Young master, Jonathan Bougainvillea

 "Even the great eagle must first overcome its fears and the prospect of death, for it to learn to fly and be the hunter that all will fear."

- William Nasburg-Evanspierre

King of Ildria, United Kingdoms of Erica

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"It's been a while since I had the time to get back here during winter vacation."

"Indeed, Young master… I believe everyone would love to see you back in the manor."

At the quiet countryside in the east of the Ostadonian Empire's Serafina region, very far away from the Imperial Capital, the Bougainvillea baronetcy was within the sight of the young man riding a cheap rental carriage towards the territory's manor.

The Bougainvillea clan is the master of this relatively large expanse of land despite them being a measly Baronet, however, most of this land are forests filled with magic beasts and of its habitable land, there are only three grain and cattle farming villages. With the lack of productive work, it wouldn't be a lie to say that the Bougainvilleas live their life only a few conveniences away from the villagers that serve them.

"Welcome back, Jonathan-sama!" greeted a farmer who came across the slow-moving carriage.

"Thank you for welcoming me back. Take care of your farms, alright?"

"We will, young master!"

Thankfully for them, they are blessed with a firm and cordial relationship with their people. Unlike the other commoners who live under the mercy of whatever mood swing the nobles that they serve under has at the time, the people under the Bougainvillea family treats them more like friends and family rather than underlings.

However, their bounty in camaraderie with their citizens are a total opposite in their noble standing. For no matter how hard they try to improve their agricultural methods and techniques, at the end of every crop and harvest cycle, the same amount of harvest remains, and the same profit is gained which is just barely enough to make ends meet.

"""Welcome back, Young Master Jonathan."""

"Mm. Thank you for welcoming me back. You can return to your work now."

"""We thank you greatly."""

"…"

Even Jonathan notices these things… things that to him, are both painful and disturbing. After the servants who greeted him dispersed back to their tasks and they entered the mansion, he asked his maid about the three servants that are missing from the dozen.

"Martha, the three maids of mother are…"

"Lady Selena was bothered about the fact that the three maids who has families to feed are still working here despite the small wages… She talked with Duchess Natasha of the Natasha Dukedom who accepted the three. I can still remember how they all cried while being embraced by the madame before they left."

"I see… They've served mother even before she married into the family. It wouldn't be easy for people whom she has treated like the closest of friends to say goodbye to her."

"Well, it's the charm most loved by everyone about the madame. We are all thankful that Lord Joseph married such a wonderful lady like her."

"True… if it was someone else, I'm pretty sure that our family that has sunk so low would get lower than what we are today."

"Young master…"

There was a hint of sadness and frustration in Jonathan's tone. His hands balled into fists and for his personal maid who has known him since both of them are children, she knew what his unspoken feelings are.

"In any case, I should head in and make my courtesy call to father and mother. Martha, place my belongings in my room and you are dismissed until supper time."

"Very well, sir. I shall take my leave now."

As Martha took his suitcase and went to the kitchen to ask about how she can help out, Jonathan walked towards the staircase and saw a hem of a skirt peeking out from behind the pillar.

"Syrene, I can see you, you know?"

"Ehh? I was trying to surprise you!"

It was none other than Syrene Bougainvillea, his four-year-old little sister who has a mischievous personality that can either be a source of annoyance or cuteness.

"You did surprise me that you are here to mess around instead of reading your books. Have you finished the one that I brought last time?"

"Ah! Ehehehe… I'm happy that Jo-nii is back!"

"Don't flatter me just to avoid my question. Tell me, have you finished the book?"

"Muu! I thought it may work! Sorry, I haven't read it yet…"

Although disappointed that she hasn't read it yet, Jonathan was at least happy that she was honest and decided to not scold her about it.

"Alright, alright… Let's read it together later after I meet mom and dad. It's a promise."

"Mm! I'll unwrap it so we can read it later!"

"Hold on, you haven't opened it yet?"

After leaving Syrene to play with her dolls, Jonathan went to the bedroom of his parents and in front of the door, knocked thrice and spoke his name.

