Monster Hunter:Volume2

Novel Illustrations

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  Front Cover

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  Page 091

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  Page 207

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  Page 214

Prologue

Seeing clouds of dust kick up as a fissure approached him with incredible speed, Zeeg Grandest could clearly feel the jolting sensation in his head.

The Ravager Blade+, a great sword lined with sharp retractable fangs and a blade as long as its owner’s height, has been planted on the ground. The boy gripped its handle tightly, using his weapon as an improvised shield.

A mighty roar echoed as a giant shadow burst up from the ground below his feet, its crimson horn striking the great sword. The sheer force caused Zeeg’s hands to go numb as he was knocked back along with the weapon. His back hitting a rock wall, the boy choked from the impact.

He wiped away his tears that has welled up from the pain. In this situation, being able to see is essential. If one were to lose the sight of their target, they could lose their life without even knowing what hit them.

(“Uwah!”)

Following the sound of a roar, the boy could make out the shape of a massive tail. It swung in his direction like a spiked club, causing him to roll out of the way.

The strong wind caused by the swing could be felt as it grazed the boy’s armor, made from the scales of the bird wyvern Yian Kut-Ku.

Missing its intended target, the tail instead hit the small carnivore monster Genprey, which snuck in for a blindside attack. The creature was sent flying by the blow, dying instantly upon hitting a rock wall.

Seeing one of their kind meet its end, the other Genpreys let out annoyingly loud cries.

Hunting in packs, the Genpreys have sacs containing paralyzing neurotoxins in their bodies. If one were to be bitten by the monster in the wrong spots, they would be immobilized.

However, they would still retain their consciousness, and will be fully aware when they were being eaten alive.

Definitely not a desirable way to die.

(“Just shut up already!”)

Zeeg blinked repeatedly as he stood up, washing away the dust that got in his eyes with his tears. He reassured himself that those tears weren’t from fear.

Then, they boy licked his lips once and focused his sight on his prey.

The objective of today’s hunt aren’t small fries like the Genpreys. Those monsters are just here to eat leftovers.

-GIOOOOOOHHHNN!!

An intense roar echoed throughout the area, shaking the ground and the surrounding rock walls.

Zeeg hurriedly leaned his shoulder against his sword and raised his hand to cover his ears.

Even though the roar’s effect isn’t quite as severe as the Genprey’s toxins, one would be stunned for quite a long moment if they don’t cover their ears.

While the atmosphere is still shaking, Zeeg could see his gigantic prey spread its wings, the crimson horn pointed up to the sky.

The length from the tip of its horn to its tail is approximately 20 meters. It has a beak similar to birds, and its collar is like a shield furnished with thorns.

As its whole body is covered in considerably tough shells, even attacks from a great sword would easily bounce away.

The creature is known as the one horned wyvern Monoblos- a large monster found only in the desert region of the Western Schrade Kingdom.

Like its fellow Blos family monster Diablos, the Monoblos is capable of using its horn to dig and burrow underground.

Even though one could easily know its movement by observing the tremors and dust billows, its attacks are fast and are not easily defended against.

Zeeg got hit with the attack once before, with the First-aid Medicine bottles in his bag shattering when he hit the ground.

There should also be quite a few bruises under his armor.

Right now, Zeeg’s equipment consist of armor made from Yian Kut-Ku materials- Kut-Ku Mail for the torso, Kut-Ku Vambraces for the arms, and Kut-Ku Tasset for the waist- their defensive power aren’t bad at all. The head and legs are equipped respectively with Ioprey Helm and Ioprey Greaves, created from the skin of small carnivore monsters called Ioprey, found commonly in jungles.

However, all that defense didn’t help much when faced with the Monoblos’s power.

“Didn’t I tell you? Spend all your money and materials on weapons, and you’ll end up like this.”

It was like the sarcastic voice of a female party member could be heard, carried by the wind.

Zeeg could only grumble to himself.

(“Enough already, dammit! Is hunting alone supposed to be this tough!?”)

Feeling a presence just below his arm, Zeeg gripped the handle of his Ravager Blade+ and swung the sword to his side. Fangs of steel, lined on the sword’s blade like a saw, cut through a Genprey while it is still in the air, slicing the monster’s body in two.

The acrid scent of blood followed.

Holding his breath so that he wouldn’t inhale the contents of the paralysis sacs that were cut open, Zeeg sheathed his great sword and started running out of the immediate area.

The current location is disadvantageous.

First of all, one has to avoid being driven into a corner. If one were to be stuck between the walls without a way to escape while a Monoblos charged at them, only death awaits.

However, not long after he started running, Zeeg ran out of breath.

Zeeg just remembered it has been quite a long time since he last ate. Excluding the Rations provided at the beginning of the hunt, he hasn’t gotten to eat even a Well-Done Steak for the whole day, and there was no chance to get some sleep either.

His legs completely worn out, Zeeg stopped and just stood there.

-GYAAAH!

Hearing the voice, Zeeg turned around while unsheathing his sword and took a guarding stance. The jumping Genprey landed head first on the weapon, a dull metallic sound echoing as the monster slid to the ground.

Without delay, Zeeg swung his sword down. With the impact, the sword’s fangs dug into the Genprey’s neck and pushed it under the ground just like that.

However, the attack failed to behead the monster.

(“Sharpness is down!?”)

Looking closely, the sword’s blades has started to chip.

The Genprey has ceased all movement, most likely dead from the attack that hit its neck, but there was no way of knowing that it just fainted.

Feeling a tremor, Zeeg turned around to see the Monoblos charging in his direction with incredible speed.

There’s not enough time to dodge!

As if to hide behind a shield, Zeeg raised his great sword in a defensive stance.

A loud impact sounded, with both the joints of his armor and bones in his body seeming to creak, along with the sheer pain that felt like the body has been torn apart.

Feeling a breeze all around, Zeeg quickly realized that he was flying in the clear blue sky.

Flying in the sky- Though he didn’t why or how, it was the only thing his body was sure of.

-GIOOOOOOHHHNN!!

Behind him, the Monoblos’s roar sounded from far below, as if the monster was announcing its victory. Listening to the voice, Zeeg thought back with his barely remaining consciousness to the chain of events that caused him to set out to the hunting grounds alone......

Chapter 1 - Returning Home One Year Later

“Eh- Our party is disbanding!?”

Having Well-Done Jungle Ribs with Buffalo Butter and Cudgel Onion as his meal, Zeeg’s hand stopped all movement as he heard the abrupt statement, with his knife still digging into the rib’s meat.

It is not often that this 17-year old boy lets something interrupt him when eating.

Moreover, this was a celebratory meal for successfully completing a quest to steal 3 Wyvern Eggs from a wyvern nest in the Jungle. The group had just gotten back to gathering hall in Minegarde, a city that acted as a base of operations for hunters, located in the southern region of the Western Schrade Kingdom.

What made the boy stop his hand was the shocking statement that was brought up.

“Wh...what’s the meaning of this!?”

Tobacco smoke filled the gathering hall’s interior, where hunters who have just completed their quests gather to eat, drink, and be merry. Naturally, this means the place is quite loud.

Sitting next to the boy was a girl- Elmeria Franport, who narrowed her eyes as she pinched Zeeg’s ear to tell him that he was being noisy.

Her lips moved in closer, startling Zeeg. However-

“I can hear you just fine even if you don’t shout!”

She yelled right into his ear, causing Zeeg to let out a short scream.

The boy's knife was dropped from hiss hand and slipped under the table, but he was currently unable to look for it. On top of the ringing in his ear, he was also having quite a headache.

Elmeria’s shout might as well rival the Diablos’s roar.

Waiting for his ear to stop ringing, Zeeg attempted to wipe away his tears, but let out another short scream instead. That was because he had forgotten that his arm was equipped with the Kut-Ku Vambraces.

The vambraces created from Yian Kut-Ku materials had many sharp points protruding from them. And now, one of those spikes had pricked his cheek.

That should be as painful as a Vespoid’s sting.

Zeeg groaned as he covered his cheek with his hand.

“Clumsy.”

Elmeria said just that, then shifted her attention back to her meal.

In front of the girl, who is a year younger than Zeeg, was a plate of food a rank higher that what the boy was having.

What she ordered for the evening was King Squid and Queen Shrimp Riverfood Paella.

The rice, turned yellow from being thoroughly cooked in a deep iron pan, sent out an appetizing aroma as it was scooped up with a spoon, with Zeeg looking on in slight envy.

In addition to food menus that anyone could order like steaks from herbivore monsters such as Aptonoths or Bullfangos, there were special menus that could only be ordered by hunters with the appropriate rank.

They were normally for orders that were delivered to the hunters’ guest houses, but if one prefers, they could also order in the gathering hall to eat on the same table as their comrades.

The main ingredients in Elmeria’s meal, King Squids and Queen Shrimps, could only be ordered by skilled hunters with the rank Weapon Master or above, which were the ones with access to Queen Guest House rooms.

Zeeg, who was staying in the lower ranked Bishop room, did not have the right to order it no matter how much he wanted to.

Hunters were designated ranks according to their skill level and exploits, with their ranks affecting the types of hunting requests they could accept. This process was strictly regulated by an organization- the Guild.

Regardless of east or west, those who hunt monsters for a living in the Kingdom of Schrade were called Hunters. At a glance, one would think that this occupation had a great deal of freedom, but hunters who register at the guild had to accept a long list of regulations.

They included the type of rooms they could rent, food they could order, and the requests they could accept.

The disparity definitely was a cause of jealousy, but jealousy could also turn into motivation.

Low rank hunters would look enviously at those with higher ranks living in wonderful guest houses, indulging in luxurious cuisine, and arming themselves with magnificent equipment. They would put all their effort into hunting, thinking to themselves that one day they would reach that point as well.

It was the same for Zeeg one year ago, when he had just arrived at this city.

When he was introduced to his Pawn room, which was not so different from a pig’s coop (and actually had a shirt-wearing pig living in it), his breath was taken away by how much the room stank and the bitterness in his mind.

That was because back at the village, he had been praised as the fastest Yian Kut-Ku hunter.

It was a brief moment of greatness, before he was almost immediately reminded that in this world, there will always be someone better.

Thanks to a recommendation letter from the Village Chief, Zeeg had gotten the permission to participate in a quest to subjugate the monster known as one of the strongest wyverns, the male fire wyvern Rathalos.

At first, he had thought to himself that he would be the one to defeat it, but that thought immediately flew off his head when the Rathalos appeared before his eyes.

A body several times larger than the Yian Kut-Ku, intimidating roars, deadly fireball attacks- the monster’s overwhelming power blew away all of the boy’s thoughts of hunting it.

However, the hunting party that he went along with were unfazed and fought it head-on.

Breaking its scales with explosions from Large Barrel Bombs and blows from a powerful hammer, piercing its flesh with a sharp lance, and destroying its eye with deadly bowgun bullets.

Even though Zeeg helped at the end, all he did was place the last Barrel Bomb next to the Rathalos that had fallen into a Pitfall Trap. The process could be considered child’s play.

One of the high-ranked hunters that he went with was now sitting next to him, eating her paella. Elmeria, a hammer user, one year younger.

While her body may look delicate at a glance, she was protected by strong equipment. It was the Rathalos armor set, created mainly from the fire wyvern’s scales and shells, though the girl did not wear any body armor. That is because her role in the party is to deliver powerful singular blows in a hit-and-run style.

Hunting in groups is significantly different compared to going solo, and designating roles among party members is important.

For example, Zeeg’s party has a member whose role is to distract the target monster.

Maximizing his defense with strong armor, he would blow Field Horns or crawl under the monster’s body to keep its attention on him, letting other party members fully focus on the offense.

Not having to worry about defense, Elmeria has chosen to not wear some parts of her armor to increase movement speed. She equipped armor on her arms, legs, and waist in order to lessen the impact on her joints when swinging her hammer, while the body armor and helmet were omitted.

That was up until recently, because she now puts on an Ioprey Helm, which is more of a hat than a helmet, because she got tired of Zeeg’s complaints.

Compared to her, Zeeg equips all armor parts, but that’s because he doesn’t have a specialized role.

Depending on the situation, he has to either draw the monster’s attention or deliver powerful blows from blind spots. For that reason, wearing armor that are too heavy or too light would not be good.

Naturally, the great sword is also quite heavy, but that is also what makes it powerful.

Putting the total weight of his equipment into consideration, the Kut-Ku armor set provides fairly solid defense while still being light, which is a great match for Zeeg.

He is also interested in the Rathalos set that Elmeria uses, but Zeeg lacks both the required materials and money, and if he were to use the same armor as her, there could be a little dissatisfaction for both sides because he would be seen as copying her. Moreover, it is also very likely that they would get made fun of by others, like how they “make a good pair” or something similar.

With those thoughts in mind, he doesn’t mind keeping his current equipment on. More importantly, he doesn’t feel that the defensive power of his armor is lacking in any way.

And as a result, he chooses to take the fire wyverns’ claws instead of scales or shells when sharing materials, since they can be used to strengthen his weapon.

He thought that his weapon could be upgraded to the Iron Sword production line’s strongest design, the Tactical Blade, but there are still not enough materials.

Though the Ravager Blade+ in his possession could be immediately upgraded to the Lacerator Blade, it is far less powerful in comparison to the Tactical Blade.

If one has an option, it is only logical that they would choose the better weapon.

It is only a matter of time. Zeeg’s weapon may currently be underpowered, but cooperation can make up for it when hunting in a party. Though it increases the other members’ workload right now, he would be many times more useful to the group when the powerful weapon is finally in his hands.

This is also one of the big advantages of hunting with a regular party, as opposed to grouping up for just a single hunt.

And even so, the announcement that the group is disbanding just came out of the blue.

In his mind, Zeeg believed that he did his share of work without any mistake.

Even though he argues with Elmeria frequently, they weren’t problems about the hunt, but rather contrasting likes or dislikes in terms of food, gossips from the royal capital, or the manners of a rookie hunter. Mostly things that aren’t serious.

All arguments would end quickly, with everyone forgetting what they were even arguing about a few hours.

(“Did I make a clumsy mistake or something...?”)

Zeeg stared at Elmeria's face, who is holding a knife in one hand and eating rice with her spoon in another, and thought back to the latest hunt.

There shouldn’t be any big problems.

He didn’t break any eggs while transporting, and didn’t fight against monsters if not necessary. While he wanted to break off at least one of the wyvern’s claw, he chose not to because it’s just a personal matter.

He definitely carried out his task without fail.

“Hey-”

While the boy was reaching out to Elmeria’s shoulder to stop her from eating and have her explain the situation clearly...

“......What do you think you are doing to the young mistress?”

A deep voice sounded from the other side of the table, causing Zeeg to stop his hand. The tone of that statement showed a great deal of irritation. Could it be that he thought the boy was intending to hit the girl?

If you do anything, I will break all of the bones in your body- That was what the large man, Gannon Denon, seemed to imply in his voice.

“I wasn’t going to do anything!”

Zeeg put his hand away in a panic. Glancing to his side, he could see Elmeria letting out an arrogant snort. Maybe he just imagined it, but it felt like the girl was insulting him for lacking a backbone.

(“Like I can do anything against him.”)

With nowhere to move his hand to, Zeeg alternated between clenching and releasing his fist while painting a grumpy expression on his face.

Gannon really is that strong.

For hunters, it is said that one’s equipment is what represents the wearer’s character. In Gannon’s case, his whole body is covered in solid armor.

What he is wearing now is the full armor set created from parts of the herbivore wyvern Diablos, the Diablo set. The pieces include a helmet, a plate mail, and a pair of vambraces. Out of those, the most distinctive part is the body armor. Gigantic horns extended from the shoulder pads, giving an impression on an actual Diablos.

Since the set doesn’t include armor for the waist and legs, he equips the Hi-Metal Tasset and Hi-Metal Greaves, armor pieces made from rare metals. Up until recently, that is. Right now, they have been replaced with armor created from shells of the volcano-dwelling armor wyvern Gravios, the lead-colored Gravios Tasset and Gravios Greaves. They are quite good at absorbing impact from movement and attacks.

Gannon is a lance user, and his primary role is to act as decoy.

For that reason, he has to maximize his defense, and also has to wield a lance.

Even though the one-handed swords also have a shield included in the set, their defensive power is far less compared to the shields included with the lances. The large shields are so sturdy than they can even completely block the Rathalos’s fireballs.

Gannon used to wield the Hellfire Lance, but recently switched to the Diablo Spear.

The Hellfire’s main component is Fire Wyvern Marrows, enabling the lance to ignite into flames when attacking, but the drawback is that its durability is low. The shield that was included with the weapon is created from Rathalos Shells, making it effective for defending against fireball attacks, but it is actually quite weak when it comes to deflecting attacks of other attributes.

Comparatively, the Diablo Spear is created from a Diablos Horn of the best quality. The shield is created from Diablos Shells, fortified with rare ores called Dragonite, and strengthened by two kinds of highly potent medicines. Its power is higher than the Hellfire both in terms of offense and defense.

With a new weapon in hand, Gannon was able to charge into the enemy’s horde more aggressively than before. His valor and tenacity is definitely not normal.

As for Zeeg, though he has managed to overcome his fear when encountering wyverns, his skill level is not up to standards just yet. That is because, in any case, his experience as a hunter is still far less compared to the others.

The person who raised Elmeria and trained her in the ways of the hunt is none other than Gannon. The middle-aged man has been a hunter since when he was young, before a noble family took him in and made him one of their knights. Currently, he is suspected for being the one who kidnapped the young mistress of the house he once served.

However, the hunter society doesn’t care about that kind of thing.

This place is filled with people whose backgrounds are better off not being shared. The Hunter’s Guild is an organization that is not officially approved by the royal kingdom, and one’s ability is what decides everything. Of course, there exists a set of “Commandments” that everyone is obligated to follow, but it is not that different from the laws of the outside world.

Zeeg did notice that Elmeria could be the noble lord’s daughter who was abducted, but he didn’t care enough to find out the truth.

To him, those kind of things don’t matter. That is because it is undeniable that both of them are skilled hunters, and also comrades he can rely on.

(“Gannon is being overprotective though...”)

Just about anyone can see that Gannon and Elmeria, who have been together since they first registered at this guild, trust each other deeply. It’s as if they were the same family. Gannon is a man of few words, preferring to communicate with short responses and gestures. This personality gives an impression of a father with a daughter in her teens.

(“Now that I think about it, he would always intervene when I argue with Elmeria... Is that the issue? Does he really think I don’t get along well with her?”)

If one were to go out on a hunt with raptured relations, it would be no different from tying oneself to death. As Gannon prioritizes Elmeria’s life above all else, he would not hesitate to expel Zeeg from the party in order to protect the girl.

If that is so, then the misunderstanding has to be cleared up as soon as possible. Zeeg has no intention to be on bad terms with the party. Even if it’s just a little bit, he does genuinely trust them with his life.

Even though everyone should have understood that, Gannon’s overprotectiveness when it comes to Elmeria could cloud his judgement.

“Hey, Gannon-”

The large man, with an expression as rigid as stone, glanced towards Zeeg, the boy gasping in shock. Even though the metal plate in front of him is already empty, the knife and fork are still held tightly in the man’s hands.

Two pieces of rare Bullfango Steaks used to be placed that plate, but disappeared in just a few moments. Even so, with knife and fork in hand, Zeeg felt that it could be a threat, something like “I’ll cook you up next”. Is this what it means to overthink things?

But when he looked into Gannon’s eyes, Zeeg was totally convinced that what he imagined was correct.

“Hehehe...”

Observing the situation, the person sitting next to Gannon, a man who looks like an executioner preparing to head off to an execution ground- Fradio Heart, laughed mischievously in his throat.

The reason he gives off that impression is because of the helmet that he has equipped.

Created from the Rubbery Hides of the poison wyvern Gypceros, the equipment is a cap that covers all of one’s head, except for the eyes. It also has horns on the sides.

Fradio is a gunner, and his role in the party is to attack monsters from long range. He doesn’t shoot from one place and is always on the move, causing his choice of equipment to be distinctive.

Like Elmeria, Fradio doesn’t wear body armor. However, he also doesn’t wear a shirt, leaving his upper body naked.

The man’s equipment consist of Gypceros Cap for the head, Gypceros Guards for the arms, Gypceros Coat for the waist, and Gypceros Leggings for the legs.

While the Gypceros armor set is better at defending against attacks compared to Zeeg’s Kut-Ku set, its texture is different from the usual armors created from wyvern parts.

The Gypceros does not have tough scales. As a substitute, its whole body has a soft, rubbery texture. This makes the monster highly resistant to impact, and when its hides are used in crafting, the resulting equipment will be resistant to tear.

The catch is that the Gypceros’s hides can only be harvested in low quantities, which means having a full set in possession like Fradio is not common. Moreover, in addition to his armor, Fradio’s weapon is the heavy bowgun that has the Gypceros’s Rubbery Hides as a component, the Tankmage. He likes it so much that he stubbornly refuses to switch to a new weapon with greater firepower.

“What, Fradio?”

In an attempt to avoid the pressure from Gannon, Zeeg looked away in Fradio’s direction.

