Approximately five to ten minutes after Asta had been trying his best to hold back his laughter, everything finally quieted down. Sekre returned to her position on his head, sitting gracefully like a queen on a throne, while Asta, still smiling, extended his hand toward the stranger, who was struggling to climb out of the pit. The stranger's face looked as though it had been thoroughly beaten with a broom, but it didn't seem to bother him in the least.
After catching his breath, the stranger quickly bowed and, with sincere gratitude, said:
— Thanks, kid! I've been stuck here for over an hour! Thought that was it, thought I was done for...
He extended his hand for a handshake, and Asta, slightly embarrassed but eager to be polite, shook it, noticing that the stranger's hand was trembling a little. It seemed that he really had been through a tough time in that pit, and it wasn't something he could easily shake off.
— No problem! — Asta smiled brightly, giving the stranger a supportive pat on the shoulder. — It's always a pleasure to help someone in trouble. Besides, anyone in my place would have done the same!
After pausing for a moment, he added:
— By the way, you said you were stuck with something... And what happened to that strange accent you had?
The stranger squinted, took a long look at Asta from head to toe, and then suddenly, with a mischievous smirk, asked:
— Hey, how old are you, exactly?
— Twelve! — Asta answered confidently, not even flinching.
— Hm, well, you're still a kid, — the stranger chuckled. — When you grow up, maybe a pretty woman will explain to you what it means to not just "get stuck" in a place where the red lights are on.
Sekre, sitting on Asta's head, shot the stranger a look of disdain, while Asta frowned, not understanding the comment.
— What? — he asked, genuinely confused.
— Nothing! — the stranger waved it off, brushing off the dust from his clothes and adjusting his collar. — Anyway, call me David. What's your name?
— I'm Asta! — Asta proudly introduced himself, puffing out his chest. — And my dream is to become the King of Mages!
David looked at him with a raised eyebrow, a bit surprised, and then snickered, barely holding back a smile.
— Oh, really! Well then, future King of Mages, how about you join me? I'm looking for something important in the forest. Trust me, you'll like it! And who knows, maybe you'll find something useful for yourself along the way.
Asta thought about it for a moment, narrowing his eyes in thought, but then, after a second, his face lit up with excitement. He wasn't just eager to help; the idea of a little adventure in the forest seemed like a lot of fun, and he was all for it.
— Of course, I'll help! If someone needs help, I can't just stand by and do nothing!
Sekre rolled her eyes once again, settling comfortably on his head and muttering under her breath:
— Oh yeah, as if that wasn't obvious…
David smirked, clearly amused, and nodded in approval:
— Great, King of Mages. Let's get going.
Asta nodded enthusiastically, his determination to help now fully matched by his desire to enjoy the journey. He stepped forward with a sense of purpose, but after a few hours, his initial enthusiasm started to wane. The forest was so dense that every tree seemed to look exactly like the others — thin, gray trunks stretching endlessly upward, all covered in thick, lush foliage, making it nearly impossible to see the sky. At first, David had been walking confidently, eager with the thought that something important was waiting for him somewhere deep in the forest. But the farther they went, the more he realized he had absolutely no idea where he was going.
And then, as they pushed deeper into the forest, strange sounds began to filter through the stillness — the cracking of branches, the rustling of leaves, and faint, whispering noises as though something, or someone, was hiding behind the trees, watching them. A feeling of unease started to creep into their hearts, and they slowed their pace, moving more cautiously. Asta had never ventured so deep into the forest; according to his father, Orsi, monsters lurked in these parts. With every creaking branch or rustling leaf, they paused, listening intently, their eyes darting from side to side.
Suddenly, in one of these moments, they heard a loud, guttural roar. Looking around frantically, they spotted a massive three-meter boar charging toward them. Asta, however, immediately stopped feeling any fear — he was practically an expert at hunting creatures like this. But David, it seemed, wasn't sharing his confidence. His body stiffened with fear, though he was doing a decent job of concealing it. He quickly realized that since Asta had gotten into this mess because of him, he couldn't afford to back down now. He had to protect the kid — or at least not lose face in front of him.
David stretched out his hand in front of Asta, trying to sound as calm and composed as possible:
— Don't worry, I've got this.
With those words, he pulled the hilt of a sword out of his bag.
Sekre, who had been sitting on Asta's head the entire time, immediately recognized the bag. It was a spatial bag — an extremely rare artifact, one that could only be found in certain dungeons. Sekre began to eye David with suspicion.
Asta, seeing the sword, felt his eyes light up with excitement and exclaimed:
— Whoa, how cool! David, you're awesome!
Hearing Asta's praise, David's confidence seemed to grow even more. With a new sense of determination, he aimed the sword at the charging boar, his stance unwavering as if the massive creature didn't even phase him.
The boar roared again, charging toward them with terrifying speed. But David, still unfazed, grinned and said:
— Meet my little friend!
Asta thought that David was referring to his sword, but then he suddenly realized that David wasn't looking at the weapon — he was looking at him, extending the sword and shouting:
— Asta!
Asta's face drained of color, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He turned to David, who, without waiting for a response, bolted to hide behind Asta.
— haaaaa ?!!!
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