Hajime stepped out of his house, taking in the beauty of the morning.
The sun had just started to rise, casting its golden rays across the sky and painting the clouds a soft orange. The crisp morning air greeted him with a chill as he yawned and followed the stone path to the mansion's gate, where Kazuma was already waiting.
"Looks like you're finally ready," Kazuma said with a smirk.
"Why'd we have to get up so early?" Hajime grumbled, ignoring the comment.
Kazuma sighed. "Didn't I already tell you? No carriage today. We're traveling in disguise to avoid drawing attention. Bandits and thieves target obvious nobles."
"I know," Hajime muttered. "But I could've slept in a little…"
Even though he understood the logic, Hajime was not a morning person. In his previous life, he was always late—whether it was for class or work.
"Let's get going," Kazuma said, snapping Hajime out of his thoughts.
They followed the path leading out of the estate toward the city.
An Hour Later
After walking for an hour, the two finally arrived at the outskirts of the city, where the monster hunt gathering was being held.
"Finally," Hajime sighed, glancing around.
The area was an open field, already populated by a few adventurers. One man stood out: a towering figure over six feet tall with thick limbs, a massive scar across his bearded face, and an axe the size of a grown man strapped to his back.
That dude looks terrifying. I doubt any monster's going near him, Hajime thought.
As he scanned the crowd again, Hajime noticed something odd—there weren't many people yet.
"Father where is everyone?" he asked.
Kazuma rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh… we got here two hours early."
The fuck?! Hajime thought, shooting Kazuma a death glare.
"You dragged me out of bed for this?! We already checked everything yesterday!"
"Early birds get the best hunt. And I want to double-check your gear," Kazuma replied nonchalantly.
Grumbling, Hajime sat on a stone step and began adjusting his helm, gauntlets, and chestplate, making sure each strap was snug but not suffocating.
Another Hour Later
More adventurers began arriving, some in similar armor to Hajime's, others in full plate or mage robes.
Just as Hajime was about to doze off from boredom, a sharp whistle echoed across the clearing.
He turned to see a man in a fine tailored suit standing in the center, whistle in hand.
"Thank you all for coming to this monster hunt," the man began. The crowd quieted quickly.
"Our scouts have reported the horde's makeup: primarily goblins, several Whore Rams, and a few orcs. Good luck out there."
Cheers erupted before everyone turned to do final checks on their gear.
Kazuma and Hajime took up position at the back of the group.
"Father," Hajime asked, "what are orcs? You didn't mention them before."
"They're like goblins," Kazuma replied, "just… bigger. And dumber."
"How much bigger?"
"About ten feet tall."
Hajime's eyes widened. I'm only 5'3"! That thing could step on me…
The group marched out of the northern gate and followed a worn trail for two miles until reaching a forest edge.
The group stopped about 150 feet from the forest's edge, using the open field as a vantage point. Rather than charging in, they opted to wait—hoping more goblins would emerge from the trees.
As they waited, Hajime scanned the treeline. Among the brush and low branches, he spotted small goblins shuffling around, gathering berries and mushrooms. Their movements were jerky, like mindless scavengers.
But when Hajime glanced left, he instantly regretted it.
In a small clearing between the trees, a goblin stood behind a Whore Ram, thrusting rhythmically.
"Oh, come on!" Hajime groaned, immediately shielding his eyes.
Several nearby adventurers turned, raising eyebrows or chuckling. Kazuma leaned over, whispering sternly, "Keep it down. We'll strike when the time is right."
I swear I'm killing that one first, Hajime thought darkly, a mix of horror and grim determination settling in his gut.
Moments later, more goblins spilled from the trees, gathering in the clearing. Once their numbers swelled to around thirty, someone in the front shouted—
"Attack!"
The monster hunt had begun.