Another one of Fradio’s role is to be a voice of reason whenever there’s trouble.

No one knows what he used to do before joining this party, but the man is highly skilled in the art of negotiation.

Occasionally, when the party encounters wandering hunters, he would be the one who does the talking when it seemed like a fight was going to break out.

The same goes for quarrels within the party.

Zeeg and Elmeria would get into arguments often, with their stubbornness preventing them from stopping even though they are aware that things will get worse. When that happens, Fradio would intervene, saying his usual “now, now”. Zeeg and Elmeria would be easily put in their place, with their response usually being “Well, if Fradio says so”.

Elmeria tends to speak in a tone that puts herself above others. From teaming up with her for a year, Zeeg has understood that she doesn’t mean any offense, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not irritating.

With Zeeg being Zeeg, even though he is becoming more wary of Elmeria snark, he still lets his emotions lead him, which makes Fradio essential for reducing friction between those two.

Turning to face Fradio, Zeeg leaned on the table and pouted.

“You think this is the time to be laughing? The party is disbanding, you know?”

“No no, that’s not it.”

Fradio lightly shook his head.

That man never takes his Gypceros Cap off, even when eating. This also means that even Elmeria and Gannon have never seen his real face.

Judging from voice and physique, one would guess that he’s in his late 20’s, but there’s nothing to back up that estimate. Elmeria seems to think that his real face is very handsome, while Zeeg thinks he’s covering up a large scar- but of course, it is very likely that it’s just his hobby.

In any case, among numerous wyverns, Gypceros is the one that Fradio absolutely loves, and he would often passionately declare to others that the feel of its rubbery hides is irresistible.

“You don’t have to worry about it that much, Zeeg.”

Laughing in his throat once, Fradio put down the fork that he just used for sending a small piece of cut-up meat into his mouth. Even though he said not to worry, the completely masked face doesn’t help at all.

“Though the party really is disbanding, it’s just temporary. We’ve been taking requests nonstop for the past year, you see. I think it’s about time we got some vacation.”

“What he said.”

Elmeria, who has been quietly eating her paella the whole time, spoke up.

“Without Fradio here, it would be difficult for us to hunt together because of our frequent quarrels, so I thought it would be better for us to temporarily disband and spend some time off."

“Then say that from the beginning!”

Zeeg unintentionally yelled out in his moment of relief.

“I was going to say it, but weren’t you the one who refused to listen?”

Elmeria snorted like a spoiled child, before cutting up a large red-and-white Queen Shrimp with her spoon, its clear meat juices gushing out.

Drooling while trying to imagine what it would taste like, Zeeg gulped his saliva down in a panic when he realized it. This always happens when he’s free of worries, and he thinks it’s an embarrassing habit.

Not noticing the boy’s thoughts at all, Elmeria scooped up rice and shrimp, sent it into her mouth, and swallowed it down without even chewing.

“Young mistress, please chew more thoroughly.”

Gannon’s deep voice echoed throughout the table, and Elmeria showed a light irritation on her face as she turned to the middle-aged hunter.

“I know, I know”, she muttered as she picked up the mug of lukewarm beer and chugged it down in one go, with beer foam sticking around her mouth.

Speaking of beer, even though Zeeg disliked that Elmeria would always call him a little kid, he could never get used to the drink’s bitter taste.

Elmeria licked away the fluffy-looking foam around her mouth, then turned to Zeeg.

“Gannon and I plan to not accept any quests until Fradio gets back. If you don’t have anything to do, then how about going back to your village? Your hometown is that Kokoto Village, right?”

Zeeg felt a groan in his abdomen.

Elmeria has a reason for saying “that” Kokoto Village. The place where Zeeg was born and raised is a village established by a certain “hero”.

The Hero of Kokoto- a warrior who wields a one-handed sword. He is considered to be a legend, and it is said that he’s also one of the reasons why hunting is accepted as an occupation.

When Zeeg was still in the village, he did know that the place was called Kokoto, but he never knew that the Hero of Kokoto is none other than the Village Chief himself.

One of the main reasons is that the Village Chief is not called Kokoto.

It was when he came to Minegarde that Zeeg learned that the “Kokoto” in “Hero of Kokoto” is not a person’s name, but rather the name of a mountain.

One of the well-known legends of the hero was when he and his fiancée went with three others to face an unspecified dragon on Mount Kokoto. Even though the team of five could defeat it, the hero lost his fiancée in the quest, and retired from hunting out of grief.

It was said that the Guild's rule of limiting parties to four people is due to this legend.

Even though Zeeg personally thinks it’s ridiculous, quite a lot of hunters believe in superstitions and the paranormal. Some even rely on fortune-telling to decide whether or not to accept a request.

Anyhow, when Zeeg was still working for the village and thought himself already an adult, he would act disrespectfully towards the Village Chief.

Now that he thought about it, it was so embarrassing that his face might as well ignite into flames. At one point, he even went as far as having a lengthy debate with the Hero of Kokoto about the true meaning of being a hunter, completely unaware of the other person’s status.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

Elmeria narrowed her eyes in a mocking manner and waved her spoon.

“Well, you probably don’t want to go back yet because you haven’t become a full-fledged adult yet, huh.”

“...Yeah, I know that much.”

Zeeg took a bite from the meat that he cut off from one of the ribs. Butter Sauce spilled from his mouth to his chin, and the boy wiped it off with the back of his hand.

Even if Elmeria didn’t tell him, he would still understand by himself that he’s still not an adult.

Compared to when he just came to this city, Zeeg’s skills have improved considerably.

Even if it won’t be easy, right now he was capable of defeating a Rathalos by himself. But that was also due to his mind being completely at ease, knowing that his comrades would jump in if anything were to go wrong.

His actions were still full of unnecessary movements, and his hot-headed personality has yet to be fixed. With that in mind, it felt difficult for him to go meet the Village Chief right now.

“You’ll be fine.”

Elmeria spoke up.

While wiping the Butter Sauce off his mouth with a piece of cloth, Zeeg turned to her.

Maybe it’s just his imagination, but the side view of the girl, still eating her paella, seemed a little more gentle than usual.

“If you do know about your flaws, then you’re already half a man you’ve wanted to be, so I guess he’ll still acknowledge you? Compared to when we first met, well, I can say that you’re looking more and more like a hunter, I guess?”

Elmeria didn’t turn to face Zeeg at all.

Could it be that she’s being shy? With that thought, Zeeg suddenly felt a little embarrassment, so he turned his gaze away from the girl.

He was met with Gannon’s face, who seemed to look like an angry ogre.

“Hehehe... Well, it’s so nice to be young.”

“What nonsense.”

As if to dismiss Fradio’s statement, Gannon spoke up then chugged his beer.

Zeeg had a feeling that it would be better to change the topic. Even though the reason is unknown, it was obvious that Gannon is in a bad mood.

He doesn’t shout or raise his hands, but the atmosphere around him is heavy.

“B...By the way, Fradio.”

Zeeg spoke up while waving a bone with no meat in his hand.

“What’ll you be doing in your time off?”

“That’s... I’m going to visit my lover.”

“Lover!?”

Zeeg was surprised, but it was only him. Gannon didn’t say anything, and for some reason, Elmeria seemed to be trying her best not to laugh.

But of course, Fradio having a lover isn’t a stretch at all. Maybe it’s like Elmeria said, that there could be a very handsome man under the Gypceros Cap.

Would Fradio show his true face under the cap when he’s in front of his lover? –Zeeg felt a sudden sense of curiosity as he thought about it.

“Then, what kind of person is she?”

“She’s beautiful.”

Fradio spoke with a dreamy tone.

“She’s usually shy, but is very passionate when the time is right. The love we share is so radiant that my eyes are blinded, and my breath is taken away if she were to even breathe.”

“Huh... So she’s that beautiful...”

“But of course. Her vibrant eyes... the sound from her nose... so voluptuous indeed.”

Hearing a banging sound from his side, Zeeg turned around and saw Elmeria face down on the table. Her shoulders are shaking. She was clearly trying her best to suppress her laughter.

“What’s up with you, Elmeria? Aren’t you being rude to Fradio?”

“That is fine, Zeeg.”

Fitting of his maturity, Fradio raised his hand to stop Zeeg.

“I understand that it is quite difficult to see her charms. No, I would say that it is better this way. Because if it’s just me that finds her appealing, then that would mean our connection is deeper that anyone could imagine.”

To be connected with another person on a level that deep could be one of the happiest things ever, was what Zeeg thought as he looked at Fradio. Even though the man’s emotion is hidden under the Gypceros Cap, one would understand just by looking into his eyes.

“But doesn’t she have a tendency to steal stuff?”

Elmeria said that, seeming to be highly amused. She raised her head and rested her chin on one hand while looking at Zeeg, not Fradio.

“Hey!”

“But isn’t that the truth- right, Fradio?”

“She’s just playing pranks.”

Fradio only chuckled inside his throat. He didn’t seem to be angry at all.

“Including that, I love every aspect of her.”

“Whoa...”

Zeeg was impressed. Even though he knew that Fradio is a big-hearted person, but he never thought that the man would be this lenient. Maybe the reason why Fradio never takes off his intimidating Gypceros Cap is because he wants to preserve his solemnity as a hunter.

While thinking about it, his chair was kicked from the side, causing Zeeg to annoyingly turn to Elmeria.

“What now?”

“Zeeg, do you really still not know who this ‘lover’ of Fradio’s is?”

Judging from Elmeria’s tone, it seems that this lover is someone Zeeg knows.

(“Who?”)

The boy gave it a hard thought.

And then his chair was kicked again.

“You really are that dense, huh. If it’s what Fradio loves, then it’s obviously Gypceros! That Gypceros!”

Zeeg let out an “ah” when he finally noticed the connection.

That’s right. There wasn’t any need to think that hard. There wasn’t anything else that could possibly fit. That is because Fradio is and always will be in love with Gypceros above all else.

The poison wyvern Gypceros is usually cowardly in nature, but when angry, it will charge around with ridiculous speed while spewing venom attacks around randomly. And if it were to be driven into a corner, it would use its crest to unleash a flash of light so bright that it could make hunters faint.

“So that’s why his eyes are blinded and his breath is taken away, huh...”

Zeeg let out a big sigh.

And of course, sometimes the Gypceros would steal items from hunters.

Even with that tone when talking, Fradio wasn’t joking around with Zeg at all. The man genuinely believes that the Gypceros is the most beautiful out of all wyverns, and he is genuinely in love with it.

As Elmeria said, Zeeg really is dense for not noticing that earlier. Especially when he has been working with the team for one whole year.

“So the point is, Fradio will be going out to hunt a Gypceros alone.”

Zeeg said that, and Fradio chuckled delightfully.

“No, we’re going out to spend some quality time together.”

“Alright then.”

Zeeg hunched his shoulders.

For Fradio, spending quality time with the Gypceros meant fighting it in a long-winded hunt.

Zeeg realized that even if it’s a battle to the death that could last many hours or even days, every second of it would be Fradio’s most blissful moment.

(“Then it shouldn’t take that long.”)

Even if it’s unknown how much time Fradio will need until he’s satisfied, it shouldn’t be as long as a year or two.

“Then it’s decided.”

Maybe because she took Zeeg’s statement as his approval for the temporary disbanding of the party, Elmeria spoke up to everyone.

“We’ll meet up again in this gathering hall one month from today, alright?”

The date designated by her for the reunion was unexpectedly close. Even though it didn’t show on his face, Zeeg felt like a heavy weight has been lifted off his chest.

He thought about how he should spend his vacation month, but was surprised that he couldn’t think of anything to do.

Zeeg has already forgotten how to rest.

The sight of a village, seen by Zeeg from the window of the carriage’s passenger car, makes the boy feel a sudden urge to just go back to the city.

Ten or so one-story houses were placed around without any pattern, all of their roofs covered in mold. Without any new house being built, the village is almost exactly the same as one year ago. It’s as if time has stopped just for this place.

Zeeg cringed a little bit in his throat, and applied force to his toes inside the greaves.

He already regrets coming here.

It’s just one month, so hanging around in the city should be perfectly fine, and it will be over in no time, he thought. But without Fradio in the party, Elmeria and Gannon also went on with their businesses, so Zeeg felt like he had plenty of time to spare.

If he were to go on some quests alone from the gathering hall’s bulletin board, or even recruit a temporary party, he could have passed a good number of days.

However, there aren’t many requests that are for only one person, and most of the groups that are recruiting people seem to want long-term members, and so Zeeg couldn’t find anything to do that would fit his conditions.

He also considered going out alone to do some mining, but he just didn’t feel like doing it.

The Machalite Ores and Earth Crystals in his stock are also at a sufficient amount.

What he wants right now is the material that is necessary for brewing the Mega Demondrug, a medicine that essential for upgrading his great sword. It is called Pale Extract, and it can only be obtained from the body of a wyvern known as Khezu.

Zeeg hasn’t encountered this wyvern yet.

There was a request to capture it some time ago, but Fradio stubbornly refused to do it so the party just passed the quest for others to accept. He would just say-

“Having anything to do with that wyvern is against my artistic philosophy.”

Just that statement. When Zeeg asked Elmeria what kind of creature it is, her face turned red for some reason, and she did not give any answer.

Anyhow, Zeeg already thought that he was bored to death just five days in, so he got on a carriage that was headed for the village in the morning of that fifth day. Spending two whole days in a constantly shaking journey, the village is finally in his sight- and thoughts of deep regret of his past actions ran through his head.

The village has changed way too little.

Every villager is sure to remember his shamelessly arrogant attitude.

Carried away by his victory against the Yian Kut-Ku to the point that he held a celebration, at that time Zeeg believed that he has already become a full-fledged adult. With those memories popping up, he was so embarrassed that he wanted to roll on the floor and scream.

If he could turn back a year, he would most likely give his younger self a slap on the head.

Before long, the carriage stopped where the highway intersects with path to the village.

The carriage coachman turned his head back to Zeeg.

“You not getting off here, little fella? If you changed your mind and want to go on, then it’ll be another 100 Zenny upfront. Hurry up and decide, yeah?”

“...I’m getting off.”

Zeeg stood up, preparing for the worst.

With the Ioprey Helm causing clicking sounds as it hanged from his waist, the Great Sword sheathed on his back, and a leather bag held on his shoulder, Zeeg jumped down from the passenger car.

Even if he went on ahead with the coachman, only boredom awaits. Along the road ahead, aside from a few agricultural villages, there is nothing else.

Even though he may be met with embarrassment here, it’s objectively better than being bored.

Standing alone on the road after getting off the carriage, Zeeg started walking towards the village.

The house Zeeg used to live in up until a year ago, located to the right of the village’s large entrance gateway, is still there.

It was originally rented from someone, and right now there should be someone else occupying the place, judging from the smoke that rose from the chimney.

On the other side of the gate, some villagers stood there taking, as usual.

Even though the village has a gathering hall, many villagers prefer to just stand and talk on the wayside. This includes the hunters sharing information among themselves, and also idle gossips.

Zeeg took a deep breath and walked through the gate, with two villager women who were standing there sensing the boy’s arrival and turned to him. They quickly looked at Zeeg from head to toe, and only just that. They then nodded lightly as if they were greeting a stranger before resuming their discussion.

(“What’s up with that?”)

Zeeg felt a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment.

Have they already forgotten even though it was just a year? Zeeg still remembered that he did invite those two to the celebration that he held.

The boy clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and headed straight to the Village Chief’s place.

No matter the business one may have, it is common courtesy to first greet the village’s elder. That is because the person who manages requests in the surrounding hunting grounds is none other than the Village Chief.

Zeeg already knew where the old man would be. In front of the village’s gathering hall, built next to the largest tree in the village- the Chief would either sit on top of a barrel while drinking alcohol in a leisurely manner, or stand around and watch as people come and go.

(“He’s here, just as I thought.”)

Just like usual, the Village Chief is standing in front of the gathering hall, using a cane to support his small body. The elderly man raised his head as Zeeg stood before him, with the boy’s shadow casting all over him.

The Chief’s eyes hidden under his thick eyebrows opened wide, and looked up at Zeeg.

However, those eyes soon looked away, causing Zeeg to feel a little disappointed that he has been worrying over nothing.

“It’s been a long time, Zeeg. Hmm, you look hungry.”

“This routine again?”

Zeeg smiled wryly. “You look hungry” is the Village Chief’s catchphrase. No matter who it is, those who stood before the elder would look hungry to him. But that phrase also served to fill people’s heart with pleasant feelings.

“Well, I really am hungry this time though.”

“I told you so- Here, come.”

The Village Chief raised his cane and knocked it on Zeeg’s leg, before turning around and then walking through the gathering hall’s entrance. The boy then followed him inside.

Even though it is still early in the day, the gathering hall is crowded. The area around here may not seem to be densely populated, but this village is where hunters gather.

Several hunters turned around when they noticed the Village Chief, and a surprised expression was painted on their face as they looked at Zeeg.

Zeeg doesn’t know those hunters, but he could guess why they were surprised.

It was probably the great sword.

The Ravager Blade+ on Zeeg’s back is not something that can be obtained easily.

There may be many great sword wielders in this village, but here, even things like the Buster Sword+ from the Iron Sword production line and the Vile Serpentblade from the Bone Blade line are considered to be quite good.

The Buster Blade that Zeeg had before upgrading it to the Ravager Blade is also a fairly rare item around these parts.

Zeeg was then reminded of the time when he just arrived at the city, where he looked enviously at a hunter who had an Iron Katana ‘Gospel’ in his possession.

He still admires the weapon’s refined appearance and sharpness, and even plans to make himself an Eager Cleaver if he were to have enough materials, but right now he’s got his hands full with upgrading his current weapon.

The Village Chief led Zeeg to a seat at a table in the gathering hall’s corner. This table was the old man’s reserved spot, and that seems to have not changed over the past year either.

Zeeg took the great sword on his back and leaned it against the wall, and put his leather bag on the floor. The Village Chief then knocked on the table with his cane.

With that, a bespectacled girl who works as a barmaid approached, and in a tone that lacks courtesy,

“Welcome.”

She said just that.

This girl is also a new face.

Her clothes reminded Zeeg of the uniform worn by guild receptionists, but the base color is black. Her boots and gloves are in black, while the ribbons on her vest and collar, and also the frilly apron, are in a contrasting white. They give the impression of a black maid uniform.

“We’re hungry, Vivi.”

“But aren’t you always hungry- Your order?”

“Let’s see... bring ’that’ out for me.”

The maid lady in black nodded, then readjusted her glasses as she looked at Zeeg.

“And you?”

“Err... is there a menu?”

“There is not.”

Her tone sounded sarcastic. What she meant to say could be close to “Don’t ask about something that should have been obvious”.

“Any drink will suffice.”

The Village Chief spoke up, and just like that the maid’s skirt fluttered as she turned around towards the counter, then passed the order over to the kitchen.

“Vivi would have been a lot more popular if she were a little more polite.”

The old man laughed as he whispered to Zeeg.

“That won’t be necessary.”

The maid lady- apparently named Vivi- seemed to have heard it even in the distance, and so the Village Chief let out another laugh.

“You’ve got sharp ears.”

Speaking in a cheerful tone, the Village Chief let out a laugh so hearty that his whole body jiggled around.

Zeeg finally understood that even though it looks the same on the surface, the village has definitely changed. Now that he actually looked, he also didn’t recognize half of the hunters here in the gathering hall.

While Zeeg was watching those hunters mind their own businesses, Vivi approached and rudely placed beer mugs and a plate of food on the table.

Black beer, which filled the mugs to the brim, spilled onto the table. Vivi seemed to have noticed but did not seem to care, as she immediately headed back to the counter.

Words of complaint welled up in Zeeg’s throat, but the boy ultimately gulped them down.

Whining about this is what only kids do, he thought.

Besides, the food looks so tasty.

Served on a large plate is a big fish, simmered in whole with thick sauce on top. Cooked without removing its scales, the fish glittered with a golden sheen, and its scales were as clear as amber.

“This ‘Goldenfish in Red Bean Sauce’ is a special menu. Consider it a gift from me- You’ve grown up, Zeeg.”

Zeeg was surprised beyond words.

The boy knew that he should say something, but words were stuck in his throat.

“Don’t say anything. You left for the city, and now came back as a man. I knew just by looking at your face. Just that is enough- though I would say that you haven’t become a full man yet. Now, dig in.”

Zeeg nodded and rubbed his nose, then used a fork to pick up a piece of the Goldenfish, scales and all.

He sent it into his mouth and chewed, feeling the scales’ crunchy texture, the pure flavor of fish juices that has spilled out, and the well-balanced sweetness of sauce- it was great.

As if in a trance, Zeeg ate all of it up.

The boy did fish up a Goldenfish once, but sold it to a merchant that offered a great price for it, so he never knew that it was this delicious.

The Village Chief laughed cheerfully, chugged down his black beer in one go, then turned to the counter and waved the empty mug.

Vivi tapped her hand on the counter, and a man behind it passed her a new mug filled with beer. She took it to the chief’s table and placed it down rudely like before.

As this is the second time, Zeeg raised his head, feeling that he has to say something.

