Monster Hunter:Volume1

Novel Illustrations

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Chapter 1 - Encounter at the Hunter's Guild

Those of the later generations would look back to the world centuries ago, and they would call it an age of violence. However, the earth, the sky, and the people who live in those lands, were brilliant and full of life. The world had a much simpler rule of living then than it is now. That is, to hunt, or be hunted.

People gathered in this land, whether it was to live another day, to test the limits of their abilities, or to amass wealth and fame. They set their fiery sights to the magnificent creatures flying freely in the blue sky, never to be reached by man. The very symbol of power and life... Wyverns.

Day after day, they risked their lives in the battlefields, wrapped in the sounds of swords clashing with flesh and the smell of gunpowder smoke.

“Awesome... So this is a city...”

Blurted the boy, Zeeg Grandest, before realizing that people around him were chuckling at his astonishment. Slightly red with embarrassment, he bit his lip and readjusted the luggage on his shoulder. The leather bag collided with the great sword on his back, sounding a dull metallic ring.

The great sword was called Buster Blade, a metal sword forged from a large amount of Iron Ores and Earth Crystals. Its length was comparable to Zeeg’s height, and it was so heavy that it needed to be held with two hands to be used properly, but the weight provided the sword with great destructive power.

There were metal great swords other than the Buster Blade. For example, the Iron Katana, superior in terms of both appearance and power, but created from the rarer Machalite Ores. In the area around Zeeg’s village, such ores were fairly hard to come by.

(“Man, it’s so cool...”)

Catching sight of the Iron Katana ‘Gospel’ on a passerby's back, all Zeeg could do was stare enviously he passed by.

(“But... from now on, things will be different! Just you wait... I’ll be famous in no time!”)

Simultaneously with the sound of a string breaking, Zeeg’s hair strap fell to the ground, and he reached to pick it up. Attached to the string was a scale of the bird wyvern Yian Kut-Ku, which he kept as a trophy from his first successful hunt. After replacing the string and putting the old one away in the pocket of his blue pants, he wiped his hair, which got quite dusty from the long trip. Although he wanted to take a bath and get some rest soon, the first thing a hunter must do when entering a city was to register at an organization known as “Guild”.

“Hey, out of the way!”

Hearing the shout, Zeeg quickly made way for the owner of the voice.

Multiple muscular men were carrying large barrels from the transport bridge’s gondola, the same one Zeeg had been on until a few moments ago, and headed to the plaza.

(“Jeez... what’s their problem?”)

Mildly annoyed, Zeeg rebalanced himself and walked after those men.

This city was built by carving a hole in a massive rock mountain. The main method of getting up here was to take the transport bridge’s gondola. As for the purpose of building a city in such a barren land, it was rumored that the reason was to keep the uniqueness of the “Hunter’s Guild” that was based here.

Hunters are strong, therefore they have many enemies-- so said the Village Chief. Sometimes, they would be attacked by wyverns that got their eggs stolen from them, and sometimes the land owners would hire knights to attack them out of fear-- those kinds of things.

(“I never saw those kinds of things happen though.”)

Zeeg reminisced about his boringly peaceful village and the Chief, a frail, elderly man who could barely walk without a cane. It was hard to believe that he had been a hunter so famous that numerous hunters, including Zeeg’s parents, gathered around him, resulting in the establishment of a village.

Although Zeeg was born and raised in that village, his parents had hailed from the far east, traveling over numerous mountains. He never knew what the country was called, because they had died when they went out hunting, before they had a chance to tell him their full story. The two of them had felled the horned wyvern Diablos at the desert far away from the village, but succumbed to their injuries during their return trip.

The day he learned the news of their death, Zeeg had decided to become a hunter to earn his living. The village was not exactly well-off, so children without parents supporting them will have to do their share of work in exchange for food and shelter.

Zeeg had started hunting only recently, after turning sixteen. Before then, the only jobs he got were to prepare base camps and guard supply item transports.

(“But I’m a professional now!”)

While exploring the city full of hunters, Zeeg was itching to take on a quest, as he was feeling highly confident. Although the Village Chief had told him “you are not prepared yet,” or something along those lines, just a few months after being offered hunting jobs, he was able to fell the bird wyvern Yian Kut-Ku swiftly, setting a new record time in the village. When he brought back Kut-Ku Webbings and Screamers as proof of his successful hunt, he was highly praised by the villagers, but frowned still upon by the Chief.

(“It’s his old age, I guess...”)

He was probably jealous that he doesn’t have the strength to fight anymore, so he gets grumpy over every little thing. That was the best reason Zeeg could think of.

After walking on a narrow path along the side of the mountain, Zeeg reached the plaza. On the stone wall, three cannons were installed, all their barrels pointing up into the sky. It was common knowledge that they were purposed for intercepting invading wyverns.

However, their purpose was to repel, not kill. For this reason, the cannonballs were specially modified to emit sound waves or stinky smells that wyverns dislike.

(“I don’t really get the point...”)

In a city like this, there should not be a need for those costly tools. The hunters here should be able to take care of an invading wyvern or two, he thought. Moreover, as he looked around, he saw numerous hunters wearing armor made from wyvern parts, which he recognized only from the books he read. Those armor pieces are solid proof that those hunters have hunted wyverns before.

(“Just a little more time... and I’ll also be considered a first-class hunter!”)

Filled with pride and confidence, Zeeg walked past the dried-up fountain to the entrance of the gathering hall, made from drilling a hole in the mountain. To his sides, there were some simple rain sheds set up, with the barrels the muscular men from earlier were carrying placed inside.

Walking into the entranceway signified by a hanging giant beer mug, Zeeg was met with the overwhelming smell of alcohol, food, and tobacco. The smoke was so thick that he thought he was walking into a fog.

Almost no one paid attention to Zeeg. Some turned to look, but it was as if they were looking at something insignificant, like pebbles or weed on the road.

(“What’s up with them?”)

Zeeg felt a little disappointed.

Even if it’s a small village, he’s famed as the one who set a new record time for hunting Yian Kut-Ku. Rumors of his exploit should have reached the outside world somehow. It’s rare for a hunter at this age to use a great sword, you know. Well, at least in the village, that is.

“Hey.”

As a man called him from behind, Zeeg feels a streak of joy, thinking that someone who heard rumors of his achievement has come to greet him. So you’re finally here! I heard about you! The rising star! Those were the words that he expected to hear, but...

“You’re blocking the entrance, kid. Out of the way.”

Those words flew into Zeeg’s ears from behind as he was bumped on his shoulder. Initially intending to voice a complaint, he fell silent after seeing those people.

The other party is a group of seasoned hunters. One can easily tell by looking at the worn-out Kut-Ku armor sets, equipped by all four men.

“It’s the Crimson Avian Wings.”

Someone said out loud.

(“So it’s these guys...”)

Zeeg gulped upon hearing the name. He heard that they are a group of extremely skilled hunters who specialize in hunting Yian Kut-Ku. But on the other hand, they were also viewed as cowards who refuse to hunt other wyverns. Among the customers, some looked at the party insultingly. Zeeg, however, doesn’t see them in that way.

Three men sat down at a table, the fourth man headed to the counter. The female receptionist wearing a red uniform with white sleeves took the order of four beers, swiftly poured alcohol into the mugs, and then placed them on the countertop. The man paid for the beer and took the mugs back to his group.

(“Right, registration.”)

Zeeg took a deep breath, then walked past the Crimson Avian Wings to the counter.

“Welcome!”

The female receptionist welcomed Zeeg in a friendly manner, slightly lifting his spirits.

“I’ve never seen you here before. You’re new here, right? Where are you from?”

As Zeeg told her the name of his village, the gathering hall suddenly fell silent.

(“What?”)

After a short while, something caused a knocking sound, and the customers started talking among themselves again, as if the brief silence was just an illusion.

Zeeg turned to the source of the sound and saw a familiar figure of a small man sitting on the counter, hanging his legs.

(“Village Chief!? Wait, no... he’s different.”)

The old man bore an uncanny resemblance to the Village Chief. Not to the point of being identical twins, but it was still surprising that two unrelated people could look so similar.

“Then, what business do you have in this city?”

“Eh? Ah... give me a second.”

Zeeg hurriedly turned to answer the woman’s question, then put his luggage down, opened up his bag, pulled out the Village Chief’s introduction letter, and handed it to her.

“I want to register at this guild.”

The letter was handed to the receptionist, but she seemed to have no intention of accepting it. Instead, she pointed to the elderly man, now smoking from his pipe in a carefree manner.

“If it’s that, you’ll need to hand it to him, not me.”

“That... person?”

Zeeg almost called him an old man, but fortunately stopped himself in time. Dragging his luggage along so that it wouldn't be lost, he walked to the elderly man.

“With you, right? I want to register at this guild. I also have an introduction letter.”

Zeeg handed him the letter, and the old man took it in a leisurely manner before slowly opening it up and reading the contents with his small, bead-like eyes.

“Hmm...”

After he finished reading, the letter was folded and put into his bag. He then took out a book from behind the counter and opened it in front of Zeeg.

“Name, age, gender, most proficient weapon.”

“Anything else?”

The elderly man said nothing, and instead blew ring-shaped smoke out of his mouth, signaling Zeeg to get it over with as soon as possible.

Zeeg made an irritated face to show his dissatisfaction, but complied with the old man. With a quill, he wrote in the book: “Zeeg Grandest, 16 years old, Male, Great Sword”. Just after he finished writing, the elder pulled the book away from him as if he was taking back a stolen possession, and passed it to the receptionist.

“Becky, please go make his guild card for me.”

(“So her name is Becky, huh...”)

The woman smiled at the boy, as if she knew he was watching. Slightly blushing, Zeeg turned away to hide his embarrassment. He was met with the side view of the elder’s head, which really does look like the Village Chief.

“What about his Hunter Rank, Guild Master?”

The old man opened one eye in response to Becky’s question.

“Rookie should be enough.”

“Wha-!”

Zeeg’s face turned red with a different reason from before. Among the ranks of hunters, “Rookie” was the second lowest. Hunters who would only get requests to gather raw meat or special mushrooms, or were not proficient enough to use weapons without hurting themselves, would be classified as either “Rangers” or “Rookies”.

“W... Wait a second!”

Zeeg slammed his hand on the counter.

“I was able to hunt the Yian Kut-Ku by myself, you know! Then why-”

As he said that, a group hunters from behind burst out laughing. Others just banged their beer mugs on the table, while some clapped loudly, but almost all of them were smirking with amusement.

One of them, a hunter with a massive hammer placed beside him, turned around and started speaking.

“Hey kid, I’ll educate you. For this place, hunting Yian Kut-Ku is a job for newbies, not something to be proud about!”

The man said as he glanced at the Crimson Avian Wings. He expected them to say something, but was completely ignored as the four men chugged their beer without any reaction whatsoever.

Irritated at their attitude, the man grabbed his hammer, before another person told him to calm down. The man hesitated, and upon realizing that the whole gathering hall was watching him, sat down.

“Well, what he said.”

The elder took the guild card from Becky and placed it in front of Zeeg.

“Being able to hunt the Yian Kut-Ku isn’t something to boast about, but a mere qualification for registering at this guild. It’s a different story if you’re able to do it in a few minutes like the Crimson Avian Wings though... Can you do that?”

“I know, I know...”

All Zeeg could do was grab his guild card, much to his chagrin.

(“It’s so dirty...”)

Led by a male receptionist, Zeeg arrived at his room on the first floor; the boy groaned in his mind upon seeing its interior.

The bed was crudely made by stuffing in some straws. Other than that, the room contained only an item box, a table, and a chair. It was not so different from a pig’s coop.

“Oink”

And one was actually living there, no less.

The pig wears a white and blue striped shirt. It walked around as if it owned the place.

“Hey... can I eat this thing if I’m hungry?”

Zeeg asked while pointing at the pig, and it cried out in shock.

“Absolutely not! This pig was brought in by the Guild Master as moral support for the hunters, who face difficult quests day after day. Eating it would be-”

“That’s just silly...”

Zeeg threw his bag on the bed, and thick puffs of dust flew up. It’s like people here don’t know what it means to clean. If one slept on a bed like this, they would itch like crazy from being bitten by the louse.

“What about food?”

“If you have the ingredients, we have a free cooking service right over here. You can also order food at the gathering hall.”

“Hm... I’ll go eat over there for today then. I didn’t bring any ingredients with me.”

“Certainly, sir.”

The man bowed once, then disappeared behind the curtains. The pig, which was supposed to follow him, instead slipped under the bed, showing no sign of coming out again.

Zeeg hanged his Buster Blade on the wall. In this room, the only part that resembles a hunter’s room is the neatly organized weapons rack.

Starting to feel itchy on his buttocks while sitting on the bed, he moved to sit on the chair instead.

“Dammit...”

Zeeg still feels a little bitter about what happened earlier.

He understood that there were plenty of hunters superior to him. Even so, he was fairly confident in himself, and expected to be acknowledged.

But this is what he got-- a filthy little room, even worse than his own room back home.

Met with these conditions, Zeeg was reminded that being a hunter is not an easy job.

Many children aspire to become a hunter, but most parents, Zeeg’s included, were opposed to the idea.

They had long passed away, so no one could stop him from being one, but Zeeg never forgot what his parents used to say: “Don’t expect anything from this job”. He understood those words when he became a hunter. The money may be good, but the work was harsh.

“Hunters” were people who accept requests, be it to gather materials or hunt down wyverns. Accepting their quest, they would head out to the vast world of nature with their trusty weapon in hand, alone or with companions. Exploring jungles, deserts, or even volcanoes, they faced dangerous beasts multiple times their size. Day after day, their lives placed on a fine line between life and death.

However, that did not mean the job was legal. The hunter occupation, and the existence of a guild that unifies them, were not officially accepted by the kingdom.

The reason was that among hunters, some were strong enough to fell wyverns by themselves. This means their strength was comparable to an army of thousands. It was natural that the aristocrats would fear these people, and the possibility of them banding together to cause an uprising. This was possibly one of the reasons why the guild was based in a remote location, far from the capital.

However, most hunters have no intention of ruling a country. Just as the Village Chief used to say-- “Hunters are like rulers of their very own kingdom”.

The hunters’ purposes in life are varied. Many started out to earn their living like Zeeg, but they will eventually discover their true calling. Some pursue fame, to be hailed as warriors who could fell wyverns by themselves. Others seek irreplaceable bonds, forged on the unforgiving battlefields. There also exist those who collect rare weapons and technologies.

Of course, there were some who have yet to find themselves, hunting just to make ends meet. Zeeg, like them, hadn't found his purpose yet, but he felt that if he continued being a hunter, he would definitely find it someday.

Surely, that was what everyone thinks. However, there were also many who would never find anything, stuck at the lowest rank until the day they died.

(“I won’t end up like them. I swear, I’ll definitely make a name for myself!”)

Zeeg made a vow for the second time. The first time was when he learned of the death of his parents. Whether or not his parents have found anything in their lives, he will never know.

Now that he thought about it, the rooms being left in this condition might help new hunters to reflect, and to renew their determination.

Looking out the window, it was still early in the day, and he was not yet hungry.

(“Guess I’ll sharpen my weapon...”)

In the hunting grounds, a hunter’s life depends on his weapon.

As he took out a whetstone from his bag and detached the Buster Blade from the wall, Zeeg could hear the striped pig’s snoring from beneath the bed.

“Right now, these are the only quests for your skill level.”

Becky lined up several request papers on the countertop.

With just a glimpse, Zeeg knew that those were quests for beginners. Zeeg slammed his fist on the papers with no intention to hide his dissatisfaction.

“What’s the meaning of this? Deliver 12 Kelbi Horns? 15 Special Mushrooms? Slay 50 Vespoids? Aren’t these quests for rookies?”

Zeeg yelled with all his voice, but all Becky did was shrug once in acknowledgement.

“Well, aren’t you skill a rookie?”

“I was-”

“Yeah, yeah. Was the fastest Yian Kut-Ku hunter in your village, right? Sorry, but achievements in a small village like that aren’t things to boast about. More importantly, do you have enough money to pay for the contract fees? The better the job, the higher the fee, you know.”

Rendered speechless, Zeeg reached for the money bag tied tightly to his waist and counted the coins. Right now, he has about 150 Zenny, not even enough to pay the fees for a Yian Kut-Ku hunt. Even then, he didn’t want to go back to collecting mushrooms again after coming all this way.

“I’m just saying, but you can’t put these payments on your tab, alright? It’s a different story if your rank is a bit higher though. I might pitch in and help a little, but for you... I don’t think I can just yet.”

Becky giggled a little.

“No one will think poorly of you for doing this, you know. For now, just do some gathering quests. You’ve always been hunting alone, right? Things are different when teaming up with other people. Even the distribution of supply items needs to be discussed thoroughly. If you keep that mindset, you’ll end up being an obstruction. There were even cases of hunters having their licenses revoked for being disruptive, too.”

“Hm... That sounds like a bother...”

Zeeg expressed his honest opinion, resulting in a flick on his forehead from Becky.

“Now, don’t talk carelessly like that. Even though they aren’t listening, everyone can hear you. You’ll end up having difficulty finding teammates in the future.”

“That hurt...”

Rubbing his forehead, Zeeg took a look around the gathering hall.

It is around dinnertime, so the hall is more crowded than before. Tobacco smoke and smells of alcohol are also stronger, to the point that Zeeg feels a little drunk just by being here.

A person boasted loudly about their hunting exploits. Another sang some songs with their broken voice. Even a few were sound asleep. Everyone seemed to be minding their own businesses, with no sign of acknowledging what Zeeg said earlier.

However, each and every one of them are hunters. Their hearing senses are honed to the point that they won’t miss even a single breaking branch in the thick forest.

Zeeg turned back to the counter, still rubbing his forehead.

“But aren’t there some hunters who hunt by themselves?”

“There are, but... most of them are the ones who chose to go solo after being with a team for some time, and thought that hunting alone is more to their liking. You haven’t decided on which style you prefer, right? Moreover, monsters around here are tougher and more intelligent compared to the countryside. If you went in expecting them to be the same, you’ll soon be finding yourself in a grave. I’ve seen many rookies make that mistake.”

“Hm... and why is that? Do they eat better prey?”

“Who knows? Well, Guild Master used to say that it’s because the hunters are strong-- ah, here's your order.”

While thinking about what Becky said, a chunky Aptonoth steak was served in front of Zeeg.

Aptonoths are classified as herbivores. While they are more than 10 meters long on average, they are docile in nature. Zeeg has hunted many of them for their meat and bones. When threatened, they would normally run away for safety, but some will attempt to fight back using its tail. They are not to be underestimated, since their tail whips are quite powerful.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zeeg asked while slicing his rare steak, with red meat juices flowing out as the knife dug into the meat.

Becky poured some honey into a mug of Kelbi milk, then moved herself a little closer to Zeeg.

“Well... hunters aren’t always successful in their hunts, right? If a monster was able to survive from being hunted and gave birth to some offsprings, the offsprings will grow up stronger. As a result, in areas where there are powerful hunters, the monsters will also be tougher-- something like that.”

“Huh...”

Zeeg stuffed his cheeks with meat. Even though it does not have any special seasoning, the steak was so delicious, as if it was melting in his mouth.

“Delicious! I’ve never eaten Aptonoth meat this good!”

“Really? That great!”

“Yeah! Aptonoth meat are usually tougher than this! Don’t tell me it’s an infant-”

Zeeg froze, his knife and fork still in his hands.

Among hunters, hunting infant monsters are strictly forbidden. There have been rumors, that offenders would be the ones who get cooked instead as punishment.

Although such a policy was not considered law in the kingdom, it could be enforced all the same. At least, that was what Zeeg used to hear-- about there being hunters that hunt down rule breakers.

“Now now, of course not.”

Becky laughed.

“This is domesticated meat. They are made by capturing some wild Aptonoths, waiting for them to produce offsprings, and raising those babies up with nutritious food. When they fully grow, we eat their meat. A traveling merchant has been nagging us to try them for a while, so we purchased a batch to see how they do.”

“Hmm...”

Zeeg took a few more bites. The more he ate, the more his taste buds felt weird from the unnatural amount of fat.

“I don’t know how to explain this, but it feels kinda weird...”

“Everyone else says that. I guess it’s good for only the first bite? Anyway, thanks for trying it out. We’ll probably not buy another batch. Oh, and that one’s my treat, so you don’t have to pay. Want some wild Aptonoth steak instead?”

“No thanks. I’ll finish this one. Domesticated, huh? No matter where it’s from, I think it’s a waste to throw away food.”

Hearing that, Becky smiled happily.

“You really are a hunter, huh...”

“What'd you mean by that?”

While eating some baked potatoes with his steak, a solid sound came from outside the gathering hall’s entrance. The atmosphere suddenly became so heavy that Zeeg had to turn around and look.

He was so surprised at the sight that he almost choked on his meat.

A large man, over two meters tall, stood there. But his height was nothing special, since among hunters, people with large builds are fairly common. His armor was the thing that was special.

Two enormous horns extended from his shoulder pads, intimidating those around him. The helmet also has two smaller horns attached to the sides, pointing upwards. It was no mistake-- his equipment was the Diablo set, made with materials from the desert-dwelling horned wyverns Diablos and Monoblos.

Moreover, it was a full set, which could not be obtained by slaying just one or two of them. To get the materials, one had to hunt down many, breaking off their horns and cutting off their tails.

On the man’s back hung a lance that, at a glance, looked like a wyvern’s tail.

(“It’s the Hellfire...”)

The Hellfire lance, created from a wyvern’s tail, looked so thin that it could snap in half at any moment. Its main components, Fire Wyvern Marrows and Inferno Sacs, gave it the fire attribute, enabling it to generate intense heat. Included in the set was a shield capable of blocking the hottest flames.

The large man’s old age was signified by the wrinkles at the end of his eyes and white hair mixed in with his black eyebrows.

He was apparently a famous hunter around here, judging from the fiery sight of numerous eyes focused on him. They looked on with envy and respect, both in regards to his equipment and rank.

However, that was not the only surprising thing.

Two more people followed the large man, one of them carrying the Diablos Maul, a massive blunt weapon forged from the tail of a horned wyvern.

On top of the sight of such a weapon, Zeeg was also surprised by its owner.

It was a little girl.

Her age should be about the same as Zeeg’s, and her height was about twenty centimeters shorter. She had a pretty face, but her blue eyes seemed to send out an intimidating aura. Her long, blonde hair was separated equally on two sides of her head and tied together at each end.

Additionally, she had a weird choice of equipment, not wearing a helmet and body armor. She couldn’t have forgotten them at her room, because it looked like she had just returned from a hunt, and her waist, arm, and leg pieces were still properly equipped.

Those armor pieces were from the Rathalos set, created with parts of the male fire wyvern. The armor served as a great indicator of its wearer’s high hunter rank.

No matter how much he thought about it, Zeeg could not understand why she was wearing just a long-sleeved shirt instead of armor.

The girl glanced to her side, and the hunters in her line of sight turned away. She then let out an arrogant snort.

And then, there was another person.

This man also had a weird choice of equipment.

Like the girl, he had no armor equipped on his chest. He did not even have a shirt on, leaving his red, sunburned chest bare. Other than his torso, he was equipped with the Gypceros armor set.

These equipments were created from the rubbery hides of Gypceros, a wyvern capable of emitting flashes of light from the crest on its head. The elasticity of its materials were so great that the pieces could barely be classified as armor. Out of them, the cap stood out the most. It had bent horns similar to a sheep’s, and the hides covered all of the wearer’s face, save for the eyes. The design reminded Zeeg of an executioner’s mask.

