"Northern winds, attack!"
I grabbed some small rocks from the floor and aimed toward the passage opposite the one I came from. My idea was to separate the riders from the regular goblins.
"[Wind Hammer]"
With a quick cast of Wind Hammer, the rocks were flung farther than I could have thrown them, still making enough noise to be heard.
As the sound echoed through the whole chamber, the wolves feeding on the dead monster's corpse snapped their heads up.
Their ears perked and twitched as they scanned the room, eyes locking on the spot where the rocks had landed.
The goblin riders barked some animalistic noises, trying to calm their mounts, but the creatures were already on alert. The riders exchanged wary looks and a low growl before one of them moved toward the source of the noise.
Meanwhile, the subordinate goblins remained focused on the locked treasure chest, completely oblivious to their surroundings.
With one rider now away from the group and my presence still undetected, I tightened my grip around my dagger. Of the two Kaida had gifted me, the slashing dagger seemed best for quickly dispatching my target.
Now came the choice—kill the wolf first, or the rider?
For now, the wolf felt like the greater threat.
I crouched, muscles tensing in anticipation of a sudden burst forward. Before leaping, I drew a throwing knife and aimed at the goblin rider.
As soon as I threw, I would pounce on the wolf.
In one swift motion, I let the knife fly toward the goblin's head and lunged forward with all my strength. The blade struck first, killing the rider instantly. My leap followed a heartbeat later—the wolf never saw me coming. The moment between the goblin's death and my blade sinking into the wolf's throat was almost seamless.
Rider, wolf, and I crashed hard onto the rocky floor with a thud that echoed through the chamber.
No time to waste. I snapped my head up, grabbed another throwing knife, and flung it at the three goblins still facing away from me.
Too hasty. My aim was slightly low—the blade buried itself in one goblin's stomach. It wouldn't kill him instantly, but it would take weaken him out.
A sudden howl behind me—
The other rider's wolf was charging at full speed.
No thinking twice. I turned and sprinted for the gate room.
Four goblins and a wolf gave chase. The rider, far more dangerous than the others, slung rocks with startling accuracy even while riding at full speed. Each one whistled past close enough that I had to stay focused on dodging.
But the gate room was close. And I knew what waited inside.
When I crossed the barrier, I saw Vi and Agatha already preparing their spells—something the monsters couldn't see.
"Alen!" Enrick shouted, bracing himself.
He stepped forward with his shield, taking the wolf's charge head-on. The monster slammed into it, stunned, and was shoved back. Enrick lunged with his spear, driving it deep into the wolf.
Eusta, in the same breath, split two of the three regular goblins in half.
"[Abyssal Pierce]"
From Agatha's hand, a spiked, pitch-black projectile tore through the last regular goblin, leaving a gaping hole in its chest.
"[Light Beam]"
Vi's staff fired a thin, searing beam that drilled straight through the rider's skull. The hole was small, but enough to kill instantly.
"That's it!" Eusta cheered, calming himself.
"Alen, are you okay?" Enrick asked, kicking the wolf free from his spear.
"All fine here—not a single scratch!"
"Thank god!" Enrick sighed in relief.
"You're really reliable, Alen!" he said, rushing over to hug me tightly with one arm.
"Careful, Eusta! You're still holding those axes," Agatha scolded.
"I'm not a brute, Agatha! I've been skilled with axes for a long time. I don't make silly mistakes." Eusta spun his axes in a flashy display to make his point.
"That was really impressive, Alen," Vi said warmly, leading the way down the only open passage. "You truly deserve to be the first first-year student granted a dungeon pass."
"I'm sure almost everyone in my class could get the pass. They're all stronger than me."
We followed Vi, with Enrick and Eusta moving ahead to scout.
"There you go being humble again!" Agatha huffed. "Only you and probably three other students have actually been inside a dungeon—let alone fought something like a goblin."
"Agatha's right," Enrick added. "There's a reason they don't have the pass and you do."
I doubted that.
"I mean, there's Fra—Princess Von Themys, Cecil Treyaro, the prince Ly—"
"The top of S Class," Agatha cut in dryly. "Even an average first-year in A Class would struggle in a simple two-floor dungeon."
"Students below D Class in the second year still haven't earned exploration passes," Vi noted.