However, he noticed that she wasn’t paying attention to him at all, and so the boy looked in the same direction as her out of curiosity.

Vivi was looking at the gathering hall’s entrance.

Just when Zeeg thought there was noting strange- a man entered the gathering hall in a panic and collapsed on the floor. There were no injuries, but sand was all over his body, and his face was completely dry. He seemed to be a merchant.

“Someone, get him water.”

The Village Chief said that, and a hunter, who was sitting next to the merchant, gave their drink to the man.

The man drank it with extreme thirst, the looked around the gathering hall panickingly. His line of sight stopped at the Village Chief, and then he shouted with his dry voice.

“Chief! We- We got hit! It’s that thing at the desert- The one with one horn!”

Chapter 2 - Their Days Off

“That would be the one-horned herbivore wyvern, Monoblos.”

After hearing the merchant’s story, the Village Chief made that declaration with a grim expression on his face.

The mention of that name destroyed the peaceful atmosphere inside the gathering hall, and Zeeg could see a number of hunters sneaking out of the store.

It didn’t look like they were trying to get a head start on the hunt. Rather, they were most likely running away.

As for the Monoblos, Zeeg is also aware of it. The monster was featured in the Hero of Kokoto’s story.

It was said that the hunt that made his name known to the world was when he headed off to the desert alone in a quest to slay the Monoblos, which has been terrorizing merchant caravans that were passing by.

It was also written in the book that the crimson horn the hero broke off from the wyvern’s head has served as a decoration for his house to this day.

If that is true, then the horn should be in the Village Chief’s house, but Zeeg doesn’t remember seeing it when he went there once.

Then again, the boy hadn't known about the old man’s status as a hero, so he hadn't paid any attention to the details of the house’s interior.

“The caravan has been completely wiped out...”

After he has been patched up, the merchant continued speaking in an exhausted state.

This man had gotten on the carriage of a merchant caravan that happened to be headed in the same direction. While crossing the desert to get to the oasis, they were met with the wyvern’s assault.

The caravan seemed to have five wandering hunters as guards, but they have been swept away by the Monoblos, and also pursued by the Genpreys that have gathered around the scene, ultimately ending in their annihilation.

“I survived only because I lost consciousness after being buried by the sand that it dug up. When I finally dug my way out, I could only see the goods scattered around. Other people were... nowhere to be seen. Luckily, I found a horse that has survived, and managed to ride it all the way here.”

He went on to say that the horse ended up dying just before arriving at this village.

“We cannot leave this alone.”

The Village Chief looked at all of the hunters that have gathered here.

“If the desert route is not useable, the merchants would have to take a large detour in order to get to this village. If that is the case, the prices of the goods will rise significantly. The time it takes for delivering requested items will also increase. We cannot have the clients handle the transportation costs, which means reward money for quests will be reduced.”

Voices of dissatisfaction sounded among the hunters, and the Village Chief nodded.

“What do we do, then? The solution is simple. Just hunt the Monoblos. The reward money for this quest will be from the Shopkeeper’s Guild, the Trader’s Guild, and also this village’s funds. Anyone will do. Is there anyone who thinks they’re up for the challenge? The contract fee will be... let’s see, 800 Zenny! And how about 3400 Zenny for the quest reward money?”

The Village Chief looked around at the hunters once more, but there was no one who raised their hand.

Anyone whose eyes met with the Village Chief’s would turn their faces away in a panic.

(“That’s expected.”)

Zeeg understood those hunters’ feelings. The boy’s past self would have immediately raised his hand, but now he knows that the Monoblos is no easy foe, both from the Hero’s story and also the fact that the caravan guards were useless against it. Then again, those hunters failing could also be due to them accepting the job with a group of five members, which is considered to bring bad luck.

Finally, the Village Chief’s line of sight stopped at Vivi. The hunters, Zeeg included, didn’t understand why the Chief would look at the maid in black.

The girl looked straight back at the old man, her eyes behind those sturdy glasses showing no signs of confusion nor doubt.

“As for you... It seems that you cannot go.”

“Unfortunately, the Parasol is still undergoing repairs.”

Vivi said that, then readjusted her glasses.

Zeeg didn’t understand the meaning of her statement, but the Village Chief shook his head as if to say “Then it can’t be helped”.

In the end, nobody stepped forward, and an expression of despair appeared on the merchant’s face.

Meanwhile, Zeeg repeatedly asked himself in a serious manner- whether or not he will be able to do it. The boy is aware that he has improved significantly from before. Somewhere in his head, a part of him seemed to whisper “Yes, you can”.

But the Monoblos is an unknown enemy.

From Zeeg’s memory, he didn’t remember seeing any Monoblos-related quests posted at the Minegarde Hunter’s Guild during the past year.

It could have been swiped by other hunters while the team was out on a hunt, but there weren’t any rumors about it at the gathering hall either.

“What do you say, Zeeg?”

Zeeg was surprised quite a bit when he noticed that the Chief’s eyes stopped at him.

“M...Me?”

“That’s right. Everyone else is too scared to take it on. Still, you can’t force it. That thing is formidable, after all. It can’t shoot fireballs like the Rathalos, but there aren’t any openings in its movements. I’m not trying to discourage you or anything, but it really is one tough customer- Well then, what will you do?”

“Can I really take it?”

Zeeg said, as if to confirm the Chief’s words.

The boy suspected that if he were to burst up from his seat to take the quest, he would get an earful from the old man for not knowing his place.

That is because when Zeeg was still living in this village, he would always tell people to give him better requests without minding his manners at all like the cheeky rascal he was.

But this time, the Village Chief nodded.

“I’m not saying that it’ll be an easy victory for you. There are no absolutes in the hunt, after all. Rather, it is going to be an unforgiving battle. However, I do acknowledge that you have the capabilities to take this quest on.”

Zeeg got goosebumps as his heart welled up with passion.

(“He acknowledged me.”)

That very moment, Zeeg felt like he has been released from the insecurities that has been haunting him for so long. He has just realized that one of his goals in life was to be acknowledged by that person.

Zeeg thought that, at long last, he has gained the confidence to call himself a hunter.

“...I’ll give it a try.”

The boy gave an answer, not saying “Leave it to me” or “This will be easy” like he used to.

Just as the Village Chief said, the hunt has no absolutes. A single error in judgement can easily lead to one’s death. Moreover, if the opponent is a wyvern, it is equal to having death follow oneself like a shadow.

Zeeg has already seen countless examples over the past year.

Many parties would drink merrily at the gathering hall only to become charred remains along with their armors and weapons, leaving the city in small boxes.

That hasn’t happened to Zeeg or anyone in Elmeria’s party, but there’s no guarantee on what will happen in the future.

But the boy still thought that if one intends to back away, they’re better off retiring as hunters.

Zeeg grabbed a small leather bag that has been fastened with a blue string, took out 800 Zenny’s worth of coins, and placed them in front of the Village Chief.

“Zeeg Grandest has accepted this quest.”

After seeing off the supply carriage that has turned back immediately when they have delivered the goods, Zeeg went inside the tent to check his equipment and items, and also his physical condition.

The one-day journey from Kokoto Village to the desert was spent on a constantly rocking carriage. It would be dangerous if one’s senses were off balance. If one’s sword swing were to miss the target by even a single inch, it is entirely possible that they would lose their life along with the mistake.

(“It’s so hot...”)

The basecamp area is on a rocky outcropping, and even though the tent has been put up in a location that is constantly under a shade, its interior is still hot. Then again, the temperature is not at the level that would drain one’s physical strength, and one can still get adequate sleep. Compared to the volcano, it is actually quite cool here.

Zeeg unsheathed the Ravager Blade+ on his back and pulled on the handle. Small wyvern fang-shaped blades sprung out of the sword’s body, having a metallic sheen from reflected light. One by one, they were sharpened thoroughly with a Whetstone.

Next up is to confirm the prepared tools. First-Aid Meds provided as supplies were stuffed into a bag that was fastened to his waist, Flash Bombs and Paintballs that he has brought with him were kept in a pouch below his belt. Of course, he didn’t forget to keep a Mini Whetstone strapped to his waist.

After all is done, Zeeg sat down on the bed and spread the map on his laps.

(“If I remember correctly, they said it would be around here...”)

While eating some dry Rations that were also provided as supplies, the boy tapped his finger on a portion of the map that represents an open canyon between oasis and the desert. This area has been designated the number 10. Zeeg has never been to the desert region before, but according to what he heard from other hunters, this area has a ledge with a narrow passage which leads to a Felyne colony. This information has been written on the map.

“Ah-!”

Because he was applying a little too much force, a thorn on the Kut-Ku Vambraces has pierced through the paper. Quietly clicking his tongue in annoyance, Zeeg rolled the map and slipped it on his belt, took a sip from his water canteen, then stood up.

There isn’t much time. He should have 50 hours, give or take a few.

Compared to the Hero of Kokoto, who fought for seven days straight, the allotted time is very short. But that was the early days of the hunting occupation, so seven days could have been considered a short hunting time back then.

There are two routes that one can take to reach area 10. One option is to exit the tent and cross the desert, while the other way is through the canyons. Without any hesitation, Zeeg decided to go with the latter. While Genpreys could jump out at him, it is better than the desert where his physical strength would be sapped away just by standing there.

Zeeg went through the short tunnel that connects the base camp to the canyon. He was immediately met with intense sunshine. But thanks to the temperature not being that high, he didn’t feel discomforted.

Looking around, he could see herbivore monsters called Apceros, all three of them grazing on the small patch of grass.

The Apceros is 10 meters long on average just like the herbivore monster Aptonoth, but the difference is that they are aggressive in nature, attacking those who approach carelessly with their spiked tails. They also have hard shells similar to turtles, and their head-butt attacks are quite powerful.

The taste of their meat is similar to Aptonoth meat. Their solid shells have a distinct gloss when polished and can manufactured into various handicrafts, which means the demand for them is high in the capital city.

(“But today I have no business with them.”)

Zeeg simply ran past the Apceros pack. One of them readied its hind leg for a charge, but the boy ignored it. If one doesn’t stand still, that monster is by no means a threat.

Reaching a small sandy area that has an oasis, he found a pack of Genpreys.

Those monsters turned their heads and looked all over the area, but their eyesight isn’t actually that good. Moving slowly and quietly so as to not be noticed, Zeeg headed for the path between the rock walls. If he made it through there, he would reach area 10, his destination.

(“! ......Found it.”)

There was a ledge there just as informed, and Zeeg gulped in nervousness as he found that a large wyvern is sleeping on it- the monster really is huge!

The Monoblos’s whole body is in dark brown, and just like the rumors said, it has a large collar furnished with thorns. While the estimate may be slightly off, when compared to the Genpreys that were running around below, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the target is over 20 meters long.

But of course, its most defining characteristic would be none other than its long, deep crimson horn. Extending from its nose, the horn’s spear-like tip looked sharp enough to pierce through any shield and armor with a single blow.

Hiding himself in the tunnel’s shadow, Zeeg took out a Flash Bomb from his pack and held it in his hand. In addition the Genpreys wandering around restlessly, there are also giant insects called Vespoid flying around in the open canyon area. Those bugs have barbed stingers at the end of their abdomens, which inject paralyzing toxins similar to the Genprey’s, making them quite troublesome things.

(“...First of all, marking.”)

One cannot afford to miss this step in a wyvern hunt, but it is also quite a dangerous process. The hunter will be completely defenseless for a brief moment after they threw a Paintball, and would suffer serious injuries if they were to be attacked.

A popular method to ensure safety is to use a Flash Bomb first.

It is an item that would emit an intense flash of light after it was thrown, impairing the vision of most large monsters for a fixed amount of time. The effect covers a wide area and lasts fairly long, but the carrying limit has been set to five per person to prevent overreliance.

(“It’s still a bit too far.”)

Zeeg made an assessment while approaching the Monoblos. And then,

-GYAAAH!

From somewhere, a Genprey let out a sharp cry to call upon its kind, causing Zeeg to turn around and quickly survey the surrounding canyon area. Seeing one of them hiding in the bushes, the boy clicked his tongue.

Each Genprey in the pack responded in succession until their cries echoed loudly through the canyon.

Feeling a little breeze, Zeeg turned back to the Monoblos right as the one-horned wyvern spread its wings and roared. The air shook as if it were being ripped apart, and Zeeg could feel his muscles stiffening involuntarily as if it was an animal instinct.

The Monoblos took a nose dive to the ground in the same manner as a person jumping into water. With its horn pointing down, the monster folded its wings and tackled. Using its giant feet, wing nails, and horn to dig up the earth, the wyvern burrowed underground.

(“Crap!”)

While the Genpreys are still screaming, Zeeg quickly scanned the area around the pit that was just dug up. He has heard that if a Monoblos is approaching from below, the ground will crack and dust will be kicked up. However, there was no such indication in the immediate vicinity.

Seeing the Genprey pack charging at him all at once, Zeeg slipped the Flash Bomb back into his pack and burst out of the tunnel. He would be surrounded if he were to stay put.

Calculating the distance while running in an arc towards the closest Genprey, Zeeg unsheathed his great sword and brought it down in an overhead slash immediately as he got into melee range.

The sword’s fangs sprung out, digging into the Genprey’s scales and flesh, tearing the creature apart!

Letting out one last cry in agony, the Genprey ceased all movement.

Zeeg pulled his sword up and flipped it, then made a swing towards his back in a wide arc while turning around at the same time.

Two Genpreys that were sneaking behind him got cut in the face and legs all in one slash, with both of them screaming as they were swept away to the side.

Planning on delivering the final blow, Zeeg turned around and saw it! The ground beneath the wounded Genpreys’ feet collapsed as the deep crimson horn thrusted up!

(“Not good!”)

Following his own instincts and guarding with the great sword proved to be the right course of action. Dirt was blown up from the ground, with the edge of the monster’s tough wing bursting up and striking the sword, causing a dull metallic echo. Sparks scattered, and the Monoblos’s eyes could be seen on the other side of the sword. As the white dust billow was torn open, Zeeg looked deep into the monster’s pupils and felt a chill run down his spine.

However, his body moved before he could even think straight.

With one hand, Zeeg fumbled for a Paintball from his pack and flung it at the Monoblos.

The ball flew in an arc and hit the one-horned wyvern in its face, releasing a strong unique scent as it burst from the impact.

Hunters who have gone through proper training can utilize these tracking balls, created from a fruit with a unique smell called Paintberry, to track the position of their game even from far away. The effect lasts for approximately ten hours, and the smell won’t wear off even if the marked monster were to go into water or burrow underground.

The Monoblos let out a roar while brandishing its horn.

The sword was struck, and Zeeg was sent flying by the impact. An unpleasant ‘click’ could be heard from below his waist.

He knew what it was without even having to check. Pressure was applied on one of the Flash Bombs!

Zeeg panickingly stood up and shuffled through his pouch for the Flash Bomb that has started to swell up, then threw it in the Monoblos’s direction and closed his eyes.

As light burst forth, the Genpreys shrieked, but the Monoblos’s voice was not heard.

Zeeg opened his eyes and saw that the Monoblos was not there anymore. All he could see was the spiky tail, shaking as it disappeared underground.

While focusing his nose to sniff out the Monoblos’s location, he could feel his palms sweating under the Kut-Ku Vambraces.

(“This thing... really is something else.”)

From under his Ioprey Helm, Zeeg kept an eye on the Genpreys that have lost their vision, then took a deep breath and sharpened his five senses so that he would feel any change in the surrounding environment.

The wyverns that he have fought up until today- be it the Rathalos, Rathian, Yian Kut-Ku, or even the Cephadrome, if a Flash Bomb was thrown, all of them would be distracted by the object’s arc.

However, it is different for this Monoblos. When it feels a threat, the wyvern will follow its instincts and burrow underground, with the person who threw the Flash Bomb ending up being the only one to get their vision interrupted.

Even though he hasn’t even experienced all of it yet, Zeeg has come to understand the reason why defeating a Monoblos is one of the remaining stories of the Hero.

(“Looks like this will take long...”)

While repeatedly readjusting his grip on the Ravager Blade’s handle and licking away the sweat that has ran down from his forehead, Zeeg had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

-And it proved to be true.

Hiding at the exit of a cave illuminated in bright red by the streaming lava, Elmeria took a peek outside using her binoculars. Beyond the double-tubed optical instrument’s sights is a slowly flowing river of molten rock.

The surrounding area is filled with intense heat.

Since it’s hot enough to melt even rocks, it wouldn’t be ridiculous if the lava stream’s temperature was thousands of degrees. Even the desert is heaven when compared to this place.

Looking another way, she could see smoke rise up from the summit beyond the darkness, occasionally feeling tremors caused by small explosions. Erupted black smoke constantly covered the sky in this region, with the sunlight shining through only a few spots.

The Kingdom of Schrade is home to numerous volcanoes, all but two of them natural.

The reason those two are not considered natural was that they were not created by natural eruptions from prehistoric times, but rather by a great war which triggered the magma deep under the grassy plains to erupt, turning the area into a volcano.

It was a war between humanity and dragons-- not wyverns-- and there were countless legends and historical evidences suggesting that they were real.

Rumors have it that, among numerous documents safeguarded by the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, some of them seemed to be remaining design plans for an ultimate weapon used in the ancient times.

From last year’s incident when the Royal Armory’s knights captured Minegarde in order to test their prototype weapon designed to replicate the Rathalos’s fireball attack, the Dragon Destroyer, its design seemed to also be an attempt to recreate the ancient weapon from those documents.

However, that was a baseless rumor.

Then again, there were still other evidences that fueled the hunters’ beliefs of the great war.

Finding one of those evidences was Elmeria’s purpose of coming here.

(“Still, it really is hot...”)

She wiped away her sweat with the palm of her Rathalos Vambraces. If she were to use the other side, the rough scales would scratch her skin.

As always, her equipment loadout did not include a breastplate. She used to wear a full set back when she was just starting out, but when her hunting skills had improved and clear roles had been assigned to herself and Gannon, she chose to not equip some parts.

However, it was still considered a dangerous gamble.

Hammer users differ from hunters who wield other melee weapons in that they can not guard.

The heavy weight of their weapons render them unable to hold a shield at the same time, and unlike great swords, their shape made them unfit for guarding.

Therefore, hammer users usually pay attention to their armor.

The openings after a swing are significantly larger compared to other weapons, increasing the chances of the attacker being targeted.

Elmeria fully understood those facts. Even so, she chose to wield the hammer as her main weapon because of their high power, enough to crush the skulls of small carnivores such as Ioprey in a single blow.

At first, Gannon had recommended her to use one-handed swords.

They come with a shield, are lightweight, and the user can still run around freely even with the weapon unsheathed.

But due to their small size, one-handed swords do not possess enough power to kill in a single attack.

That was not what she wanted.

The reason was that during the time she was dishing out hits until the final blow, Gannon would be exposed to more attacks from the enemy.

The strategy of blowing Field Horns to draw the monsters’ attention to him had always been used since Elmeria started her career as a hunter.

Gannon himself said he had always been fighting like that, but Elmeria doubted it. The girl had a feeling that he did this in order to protect her.

Because that man would never stop fighting with that method, all Elmeria could do was settle with that option from the start.

That is, the option to wield the hammer.

Of course, that was her initial motive, but right now it was different.

She was drawn in by the weapon’s irresistible raw power that made every attack a finishing strike. By focusing her strength and rushing under the wyvern, then swinging with all her might, she could break legs as thick as tree trunks and cause her target to tumble down on the ground.

“How is it, young mistress?”

While monitoring the interior of the cave behind the surveying Elmeria, Gannon spoke up, the girl taking her eyes off the binoculars and letting out a long “hmm”.

“Still not moving. It would be nice if it were to go somewhere else quickly...”

The two of them had already wasted two hours while being stranded here.

They had come all the way here from the base camp by choosing the shortest route through the cave that would lead to the exit, but a huge obstacle that lied in wait was preventing them from going further.

--It was a monster.

There were creatures living here, in an environment filled with intense heat of lava.

On the way here, she had seen some Iopreys, monsters that had provided materials for her helmet, and also wild boars with large tusks called Bullfango, wandering about. In the corner of her eye, she could see the enormous turtle-like Apceros eating from small patches of grass. Around the area, giant Vespoid bugs flew around, the buzzing from their wings audible even from her current location.

However, those things were not what’s causing them trouble.

Locked in Elmeria’s field of vision was a gigantic body that could not be seen as anything but a rock mountain.

The armor wyvern Gravios-- living only in the swamp and volcano regions, their whole bodies were covered in solid rock, with their average length exceeding twenty meters.

Compared to most other wyverns’ average height of 5 meters, the Gravios was ten meters tall, making it a moving mountain.

Its shells were extremely tough, to the point that they were considered to be armor.

Even though the greaves that Gannon currently had equipped were made from the Gravios’s shells, the materials had been salvaged from a battle against the Gravios in a quest that he and Elmeria has accepted some time before Zeeg and even Fradio joined their party.

That quest was quite a disaster.

They were indeed aware of its toughness, but its strength was far greater than anticipated.