On his back was the high-grade heavy bowgun Tankmage, specially modified for increased attack power. This meant his role in the party was not merely to support.

The three of them headed straight to the counter. They totally ignored Zeeg, not even turning to look at his face.

The girl stepped ahead and placed a dusty leather bag on the counter.

“Here are the requested materials.”

Becky wiped her hands with a towel before taking out some documents, and double-checked them.

She nodded, stamped the documents with a seal, and threw the leather bag into a box.

“Item receipt confirmed. Thank you for your hard work-- Would you like to eat something?”

“I’ll make something at my room, so I’ll just have a beer.”

The girl said with a straight face.

(“Beer? Seriously?”)

For a second, Zeeg thought how unfitting it was for her, and the girl turned to face him as if she could read his mind. With her large, blue pupils, she scanned Zeeg from head to toe--

And let out another arrogant snort.

Realizing that he was being insulted, Zeeg’s face turned red with anger. Not caring who the other person is, he banged the knife’s handle on the metal plate, and stood up.

(“!?”)

But a split second later, the world turned upside down. Before he knew it, Zeeg was staring at the gathering hall’s ceiling. The pain soon followed, running all over his back. It hurt so much that he shed a tear.

Zeeg felt so humiliated to cry in front of a girl like this.

The person who threw Zeeg down was not the girl, but the large man in the Diablo armor.

“...Apologies.”

The large man said while pulling Zeeg back up on his feet.

Zeeg dried his tears with his shirt’s sleeves. When he turned around, he was met with the overwhelming figure of the large man, but the intimidating aura seemed to have disappeared. The girl was now hidden behind the large man. It was as if they used a body switching technique to instantly change places.

“Are you okay?”

The man in the Gypceros cap approached, looking at Zeeg from behind his mask. Judging from the voice, he was still young.

“I’m sorry about him. When he thinks the young lady is threatened, he would always act in reflex to defend her.”

“Yeah, it really is a problem.”

The girl crossed her arms.

“That kid wouldn’t be able to hit me, no matter how much he tried.”

“Wha-- what did you say!?”

Zeeg shouted, only for his voice to be reflected back by the large man’s armor.

The girl leaned on the counter with her arm guard, before turning to Zeeg.

“Who’s this kid, Becky?”

“He’s a new recruit.”

“Hmm...”

She squinted and scanned Zeeg from head to toe once more.

“...You balance is awful.”

“What!?’

“Heh, struck a nerve, did I? You’re registered at this guild, which means you’ve successfully hunted a Yian Kut-Ku, right? Even so, what’s up with your equipment? Leather Headgear, Chainmail Vest, Hunter’s Vambraces, Leather Belt, and Blue Pants? I can’t believe there are people who mix things up so badly. Don’t tell me you spent all your money on weapons?”

“That’s right~!”

Before Zeeg could say anything, Becky blurted out, clapping her hands. The girl shrugged as if to say that it was nothing worth praising.

“I knew it... Judging from the scratches on your shoulder pad, you’re a great sword user, aren't you? Those scratches were caused by your unrefined fighting stance. You’re one of those people who just think ‘hit it until it dies’, right? Do you even utilize traps? I’m betting you don’t.”

Bull’s eye. Zeeg had never bothered with such things. Having been able to get through every job up until now just by using his Buster Blade, he didn't see the point.

“And what’s wrong about that!? What about you? With all that talk about balance, but you don’t even wear your body armor! Your vital spots are all exposed!”

“You just don’t get it, do you?”

Shaking her head and letting out a sigh, the girl turned to the counter.

“Becky... I really feel sorry for you, having to deal with rookies like this. Giving requests to this guy is almost like feeding him to the monsters, you know?”

Becky giggled at the girl’s grumbles.

“The guild never refuses people with courage. Of course, it is up to them whether they will end up as monster food, or a splendid hunter.”

“Jeez... You never change, huh?”

She said while sleeking up her hair with her dusty arm guard.

“Hey, you never answered my question! Before criticizing others, explain your equipment!”

The girl turned to Zeeg, putting hands on her hips-- She seemed highly confident in herself.

“You really are a rookie, huh? You’ve never hunted with anyone else before, right?”

“And how's that wrong?”

“Of course it is. If you keep up with that self-centered mindset, you’re bound to expose your party to danger. Don't you understand? Hunting in groups isn’t the same as going alone. Everyone has to do their part. Even though my party prioritizes attack power, each of us has clearly defined roles. First off, him...”

She patted the large man’s waist.

“Gannon’s role is to fight on the front lines, distracting the monster from other party members by using Field Horns. That's why he’s fully equipped to maximize defense.”

The man named Gannon nodded firmly.

“As for my role in the party, it is to charge up my power, wait for openings, and deal powerful blows. For maximum speed and mobility, I chose to not wear a chest piece. As for the helmet, it narrows my field of vision. I need good aim to successfully land my blows, after all.”

With the back of her hand, the girl lightly knocked the other man’s bare chest.

“Mobility is the same reason that Fradio doesn’t wear a chest piece. His primary role is to intercept smaller monsters that could distract Gannon, so he always has to be on the move. As for the mask, well... It’s just his personal preference.”

The man nodded lightly.

“Gypceros... they’re absolutely wonderful, don’t you agree? The sticky sensation when its hides touches your skin! Their cute, wacky movements, like animals frolicking in water! ...What do you think? Would you like to join me as a fellow Gypceros fan?”

He approached so suddenly that Zeeg had to move away.

“I... I’ll pass...”

Upon hearing the answer, the man named Fradio narrowed his eyes under the mask. “Is that so...,” he muttered to himself, and then backed away. He seemed genuinely sad.

“Then, why do you wear those heavy arm guards? Wouldn’t you be better off without them?”

Hearing that, the girl shook her head at Zeeg’s ignorance.

“You really don’t know anything, huh? Do you really think armor are only for defending its wearer from attacks?”

“They’re not?”

“They’re not, you idiot! They reduce the strain on the wearer’s body when lifting weapons, and also lessen the shock on the joints when attacking! You don’t know this even though you use a great sword!? That’s the reason why your movements are so sluggish!”

“H...how did you--”

“Of course I know! You probably use a sword from the Buster line, right? The balance between the sword’s weight and your Blue Pants are all wrong! That’s why I said your balance was awful-- Well, if you want to become monster food that much, I won’t stop you. But...”

The girl extended her hand.

“...What?”

“Tuition fees. Just enough for my beer will be fine. It’s rare to hear such a knowledgeable lecture from veterans at this price, you know? Consider yourself lucky.”

“You’ve got to be kidding! The one who started ranting was you! More importantly, I don’t even know you guys!”

As Zeeg said that, the gathering hall was filled with a brief moment of silence, followed by a unified burst of laughter.

“Hey hey! This guy doesn’t know? Seriously?”

“Now that’s surprising. I can’t believe there was anyone who don’t know of this gang.”

“Hey, can't blame the guy. He’s still a rookie from the countryside, right? It’s not strange.”

“Yeah, yeah. I think so.”

Red with embarrassment, Zeeg banged his hand on the counter.

“Oh c’mon! I’ve heard of even the Crimson Avian Wings! I don’t know about these guys because they’re just not famous!”

The laughter was even louder than before, with a few people laughing while rolling on the floor.

“Did you seriously just say that?”

The girl said before turning to Becky.

“Tell him about us, Becky.”

Becky looked at the girl with a bored expression on her face, as if an annoying job was thrown her way.

“Zeeg, this is Elmeria Franport, 15 years old. Her hunter rank is ‘Wyvern Slayer’.”

Zeeg’s strength disappeared from his legs.

“Wyvern Slayer!?”

“That’s right. With that rank, they have access to the queen guest house. Anyway, the man next to Ellie is Mr. Gannon Denon. As you can see, he’s a lance user. The two of them have been paired up since they registered at this guild, so his rank is the same-- Wyvern Slayer. Their skills are guaranteed. Hmm? What with that face? Were you thinking that the reason Ellie got to her rank was because of Mr. Gannon’s help?”

He nodded, and that instant--

“Whoa-!”

The head of the massive Diablos Maul swung down, narrowly missing Zeeg’s face. It crushed the stone chair in front of him and sent a cracking echo around the gathering hall.

“You better can it, rookie!”

It was an attack from the girl-- Elmeria.

Zeeg’s face turned blue. The weapon had enough power to pulverize a wyvern’s head-- not to mention a human’s.

Elmeria lifted the hammer up and rested it on her shoulder. The weight caused her to slightly adjust her stance.

“I was able to reach this rank with my own abilities! Isn’t that right, Gannon?”

“...That is the truth.”

The large man nodded.

He did not seem to be lying. Her attack was too fast for Zeeg to keep up with his eyes; all he perceived of it was a shockwave.

“Ellie? You’re going to pay for the repairs, right?”

Becky said, smiling. Elmeria then made a grumpy face in response.

“He was the one who provoked me, so he pays! End of story!”

“W...wait a second! This nonsense--”

Zeeg protested, but fell silent when Elmeria gripped her hammer’s handle.

“See? No complaints from him.”

“Oh dear... No way around it, then...”

Becky sighed.

“But with his skill level, it would take many quests for him to get enough money... The stone component is actually quite expensive, you know. What should I do?”

“That is simple.”

Zeeg turned to look at the owner of the voice and saw a small old man-- who looked very similar to his Village’s Chief-- sitting on the counter, sweeping away the gray smoke around him until his figure could be seen clearly.

He moved to sit closer to Zeeg and gasped for some air.

“Becky, you know, that job? Aren’t we supposed to ask them to take that one quest?”

“Huh? Ah... yes.”

Becky took out a piece of paper from behind the counter.

“What's this?”

Elmeria moved in for a closer look.

“It’s an urgent quest-- Here.”

“Let’s see... Hunt a Rathalos?”

Zeeg’s ears opened wide in response to the name. A Rathalos hunt! He had always wanted to try going on one.

“Um... I'll--”

“You can’t do it.”

About to raise his hand, Zeeg was stopped by Elmeria. The girl pretended to not notice Zeeg’s upset reaction. She placed the request paper back on the counter.

“We’ve had enough of the Rathalos for now. How about asking someone else? There should be plenty of hunters wanting to take a crack at it, right?”

“That's true, but there’s a reason we can’t afford to fail this one--”

Becky lowered her voice.

“The client is from the royal court.”

“For real?”

Becky nodded.

“Ten days from now, the royalty will be holding a ‘hunt’ at Arnest Forest. Well, their ‘hunt’ is just a game though, unlike what you guys do. Problem is, near the designated grounds, a Rathalos has apparently set up a nest. They want us to get rid of it.”

“Can’t we just chase it away? There’s no need to kill it.”

“If you did that, it has a chance to come back, right? If it returned while the nobles were hunting, it would be a big problem, so they want it killed. Well, that’s pretty much the details for this quest.”

“Hmm...”

Elmeria smirked while rubbing her chin.

“Alright, we accept. It’s nice to do some good deeds for the royalty once in a while.”

“No no, wait a second.”

Elmeria reached for the paper, but her hand was blocked by the elder’s staff.

“This is the quest that we want you to take care of, yes, but can you also listen to this old man’s request?”

Elmeria hunched her shoulders.

“What is it?”

“Nothing difficult, really. When you head out, I want you to let the boy tag along.”

Zeeg and Elmeria’s eyes open wide upon hearing the sudden proposal.

“Now, now. I understand that you might be dissatisfied.”

The old man spoke up before anyone could voice a complaint.

“But you see, the Chief of this boy’s hometown asked me to take care of him... And the fastest way to teach him is to let him learn from the experience of a real hunt. If it’s your party, letting this kid tag along shouldn’t be much of a problem, am I right?”

“You gotta be kidding!”

Elmeria glanced at Zeeg, eyes narrowed.

“Bring a rookie like him along on a Rathalos Hunt? If he did something stupid, the three of us would be dead too, you know!? If you want to die that much, go do it yourself!”

“Now, don’t say that. It’ll be fine. I’ll have him promise to not do anything and just watch.”

“W...wait! Just watching is a bit--”

Zeeg voiced his complaint, but stopped as the old man glared at him. The sharp, intimidating glint in the Guild Master’s eyes was all it took to shut Zeeg up.

The elder then went back to his cheerful face and turned to Elmeria.

“See? He promised. If he does something disruptive, then just do anything with him. You can throw him into a Pitfall Trap, or feed him to the Rathalos. But only if he breaks the promise. Oh, I'll also have some bonus for you. How about this much?”

The old man fiddled with an abacus and showed it to the girl.

For a moment, Zeeg noticed a sparkle in her eyes.

“Hmm...”

Elmeria squinted and turned to Zeeg, before patting Gannon’s back.

“What should we do? Guild Master insisted that much.”

“I do not mind.”

“Then it's a deal. We will hunt the Rathalos under those terms. For today, I want to eat, drink, and sleep in a fluffy bed. I won’t let anyone get in my way, alright? We leave tomorrow at noon.”

Everyone nodded.

Zeeg’s opinion was left unheard to the whole company. He tried raising his voice, but no one would hear him out at this point.

And then--

“Um... I haven’t been introduced yet...”

The man in the executioner’s mask-- the one called Fradio-- humbly raised his hand.

“Ah, apologies.”

Becky clapped her hands once in front of her chest, then turned to Zeeg and smiled.

“This is Fradio Heart, a gunner, ranked ‘Wyvern Slayer’ like the other two. People of his skill level are very hard to come by, you know. As for his favorite thing--”

Fradio proudly raised his bare chest and spoke up.

“--Gypceros!”

Chapter 2 - First Quest

Zeeg busily prepared the party’s base camp, with Elmeria watching behind him, crossing her arms in an imposing stance.

The location for constructing a base camp has to not only be a fairly large open space, but also hard for monsters to reach. For example, in a cave with a hole in its ceiling, or on a cliff where one can survey the whole area. For this hunt, the chosen location is a caved in area near an aquifer. The water spring isn’t big enough for wyverns to drink, and the area itself is too small for them to glide down and land. Moreover, the exit that leads to the forest and hills, and also the main road, is so narrow that even a Velociprey won’t be able get through. One could say that this is the perfect camping spot.

The trip here on a carriage took three days.

All the way, Elmeria complained to Gannon about the possibility of Zeeg being a hindrance.

Speaking of the large man, he is most likely more than 50 years old. Wrinkles at the end of his eyes can be clearly seen, and the white hair mixed in with his black eyebrows is hard to miss. However, his muscles and bones under the armor are rock-solid. Zeeg could not imagine what kind of training he went through.

Gannon is a silent man, a complete contrast to Elmeria’s talkative personality.

Speaking of the girl, she has quite a sharp tongue.

All Elmeria talked about during the trip were about a new hunter’s lack of strategy and manner issues. This highly annoyed Zeeg, as he knew that those words were directed at him.

He thought about talking back at her many times but kept quiet, since the chance to experience a fight against the Rathalos is worth the mild humiliation. More importantly, he understood that a hunt can’t be accomplished purely by stubbornness.

In moments when Zeeg was about to lose his patience, the Gypceros guy- Fradio, would approach before the situation gets bad.

“Well well, sorry you had to go through that.”

He would whisper that and sit down beside Zeeg.

“Even though the young lady said all that, she doesn’t have any malicious intent, you know? She’s giving you examples of mistakes a novice hunter could make. Of course, she told you those things to prevent you from doing anything that would get all of us in danger.”

What Fradio said was correct. Even though Zeeg was annoyed at Elmeria’s rants, most of the examples she gave were things that have happened to him before, and he’s not so immature that he would be incensed by her words.

During the short trip, Zeeg got to know everyone in the party and their roles.

Generally speaking, Elmeria was like the princess of the team.

No matter what the girl says, Gannon wouldn’t say anything in response, replying with nods or some other gestures, like a noblewoman’s butler.

Gannon is also the one tasked with making all the meals. According to Fradio, the reason was that he and Elmeria can’t cook to save themselves. Besides, Gannon’s cooking is so good that he puts common chefs to shame.

With that said, Elmeria isn’t too arrogant to do things herself, but it was Gannon who wouldn’t let her do anything. Even if it’s a given for hunters, she maintains her weapons and armors with care, and prepares hunting supplies accordingly.

The carriage is filled with tools and supplies for the wyvern hunt.

Bomb Materials and Flash Bugs, components for crafting Flash Bombs, prepared for on-field combination in case the initial stock runs out. Paint Balls, used to track a monster by marking it with a strong, unique smell. Trap Tools and Nets, materials used for assembling a Pitfall Trap. Small Barrel Bombs for detonating Large Barrel Bombs. And most importantly, health-recovering Potions. All those items are packed in the carriage.

Zeeg was surprised that so much preparation has to be made to hunt a single Wyvern.

In every quest he has done, including the Yian Kut-Ku hunt, Zeeg has only used the Paint Balls- he has never used the other items such as Pitfall Traps or Large Barrel Bombs. His Buster Blade was enough to complete the hunts. He admires the Rathalos for requiring so much preparation to hunt, even for the veteran hunters.

“The Rathalos is so great, huh...”

Zeeg mumbled, and Elmeria laughed at him.

“What are you saying? It’s because you’re here with us that we need to prepare so many things. The Guild Master asked us to teach you the basics, after all. These lessons aren’t cheap, you know? Of course, the expenses for these items will be paid with your share of the reward money.”

“Wait a second! That’s like I’m working for free!”

Voicing his complaint, Zeeg’s nose was pushed by Elmeira.

“For free or not, do you think you’ll get to do anything?”

Even though he wanted to kick her in the buttocks, Zeeg reminded himself of Fradio’s warning that if he did, Gannon would kill him.

Even though Fradio looks like an executioner because of his Gypceros Cap, he seems to be peace-loving. As a result, he does a great job as the party’s voice of reason.

A hunting party can have a maximum of four members. Which means, with three people as permanent members, Elmeria’s party must have had recruited some temporary members before, like this time. Zeeg couldn’t imagine what would happen if Fradio was not there to defuse arguments between Elmeria and the other member. If a dispute were to break out in the middle of a hunt, things could get ugly. And that is why Fradio is a crucial part of their team.

(“He’s a pretty weird guy though....”)

Zeeg thought while putting up a tent that could fit four people, staking down the pegs and tightening the ropes. It was said that each hunter has a unique personality, which seems to be true.

(“Alright.... It’s complete.”)

He stood up and dusted his hands.

For Zeeg, putting up a tent is an easy task. Even if it’s a lot larger than a one-person tent, the process isn’t any different.

“It’s finished!”

Zeeg turned around and raised his chest proudly.

With a stubborn look on her face, Elmeria checked out the tent’s construction, pulling hard on the ropes and pushing heavily on the canvas. Not finding any mistakes in the construction, she made a bitter face, as if she’s chewing on a Bitterbug.

“Hm... Well, you should be able to do this much. You’ve been playing hunter for a while, after all.”

“What do you mean by playing?”

Being talked back like that, Elmeria let out a grin.

“I mean exactly what I said. You should have realized by now that just hunting a Yian Kut-Ku doesn’t make you a professional yet, right?”

“That’s....”

Even though he had already realized that, Zeeg didn’t want to admit it. He also didn’t want to believe that hunters to hunt together are superior to those who hunt alone.

There was a hunter that stopped by the village who was able to take on a Rathalos by himself. That means it’s not impossible to accomplish alone, even if it’s currently beyond Zeeg’s capabilities.

“Well, never mind that. Next, go get the beds.”

“All by myself?”

“Isn’t that obvious? I need to carry the supplies and items- You wouldn’t say that you’d rather do that, right? I still don’t trust you enough to have you handle those important items. Anyway, you’ll need to show me that you can be of use first. If you understand that, then get going!”

“Ouch!”

Zeeg staggered after being kicked on the back of his thigh.

(“This little-!”)

He wanted to punch her so badly, but ceased the thought after seeing Gannon, who is busy with his work but still keeps watch on everybody, from the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to be impaled by the Diablos Horns on Gannon’s shoulder.

“Tch...”

As he made a sound to show his dissatisfaction, another kick followed, but Zeeg was able to dodge it this time. Pretending to not feel anything, he walked to the carriage.

Elmeria didn’t give chase, and instead threw out strings of insults, her face red with frustration.

“....How vulgar.”

Zeeg muttered while climbing onto the carriage.

“You two seem to be getting along well!”

“Wha-!”

Fradio was sitting inside the carriage. Zeeg was so startled that he almost lost his footing.

A variety of herbs and mushrooms were arranged in front of Fradio. There was also an empty bottle rolling on the floor.

Even though he doesn’t wear any other armor right now, the Gypceros cap is never taken out.

“You’re combining items here, Fradio?”

Zeeg asked while being careful not to shake the carriage.

One of the skills hunters have is to combine items and tools from materials found in the wild. For example, Herbs, which have styptic properties, and Blue Mushrooms, which have no use by itself but can enhance other herbs’ effects, can be combined into health-recovering Potions.

However, anyone could make something as simple as that. Items like Gunpowder and Large Barrel Bombs, on the other hand, are difficult to combine if one is not a hunter.

What Fradio is making right now is Gunpowder. He ground a mixture of Fire Herbs and Nitroshrooms into fine powder, poured it into a bag, and sealed it. He then takes a deep breath and calls out to Zeeg by waving his hand.

Zeeg took a seat, but Fradio doesn’t say anything.

“Fradio, I wasn’t ‘getting along’ with her at all, you know?”

Zeeg spoke up to deny Fradio’s previous statement.

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. What made you think that we were getting along? I was insulted almost constantly, and she even kicked me in the leg...”

“Hehehe!”

Fradio laughed like he was plotting something. Though with his facial expression being unreadable due to the Gaypceros Cap, he seems strangely emotionless.

“So that’s how you see it? Interesting. Does that mean when the Gypceros emitted a flash of light from its crest, it was actually asking for my love? It looks like it was an attack, but in fact it’s not... So that it...”

“What’re you talking about?”

Zeeg tilted his head sideways, and Fradio blinked once.

“Ah, excuse my rant. I was reminded of the wonderful, sweet memories of the time spent with Gypceros.”

“What made you think of a Gypceros when talking about me and that girl?”

“Hm? Don’t you see the resemblance?”

“Of course not. I’ve never even seen a live Gypceros before.”

Hearing that, a great deal of pity was shown on Fradio’s eyes, as if he was saying that there’s no greater misfortune than this.

“Listen well, Zeeg. Among the many species of wyverns, not a single one of them can compare to the Gypceros in beauty and cuteness. Every hunter needs to see that figure! Feel those elastic hides! The damp, sticky sensation from their skin! The blinding flashes of light from their crests! Their poison attacks that will take your breath away! Their art of feigning death! Everyone needs to experience it at least once in their lives. If not, then why do we even become hunters in the first place!? She looks at me, and in return I look at her... Aligning my bowgun’s sights with her sweet little eyes, then pull the trigger...”

Fradio clenched his fist as if he was pulling a bowgun’s trigger. He started to sweat, his skin twitching. While catching his breath and squinting his eyes, it looked like he was smiling happily.

“Ah, excuse me. At any rate, I highly recommend seeing it once. She can be found often in the jungles.”

“Hah...”

The Gypceros may be a ‘she’ to Fradio, but there’s no way to know if it really is a female or not. One thing for sure is that Fradio’s feelings for the poisonous bird wyvern is beyond Zeeg’s comprehension.

“With that said, maybe the reason why the young lady is always scolding you might be that she’s interested in you? Otherwise, she wouldn’t even say a word- Ah, that doesn’t mean she’s in love with you, so don’t misunderstand, alright?”

“Of course not!”

Zeeg replied immediately. Even if it’s true, he would never want to be in a relationship with someone so selfish and overconfident. If someone were to be in love with him, he wished they would be a mature lady, someone like Becky.

