a weapon.
"Eek."
Annette took a few steps back with a frightened groan. Even though he was the protagonist's strong supporter and childhood friend, he was still just a first-year student with little practical experience.
The main character, Kamian, was also still immature. He seed to be standing firm and glaring at , but I could feel the tension behind his expression.
…Hey, hey. They shouldn't be so nervous around soone like Max. Even though he's a first-year student, you're still the main character.
"Was that your goal after all?"
Kamian's speech had beco shorter. I understood. If there was a misunderstanding, it was possible.
"What is the purpose?"
I shrugged my shoulders, took out an arrow, and aid it at the target.
"Se-Senior. What are you doing? You can't do that!"
Annette tried to stop urgently.
"Co at as much as you want!"
Sling—!
Kamian drew his sword and entered a fighting stance.
I ignored them and turned the bowstring to the side.
And then.
The bowstring was laid down.
Wedge!
An arrow flew through the air.
The arrow soon hit sowhere.
Phew!
"Agghhhh!"
The scream of a little boar.
Everyone's eyes turned towards it.
Why ?
Because it was amazing.
I never expected it to hit the target.
I just shot it where I felt a presence, but it was an unexpected result.
Then, can I show off a little?
"I'm really into hunting these days. Do you understand now?"
I straightened my back and spoke arrogantly. Anyone who saw this confident attitude would think I was a master hunter.
What do you think?
This was when I had to show off a little.
"…"
"…"
Kamian and Annette.
They looked surprised and dumbfounded.
Their surprise was probably due to my unexpected archery skills, and their dumbfoundedness seed to stem from realizing they had completely misunderstood the situation.
"What's wrong? Can you catch one for too?"
I said with a chuckle.
"… No need."
Kamian returned to his original speech.
They seed to let their guard down a little, now that they knew I wasn't secretly waiting to harm them.
"Okay then."
I put away my bow.
Then I took out my pocket watch, checked the ti, and put it back. It was almost ti now.
"Let's go."
Kamian said to Annette.
Annette blinked and gave a cautious look as if to say, 'Is that okay?'
Since it was a cave used secretly, the owner probably asked us to avoid attracting attention from others.
But Kamian spoke again calmly.
"Let's go."
Rather, he seed to think that he could avoid suspicion by acting confidently and without hesitation.
Not a bad decision.
But it didn't matter.
Anyway, I had other things to do.
"Huh."
Annette eventually followed Kamian's steps.
I just looked at them as if nothing happened.
How many steps did I take?
Kwaaaaang!
Suddenly, the ground began to cave in with a loud noise.
"Huh?!"
"Gyaaaah!"
Before they could react, Kamian and Annette were caught up in it.
I struggled to climb up by holding onto the trees nearby, but the trees had already collapsed along with their roots and were no longer supporting .
"Oh, no!"
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
Eventually, they disappeared completely, screaming and vanishing from sight.
Almost at the sa ti, a ssage appeared before my eyes.
[A hidden quest has occurred.]
[—You have discovered that the dungeon of Mount Harkin, forgotten over ti, has been resurfaced by an earthquake. This dungeon was created by monsters drawn to the energy of the artifacts left behind by the ancients. Those monsters still roam the dungeon, thirsting for blood and flesh. Of course, the artifacts left behind by the ancients are still there.
Will you risk your life and dive into the dungeon to get the artifact, or will you prioritize safety and just leave? It's your choice.]
"Isn't that obvious?"
I chuckled and leapt into the dungeon without hesitation.
* * *
"Ugh."
Kamian raised his aching body.
He had desperately tried to throw himself down before he hit the ground, but he couldn't completely cushion the impact, causing his bones and muscles to scream in pain.
The only good thing was that it wasn't high enough for a fall to kill instantly.
But…
"Annette!"
He looked around with anxious eyes, worried about the safety of his friend who was with him.
"… Over here."
Kamian felt a weak wave of energy from the other side and ran towards it without hesitation. He found Annette buried under a pile of fallen dirt and trees. Kamian quickly pulled her out.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think I'm okay."
It was a weak but normal voice, which was fortunate. It seed that the piles of dirt and trees had acted as cushions to absorb the shock, allowing her to escape without any major problems.
"By the way, where is this…?"
Annette looked around with a confused expression.
"I don't know. One thing is for sure—it's underground." Kamian answered, looking up at the empty space above them.
"Did an earthquake suddenly occur?"
"Maybe not."
If it wasn't an earthquake, there would be no reason for the ground to collapse so suddenly.
"I have to go back…" Annette said, looking up with worried eyes.
Kamian looked thoughtful for a mont, then spoke.
"It seems impossible to go up."
The surface seed so far away. No matter how he looked at it, climbing up without any tools was impossible.
"Well, then…" Annette's eyes shook uneasily. Kamian, sensing her fear, tried to stay calm.
"Don't worry too much. That human must have seen us fall. If he had the presence of mind, he would have called soone."
"Oh, right. That senior was there, right?"
Annette's expression brightened slightly as she rembered Max's presence.
Although he was a senior she was reluctant to et, he was the most reliable person they could think of at the mont.
"Then if we wait here…"
"Hey, are you okay?"
Annette's words were interrupted by a voice from behind them. Not only did it cut off her words, but it also cut off the small spark of hope they had.
Now what are they going to do?
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