Two great sword users joined their party at that time, one wielding Iron Katana “Grace” and the other wielding Agito. They were not able to make even a scratch on its solid shells. Even Gannon’s Knight Spear had been bent out of shape on its tip. Elmeria’s hammer at the time, the Iron Striker, had broken from its handle and melted away upon being knocked into the lava stream.

The party managed to break the monster’s chest using all of the Large Barrel Bombs they had, and also sever its tail, but that was the limit of their abilities.

While the Katana wielder was crawling under the Gravios’s abdomen, he was hit by its sleeping gas and lost consciousness, then instantly trampled to death under its massive foot. It all happened so fast that the others never had a chance to save him.

As for the Agito user, he was able to guard against the Gravios’s charge but was knocked into the lava stream. His whole body melted away without even a single bone remaining.

Of course, Gannon and Elmeria did not get out unscathed.

The Gravios’s strongest attack involves the monster combining the heat inside its body with a fire breath attack, releasing it all in one go in one direction.

Both of them were hit by such a move.

When the Gravios stood up and moved its chest forward, Elmeria anticipated that it was going to release its sleeping gas.

However, when she saw the interior of its cave-like throat shining red, she knew that she was mistaken.

At that point, it was too late for escape.

Gannon planted his shield on the ground, then pushed Elmeria down and held her tightly.

The very next moment, an intense heat ray hit both of them.

Immobilized, Elmeria could hardly breathe due to the heat and the weight on top of her, and she could smell her hair burning. Under Gannon’s stiffening body, she could hear the bones inside her body breaking one by one.

Before long, the intense heat subsided.

The high temperature around them remained, but it has become cooler in comparison to before. Even though it only lasted a few seconds, to them it felt like a very long time.

Elmeria’s voice wouldn’t come out.

Not knowing the situation around her, she tried tapping Gannon’s body lightly, but there was no response. Tremors from the Gravios’s slow steps echoed to the girl’s broken bones, it was so painful that she was on the verge of bursting into tears, but she desperately endured.

Before long, the tremors became weaker and weaker, eventually stopping altogether.

Gannon then let out a weak moan in pain and made way for Elmeria to get up.

It was then that the girl could assess the situation.

Even though Gannon had the full Rathalos armor set equipped, he was burned quite severely. It was a miracle that not even a single scar remained afterwards.

Both his shield and the spear were melted so badly that only half of each remained. As for his armor, there was no change to the parts made from Rathalos Shells, but the metallic parts made from Machalite ores were melted and badly deformed.

On the other hand, Elmeria got some of her bones broken, but there were no other serious injuries. The tips of her hair were burnt only slightly.

At that point, the Gravios had gone elsewhere.

Gannon was injured quite heavily from the burn. Elmeria’s upper arms, thighs, rib bones were fractured. In that state, it was impossible to continue hunting.

Putting on splint and braces, they drank some potions for the same effect as painkillers and waited for the health recovery to take effect. During that time, Gannon carved up the severed tail and picked up the shells that had broken off, collecting five and six Garvios Shells respectively.

Valuable experience and eleven Gravios Scales were the only rewards they received.

The request had not been fulfilled, and the contract fee had been forfeited, but there was no good reason to push through recklessly and ending up losing more lives in the process. After all, it is also a hunter’s job to know when to pull back.

The shells they collected had been lying around without use for a long time, but now they were finally reborn as Tasset and Greaves that served to protect Gannon’s legs.

(“I’m not sure if this Gravios is the same one as back then though...”)

While keeping watch on the monster as it walked into the lava stream with its earth-shaking steps, Elmeria licked her lips.

(“We don’t plan on hunting you.”)

Not hunting pointlessly is a fundamental rule of hunters. Especially today, since they haven’t accepted any quest. She would bring down the hammer without mercy if it’s for self-defense, but she doesn’t plan of picking a fight with anything.

When looked at a distance, it might look fairly tame and not ferocious, but the Gravios isn’t a wyvern so weak that it can be easily defeated by just two people.

While shaking its giant body, the Gravios slowly soaked its feet in the river that has flared up in bright red. Its shells blew out smoke as it heated up. After standing still for a while as if to accustom its body, the wyvern stepped forward and submerged itself into the lava.

The Gravios has the ability to dive in lava. The fact that it can stay alive in the molten rock is unbelievable, but it is fact nonetheless.

According to the records of Ron, an officer of the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, the Gravios is able to do that because all of its internal organs are crammed together in the center of its body, with its bulky muscles and shells making external heat take an exceedingly long time to reach the core.

Even though the Gravios’s heat wave isn’t actually an attack but rather just an act of releasing excess heat from its body, to hunters it will always be a fearsome attacking move.

A gooey liquid shining in orange splashed as the Gravios dived into the lava, until the spikes on its back cannot be seen anymore.

Even then, Elmeria kept watch on the lava stream for a while longer. After confirming that there is absolutely no more movement on its surface, she put the binoculars down and stood up.

“Looks like it’s gone.”

Gannon nodded in response to Elmeria’s words. He then put on his Diablo Mail, with his already large body seeming to become even larger thanks to the two giant horns that extended from the armor’s shoulder pads.

The two of them jogged around the lava stream, heading for the path that was cracked open in the rock on the other side.

It seems that the location used to have lava flowing through it, but right now it has cooled down and turned into solid road with a black luster.

The Vespoids noticed them and immediately approached.

(“How irritating.”)

Elmeria picked up her pace, annoyed by the bugs’ buzzing. It seemed to people that more of these giant bugs will come no matter how many is struck down, and they also seem to like to approach hunters who are busy harvesting materials.

Taking them out is easy, but if they were to kill it with bad timing, the Gravios could hear the bugs’ voices and turn around to come back here.

When they ran up to the crack-- which was actually big enough for even a horse to go through-- the Vespoids stopped following them.

Probably because they were getting too close to the summit.

Elmeria had never seen any living things in the surrounding area-- though there were rumors that a Rathalos could be encountered here.

A little further ahead was where the valley ended, and to their left was a path that leads to the cliff on the other side. From where they were standing, molten rock could be seen spewing up endlessly.

At this point, they started to sweat profusely.

“Young mistress.”

From the holster on his waist, Gannon took out a small bottle containing white liquid and passed it over to the girl.

Elmeria uncorked the bottle and drank all of its content in one go.

With a taste similar to when she was chewing on mint leaves, it cooled her body down.

Obviously, this did not make the temperature of the surrounding area any cooler. What it did was prevent dehydration and increase the body’s heat resistance, effectively making the drinker feel cooler.

The liquid was simply called the Cool Drink.

While hunters could combine materials to make medicine by themselves, this drink was an exception.

“Thanks.”

Passing the empty bottle back to Gannon, Elmeria walked on ahead.

She did not continue to the left after reaching the end of the straight path, dropping her hammer and luggage right there.

She has a task to carry out in this very location- in front of an enormous rock that stuck up like a horn. Elmeria stroked its gritty surface with her hand. Seeing that nobody has mined it prior, her chest welled up with expectations.

Gannon also put down his lance and luggage, removed his his helmet, and took out a few pickaxes from the bag on his back before passing one to Elmeria.

Taking the pickaxe and standing before the rock, Elmeria swung at it with all her might.

Sparks scattered as a part of the rock crumbled.

Something sparkled- should be a Machalite Ore. However, Elmeria ignored it. She didn’t come here today for that kind of thing.

To her side, Gannon picked it up and put it in his bag, then continued swinging his pickaxe.

For some time, the two of them mined the rock silently.

The thoughts in Gannon’s head were unknown, but in Elmeria’s case, a single phrase that felt like a prayer repeated every time the pickaxe struck the solid rock- come out, come out.

Before long, the bodies that have been cooled by the Cold Drink’s effects became sweaty, and a large quantity of small stones rolled around on the ground next to them. Among those stones were Machalite Ores and a type of high-quality abrasive called Earth Crystal, but Gannon has put off the collecting for now.

“......Young mistress.”

Feeling that Gannon’s voice, mixed in with the sound of rock breaking, was rougher and more serious in tone than usual, Elmeria turned to him without stopping her hands. Sweat dripped down from her chin.

“Hm?”

“...Regarding Zeeg- What do you think of him?”

“What do you mean ‘think’?”

Elmeria asked back while still swinging her pickaxe to mine the rock, but Gannon did not answer. For some reason, his face had bitter expression, and his pickaxe swings were aggressive, as if to vent his frustrations.

(“Did that guy do something?”)

Elmeria thought back to the mistakes that Zeeg might have made up until now, but she couldn’t think of anything that could make Gannon this angry. Because of that, she answered honestly.

“Well, I’d say that he has become quite useful?”

Gannon was silent.

Elmeria continued, albeit reluctantly.

“Hmm... It’s like he was going to kill us with that giant sword of his at first, but before I knew it, he didn’t feel like a stranger anymore. Fradio was also surprised that lately, he has become aware of the line of fire and was even able to dodge when a bullet was fired in his direction. –Well, he would only get cocky if he heard that story, so Fradio reminded me to not tell Zeeg about it though.”

However, Gannon still kept quiet.

That silence of his seemed to indicate that the answer wasn’t what he asked about, causing Elmeria to start losing her patience.

“......What?”

She unintentionally spoke up in a harsh, irritated tone. But it couldn’t be helped. She wanted to concentrate on the mining, and to her Gannon was the one at fault for not saying it clearly. It’s especially rare for him to be like this. What is it that could possibly make Gannon this reluctant to speak up- She could think of only a single thing.

(“Could it be about my heritage...”)

It has to be that.

During last year’s capturing of the Minegarde Hunter’s Guild, Elmeria was met with a shocking revelation.

That being Gannon’s status as a criminal wanted by the kingdom, his crime being the kidnapping of a noble family’s young mistress.

The reason behind this action was that the late master of House Elbrenfort, whom Gannon was serving under at the time, has had a daughter with the mistress that he truly loved. The girl was certain to be assassinated if she were to be involved in the family feud, so an abduction was staged so that she could escape. That was the story that Gannon told, and it sounded believable.

The willingness to deliberately embrace dishonor to his name- it was very like Gannon.

Even though he said that the kidnapped girl has been long dead, but Elmeria thought herself could be that girl in question.

Though she’s not the kind of young lady who dreams of being a noble princess.

It’s because she’s satisfied with the hunter lifestyle, and would absolutely refuse if someone were to tell her to throw it all away.

Compared to wearing dresses so tight that her chest could spill out and dancing to the musical rhythm on a marble stage, she widely prefers diving under wyverns’ abdomens and swinging her hammer around.

Elmeria has a reason to suspect that the kidnapped girl was actually herself.

That being Gannon’s constant nagging about proper etiquette, and the fact that she had to study numerous things unrelated to a hunter’s job under his tutorship.

She has always questioned them, but believing that Gannon wouldn’t allow anything meaningless, she accepted those teachings.

The apparent reason behind them became known to her all at once upon hearing the kidnapping story.

On occasions, Gannon would say,

“All this is for you to have no worries when it comes the time for me to leave your side.”

Elmeria initially thought it to be about hunters acknowledging that death can arrive at any moment. Ever since she became aware of the incident however, she suspected that Gannon could be intending to return her to the so-called House Elbrenfort one day.

(“If that’s the case, I’ll have to decline. Right now, I have no intention to stop being a hunter- Ah, but wasn’t the original question supposed to be about Zeeg... Huh...?”)

Not able to comprehend the situation once more, Elmeria lost her patience.

She had a feeling that even if she were to continue digging just like this, the thing she’s searching for wouldn’t come out. Luck is a strong deciding factor in mining. She felt that if she doesn’t concentrate on the task, even luck will run away.

Elmeria took a break from her work and turned to Gannon.

Noticing her, Gannon’s hands stopped for a brief moment, before he almost immediately started swinging the pickaxe again.

The girl glanced at the stones that have been broken off, then returned her line of sight to Gannon.

“What? If you have something you want to say, then just get to the point.”

This time, Gannon’s hand stopped completely.

“It’s bothering me so much that I can’t concentrate. What’s going on with Zeeg? Or did you just bring that up as a cover, and actually wanted to say something about me?”

Gannon should have noticed by now that she’s questioning her identity as the kidnapped young mistress- was what Elmeria thought. It’s just that both of them were trying to avoid the subject.

As if he had thought of an idea, Gannon groaned in his throat, then put down his pickaxe and turned to Elmeria.

“Young mistress.”

His face, as solid as stone, was clearly painted in a concerned expression.

“Then, I shall ask my question clearly...... What do you think of Zeeg?”

“I said-”

“No, not as a hunter......”

Gannon swallowed his saliva.

“But as a boy.”

Puzzled, Elmeria tilted her head. What is it that Gannon wanted to say?

(“As a boy...?”)

All of a sudden, an image of Zeeg appeared. The boy was there carrying a great sword on his back, smiling as he turned back to her with his shining white teeth. Elmeria felt her face heating up as if it was bursting into flames, so hot that even a Cool Drink’s effect can’t contain.

(“Wha, What......?”)

In reality, she shouldn’t have seen that kind of scene even once. And Zeeg’s teeth definitely doesn’t shine like that.

She noticed that Gannon’s concerned expression has gotten even worse.

“This is unacceptable.”

Slowly, he shook the head on top of his thick neck.

“As young mistress grew up surrounded by adults, that boy is an unusual sight. You ought to not jump to conclusions. In addition, as the hunt puts people in a position that causes them to entrust their lives to others, it is often the case that those kind of feelings emerge. However, they are not genuine. Young mistress, please be skeptical about those feelings of yours.”

“What... What’re you saying... I don’t get it.”

All at once, Elmeria felt senses of unsteadiness, annoyance, and denial. Not even her first battle against a Rathalos has flustered her this much.

“M... Me, with Zeeg? Th- that’s ridiculous! That fledgling- N...Now that’s just not funny!”

Just end this conversation already.

Elmeria waved her hand at Gannon to communicate that she doesn’t want this topic to be brought up ever again, then she grabbed a pickaxe and made a big swing.

But then Zeeg’s face popped up once again, causing Elmeria to let out a scream.

(“Th...This isn’t funny at all!”)

As it to shake it off, she put all of her strength in one mighty swing.

The metal head pierced the rock, creating a large crack. A whole layer of the rock then fell off, probably because it has become brittle from all the digging.

(“Ah-”)

A jet black lump of Rust Stone, easily distinguishable from all other rocks, appeared under the layer, causing Elmeria to get goosebumps even in this heat.

That instant, thoughts about Zeeg has been completely wiped clean from her head.

Turning around, she could see Gannon’s eyes sparkle with anticipation as well.

The two of them carefully broke off the rock layer around the Rusted Stone, until the object was finally fully exposed. It was then that their anticipation turned into confidence.

“We did it!”

Elmeria jumped at Gannon, hugging his neck tightly. His body was stinking badly from all the sweat, but she didn’t care.

The lump of metal has something like a handle sticking out, so it just has to be a hammer.

This definitely is the thing they’ve come all the way to search for at this volcano.

Backing away, Elmeria smiled.

“Alright, let us get back to the city. The rest will depend on our luck.”

The only way to know its true appearance is to have a blacksmith at the armory polish it.

But Elmeria has confidence- that this lump of rusted metal is a precious relic of the past, created with the lost technology of ancient times!

(“Could it be that I’ve been left behind...”)

Standing on a log that serves as a bridge across the river, Fradio surveyed his surroundings, then took a deep breath from under the cool and comfortably rubbery Gypceros Cap.

Today’s him is different.

He’s equipped with Gypceros gear from head to toe as usual, but today, the usually unused body armor has also been put on.

Fradio actually has a slim figure compared to others, but now that his torso is equipped with the Gypceros Vest, he looks as thick as a Large Barrel Bomb.

Though he doesn’t worry much about defense when hunting in a party, the same cannot be done when going solo. Offense and defense- he has to do it all by himself.

Gunners usually hunt by shooting while in hiding, but it doesn’t mean that they never have to do combat in close range.

When shooting at small carnivore monsters or insects that operate in groups, it is not uncommon that a solo gunner is rushed down by other monsters in the pack.

In such situation, it is best for one to back away to a suitable distance and readjust their aim, but in a solo hunt, not having comrades means the chances of being chased down or blindsided are higher.

If that were to happen, one could die instantly if they don’t wear body armor.

Even if it feels too heavy or doesn’t look cool, it still is absolutely necessary.

(“Well, this isn’t all that bad.”)

This likely does not apply to other gunners, but as far as Fradio is concerned, being covered in Gypceros armor from head to toe is supreme bliss.

When hunting with a party, one cannot afford to put their hobbies or obsessions in priority. That is the reason why Fradio maximizes his combat efficiency by removing his body armor, while in truth he wanted to constantly feel the rubber cling to both his chest and back all at once.

Frado understood that hunting alone would allow him to fight in his own style, and also make decisions liberally. It is not strange for hunters to not join a party.

However, he has no intention to do so.

The reason is he knew that if he were to keep his passions to himself and endure until he couldn’t hold it in anymore, the satisfaction felt when he finally released them to his heart’s content would be many times greater.

Besides, hunting together with Elmeria’s crew was a great fun.

The girl has the absolute right to choose quests for the team, and she doesn’t mess around when it comes to the difficult jobs they accept. Her knowing the weight of responsibility when pulling the trigger on each decision makes a world of difference when compared to other hunting parties he have previously joined.

Situations where a comrade would die if he were to mess up does not occur often under normal circumstances, but it has happened almost every time ever since he has joined Elmeria’s crew.

Because the girl is used to being protected, she doesn’t doubt Fradio’s skills even one bit.

She believed that the man would eliminate all obstructing small fries without fail, making her able to focus on the main enemy and swing her hammer without hesitation. Even if a Vespoid were to approach so close behind her that she could clearly hear its buzzing wings, she wouldn’t turn around.

If he were to not answer to the faith she put in him, then he would be disqualified as a gunner. The heavy sense of responsibility and tension that comes with each shot far exceeds that of other parties.

It’s irresistibly fun.

And ever since Zeeg joined, that excitement has doubled.

One reason is that the boy has improved exponentially like sand absorbing water, but the highlight is the amusement from seeing Elmeria, a girl who seemed so tough and serious, show her childish side when interacting with Zeeg.

Not wanting to miss a single moment, a whole year without vacation has passed before he realized it.

But that was the limit.

He longed for his beloved Gypceros’s lovely figure, to listen to its wonderful voice, and to fully feel his “lover” in a battle to the death.

With those feelings in mind, he departed from Minegarde on a ten-day carriage journey to this Jungle- But no matter how long he waited, the lovely Gypceros doesn’t seem to show up.

Due to this hunt not being a quest accepted from the guild, the chance of encountering it is entirely up to luck, but he doesn’t have any doubts because he has always encountered it.

But for the first time, his confidence is starting to waver.

(“It seems that a little too much time has passed...”)

The feeling of loneliness is so great that his chest felt like it was bursting open. He would have even cried if he wasn’t covered in the Gypceros’s unique odor. Putting the return trip into consideration, he has only a few days left before he’s forced to stop.

(“Let’s search around one more time...”)

Fradio took a quick look around from under his cap while crossing on the log.

The water is deep and its currents are fast. A thunder was heard coming from the mountain’s direction last night, so there could be a precipitation upstream.

Walking through a wet leaf mould in an area filled with tall palm-type trees, he could hear the Vespoids’ buzzing wings mixed in with the sound of the river currents.

(“How troublesome indeed.”)

Stopping, Fradio drew his favorite heavy bowgun, the Tankmage, from his back and unfolded it. Unlike usual, his weapon is installed with a Zoom Scope and Long Barrel, which are parts that assist in shooting from a distance.

From a pouch strapped to his belt, he took out Level 1 Normal Shots and loaded it into the bowgun. He then kneeled on one knee, leaned the gunstock firmly against his shoulder, then peered into the scope.

He placed middle of the crosshairs between the three flying Vespoids, then pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The gunstock was knocked back at his shoulder as a gunshot sounded, but rubbery hides absorbed the impact.

A smoking cartridge was ejected.

Just as he intended, the shot didn’t hit any of the Vespoids, flying through the space between them. Sensing danger, those Vespoids scattered away.

He didn’t intend to kill. They may be annoying, but he doesn’t have any business with them. Lifting the bowgun and standing up, he could hear something sweeping the ground, causing him to hurriedly turn around.

What he then saw was the figure of a boar-like monster with large tusks, the Bullfango.

It’s possible that due to the gunshot, the creature that was sleeping in the thicket woke up.

By observing how its body shakes, he knew that it is currently in a fit of rage- sweeping the ground with its legs to prepare for a charge!

The tackle may be linear, but there’s no time to dodge!

Fradio raised his Tankmage as an improvised shield, narrowly defending against a fatal hit from the tusks that lunged in like spears.

Upon collision, a strong impact ran through his whole body. The Zoom Scope broke, and a long crack appeared on the Tankmage’s barrel. A part of the barrel then sprung up and hit his forehead, dizzying him.

(“Uh, this is ba-”)

As he was knocked back, the ground below his feet disappeared.

He could see the brown, muddy river flowing furiously, waiting to devour its unfortunate prey, but he couldn’t do anything.

Falling into the currents, Fradio noticed his consciousness slipping away.