“Hey, Fradio. Why did you choose to team up with those two?”

“Is it strange?”

“You see, I’ve been wondering about how teams are formed.”

“Well...”

Fradio rested his chin on his hand.

“I suppose that teaming up with someone you’ve never seen before is strange, yes. As for those two-”

He turned to look at Elmeria, who is currently watching Gannon maintain his lance.

“-They have been paired up the moment they registered at the guild. I don’t know how they’re related, and have no intention to ask. There’s also a party you might know called the Crimson Avian Wings, who teamed up right from the start. Other than that, even though they registered at different times, there are quite a lot of hunters who team up because they knew each other before. How do I say this... hunting is a dangerous job, so entrusting your life to strangers isn’t exactly the best idea, don’t you agree?”

“Then what about you? Were you acquainted with them?”

Fradio slowly shook his head.

“I used to hunt alone. A Gypceros specialist, so to speak. When the young lady was going to hunt a Gypceros, Becky recommended her to find me. At that time, I was in a different city, so I don’t really want to turn down an invitation from someone who traveled far just for me. I also wanted to observe how other hunters fight the Gypceros. With that, I joined up with them. It was supposed to be just for that one hunt, but they’ve taken quite a liking to me and made me a permanent member.”

“Hm... Well, those two are pretty strange though...”

Zeeg turned to look at Elmeria and Gannon.

“They don’t seem to be a family... And that girl, is she really strong?”

“Very.”

Fradio answered without any hesitation.

“There was one time when we were surrounded by a pack of Ioprey in the jungle- Ah, do you know what an Ioprey is?”

Zeeg nodded.

According to what he heard, the monster is a variant of Velociprey. Even if it’s classified as a small monster, they’re two meters long on average. Their distinctive features are the vivid red skin and head crest. Their behaviors are mostly the same as Velocipreys. When one sees a prey, it will call out to their pack with a loud cry. The difference is that the Iopreys have poison sacs, enabling them to spit toxins at its foes.

“...In the Jungle, the moist air and thick vegetation reduces the effectiveness of Gannon’s lance, and the branches and vines get in my line of fire. I thought it was the end for us. You see, at that time I still doubted the young lady’s skill, thinking that she was carried by Gannon.”

“But you were wrong?”

“Yes. It was an impressive display. Even in the thick jungle, she wielded the Diablos Maul effectively. She looked for the pack’s alpha and rushed it down, crushing its head with her hammer... The Iopreys, seeing the young lady lift her blood-soaked hammer from the alpha's pulverized head, immediately fled. Only a first-rate hunter could land a blow that swift and accurate.”

“She really doesn’t look the part though...”

Right now, she’s dangling on one of Gannon’s Diablos horns like a monkey. No one would believe that she’s a skilled hunter if they saw this. But Zeeg believes it, as he has experienced the power of her swing once before.

“Hehehe... You’ll understand soon enough. Anyway, didn’t you come here to get something?”

“Oh, yeah! She told me to come get the beds... Jeez, she’s such a slave driver. She said she has to carry the supplies, but look at her now, playing with Gannon...”

“She heard that, you know.”

“Oh c’mon... She’s not a Yian Kut-Ku. At this range she shouldn’t-”

As Zeeg said that, a white object was flung at him, hitting his nose. The impact caused him to fall flat on his back with his nose aching. At that moment, a small piece of monster bone can be seen spinning in the air above him.

Zeeg assessed that the Small Monster Bone was the object Elmeria flung at him. She made it look so easy.

(“Dammit..!”)

She most likely heard the whole conversation. With her ears being as sensitive as the Yian Kut-Ku, Zeeg wondered if a Sonic Bomb would stun her like it does the bird wyvern.

His nose slightly bleeding, Zeeg tried to raise his hand to stop it, but couldn’t move. It’s as if he was seeing the world in slow motion.

As the bone piece falls down, Fradio grabbed it before it hit Zeeg’s face again.

“Are you okay?”

“That hurt ...”

Zeeg whimpered, shaking his head. While stopping his nosebleed, he swore that he would get back at her one of these days.

The next morning, Elmeria didn’t seem to regret what she did to Zeeg’s nose. She passed a BBQ Spit to Zeeg.

Excluding rations provided by the guild, Hunters need to gather and cook their own meals on-site. For that reason, carving and cooking raw meat are one of the first things a hunter learns to do.

“While we’re getting ready, go grill us some steaks. We’ll set off immediately after we finish eating. Don’t mess this up, alright? I’ll have you eat all the burnt pieces and even throw in some extra kicks.”

Zeeg grabbed the parts and made a grumpy face to show his dissatisfaction.

“I know, I know. You don’t have to tell me that.”

“Hmph. If that’s the case, good.”

Elmeria let out her usual arrogant snort before turning around to organize her items.

(“She just has an endless supply of insults...”)

This time, Zeeg complains in his mind. No matter how good her ears may be, she definitely won’t know if it’s kept in his head.

Zeeg took a piece of salt-cured meat from the salt bucket and put in on the spit, attaching one side of the meat’s bone to the handle. He then started a fire with flint and steel.

(Alright....)

Rubbing his hands together then gripping the handle tightly, he started spinning-

“Trut truu trut truu~ Trut truu truut~ Trut truu ruu trut tuu tuut~ Tuu ruu ruu tuu ruu ruu- tu ru ruu- tu ru ruu- tu ru ruu- trut truu trut truu truu----hup! Mm~! So tasty~!”

Zeeg lifted the meat up from the spit with perfect timing. The meat is crunchy on the surface, but still juicy inside.

“Ahhahahahaha! He hee~~ Trut truu trut truu~ Seriously!? I’m dead! I’m so dead!”

Hearing her laughter that seemed like it could be heard by monsters all over the forest, Zeeg turned around with the well-done steak still in his hand. He saw Elmeria rolling on the floor, laughing.

“What now!?”

Zeeg waved the meat in his hand, and Elmeria stopped laughing and stood up.

“You... can you not cook meat without humming the BBQ Song?”

“So what...? There’s nothing wrong with that...”

“That’s fine and all, but singing so loudly is like making an announcement to the world that you’re a rookie, you know? I’m starting to doubt that you were really able to hunt a Yian Kut-Ku.”

“I wasn’t lying!”

“Well, that doesn’t really matter. You’ll only be watching this time, anyway.”

Elmeria approached and snatched the meat from Zeeg’s hand. She took a bite and smiled, not caring about the meat juices that got all over her mouth and cheeks.

“Mm... so tasty– Well, what’re you waiting for? Hurry up and grill the rest.”

“Tch...”

Zeeg grumbled as he turned back to the BBQ Spit.

While grilling the other three pieces, he hummed the song in a sarcastic tone and an increasingly loud voice. While receiving their meat, Gannon just nodded once, and Frado thanked Zeeg.

After extinguishing the fire, Zeeg sat down to eat his piece of meat, while also looking at Fradio, curious about how he would eat.

There’s also a possibility that he would take his mask off, revealing his face.

Fradio rinsed the meat with spring water before placing it on a large leaf. He then uses his carving knife to cut the meat into little pieces, and eats them by opening his mask slightly from below.

Elmeria and Gannon, on the other hand, bite their meat directly.

Zeeg could think of only one description for Gannon’s face without his helmet- gritty. His black, swept-back hair has quite a lot of white mixed in. The edges of his mouth slightly point down. His wrinkles are clearly defined, especially the spots between his eyes and cheeks, and his neck is almost as wide as his face.

The Diablo armor set wouldn’t suit him if he wasn’t this large. After all, Gannon is a front-line fighter, so physical strength is also important. His build is so solid that his bones and muscles could be considered part of his armor.

After they’re done eating, the party dug a hole to bury the bones. If left alone, the remaining smell could attract small monsters and bugs to the camp, and that would be dangerous.

Zeeg disassembled the BBQ Spit and put the parts in his item pouch, which also contains a few other items such as Whetstones and Herbs. He didn’t get his share of supply items because he most likely wouldn’t need them anyways.

“...Is everyone ready?”

Elmeria looked around once equipped her Rathalos Vambraces, then picked up the Diablos Maul, resting it on her shoulder. Gannon silently put on his Diablo Helm. Fradio double-checked the Tankmage’s barrel before carrying it on his back.

Zeeg also checked his Buster Blade. The sword was maintained and sharpened with care. It was so clean that Zeeg thought it might even be able to sever the fire wyvern’s tail in a single cut.

He expected a snarky comment from Elmeria, but she didn’t say anything.

The girl unrolled a map and waited for everyone to come and look, her finger pointed at the area designated by the number 5.

“According to the guild, this is where the Rathalos has set up its nest. It’s a cave in the mountainside, with a hole in its ceiling. The wyvern most likely uses the area just for sleeping, since it doesn’t seem to be around that much. If we’re going to find it-”

She then pointed at the numbers 3 and 10 on the map.

Fradio nodded.

“Yes, I agree. Area 3 is the Aptonoths’ feeding ground, and is a location where the Rathalos can glide down to land. As for area 10, there is a pond that it can drink from. The target is likely to show up in these two locations.”

“I hope it doesn’t escape into area 9 though. It’s a narrow path that’s too dangerous to fight in, and those sneaky Melynxes seem to be showing up there, too.”

“Those thief cats can be such troublemakers sometimes, don’t you agree? Even if the stolen item was just a felvine, it still feels annoying.”

Fradio shook his head, and Gannon nodded in agreement.

“That’s true...”

Elmeria mumbled while she folded the map.

“...Alright, shall we? The time limit is 50 hours. Any longer than that and the quest will be considered a failure, so give it your all- Well, it’ll probably go smoothly if the rookie doesn’t do anything stupid though.”

Zeeg didn’t respond to her snark. Not that he was ignoring her, but the boy was so excited that he simply couldn’t hear what Elmeria said.

Feeling a little unsatisfied with Zeeg’s lack of response, Elmeria picked up her stuff. The biggest item is the Large Barrel Bomb.

Zeeg and Fradio each took a barrel. Gannon doesn’t carry one because his role is to guard the party.

The bombs are heavy, but that means they have great destructive power.

Fradio has warned Zeeg during the trip that if the bomb were to explode on his back, there wouldn’t even be a single bone of him left. The plotting laugh he made while saying that weirded Zeeg out.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Elmeria leads the team, going through the tunnel that connects the camp to outside. She was followed in a straight line by Gannon, Zeeg, and lastly, Fradio.

(“Uh...”)

As Zeeg exited, the bright sunshine hit his eyes, and a refreshing breeze blows.

Immediately outside the tunnel was a slope where one could survey the surrounding area.

There is a small cliff to the party’s side, with a river at its bottom. The currents aren’t very fast, but they won’t be able to cross with all this luggage. Forest and hills similar to this side can be seen on the other side of the river. The sky was wide and clear, with a flock of birds flying in a leisurely manner.

Gannon assumes the lead position, switching with Elmeria.

Zeeg tried his best to keep up with the party’s pace, enduring the barrel’s weight on his shoulders. Even though Elmeria is smaller than him, she carried her barrel without even breaking a sweat. Zeeg didn’t want to lose to her.

Turning to the left and going down the slope, the group reached a grassy field bordered by a river. The scenery was breathtaking.

A pack of herbivore monsters- Aptonoths, can be seen grazing in the field. They may be over 10 meters long, but they are timid in nature, and will usually run away when threatened.

Some will attempt to fight back, however. Their tails are fairly powerful, their strikes could result in a few broken bones if one is not careful.

They usually aren’t wary of humans, so they could be easily domesticated or trained to haul carriages.

The party approached the pack of herbivores. Some of them looked around, probably because they could smell the gunpowder, but soon kept on eating.

“Hey... aren’t we going to hunt them?”

Zeeg turned to Elmeria and asked his question.

“Is that necessary?”

She answered without turning around.

“Eh? Isn’t that the basics? Collect all we can, and sell unused materials to the merchants.”

“You’ve always been hunting like that back at your village, right?”

“Of course. The village chief used to say something about that too, but the reward money isn’t quite enough for me to get some good equipment. I also had to do my own fishing, mining, catching bugs, and picking herbs and mushrooms... Some mushrooms even fetch a good price.”

“I see. There isn’t anyone who could teach you back at the village, so the chief sent you to the city, huh? Oh dear...”

“What’s up with that tone?”

“Well, never mind that. You’re just watching anyway. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll tie you up and use you as Rathalos bait, got it?”

“I know...”

Zeeg had to comply even though the other person is younger than him. The girl’s unwavering stance made her look more mature than she really is, even with that height.

Walking past the Aptonoth pack and climbing another slope, Gannon suddenly stopped, raising his hand to the side.

Naturally, everyone else also stopped.

“Rathalos?”

Elmeria whispered, and Gannon shook his head lightly.

“No... they are Velocipreys.”

Zeeg slightly shivered as he saw the monsters’ blue, black-striped skin. The Velocipreys are small carnivores. These raptor-like creatures may be weak compared to the Yian Kut-Ku, but they attack in packs. The fangs inside their beak-like mouths are strong, and their claws can easily rip out a human’s unprotected flesh. They are not be underestimated.

“...Here I go.”

Covering his face with the Diablo Helm’s mask, Gannon drew out his weapon. The lance stretched out, becoming twice as long. Its head, made from a Fire Wyvern Marrow, was set ablaze as it contacts the air. He then took out his shield in a similar manner, then charged in.

“You stay here.”

Elmeria said while putting down her luggage and drawing her hammer.

“If you make a bad move and break any of the items, I won’t forgive you.”

“Please take good care of them.”

Even Fradio said that while patting Zeeg’s shoulder.

“W...wait! If it’s just Velociprey, then I-”

Zeeg tried to follow them, dragging everyone else’s luggage along. The battle was already over when he arrived, however.

“Hm... he never needed help, after all.”

Fradio’s said to himself, his bowgun still holstered on his back.

Gannon took care of all the Velocipreys by himself. With that said, it doesn’t mean he killed all of them.

A patch of grass near him was burnt, and on it lies a badly charred corpse of a Velociprey.

Realizing that it’s impossible to win, the other monsters in the pack immediately fled.

Elmeria, seeing Zeeg drag her luggage, looked at him cross-eyed. Before she could reprimand him for disobeying orders, Zeeg spoke up-

“Hey, why’re you letting them get away?”

Materials from those carnivores fetch a good price at the market. With this group’s abilities, or even just Gannon’s skill with the lance, the Velocipreys shouldn’t be able to run away from them.

“That’s simple- We don’t kill things pointlessly.”

Elmeria snatched her item pouch away from Zeegs hands, even though she still has her hammer drawn.

“What is our objective? To hunt the Rathalos, right? Before then, we should keep fighting to a minimum, so that we wouldn’t get injured before the real fight. We also need to preserve our limited supplies. If you want to kill every single monster that appears, then perhaps you’re better off just going back to your village, kid.”

“What did you say!?”

Losing his patience, Zeeg raised his fist.

“Now, now. Stop it, you two.”

Out of nowhere, Fradio was standing beside Zeeg, pointing the Tankmage’s barrel at his hand, ready to pull the trigger. Judging from his eyes, he’s serious. If Zeeg were to move his hand any further, Fradio would shoot without any hesitation, and the shot would most likely blow off his arm.

Knowing that, Zeeg broke out in a cold sweat.

“Zeeg. Her words may sound harsh, but that’s her way of teaching you the spirit of a hunter. Please don’t start a fight here... And the young lady, too. Please consider that he’s still a rookie.”

“...Hmph.”

Elmeria turned away to pick up her luggage and then walked to Gannon. Seeing that, Fradio turned his bowgun’s barrel away.

Zeeg was so nervous that his strength disappeared from his knees, but was somehow able to keep himself from collapsing.

“Hehehe.... I’m sorry. Did I surprise you? Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on pulling the trigger anyway.”

Zeeg kept quiet even though he knew it was a lie.

Fradio picked up his bag and continued walking with his Tankmage still drawn. This is due to the possibility of the female fire wyvern Rathian appearing in this area.

(“Dammit...”)

Zeeg felt angry at himself, both for being so scared, and the fact that he had to admit what Elmeria said about him.

That is because, when he thought about it, she was correct.

The Velocipreys aren’t their targets. Moreover, if the fight drags on, the Velocipreys’ cries could alert the Rathalos. If it were to come over here, the battle would get messy, putting everyone at a higher risk. They also won’t be able to use the bombs that have been prepared.

Zeeg understood that when he has calmed down. Before, he would only think about benefits in the short-term.

(“Now that I think about it, the village chief did tell me to broaden my horizons...”)

That might be what he’s experiencing right now. But one thing is for sure- Zeeg now understands that hunting recklessly isn’t the right thing to do.

Even if the party did wipe out the Velociprey pack, they wouldn’t be able to keep much of the carved materials, since their bags are full of supplies.

That would make it a worthless kill.

The chief used to say that, as hunters, it is one thing that they absolutely should not do.

It’s not that Zeeg doesn’t understand, it’s just that he hadn’t given much thought about the complicated stuff like coexistence with nature.

(“Alright! I’ll take this chance to learn a whole lot from them!”)

Realizing his mistakes, Zeeg picked up his luggage and caught up with the rest.

(“At least I’ll get to see a live Rathalos from a safe distance! It’s actually not bad! Who knows, they might even share some of its scales with me, too!”)

He wouldn’t be able to continue on if not for his optimism.

After Zeeg has caught up, the group walked through a narrow path, appearing at a large grassy plain atop a cliff. This area, marked in the map with the number 3, is the Rathalos’ hunting ground.

However, things are surprisingly quiet.

A few Aptonoths can be seen grazing. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

Just when Zeeg thought things were safe-

A strong gust of wind blew, a large shadow flying over the party.

“It’s here! ---Let’s go! Zeeg, stay back!”

With that said, Elmeria put away the Diablos Maul on her back and picked up her bag.

She then took out a Flash Bomb and held it in her hand.

“Hehehe... Let’s get started, then.”

Fradio loaded up the Tankmage.

As for Zeeg, he climbed onto a ledge where he could survey the whole area.

“!”

The first thing he saw was the Apthonoths running away from the shadow towards his position, causing tremors with their heavy steps. Elmeria and Gannon ran past them in the opposite direction.

On the other side of the field, Zeeg could see the figure of a huge wyvern beating its red wings as it landed- the Rathalos! So huge! It’s several times larger than an Aptonoth!

The wind from its beating wings kicked up billows of dust.

Something was shot at the wyvern’s chest, causing a brief, red flash. A strong, unique smell soon followed, covering the whole area. It was a paint bullet.

Zeeg immediately knew that the Rathalos has noticed the party.

Shaking its long neck, the wyvern opened the mouth on its fiendish face, revealing lines of sharp fangs. It then let out a mighty roar, causing a shockwave.

For a moment, it’s as if the air itself was torn apart by the wyvern’s voice.

Zeeg immediately covered his ears so that he wouldn’t faint from the shock.

(“What about them!?”)

Raising his face back up, he could see that the others weren’t stopped by the roar. All of them rushed up to the Rathalos, Fradio included.

(“Why!? Aren’t gunners supposed to attack from a distance!?”)

The wyvern landed, causing a tremor. Its upper body was lifted back up, and its long neck extend forward. Fire can be seen blazing in its mouth.

(“A breath attack!?”)

If anyone were to take a direct hit, especially when carrying a barrel bomb on their back, they would be burnt to a crisp.

Suddenly, something was thrown, exploding into a blinding flash of light in front of the Rathalos. It’s Elmeria’s flash bomb!

Zeeg’s eyes were briefly covered in all white. He blinked rapidly to restore his vision. As his sight returned to normal, he saw something unbelievable.

Elmeria crept under the Rathalos as it roared in confusion!

Zeeg could clearly see how big the wyvern is compared to the girl. One of its legs alone is bigger than her whole body, and each of its sharp, curved talons is like a short sword.

On the ground under the wyvern, Elmeria placed the Large Barrel Bomb she was carrying.

Then, she turned around and made a hand sign.

At first, Zeeg thought she was calling himself, but the sign was actually meant for Fradio.

Fradio rushed to the Rathalos without any hesitation, stopping between its legs. Then, he placed his Large Barrel Bomb beside the one previously placed, and set a Small Barrel Bomb beside the two large barrels.

Even from a distance, sparks can be seen on the small barrel’s fuse. That means it’s been ignited, ready to go off at any moment.

Seconds later, the small barrel exploded, detonating the two larger barrels!

The explosion was even louder than the wyvern’s roar. The shells on its stomach broke off, and a stream of blood gushed out from the wound, dyeing the grass red.

Even then, the monster is still active, which means the injury wasn’t fatal.

Gannon drew out his lance and shield, then charged in, his equipped Hi-Metal Greaves kicking up soil behind him with each step.

Nearby, Elmeria dropped her bag and started running towards the target in a curve.

Fradio, on the other hand, ran to Zeeg’s side and dropped his bag. Using the luggage as a makeshift bowgun stand, he set the Tankmage on it, sat down, and started aiming.

The bowgun’s trigger was pulled, the shot followed by a loud sound and a cloud of gunpowder smoke. It exploded on the Rathalos’ eye, causing its blood to spatter off.

The male fire wyvern raised its head and roared, revealing its stomach that just got its shells torn off.

“OOOOOHHHH!!!”

Gannon rushed forward, the wounded spot being his target.

The Hellfire lance thrusted deeply into the wound, setting it on fire. Even though the Rathalos also has the fire attribute, its flesh was burnt away regardless.

Gannon didn’t stop there. With his tremendous strength, he pushed on until the wyvern was toppled. Falling sideways on the ground, its wing was bent out of shape. A loud cracking sound of breaking bones can be heard.

While the monster was writhing in pain, a shadow entered from the side- it was Elmeria.

“Hereee Goes!!”

Without hesitating, she swung down the Diablos Maul with all her strength. The hammer made a direct hit to the Rathalos’ head, causing a loud thumping sound. Small flames lashed out of the wyvern’s mouth as half of its head sunk under the earth. The strike was not enough, however, since only the scales were scraped off.

Elmeria then lifted up her hammer for another pound-

“....Young mistress!”

Gannon put down his lance and leapt at Elmeria, pushing her down flat on the ground.

Immediately above them, the Rathalos’ tail swung past like a halberd, narrowly missing the girl’s back.

A direct hit would have broken Elmeria’s spine, since she wasn’t wearing body armor. Even if she did survive the attack, the impact would most likely knock her off the cliff.

Gannon still holds Elmeria in the same position, as if he was absorbing her into his body.

The Rathalos lifted itself up, shaking its slightly deformed head. Half of its face was heavily wounded, missing one eye. Small flames still lash out from its mouth. In this form, it looks even scarier than normal.

On Fradio’s side, he loaded his bowgun with a new bullet and made a quick shot. It seemed like he didn’t even need to aim.

The shot made a small explosion on the tip of the wyvern’s nose. It roared out in pain, spread out its wounded wings, and flew up. The wind from its beating wings kicked up billows of dust so thick that Elmeria and Gannon’s figures were totally obscured from sight.

Fradio made another shot. This time, it didn’t explode, and instead made a small spark as it hit the target’s face.

The Rathalos, initially planning to dive at Gannon with its poisonous talons, decided to retreat after being hit. It ascended and flew away from the area.

Without waiting for the wyvern to be out of sight, Fradio holstered his bowgun, picked up his bag, and ran to the other two to regroup. Zeeg, seeing that, picked up his luggage and followed.

(“Awesome... Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!”)

Zeeg couldn’t contain his excitement. In such a short time, the veteran hunters could deal that much damage to the Rathalos. Not to mention the last part. Things looked very dangerous, but Fradio didn’t seem to panic. Could it be that Gannon’s defense was enough to take on the wyvern’s talons anyway?