"Jonathan Hakuryuu H. Bougainvillea! Requesting permission to enter."

After a moment, the door opened and behind it, he saw his mother who let him in and closed the door before wrapping her arms around her son.

"Mom…"

"I'm glad… I'm very happy to see that you came back, Jonathan…"

"…Me too. I'm glad you're alright, mother."

This is Selena Kosaki H. Bougainvillea, the madame of the Bougainvillea family and the siblings' mother. Even though only in her mid-thirties, the natural beauty of Selena makes her look young that oftentimes, she is mistaken as a heiress rather than the madame of the noble house. However, even that beauty has become mired with traces of stress and tiredness that caught Jonathan's eye quickly.

"Father… is he…"

"…Your father has been suffering for a while. We've consulted any doctor that we can afford, but they all said that this "mana tumor" is beyond their abilities, and we should bring him to Marin where the regional specialist hospital is located."

Since his father is sleeping on the bed, the mother and son sat down at the bedroom's table and had simple biscuits and tea in front of them served by a maid who left the room immediately afterwards.

"The regional capital of the Marquisdom… it's only a week away by carriage, why not do it?"

"Haah… Money is the problem. Even though we can use our noble rank to request Marquis Taiga's help with paying the consultation and treatment bills, we can't possibly pay it back and still feed ourselves and our servants later on."

"I see…"

"And there's the fact that the Demesne association currently led by Earl Penne is antagonistic against us. During the past harvest, they demanded more wheat and cattle from us and even though we managed to reach the quota, they still marked us as barely able to fulfill our responsibilities and sent it to the imperial magistrate office who warned us yet again that we're failing on our taxes."

"Those snakes and their darned tricks…"

"…Joshua said the same thing after he received a letter from Marquis Taiga, warning us that we have to do better in order to remain as nobles."

"Ah! Speaking of brother, is he here now?"

Instead of answering him, Selena turned her face sidewards repeatedly in an act of disapproval. Seeing this, Jonathan seemed a bit disappointed but maintained his silence.

"Joshua has been taking care of the territory since your father fell ill. He hasn't been home for a while since he's keeping a strict eye on our farms to see how they are doing, but I've been receiving regular reports from him, and I send him updates about your father whenever he asks for it."

"I see… He really is taking this seriously."

"Indeed. After he rallied House Elliot's knights and our farmers who volunteered as soldiers to get rid of the magic beasts at the forest near Mt. Akira, he rented a magic orb-powered bulldozer and managed to finish the forest clearing project in the east where we are hoping to find richer soil. However, we have to wait for this year's last harvest cycle to see if it worked."

"It's only a week away… everything will be well."

"I pray that it will indeed be as such."

While the two solemnly wished for things to be well, a labored groan came from the bed hid from view by a folding divider screen.

"S-S-Selena… darling…"

"Ah! Joseph!"

From his bed, the ill master of the Bougainvillea family sat up laboriously and was about to fall back down when his wife caught him and supported him back up. Jonathan followed and helped his mother return him to his bed.

"Jo…nathan…"

"Father, I am here."

"I am happy… that… you are back…"

Pained grunts and a sharp intake of breath mingled with his words. These alone are enough for Jonathan to know that his father is suffering greatly.

"F-Father. If it would please you, these are my grades from the Imperial Academy. I have managed to score highly in the first semester of my year and have received commendations in my MagiTech and history subjects. My professors say that---"

"Don't ever think… that I would only be happy if you are doing well… my son."

"Father…" Hearing his reply made Jonathan look up to him with a hint of surprise.

"As I have told you and your siblings before… I will always be happy so long as you are happy… with what you are and how you are doing in your life. Don't ever think that… you have to do so much just to win my love."

"Thank you, father." Jonathan spoke as he took his father's hand and placed his forehead on the back of his hand, a gesture to show honor and love.

"Jonathan… I wish to tell you one thing before I rest again."

"Please, father. Do tell."

His father raised his hand and slowly placed it on Jonatha's shoulder before speaking to him.