He desperately tried to stay awake, but his last memory was water flowing into the Gypceros Cap through the holes, soaking his face- and nothing else after.

Chapter 3 - Aspiring to Become a Hero

Zeeg looked up at the raging sun, feeling its intense rays slowly burning his skin.

He felt like he had been in a long dream.

Could this be on top of a bed in a Minegarde guest house? No, the rooms there shouldn’t have been this exposed to the sun. Besides, the sunlight there isn’t even this strong. It’s like the desert-

The boy woke up immediately. Just as he started feeling the heaviness of his body once again, Zeeg noticed that he is currently in the process of falling to the ground.

(“My sword is gone!”)

Could he have let go of it when he was hit by the Monoblos’s horn flip attack? Realizing that his trusty Ravager Blade+, a weapon equal to a hunter’s life, is not in his hand, Zeeg sweated in fear.

For a brief instant, the sun was obscured.

Then, Zeeg saw it- Shaped like a wyvern’s jaw, the sword fell from the sky!

The sword, although heavier than its owner, had been knocked even higher up that Zeeg was. And right now, it’s dropping right after him.

(“I won’t miss!”)

Zeeg reached out with his hand while he was still ahead, successfully grabbing the sword’s handle just as it was about to pass his arm. However, that also resulted in his falling speed increasing. His arm was dragged with so much force that he thought his shoulder was going to dislodge.

(“Kuh-”)

Enduring the pain, Zeeg used the sword’s weight to shift his faced-up body upside-down. The sword was pointed downward, as Zeeg thought that it should be safe if he were to land in this position.

However, Zeeg soon realized that he was being naïve.

Below him, the Monoblis lay in wait. On its collar, bright red streaks were visible. It proves that the wyvern is currently in a fit of rage.

“Don’t pick a fight with an enraged wyvern.”

That was what Elmeria immediately taught him when he officially joined her team.

“Even a Yian Kut-Ku would become quite a bit more annoying when it’s enraged, right? But other wyverns are on a totally different level, you know? If they were to be enraged, it’s best to back away and wait until it’s calmed down- This is important.”

Zeeg tightened his hold on the great sword’s handle.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but the Monoblos’s horn, looking redder than before, raised up as if it was waiting to skewer its pitiful hunter who is about to fail his hunt. The Genpreys jumped around the Monoblos as if they were begging for a share of the spoils, maybe an arm or a slice of meat.

Wind howled close to Zeeg’s ears as the horn lunged in right before his eyes.

(“Damn it all!”)

Just before he was going to be impaled, Zeeg gathered all his strength and swung at the side of the horn. The impact numbed his hands, accompanied with a sound similar to branches breaking. Sky and land flipped around, disorienting him, with the only thing he knew was that he was no longer falling straight down.

The Monoblos screamed. Another faint voice was mixed in.

“-Close your eyes.”

That voice creeped into Zeeg’s ears. Without any questioning, the boy did as he heard. This could be his instincts as a hunter taking over.

The next moment, a flash of light burst out in the surrounding area, so bright that it got through Zeeg’s eyelids- It’s a Flash Bomb! Monoblos, Genpreys, and Vespoids- All out them let out their cries.

Then, Zeeg felt that he landed on something soft and flabby.

If it was in the spot that he had been sent flying to by the Monoblos, the impact could have broken a bone or two. But the feel of the surface is completely different.

“......Can you move?”

Hearing the voice clearly near his ears this time as opposed to a faint whisper, Zeeg opened his eyes.

His eyes met with a girl’s single eye.

Noticing that the girl has been carring him in her arms, Zeeg hurriedly jumped off. But then a sharp pain ran through his sprained ankle, causing the boy to collapse on his knees. Even so, he tried to support himself with his sword while looking at the girl.

Fully equipped with pale white armor, she sat on the ground as if she had been tripped over.

It didn’t take long for the boy to realize that it was because she caught him before hitting the ground.

On the girl’s head is a chain cap of sorts, with bandages wrapped around, maybe because she has injuries. An eyepatch covered one eye.

She stood up, grabbed Zeeg’s arm to get him up, then put it over her shoulders.

“H- Hey!”

“We’ll run while the Flash Bomb is still in effect- If you’d like, how about I carry you in my arms again?”

The girl looked at Zeeg with her open eye, causing the boy to turn red.

Although he’s angry, Zeeg is not so childish to not acknowledge that he’s currently unable to walk- and he hasn’t even got to give his thanks yet.

All he could do was let the girl support him without saying anything.

Limping away as fast as he could, Zeeg turned around to look as he reached the tunnel’s entrance.

Temporarily stripped off of its eyesight, the Monoblos swung its tail around in confusion. A few Genpreys were knocked away and hit the rock walls. One Genprey that tried to bite the Monoblos was crushed under the large monster’s foot.

Then, Zeeg saw it.

Half of the Monoblos’s horn had been snapped off.

(“I did that?”)

He most likely did. The strike he made while falling down- that was what broke the Crimson Horn off.

The Monoblos’s horn is considered to be a top quality material. An article of rarity that hunters can’t afford to ignore.

However, as Zeeg looked around for the horn’s whereabouts, he was met with an unacceptable scene.

Three Melynxes, black furred bipedal cat-like creatures, dug their way up from beneath the earth. They danced around while using their paw-shaped staffs to pull the Crimson Horn towards them, then quickly left with the item through the way they came before they were noticed by other monsters.

Contrary to their adorable appearance, Melynxes have a tendency to steal things, and they are hated by hunters as a result. Zeeg had also gotten his medicines stolen several times before.

However, the Crimson Horn was just too valuable compared to medicine. Regardless of the rightness or wrongness of doing so, he wanted to just get it back, but there was nothing he could do right now.

(“Dammit, I won’t forget this!”)

Shouting that statement in his stomach, Zeeg could only escape into the tunnel’s darkness.

After all, there is no precious article in this world that is worth losing one’s life over.

“Looks like we got away.”

After going through the entrance of the base camp’s tent, the girl sheathed her one handed sword onto her waist and spoke to Zeeg.

She is the kind of girl that gives off a soft, delicate aura with every single movement. Some of her silver hair slipped out of the bloody bandage wrapped around her head.

Looks like she’s not very good at applying them.

(“It’s the Khezu set...”)

Sitting on the bed, Zeeg noticed that the girl’s equipped full armor set is made from a material called Flabby Hide, carved from a unique wyvern called Khezu.

He had once seen the design during a production process at the Minegarde armory.

The squishy texture that he felt while being held by the girl was from those Flabby Hides.

Zeeg has heard that the Khezu’s skin is thicker compared to other wyverns’, causing those who wear its armor to look slightly more meaty than usual.

Even so, the girl’s figure still looks very well-proportioned except for her chest, which means the body under that armor must be quite thin.

Khezu skin is also good at circulating heat, making it convenient for hot areas such as deserts and volcanoes. Additionally, when one is injured, a type of liquid similar to potions seeps naturally from its skin, speeding up the wearer's recovery rate of wounds.

The girl knelt in front of Zeeg, removed the boy’s Ioprey Greaves, and held his ankle up before examining it.

The compress on his leg was applied by the girl, after she rubbed the injured area with herbs.

Zeeg moaned as his foot was being turned around lightly.

“Sprained. No broken bones. –Still, you’re better off giving up on it for now.”

“......I know.”

Zeeg spoke as if to spit those words out. With his foot in this state, he shouldn’t even be able to swing a sword. Going out to hunt in this body condition is just suicide.

Though he was able to break the Monoblos’s horn, he could not defeat it. Besides, that wound could cause it to go on an unstoppable rampage.

“You’re thinking that it could target the merchants again, right?”

While watching the girl take out a yellow-ish bandage from the bag on her waist then roll it around his ankle, Zeeg heard the girl’s question, and he responded in surprise, “Yeah”.

Bull’s eye.

The boy wondered if the Khezu armor set grants its wearer the ability to read minds, but he knew that it’s just nonsense.

If one is a hunter, it is not strange that they would know what’s happening in the area.

“If it’s that, things will be alright for a little while.”

The girl continued.

“With those injuries, it definitely won’t appear for some time. The horn is a Monoblos’s life. Until it is back to how it used to be, it’ll probably hide somewhere and rest. Until then, I think it’s safe to say that the trade route is useable.”

Zeeg felt relieved.

If what that girl said is true, then it’s good fortune in a misfortune.

Originally, the objective of this Monoblos hunt wasn’t for revenge. The goal of this hunt was to ensure safety of the trade route, nothing more than that.

Even if the safety is not permanent, at least part of the job was accomplished.

“Say, you... Err-”

“Freda.”

The girl raised her face. The eye not obscured by an eyepatch had a blue reflection like an oasis.

Being watched like this, the boy began to fell restless. Somehow, he had a feeling that he heard the girl’s name at some point, but couldn’t remember.

“Freda Esgrand.”

“R-right... Then, err... Freda, you know a lot about it?”

“Monoblos? I do, but not as much as the Royal Scriveners though.”

The girl who introduced herself as Freda stood up after she was done rolling the bandage, then moved away to lean on a wooden box placed inside the tent.

“With its horn broken that much, it will take about one month for it to be back.”

“One month, huh...”

Zeeg unintentionally let out a sigh, and Freda tilted her bandaged head slightly for some reason.

“......You- are you Zeeg, by any chance?”

Called by his name even though he never told her, Zeeg raised his face in surprise.

“Y-you know me?”

“As I thought. You don’t remember?”

Saying that, Freda slowly unwrapped the bandage on her head. Removing the bloody cloth, she then took off her chain cap. Her hair, now let down, covered her eyepatch and half of her face.

“Ah!”

Seeing that hairstyle, Zeeg finally remembered.

“Freda the Frowner!”

Blurting that out, Zeeg quickly covered his mouth.

Freda looked sad, but her expression showed that she also felt nostalgic for that nickname.

As if to dodge the awkward feeling, Zeeg scratched his head.

The girl used to visit the village often, because she was the daughter of a merchant who employed a fairly large trade caravan.

She didn’t speak much, constantly hugged her teddy bear, and would always have a troubled expression on her face.

Although she was two years older, Zeeg hadn’t minded it back then, as he and the other village kids would tease and play pranks on her.

Most of those pranks might as well be considered bullying.

Part of it was due to jealousy- Freda would always be together with her parents, and they seemed to be well off.

Children of hunters in Kokoto village usually live alone or with just their siblings for most of the year. It can’t be said that they are wealthy.

It was by no means Freda’s fault, but Zeeg and the other kids had thought that she had to compensate for the unfairness somehow.

Recalling all that, Zeeg felt like his face was going to burst into flames.

The boy thought that if he could go back in time, he would beat up his past self and those village kids and put them in their place.

“S-sorry...”

Still scratching his head, Zeeg made his apology.

“I was awful back then. Even so, you still saved me-”

“I don’t mind it.”

Freda replied.

“Not anymore, that is. I was sad, but it’s all in the past.”

“If you really mean that, then thanks.”

Zeeg felt relieved.

Looking at the girl again, he noticed that she still has the same face as when she was little.

Eyes welling up with tears, biting lips, eyebrows plunged into a frown- Those were what earned her the nickname “Freda the Frowner”.

That girl appearing before him as a hunter was not something Zeeg has never imagined.

(“A one-handed sword user...”)

Zeeg took a look at the sword sheathed on the girl’s waist.

He felt that he remembered seeing the sword at some point. Its handle looked like a pair of decorative wings. The blade looked so beautiful that he almost mistook it for a ceremonial sword.

The shield equipped on her left arm is equally fancy, with a pair of red and blue wyvern symbols painted on the surface, making it more fitting as a wall ornament than a hunting equipment.

They don’t even look durable enough to be used for combat. They’re more like decorations-

“Decorations...... Ah-!”

As Zeeg remembered a certain detail, his eyes opened wide.

“That- Don’t tell me it’s the Heroic Blade!? Wait, no- but......”

“............”

Freda touched the sword’s handle without saying anything.

Kokoto Village’s famous spot is a rock with a sword engraved in it, and it is said that the one-handed sword used to be wielded by the Hero of Kokoto.

The sword in the rock and the one on Freda’s waist share the exact same appearance.

There are numerous stories detailing how the Hero of Kokoto wielded the sword.

The most famous story is that he threw the sword at the opposing dragon during his final battle, ending the hunt in a victory, but there was no one who could pull out the sword that had pierced the dragon’s forehead.

Of course, that was just some fairy tale. Everyone knows that stories of hunters’ battles were heavily dramatized by poets in order to entertain the nobles.

Because of that, Zeeg never thought the village’s sword in the rock was the real thing.

He used to think that someone made it up to draw in visitors, since the village’s name happened to be the same as the hero’s.

But now he knows that the Village Chief himself is the Hero of Kokoto, which means it is highly possible that the sword is the real deal.

And now, a sword that looks exactly the same is right before his eyes.

Zeeg wondered what the village’s rock looks like right now. He didn’t have the time to check, since he went straight to meet the Village Chief, then took the quest to subdue the Monoblos immediately after.

(“Did she steal it?”)

That was his first thought, but he remembered that it shouldn’t be that easy to pull out.

Although it’s just a story, it was said that the stone is actually the forehead of the dragon that the Kokoto Village Chief defeated. Zeeg has heard several times in songs sung by traveling bards asking for spare change that only ones who are acknowledged by the Hero of Kokoto can pull out the sword.

(“Then, is it a replica?”)

There are many hunters that live by the hero’s sample. There are ones who own Heroic Blades among those people, but they’re all replicas, ordered at armories after sketched images of the sword in Kokoto Village.

It is possible that the girl’s sword is also one of those.

“You’re thinking this one could be a fake?”

As if she could read the boy’s mind, Freda spoke up while touching the sword’s handle.

A vague smile appeared on Zeeg’s face.

Freda nodded, as if to agree with him.

“Right... it could be. The Chief also said it. That it’s not yet there. The sword has already lost its original sharpness. In order to turn this Heroic Blade back into the Master’s Blade, it has to be tempered while soaked in a mixture of fresh and fermented Monoblos blood- that was what the Chief taught me.”

“W-wait a second! Then that means it’s the real deal-”

Freda nodded.

“The one in the Kokoto Village’s stone.”

Zeeg could do nothing but stare at the girl in awe, his mouth opened wide.

Freda’s facial expression was unchanged, as if to say that she already got used to being looked at in that manner.

“That’s a surprise...”

Before long, Zeeg started to mutter while blinking in confusion.

“Ah- I didn’t mean any offense, alright? I wasn’t thinking why you were chosen- Wait no, that was part of it, but I was actually surprised that the sword is the real deal. I mean, I already tried it out, but it couldn’t even cut radish, you know?”

“The Chief polished the hardened dragon blood off the blade, restoring its cutting power. Right now, it’s sharper than any sword forged at armories. But it’s so sharp that it would cut too deep and bounce off the wyverns’ hard shells. The problem can be fixed by reforging it using two kinds of Monoblos blood.”

“So it wasn’t rusted after all...”

Zeeg thought that the sword in the stone had completely rusted, because its surface was covered in a layer of reddish brown dirt. To think it’s actually dragon blood-

“But... why? I’m surprised that you have the sword and all, but Freda... why’d you become a hunter? I thought you were going to be married to some aristocrat and live a fancy life in the royal capital.”

Hearing that, Freda’s eye turned gloomy.

“Yeah... That’s what papa and mama would have wanted.”

“I know, right? Your mom and dad would talk about it every time they came to the village. That probably was also why we were jealous and even hated that side of yours, causing us to always play pranks- no, I’d actually call it bullying...... But did you not like the life your parents planned out for you and became a hunter instead? I wonder why they let you go.”

“No. Papa and mama doesn’t know. And they’ll never know anymore. They’ve already died.”

“Eh......?”

“While traveling, we were attacked by monsters. I also-”

Freda tapped her finger on the eyepatch under her hair.

“Lost this eye during that time. I was luckily saved, but the goods were all lost and the insurance agency couldn’t cover for all of the damage. My family’s belongings, our house in the city, and also full rights to the trade caravan- all of them had to be sold off. And so I became a hunter.

“......You still have debts to pay?”

“I already paid them off.”

“Then, is it for revenge? To kill the monster that killed your parents?”

Freda shook her head.

“If it’s that, it’s already dead. The hunter that saved me hunted that monster- the Cephadrome.”

The sand wyvern Cephadrome! –These special wyverns can freely swim in the sand, but are not able to fly in the sky.

They have flat heads, and their dorsal fins contain paralyzing toxins. Commanding packs of Cephalos, small monsters of the same kind, they would approach trade caravans passing through the desert, attacking them without causing any sound.

The Cephadrome’s size may be comparable to the Rathalos, but they are not quite as fearsome.

However, they compensate by rushing down their enemies with sheer numbers.

It is not an easy task to fight against the Cephadrome while at the same time defending against the Cephalos’ hardened sand spit attacks from all four directions.

“Have you fought them, Zeeg?”

Zeeg answered her question with a nod. He had fought them several times alongside Elmeria’s party.

“I see.”

“Hey, Freda. With all that said, why’d you choose to become a hunter? Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but shouldn’t there be a lot of other things you can do? You’re not like me who grew up in Kokoto Village without knowing any other ways to live, after all. You should have some connections with other merchants, right?”

“Yeah. There were some people that offered to take me in, despite the hideous state of my face. Even though brothels would just turn me away when I showed up at the door.”

“But why? You’re still the same as back then... still beaut-”

Zeeg forced a cough in order to cover what he was going to say for the rest of his previous statement.

Another reason that the village kids bullied Freda was because she was beautiful, and so they wanted her attention. Not that it’s a passable excuse for bullying.

“About that, Zeeg. It’s because you haven’t seen my scars yet. Not that I plan on showing them to you though.”

Since the girl said that much, Zeeg couldn’t say anything to contradict her.

If he were to look, he would probably be speechless and hurt Freda’s feelings as a result.

“But...”, the girl continued, “I didn’t become a hunter out of desperation or self-abandonment. I chose to become a hunter because I wanted to inspire hope.”

“Hope?”

Freda nodded.

“When the monsters attacked our caravan of ten or so carriages, all I could do was watch our workers struggle in vain as the Cephalos pack dragged them under the sand and ate them up. The guard hunters we hired seemed to be inexperienced, as they were tossed around and eaten one by one. When the carriage I was on toppled, I was thrown out along with papa and mama, landing on the sand. I lost one eye because a Cephalos’s dorsal fin cut through it when it swam right below me.”

A grim, twisted expression appeared on Zeeg’s face as he imagined how painful it must have been.

“Worst of all, papa and mama were dragged into the sand right in front of my eyes. One of the employees immediately came to shield me, but everyone had already accepted death at that point. But then-”

For the first time, Freda’s face brightened up with warmth.

“That person appeared.”

Zeeg immediately knew that she was talking about the aforementioned hunter.

“A high-pitched explosion suddenly echoed- Now I know that it was a Sonic Bomb, but I didn’t know what it was back then- Those sand wyverns burst out of the sand and writhed in pain. That person then fought the Cephadrome while drawing its attention. The battle was intense. No matter how many times the Chephadrome tried to hide under the sand, that person’s sword wouldn’t let it.”

“............”

“No matter how many injuries and broken bones, that person fought on, and the image gave everyone the will to survive. They salvaged whatever they could find from the wreckage and fought together. It might have been a hindrance, but hope in living was surely restored. It was the same for me. Even if I were to survive by some miracle, if I hadn’t seen that battle, I would have given in to despair and died shortly after. That’s why- I wanted to be like that person. I wanted to be the kind of hunter that inspires the people living in remote regions, for them to cling to life with their hearts full of hope just by knowing that I’m there for them.”

Looks like Freda was dead serious.

But that would be the same as saying that she wanted to be the Hero of Kokoto.

Although the name had lost its inspirational effect for the people, during the time when there were not that many hunters, people fear the threat of monsters that ruled the world of nature. They kept reminding themselves that the Hero of Kokoto is there for them, and were able to overcome the harsh living conditions.

“...You’re awesome.”

Zeeg spoke up, and Freda raised her head.

“So you aspire to become a hero eh, Freda? I don’t even have any plans like that, you know? Right now I’m just an aimless hunter.”

“You’re the one who’s awesome, Zeeg. The Chief used to tell me. That an ideal hunter is a hunter that simply lives as a natural part of this world. It is harder for ones that have become skilled and famous to stay as a normal hunter- Just like the Chief’s past self. But the Chief also understood my beliefs. Hope is certainly what people need. But my decision wasn’t filled with happiness, because it was equal to offering myself as a sacrifice. The Chief then told me to talk to him again when I’m able to defeat a Rathalos by myself with my determination unchanged. I did as told and was granted the Heroic Blade.”

Freda drew the sword, held it up straight in front of herself, and silently stared at the blade.

(“Then, it really is the real deal...?”)

The current Zeeg knows that the Village Chief isn’t the kind of person to talk irresponsibly.

If he said that he’s passing on the real thing, then this Heroic Blade is certainly real.

However, Zeeg couldn’t understand how being a hero is equal to being a sacrifice.