Before the other two reached him, Gannon stood up.

Elmeria, who had been pressed down by Gannon the whole time, stood up as if nothing happened. She then proceeded to blow off the dust that got into her armguard.

“That was awesome!”

Unable to contain his excitement, Zeeg started speaking without even knowing what he was talking about. Words just involuntarily flowed out of his mouth.

“I can’t believe it! Going under that... that thing’s legs- without any hesitation! I finally understand! The difference in power between the Yian Kut-Ku and the Rathalos! Man... that was so awesome...”

Zeeg continued his rant in excitement, but Elmeria nonchalantly walked past him.

“Er... Well...”

The feeling Zeeg had when he was ignored at the peak of his excitement was like being splashed by a bucket of cold water.

Elmeria went to pick up her bag and put it on her shoulder before turning back to the boy.

“Look, just keep your impressions to yourself. We haven’t even defeated the Rathalos yet. Get ready for the next round.”

“The next-”

Elmeria turned away before Zeeg could even finish his sentence.

Gannon picked up his lance and followed the girl. He knocked Zeeg’s head lightly as he walked past.

Zeeg felt that Gannon didn’t do that to reprimand him, but to tell him to follow them.

“Let’s hurry.”

“Y...yeah.”

Zeeg followed the party as he was called by Fradio. Elmeria and Gannon already went on ahead, walking up a narrow sloped path between two small cliffs.

“Hey... what did she mean by ‘next’?”

“The wounded Rathalos will most likely return to its nest to rest, so we’ll ambush it there.

It won’t be able to go on for long with those injuries, you see. But do you know? If it’s not fatal, wyverns can heal themselves just by sleeping for a period of time.”

“R...really!?”

Fradio let out a sly laugh and nodded.

“Of course it is. If we don’t hurry, it will be able to recover. That’s why we should get to the nest before it and prepare to do an ambush. You see, wyverns aren’t so weak that they could be easily killed just by brute force. This time, we’re lucky that the Rathalos doesn’t seem to live with its pair. If it does, the female fire wyvern- Rathian, would be waiting for us at the nest, and we would have to fight both of them at the same time.”

Another wyvern! The thought of fighting both at once sent shivers down Zeeg’s spine.

As Fradio saw the boy’s expression, he made a mischievous grin under his mask.

“Well... if the guild’s information was correct, that is.”

That statement startled Zeeg.

“Fradio!”

Elmeria turned back to them and shouted out.

“We don’t have time to mess with the rookie! Hurry up!”

“I’m terribly sorry.”

Fradio raised his arm to his bare chest, doing a nobleman’s salute.

Seeing that, Elmeria narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything more.

(“Did she say that to help me...?”)

Zeeg shook his head at the thought.

The party reached a round, spacious plain on a hill. Quite a lot of fresh grass grow in this area, but there is no sign of Aptonoths coming up to eat them. That is because the area is surrounded by cliffs, and the only way to get here are either the slope that the group just climbed up, or from the other side of the cave, on top of a long vertical cliff face. A fully grown Aptonoth is too big for the narrow path.

According to their information, the cave is where the Rathalos has set up its nest.

Without saying anything, the party walked across the plain and climbed up two ledges, reaching the cave’s entrance. A faint, burnt smell blew out along with the cool wind.

The smell hinted that something was burnt in there a few days ago.

As quietly as possible, everyone entered the cave, adjusting their eyes to the darkness.

The interior was silent, and there seemed to be no small monsters waiting in ambush.

“So we’re here...”

Fradio spoke up while looking around.

“Normally, there would be Velocipreys coming in here to eat either the wyvern’s eggs or the leftovers. Maybe it’s because the Rathalos hasn’t been here for long, or we came in a good time... Either way, it’s better for us that they’re not here.”

“Let’s get started.”

Elmeria put down her bag and took out a green, cylindrical object.

“What’s that?”

Hearing Zeeg’s question, Elmeria looked at the boy in disdain.

“A Pitfall Trap, used for immobilizing the wyvern. You’ve never seen one before?”

“...Nope.”

Zeeg answered, pouting. Elmeria let out a sigh and threw the item to him. He missed the catch, but somehow was able to grab it before it fell to the ground and let out a sigh in relief.

“Over here.”

The girl called Zeeg walked ahead to the center of the cave. The spot has a ray of light shining in from the hole in the ceiling.

Zeeg turned to Fradio.

In response, the man nodded to tell Zeeg to go with her.

The girl stopped at the spot that has a large piles of dry bones. Judging from the arrangement, it’s possible that the wyvern uses this spot as its bed.

“It looks like there used to be another Rathalos living here before the one we’re hunting.”

Elmeria spoke up, as if she could feel Zeeg’s curiosity.

“It was either recently hunted, or found its mate and moved away... We can’t know for sure. But with the cave being free, a new Rathalos was able to move in.”

“Hmm...”

“That...”

She pointed at the Pitfall Trap in Zeeg’s hands.

“Let’s see... Bury about half of it vertically at your feet.”

Zeeg did exactly as told without saying anything.

“Step back.”

When he finished, Elmeria pulled a string on the pipe. The trap’s core sparked, caused a small rumble on the ground, and cast out a wide net around it.

“This trap causes a reaction in the earth below the net, making it soft and fragile. It’ll wear off and return to normal after a while though. And if it’s not something as heavy as a wyvern, it probably won’t sink down- Well, let’s go.”

Zeeg and Elmeria walked away from the trap.

Gannon and Fradio were holding stinky objects that looked like balls of clay in their hands.

“Uwa... What’s that?”

“Monster excrements- probably from the Rathalos.”

“Dung!?”

Now that he knows what it really is, Zeeg feels that the already stinky smell just got worse.

It was so bad that he had to cover his nose.

“Yes. Here, hurry.”

Fradio passed the Wyvern Droppings in his hand to Zeeg, causing the boy to jump away in reflex.

“What do you mean hurry!?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Smear it on your body, of course.”

“You’re kidding, right!?”

“Of course he’s not. Why would he lie when we have come this far?”

With no hesitation whatsoever, Elmeria dug up some droppings and smeared it all over Zeeg’s armor, not giving the time for him to dodge.

“This will camouflage your scent. It’s perfect for an ambush. If the Rathalos could smell us, it’ll stay alert and refuse to sleep.”

“Alright, I get it...”

Following the others, Zeeg smeared the droppings all over his body. The smell was so strong that it nearly destroyed his olfactory system.

He never anticipated this. Just before, the hunt was just a head-on battle just like he was used to, an absolute contrast to what the party is doing now. The reality of a wyvern hunt is totally different from what he had in mind.

But after hearing what Elmeria said, he understood why they need to do this. The ambush wouldn’t be successful if the target could sense them, after all.

“...This is a good spot.”

Everyone turned to Gannon as he spoke up. He was looking at a ledge on the cave’s wall.

Elmeria walked to his side and looked before nodding.

“What do you say, Fradio?”

Fradio drew out his bowgun, climbed onto the ledge, and lied down flat on the ground.

“Yes, this position is perfect. I can easily aim from here.”

“Then that’s decided- Zeeg.”

Distracted by his armor covered in excrements, Zeeg raised his head at her sudden call.

Elmeria let out a mischievous smile.

“You won’t be satisfied just by looking, right?”

“Y...yeah...”

Zeeg actually thought it was well worth the trip after he got to see a single battle against a live wyvern, but his stubbornness prevented him from admitting it.

Hearing that, Elmeria nodded.

“Is that so... Then I’ll give you some work to do.”

“Eh!?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just an easy task. When the Rathalos falls into the pitfall trap, I want you to run up and place the last barrel bomb as close as possible to the base of its neck. Should be easy, right?”

“The... the base of its neck? Isn’t that a little bit too close for comfort!?”

“Of course it is.”

“You say that like it’s easy!”

“But isn’t it easy? You just have to go up to it and place a barrel down. Fradio will handle the detonation. Well, you might get blown up along with the Rathalos if you’re too slow though. Wait... don’t tell me you’re scared?”

Just before he could admit it, Zeeg’s pride made him swallow his words.

“O...of course not?”

“Right?”

Elmeria let out a scheming laugh.

“You’ll be fine. It might thrash around a bit, but it won’t care about you until it’s free from the trap.”

Getting her share of fun from messing with the rookie, she turned around and walked to the ledge. There, Gannon was gathering everyone’s luggage together. A large cloth, smeared with wyvern droppings, was spread out on the ground near him.

Elmeria called Zeeg with a hand signal, and he went to standby beside the Large Barrel Bomb. Just as he thought, Elmeria and Gannon had no problem with covering themselves up with the stinky cloth.

The smell was unbearable to Zeeg, but the others don’t seem to have any issue with it.

Seeing the gap between their skills and professionalism compared to his, he felt dissatisfied with himself.

But then, a strong wind blew those trivial thoughts away from his mind.

(“It’s here!”)

That wind came from above. Zeeg held the cloth tightly so that it wouldn’t be blown away.

Even with its now-impaired eyesight, the Rathalos would still be able to smell the group if the cloth were to be blown away. Smearing their bodies and armor with its droppings just wasn’t enough to conceal all of their scent.

All they could do was hold their breaths and wait for the right timing. Elmeria said nothing, keeping her line of sight locked forward as if she could see through the cloth.

And then-

GGYAAAAAHHHHH!!

The Rathalos let out a thunderous roar as it spontaneously sunk down the ground, its voice echoing around the cave and caused ripples in the air.

Zeeg immediately sprung out of cover. Without thinking, he grabbed the Large Barrel Bomb and ran towards the wyvern!

With the lower half of its body stuck in the ground, the Rathalos struggled, shaking its now-deformed head and beating its wounded wings. It paid no attention to the human that was running up to it, and it showed no sign of breaking free, as if there was an invisible hand dragging it down.

(“Dammit!!”)

Starting to sweat profusely in terror, Zeeg screamed in his mind as he forced himself to keep running. He knew that if he were to stop now, he would most likely be frozen in place.

(“I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared!”)

The thought repeated in his head. Even so, he gritted his teeth and pressed on. Going under the thrashing wyvern’s wing, he placed the barrel bomb at the base of its neck.

For a brief moment, he accidentally looked at the Rathalos in its functional eye.

(“Oh crap-”)

Zeeg froze in fear, as if suspended by invisible chains.

Before his eyes, the wyvern’s mouth opened up slowly, flames blazing inside its throat. It’s as if he was staring into the face of death.

“Zeeg!”

Hearing Elmeria’s voice, it felt like the chains have disappeared.

Moving purely in reflex, he rolled to his side, successfully breaking away from the wyvern.

He then made a mad dash forward without ever looking back. As he saw a brief spark of light from on top of the ledge, something flew past his face, barely grazing his hair. It was immediately followed by the sound of a bowgun shot.

An explosion triggered behind Zeeg, the hot wind blowing him away.

“Waah!!”

Before his head hit the rock wall, his body was grabbed by someone. Only a few inches away from getting his head crushed, he realized that it was Gannon who saved him.

Zeeg tried to stand up, but having used up all his stamina, he lied down flat on his back.

Given a pat on the shoulder, he looked up. Elmeria was standing near him, looking at the spot he just ran away from.

“We did it.”

Hearing that, Zeeg turned his head to look.

“!”

With half of its body still stuck in the Pitfall Trap, the Rathalos lays dead. Some of the hard scales and flesh on its neck were blown off by the explosion. The mouth on its wounded face opened wide, with its long, black tongue sticking out.

“Is it faking its death?”

Fradio jokingly said as he climbed down from the ledge.

Even though he said that, his Tankmage has already been holstered. Elmeria hunched her shoulders and smiled.

“That’s not your beloved Gypceros, you know.”

From what Zeeg heard, the Gypceros will sometimes fake its death, tricking hunters to get close to it and then launch a surprise attack.

But the lifeless body of a wyvern in front of them is not a Gypceros.

“Well then... Shall we get carving? Don’t let the Rathalos die a worthless death- You want to help too? Or are you too weak to get up?”

“Don’t underestimate me...”

Zeeg strained his abdomen and held down his knees, then balanced himself as he stood up. He was then met with an unexpected sight-Elmeria was genuinely smiling.

The feeling completely different from her mocking smiles and laughs from before. Having seen this for the first time, the boy’s face became hot, and he felt that it became slightly harder to breathe.

“?”

Elmeria tilted her head, wondering what’s wrong.

And then suddenly-

“Please wait!”

A plain but elegant voice of a young girl resounded through the cave!

Chapter 3 - Love Wyvern

(“What’s going on?”)

While getting ready to carve, Zeeg stopped his hand upon hearing the shout and instead reached for his Buster Blade’s grip.

He had heard rumors that there exists hunters who steal materials from monsters hunted by other hunters- Could this be one of them?

The person that entered the cave, however, did not seem to be a thief. Dressed in a white hooded robe, it gave the impression of a priest. An unknown symbol was embroidered on the robe’s chest. A sword in a red circle, with a diagonal line crossing through it. Zeeg couldn’t quite make out its meaning.

Next to Zeeg, Elemria groaned in annoyance, showing hostility towards the approaching person. This side of her wasn’t seen even while fighting the Rathalos.

Fradio’s bowgun has already been drawn, the man himself assuming a shooting stance.

Gannon, too, was readily on guard. Even though his lance hadn't been drawn, he was holding his shield firmly, always ready to jump in front of Elmeria if something were to happen.

(“Is that person... dangerous?”)

Zeeg felt no hostility from that person, but kept his hand on his sword’s grip just to be safe.

The robed person approached, stopping at a short distance in front of the party, and removed her hood.

The girl had blonde hair, slightly lighter in tone compared to Elmeria’s. It was beautifully glossy, like water reflecting the sunlight. Judging from her looks, Zeeg guessed that she was slightly older than him.

Befitting her elegant voice, her face was pretty, her features without flaw. Her skin as white as the clouds, and her blue eyes as clear as the summer sky. Her firm stance showed great determination.

“...You again?”

Elmeria spoke up in a sarcastic tone, her voice echoing through the cave.

“You’re not alone, right? Just bring the others out, will you?”

With that said, a group of thirty people entered the cave and gathered behind the girl. They differ in physique, age, and gender, but all of them were dressed in robes similar to the girl, with hoods obscuring their faces.

Zeeg gripped his sword’s handle tightly- they were hiding something behind their backs.

Hunters are strictly forbidden from pointing their weapons at other people, but the case of self-defense is an exception. Even if they’re not trained to fight against humans, their physical strength alone allows them to easily defeat anyone not as well-trained as the knights of the kingdom.

“Opposing the hunt!”

One person spoke up, raising up the previously hidden object.

Acting in reflex, Zeeg almost rushed ahead to attack, but fortunately was able to stop himself in time.

That is because what that person raised wasn’t a weapon. It looked like some kind of announcement sign, made by nailing a wooden board to a pole. A message was painted on it:

[STOP KILLING WILD MONSTERS!!]

Everyone else except the girl in front followed suit. Each of them raised their signs- most were wooden like the first one, and a few were cloth banners.

[HUNTERS ARE DESTROYING NATURE!]

[STOP THESE BARBARIC ACTS!]

[DEMONS!]

[HUNTERS ARE DEVILS!]

[HUNTERS LIVE IN A PRIMITIVE CULTURE!]

Every sign and banner were raised in unison, each containing messages of protest directed at hunters. The people began shouting their messages, making the silent cave as loud as a market.

With all that noise, Zeeg felt the urge to cover his ears.

(“Wh...what’s up with these people...?”)

Having only ever been met with gratitude for completing his quests, this was the first time that Zeeg saw hunters being met with hostility for doing their job.

The mob seemed to be gaining momentum as their shouts get louder. If this keeps up, Zeeg fears that those people would grab random things to throw at them.

The cave’s floor was littered with small rocks as a result of mining. Even if the rocks were not capable of inflicting heavy injuries, one could get some scrapes if they got hit in the right spots.

And even if there are no wounds, that does not mean it would not be painful.

(“...Dammit! I was in such a good mood, too!”)

More than anything, Zeeg was mad at their interruption in his moment of triumph.

Even if all he did was just set a barrel, it counts as a contribution to the Rathalos hunt!

With all those people barging in, his moment was totally ruined. And more importantly-

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

With his right hand still gripping his sword’s handle, Zeeg pointed at one of the signs.

“We live in a primitive culture!? Don’t mess with us! Do you think we just swing our weapons mindlessly!? If we don’t constantly improve ourselves and make new strategies, we won’t be able to win against the wyverns!”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then-

“That’s exactly why you people are primitive!”

“Don’t say that thinking up ways to kill wyverns is good use of your knowledge!”

“You’re inhuman! Do you really think it’s good to kill those intelligent beasts!?”

“They have families too, you know!”

“Demons!”

“Barbarians!”

“You people are the real monsters!”

Those people shouted in rage, causing Zeeg to take a few steps back in reflex. An incredible amount of pressure can be felt from beneath their hoods.

Then, the girl in front, who has been keeping silent the whole time, raised her hand up, and the mob instantly calmed down.

She glanced at Zeeg, smiling in the corner of her mouth, before turning back to Elmeria.

“It’s been a while, Elmeria Franport. I’ve been wanting to see you.”

“But I don’t want to.”

Elmeria gave a cold response, and the girl laughed softly.

“Please don’t say that- Ah, is the boy your new member?”

“Member? No, we’re just taking care of him for a while.”

“Is that so? But he is a hunter, am I correct?”

Elmeria did not affirm nor deny her words- The fact that she did not deny it made Zeeg feel a little proud of himself.

The girl nodded once, then assumed an imposing stance.

“...So, have you thought about what we discussed?”

“About what?”

“About you retiring as a hunter, of course.”

The girl said with a straight face, as if it’s something trivial. For hunters, however, asking them to retire early is like telling them to go die. Zeeg has seen people who said that get punched in the face so hard that their teeth broke. Even children know that it should never be said to a hunter.

Zeeg could see Elmeria clench her fist, thinking to himself whether or not he’ll be able to stop her. With her incredible physical strength and Rathalos Vambraces, a punch could easily kill a normal person.

However, Elmeria then unclenched her fist, instead letting out an arrogant snort.

“You sure you want to say that? I could punch your perfect nose out of shape right here and now, you know?”

“That would be nothing compared to the suffering the Rathalos had to go through. If you want to hit me, then do so. But I will never give up until I finally stop you from hunting wyverns.”

“What you do is up to you, but don’t expect that kind of success from me. I’ll hunt any monster as long as there’s a contract.”

“And why is that?”

Elmeria hunched her shoulders and turned to Zeeg.

“Zeeg, give her an answer. You’re a hunter too, aren't you?”

“Eh- me...?”

With the responsibility being thrown Zeeg's way, the mysterious girl turned to him for an answer.

“Um... Well... It’s because we’re hunters... I guess?”

“That is not acceptable as an answer.”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

The mob raised their voice in support of their leader, flustering Zeeg.

Since his childhood, Zeeg had never been the kind to think philosophically. He tried to think of another reason, but all the noise was preventing him from thinking straight, to the point that he wanted to attack them just to have them shut up.

However, he got some unexpected support.

“Really? I don’t think there’s any better answer than that though?”

It was Elmeria.

“People may say that it’s for money, fame, friendship, or some other reason, but they’re either just raising excuses to hide their embarrassment, or haven’t become a true hunter yet. Hunters are hunters. We just can’t change the way we live. Retiring when you’ve had enough is one thing, but we definitely won’t stop just because you asked us to.”

“Even if that means stepping over other lives? Of the monsters that you mercilessly killed?”

“Of course, all living things in this world always put their own lives above all else. You eat meat and vegetables too, don’t you? You wouldn’t be standing here in front of us if you didn’t. Admiring them because they’re from the nature, not killing them because they’re intelligent... that’s just you being arrogant.”

“You stand by your words, even if it means a species will go extinct?”

Elmeria hunched her shoulders again.

“Hunters don’t do that, you know? Just think about it. Our lives depend on the existence monsters. If there are no monsters, hunters will also cease to exist. Because of that, requests are thoroughly reviewed by each guild so that the hunt wouldn’t disrupt the ecosystem.”

“Lies! Didn’t third princess recently request the hunters to kidnap an infant Rathalos!?”

“Isn’t that because the Rathalos’s numbers growing too high, causing them to move to other regions and disrupting the ecosystem there?”

“Then what about the stealing of the wyverns’ eggs!?”

A woman shouted out.

“Just because they want to eat something unusual... Do you even consider the wyverns’ feelings!?”

“Of course we don’t.”

Elmeria put her hands on her hips and gave an honest answer.

“If we’re considerate about the feelings of the things we hunt, we wouldn’t be hunters in the first place... Now, let me ask you. Do you even consider the feelings of the meat and fish you eat? The grief those creatures must have felt before they end up on your plates? If you do, then how could you continue eating them? Isn’t that even crueler than us?”

The woman fell silent, her face red with embarrassment.

Seeing that, Elmeria let out another arrogant snort.

“You people are just fooling yourselves that your actions protect the wyverns. Putting select lives over others. We hunters don’t bother with that stuff. That monster is no exception.”

Elmeria turned around and pointed at the Rathalos’s lifeless body.

“Today, we won. But in the event that we lost, we would end up as its food. And don’t even think about calling us cowards for using explosives! Than thing can breathe fire and has poisoned talons. In terms of power, we’re nothing compared to it.”

“But the monster got its powers from the nature!”

A young boy spoke up, his face obscured by his robe’s hood.

Elmeria let out a sigh and continued speaking.

“Our armor and weapons are also made from natural components. We humans may not have sharp fangs or claws, but we are blessed with the gift of wisdom. What’s wrong with using what we have? Saying what you said means you consider humans to be superior to other living things... Please consider changing that mindset.”

Not able to think of a retort, tears welled up in the boy’s eyes.

“Let us stop here for today.”

Feeling that there is no point in arguing any further, the girl raised her hand to stop her followers. At least that’s what Zeeg thought.

“It is as you said.”

The robed girl smiled softly.

“We think humans are special. And as you said, we have wisdom as natural weapons. But weapons have practical uses outside of battles. The same could be said for the Rathalos’s poisoned talons, of course. In other words, our wisdom is not used exclusively for conflict. Moreover, I wouldn’t say that our existence is natural. But as unnatural as we are, I believe in our right to live, and that we should not interfere with nature, or at least keep it to a minimum... Do you not agree that this is the right path?

“By that, you mean the thing you people have been doing? Domestication and agriculture?”

The girl nodded firmly.

“That way, we can live with minimum interferences to the nature. If we need meat, we can raise Aptonoths. It we need grains, we can plant them. There is no need to hunt. Is that not the rightful role in this world for us humans?”

“And for that, you want us to change our way of life?”

“I believe that there are other ways for you to live.”

“You say that because you’re not a hunter. No matter how much we discuss this, I don’t think we'll ever come to an understanding.”

“...It is sad that you choose to give up before even trying.”

“But that’s the truth. And what about you? You don’t understand how great it is to be a hunter, right?”

The two girls stared calmly at each other for a moment.

“That may be true.”

The other girl spoke up.

“However, I don’t think the Hunter’s Guild operates thoroughly as you said. Judging from the increasing number of fire wyvern hunts as of late, it doesn’t seem like the guild is concerned about their extinction at all.”

“...? What do you mean?”

“If you’re interested, please do some investigation in your own time. The words from my mouth won’t be credible to you, after all. We will be investigating this matter as well. Depending on the result, the guild may be subject to prosecution. Please remember that the existence of the Hunter’s Guild is not officially approved by the kingdom. Naturally, all hunters under the guild’s employment will be charged as well.”

“You’re worrying too much. If the guild ceases to exist, the kingdom will be in trouble, too.”