"Don't give up your own hopes and dreams, my son… I know that you can do it. Remember, I will always be with you."

Later that night, Jonathan ended up having dinner with only Syrene and their handful of servants who stay in the mansion. His mother said that she also wanted to sit down and exchange stories with him, but she doesn't want to leave her husband's side if ever his illness flares up again.

"Looking at this table that was once full of cheer and laughter…"

"Hm? Is something wrong, Jo-nii?"

"…it reminds me of the better times."

Martha, who was sitting beside him while they ate, gave out a long sigh which he heard.

"I miss those days, Martha."

"I too, wish that even the simple meals that we once shared with your family with joy in our hearts would come back."

"Indeed…"

After taking a bath, Jonathan went to Syrene's bedroom where the girl read the book that he bought for her while he's brushing and drying her hair.

"Momotaro gave the dog a millet dump… dumple… dimple?"

"Dumpling." Jonathan corrected her after looking at the simplified Tenka script of the children's story book.

"Ah! Millet dumpling and the two became fwends."

"My, my… You're not improving at all, Syrene."

As his little sister continued to read, he heard something from the next room clatter around before a loud, pained voice rang throughout the air.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

"Is that father-?!"

Jonathan was about to open the door when he noticed that the doorknob was stiff and wouldn't turn. He realized that the key must be in the knob, locking the door from the outside.

"OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR!!!"

He shouted while hitting his fists on the door to have someone hear and take it out when he heard a familiar voice from the other side.

"I'm sorry, young master. The madame has forbidden you to come out."

"Martha? What on promethea are you talking about, Martha?! Open the door! Open it!!!"

"I'm sorry, young master… This is the order of Lady Selena." Even with his orders, Martha didn't budge and kept the door locked.

Gritting his teeth in frustration and the sense of powerlessness as he heard his father's pained screams and the clamor of his mother and their servants as they kept him down in order to make him take a painkiller pill, Jonathan sat on the floor while hanging his head.

"Don't be so sad, Jo-nii…"

"…"

"Daddy is in pain… but if this is what mommy tells us to do, it should be alright."

"…Thank you, Syrene." Thankful for his little sister's comforting, they embraced each other whilst letting out tears as they felt powerless about the entire thing.

After an hour, his father's screams stopped, and he heard the key on the doorknob being removed. Slowly, he opened the door and right outside of it was his maid Martha who bowed low to him immediately.

"I'm very sorry, young master… you can punish me if you wish-"

"No. You fulfilled your orders, Martha. I don't have the right to do that."

"B-But I-"

"…After I cooled my head, I understood that it was for the best that I didn't get out and became involved in it… It's alright."

"I understand… Shall we enter then?"

"No. Please tuck in Syrene to her bed and retreat for the night."

"As you wish, young master."

Jonathan entered the bedroom and while the other maids are busily cleaning after the mess, his mother was sitting beside the sleeping master of the house who has his clothes slightly disheveled by what just happened.

"How bad was it…?"

"…Worse than before. Now, he's puking blood."

"…Kh!" Jonathan can barely contain his anguish after hearing that reply and understanding that the bloodstains were something new.

"The last doctor said that he will last a month without any treatment… but at this point he may have less than that."

While he has already exhausted himself enough that he passed out even amidst the excruciating pain, his father's breathing is still ragged, and his face are dotted with sweat. He was clearly in extremely unbearable pain.

"I don't know what to do anymore…!"

"Mother!"

As if all the exhaustion and agony she has experienced finally caught on to her, Selena fell to down and was caught by her son who took her onto his shoulder.

"I can't… Hik-! I can't take the sight of him suffering so much like this…"

As no one remained there other than her and her son, Selena finally showed her true state. Even the resilient Selena ended up crying profusely with the state of her husband.

"I can't endure… Kh-! …seeing the only man that I love getting into this state."

Her tears fell down her face and to the wooden floor endlessly. She cried and cried as her son hid her face in an embrace and calmed her down.

"Joseph… Hik-! Please don't leave us yet… Kh-!"