The Village Chief- Hero of Kokoto is still widely respected by hunters, with his exploits being told in numerous stories. For Zeeg, the word “sacrifice” doesn’t fit anywhere in there at all.

“...You too?”

“Eh?”

“Were you also thinking why it’s me that was chosen?”

Up to this point, the girl has said those words countless times. One would think that she’s completely fine when they look at her face, but she was likely putting up a tough act. Although she doesn’t cry, the girl probably felt hurt- right from the very beginning.

“Nah.”

Zeeg gave an answer. A faint expression of doubt was painted on Freda’s face.

“It’s because I’m a great sword user, after all. If the Village Chief were to tell me ‘You’ve been chosen to be my successor!’ and hand me that sword, I would have declined. My body already fixed itself to the great sword fighting style. I’d never want to learn a new weapon from scratch.”

Freda cast down her eye slightly and sheathed her sword.

“......Thank you.”

“What I said was true, you know- Well, if your sword were to be the legendary anti-dragon great sword, the Dragon Massacre, I would have rolled on bed all night with jealousy though!”

It was intended as a joke, but doubt disappeared from Freda’s face as she nodded.

Zeeg let out a sigh in relief.

(“Wait, why am I being flustered by every little thing?”)

The boy couldn’t think of a reason. Was it the guilt from bullying her back then?

(“Still... she really is pale.”)

Maybe he remembered it from back then, but when Zeeg got to see Freda again, that detail was confirmed. The girl’s skin is very pale, even compared to the equipment made from the Khezu’s pale skin.

Freda re-wrapped the bandage on her head and put on her chain cap.

At first, Zeeg thought that it was the gunners’ Khezu Cap since she had an eyepatch, but it actually isn’t. The girl’s eyepatch serve to hide her scar, and the bandage is actually normal cloth, as opposed to thinned and flattened Khezu skin.

Looking more closely, she also has a scar on her neck. Looks like it is what remained of a large wound.

It also doesn’t look that old. Most likely a recent claw injury.

Including ones that are shown and not hidden, the girl probably has countless scars of various sizes on her body.

This also applies to all hunters.

One cannot avoid being injured when hunting alone. Having someone to watch one’s back, like Elmeria having Gannon’s protection, is considered to be very good luck.

After she was done applying her bandage, Freda curiously looked at Zeeg.

“What is it?”

“Eh!? N-nothing! Nothing at all...”

“Is that so. –I think the carriage will be coming to pick you up tomorrow morning. According to the contract made beforehand, that is. You’re going back to Kokoto Village, right?”

“Y-yeah...”

“If there’s anything in the tent that you can’t carry back now, just send someone else to retrieve it when you get back to the village. The Monoblos won’t turn up for a while, so make sure to report that the desert trade route is safe to traverse as of now.”

“Right... -Still, I really messed up. I didn’t expect it to be that tough.”

“It’s a wyvern that even gave the Hero of Kokoto trouble, you know. Being able to break its horn is still awesome.”

“Ah-!”

Reminded of a bad memory, Zeeg struck his palm with the other fist.

“Dammit, those damn Melynxes!”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Freda took out a set of BBQ Spit from the supply box, set a piece of raw meat on it, installed the handle, and then lit up a fire.

“They totally took away that horn, huh. Unfortunately, you should give up on it. At this point, the Felynes should have already taken it to one of the cities in order to trade it for food.”

“...Right.”

Zeeg sighed.

Felynes are white furred cat-like lynians. They live together with Melynxes in colonies.

As opposed to Melynxes that would get chased away if they were to approach towns and villages because of their tendency to steal things, there are Felynes that work and make trade dealings with humans.

“...Want some meat?”

Freda asked with her hand holding the handle, and Zeeg blinked in confusion.

“You’re grilling for me?”

“With your leg like that, it’ll be hard to even lift the BBQ Spit. I also have some raw meat left.”

“I’ll leave it to you, then.”

Freda nodded, then held the handle tightly before starting to turn it around while humming the BBQ Song.

“Trut truu trut truu... Trut truu truut...”

Zeeg used to hum while grilling just like that, and Elmeria would always roll on the floor in a burst of laughter. If she were to be here, would she be laughing at this girl as well?

Freda’s humming gave off a different feel from Zeeg’s humming as a timing indication. It felt more like some kind of prayer.

A prayer to show gratitude to life, and wishing for the grilling process to be successful.

Zeeg gulped down his saliva as he saw the meat juices drip down into the fire and the meat’s surface hardening, turning light brown.

Suddenly reminded that he hadn’t eaten anything for the whole day, the boy’s stomach grumbled in dissatisfaction.

The girl definitely heard that.

Freda glanced at Zeeg, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

(“This is embarrassing...”)

His face turning bright red, all Zeeg could do was lower his head and look away.

Before long, Freda’s voice echoed throughout the tent, as if she was communicating with something far away.

“-So tasty.”

“Check this out! Check this out, Zeeg!”

That was Elmeria’s first statement during the reunion after one month.

She put a giant lump of metal with a handle on the gathering hall table, causing Zeeg to hurriedly pick up his bowl of Mosswine Leg Stew so that it wouldn’t be knocked off.

Still, some of the soup spilled on Zeeg’s fingers, the boy narrowing his eyebrows in dissatisfaction as he licked them off.

(“What’s up with her? Jeez...”)

Raising his head, he could see Elmeria’s eyes sparkling with delight. As usual, the girl was equipped with Rathalos armor except for her head and body.

And as expected, Gannon was wearing his usual Diablos armor with Gravios equipment for the lower body, standing behind the girl like a sculpture.

Except when resting in guest houses, hunters would usually be fully armed.

Part of the reason was to prevent their precious equipment from being stolen, but the main reason was so that they could act immediately when an urgent quest was posted, since they would be available on a first come, first served basis.

Carriages have been prepared, ready to leave the city at any moment. That is because there were quite a lot of quests that could be accepted by multiple parties at once.

Among those quests, there were also ones with strange tasks like grilling as much meat as possible.

If one were to ask why, it is because freshly grilled meat is essential for banquets held in the royal capital.

Meat from monsters like Aptonoths are different from meat from livestock such as cows or pigs, because they won’t become more delicious after being marinated for a few days.

Monster meat spoil quickly, with their rotting process starting just a few hours after carving.

To counteract that, hunters would immediately preserve what they carve in salt buckets.

By doing so, the meat will be good for another day.

When they return to the base came afterwards, the meat would be smoked, extending the time by half a month or even a whole month depending on the length of the process, and they’ll be good to eat just by re-heating.

However, following this procedure worsens the taste.

If one wanted to eat truly delicious monster meat, they would have to capture the monsters alive and carve them up after bringing them to the city, or cook the meat until they were rare then transport them as fast as possible, re-heating them when they reach the destination.

For banquets at the royal capital, the latter method was usually chosen.

From what Zeeg heard, large lumps of meat would be grilled before being brought to the capital, where only the parts in the middle were cut off and used.

The remaining parts seemed to be kept by the chefs for their own meals.

As for the food made in Minegarde’s gathering hall, small monsters like Mosswines are captured alive and transported to the city before being butchered, but for larger ones like Aptonoths, their meat would be preserved in salt.

Putting that aside, these small details were the reason why hunters were always in full armor- It's so that they are always ready for urgent quests.

And of course, constantly carrying weapons around is also normal.

(“It’s a hammer... right?”)

Looks like it.

Looking at the head attached to the handle however, the weapon was asymmetrical, with one side being badly deformed, like it had been smashed out of shape.

As if it had been melted with intense heat and left to re-harden just like that.

Elmeria was making an extremely proud expression on her face. She seemed like a kid who had found a rare insect, proudly showing it off to her friends.

However, Zeeg could not understand what it is that she was being so proud of.

“Umm-”

Before Zeeg could ask what the thing is about, a bunch of other easily distracted hunters approached, their footsteps resounding loudly. They gathered around, all looking at the table.

Normally, Elmeria would immediately drive them away, but she doesn’t do so today for some reason.

“What’d you find- Whoa, this is awesome!”

A man standing in the very front of the crowd raised his voice.

That man is equipped with the standard Hunter’s armor set and is carrying the hammer weapon Iron Striker on his wide back.

His face turned red, probably from excitement. His eyes have also become bloodshot.

“Is- Is this the Breath Core?”

Saliva spit off his large, shivering lips as he spoke, causing Zeeg to shield his food bowl in a panic.

“Damn right it is?”

Elmeria spoke proudly, her chest puffed up with pride. “Whoa!”, unified shouts of astonishment echoed throughout, shaking the whole gathering hall.

“I- This is the first time I’ve seen it...”

As the man said that, other hammer wielders in the crowd nodded in agreement among themselves, looking at the hammer on the table as if they had been shown an irresistibly delicious looking treat.

The crowd caused a commotion, as if a material as rare as a Lao-Shan Lung’s Reverse Scale had been placed in front of them.

Zeeg recognized the eyes of those people, filled with thirst and greed.

Sometimes, the boy himself would unintentionally look jealously at high-ranked hunters carrying brilliant great swords. Perhaps it is also the case for the surrounding crowd.

However, this time-

“How’s that, Zeeg?”

Elmeria looked down at Zeeg, as if to say, “You get it now, right?”

From the look in her eyes, she clearly wanted the boy to hurry up and show some jealousy.

It has been one year since Zeeg joined the party- And the boy thought that Elmeria has been gradually showing more of her childish side compared to when they first met.

“Even if you ask me that...”

He looked as hard as he could, but Zeeg could see it as noting but a lump of scrap metal.

Comparatively, if it’s the Finishing Hammer, made from a Diablos’s tail, he would see more value in it even from a glance.

If one asks why, it is because in addition to the weapon being powerful, it is also proof that the owner has defeated the Diablos multiple times.

Elmeria, seeing to be irritated by the boy’s unamused reaction-

“...What’s up with you! So boring!!”

The girl pouted and frowned her eyebrows.

Sensing that the girl is now in a bad mood, the hunter crowd hurriedly dispersed. They seemed to be fully aware of Elmeria’s violent tendencies.

Moreover, Fradio is not here to cool her down.

“Why don’t you understand!?”

“I just can’t understand what I can’t understand, you know. Isn’t this thing just some broken hammer?”

Having said that, Zeeg realized that he had incurred Elmeria’s imperial wrath.

The girl grabbed her hammer from the table, raising it overhead with all her strength.

Zeeg panickingly held on to his bowl of Mosswine Leg Stew. He knew that what would follow is surely going to be a swing from the girl’s hammer. However-

“Now~ That’s quite enough.”

The hammer raised overhead did not crush the table.

Out of nowhere, to Elmeria’s back stood a woman in a barmaid uniform who seemed to give off a cheerful aura. With strength that seemed to be impossible to attain with her thin arms, she was able to stop the hammer from swinging down just by grabbing it with one hand.

“Ah, Becky.”

Still holding his food bowl, Zeeg said his greetings, the woman responding with a sweet smile. She then shifted her sights to Elmeria’s face.

“Ellie, have you forgotten it again? Hunters do not point their weapons at people.”

“Of course I didn’t forget! I wasn’t even aiming to hit him!”

“That’s not the pro-! ...blem...”

As Zeeg said that in the heat of the moment, Elmeria glared at him with eyes as ferocious as a wyvern, causing the boy to gulp down his words.

“Still...”, Becky continued, “Smashing tables just like that is also a problem, you know? If you’re going to fight, then do it with your fists like any hunter would, alright? I’ll even gladly be your opponent in a fist fight- got it?”

Elmeria didn’t stop applying her strength at all. It’s obvious from her face, which has turned red. Even so, the girl couldn’t go against Becky’s strength as the woman held back the hammer, barehanded with an unconcerned expression on her face.

“G- Got it.”

Finally, Elmeria stopped trying to push through.

Becky took her hand off the hammer.

Elmeria panted heavily, turning around to give Becky a bitter look. She then put her hammer on the table as it she was throwing a tantrum and took a seat on a chair opposite to Zeeg’s. Gannon sat down beside her.

“Beer!”

Knocking on the table to call for attention, Elmeria loudly shouted out her order.

It’s unknown if that tome was intended for driving away Becky, but the woman made her way to the counter and passed on the order, then just stayed put.

After all, Becky isn’t the only waitress here.

Before long, a woman dressed in the same uniform as Becky brought out two mugs filled to the brim with beer, placing them in front of Elmeria and Gannon.

“Sorry for the wait. Enjoy.”

Becky said that as she smiled at the two.

In this gathering hall, the woman acts as a leader of the waitresses. Her uniform includes a red vest on top of a white blouse with puffy shoulders, white apron on top of a blue and light blue checkered skirt, and a white cap with red outlines. A beautiful woman, she is highly popular among hunters.

Although her clothes are exactly the same as the other waitresses, she is usually seen welcoming customers who sit at the bar, rarely coming out to serve food.

Her main job is not to serve food at tables, but to process requests for hunters, manage contract fees, withdraw reward money, and also offer news and information.

It was said that if Becky were to not be here for even a single day, the Minegarde Hunter’s Guild would cease to function.

She looks to be 20 years old, give or take a few, but nobody knows her actual age.

Age isn’t the only thing mysterious about her.

One thing is about her strength, able to stop Elmeria’s swing with one hand, even though the girl’s blow could have easily crushed the head of a Bullfango. The woman never lost her cool, even in a work environment surrounded by hunters with violent tendencies.

The kinds that would start a fight if alcohol drinks were to enter their mouths.

It is not just once that Zeeg sees Becky silencing hunters so drunk that they can’t distinguish front to back.

There were various rumors floating around, that she used to be a hunter before, or that she is the daughter of a renowned martial artist- But nobody knows the truth.

In her usual refreshing smile, Becky made her rounds, looking at all of the tables.

And as always, Zeeg started to feel restless when his eyes met with the Becky’s. She is beautiful and mature, after all.

Even after one year, the boy still could not get used to a beautiful woman’s smile.

For some reason, Elmeria seems to become increasingly unamused, and it shows on her face. The girl chugged down her beer then put her mug down violently as if to slap it one the table.

And for some reason, she gave the boy a dark look from the other side of the hammer.

“Wh- What now...”

“Shut up, you ignorant dimwit!”

“I said, what now!?”

“Hmph!”

With foam still sticking around her mouth, Elmeria chugged down her beer once again.

Next to her, Gannon seemed to be burning with tranquil fury, frightening the boy.

(“Did I mess something up again...?”)

Feeling that all this pressure has made him smaller, Zeeg continued munching on his Mosswine Legs. The food’s unique jelly-like texture is a favorite to the boy, but today, he couldn’t feel any taste from his meal anymore.

“Now... Good girls don’t make unreasonable demands... Right, Ellie?”

Becky smiled wryly as she spoke up to lubricate the table’s rough atmosphere.

“It’s natural for hunters to know their main weapons inside out but clueless on ones they don’t use, so it can’t be helped that Zeeg doesn’t know about it. Ellie too, you wouldn’t know if I asked you about the different types of great swords, right?”

Probably because that statement his the mark, Elmeria’s lips pouted.

Becky smiled as if she was taking care of an adorable little sister, then turned her attention to Zeeg.

“Still, knowing the properties of your comrades’ weapons is common sense for hunters, you know? When your friends use weapons with status effects to attack monsters, you wouldn’t want to get caught in friendly fire because you were careless, right?”

“Y- Yeah...”

“You’re a good boy, Zeeg.”

Becky laughed gently, then stroked the hammer on the table.

Although the boy did take offense at being treated like a child, those negative feelings all melted away when met with her smile.

“This is the Breath Core. As you can see, it’s a metallic hammer, but it’s also a precious relic created from a special metal that is impossible to refine with current technology. It’s not as heavy as the Gravios Shell Hammer, the Graviton hammer, but its destructive power is on a whole different level. Even the armory hasn’t worked out the reason, but the only thing known about this hammer is that if you swing it hard enough, upon impact, the weapon would release a mysterious force that destroys its target from the inside. The reason half of the head was left broken like that is because we don’t have the technology to fix it.”

Zeeg took another look at the hammer.

However, he just couldn’t see the hammer as something that awesome.

The boy also has his doubts.

“If it can’t be created, then how’d you get it, Elmeria?”

That was what Zeeg asked.

In order to obtain weapons, there are generally two methods.

The first and the more popular way is by manufacturing raw materials gathered by oneself.

As the weapons are custom-made by order, this method is mostly chosen by hunters and people who decide to start their career as one.

The other method is to buy ready-made goods from shops.

Not requiring materials, one would easily get a weapon in their hands as long as they had the money, but the price is higher than order-made goods, and it is also possible that one would not be able to find a weapon they are comfortable with.

However, as far as Zeeg knows, there was no weapon with the name “Breath Core” in armory’s list.

Wiping off beer foam with her palm, Elmeria looked at Zeeg.

“That’s easy, it’s dug up.”

“Dug up?”

“Right. There’s this rock at the volcano area that I’ve been keeping an eye on, so I went together with Gannon and mined it over and over and over again until this came out.”

Elmeria went on to explain about how some volcanoes in the Kingdom of Schrade weren’t created naturally but rather by an ancient war, and how there’s a possibility that weapons from that time still remain.

“Then, after ten or so trips, we finally dug this up.”

The girl’s tone returned to normal.

“You had to be lucky to even dig up this thing in the first place, but then you’d still need a ridiculous amount of abrasive minerals- Earth Crystals. All those saved up again and again, used up all in one go!! Not just the crystals, but money as well!!”

“Huh... Well, how much did it cost you?”

She was just exaggerating things- thought Zeeg as he munched on his Mosswine Leg.

“For the crystals, 120 of them. Money, a grand total of 96,000 Zenny.”

Immediately as the boy heard that, his whole body shivered, the Mosswine Leg slipped off his hand. It landed in the soup with a splash, but Zeeg paid it no heed.

“H- 120 Crystals!? N- 96,000 Zenny!?”

An overwhelming quantity, and a price so high that he could faint.

There weren’t many places where one could mine Earth Crystals from, and one mining trip would yield only a few.

Requiring 120 of that scarce of a material!

Same deal for the money used up. From a single Rathian subjugation quest, each member would receive a reward of 5,000 Zenny, and even then, quests of that level do not come around often.

Besides, there are also tools, supplies, and everyday living expenses. While not comparable to all those Earth Crystals in value, 96,000 Zenny is still a large sum of money.

Finally, a smile filled with pride spread wide on Elmeria’s face.

“Finally get it? Well?”

“Th- That’s awesome...”

That was an honest opinion. As Zeeg gave it another thought, he recalled hearing rumors about the existence of ancient weapons.

The great sword used in times of antiquity to slay dragons, the Ancient Blade- the boy believed it to be a myth, but now he is unsure. After all, a real ancient hammer is right here.

He felt envious.

The boy wanted to head to the volcano and get mining just about now. But-

(“Even if I actually find it, I still won’t have the crystals and money...”)

That’s the problem.

Of what little Earth Crystals he dug up, he had spent most of them in upgrading his great sword to the Ravager Blade+.

Although the quantity of Earth Crystals needed for the Ancient Blade is unknown, it should be around 120, the amount needed for the Breath Core, so high that it would take years of collecting from here onwards.

“You really worked on collecting them, huh...”

The boy muttered unintentionally, Elmeria tilted her head in response.

“What, the Earth Crystals? Of course I did. After all, right when I chose to wield the hammer, I planned to absolutely have it in my hands, so I’ve been collecting Earth Crystals all this time.”

“Huh...”

Zeeg felt nothing but admiration. He never thought that making armor and weapons would need that much forward planning. Of course, the boy does think of efficiency and balance.

But that’s just planning accordingly for the hunt at hand. Unlike Elmeria, who looks to the future.

(“Future, huh...”)

This is the second time Zeeg was reminded that he needs to think about what he wants to do in the future.

“There’s no need to worry about it that much, Zeeg.”

Given a light pat on the shoulder from Becky, Zeeg raised his face.

“Ellie’s efficiency in actions is from Mr. Gannon’s guidance. Everyone gets stronger by learning from trial-and-error, so you’ll be fine. It’s bad to speed things up too fast, alright?”

Being told that, the boy felt slightly relieved. Elmeria, feeling like she had been splashed with water at the peak of her excitement, made a slightly unamused facial expression.

“......Thank you, Becky.”

Zeeg said that, the woman answering the boy with a gentle smile. And then-

“What’s that!? Huh!?”

An angry voice raised from one of the other tables, looking closer, two men stood up, looking to start a fist fight. Immediately, a crowd formed around them, cheering in amusement. Nobody stepped forward to stop them. This kind of scene is a common occurrence in a gathering hall filled with strangers.

“It can’t be helped, seriously...”

Although Becky was just keeping watch at first, the woman assessed that more fights would break out as a result of the excitement that has been raised up like raging flames, so she broke off from the table and headed to the counter.

“Heave-ho-!”

Something was dragged up from behind the counter.

Zeeg doubted his eyes.

However, there was no mistake on what he saw.

The thing that Becky dragged out- That is, a giant teddy bear.

She embraced it in her arms, approaching the crowd of hunters. They immediately made way for her to pass through. However, those engaged in the fist fight didn’t seem to notice the woman even though she was already standing next to them.

“Hah.”