“...That may be true.”

With that said, the girl walked away, her followers opening a path for her. Her steps were firm and elegant, as if she’s not walking in a wyvern’s nest.

“Good grief...”

As the tension lifted, Fradio holstered his Tankmage, and Gannon also put away his shield.

“Hey... Who are those people?”

Hearing Zeeg’s question, Fradio blinked in confusion.

“You don’t know them?”

“Nope.”

“You really are a country boy, hmm?”

“That doesn’t matter, does it!?”

Seeing Zeeg like that, Fradio laughed lightly.

“Hehehe... Forgive me. Those people belong to the wyvern conservation organization ‘Love Wyvern’. Their general belief is that humans should not hunt monsters, and that they want to protect the wyverns from extinction. They hold their activities in hunting grounds like today, and sometimes in the streets or at the capital.”

“What about the person in front? She seemed to be a leader of sorts.”

“Narumi Wimberly.”

Elmeria answered in Fradio’s stead.

“She’d been the face of that organization since 10 years ago. Doesn't look that dangerous, but actually a persistent activist. There are rumors that she was the one who started domesticating Aptonoths, in order to prove that humans can live without having to hunt. Words can only do so much in persuasion, after all. Again, that’s just a rumor I heard.”

“It’s strange that the young lady decided to have a lengthy conversation with her this time. You drove them away instantly last time, after all.”

“I did? Well, that doesn’t matter anymore. Isn’t it about time we get back to work?”

Elmeria took out her carving knife and approached the Rathalos. Thrusting the knife between the wyvern’s broken shells, she started to carve away like a fishmonger filleting seafood.

“Please observe closely.”

Fradio whispered to Zeeg.

“With her skills, the young lady could turn the Rahalos into a pile of raw materials within minutes.”

“Whoa...”

As Fradio said, she’s great at this. It was like she knew how to cut out each part just by muscle memory. With Gannon helping her, the process goes twice as quickly.

“You’re not helping them, Fradio?”

Zeeg turned to ask the man standing next to him.

“I’m a Gypceros specialist, you see. If this was a Gypceros, I wouldn’t even let anyone touch it, but for a Rathalos, I’ll pass...”

Fradio said, shaking his head.

As for Zeeg, he wanted to help, but understood that he would get in their way.

The mob from before also wasted them quite a lot of time. If the materials are not harvested promptly, the wyvern’s corpse will start to rot, and the decomposing smell will attract Velocipreys.

The process of carving large monsters is like a race against time. Moreover, it’s a Rathalos. All of their materials are rare and precious, so Zeeg wouldn’t want to risk breaking any of them.

“By the way, the young lady seems to be interested in you quite a bit.”

Fradio snickered while watching the carving process.

“What makes you think so?”

“Why do you think the young lady dragged on her conversation with Narumi Wimberly for so long?”

“...Who knows?”

“The young lady was trying to teach you the spirit of a hunter, and about our standing in this world. But she’s too embarrassed to speak about if face-to-face, so she used that conversation to teach you by example instead.”

The reason was so far-fetched that Zeeg almost laughed.

“Now, that’s impossible.”

“You don’t believe me? See, the young lady has gone through the exact same conversation once before, so the only reason that I could think of for her to repeat it was to teach you. Well... to be honest, I was quite surprised by your performance today. Even if the wyvern was stuck in a pitfall trap, I’ve never seen anyone brave enough to get that close to a Rathalos in their first encounter. Most people would be scared to death even from a distance, you see. This isn’t about skills, but the power of your heart. However-”

Reaching this point, Fradio narrowed his eyes.

“-Please don’t forget that there is a difference between bravery and recklessness. Bravery can save your comrades’ lives. On the other hand, an equal amount of recklessness can end their lives just as well.”

“...Yeah.”

Nodding firmly, Zeeg took those words to heart.

Then, he turned back to observe the carving.

With all of the scales removed from the Rathalos’s back, Elmeria carefully cut off the wyvern’s muscles until its spine was exposed. Gannon took out a thin bag and placed it on his knee, before nodding to Elmeria once.

Elmeria nodded once in response, and then plunged the knife into the wyvern’s spine.

(”Wah!”)

As the knife dug into the bone, a flame lashed out, burning away the Rathalos’s muscles.

Not stopping her hand, Elmeria pushed in deeper, then pulled out a section of the spine. A flame was ignited at the piece’s core. She passed it to Gannon and carried on carving, repeating the same process for the other sections of its spine.

After she was done, Gannon swiftly inserted all of them in the bag, sealing the mouth and pulling a string at its bottom. The bag tightened on the bones as air gets expelled.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a special vacuum bag designed for carrying Fire Wyvern Marrows. You see, the marrows ignite on air contact, so a vacuum bag is needed to transport them."

“Hm... So that’s it...”

Elmeria caught her breath and wiped the blood off her knife before putting it away. The Rathalos still has scales left on its body, but she gathered what she collected and walked away.

“Why’re you stopping?”

Hearing Zeeg’s question, Elmeria tilted her head in confusion.

“Stop what?”

“Isn’t there a lot more to harvest?”

“Ah, we’ve taken enough.”

Elmeria said as she crammed the Rathalos Scales into her bag.

“Enough... You’re letting them go to waste!?”

“Of course not.”

Elmeria knocked heavily on Zeeg’s breastplate.

“We have to give back to nature as well! Velocipreys will come eat the meat, temporarily reducing the number of Aptonoths being hunted. The scales can be used by insects to build nests and reproduce. And as its flesh and bones decompose, it will feed the earth with minerals, enabling plants and mushrooms to grow. With the cycle of nature uninterrupted, a new wyvern will eventually make its nest here. It’s a hunter’s common sense, you know.”

Zeeg hadn’t thought about it up until now.

“...I never knew that.”

Mumbling to himself, he was given a pat on the shoulder from Fradio.

“That can’t be helped. You never needed to know these things before, after all. While hunting alone, you wouldn’t possibly be able to carry all of the spoils, so they will be returned to the nature regardless.”

“But it’s an important thing to know.”

Elmeria said as she picked up her luggage.

“For hunters, that is.”

“............”

She exited the cave, with Gannon following her, until he caught up and assumed the lead position.

“We should go too. Our quest is complete.”

“Right.”

As he walked out the cave, Zeeg turned around to look at the Rathalos again, thinking about what Elmeria said.

However, he couldn’t quite grasp the true meaning of those words just yet.

“By the way, what do you think?”

Suddenly, Fradio raised his head and asked a question.

Currently, the party is on their return trip. The carriage was filled with Rathalos materials, mainly scales and marrows. Supplies and disassembled tent parts were packed inside wooden boxes. Zeeg and the others spent most of their trip in silence.

The man held the Tankmage in his arms, stroking the parts covered with Gypceros hides with love and care.

It had been two days since the Rathalos hunt, and the party had come quite far away from the hunting grounds. Everyone was still fully armed however, because anything could happen while travelling. Before the trip, they washed themselves at the base camp to get rid of the wyvern droppings’ smell from their bodies, and their equipment were thoroughly cleaned and polished to prevent rusting.

The city was now just a few hours away.

However, the flame that was ignited in Zeeg’s heart has not calmed down. When he tried to get some sleep, images of the Rathalos would appear in his eyes, causing him to shiver in anxiety. As a result, he haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since departing from the base camp.

But this was not due to fear; it was his blood boiling with excitement.

From this experience, he felt that he now understands the hunters’ admiration for wyverns. Of course, he had always wanted to fight a Rathalos since the day he chose to pursue the hunter’s path. However, that had simply been a childish dream, like a boy wanting to be a knight or a girl wanting to be a princess.

When he finally got to see the real deal, he was totally enchanted by its strength and magnificence, and was filled with pride for having taken part in defeating it.

His feelings were still nothing compared to Fradio’s passion for the Gypceros, however.

“Think about what?”

As Zeeg returned the question, the man’s eyes under the Gypceros cap turned to him.

“About the increasing number of fire wyvern hunts. Those people must have been keeping track of the Rathalos population quite thoroughly. If it’s true that they were being hunted to the point of near-extinction, it might be a problem.”

“That’s impossible.”

Elmeria spoke up, her eyes still closed.

“The Hunter’s Guild is very careful when it comes to this kind of thing. If not, there won’t be any hunters who would join them- Isn’t that right, Gannon?”

Gannon nodded firmly in agreement to the girl’s words.

“That may be true, but please remember that there are also hunters not employed by the guilds. Some are based in their villages like Zeeg used to be, and some just travel all over the place. The travelling types are skilled, but many of them have problematic mindsets and disagree with the guild’s rules. Generally, they became drifters after their licenses got revoked.”

“You’re saying that those people have been poaching Rathalos?”

Fradio nodded.

Elmeria open her eyes and turned to Gannon.

“What do you think?”

“...It is possible.”

“Hmm... Well, I guess it’s best that we notify the guild about this. If the drifters really are hunting Rathalos in a large scale, we would be in trouble too. How annoying...”

Elmeria pouted. Even though she speaks like an adult, her mannerisms were much closer to people of her age.

And she’s actually pretty cute-- Zeeg instantly dropped the thought as that sentence popped up in his mind. Now, that’s impossible, he thought. Not with the tendency for verbal abuse, he thought.

In an attempt to conceal his confused feelings, he asked a question.

“But if it’s true, where'd all those hunting requests even come from?”

“...How am I supposed to know?”

And what he received was just an apathetic answer.

(“...There you go. Not cute at all.”)

With that, Zeeg concluded that he just imagined his previous thought. However, he still feels somewhat conflicted about it, but all he could do was sit in silence with his back against a large barrel.

The atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly became heavy.

Seeming to enjoy it, Fradio let out a laugh.

“Ah... It sure is nice to be young...”

“What’s up with that?”

“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean, Fradio?”

“Now now, don’t mind me. And Mr. Gannon, could you please not glare at me like that? ...More importantly, the Guild Knights could be making a move in response to this fiasco.”

“Guild Knights?”

Distracted by new information, Zeeg completely forgot the irritation he felt in his mind.

Elmeria open her mouth to answer, but in the end didn’t say anything. Seeing that, Fradio did the explanation in her stead.

“You don’t know them? They are an organization under the Hunter’s Guild. On the surface, their job is to approve requests for the guild and to negotiate with the nobles who own the hunting grounds. The truth is... they take care of the guild’s dirty work.”

“Dirty work?”

“You really like to ask questions, huh?”

Elmeria let out a sigh in boredom, and in response Zeeg clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“It’s not my fault that I don’t know this kind of thing, you know. The village chief never taught me about this, and I got signed up for this quest right after getting my license.”

“What, you’re saying that we’re causing you trouble? I should be the one saying that.”

“I never said that! I was just telling you that I never had the time to learn these things!”

Zeeg and Elmeria stood up.

“Now now. Stop it, you two.”

Fradio put his Tankmage down and raised his hands to stop the two.

“It’ll be better for him if he knows it. If he kept quiet and pretended to know, it could cause problems down the line, after all. Especially if he got targeted by the manipulating types. Ah, yes... it’s like a Gypceors faking its death. Just when you thought the battle was won, as you approach it-”

“...Fradio.”

Fradio’s Gypceros story was stopped abruptly by Gannon’s heavy voice.

The man stopped his rant, but not before narrowing his eyes under the mask to show his dissatisfaction.

“Apologies.”

Fradio bowed his head once before turning back to Zeeg.

“-Back to the main point. By dirty work, I mean assassinations. In other words, the Guild Knights are hunters who hunt humans. There are quite a lot of rumors about them.”

“They hunt humans!?”

Zeeg’s eyes opened wide.

Hunters take pride in the fact that despite their incredible strength, they never point their weapons at humans. There may be some who have short fuses, but even they wouldn’t pick up their weapons if the other person doesn’t do so first. Even then, most cases of weapons being drawn would be just for intimidation.

“Can we even call them hunters at this point?”

“Of course, normal hunters wouldn’t want to count the Guild Knights as one of their own. But it is a fact that those people are employed by the Hunter’s Guild. It was said that they would step in when there are issues between different guilds. They are also tasked with getting rid of people with disruptive behavior and hunters who dishonor the guild’s name.”

“Keep your greed in check, alright? I wouldn’t want you to do something problematic.”

Elmeria spoke in a sarcastic tone.

“Of course I won’t!”

“If that’s the case, good. I wouldn’t want to wake up in the morning, walk to the plaza, and see your corpse fill the dried-up fountain with blood. That would totally ruin my day.”

“Hehehe... Something like that has happened before, yes.”

Zeeg was startled by Fradio’s words. At first, he thought Elmeria was just joking.

“For real!?”

“Yes. I think it was about half a year ago? You see, hunters do have some clearance to hunt monsters not in their requests, but that person took it too far. He was skilled enough to hunt a Rathalos by himself, but he was so full of himself that he stole wyvern eggs from the nest as well. He shouldn’t have done that...”

“Eh? W...wait a second. If it’s stealing eggs, I’ve done it too, you know?”

“Was it out of your quest objective?”

With Fradio glaring at him, Zeeg shook his head.

“It was requested, of course! Now, don’t look at me like that...”

“Hehehe... I’m sorry. If it was requested, then there’s no problem. Before the quest was approved, the guild has to check the monster population and the number of laid eggs first. Moreover, the Guild Knights wouldn’t make a move if you stole them just once or twice. But for that person, I heard that he did it on a regular basis.”

“You have to be careful too, alright?”

Still standing up with her arms crossed, Elmeria pointed at Zeeg.

“Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t think you’re the kind of person who likes to steal. But rookies like you tend to unknowingly get involved in those kind of things. I’m just giving a warning.”

“What do you mean?”

“The exists a set of 'Commandments' that hunters are obligated to follow, but-”

Fradio spoke up in Elmeria’s stead.

“-It's not something that is written of a piece of paper and stuck to a bulletin board. It is what one learns naturally while taking on requests and going out on hunts with their party. Because it’s not taught in a conventional way, novice hunters are prone to being manipulated into accepting requests not approved by the guild. So no matter how good the reward is, don’t accept requests outside gathering halls- or if someone invited you, do be wary of joining them.”

Zeeg took those words to heart.

Even though he still doesn’t know who the Guild Knights really are, he wouldn’t want to be killed by them. If something were to kill him, he’d rather have it be a wyvern- no, an elder dragon, elusive creatures that exist somewhere in this world. Of course, winning against them is still a hundred times better, and right now, he doesn’t plan on dying that easily.

“...We have arrived.”

The carriage stopped immediately after Gannon’s statement.

The vehicle shook slightly as it was lifted up. After about 10 minutes docked on the transporter bridge’s gondola, the group arrived at the city.

The guild’s coachman moved his carriage down, and the gondola went down the mountain as a bell was rung at the bottom. This means there is another group of customers- either merchants or returning hunters, waiting to get up.

Elmeria stood up and did some stretching, the red and black armor on her arms and legs making her look like a miniature Rathalos.

“Alright, let’s report to Becky and get some rest. I’ve been wanting to take a break for a while now... Hunting two wyverns in a row is more tiring than I thought.”

“Two in a row... Then at that time, you just got back from a wyvern hunt!?”

Zeeg thought back to when he first saw Elmeria’s party. He thought they just got back from a gathering quest, since they didn’t seem to be tired at all.

“Yeah. Just a Cephadrome though, so it wasn’t that difficult. But we did waste quite a lot of time because I was stingy about using Sonic Bombs. Gannon?”

“...Yes.”

Carrying the bag containing Fire Wyvern Marrows on his back, Gannon nodded.

Cephadromes are fish-like wyverns that live in the desert. They have fins instead of wings.

In exchange for the lack of ability to fly, these monsters can swim freely in the sand. With that, they are classified as Piscine Wyverns. In terms of size, they are slightly smaller than a Rathalos.

Their fins contain paralyzing toxins, which they use effectively for hunting prey by immobilizing the target before dragging it down under the sand.

There is also a smaller variant called Cephalos, which is quite popular because their livers are considered a delicacy.

Those two monsters hunt by tracking the sound of their prey moving on the sand. They have a great sense of hearing, but it’s also their weakness. By using Sonic Bombs, one can force the monsters to jump out of the sand due to the abnormally high-pitched sound. Regrettably, Zeeg hasn't been to the desert yet, so he has never seen the real thing.

“You’ll get to hunt it one of these days, so stock up on Sonic Bombs while you can. When you’re used to it, you can drag them out by directly attacking their dorsal fins or using small barrel bombs as well.”

“Yeah, I’ll remember to do that!”

Even though Zeeg was annoyed at the girl’s sarcastic tone, all he could do was pick up his luggage. However, with him being just a spectator for this quest and the unused supply items already returned, there isn’t that much for him to carry.

After everyone got down, the carriage immediately took off in the direction of the guest houses.

Entering the gathering hall, there aren’t a lot of customers since it is still early in the day.

Even so, quite a few are getting drunk already.

Most of them are hunters who just got back from their quests, drinking to recharge their energy for the next job. There are also some who come to drink just because they like it. Back at Zeeg’s village, there was a hunter who hunts just to drink. Completing each request, he would spend all his reward money on alcohol.

As Zeeg’s group walked in, everyone in the hall turned to look. Even though he knew that most of them weren’t looking at himself, it still felt good. As for the ones that did look at him, they were jealous that a kid got to team up with the veterans.

“Ah, welcome back!”

As the group reached the counter, Becky welcomed them with a smile.

“Looks like the quest went well. Mr. Rookie here is also safe. That’s a relief.”

“...Thank you.”

Zeeg bowed his head slightly to show his thanks. And then-

“What’re you saying, Becky? Of course he’s safe! He was only watching, after all.”

Hearing that, Becky has a disappointed look on her face.

Zeeg slammed his hand on the counter.

“I wasn’t just watching, you know!?”

“Hmm? Then, what did you do?”

“The bomb! I rushed in bravely to place the finishing Large Barrel Bomb at the Rathalos’s neck!”

Hearing him say that, Elmeria looked on with pity and shrugged.

“Bravely? If it’s just placing a barrel next to a Rathalos that’s stuck in a Pitfall Trap, anyone can do that. If they’re hunters, that is.”

“What the-!”

“Now now, stop it, you two.”

Fradio popped up between the two. With the Gypceros Cap filling the gap between them, all Elmeria and Zeeg could do was exchange dark looks with each other.

“Didn’t Zeeg do well in his task? I think we should at least accept that.”

“That’s right!”

Zeeg proudly raised his chest, with Elmeria looking on in dissatisfaction.

“But it’s still not something that you can boast about, you know.”

“Yeah!”

This time, Zeeg was the one who hunched his shoulders, while Elmeria puffed up with pride.

For some reason, Gannon looked at those two with a serious face, while Becky was giggling at their exchange.

“Well then, do you have the requested material?”

“...It is here.”

Still with a rigid expression, Gannon placed the vacuum bag on the counter.

Becky touched the bag from above and nodded.

“Fire Wyvern Marrow confirmed- Thank you for your hard work.”

Before picking up the bag, Becky bowed once.

Everyone in Elmeria’s group stoop up straight and bowed their heads. Zeeg, observing that they were paying their last respects to the fire wyvern, followed suit.

The bag was carefully put away in a box behind the counter. Then, Becky took out a pile of documents from the drawer and placed one sheet on the countertop. Elmeria read through it and signed her name.

“Alright, you’re all set.”

Becky put away the document and then asked the group-

“Would you like something to eat? We just got a new batch of Bullfango meat, so we made white sauce from Special Mushrooms to go with the steak. Interested?”

Elmeria turned to ask Gannon’s opinion. The large man nodded in response and ordered the menu for himself and Fradio.

“What about you, Zeeg?”

“I...”

Zeeg was too embarrassed to inquire the menu’s price. With most of his reward money being deducted for the chair repairs and Elmeria’s lesson fees, he wouldn’t want to eat anything expensive right now.

Even so, he hesitated to decline the invitation, since he doesn’t want to admit that he’s broke right now, especially not in front of Becky and Elmeria.

“All four of us will have it, then.”

Elmeria raised four fingers as she made the order, then turned to Zeeg before he could say anything.

“Celebrating after a successful hunt is also important, you know. By the way, the cost for your steak will also be deducted from your reward money.”

Zeeg looked on in confusion as he noticed that Elmeria was looking right through him, with her cheeks becoming slightly red. He was then given a pat on his shoulder from Fradio, who was staring at him from under his mask.

“That’s right, Zeeg. It is also a hunter’s duty to celebrate a job well done. Doing so deepens our bonds, improving cooperation during hunts. Please keep in mind that if you ignore this part, there might not be a next hunt with your party.”

“...Yeah.”

Zeeg nodded and rested his elbow on the counter. Understanding that Elmeria has actually been looking out for him, he thanked the girl in his mind. Even though he knew that it must be said verbally to have any meaning, he’s too embarrassed to do so right now.

“Alright, four Bullfango Steaks with Special Mushroom Sauce coming right up! Thank you for your patronage~!”

After saying that, Becky turned around and shouted the order to the kitchen, and a deep voice replied in acknowledgement.

“While you guys wait for the steak, want some beer?”

“Right... Let’s see...”

Elmeria turned to Zeeg.

“Do you drink?”

“Eh!? Of course I do!? I'll have you know that I was quite a heavy drinker back at my village!”

“Hmm... We’ll have four beers then.”

“Coming right up~!”

Becky turned around and took four mugs from the shelf. Knocking the barrel stopper off with a mug’s rim, she let the alcohol flow into the other mugs, filling them to the brim with thick foam.

“Thanks for waiting.”

She then turned around again and placed the mugs on the countertop, not caring about the slight spill. One of them was placed in front of Zeeg. He looked at it for a while before grabbing its handle.

In truth, Zeeg has never drank beer before back at his village, but pretended that he did so that he wouldn’t get made fun of by Elmeria again. From now on, it’s going to be a whole new world for the boy.

“Alright then...”

Elmeria lifted her mug up and looked at everyone.

“To our successful Rathalos hunt! Cheers!”

“...Cheers.”

“Cheers!”

“Ch...cheers!”

Four mugs clinked together in a toast, with a third of the golden liquid in Zeeg’s spilling all over his face. Every other table in the hall also toasted in unison, as if they had a part in this.

With the other tables starting to place more orders, Becky separated from Zeeg’s group. It became so busy that if a hunter were to come in looking for a quest now, they wouldn’t be able to get any information.

Elmeria chugged down her beer in one go. Even though she was slower than Gannon, she didn’t even stop to breathe.

As for Fradio, he drank his beer without opening his mask by using a straw he got from Becky before she separated from the group.

Looks like he doesn’t plan on revealing his face anytime soon.

Thinking he’s finally ready, Zeeg took a sip.

(“It’s bitter...”)

That was his first impression. He thought to himself that people who actually likes this thing might have something wrong with their tongues, like the ones who think carrot is delicious.

But if he said it out loud, he would be called a kid by Elmeria again. Zeeg knew that even if he just got to know her for only a few days.

As Becky came back, Elmeria ordered a refill for herself and Gannon. Luckily for Zeeg, she didn’t ask if he would like a refill, so the boy kept quiet.

With her mug refilled, Elmeria spoke up to Becky.

“Oh yeah, we met her as well.”

“Her?”

“Narumi Wimberly.”

While saying that, Elmeria made a bitter face, as if she had something even more bitter than beer inside her mouth.

“While we were going to carve the Rathalos, she popped up with her followers and started the usual rant before leaving.”

“Protesting against killing wyverns, right?”

“Yeah. She said that human’s wisdom should be used for better things... Something like that.”

At this point, the finished steaks came out of the kitchen in metal plates, served before the four party members. The Special Mushroom sauce made a sizzling sound as it boiled due to the meat’s heat, sending off a wonderful smell.