Before long, she too has fainted after crying and Jonathan laid his mother beside his father. After he left the master's bedroom, one thing alone left his lips.

"I can't take this anymore… I have to do something to help."

Back in his bedroom, the gentle glow of a magic stone lamp absorbed Jonathan's frustrated thoughts and despair. He wanted to do something, but he knew that he could do nothing right now. His elder brother is handling their territory and his mother isn't letting him tend to his father in fear that this would only put undue stress on Joseph who didn't want to feel like he is a deadweight.

"Should I just accept the military officer offer?" he contemplated in his mind as he looked at the envelope sitting on his desk beside the lamp.

This was something that he received in the Academy before winter vacation started. Despite being just a first-year student in the Imperial Academy, Jonathan had higher than average martial skills and was offered the chance to undergo military officer training since even if he is just the second son of a Baronet, he is officially still a noble eligible for officer school.

"If I do it, I can bring results quickly and my first month's salary is enough for my family to go and have father treated in Marin…"

Becoming a military officer and being placed in a battle area is a way for many low-ranked nobles to gather merit and with a great enough achievement, receive a promotion in the noble ranking.

"I can do it. Whatever danger it may be, I can do it…"

Jonathan has trust on himself… and more so on his ability to fight and form strategies to attain victory. He knows that if an opportunity shows itself, he can grasp it and earn prestige that would alleviate the hardships of his family.

"But…"

However, he also knows enough about his parents' opinion on joining the war to know that he can never even go to the regional office of the Ministry of War without his parents ordering him to stay.

Family is very important to Ostadonians… and more so to the Bougainvilleas who has no one else left to lean on than each other.

"No… there is still another way around this." He muttered beneath his breath as he accepted the only other option he has left.

Although the age of simple cast iron swords and archaic sorcery requiring long chants are now being slowly replaced by various advancements in the new field of MagiTech, this world is still the same world where places that are overabundant in natural magic particles takes on strange forms and summons monsters inside of it. Because many castles were made atop these places in order to have an armed group watch over it and exploit it for battle training, it has long been called as "dungeons".

"I already have an Adventurer's license and I even have experience in the Academy's dungeon. There's no reason to not try it out."

So far, Jonathan has only been able to clear three with his classmates back in the Academy under an elective subject. He took it as further certification in his military eligibility records, but his main objective was the rewards and loot that he gets from slaying monsters and mining out mana stones.

Entering a dungeon is something that no one should ever take lightly… and even then, no matter how prepared one is, even a veteran fighter can end up dying if he ever makes a single mistake.

"But there's no other choice… If I want to help, I have to do this no matter the risks."

Jonathan knows this… and he knows that just like how it is for serving in the armed forces, his parents would also beg him to death to not go.

But he knew that unlike serving in the military where he can end up dying without earning even a simple pip of recognition because he is surrounded by like-minded people who also want to attain prestige, challenging a dungeon is already something that one can be praised for.

Pressured by the suffering of his father and his family, the young man decided that he cannot let things to stay like this.

The next day, Jonathan brought out his old and scraggly looking manabike from the garage and took out its old and spent electric magic stone to replace it with a new one that he bought from the Imperial capital. At the middle of it, he heard someone walking towards him and after they spoke, he realized who it was.

"Are you heading out today, Young master?" chimed the voice.

"Yes. It's been a while since I got back here. I want to stroll around the territory and see how things have changed."

"…Is that so?"

No matter how much he tries to hide his true objective about leaving the house in order to find a dungeon in the dense forest around Mt. Akira, Jonathan knew that Martha knew him and how he thinks more than anyone else in this world. After all, they are childhood friends.

"If you're really going to "sightsee", can I ask you to wait a moment before you leave, Young master? I want you to bring something with you while you're out there."

"U-Umm… okay." he meekly replied.

He doesn't know if she intends to inform his parents about this or she just wants him to think about this more before he really heads out, but after a few minutes, the door opened and on Martha's hands are jars of fresh fruit juices and hardtack biscuits packed in tinfoil packets.

