In Kia's imagination, the mountains should have been quiet and peaceful.
But what they encountered now was nothing like that.
"Boom-boom!"
The ground suddenly shook with a thunderous roar. Everyone lost their footing and fell. Even the birds were frightened by the sound, screeching as they took flight. In the distance, they could even hear trees crashing to the ground.
"Boom-boom!"
The sound rang out again, then faded. The whole ordeal lasted nearly two hours before it gradually died away.
Only then did the members of the expedition climb to their feet.
"Whoa, what a huge earthquake..."
"Are you an idiot? How could that be an earthquake? Have you ever seen an earthquake with such a regular rhythm?"
"Then what was it?"
"I don't know either. Anyway, it felt more like something man-made..."
Exactly.
Listening to the expedition members, Kia felt the same way. The Steel City had many factories that used large steam-powered machines, and those machines made similar noises when they operated. But even the machinery in the Steam Factory could, at most, make the ground tremble slightly.
Steam-powered machinery that could actually cause an earthquake like this... surely that didn't exist?
"Mew... meow..."
"Are you all right, Buck?"
Feeling the kitten trembling in her arms, Kia hurriedly reached out to soothe him. Ever since then, the kitten had followed her everywhere. Everyone had joked that he had taken a liking to her, and Kia liked cats well enough herself. The sight of such a scrawny little kitten had especially tugged at her heartstrings, so she had brought him along to raise as her pet.
During the earthquake, the kitten had stayed curled up in Kia's arms, trembling constantly and seemingly in considerable distress.
Could he be sick?
Kia did not know what to do. Should she ask