Glad that the food was finally here, Zeeg put down his beer mug and started to cut up his steak with a knife and fork. Elmeria, on the other hand, didn’t start eating immediately. After chugging down her beer, she leaned on the counter and whispered to Becky.

“By the way, that girl also said something strange.”

“Something strange?”

Becky also lowered her voice, turning the idle chatter into a serious conversation.

With her thumb, Elmeria wiped the beer foam off her mouth and continued.

“Yeah. She said that the number of wyverns- of Rathalos being hunted has been abnormally high lately. At first I thought she was exaggerating like usual, but she went so far as to say that they might be in danger of extinction.”

“...I have a bad feeling about this news. Thanks for telling me.”

“No problem.”

Finally, Elmeria put down her mug and started cutting up her steak, stuffing the meat in her cheeks as if she forgot the serious conversation earlier.

Noticing that Zeeg has been looking at her the whole time, she smiled at the boy without wiping the sauce off her lips.

“Guild Master?”

From a door in the back corner of the kitchen, Becky entered a dimly lit room, calling out in the direction of a flickering light.

“I heard.”

The small figure of an elderly man appeared with the tobacco smoke from his pipe- The owner of this gathering hall, and also master of the Hunter’s Guild of this city.

“The story had my curiosity as well. It’s unlikely that the wandering hunters all felt like hunting the Rathalos at the same time. We’ll have to investigate this further- Can I leave it to you?”

“Of course. I’ll contact my colleagues immediately.”

“Hm. I entrust you with this task, then... Sorry that you had to do all the dirty work.”

The old man blew out a ring of smoke.

“Not at all.”

Becky produced a cold smile, showing a completely different personality from when she was behind the counter. A speck of candle light reflected on her eyes as she silently walked out of the dark room, her footsteps causing not even the faintest sound.

Chapter 4 - Knight

“Whoa... So this is what they call difference in power...”

Witnessing true difference in power, all Zeeg could do was stare in awe.

If one were to ask what this was about-- it was the guest house.

Right now, Zeeg is staying at one of the “Pawn” rooms, which no matter how you look at it, is no different from a pig’s coop. All it had was a table, a chair, and a crudely made bed. But earlier this morning, he was called by Elmeria, the girl saying that they need to discuss something.

After Zeeg finished his breakfast, Fradio guided him to Elmeria’s room. The moment he opened the door, the boy’s breath was taken away by the elegant display.

He was then given a pat on the shoulder from Fradio as a signal to get inside. Walking in, he had no words to describe how grand the decorations were.

Even though he had never seen one, he thought he walked into the royalty’s bedroom.

“Zeeg, do you know how much it costs to rent a ‘Queen’ room like this one?”

Moving his eerie Gypceros cap close, Fradio whispered his question.

“1000 Zenny for one night.”

Zeeg was taken aback, his eyes opened wide.

A thousand Zenny!

With some extra ores, one could order a basic Iron Sword with that amount of money.

Alternatively, it’s enough to buy 10 bottles of health-recovering Potions.

Spending that much just for one night... it’s an extravagant lifestyle that Zeeg never dreamed of.

(“More importantly... What’s up with that? Is she supposed to be a princess?”)

Looking to the middle of the room, Zeeg clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

For some reason, what irritated him more than the room’s elegance was Elmeria, who was relaxing on the enormous bed.

The girl was wearing thin, pink pajamas. She sat on the bed with her back against a fluffy-looking pillow. On top of her laps was an overbed table, with beautifully decorated food divided into bite-sized portions.

Elmeria can be seen eating the food in a very proper manner, as if she was a completely different person from yesterday when she ate the Bullfango Steak.

Gannon, in a butler suit, stood next to her, brewing tea and collecting the empty plates.

Zeeg had only seen this kind of clothes when the village chief wore it during important ceremonies.

The two of them look accustomed to this lifestyle. There wasn’t any sign that it was just a show.

“Were you surprised?”

Zeeg heard Fradio’s question, but didn’t have the energy to answer. Right now, he feels like he had been tricked the whole time.

“At first, I was surprised as well. They’re like different people when they were out hunting, you see. But of course, the hunting occupation can’t exactly be picked up by the nobles as a hobby, and the young lady’s skill is undeniable. You have seen her in action, so that should be obvious. At any rate, they are a strange pair indeed.”

As Fradio said, Elmeria’s performance while fighting the Rathalos isn’t smoke and mirrors, and that’s a good thing. Even so, Zeeg couldn’t understand how the thing he’s seeing now could be fun.

“...Elmeria!”

Intentionally raising his voice, Zeeg called out to the girl as he walked towards her bed.

The boy’s voice was so loud that Elmeria could drop her spoon and the soft-boiled egg yolk on it, but she seemed unfazed. All she did was nonchalantly glance at Zeeg before carrying on with her meal.

Then, she put down her spoon and nodded to Gannon. The large man then took the overbed table away.

“You’re here early.”

Elmeria didn’t seem to be embarrassed to be seen in her pajamas. And for some reason, Zeeg felt annoyed at that as well.

The girl got up from bed and put on the slippers and coat that Gannon brought her. Then, she led Zeeg and Fradio to the round table.

Still feeling an irritation in his mind, Zeeg sat down rudely. The chair was welded together with thin metal, but it was surprisingly solid. Zeeg’s impact on it didn’t even cause a sound.

He would fit in with the atmosphere better if he was wearing armor, but all Zeeg wore this morning was some cheap linen clothing.

As for Fradio, he’s always happy to be wrapped in Gypceros armor, except on his chest.

Elmeria took her seat on a chair that Gannon prepared and narrowed her eyes.

“...? What’re you so angry about?”

Zeeg immediately knew that the question was directed at him, but-

“I’m not angry.”

“Liar. You’re definitely in a bad mood. Did something happen-- Aha, don’t tell me you have low blood pressure? You seemed to be fine when we were out hunting though?”

“I said I’m not angry!”

Elmeria turned to Fradio, but he only shook his head in response.

Of course he doesn’t know. Even Zeeg himself doesn’t understand what got over him.

“Well, whatever.”

Probably because she just finished her breakfast and is still in a good mood, Elmeria didn’t inquire any further.

Gannon served tea for everyone present. The aroma helped Zeeg calm his nerves a little.

Now that he thought about it, he never knew why Elmeria called him. However, it was probably not just to show off her room. Even if the girl has a strict personality and can be mean at times, she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who likes to look down on others.

The fights they had when they first met were inevitable. Considering the risks of letting a rookie tag along, she had no choice but to be strict.

And during the battle with the Rathalos, Zeeg knew that he wasn’t actually that helpful.

The thought about the weight Elmeria had to put into the decision to let him handle the last move caused Zeeg to shudder.

If he weren’t able to break away at that last moment, the Rathalos would have set itself free.

Things would get ugly even if the others had countermeasures prepared.

Considering all the things she did for him, there was absolutely no reason for Zeeg to be angry. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. In an attempt to calm himself down, Zeeg chugged down his tea.

“...Young mistress.”

Not just Elmeria, but everyone present turned to Gannon in response to his voice. He was standing at the window, looking outside.

“What is it, Gannon?”

“...The elders are here.”

Crossing her eyes, Elmeria stood up and went to take a look. Zeeg followed her, looking down from the other window.

(“What’s up with them...?”)

A group of elderly men with bent backs can be seen walking from the market area. Their figures are awfully similar to the Guild Master. Each of them has a follower carrying their luggage.

They looked like some sort of tourists from the countryside taking a tour of the city.

Looking for something to drink, they walked into the gathering hall.

“What’s up with those geezers? Don’t tell me they’re actually hunters!”

Zeeg laughed, but it seems like everyone else doesn’t find his joke amusing. He scratched his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

(“Right... I’m bad even at making jokes, dammit.”)

He let out a sigh, but Elmeria and Gannon paid him no mind.

“...This isn’t normal.”

Elmeria said to herself while crossing her arms, rubbing her chin with one hand. Not wanting to interrupt her, Zeeg walked towards Fradio.

“Hey, what’s this all about?”

“Ah, it’s about the elders...”

“Who are they even supposed to be? Are they related to Elmeria?”

“If you put it that way, yes. They are related to not just her, but all of us.”

“Me too?”

“They are masters of the other Hunter’s Guilds, you see... With them being here so suddenly, it seems like there’s going to be an emergency meeting...”

Under his Gypceros Cap, Fradio let out a mischievous laugh.

“Thank you for coming, all of you.”

Lighting up a lamp and looking around at the people assembled at the round table, the master of this city’s guild spoke up in a firm voice.

The people seated around the table are leaders of the other Hunter’s Guilds throughout the regions. The ones who aren’t interested in the topic at hand are seated away from the table so that they can listen without interrupting.

Even so, even getting on a chair is difficult due to their small size and old age. Their wrinkled faces don’t hide any dissatisfaction.

Each of the Guild Masters have one personal bodyguard following them.

The body guards aren’t heavily armed, with each of them having a short sword as their only weapon. However, with their skills, a strike from their small weapons are as powerful as a normal person that uses the Rathalos Firesword, or so the rumor says.

They were the underground hunters-- Guild Knights, a secret organization tasked with ensuring that the guilds’ works go smoothly at any cost.

Their roles were to gather information, negotiate with the land owners, and sort out and approve requests. But those were only ones on the surface. If the negotiation ended in failure, or if clients attempted to commit fraud by reporting false information or refusing to pay for penalties, the Guild Knights would start using their true methods.

That is, to resolve the issue with force. Sometimes, the situation could end in an assassination. Their roles also included eliminating anyone who would bring bad reputation to the hunters and those who refuse heed their warnings.

While they were not quite as good as normal hunters when it comes to dealing with monsters, they were unmatched when it comes to fighting humans. If there was a ranking system equivalent to hunters, they would have access to the “King” rooms.

“I have read your letter.”

A voice echoed out from the darkness, and the Guild Master turned his wrinkled sight to the source. Becky stood quietly behind him.

“But this is unbelievable. Up to this point, we have done our work thoroughly. If anything goes wrong now, the kingdom wouldn’t be so stupid to not realize that they will also be affected.”

“That man is looking down on us, I say.”

Another voice spoke up.

“Thinking we would accept any job if enough money is offered... It’s like he thinks we’re jacks of all trades. But it is true that the Rathalos are being hunted in a large scale; even the infants are being kidnapped. We’ve caught about ten of those hunters in our area alone.”

“We've got five over here.”

A weak, shivering voice came from another corner.

“Wait, no... Was it eight?”

“...Nine offenders, Guild Master.”

A young man voiced his part, with the old man in front of him nodding in response.

“Hmm, yes. It was nine... Was it nine? Hmm...”

Whispers can be heard in the darkness, showing hopelessness.

Then, everyone present could feel murderous intent emanating from the young man.

All of the Guild Knights, Becky included, prepared for battle.

“The problem is--!”

This city’s Guild Master slammed his twiggy hand on the table, causing the murderous intent to disappear. The young man calmed down, and the room’s heavy atmosphere was lifted.

The elder then let out a sigh in relief.

“...The problem is, the clients could be merchants, farmers, land owners... but they’re just proxies to hide the real mastermind. The real issue is that the one who hired the wandering hunters to hunt the Rathalos on a large scale is the Royal Armory.”

“It’s the same over here.”

“Here too.”

Most of the elders gave the same opinion.

The Guild Master waited for the commotion to quiet down before speaking up again.

“...From our investigation, some of the approved hunts were requested by a chain of proxies, in an attempt to hide that they are actually all from the Royal Armory. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, since some clients would wish to not reveal their identity. However, with the Rathalos being hunted on a large scale, we can’t let this slide. It is a betrayal to the philosophy of the Hunter’s Guild.”

Everyone present agreed unanimously.

“In this case, I propose that the Hunter’s Guilds use force to eliminate the wandering hunters and make this poaching case known to the public. Additionally, we would demand compensation from the Royal Armory and the kingdom. Any objections?”

Several voices saying they have no objections echoed in the darkness. And then-

“Compensation, you say? More like robbing us for your mistakes, bastards!”

Immediately following that voice, a flash of light was emitted from the middle of the round table. Everyone in the room was blinded by the light, the elders letting out loud screams.

Elmeria was the first to react to the sound of the explosion.

“Flash Bomb!”

Being able to distinguish just from the sound, she turned away from the window and rushed to the item box. While opening it and taking out her Rathalos armor however-

“...Young mistress.”

She turned to Gannon in response to his voice. The door was kicked open, and a group of knights entered, each of them carrying a light bowgun. They held everyone present at gunpoint.

“Freeze!”

As for this side, everyone is unarmed.

(“What should I do?”)

Glancing to the side, Zeeg and Gannon’s eyes met.

He straightened his large body and slowly raised his hands up. Seeing that, Elmeria followed suit while still biting her lips.

In this situation, it is only wise that Zeeg did the same.

The bowguns carried by the knights seem to be a modified version of Spartacus Fire, since they look slightly different from the books. This bowgun design, created from Rathalos scales and shells, is considered a high ranking weapon among hunters. Their shots are powerful enough to easily pierce normal armor and shields.

Right now, the party might as well be naked against this weapon.

(“These people aren’t hunters!”)

If they were, they wouldn’t easily point their weapons at humans so easily.

Moreover, this doesn’t seem to be just a threat. Their fingers are on the trigger, ready to shoot without any hesitation if someone were to make a move.

“Don’t even think about making a move!”

“What do you people want?”

Zeeg asked as calmly as he could.

“We are the knights of the kingdom! From today on, this city will be under direct control of His Majesty the King! The Hunter’s Guild is to be dissolved immediately! As for the hunters, each of you will be charged with first-degree crime of treason and will face the court!”

“First degree crime of treason!?”

Zeeg blinked in confusion. There was not even a need for trial-- the only thing that awaits is execution.

“What’s up with that!? What did we ever do to you!?”

“I said freeze!”

With the bowgun raised at him, Zeeg stopped his feet.

“Good... Put your hands over your head and start walking! We’re taking you away!”

“Taking away... where to!?”

“Just shut up and start walking!”

Zeeg clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction before he started walking, with Elmeria and Gannon following him. The three of them walked stiffly in a line.

(“Three...?”)

Zeeg quickly cast his sight around. Fradio was nowhere to be found inside the room. No one noticed since when that he escaped.

“As always, he’s as quick as a Gypceros when it comes to bailing.”

Even in this situation, Elmeria let out a smile.

“It seems luck is on our side. No matter how hard they try, these people won’t be able to find Fradio.”

“You sure about that?”

“I don’t care who these people are-- they’ll soon know the true reason we hunters try not to point our weapons at fellow humans. Depending on how they treat us, that is.”

While Elmeria was laughing mischievously--

“You! Be quiet!”

One of the knights approached and raised his bowgun up, preparing to swing.

Even though there was no need to since Gannon was here, Zeeg moved in reflex. Before he could think about anything, his head was met with blunt force, the sharp pain following immediately.

“Zeeg!?”

It was after being hit that Zeeg realized his stupidity. His legs losing strength due to the pain, he collapsed. It took him a few moments to notice that Elmeria grabbed him up before he hit the ground.

(“How shameful...”)

He tried to protect the girl, but instead had to be saved by her.

“I thought I told you not to make a move!”

His vision still blurry, Zeeg observed the situation. Bowguns were pointed at Gannon, who had his arms raised up. He probably made a move to protect Elmeria as well.

“...Stop, Gannon.”

Hearing the girl’s voice, the large man groaned menacingly like a Diablos before lowering his rock-hard fists.

“M...Move along!”

Commanded by the knights, Zeeg started walking while being supported by Elmeria.

Gannon followed the two, acting like a shield.

“You alright, Zeeg?”

“I’ll manage...”

“You idiot. I would have been able to dodge that.”

“Right...”

Now that he thought about it, his last move was just foolish and unnecessary. For a veteran hunter of Elmeria’s caliber, that attack should be easier to dodge than a Mosswine’s charge.

When the group reached the hallway, they could see other hunters walking along, each of them held at gunpoint. There was on one at the reception counter.

Zeeg raised his hand to touch his forehead, which has swelled up quite a bit.

Not feeling any headaches, the conclusion was it’s just a flesh wound. When he became a hunter, he had studied which kind of injuries and symptoms are fatal, and the proper procedures to promptly treat them.

(“It’s good that I’m hard-headed...”)

If not, he could be dead as a result of his skull being fractured.

Reaching outside however, the bright sunlight made him dizzy. He gritted his teeth and endured it so that he wouldn’t put even more burden on Elmeria.

“What... is that...?”

Elmeria spoke up, and Zeeg opened his eyes.

At the plaza, strange carriages are being hauled in by Aptonoths. Each of them carried something resembling the cannons installed on the city walls, but significantly larger in size. They seem to give off an ominous vibe.

Zeeg couldn’t think of the design’s purpose, but it felt like they beheaded a Rathalos and placed its head on a platform.

Moreover, even more are being hauled in.

Each of the metallic Rathalos heads were pointed to the outside of the city.

The hunters, mostly unarmed, are being crowded into the gathering hall one by one. It seemed like the shopkeepers were kept separately in another location.

“Move along!”

Being shouted at from behind, Zeeg started walking before he got smacked again. But then-

“Wait-- That large man!”

The voice came from another direction. Zeeg, knowing that it was directed at Gannon, stopped his feet. Elmeria, noticing that, also stopped.

Turning to the source of the voice, they could see a knight slowly approaching. This one wasn’t carrying a light bowgun. His armor isn’t any different from the others, but he has a mantle covering his upper body. He also seems to be quite arrogant.

Gannon stared at the knight in his usual expressionless face.

The knight stopped in front of the group and opened his visor. Judging from his face, he was significantly younger than Gannon-- Should be about thirty-five to thirty-six years of age.

“Oh dear... Just as I feared....”

The man became stiff as he looked at Gannon, his eyes clearly shivering.

“Sir Gannon Denon, in the flesh! I never dreamed of encountering you in a place like this, sir... It has been twelve or thirteen years, I believe? But of course, you might not remember me from that time.”

Lowering his voice, Zeeg asked Elmeria--

“You know him?”

The girl shook her head.

“I never thought that you would become a hunter here, sir. So that’s it... The Hunter’s Guild is an illegal organization that would take anyone in with open arms, even if they’re the worst criminals. A perfect place to go into hiding indeed.”

Stirred up by the man’s words, Elmeria began to make a move.

(“Just let it pass!”)

Zeeg whispered to the girl. To prevent her from suddenly drop-kicking the knight, he put himself between the two.

“...I was originally a hunter.”

Gannon muttered, and the man raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, yes... The great knight and former hunter! The criminal who had been shown kindness, but returned the favor by kidnapping the oldest daughter of his master! Oh, am I so glad that I found you here! You, who has a bounty of 500,000 Zenny on his head, being captured so easily! This is thanks to the heaven’s blessings, no doubt. By the way...”

The man narrowed his eyes and moved his face closer.

“How is Young Mistress Elbrenfort doing? The one you kidnapped?”

“She is dead.”

“Come again?”

“I said she is dead. Succumbed to a disease.”

“Hmm...”

The man rubbed his chin and looked at Elmeria over Zeeg’s shoulder.

“Dead, you say-- Then let us leave the topic at that for now. We are in quite a hurry. I will have plenty of time to hear what your body has to say later. Ah, from that young lady as well.”

As the knight finished speaking, Gannon was filled with rage.

Even though it was not directed at him, the force was so intense that it gave Zeeg goosebumps and caused him to break into cold sweat. Behind the boy, Elmeria was also feeling it. She had gone pale with worry, her lips quivering.

The man was overwhelmed by the murderous intent directed at him. He took a few steps back, as if pushed away by an invisible force. Round sweat appeared on his nose and face.

“...Let us hear your name.”

The voice was as mighty as a wyvern’s roar.

“M...My name is Mirion Brandar, sir. You’ll regret taking that tone with me.”

While saying his name, the man tried his best to suppress his fear. Not able to look at Gannon any longer, he turned away to a fellow knight wielding a light bowgun.

“Hey! Take these people away!”

That knight seems to also be intimidated by Gannon.

“W...where to...?”

“Where!? Isn’t that obvious!? Same as the others! Lock them up inside the gathering hall!”

“Sir! H...hey, please move-- Wait, no... Move along.”

The knight waved his bowgun in the direction of the gathering hall. Even though he was commanding the party to move along, he has lost his arrogant tone.

Judging from the way the treats Elmeria now, one could see that he’s confused and undecided on the tone he should take in this situation.

Given a nudge on the back from Gannon, Zeeg continued walking, with Elmeria following him silently.

As Gannon followed the two, there was a clear sign of relief from the knights now that the heavy atmosphere around them has lifted.

(“It looks like Gannon used to be a famous knight...”)

Zeeg thought that was the case, judging from the knights’ reactions.

(“And I’m sure he was super strong back then, too.”)

As soon as the knights heard Gannon’s name, they immediately lost their arrogant tone and looked at him in fear and respect. Zeeg understood how they felt-- It was like when he was looking at superior hunters and their wonderful equipment.

Walking past the carts carrying the metallic Rathalos heads, the group entered the gathering hall. Probably because they were the last, the entrance that doesn’t have a door was sealed shut with a board, imprisoning everyone inside.

Inside, all of the hunters in this city are gathered. At a glance, there should be about 50 people. All of them either got their equipment taken away, or were captured when they weren’t wearing any, leaving them in casual clothes.

Luckily, most did not get their hands and legs cuffed. Maybe the knights didn’t prepare enough, or they didn’t want to use restraints unless met with opposition. Either way, it helps the team keep calm in this situation.

Naturally, hunters adapt quickly to any situation and environment. If they don’t, they wouldn’t be able to handle their quests, where unexpected changes can happen at any moment.

That also applies to the current event. Some of the hunters have already started drinking.

Vaulting over the counter and taking mugs from the shelf, they poured their beers and passed them around.

“You’ll be killed by Becky later, you know!”

A voice was raised in a comical tone, but no one declined the beer when a mug was passed to them. Not before long, they reached Zeeg’s group.

“Here.”

A gunner approached with mugs in hand, each of them filled to the brim with foamy beer. The person didn’t seem to be angry at Gannon at all. They must have heard the conversation earlier and understood that the current situation doesn’t have anything to do with Gannon’s past.

Everyone took a mug-- Zeeg included, albeit reluctantly. The three of them then moved to sit in a corner.

Some of the hunters got into the kitchen and started cooking, and some tables started to sing. The atmosphere was so lighthearted, as if they weren’t being imprisoned at all.

Knowing full well that he didn’t like the taste, Zeeg took a drink anyway. As expected, the boy flinched from the bitterness. He asked himself whether or not the day he will grow to like this thing will really come.

“...Hey, Gannon.”

Elmeria, who has been only staring at her mug, spoke up in a low voice. With all the commotion in the gathering hall, the only ones who could hear her were Zeeg and Gannon.

“It’s about what that guy said earlier... Did you really do it?”

“...Yes.”

Gannon gave a brief but clear answer.

Elmeria gripped the handle of her mug tightly.

“Was it for money?”

“...No.”

“Then why? Tell me the reason.”

A moment of silence in the group made the atmosphere heavy.

Zeeg knew that at a time like this, he should not interrupt them. But that also means he could not excuse himself and break away. And if he were to be honest, he was also curious.

Like a moving mountain, Gannon straightened his large body.

“I used to serve the noble house of Elbrenfort. Before then, I was a hunter like I am now. When the head of the family was attacked by a Velocidrome, I happened to be there to save him. As a reward, he took me in and granted me the honor to serve the household.”

With his big thumb, Gannon rubbed the rim of his mug.