"Martha… these are---"

"They will energize you and if you ration them enough, these will last for a couple of days." She replied before giving him a smile.

"…"

"I know that you are not doing this just for your own sake, Young master. Lord Joseph and Lady Selena will never demand this from you. And yet, out of the goodness of your heart, you are going to such a dangerous place to alleviate everyone's hardships."

Although she is bowing lowly that it made her hair hide her face, Jonathan was sure that she is saddened with what he intends to do.

"You are a very loving and virtuous child, Young master. I can never ask for a better master to serve… which is why I want you to at least promise me something in exchange for my silence about this."

"…What is it, Martha?" Jonathan asked even if he already had a hunch about what it would be.

His maid approached him and gently wrapped her arms around him, hiding his face on his chest before saying her request.

"Promise me… that you will come back safely. Even if you cannot bring any treasures, at least bring yourself safe and sound back here."

After giving his farewells to Martha, Jonathan pushed the manabike to some distance until the sound of its engine starting up wouldn't be heard anymore. From there on out, he sped to the road leading to the forest around the lone mountain in their territory.

"Martha… she really knows how to weigh down on my mind with these things."

Jonathan has already steeled himself about the dangers awaiting him in the nest of monsters that is Mt. Akira's Forest, but the gravity of being asked to promise that kind of thing burdened him.

However, he knew that his life is indeed more valuable than any treasure that he can return with and thus, chose to temper the flame in his heart to not overtake his sense of self-preservation.

"Well… I did make a promise, so I'll make sure to honor it."

And thus, he sped faster into the forest, bravely challenging whatever he may find in here for the sake of helping his family.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Darn it… still no luck."

The sun has long set when I gave up on finding a dungeon in the forest at the foot of Mt. Akira today. After having a few run-ins with monsters and magic beasts that thankfully, chose to just run away, I finally decided to make a camp and rest for the night.

"With the monsters here usually being direwolves, giant grizzlies and giant arachnids, a treetop camp should be good." I looked back on my past experiences and the lessons we were taught during the rookie adventurer's seminar and thought about how I should make the camp.

Since only one of the prominent monster types in here can climb trees, I can set up my hammock atop one tree and light up a warding lamp against the spiders. As for my manabike, I covered it with a tarp before dousing it with half a bottle of cheap distilled liquor that I brought.

"Now then, let's see if that dork's "best kept family secret" is the real deal."

This is something that I learned back in the academy from a classmate whose family came from a line of adventurers back in the old days. Apparently, monsters hate the smell of distilled liquor and would never touch or even approach something that smells like it.

"Now then… Thank you for looking after me, Martha."

I was thinking of just sleeping off my hunger when I remembered that Martha gave me some food and drinks before I left. I opened a tinfoil biscuit packet and saw handmade biscuits and cookies that I immediately recognized to be made by her.

I was enjoying my humble supper when a sound that sent a shiver up my spine echoed from afar.

"""Awooooo-!!!"""

"-!!!"

While I was eating, a pack of direwolves howled into the night with their low-pitched voices from a faraway place in the woods. Although I immediately realized that they aren't nearby, it still shocked me to know that even after my elder brother led a culling operation against them, the population of monsters here has grown back to a point where packs have been forming again.

"Let's wish that I don't get to encounter an entire pack this time." I wished in my mind as I crawled into my hammock that is hanging on the branches and did my best to catch some sleep.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tomorrow morning, I was awoken by the sound of a massive flock of birds taking flight all at the same time. I thought it was just herd behavior before I heard the sound of tree branches snapping and something heavy stomping on the ground.

"Crap!" I cursed in my mind as my brain raced to find a possible explanation for those things to happen and I arrived at a single answer.

"GRUAH! GRRRR!!!"

"HYAG! RAAAAAHHH!"

Monstrous growling resounded from nearby and from my simple binoculars, I saw a direwolf alpha and a giant grizzly fighting against each other over this territory.

"D-Damn… look at these monsters! They're so huge and the aura of mana that they are exuding is so much!"