"Don't think so low of yourself, little man," Eusta said.
I didn't know how to respond. Maybe I was being stubborn, but I really believed any of my classmates could be here right now—and probably do better.
"Still not convinced?" Vi asked with a tiny giggle.
I shook my head.
"I don't know if you're idolizing your classmates or if your self-esteem is just that low," Agatha sighed, covering her face.
When we reached the room where the goblins had been, the bodies and chest were still there.
"You killed that one?" Eusta asked, pointing to the wolf and rider.
"Yeah," I replied shortly, already crouching in front of the treasure chest.
Enrick and I had the job to retrieve the monsters' mana stones. While I worked the lock, he had to get the stones himself.
In less than half a minute, the chest clicked open.
"Guys!" I called, waiting for everyone to gather before lifting the lid.
Inside—gold coins, and several finely painted leather armors.
"Nice!" was the general reaction.
"The designs are really good," Vi said, admiring the red-painted armor.
"Goblin gold usually isn't great, but seeing this much makes me hopeful for this dungeon," Eusta remarked as he and Agatha packed the gold into a large pouch.
"We still have a lot to explore. Keep things organized—we brought two backpacks for a reason," Enrick reminded, sorting the mana stones into a separate pouch.
"See anything, Alen?" Vi asked, squinting toward the passages.
"Left path leads to another room with more passages. Right path opens into a huge space—I can't see where it ends."
"Then left path it is," Enrick said, though without much confidence.
Part of me wanted to explore every corner for a full clear. But I knew that wasn't for everyone—and the more we pushed, the more exhausted we'd get.
"Besides, the left path might take us to that big room anyway," Eusta chuckled, stepping forward to lead the way.
---
A sharp slap, followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor, echoed through the lavish chamber where the Queen of Montanev resided.
"Care to explain this to me, Franchesca?" the queen asked coolly, removing her white glove and handing it to a servant.
The princess scrambled to her feet. Though strong enough to endure harsher blows, all her strength seemed to drain away in her mother's presence.
"Not only are you falling behind the prince of Raychmen," the queen began, her tone cutting, "but you also waste your time chasing down petty bandits—alongside peasants."
Her voice sharpened further. "And worse, you did so beside that sinner and the boy named Alen. Without ever intending to tell me?"
"I-I'm sorry… mother," Franchesca murmured, lowering her head.
Another crack of palm against cheek. The force drove her a step backward.
"Sorry? You lie to me, hide things from me, and that's all you have to say? Tell me the truth, Franchesca—what were you thinking, being with those two?"
A knot tightened in Franchesca's stomach. Her throat felt sealed shut.
She couldn't answer—because she didn't fully understand it herself.
At first, she had approached Alen simply because he seemed different from everyone else—someone she could actually relate to.
Over time, she had grown to treasure their moments together, until he became the only person she could truly call a friend.
But there was something else. She hated when anyone interrupted their time. She hated how Kaida spoke to him. She hated how any woman spoke to him. And she couldn't explain why.
What could she say? That she hunted down a bandit group just to keep Alen's attention for herself? The thought alone made her certain she'd be punished.
"Franchesca!" The queen's voice cracked like a whip, making her flinch and clench her fists. "I asked you a question!"
"I… am just pretending… to be with him," she heard herself say.
"Hm?" The queen's eyes narrowed.
Franchesca almost didn't recognize her own voice. In all her life, she had never lied to her mother.
"Y-you heard him too… he has secrets. Like achieving incantationless casting…"
The queen studied her for a long, piercing moment.
"Is that so? You want to get close to him and steal his knowledge?"
Franchesca gave a small, silent nod.
"Answer me properly, and look me in the eyes when I speak to you."
"Yes. He has those abilities. And I… am only pretending to be with him," Franchesca repeated. But deep inside, her chest ached—not from lying to her mother, but from speaking such words about Alen.
"Fine, then." The queen turned, seating herself gracefully. "Remember, Franchesca—I will not tolerate a repeat of what happened with the other one."
The other one…
Franchesca knew exactly whom she meant—her elder sister, the first daughter of Montanev's rulers.
"I-I won't, Mother!" she snapped, the sting of the comparison cutting deep. "I'd never—"
"I am merely ensuring you understand."
"I… understand, Mother…"