“House Elbrenfort is one of the candidates to ascend the throne. Despite that, my lord was a humble soul, kind enough to put his trust in a commoner like myself. It was a rare case for a commoner to be made knight, but my lord was a firm believer of one’s own abilities, disregarding social status. He believed it was not right that a person more than capable of the task could not become one due to his status. Knowing full well that criticisms would be directed at him, he made me a knight of the family.”

“Then why did you...?”

Before the word ‘kidnap’ was spoken, Elmeria gulped it down.

“Other than the lady, my lord was in love with another woman. That is due to his marriage being purely for political purposes that he had no influence over. Not able to move on from the mistress, my lord would make frequent trips to visit her. It was during one of his return trips when I saved him.”

Elmeria frowned slightly, but Gannon pretended not to notice and continued.

“He had a daughter with the mistress. The child was intended to be the heir instead of a son he would later have with his wife. Part of the reason was because the lady’s health conditions caused her difficulties in giving birth. However-”

“She ended up giving birth?”

Gannon nodded.

“By law, the master’s first child, even if born from another woman other than the lady, is to be the heir. My lord was already physically frail. When he was pressured about having a child, he had to force his body, causing his health to deteriorate further. While recovering from his illness, he entrusted me to take care of the child that he had with his beloved mistress. That is because he predicted that when it comes his time to leave this world, the young mistress would be in danger without anyone to protect her.”

“So that’s why you let yourself be framed as a kidnapper?”

Gannon stayed silent. It was his way of saying ‘yes’.

Elmeria let out a sigh and chugged down her beer in one go, not caring about the spill that got on her shirt. She then slammed the mug on the floor as she finished.

“It was totally like you to do such a thing, but seriously? A bounty of 500,000 Zenny? Good grief... Then? What happened to the young mistress?”

“She had passed away.”

Elmeria stared into Gannon’s small eyes, and the large man took her sights head-on.

The moment lasted an eternity.

“Is that so...”

Elmeria let out another sigh. Without saying anything, she snatched Zeeg’s mug and drank all of its contents.

“...Then let’s leave it at that.”

Gannon stayed still, not even giving a nod.

(“Could it be that...?”)

A thought popped up in Zeeg’s head that the child in question could be Elmeria. From the way she speaks and all those decorations in her room, it is entirely possible. He could not think of anyone more fitting to the description.

(“But if what that knight said was true, Elmeria should be about 2-3 years old when she and Gannon ran away, right? She shouldn’t have that kind of royal mannerisms... Or did Gannon teach her?”)

Zeeg had another thought that she had it in her since birth, but that shouldn’t be possible.

The sight of her chugging down beer solidified his thought.

“Here!”

Suddenly, a piece of freshly grilled steak was placed in the middle of the three, steam evaporating from the hot metal plate. It was clear from the smell that there wasn’t any special seasoning at all, with the meat being lightly salted and seasoned with common spices.

Looking up, they could see a man carrying 3 more plates. He let out a wide smile, showing his yellow teeth.

“We don’t know what will happen next, but it won’t hurt to fill up our stomachs!”

“Thanks.”

As Zeeg expressed his gratitude, the man let out a hearty laugh and told the boy to take the knives and forks that were slipped on his belt. After taking some, the man took off to feed the other tables.

“That’s right... No matter what kind of situation, we can’t go on an empty stomach. Being prepared for any unexpected turn of events-- That’s common sense for hunters.”

Elmeria took a pair of knife and fork from Zeeg’s hand and rubbed them together, scattering faint, blue sparks.

(“Guild Master... Why did you stop me?”)

Behind the Guild Master, Becky asked quietly so that only the old man could hear.

From the other side of the door, lively voices of the hunters can be heard. It looks like they have been arbitrarily drinking and eating the gathering hall’s beer and meat.

(“With our numbers, overturning the situation should be easy.”)

Right now, there are only 5 knights keeping watch in the room. Even though each of them were carrying light bowguns in their hands, taking them down before they get to fire wouldn’t be difficult.

The other side isn’t wary of the people they’re watching, thinking that they are just some elders and their followers. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even think about posting just 5 people here.

Even if they had ten times of that amount, it still wouldn’t be enough.

(“Having trouble with the royal court isn’t profitable.”)

The elder’s tired voice could be heard.

(“The spies should be back with information any moment now. If the intention is to destroy the Hunter’s Guild, I don’t see how they- the Royal Armory, would want to hunt all those Rathalos.”)

(“Could it be that they were developing new weapons for warfare?”)

(“That is possible... In any case, right now we wait. Hunters don’t lose morale just by being locked up.”)

(“If the Guild Master says so...”)

The old man let out a laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly.

(“Now, don’t make that face like you missed an opportunity to strike. Don’t worry... I’ll have some work for you soon... It won’t be long...”)

(“Yes.”)

A smile appeared on Becky’s face.

The knights keeping watch in front of her blushed with embarrassment, thinking that her smile was intended for them.

The metallic Rathalos heads have been installed on the city walls in place of the normal cannons, pointing outwards. Watching over the weapons, Brandar smiled at his good fortune.

When he was ordered on this mission, he cursed his luck. However, that was because he didn’t think he would meet Gannon Denon, who has such a high bounty on his head, in a place like this.

Moreover, even though Gannon said she was already dead, Brandar thought it is possible that the girl who was with him is actually the oldest daughter of the House of Elbrenfort, who was kidnapped 12 years ago.

Even if she’s not, no one would know.

The young mistress was kidnapped when she was 3 years old, so she shouldn’t have remembered herself from that time. Some suitable excuses should be enough to convince Madam Elbrenfort to take the girl in.

Even though many people have attempted this method by bringing random girls, this time Brandar has credibility.

That is because, at any rate, the Gannon Denon he captured is undoubtedly the real deal.

“Sir Brandar!”

Turning to the source of the voice, he could see a knight rushing from the market. The knight’s frustrated expression showed that he needed help to deal with something he can’t handle.

“What!?”

Brandar made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction of being interrupted.

The knight stopped in front of him and made a salute.

“...The truth is, we ran into a slight problem.”

“Well, what is it?”

“The daughter of Lord Wimberly has arrived.”

“Wha...what...?”

Brandar’s howled out like a hungry dog.

Lord Wimberly’s daughter, Narumi Wimberly. The face of a wyvern conservation organization, whose goal is to protect all monsters. Naturally, they have an antagonistic relationship with the Royal Armory, which develop weapons from monster materials.

Moreover, her father has authority, so the girl has to be treated accordingly. It was said that if she is dissatisfied with anything, the Royal Armory could be under quite a lot of questioning.

That is because she is the third candidate to ascend the throne.

Comparatively, the House of Elbrenfort is at a much lower rank, being the fifteenth. If one were to think about the future of their career, they wouldn’t want to mistreat the girl.

(“This is bad. Very bad.”)

The plan had already been put in motion, so it is impossible to change the schedule.

The higher-ups have stated repeatedly that if they miss this chance, they would have to wait many years for another.

Waiting for an answer, the messenger eyes narrowed with worry.

(“Are you telling me to make such a difficult decision!?”)

But there was no time to falter.

“Sir Brandar!”

A cold voice was raised as a figure of a robed girl appears. She headed straight to Brandar, ignoring the other knights who were trying to stop her. The mark of a sword being crossed out is embroidered on her robe’s chest, symbolizing her organization’s protest against hunting.

(“I don’t have time to play with this girl!”)

Doing his best to hide his boiling anger, Brandar broke into a forced smile. He opened his arms as a gesture of friendliness.

However, Narumi kept her stern expression, not acknowledging the knight’s attempt at being friendly.

Realizing that it was no use, Brandar lowered his arms and bowed humbly.

“Hmm... For a royal daughter to come to a place like this is admirable indeed. However, if you’re here to protest against the Hunter’s Guild, I’m afraid you’re too late. All of the hunters have already been rounded up. They will never hunt monsters again.”

Narumi glanced at the gathering hall’s entrance, which had been sealed shut. She slowly shook her head before turning back to Brandar.

“I have not come here for that reason. There are many other ways to discuss our philosophy with the hunters. Right now, stopping what you people are doing takes priority. Sir Brandar, we have investigated that the Royal Armory has been hiring wandering hunters to hunt the Rathalos on a large scale! In order to create this... Do you not know the consequences of your actions!?”

“Of course we do, milady.”

Brandar bowed his head respectfully.

“If this plan succeeds, humanity will be liberated from the fear that has been haunting us for countless years. And what is wrong with that? It is what every single human in this world wish for! To end the age of being on the receiving end of pain and destruction without the ability to retaliate!”

Brandar raised his hands up to the sky, as if receiving praise and blessings from the heavens.

“For that goal, do you realize the significance of the sacrifices they have to make!?”

“Sacrifice? The ones who make sacrifices are us, not them.”

Brandar sent an eye signal to one of the knights.

Two knights rushed ahead immediately, stopping right behind Narumi.

Realizing what was happening, the girl’s face stiffened with nervousness.

“...Escort her to the guest house. Make sure it’s the highest ranking King room. If it’s those rooms, there shouldn’t be anything to dissatisfy her. In fact, it’s such a waste that rooms as impressive as those are only for the hunters.”

“Sir!”

“...You intend to confine me?”

Brandar shook his head in response to Narumi’s glare.

“This is for your safety. It’s dangerous to stay here, and we don’t have the time to escort you back to the capital. Now, please don’t worry. Our victory is all but assured.”

“...You realize that nature is not so weak, do you not?”

“Milady, do you not always tell the hunters to use humanity’s wisdom? We’ll show an example of doing so. Then hopefully they’ll come to their senses-- Now, lead her away.”

“......”

Narumi stopped the knight who was going to grab her arm with just a glare. She then made her way to the guest houses on her own, her determination yet unbroken.

Looking at her go, Brandar let out a huge sigh in relief. Noticing that he was being watched by the other knights, he ordered them to go away with a hand wave.

“Get back to work! We don’t have much time!”

“Please wait here. We ask for your patience.”

The knight said before making his exit, with Narumi keeping her eyes on him until he was out of sight. The door, looking as if designed for an actual royal palace, was firmly shut behind him; it gave the impression of being sealed shut, never to open ever again.

Locking it was only possible from the inside, but there should be guards posted immediately outside.

The girl opened a window and cast her eyes over the city.

The metallic Rathalos heads had been lined up on the city walls. Each of them possessed an eerie sheen from reflected sunlight.

Naturally, she could not observe the state of affairs inside of the gathering hall from up here.

Even though she disapproves of the hunters’ activities, those were far more agreeable compared to what the Royal Armory was doing now.

(“What should I do...?”)

All Narumi could do was pace around the room, biting her thumbnail.

Her people were all gathered outside of the city.

The transporter bridge-- the only means of reaching the city, had been taken control by the Thirteenth Order, under the Royal Armory’s command. The girl had claimed her authority to bluff the knights into allowing her passage.

Met with this situation, she came to a realization that she was truly powerless, and that heritage will only take her so far. It was effectively just something she had borrowed from her father, after all.

(“Will these things actually work...?”)

The information was from a member who was also an employee of the Royal Armory. She also received the weapon’s blueprints, but she could not understand most of it.

However, she knew their objective.

Most of her followers’ opinions were that they would never pull it off and to let them do what they want. But even if the chance was a mere one out of ten thousand, the damage caused would be irreparable if it were to succeed.

Although she rushed in bravely, her only achievement so far has been confinement.

(“How pathetic...”)

Narumi tightly gripped the window’s frame and bit her lips.

“A good day to you, milady.”

Hearing a voice from her side, Narumi instantly turned around. Seeing the person’s figure, she was on the verge of screaming.

“Uh-oh.”

But she could not.

The person’s arm extended forward to cover the her mouth. She was pushed against the wall, with a rubbery smell entering her nose.

“If possible, could you please keep quiet? No, I don’t intend to do anything to you. If you promise to not make a ruckus, I’ll let go immediately. Of course, if you don’t go by your promise--”

The hand tightened its grip.

Trebling with fear from raw strength alone, Narumi nodded firmly. She promised to both herself and the other person that she would not raise her voice.

The hand quietly moved away.

While slowly catching her breath, the girl turned to the man, who had taken a few steps back. His face was hidden behind a horned mask, and he was wearing nothing but a belt on his upper body.

She cringed from the pure eccentricity of his fashion sense.

However, Narumi could remember this man.

“You are... the person who was with Elmeria...?”

The girl asked in a frightened tone, and the man nodded in response.

“Yes. We have met many times, milady.”

Narumi let out a sigh in relief.

From the man’s attire, she initially thought he was an executioner sent by Brandar to assassinate her, but it turned out that she was mistaken.

“If I remember correctly... you are the gunner...?”

“Yes.”

“But how are you here? Brandar said all of the hunters have already been captured...”

The man narrowed the eyes under his mask, seemingly cracking smile.

“I’m extremely swift when it comes to escapes, you see... Yes-- like a Gypceros!”

As if he was daydreaming, the man raised his voice, causing Narumi to blink repeatedly in confusion. In her mind, she thought that the man’s personality perfectly matched his eccentric sense of fashion.

“Ah, pardon my rudeness.”

The man coughed once to clear his throat.

“By the way... Judging from the fact that you’ve come up here alone, you must be aware of their objective?”

Narumi nodded.

“As I thought. And that objective has something to do with monsters rather than us hunters-- am I correct? If not, there wouldn’t be any explanation for you taking action so aggressively. Ah, and it’s related to the metallic Rathalos heads that they hauled in as well... am I correct?”

“Precisely.”

Reaching into her robe’s sleeve, Narumi took out the blueprints of the Rathalos-shaped cannons and passed it to the man.

Among the weapons used by hunters, gunner weapons are closest in design to cannons.

Although she could not understand it, the man should be able to make the most out of the schematics-- that is what Narumi thought.

(“But that is also up to his status as a true hunter, of course...”)

The man accepted the plans and skimmed them quickly.

“This is...”

The eyes under the mask opened wide. He raised his rubber-covered face and looked straight at Narumi.

“Milady, do you know what they intend to use this thing for?”

“I do.”

Narumi nodded. The objective in question is the very reason why she have come to this place.

“With this, they will-”

“Preparations are complete!”

The voice of a messenger echoed throughout the wasteland. Located to the south of the city, it takes about half a day on horseback to reach this barren land.

The weather is foggy, and the area is covered in silence, as if all living things here have died off. There were only 50 humans moving about.

Usually, this area is inhabited by the small carnivores called Genprey, but right now not even their shadows can be seen.

Then, the sound of a field horn echoed.

Unlike hunters who blow the horns to draw monsters' attention, this time it is merely used for making a signal.

“I...It’s here!”

A young military engineer shivered as he pointed to the emptiness ahead.

A mountain emerged from the shadow shrouded in the fog-- Not because the fog lifted.

It was the mountain that moved closer, making itself more visible. It approached as the humans watched on. The mountain’s abnormal speed cast an optical illusion on the people, causing them to feel like they were being sucked in.

“Commander! Please give your orders!”

The voice caused the commander of the Fourth Order, Combat Engineer division of the Royal Armory, to come to his senses.

“I...Ignite!”

He shouted out in a panic, and his subordinate set fire to a fuse with his shivering hands. A spark ran through and disappeared into the fog.

From this point on, all they can do is watch attentively.

There won’t be any problem if they succeed. But if not... all of them would be trampled to their deaths-- effectively wiped off the face of the earth.

Everyone held their breaths, waiting nervously for the result.

In the moment of silence, even the sound of someone gulping down saliva can be heard clearly. And then-

“!”

Along with numerous flashes of light, the silence was broken by thunderous explosions.

The explosions were from hundreds of Large Barrel Bombs, which have been lined up to be detonated all at once.

-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!

The roar that echoed throughout the land was as powerful as a storm. Slowly, the mountain changed its direction and disappeared into the fog.

A field horn was sounded once more.

(“It’s a success...”)

Even so, no words of joy came out from anyone’s mouth. All of them had the same thought lingering in their minds-- That they messed with something that they never should have.

All men stood still, staring into the new direction the mountain has taken.

Chapter 5 - Monster Hunter

“Master... can you feel that?”

Called by Becky, the old man calmly opened his eyes. Obviously, he felt it. A strangely uniform tremor sent up from the ground to the chair. A natural calamity feared by all- that thing.

“The news have just arrived. The Royal Armory’s objective here is to test a prototype weapon. They confined us so that we wouldn’t get in their way. And for the experiment, they also forcibly changed the direction of ‘that thing’ by startling it with hundreds of Large Barrel Bombs.”

“Ooh...? That’s quite elaborate.”

“What should we do?”

“So, how powerful is this prototype weapon?”

“From the blueprints, its destructive power should be even higher than the Dragonator. However, there are major flaws.”

“Hmm?”

“Each of the cannons are made from a large amount Fire Wyvern Marrows. Their barrels, forged from Machalite Ores, are only good for 3 shots.”

“That’s to be expected. The reason wyverns can use their fire attacks repeatedly is that they can rapidly recover their inflamed throats. Then, what about the effect of this weapon on ‘that thing’?”

“Unknown... but I think the best they can do is just startle it.”

Hearing that, the old man laughed in his throat. Becky narrowed her eyes and rubbed the elder’s thin shoulder.

“However, there’s one more issue.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s about the smell that the Fire Wyvern Marrows emit when they ignite. Judging from the amount of those weapons brought in, the smell should be strong enough to... attract swarms of fire wyverns.”

“Because they’ll mistake that for an invasion of their territory? Good grief...”

“What do we do?”

“...Let’s just leave them to their own devices for a little longer. It’ll be good to let them have a taste of failure. How are the hunters doing?”

Becky smiled wryly.

“Can you not hear that?”

The elder leaned forward and focused his ears, then broke into a laugh.

From the other side of the door, the hunters can be heard singing merrily. It looks like they were having quite a party.

The knights that keep watch on the guild masters don’t seem to have any intention of stopping the ruckus.

“Let them have fun for a little longer... But make sure to charge them for the food and drinks later.”

“Of course.”

Becky answered immediately without any hesitation.

“I absolutely won’t let them eat for free.”

“Those people really are idiots... Thinking they can contain us just by putting us in here.”

Elmeria let out a merry laugh while sitting cross legged on the floor. During her time here, she had already lost count of the amount of beer she drank. Cugging down another, she then banged the mug on the floor.

“What do you mean?”

Haring Zeeg’s question, the girl stopped laughing and gave the boy a ridiculed look.

“What? You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Honestly... Even if you’re a rookie, I can’t believe you don’t know this!”

“Ouch!”

Given a slap on his shoulder, Zeeg’s upper body was knocked down flat on the floor.

The strike was so strong that his shoulder could have been dislocated.

Her brute strength shouldn’t be surprising, since the girl could wield the massive Diablos Maul without breaking a sweat. However, her build never gave Zeeg such an impression, causing the boy to let his guard down.

“You listening? This vet will get you up to speed.”

Elmeria waved her finger in front of Zeeg’s nose.

“In addition to the streets, every part of this city- be it the market, plaza, gathering hall, or even guest houses- is connected together by underground tunnels dug inside the mountain. That means we can escape whenever we want.”

“...Then why is everyone still here, drinking like there’s no tomorrow?”

“Well, we won’t gain anything from opposing those knights, right? It’s another story if they’re here to kill us, but so far they only put us in here. The cannons they brought in aren’t intended to be used on us either.”

“How do you know all that?”

Zeeg got up and rubbed his shoulder.

To express her hopelessness for the boy, Elmeria shook her head.

“How, you ask? First of all, the weapons are pointed to the outside, right? If they’re going use it on us, there would be one pointed at the gathering hall from the beginning. They require the use of Aptonoths to move around, so they wouldn’t do something inefficient like pointing the weapons outwards just to turn them back later. And of course, pointing the cannons at us from the start will work really well as intimidation. That means they’re trying to use those weapons here to do something, and us hunters will get in their way- How’s that for an explanation!?”

The girl swung her arm again, but this time Zeeg anticipated it and dodged.

The momentum of her missed strike caused the girl fall over, and Gannon grabbed her before she hit the ground. From the looks of it, she had been drunk this whole time.

“Ah, drunk already? That is a rare sight indeed.”

Feeling someone’s presence and hearing a familiar voice, Zeeg instantly turned around.

“Fradio!”

Naked upper body and executioner’s mask- there is only one person who could fit the description. The man narrowed his eyes and laughed mischievously while sitting down next to Zeeg, causing a rubbery sound from the friction between his armor and the floor.

“Where have you been, Fradio?”

“I was in the room, you know? Spying on them in order to know their objective. Now that I have all of the necessary information, I’ve come here to make an announcement.”

“Really?”

Elmeria's clear voice made Zeeg blink in confusion.

It was like she sobered up instantly. Even though her cheeks are still slightly red, she had a determined look in her eyes.

Fradio nodded, then stood up and walked up to the quest board. He took out the roll of paper that was slipped on his waist, opened it up, and flattened it on the board.

“These are the schematics of the weapons they brought in.”

The man’s statement caused all the commotion to die down instantly. Every hunter, Zeeg included, turned their heads to the quest board.

Fradio placed his Gypceros hide-covered hand on the paper.

“Apparently, this weapon is called the ‘Dragon Destroyer’. In simple terms, they copied the mechanisms of the Rathalos’s fireball attack and used scientific enhancements to increase its firepower. Its core is made from a large amount of Fire Wyvern Marrows, and the barrel is forged from high-purity Machalite. One cannon requires at least 200 Machalite Ores to create.”

Someone whistled out in astonishment.

“These cannons are completely different from Dragonators in terms of both structure and power. Like normal cannons, this weapon’s design is developed using bowguns as base. Simply put, it’s a man-made fire wyvern.”

“What are they trying to do with this thing here?”

A hunter asked the question, and Fradio let out a mischievous laugh.

“...You see, they’re attempting to use these Dragon Destroyers to slay the Lao-Shan Lung.”

The gathering hall was filled with silence for a moment- and then burst into laughter.

“Hey hey hey, are they for real!? They really think they can do that!?”

“For someone who haven’t even seen the real thing, they sure cause a lot of trouble!”

“Man, it’s been a long time since I heard something this funny!”

All of the hunters laughed merrily.

Lao-Shan Lung... Zeeg had also heard of that name.

The name means “Old Mountain Dragon”- and the classification is completely different from the Rathalos. Ancient creatures that have lived since the antiquity, their sheer size is what makes them a threat.

No one knows the exact measurements, but if one were to look up from the ground, they wouldn’t even see its back, as if it were a mountain’s summit. If they tried to look at the monster’s tail from its head, the distance would be so great that they would barely see it.

The Elder Dragon never stops, roaming the lands as if it’s on an eternal journey.

Due to its sheer mass, villages or cities unlucky enough to be in its path would effectively be wiped off the map.

Rather than a living creature, the Lao-Shan Lung is considered by many to be a natural disaster, similar to earthquakes and sandstorms. A force of nature that humans can never hope to overcome.

Of course, humans aren’t the kind to be trampled on without putting up a fight.

New methods are always thought up in order to deal with it.

The Dragonators were also invented for that purpose. But even if the spear can kill a Rathalos with a single well-placed attack, the Lao-Shan Lung’s unimaginably hard shells wouldn’t even have a single scratch.

Currently, the method is to startle it using a large quantity of explosives or flash and sonic bombs, forcing it to change its route.

(“Wait... If they’re bringing the weapons meant to kill it here, then-”)

Zeeg shuddered at the possibility of what could happen.

Raising his head up, his eyes met with Fradio’s.

The look in the man’s eyes under his mask confirmed Zeeg’s fears. Fradio slammed his hand on the quest board once to get the attention of every person present.

“Everyone, do you think this is the time to be laughing?”