Their sizes as the respective leaders of their own groups of monsters was astonishing. The direwolf alpha was as tall as a house and the giant grizzly was as humongous as a village watch tower.

"Drat! I should've heard them from a mile away! Now I'm stuck here!" this is when I realized that I made a grave mistake of not hearing them as they are coming and now, I am stuck here.

While they were preoccupied with fighting each other, I carefully stepped on the main branch where I hung my hammock and untied it. I worked quickly but quietly in order to avoid catching their attention.

"GRAAAAHHHH! HYA-!!!"

"GROOOOAAAR---!!!"

To say that the fight between the two was destructive would be putting it lightly. Not only did the trees around them snap like dry twigs, the clash between the direwolf alpha's razor-shapr fangs that are as tall as I am and the claws of the bear that it brought down like artillery shells falling to the earth, echoed across the forest in a deafening cacophony.

"HYAUH-! GRAAAHHH!!!"

"H-huh?"

I have already rolled my belongings back to my bag and was about to slide down the tree to make my escape when a growl and a whimper filled the air after which, silence followed.

"…What on promethea just happened?" I thought to myself as I peeked from behind the tree and saw a magnificent sight.

To my utter shock, the giant grizzly laid dead on the ground.

"Hrah-! KAK-! KRA-KA-KA!"

And even though it seemed that it won, the direwolf alpha was riddled with deep wounds all across its body and upon seeing it coughing up blood, I realized that it was mortally wounded.

"…"

Although I knew the danger, a corner in my heart felt pity for the monster and without thinking much, I stepped out of the shade of the tree and into the sight of the enormous beast.

"GRRR!!!" It growled deeply and showed a fearsome expression, as if telling me that it can easily take my life despite its current dying state.

"Calm down… I'm not an enemy."

"Hrr…!"

Although I knew that it cannot understand me, I spoke and raised my hands to show that I wasn't holding my weapons and it gave a low growl while intently watching me draw closer while it is losing its strength to even stand.

"You have a pride to keep… aren't you?"

I knew that it can still pounce and devour me whole, but I somehow had the feeling that this direwolf that has stood its ground against a powerful enemy even at the cost of its life has a reason to not back down.

"Krah!"

As it opened its mouth and once again gagged out blood, I knew that its life is nearly over.

"As a human, I will claim your life. You direwolves have a high pride and wouldn't want to have another monster be known to have killed you, right?"

Hearing my words that it somehow understood, the direwolf stopped snarling to me and laid down while still keeping an upright and proud stance.

"…Over here?"

"Hrrr…"

I walked towards its left side and there, it moved its elbow slightly forward, exposing a gap on its ribs before it closed its eyes… the air became still as I raised my magic musket and pointed it at the gap that is faintly pulsating.

"AWOOOOO-!!!"

As I injected my mana into it to prepare to shoot, it let out one last howl that echoed around the forest and what followed next was a superheated concentration of magic particles shot out and went through its heart ending its agony in a single moment.

"…Rest well, proud beast."

Although its body parts were valuable since it is an alpha wolf, I didn't collect any of it out of respect for it. Instead, I took out a shard of unrefined fire mana stone from my bullet pack and placed it inside the body, slowly burning it without the risk of the surrounding vegetation being up in flames as well.

I did it to avoid having scavenger monsters gathering at the place… as well as the fact that I did kill that direwolf alpha with the promise of being honored of having been killed by a human.

After that affair, I continued to search for a dungeon entrance in the forest, knowing that a place like this that is oversaturated with mana particles would surely have it, and one that is worth the trouble as well like a D+ class or C- class dungeon.

"Damn it! Why are there none!?"

However, come the afternoon, there was not a single dungeon in the forest. Not even an F-rank one that I can finish in a matter of ten minutes.

I thought about spending another night without even miniscule progress and it haunted me enough to the point of annoyance.

"Darn… Maybe I should've took that alpha's magic stone and gleaned its parts. Is this what they say: "there's no honor in a real battlefield"?" I thought internally while my heart is still churning in frustration.