Becky raised the teddy bear up, striking the brawling hunters, the bear making a squeaky sound.

What happened next was that the hunters, who wouldn’t even change their facial expression after taking a Kelbi’s kick, had fainted in a blink of an eye.

“Wait, what...?”

Zeeg looked at the scene, dumbfounded. What the strike did to those hunters is unknown, but they started to snore loudly.

“H- Hey, Elmeria... What was that...”

“I- I’m not sure about it either...”

She didn’t seem to be feigning ignorance. Elmeria was also genuinely surprised. As expected- Becky still has more mysteries surrounding her.

Then-

“That’s the Sleepy Bear.”

That girl, who had been with the group all along, spoke up.

Elmeria turned around, her expression showing that she had just noticed that a person was there.

To Zeeg’s side, the girl had been sitting there this whole time, eating her Special Mushroom and Pin Tuna Grilled Pie.

Zeeg knew that she was there, of course. It was only natural. After all, the two of them had come to the city together, heading to this gathering hall immediately after they had arrived.

The girl- Freda, put down her knife and fork, then wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“That teddy bear is stuffed with Novacrystals and Lightcrystals. Those two types of crystals have a special reaction on impact, resonating with hypnotizing energy over a short distance... It’s a type of hammer.”

“......Who’re you?”

Elmeria looked at the girl, squinting her eyes in dissatisfaction. Zeeg assessed that she was unamused by the fact that she had to be taught about hammers by someone else.

“Th- This is Freda!”

Zeeg hurriedly put himself between those two, speaking up loudly to interrupt them.

“We met in the desert, and then, well... I got hurt a little, you see. On top of saving me, she also came along to see me off...”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Freda spoke in a refreshing tone as she sipped wine from her glass.

“I just thought that if you were to encounter monsters on the way, you wouldn’t be able to fight with your foot in that condition. Wielding the great sword puts a lot of stress on the ankles, after all.”

“You were injured, Zeeg?”

Maybe it was just his imagination, but the boy could feel some uneasiness echoing from Elmeria’s voice.

At any rate, Zeeg denied it by shaking his head.

“It’s nothing much, really! Well, you see... I fought a Monoblos and got thrown into the air, then my ankle just got sprained when I landed. It’s all good now.”

That was the truth. The injury did hurt for about two days, but the boy doesn’t feel a thing anymore.

Rather, the boy was more hurt by the fact that he couldn’t fulfill the Village Chief’s request.

Of course, he knew full well that he wasn’t a full-grown adult yet.

But the Village Chief probably entrusted the Zeeg with the hunt because he thought the boy could do it. Not being able to answer to the elder’s expectations, the boy felt disappointed in himself.

In the end, he was taught the lesson that going against the Monoblos with equipment on the Kut-Ku set’s level is like going at it naked, and more importantly, he felt bitter that his great sword is still lacking in power.

(“Looks like going at it with a just a lump of refined ores isn’t going to be enough...”)

That was what the boy thought.

Elmeria’s freshly obtained Breath Core, Gannon’s Diablo Spear, and Freda’s Heroic Blade.

Although they were all crafted, those weapons were not made by manufacturing ores alone.

From now on, there are two options for upgrading the Ravager Blade+.

One path requires Machalite Ores and Fire Wyvern Claws of both types to create a great sword of reasonably good sharpness- A sword of the Lacerator Blade production line.

Another option uses a large quantity of Fire Wyvern Claws and a type of medicine called Mega Demondrug, resulting in a great sword as sharp as the Lao-Shan Lung’s claws- the Tactical Blade.

However, on top of the materials, it also costs a large sum of money to upgrade to a Tactical Blade.

(“If I remember correctly, it’s 48,000 Zenny...”)

Although it is not comparable to the 96,000 Zenny Elmeria had to pay, it is a large amount nonetheless.

“Zeeg, are you alright?”

As Freda softly touched his hand, Zeeg came to his senses.

“You made a scary face. Does your ankle hurt?”

“I- I’m fine!”

Zeeg tried to pull his hand away but failed, as Freda has pressed it down with her strong grip.

Feeling that he was being looked at, the boy turned to see Elmeria in an expression that he has never seen up until now, staring coldly at his hand.

Elmeria’s mood should have been all better by now, but for some reason, it has suddenly became way worse. Somehow, it felt like she was out for blood.

Maybe because Freda also noticed it, and maybe because she was also scared, the girl’s hand, wrapped in Khezu Vambrace, tightened its grip.

His throat feeling dry from all the nervousness, Zeeg gulped down his saliva.

Then-

“Seriously, can’t they drink their alcohol peacefully- Huh? What’s the matter?”

Becky returned, and upon seeing the table in an unusual state, she took a look at everyone present.

“......Nothing at all.”

Elmeria spoke in a totally unconvincing tone, then drank up all of the remaining beer in her mug.

Freda let go of Zeeg’s hand and continued sipping wine from her glass.

“Is that so? Then that’s good.”

Becky put down the large teddy bear on a chair next to her, then took out a memo pad from her skirt pocket, as if she had remembered something.

“Listen, do any of you guys happen to know where Fradio has gone? There’s a request we want him to take care of, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Is- Isn’t he supposed to be at the jungle?”

Seeing a chance to change the topic, Zeeg promptly spoke up.

“He said something about it, right?”

“Yeah, it looks like he did go to the jungle. There was a notice from the guild sub-branch in a nearby village that he rented a base camp for personal use. Problem is, he hasn’t returned yet.”

Gannon moved his body to stand up, his armor shaking slightly.

Although Zeeg thought that the man was simply having too much fun with Gypceros, his whereabouts being unknown is just not normal.

“I wonder if anyone is going to go out and search for him... Free of charge, that is.”

Becky glanced at Zeeg and the others, frowning her eyebrows as if to show how troubled she’s feeling right now.

Chapter 4 - Gypceros's Signature Move

“......This isn’t funny at all.”

Cramming a wooden box with supplies before closing the lid and locking it, Elmeria muttered her complaint without even herself noticing.

“Does this concern that young miss?”

Hearing Gannon’s voice, the girl groaned as she finally noticed that she had said something.

It was just as he said.

There wasn’t any objection on coming out to search for Fradio. Not even when she’s doing this free of charge. If he really was in trouble, she can always demand some compensation from Fradio himself. Like having him treat each person to five high-grade Aptonoth Steaks, something like that. Elmeria had that in mind when she accepted the job. However-

(“Why did that girl have to come along?”)

That girl in question is a hunter, equipped with Khezu armor and wielding a one handed sword- She is Freda.

And that is why it’s not funny at all.

Even so, in the end, it was Elmeria who agreed to have her.

When Freda said she wanted to come along, Elmeria immediately refused her.

However, someone approached her in a nonchalant manner- It was the Guild Master, manager of the gathering hall and of the hunters in Minegarde, an elderly man of the rarely seen wyverian race.

Usually seen seated on top of the counter, either smoking from his pipe or drinking alcohol, he is a person that not just hunters- but everyone in the city, can’t say no to.

But it is not because of physical prowess.

Originally, he was not a hunter, but rather a trader. Elmeria understood that “power” is not exclusive to one’s abilities to wield swords or hammers skillfully.

And it was that old man who asked her to let Freda come along.

“This young miss is my older brother’s apperentice, you see... He’s relying on me to help as much as I can for the young miss to get to do as she wishes.”

That was what the Guild Master said.

“This won’t be for free, of course? This isn’t a request, but rather a reward from me personally, 10,000 Zeeny per person...... How about it?”

Right now, for Elmeria, it was an offer that she couldn’t possibly refuse.

That is because, at any rate, she had spent most of her money on hand in fixing up the Breath Core.

Thanks to that, she also had no choice but to move to a different room, to the lower ranked Rook room that she used to rent when she was still a beginner.

She wanted to surprise both Zeeg and Fradio by showing her hammer off so much that she even took out a loan, but the money could have been quickly paid back when the team is all back together.

However, Fradio is missing.

With the girl being able to come out and search for him while also receiving a reward, she had no objections. Besides, this job was to be done free of charge at first.

(“Still... This is pretty annoying.”)

From Zeeg’s story, Freda is older than the boy by two years, and older than Elmeria by three, but her face makes her look younger than her actual age.

However, her mannerisms are refined and delicate, and she seems to have a certain quality that attracts people’s eyes.

She didn’t stand out when she’s staying silent, but when she started talking, the attention of hunters at the gathering hall were all drawn to her.

The Khezu armor on her body isn’t all that special for high-ranking hunters.

But it’s a different story for her one-handed sword.

(“...And it just had to be the Heroic Blade!”)

Up to this point, while in another city, Elmeria had a few encounters with hunters who wield one-handed swords called Heroic Blade.

They- regardless of male or female- would speak in an arrogant manner, acting in such an attitude as if they were saying “I’ll let you guys fill up my party slots”.

Gannon would drive them all away, and afterwards, if they were to join up with other groups and go out hunting, none of them would return.

The reason is that they are pretentious, the Heroic Blades they own being mere replicas.

As one would expect, that kind of people do not exist in Minegarde.

It is only natural. The Guild Master is the blood brother of the Hero of Kokoto himself, after all.

The old man acknowledged this blade- Which means this Heroic Blade is the original.

Elmeria made a long groan.

(“Thanks to that, my Breath Core was completely overshadowed!”)

That was another thing that she couldn’t stomach.

(“--Another?”)

She did have that thought, but she had to give it another thought whether or not there was another thing that she couldn’t stomach. That detail felt hazy, so she couldn’t get a clear answer.

Anyhow, the only thing that’s clear is that she can’t get along with Freda at all.

Her interrupting the Breath Core’s reveal was part of the reason, but it was mostly from her experience with those kind of showoffs- Ones who wield that blade. Even if this one is the real deal- She fears that if the girl were to be a showoff who tries to finish off monsters with her sword, everyone would likely be exposed to more danger.

From having joined that kind of people several times before, Elmeria has learned from experience that there are no worse hunters than the showoffs who fancy themselves heroes.

“What’s your take on this, Gannon?”

While folding casual clothes that she deposited with the guild, Elmeria asked her question.

Gannon had already finished packing up. He doesn’t have much luggage, with the only casual clothes he owns being the black dress suit he wears when looking after Elmeria. Any other time, he would wear clothes that serve as padding under his armor.

Standing at the door like a guard, both sides of Gannon’s lips dropped. It is his habit while pondering over something. Elmeria knew by heart that it is best to wait silently in times like this.

“...If this concerns the young miss being a showoff, I do not think that is the case.”

“Why?”

Elmeria asked as she crammed one last piece of clothing into her leather trunk, then pulled on its belt tightly.

“In spite of her owning the true Heroic Blade, she didn’t have any intention to show it off. If she hadn’t spoken, it is most likely that no one would have noticed her. At first, I also thought she was just a normal hunter who happened to share the table with Zeeg.”

“Is that so?”

Elmeria was slightly dissatisfied.

“Then, why do you think she stuck her head into our Fradio searching business? Do you think she was honest about the reason she gave us?”

When Elmeria told her that it’s none of her business, Freda-

“If I hear there’s someone that may need saving, I can’t afford to not act. More so if the person in question is a friend of Zeeg’s.”

Said that as her response.

Gannon folded is arms and groaned faintly.

“......That may very well be her true disposition, yes. It is because at the jungle where Fradio’s whereabouts was last known, there were no news of rare ores or appearances of unusual monsters. After all, among hunters, there are ones who start their career because they want to protect people.”

“Most of them are aiming for rare materials though.”

The bag, swelled up from all the things crammed inside, was thrown on the bed.

Not overlooking Gannon’s anxious facial expression, Elmeria smiled for him.

“Don’t worry. I won’t dwell on it. It’s true that I’m not satisfied and all, but we’ve already accepted this job and there’s also the special reward. Besides-”

“Besides?”

Elmeria headed to the weapon rack and grabbed the Breath Core.

“It’ll be a good time for me to accustom myself to this thing. The catalogue specs is excellent and all, but its practical use in the hunting grounds is another story- That’s one thing I’m looking forward to, at least.”

“Looks like something really did happen.”

Standing inside the tent of the jungle base camp, built on a cliff so high that one wouldn’t be able to see the bottom, Zeeg was taking a look around as he heard Elmeria’s mutters.

Fradio’s belongings were still left inside the tent, but raw meat preserved in the salt bucket was swarmed by common insects, attracted by the reek of decomposition. Maybe the amount of salt used wasn’t enough.

Other than that, washed underwear were left hanging, and some backup supplies such as potions were stored away, apparently untouched.

“Oh dear me, this is troubling indeed.”

The guild staff, dispatched from the sub-branch located in a nearby village, spoke up.

A plump man in his forties with a bald head, he has a habit of wiping his head with a piece of cloth even though he’s not sweating.

“Normally, if it’s past the contract period, whether dead or missing, all of the luggage would have been packed away immediately. You see, Sir Heart has been a good customer, and this is the first time something like this happened. He had always paid a large sum of fees in advance, and he would usually immediately contact the headquarters if something were to go wrong.”

“First off all, we’ll investigate the surrounding area for a bit.”

Elmeria said that before exiting the text. The man followed right behind her.

“Then if we find something, we’ll begin our real search. Anyway, please pack up Fradio belongings and store them somewhere safe. It’s fine to throw away the rotten meat though.”

“Understood. Well then, I shall wait here for everyone’s return.”

“If we don’t come back in 3 hours, contact the headquarters. –Well, that’s never going to happen though.”

Turning to Zeeg who had just exited the tent, Elmeria smiled, showing her sharp teeth.

“We’re leaving now, alright?”

“Roger.”

Without anybody saying a word, they lined up with Gannon leading the way, followed by Elmeria, then Freda, with Zeeg being the last in line.

“Please be careful.”

Zeeg and the group moved away from the camp area, the man’s voice echoing from behind them.

Spreading beyond the cliff is a magnificent landscape, so beautiful that it can cause one to tremble in awe, their sense of wonder never growing stale no matter how many times they look.

On the opposite side, several waterfalls can be seen flowing down from high cliffs, the wind carrying cool air over to this side with thunderous roars.

As Zeeg turned around, he could see Freda doing the same, gazing upon the scenery.

The bandage wrapped around her head is not soaked in blood anymore, but she still chose to still put on a chain cap, her reason being that helmets would make her head damp, which is not good for her wounds.

“Is this your first time?”

Being asked by Zeeg, Freda turned her head to him without stopping her feet.

“Coming to the jungle, I mean.”

“No. I’ve come here several times. It’s just that I never get tired of looking at the scenery here.”

Saying that, the girl turned to look at the other side of the cliff once more.

Seeing the girl’s pale skin shining beautifully as intense sunlight shone on her face from the side, Zeeg unintentionally stared in fascination.

Freda does indeed have certain qualities that draw people to her.

Could it be that reason she was bullied throughout her childhood was not because of jealousy or hate? Maybe everyone just wanted her to look their way.

But of course, that would never qualify as an excuse.

When she said she wanted to help search for Fradio, Zeeg was not surprised even one bit.

He just knew that if it’s Freda, she would definitely say it, And that is the reason he was dumbfounded when Elmeria relentlessly rejected her proposal.

In the end, the decision to let her come along was made thanks to the Guild Master’s words, but Zeeg could not understand why the Elmeria was so strongly opposed to it.

Although Freda is registered at the guild, she works at villages in remote regions most of the time, making her Hunter Rank not very high.

However, she is a person of high reputation.

The mere sight of a full set of Khezu armor she has collected is a clear indication of her abilities, and even though her name is not very well-known among hunters, but among merchants who traverse through remote regions, she is highly popular hunter. The merchants would say that the mere mention of the name Freda Esgrand would make monsters run away.

In general, hunters are realists.

Completing accepted requests may be important, but if the situation were to become a matter of life or death, they would not hesitate to abandon the job at hand.

In that case, they would need to forfeit the contract fee they paid, but they can always earn more money as long as they still live.

Therefore, when monster hunters were to be requested for guard duties, the clients would have to accept that there is a slight (so the guild says) risk of articles being abandoned.

If hunters were to make the decision to retreat, they would not abandon the people they were hired to guard, but the goods would be deemed hindrances and promptly abandoned, no matter how much monetary value they hold.

However, there are also cases when said goods are considered as important as the lives of merchants themselves.

Even if they were to be saved from monsters, the loss of their goods could mean the end of their lives as merchants.

But it seems that Freda never abandons her clients’ articles. She never hesitated to use herself as decoy to ensure the merchant caravans’ safe retreat.

That is why her injuries never stop adding up. The girl said so while laughing faintly during their return trip to Kokoto Village, and it stuck in Zeeg’s memories.

There also seems to be merchants who intend to exploit this side of Freda for their own benefits.

The carriage coachman from that time furiously told that there are people who intentionally choose dangerous routes and hire Freda for protection, then demand extra compensation from their trading partners later.

“You know, Lady Freda is just too kind. She’s always covered in injuries... So that’s why we came up with a countermeasure-”

Nowadays, the requests Freda takes are no longer from individual merchants, instead being ones submitted to the guilds, with the route’s safety and other factors being put into consideration whether or not it is necessary to have her on the job.

As it is the guilds’ absolute condition that traders need to sign their contracts, the number of requests that intentionally puts her in danger have decreased.

But that also resulted in the requests she accepts being only the truly dangerous ones, ultimately doing nothing to change her situation of being injured constantly.

“That reminds me. Lady Freda might dislike what I’m going to say, but among traveling merchants, some have been keeping scales and the like from monsters defeated by Lady Freda as protective charms, saying that doing so makes them feel like Lady Freda is by their side, giving them courage. It’s become quite a popular act lately.”

As he said that, the coachman showed the small bag hanging from his neck.

It contained a Velociprey Scale.

Freda listened to the story with a mixed expression of embarrassment and delight.

“Zeeg!”

Turning around in response to Elmeria’s voice, Zeeg could see the girl glancing back at him.

“You’ll get blindsided by an Ioprey if you keep spacing out like that, you know. There’s been talks of an Iodrome wandering around here as well.”

“Ah- Uh, sorry.”

Pulling his thoughts back together, Zeeg went through a row of pillars that seemed to be the remains of some ancient ruins. Elmeria is still in a bad mood. Although she pretended not to be, it was still apparent from the tone of her speech.

(“So this is what happens when Fradio isn’t here with us.”)

Zeeg was reminded of that man’s importance to the party as lubricating oil that reduces friction among its members.

In times like this, unfitting his executioner-like appearance, the man would calmly lighten everyone’s mood, something that is impossible for Zeeg to do. If the boy were to say anything to Elmeria while she’s angry, he would only be in for a painful experience.

Descending a flight of crumbling stairs and going through a stone gate, he was met with overwhelming humidity in the air and the stink of thick greenery.

The boy bated his breath as he surveyed his surroundings. He focused his ears, strained his eyes, and sniffed for unusual smells, but could not find any trace of monsters.

“Where should we search first?”

In response to Zeeg’s question, Elmeria pointed in the direction where water could be heard flowing.

“Let’s start from there, then make a sweep around the thick forest. Gypceros won’t appear in arears where the sky is obstructed, so it’s if we are to seach for clues on Fradio’s whereabouts, I think it’ll be fine to leave the caves for last- You’re fine with that, right?”

Freda nodded her bandaged head.

“You know him more than I do, so I’ll leave all of the decisions to you.”

“Oh yeah?”

Probably not pleased with how Freda answered, Elmeria gave a blunt response, then folded her map and started walking.

Freda didn't seem to mind that, however.

The girl kept her hand free, keeping her hand on the sword’s handle on her waist, while at the same time observing her surroundings as she proceeded onwards. Zeeg followed right behind her, watchful of his own back.

Walking on a naturally occurring animal trail, they found a giant human head carved from stone, apparently a ritual item of sorts, fallen on the ground. Seeing that its body part is nowhere to be found in the area, it is possible that no more than the head was created. The color of the surrounding earth was dark, with various types of mushrooms grown on it.

Hearing a rusting sound from nearby, everyone present reached for their weapons.

“Oink”

What stuck its head out of a bush was a pig-like monster, Mosswine. It would attack with tackles if provoked, but other than that, it is a docile creature. As its regular diet consists of mushrooms, people would be told to stay behind a Mosswine if they were searching for Special Mushrooms.

“......Let’s go.”

Elmeria let go of her hammer’s handle, then knocked on Gannon’s back.

The group still has plenty of raw meat left. There is no need to hunt.

Going past some short pillars that seemed to serve as a sign and climbing up a slope, Zeeg and the group reached the river. The body is quite wide, the current is fast, and the light brown water is deep.

A log bridge goes over the river, seeming to have been set up by someone. However, the surface is covered in moss, indicating that if one were to cross carelessly, they would lose their footing and instantly be swallowed by the water below.

All four crossed on the log bridge, paying extra attention to their feet.

Buzzing sounds of bugs’ wings could be heard occasionally from the thicket on the other side, sounding quite jarring to the ears.

Zeeg knew the source of that noise, and he doesn’t like it one bit.

They are the giant bugs, Vespoids and Hornetaurs. Resembling Rhinoceros Beetles, the Hornetaurs’ shells can be manufactured into fairly tough armor, but when considering the annoyance of being interrupted by other insects while carving, it is not very desirable.