He quickly cast his eyes over the hall.

“Why do you think they brought the Dragon Destroyers here? In that quantity?”

“Wait, don’t tell me-!”

A mustached hunter stood up, pushing the chair behind him.

“You’re telling us that the Lao-Shan Lung is coming here!?”

“No way. According to the route prediction, isn’t it supposed to go in a completely different direction?”

“R...right...”

The mustached hunter sighed in relief, but Fradio crushed that sense of security by shaking his head.

“Regrettably, the dragon has changed its path- No, it would be more fitting to say that it has been forced to change its path. I’ve confirmed it with my own eyes. Beyond the fog, I could see a moving mountain. That was the Lao-Shan Lung’s back, no doubt. I don’t know what method they used, but it seems like the Combat Engineer Division of the Royal Armory has successfully changed the monster’s route.”

“Gah!! What have they done!!?”

The man scratched his mustache.

“Fradio.”

Elmeria stood up, put her hand on her hip, and tilted her head slightly.

“Where did you get all this information from?”

“Ah, about that. It’s simple. Young Lady Wimberly has come to this city.”

The mention of that name stirred up a commotion. It looks like everyone is aware of her and her organization’s protests.

“It’s a good thing that she came here to protest against killing the Lao-Shan Lung... But right now she’s been confined in a guest house.”

“That’s what she gets for playing with fire.”

Zeeg looked up at Elmeria, who let out an arrogant snort.

“Then, what do we do? Do we wait for that freaking huge dragon to come here? Or do we run away?”

“Let’s see...”

Elmeria narrowed her eyes and stared at the quest board.

“It would be nice if someone were to make a request...”

“It’s here!”

From the city wall, a soldier tasked with watching the sky hurriedly came down to report his news to Brandar.

“Its route is as we predicted! It will be in the effective range in approximately 20 minutes.”

“Give me that.”

Brandar snatched the binoculars from the soldier’s hands and looked into the fog. A mountain is clearly moving.

Uniform tremors can felt for quite a while now, the rhythm closely matching the mountain’s movement.

“Whoa!”

Suddenly, the giant dragon’s face appeared from beyond the fog. Brandar could feel the strength in his legs being drained way. Even though it’s still so far away, the knight was so frightened that cold sweat appeared on his palms.

“S...Start the heating process!”

Brandar issued the order with his shivering voice.

“Starting the heating process!”

Powderstone fuel rods were inserted into every Dragon Destroyer at once. Each cannon emitted Vespoid-like buzzing sounds as their Machalite barrels gradually turn red from the heat.

At the same time, a mysterious smell drifted all over the area.

Brandar closed his helmet’s visor, letting the special cloth under the faceguard absorb the stinking smell away.

Another 10 minutes is needed for the cannons to be ready. Moreover, each shot requires the precious fuel rod to be replaced, severely limiting the number of shots they can make.

(“But we have prepared this many cannons! Just the first barrage should be plenty! With this, the age of those savage hunters will come to an end!”)

Brandar clenched his fist, waiting patiently.

5 minutes...

10 minutes...

A commotion broke out among the soldiers.

Tearing through the fog, the Lao-Shan Lung’s body could be clearly seen with a naked eye!

And then-

Suddenly, a roar echoed throughout the city. Not covering his ear in time, Zeeg was stunned by its sheer magnitude.

(“Wha...What was that!?”)

It was a sound that he had heard once before.

Not too long ago, in fact.

No doubt about it- the roar was from a Rathalos.

“They’ve come, as expected.”

Fradio nonchalantly spoke up while looking at the sky from the King room’s window.

Standing next to him is Narumi who, like Zeeg, had gone pale due to not covering her ears in time. Looking at the girl, Elmeria let out her usual arrogant snort and shook her body as if to show off her Rathalos equipment.

After the meeting in the gathering hall, the hunters made their way to the guest houses using a secret passage.

First of all, they took back their equipment and secured the area. Since most of the knights and soldiers were outside, they didn’t notice any change on the interior at all.

After putting on their armor and weapons, the hunters made their way back to the gathering hall using the same passage. Zeeg’s group stayed behind for a discussion with Narumi.

“What do you mean ‘as expected’?”

Looking away from Narumi, Elmeria asked up.

“You see, it’s because the Dragon Destroyers are made from a large quantity of Fire Wyvern Marrows. The smell emitted when they ignite is what signals other fire wyverns in the area of its presence. Usually, it is used by Rathalos to attract females in the area... But of course, other Rathalos will take it as an invasion of their territory. They’ll set out to drive the invader away- and that’s what is happening right now.”

Fradio pointed up to the sky.

Numerous flames can be seen, tearing through the fog. Their numbers increase by the second, until tens of them filled the sky.

“Hehehe... A swarm of Rathalos and the Lao-Shan Lung... It has become quite an event.”

“You sure it’s the time to talk like it doesn’t have anything to do with you?”

Elmeria turned back to Narumi.

“Well, what will you do? Will you put up the quest? Or will you not?”

“...There’s no other option.”

Narumi dropped her shoulders in frustration and let out a sigh.

“I have a request for the Hunter’s Guild- to destroy the Dragon Destroyers. However, it will be under an additional condition that the Lao-Shan Lung must not be killed.”

That moment, an explosion could be heard coming from the plaza, followed by a giant fireball flying past the window.

It flew straight at one of the Rathalos, the monster taking a direct hit. Even with its high fire resistance, the wyvern’s scales were blasted to pieces, engulfing its body in flames as it plummeted to the ground.

“Awesome...”

Zeeg unknowingly muttered to himself.

The destructive power was so great that it could have a chance at defeating the Lao-Shan Lung... that was the thought that popped up in the boy’s mind.

But at the same time, Zeeg had mixed feelings about it. He couldn’t get the conflicting thoughts out of his head- that this method of killing is wrong.

That it makes the wyvern’s death meaningless.

“Zeeg!”

Turning back to Elmeria, Zeeg could see the girl lead Narumi into the secret passage.

“Hurry! We need to bring this girl to the Guild Master! No matter how urgent, every request need to be approved by the guild!”

“G...Got it!”

Zeeg followed Narumi into a tunnel hidden within the room’s fireplace. He was followed immediately by Fradio, and then Gannon. Each of them have their weapons equipped, with Zeeg carrying his trusty Buster Blade on his back.

“Hey, do you even know where the Guild Master is?”

Zeeg asked his question, and Elmeria gave her answer like it’s a common knowledge.

“He’s always been in the gathering hall’s back room, of course? You never noticed?”

Zeeg was about to say he didn’t notice, but gulped down his words.

Even though he was nowhere to be seen, two knights could be seen guarding the door in the back of the kitchen. That means someone important is being confined inside.

Bending down to crawl through a narrow path, Zeeg and the group picked up their pace.

“It’s here! Aim carefully!!”

Brandar issued his command while covering his ears to block the Rathalos’ roars.

Even though there is a swarm of fire wyverns in the sky, only one cannon was used to intercept them. Part of the reason was because of the weapon’s weight, but it was mostly due to fear of the Lao-Shan Lung that the he didn’t approve the use of other cannons.

In any case, everyone rejoiced the fact that the cannon’s first shot was able to easily take down a Rathalos. The Dragon Destroyer has exhibited even greater power than expected!

However, they also knew as a fact that preparing the second shot will take time.

In addition to the time needed to change the fuel rod, they would also have to wait for the fire piston to cool down. More importantly, the Dragon Destroyer isn’t something that can be aimed as easily as normal cannons.

Seeing one Rathalos fall, the others in the swarm steered clear of the effective range.

“Sir!”

Turning to the voice that sounded more like a scream, he could clearly see the Lao-Shan Lung’s body. He never noticed that it got this close.

No- it actually isn’t that close.

Its sheer mass is what made him think it is closer than it looks.

“It has entered the effective range! Sir! Your orders!”

“A...Alright! Fire!!”

Brandar gave his order, still covering his ears to block the Rathalos’ roars.

All of the Dragon Destroyers on the wall were fired at once!

Balls of compressed heat tore through the fog, creating tunnels from the evaporated vapor and hitting the Lao-Shan Lung’s back directly!

Following the explosions, a pillar of fire rose up to the sky.

“We did it!”

Brandar rejoiced. However-

-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!

The mountain didn’t seem to have any intention on stopping its advance.

At the spot hit by the fireballs, only earth and moss, built up on the dragon’s body over the years, have been broken off. There wasn’t even a single scratch on the scales beneath that layer.

(“Th...This is madness...”)

Brandar could feel the strength in his knees being drained away, and is on the verge of collapsing.

Overhead, a Rathalos let out a roar and swooped down, shooting a fireball as it flew past.

It hit one of the Dragon Destroyers- the very one that shot one of its kind down.

The cannon was smashed to pieces in the explosion.

Fragments of Fire Wyvern Marrows burst into flames as they scattered in the air.

Sweeping away the fragments that got to him, Brandar shouted out his command.

“T...The second shot! Begin preparations! Hurry!!”

Back at the gathering hall, the knights have been tied up on the floor, surrounded by fully armed hunters. Explosions could be heard coming from outside, the tremors causing dust on the ceiling beams to fall off.

“You guys did this?”

Elmeria asked, but the hunters shook their heads.

“We did some clean-up.”

Holding a cane and laughing merrily, the Guild Master appeared from the back room, with Becky following him. He looked at Narumi with his wrinkled eyes.

“Well well, who could this young lady be?”

“A client.”

Elmeria nudged the girl forward.

“This young lady is?”

Narumi nodded.

“I have request for the Hunter’s Guild. Please destroy the Dragon Destroyers. But under the condition that the Lao-Shan Lung must not be killed.”

“Hmm...”

The Guild Master rubbed his chin.

“That’s good and all... but do you have the money? It’s a big job. The reward can’t be just 10-20 thousand Zenny, you know? Even for the daughter of the House of Wimberly, you shouldn’t be able to spend money freely, right?”

Narumi’s face clouded up with worry, and Elmeria squeezed her eyebrows together in annoyance.

“Wait a second! Is this the time to be saying that!? In those cannons are mass-produced, us hunters would be out of our jobs! And there’s still the swarm of Rathalos to worry about!!”

“Hmm... Lao-Shan Lung and Rathalos... The city might be wiped off the map at this rate...”

Elmeria facepalmed in response to the Guild Master’s carefree attitude.

“Ugyaaahhh!!”

Accompanying the scream was the figure of a knight being blown in through the board that sealed the gathering hall’s entrance. Caught in an explosion, the knight rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire.

“Sir Brandar!”

One of the knights who were tied up on the ground shouted out in surprise.

It was the knight who provoked Gannon earlier. Black burning spots appeared all over his armor, and his hair had turned to charcoal. His face also suffered quite a severe burn.

“H...Help... Please...”

Brandar crawled in a struggle and grabbed Gannon’s leg, but the large man didn’t take notice of him at all.

Successive fireball explosions can be heard coming from the plaza, with the hot wind occasionally blowing into the gathering hall.

“P...Please... Help... Please do something about them...”

The knocking sound of a cane can be heard as the Guild Master approached Brandar.

“Is that a request for the Hunter’s Guild? To do something about the Rathalos and Lao-Shan Lung?”

Brandar nodded repeatedly.

The old man grinned, then reached into his pocket and took out a blank sheet of paper and a fountain pen. Passing the pen to Brandar, he whispered something into the knight’s ear. Brandar then nodded once. With another person supporting his hand, he started signing his name on the blank paper.

“Becky, please patch him up.”

“Understood.”

Becky enlisted the help of a few hunters to carry Brandar into the back room.

Zeeg looked on, and debated whether or not the knight will survive.

He took direct hits from the Rathalos’s fireballs. Wyverns’ fire attacks are different from normal fire in that it will slowly eat away at the flesh until the body is completely incinerated.

Prompt medical attention is essential.

“Alright then... If he’s paying, money wouldn’t be an issue anymore. We can also charge the Royal Armory for more if it’s not enough.”

The Guild Master waved the paper with Brandar’s signature for the hunters to see.

“With this, the request is approved. It’s urgent, so there won’t be any contract fee. A reward of at least 5,000 Zenny per person is guaranteed. The maximum party size will be 4 like always, but there will not be a limit on the number of participating groups. The objective is to repel the Rathalos and Lao-Shan Lung. There’s no need to kill any of them- well, you won’t be able to kill the Lao-Shan Lung either way.”

“Please wait!”

Narumi stepped forward.

“About the Dragon Destroyers-”

“They’re what attracting the swarm of Rathalos.”

Elmeria smiled fearlessly.

“How about we use the cranes to throw them away? If we aim carefully and they fall into the Lao-Shan Lung’s nose, wouldn’t it be hilarious? –Anyway, I accept this quest. Of course, Gannon and Fradio as well... you two with me?”

The two men nodded without hesitation.

After confirming their answers, Elmeria turned to Zeeg.

“What about you? Will you go with us?”

The boy’s pulse pumped up.

The proposal was totally unexpected. It was a miracle that he got to team up with Elmeria’s group once. And now, she’s inviting him to join them herself!

Zeeg trembled- not with fear, but with excitement.

“Of course I will!”

Elmeria nodded before turning to the Guild Master.

“Alright, all four of us will go. All of the others are free to join in, but if you don’t hurry, we’ll hog all of the glory to ourselves, alright? –Let’s go!”

Raising her hands up in an empowering stance, Elmeria ran off.

Glancing at Narumi one last time, the other three chased after their leader.

Feeling left behind, all other hunters rushed to the Guild Master to make their contracts.

Hearing a commotion break out in the gathering hall, Zeeg heads to the plaza- which has now become the hunting grounds.

Hot winds constantly blew in the area. It’s like he was in the volcano region which he had heard about.

(“S...Scary...”)

He got to see a Rathalos not too long ago, but this time, they come in large numbers. Each of them swooped down to attack the Dragon Destroyers.

However, the wyverns’ talons, which can tear through armor like paper, could not destroy the cannons’ high-purity Machalite barrels and the Fire Wyvern Marrows inside.

“What now!?”

Elmeria shouted out.

“...Use the metal wires. I will draw their attention.”

Saying that, Gannon readied his Hellfire lance, waving it around once. The weapon ignited as it made contact with the air. The smell emitted from the ignition drew the attention of a few wyverns.

Additionally, Gannon took the Field Horn on his waist and blew it. The instrument’s sound echoed, the Rathalos swarm answering with their roars.

“...I leave the rest to you three.”

After saying that, Gannon put on the Diablo Helm’s mask and charged onwards. All of the Rathalos turned to him and swarmed in.

“Zeeg. Young Lady Elmeria. The two of you please go find some metal wires in the armory, then tie them around the Dragon Destroyers tightly. I’ll be operating the crane and drop down the hook. After tying them together, please attach the hook to them. Don’t forget to slip in a Small Barrel Bomb as well.”

“Understood.”

“G...Got it!”

Fradio nodded, and then made a break for the crane tower.

Elmeria turned around and started running to the armory. Zeeg followed her so that he wouldn’t get left behind.

Gannon valiantly stood against the Rathalos swarm, taking on their talons and fireballs with his Rathalos-made shield and horned wyvern armor.

Two groups of hunters ran out of the gathering hall. One headed to confront the Rathalos, and the other rushed to the market.

“They’re running away!?”

“Of course not! They’re trying to make the Lao-Shan Lung change its path by attacking its legs! In a situation like this, there’s not much us hunters can do! –Found it!”

The armory’s interior is as hot as outside due to the furnaces. Without anyone to ask, Elmeria managed to find the metal wires and hooks.

She shoved a roll into Zeeg’s hands, the boy almost collapsing from the weight.

“Focus!”

Given a slap on his waist, Zeeg strained himself and started running.

Elmeria, who is ahead of him, is carrying even a bigger roll.

Outside, groups of hunters are fighting against the Rathalos with all they have. Quite a few have already fainted, but Gannon is still standing strong. He rushed into the fray, drawing as much attention as he can. One of the Rathalos had already fallen, and another got its tail cut off.

GUOOOOOOHHHHH!!

Zeeg crouched down and covered his ears as the roars echoed throughout the plaza. He and Elmeria hurriedly tied the metal wires around the Dragon Destroyers, making sure that they’re as tight as possible.

(“I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared! I’m scared! Dammit!!”)

The presence of death thrashing all around him gave the boy goosebumps.

This experience made Zeeg realize that his existence was so small. He’s scared to death- but he never stopped his hands.

A light flashed from the other side of the wall, followed by a thunderous explosion kicking up a large amount of earth and sand.

“That must be the parties on the ground detonating many Large Barrel Bombs at once.”

Elmeria popped up beside Zeeg and helped him tie up the last Dragon Destroyer.

All of the wires were tied together with a hook.

A large hook was then dropped down from above, cracking the stone floor.

The two of the stopped and looked up, seeing a crane beyond the fog. Then, they connected the crane’s hook to the smaller one that tied the wires together.

(“Oh yeah!”)

Zeeg took out a Small Barrel Bomb from his bag and fastened it to the hook, just as Fradio instructed earlier.

“Alright!”

With Zeeg finishing his task, Elmeria threw something up into the sky.

A few moments later, it exploded into a flash of light- It’s a Flash Bomb.

Understanding the signal, the crane started moving, dragging the hook and the metal wires tied to it along.

Zeeg and Elmeria fled the scene so that they wouldn’t get hit.

With enough power to lift whole wyverns, the crane dragged all of the Dragon Destroyers up in one go. Some of them fell off and were destroyed when they hit the walls or the floor.

Noticing that, the Rathalos swarm spread their wings and broke away from Gannon and the hunters. The wind pressure from their wings blew out the flames on the ground.

The crane started to spin, swinging the clump of Dragon Destroyers in an arc. But at this rate, they will just rotate in place-

(“Fradio!?”)

On top of the still spinning crane tower, Fradio opened the control room’s door and stepped outside.

He held the Tankmage in a firing stance.

A flame lashed out from the bowgun’s barrel and broke into pellets, triggering the Small Barrel Bomb’s explosion.

The metal wires were ripped apart, the centrifugal force sending the clump of Dragon Destroyers flying towards the Lao-Shan Lung, all of the cannons landing on its back.

The Rathalos swarm turned their attention to the giant dragon.

“We did it!”

Another explosion occurred, with a large amount of dirt kicked up.

“!”

When the dusty wind calmed down, an unbelievably huge face of the dragon appeared.

The sight caused Zeeg and even Elmeria to tremble in fear.

-The Lao-Shan Lung!

On the tip of its nose is a towering horn. On the sides of its rock-like face are incredibly huge eyes. The moment Zeeg looked at one of them, tears spilled out of his eyes with no sign of stopping.

The moment lasted an eternity.

Slowly, the Lao-Shan Lung turned around, the city wall barely missing the impact. The dragon moved its mountainous body away- with Rathalos swarming its back.

-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!

From beyond the fog, the dragon’s roar could be heard one last time.

At this point, Zeeg was drained of all of his strength and has collapsed on the spot.

“Hah Hah Hah Hah!”

Zeeg caught his breath vigorously, as if he had been forgetting to breathe. His lungs ached.

He tried blinking repeatedly to fix his blurry vision, but his tears just wouldn’t stop.

“What? You’re crying?”

Sweeping away his tears and looking up, he could see Elmeria’s snarky smile with the clear blue sky as a background.

The brilliance caused the boy’s tears to well up again.

Two others stood beside her. Gannon, who had injuries all over his body, one of the horns on his Diablo Mail broken. Fradio, who had sustained light burns on his bare chest.

“Yeah.”

Strangely, Zeeg was able to admit his weakness.

“...I understand now.”

“What is it?”

“That my existence in this world is so small.”

Zeeg let out a smile before coughing to clear his throat.

“Hah... But no matter how small, every living thing is a functioning part of this world... something like that. The Village Chief used to say that a lot. Honestly, I never got what he meant, but now I think I’m starting to understand what he tried to teach me. That hunters live as a functioning part of this world like all forms of life- including me, the Rathalos, or even the Bitterbugs.”

Elmeria, Gannon, and Fradio nodded to one another.

“Do you know why I called you to my room this morning?”

Zeeg shook his head.

“About that... If it’s fine with you, I would like you to join us as a long-term member. It’s because you seem to be quite promising.”

Elmeria extended her hand towards Zeeg.

That was a ticket to a whole new world.

Zeeg raised his hand up and grasped it tightly.

Elmeria answered the boy with a wonderful smile and shouted out-

“Welcome to the world of Monster Hunter!”

Epilogue

A few days later, the Hunter’s Guild and the Royal Court has come to an agreement that the Royal Armory had been making moves on their own.

An announcement was made that the Royal Court had been worried about the Lao-Shan Lung’s presence for quite some time. Wanting in on the glory of eliminating the threat, the Royal Armory and a group of knights collaborated in secret to develop the Dragon Destroyers without the king’s approval. They then proceeded to use the city as their test site.

They seemed to think that the Lao-Shan Lung continued existence is due to the hunters’ negligence. Additionally, they were also dissatisfied at the fact that the hunters are hailed as heroes who protect the kingdom from monsters. For those reasons, they devised the plan to eliminate both the dragon and the hunters at once.

Whether this story is the truth, or just the Royal Court using the Royal Armory as a scapegoat, no one will ever know.

At any rate, the Royal Armory had received the immediate order to disband. The reading of all materials related to this project have been forbidden, and such documents will be archived in the deepest depths of the castle.

Viscount Sir Mirion Brandar, commander of the Thirteenth Order of the Royal Armory, has disappeared without a trace. Rumor has it that the Guild Knights had a role in his disappearance, but there is no way of proving it.

Fortunately, Gannon Denon and Elmeria Franport never had to deal with any pursuers after the incident, and there was no one from the capital that came for them either.

For bravely rushing into the city alone in order to stop the experiment, Young Mistress Narumi Wimberly was reprimanded heavily by Lord Wimberly, her father. Grounded from all activities for half a month, she resumed her protests immediately after the ban was lifted, causing headaches for hunters all over the region.

And today, too... the hunters set off on their adventures.

Moving on with their lives as a functioning part of this world.

Afterword

For those who have never read my work before, nice to meet you! And for those who have, it’s been a long time!

Yuuki Rin here, this time entrusted by Capcom and Famitsu Bunko with the task of writing the novelization of Monster Hunter!

Anyhow, I love “dragons”. That includes the Chinese and Japanese dragons, European dragons from the mythologies, and even dinosaurs.

Since I was a child, I would go to dinosaur-related exhibitions and imagine what it was like during the ancient times as I stared at those giant skeletons.

Even now, I would go to the National Museum of Nature and Science located in Ueno Park to look at the dinosaur fossil exhibitions, given the chance.

The new exhibitions after the museum’s renovation are wonderful!

The dinosaurs’ massive sizes feel so real. I think if I were to stand in front of a Rathalos, I would have the same feeling.

Moreover, if I find any movie that has “dragons” in it, I’ll watch it. Like Dragonslayer or Jurassic Park. But my favorite would have to be Dragonheart! If you play Monster Hunter, I recommend you to check the movie out.

While writing this work, Capcom’s development team has provided me with quite a lot of material, including the guild’s relationship with the kingdom, the existence of Guild Knights, and the hunters’ way of thinking towards nature. I also never knew that the receptionist who has been giving me quests in the city is named Becky.

As a player, I would like to thank Capcom for making such a game that effectively emulates the fear and satisfaction of fighting against those giant wyverns. I’ve been racking up my brain from playing it vigorously every day.

(Right now, I’m farming Earth Crystals offline to make the Eager Cleaver.)

For those who haven’t played it, please give it a try! It really is great!!

Well then... let us meet again!

(Or maybe you’ll find me in one of the cities!)

Yuuki Rin

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