While I was kicking pebbles and shouting expletives loudly, I noticed that the trees around me are swaying.

"W-Wait… why are the trees swaying…?"

My question was immediately answered.

"AWOOO!!!"

"-!!!"

As soon as I heard that howl, I knew what it was that are causing the trees to sway, the ground to shake and my instincts to keep telling me that there is an unseen danger around me.

"Crap! Were they there when I killed their pack leader!?"

I know enough about normal wolves to know that they are absolutely ruthless when someone in their pack gets attacked or killed… and because of that, I know that this pack of massive direwolves behind me aren't going to let me live after they saw me shooting their alpha to death.

"Come on! Come on!!!" I kept shouting in my mind as I started the engine of my manabike and immediately pulled it into full throttle. However, that initial speed barely managed to save me from the enormous monsters that appeared all around me.

"GRAAAHHH!"

"F***!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as one of the direwolves snapped its mouth at where my head was a split second ago, saving me from assured death.

*Kyuuk, Kyuuuk!!! Frrrr! Frrr!!!*

"No, no, no! Not now! Not now, damn it!!!"

The sound of the magic gem engine starting to run unnaturally scared me. Whether it's the engine being rattled with all the shaking and pulling the throttle to its limits has ruined it, or the electric magic gem is running out of power, the outcome if it does stop working is still the same.

I'll die here!!!

"No…! Not yet!"

Even though it isn't a place that we usually travel through because of the wild animals and strong monsters, Mt. Akira is still part of our land and is considered as the birthplace of the Bougainvillea family who has retreated towards here all throughout its decline.

"I can still make it!"

Because of that, it is imperative that we who inherited this name must know this place like it's the back of our hand, and I was sure that just a bit away from here is a place that none of the direwolves can cross.

"Just a bit more… Just a little bit more! Come on, buddy! Don't die on me yet!"

My manabike's engine is already making strange noises and the engine thermometer icon beside the speedometer is blinking red, indicating that pushing it to the limit more would result to it fully breaking down or worse… a magic reaction with the magic gem as the catalyst that would be enough to create a massive explosion.

"We're not gonna die here! Come on!!!"

With the one last shout, I drove through a small bump on the road that here, acted like a ramp and crossed that place which is an enormous gorge that splits the forest into its northern and southern parts.

"ACK-! AH-! ARGH…!"

Once I landed on the other side, I was thrown away from my manabike and rolled on the ground. I immediately stood up after confirming that I wasn't injured and looked at the other side of the gorge.

"Haha… Hahaha! Ahahahaha!!!"

I can only laugh heartily as soon as I saw the wolves at the other side of the ravine, unable to cross it.

"Grrr!!! GRAAAUUU-!!!"

The direwolves stood there and snarled at me before turning around and running away together.

"Hahaha… Wow, I can't believe I'm still alive. Thank the heavens… Haah… Haah…"

Seeing that, I was relieved to still be alive as the adrenaline rush finally wore out and the shock of it all finally caught up to me.

"Hurk-! Guaaaaach-!!!"

Feeling somehow safe with where I am, I approached my manabike and started its engine so I can continue traveling through the forest in search of a dungeon.

*Dag-dag-dag-dag!*

*Dag-dag-dag-dag!*

*DAG-DAG-DAG-DAG!*

However, I soon heard numerous noises, and only then did I realize that I made an enormous mistake.

"Shit!" I exclaimed in my head as soon as the group of massive monsters came out from behind the trees and confirmed my fears. It's a pack of Giant Grizzlies led by its pack leader that charged towards me.

"GROOOOOOOOOOHHHHH-!!!"

"DAMMIT ALL!!!"

*KA-TA-BYAAAK!*

I raised my magic musket and fired on its face, but the shot simply ricocheted off and it swung its heavy claws towards me, hitting my manabike and detonating its magic gem which threw me away and into the gaping gorge below.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH-!!!"

Little did I know that instead of an accident, this is when I would be given a chance to change all of our fates.