Before they were attacked while still on the bridge, Zeeg and the others reached the other side.

At the same time, Gannon unsheathed the Diablo Sprear from his back, pulled on the handle, and made a charging thrust towards the bushes ahead.

Splatter sounds echoed consecutively, green fluids and black shell fragments scattering in all directions. Not just one, but all of the Hornetaurs that have gathered were struck down in one blow.

Then, in before the boy’s eyes, Freda drew the Heroic Blade and ran towards where Gannon just attacked, bringing down her sword at a different bush.

The body of a Vespoid scattered in all directions, its transparent wings shining in seven colors as they contacted sunlight.

Behind the girl, another Vespoid quickly approached, bending its body in preparation for a sting, but before Zeeg could warn her, Freda had already turned around and cut it down.

“......Not bad.”

“You too.”

Gannon and Freda exchanged a few words as they stepped into the thicket, striking down any giant bugs that dared to approach.

“Looks like it’s not our turns yet, huh.”

In response to Zeeg’s statement, Elmeria snorted arrogantly,

“It’d be a total waste if I debut the Breath Core with those bugs, you know.”

And made that remark.

But from a practical standpoint, weapons with long attack delays such as great swords and hammers aren’t suited for clearing small targets, which was the real reason that the two of them didn’t draw their weapons.

That is actually the case for lances as well, but unfitting of his physique, Gannon has the ability to easily hunt those insects thanks to his pinpoint accuracy.

Although it is a given in Zeeg’s case, Elmeria seems to also lack the ability to handle her hammer in that manner. Then again, great swords and hammers are designed to be swung in an arc, so expecting pinpoint accuracy from them is quite unreasonable.

“Looks like they’re done.”

Before Elmeria could finish her sentence, Gannon and Freda had already came out of the thicket. Both of them are in an uninjured state.

Freda was holding something in her hand.

At first they thought it was the body of a vespoid that luckily didn’t get crushed, but that was not the case- It seems to be some kind of splinter.

“! That’s-”

The first one to notice was Elmeria.

Freda nodded and showed what she had in hand. It is a part of the Tankmage bowgun. It was broken off from the barrel.

“......Could this be Fradio’s?”

Zeeg asked, and Elmeria muttered, “Could be”. Her voice was vaguely trembling.

“Young mistress.”

This time, it’s Gannon.

Zeeg and the others turned around, seeing the large man crouching on the riverbank. As they approached, he pointed at the area at his feet. Right there were some remaining footprints, though they are now filled with water. Furthermore-

“There is this too.”

What he picked up for others to see was a blackened empty bullet shell, made of a Huskberry.

“The footprints slide from front to back.”

Elmeria picked up a branch and poked the print hole.

“Fairly deep... Looks like they put in considerable effort so as to not lose their footing. However, they had been pushed into the river by some greater physical force- Something like that.”

Zeeg took a look at the fiercely flowing river. Could it be that, just as Elmeria said, the hunter that may or may not be Fradio had fallen right here?

Zeeg gulped down his saliva. This point of the river should not be that far from a waterfall.

There may be elevation differenced for the different rivers that flow through the jungle, but most of them eventually lead to waterfalls.

“Young mistress, these footprints-”

Elmeria took a look at the print that Gannon pointed at.

“Bullfango. Looks like they’ve taken a full tackle.”

Her voice was the voice of someone who is struggling to maintain their composure.

Bullfango- If that is truly the case, then a Tankmage being broken to pieces is understandable. That is because their charges can easily dent even Hi-Metal equipment.

“......Then, what do we do now?”

Zeeg asked, looking at everyone.

From seeing those footprints, it is apparent that it happened not so long ago, but a few days have certainly passed since then.

Even so, no one returned to the camp, so the most realistic outcome, however undesirable they may be, would be either them getting swept away by the currents and falling down the waterfall or eaten by the aquatic monsters.

Elmeria fell into silence as she stared at the prints. Zeeg understood that the shock she felt must have been severe.

Putting her career as a hunter into consideration, she should have had some experience of losing comrades, but that doesn’t mean it is something that one simply gets used to.

Although the boy has gotten to know her for a whole year now, he feels that he hasn’t even scratched the surface.

“For the time being, let us go downstream and search the riverbank of both sides.”

Gannon spoke as he stood up.

“Young mistress and I will be on this side. Zeeg and the young miss on the other side. –Is this acceptable?”

“Eh? Ah, sure......”

One would think that Elmeria would be opposed to this proposition, but this time she accepted it with no objections.

“Well then.”

As she said that, Freda quickly headed towards the log bridge, with Zeeg hurrying behind her.

-However, even though they searched the riverbanks thoroughly for an hour since then, they found noting in addition to the Tankmage parts and footprints from the start.

“......What should we do, young mistress?”

While sitting on the damp ground, Gannon asked.

All Elmeria did was look at the river’s currents while staying silent, not giving an answer.

Then, Freda quietly stood up and carried her luggage on her shoulder.

“I’m going.”

“W-Wait a second! You’re going back to camp!?”

Freda glanced at Zeeg with the eye not covered with an eyepatch.

“No. I’ll be descending the cliff and search downstream. The waterfall here is not that high. If luck was on their side, they could have been swept downstream- Though there is still a possibility of them drowning due to the weight of their armor. You people can do what you want, but I will never abandon them. Until I confirm by myself that the person is already dead.”

With that said, she started crossing the log bridge.

“H-Hey!”

Zeeg stood up in a panic and picked up his luggage. The, he turned to Elemria and Gannon.

“I’ll be going with her, what about you two?”

“......Isn’t that obvious?”

Elmeria stood up, wiping the mud off her equipment. Her face raised up, filled with determination.

“I don’t need that girl to tell me everything to know that Fradio is still alive out there. That guy like a Gypceros, after all.”

Zeeg looked at the girl’s face and grinned.

“The Gypceros’s signature move is playing dead, after all.”

“That’s right.”

A fearless smile finally appeared on Elmeria’s face as she knocked on Zeeg’s Kut-Ku breastplate.

“.......Well then, shall we?”

Gannon stood up, moving his massive body.

“It would not be very nice to make the young miss wait any longer.”

Zeeg turned to the other side of the river as he heard those words, seeing Freda silently looking their way while standing still.

“So, why did you become a hunter?”

After going past the waterfall, while the group was walking along the riverbank to a point where the currents have become less fierce, Freda asked Elmeria her question, with Zeeg attempting to listen in while looking for traces of Fradio at the same time.

As Freda said, the waterfall’s height was not that great. Not as high as the one that can be seen from the basecamp, at least. But with that said, it was still as high as 15 meters.

They descended by having Gannon remain on the top while dropping down the other three using ropes, then the large man himself climbed down along the cliff. The way he climbs down without any struggle despite having giant horns on both shoulders obstructing him was admirable.

At the bottom of the waterfall was a not-so-large basin, but it was so muddy that the bottom could not be seen.

If Fradio’s body were to be found, this location would be the first possible spot.

“I’m diving.”

After saying that, Freda was starting to remove her Khezu armor when Zeeg stopped her in a panic.

“Why not let her do it?”

Elmeria said that, but Zeeg shook his head.

“Freda’s injured. Wouldn’t it be bad if her wounds were infected from diving here?”

“How nice of you.”

Her style of speech was so obviously sarcastic, but Zeeg ignored it as he removed his armor. Not just that, but his clothes and underwear as well.

“Gyah-!”

Turning red, Elmeria turned her back on the boy.

“Wh- wh,wh,why’re you taking all your clothes off!?”

“Isn’t that obvious? You want me to wear armor on top of wet underpants when I get back up?”

“Zeeg is right.”

Freda gave her agreement, staring at Zeeg without showing any sign of embarrassment at all, causing the boy to hurriedly jump into the water out of awkwardness.

“A-Alright, I’ll go take a look.”

Saying that, Zeeg dived.

The bottom of the basin was quite muddy indeed, but he could still see as far as his hands could reach out to.

He went on for as long as he could hold his breath, but Fradio- Or even Gypceros armor, were nowhere to be found. All he found were shells of prawns that already got their meat eaten, monster bone that seemed to belong to Aptonoths, and a set of Ioprey armor designed for female hunters, seemingly cut apart, worn by the skeleton of its owner.

Zeeh then resurfaced and reported his findings.

“......Seems like a Plesioth was here.”

Gannon made his assessment from the state of the basin, and Zeeg agreed with him.

The piscine wyvern Plesioth belongs to species of extra-large monsters, greater in size than even the Monoblos and Gravios. They are approximately twice as large as an average Rathalos.

With that said, they are unable to fly in the sky, with the hypothesized usage of the large wings they possess being to maneuver itself in water.

Its black-and-gold scales are not only beautiful, but also becomes hardened upon contact with water. Its whole long body is covered in those scales, which means when it attacks by ramming its body like a whip, the power would be so great that one could die instantly if they were to be hit in the wrong spots.

Furthermore, the Plesioth can shoot water out of their mouth with sheer power so high that it can’t be underestimated for being just water.

The pressurized water jets are like sharp unbreakable swords that would cut anything without fail, sometimes even slicing hunters in half along with their armors- Like that woman at the bottom of the basin.

“No Gypceros armor down there, right?”

Zeeg nodded.

“Then let’s hurry on our way. We don’t have the time to be fighting that thing.”

The agreement was unanimous. Zeeg quickly wiped his body dry and re-equipped his armor, then headed downstream together with everyone else.

On the way, they ate some Mosswine Sandwiches, made by grilling minced and flattened Mosswine meat then inserting it between two pieces of common bread. Although they had already gone stale, the meat juices that would seep out with each bite gave them a nice taste.

They ate while still constantly walking, not taking any breaks for even just a moment.

They went on until the surrounding environment isn’t what they would call a jungle anymore.

They could clearly see that most of the trees surround them had long withered away. The dampness of the ground is too great. The river they have been walking along became wider, slowing the currents, and the ground along the riverbank is quite muddy.

Additionally, the area has been covered in thick fog for a while now, and they could occasionally hear roars thunder in the distance.

It was at this point that Freda asked Elmeria why she became a hunter.

“That’s a weird question.”

Going forward while paying extra attention to her feet so as to not fall over, Elmeria spoke without turning around.

“I can’t give you an answer. I was already a hunter when I was first aware of my surroundings, you see. And what about you? Why did you become a hunter?”

“I was-”

Freda told Elmeria the same story that she had previously told Zeeg.

“-And that’s why I would never abandon anyone. Not until the very end.”

“Mm-hm.”

Elmeria gave a cold response.

“Well isn’t that good? Motivations to become a hunter differ from person to person, after all. But still, if you go out hunting with that way of thinking- You’ll end up dead sooner or later, you know?”

Zeeg was startled. That was because he himself also felt that way.

According to what Freda said, as the Trader Guild chooses requests for her, and as her fame builds up, more and more increasingly dangerous jobs would come flooding in.

And it’s very likely that she won’t be opposed to it.

Even if the ones choosing Freda’s quests were to be changed to the Hunter’s Guild, judging from her abilities, she would be faced with danger all the same.

In times like that, it is important to know when to quit, but the girl wouldn’t even put it into consideration.

For that reason, although her methods may make her popular among merchants, it has been constantly taking a toll on her body.

“That may be true.”

Freda did not rebut what Elmeria pointed out.

“Even so, that is still the kind of hunter I aspire to become. And you? You’ve been in this for so long, so what kind of hunter do you aspire to be?”

“Nothing in particular. I’m just a hunter for the sake of being a hunter. I already got the Breath Core that I’ve been wanting for so long, so I think I just want continue doing this for as long as I’m able. That’s the only thing I know how to do, and I don’t intend to learn any other ways of life.”

Zeeg felt that Gannon has turned his head around, glancing at Elmeria. He wasn’t sure of it because of the helmet, but the boy thought that the large man’s eyes expressed a sign of confusion.

(“The future, huh...”)

Zeeg hasn’t been able to picture what he wanted his to be like.

He’ll be fine since he’s still only 17, a voice inside of him whispered. But on the other hand, after hearing Elmeria, someone who is a year younger than him, give her clear thoughts on the matter, another voice would tell him that he can’t not worry about it anymore. Two conflicting thoughts in his head caused the boy to become anxious.

One year ago, the boy had carefree thoughts that he would eventually find his objective in life, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to find anything so far.

Although upgrading his weapon does count as an objective, when compared to Elmeria who looks beyond that, the boy’s situation is just in the short term; a dilemma between two upgrade paths because his current weapon doesn’t seem to make the cut anymore.

He did ask himself whether or not he wanted to be like the Hero of Kokoto, but he couldn’t come up with an answer.

The boy admired famous hunters- For example, a duo who called themselves the Red and Black Ogres, collectively referred to as the Hell Hunters.

However, those two differed from the Hero of Kokoto.

He couldn’t exactly explain how they’re different, but he felt that no matter how similar they may seem to be, there is a difference between those who are famous and those who, as heroes, act as role models for the people.

Even if one hunts a great number of monsters, that alone wouldn’t make them a hero.

(“No good, no good.”)

Zeeg shook his head.

(“Right now, it’s all about Fradio! I’ll think about what’s next for me when I get back to the city.”)

Brushing off his doubts, Zeeg concentrated on the task of searching the riverbank.

Freda and Elmeria, ceasing any further conversation, concentrated their nerves in order to detect any traces within their range of vision.

The riverbank gradually becomes narrower as they went on. The cliff has extended out in the shore’s direction.

A sense of impatience well up in Zeeg’s chest. No, it possibly can’t be just him. It was obvious that if they were to go on just like this, they would reach a dead end before long. If that truly is the case, they would be forced to turn back.

“......So this is as far as we go.”

Gannon muttered weakly as he stopped his feet.

What stood before him was a cliff several meters high, and a bridge that had long sunk into the river.

“First of all, we’d have to go back to a place where we can make camp.”

Elmeria spoke up with a voice that oozed with irritation.

It simply can’t be helped- Zeeg could do nothing but approve of that plan.

“Wait.”

Freda pointed at the river.

“Look.”

Zeeg and the others looked in the direction of her finger. They couldn’t see clearly due to the fog. However, as they concentrated their eyes once, they could see something out of place. In the air, something resembling a thread sparkled briefly, and beyond it on the water’s surface, a red object swayed up and down.

“Fishing line and buoy!”

Zeeg unintentionally exclaimed, covering his mouth in a panic almost immediately after.

As if in reaction to the voice, the buoy sunk underwater, resurfacing after a while.

“You idiot-”

The vicinity silent once more, Elmeria brought down her fist on the boy’s Ioprey Helm with a thud, but Zeeg couldn’t possibly voice any complaint.

In the hunting grounds, there is no knowing what could be lurking around.

Raising one’s voice in a quiet place such as this is forbidden. If the Plesioth were to be nearby, it could have jumped out spontaneously and attacked.

“S-sorry.”

Zeeg whispered his apology.

The water’s surface was tranquil. The fishing line had no sign of being reeled up, and the buoy repeated its alternation between sinking and resurfacing.

“.......The owner seems to be absent.”

Elmeria spoke up.

However, at any rate, it was evident that there is a fishing spot on the other side of the cliff, and that a person was there. Knowing that, they couldn’t afford to turn back anymore.

Gannon measured the depth of the water that goes along closest to the cliff. It was only up to his knee. The surface was a funnel, meaning it would gradually become deeper, but it was still shallow enough for them to proceed.

“Young mistress, your hand.”

Elmeria complied, grasping his hand as others did the same, joining hands with the person to their front and back, advancing along with Gannon as the lead. Although all members are at risk of being washed away if even a single person were to slip, there’s also a higher possibility that they would be safe. Considering the strength of Gannon’s arms, the latter seems to be the more likely outcome.

Luckily, the currents are unchanged in terms of their slow flow, resulting in everyone making their way to the other side safely without any slips along the way.

“This place is...”

Upon further observation of their surroundings, Zeeg and the others were surprised.

What was there was the swamp zone’s basecamp. As they normally came here via boat, and the fog was always thick, they had never known what was on the other side of the cliff that surrounded the camp.

In one spot at the shallows, a fishing rod was fixed in blade by rocks.

There was absolutely no sign of anybody else in the surrounding area.

However, it is evident that someone was here recently. That is because a bundle of firewood is still burning bright.

Zeeg and the others took a peek into the tent. The interior had a sour smell to it.

“Ah-.”

Seeing something carelessly tossed on the floor beside the bed that had been stained in yellow, Zeeg hurried inside and picked it up.

It was a broken bowgun- one made from the Gypceros’s rubbery hides, the same as Fradio’s favorite Tankmage.

From the bag tied to her waist, Freda took out the piece that she had picked up back at the jungle and compared them together, making a perfect match.

“They were injured.”

Turning to the voice, they could see Elmeria in a corner of the tent, holding a bloodied cloth. The red had already turned black, but they knew that it’s still fairly recent.

“I wonder if it’s Fradio...”

Holding the broken Tankmage, Zeeg took a look around the tent. However, he couldn’t find any other evidence that the man they’re searching for was here.

“Anyhow, we’ve now confirmed that a gunner who wields a Tankmage was struck by a Bullfango at the jungle, fell into the river, and then made their way here somehow.”

Elmeria said as she rolled up the dirty cloths and put them away in the box, with a cheerful expression gradually returning to her face.

Considering the state of this location, the possibility of them surviving is high.

“Still, where could they have gone...? With all this blood loss, I don’t think they’re in the condition to be going outside......”

“Maybe help just arrived, and we already passed each other?”

Zeeg said as he placed the Tankmage on the bed.

“Like, another hunter came here to hunt and found Fradio- or whoever it is- and already sent them back?”

“That’s possible...”

Elmeria lightly bit her lips as she pondered. That observation was just wishful thinking with no evidence to back it up. And now, the sun is starting to set. They would have to set off immediately if they were to make a search, but the swamp zone is vast. Zeeg also seemed to understand that she wanted some additional indicator.

“Looks like their wounds were badly festered.”

Kneeled on one knee at the bed’s side, Freda examined the sheet and spoke up.

“They might have had a fever as well. Antidotes could be used to help with the infection though-”

Freda stood up, peeped into the tent’s storage box, then went outside and did the same to the supply box before returning inside.

“There aren’t any empty medicine bottles.”

“But if the person who was here really is Fradio, then he should have some on him. He went to the jungle to fight a Gypceros, after all. Isn’t it essential to bring Antidotes when fighting against it?”

“They could have been ruined when he fell into the river.”

“So you’re saying that Fradio left this place to gather ingredients for an Antidote?”

Freda nodded as an answer to Elmeria’s words.

“It is what hunters would do if they wish to stay alive.”

“............”

Although Elmeria went silent, Zeeg had a feeling that Freda’s opinion was on point.

If it’s Fradio, then he would definitely do it. Before his infection becomes any worse, rendering him immobile, he would most likely go out to search for Antidote Herbs and Blue Mushrooms. He is a top-notch hunter, after all.

-Seriously though, what a miserable state I ended up in.

It was like his embarrassed voice could be heard making that statement.

After letting out a sigh, Elmeria looked at Gannon.

“What about this basecamp’s number?”

He silently went outside the tent, looked at the number that should be written on the corner of the tent, then came back and told Elmeria.

The girl then took out a book from the bag on her back.

A few pages here and there had been torn off, but it is not that old of a book. On its cover, printed in gold: Kingdom of West Schrade Hunting Grounds Encyclopedia. Issued by the Hunter’s Guild annually, it is a hunter’s handbook detailing every single hunting ground under the guild’s supervision.

However, it is not owned by many. The reasons are that maps of hunting grounds are always provided on-site, and the book does cost quite a large sum of money.

Nevertheless, Elmeria would always carry it while traveling. During her spare time, she would enjoy picturing environments and testing out hunting tactics in her head. Besides, the book also contains various kinds of useful information, gathered by the hunters themselves.

“If it’s this swamp- then it’s this region.”

Elmeria flipped the thick book to a certain page and showed it to everyone, while tracing her finger on the parchment.

“Gathering points for Blue Mushrooms and Antidote Herbs would be here... here, and here. You can pick Blue Mushrooms from swamp area 5, and for Antidote Herbs, wetland areas 4 and 9.”

“Shall we separate into two groups?”

To Gannon’s proposal, Elmeria shook her head.

“There’s a possibility of there being a wyvern, so that’s too risky. I know we came in search of Fradio, but he won’t be thankful if one of us were to be killed by wyverns in the process. –You’re also fine with this, right?”

Freda nodded.

“Let’s hurry!”

Zeeg spoke up while packing up only the absolutely necessary items. Things like BBQ Spit are to be left here. That is because this time, the objective is to find Fradio- or whoever the hunter may be.

Even so, Whetstones and Potions would still be taken with him, just in the rare case the situation takes a turn for the worse.

“If we don’t hurry, it’ll get dark.”

Chapter 5 - Albino Wyvern

The surrounding area was filled with a burning smell, with white smoke aside from fog drifting from the multitude of corpses half-submerged in water.

Deep red skin and swollen head- they were small bipedal carnivore monsters, the kind that spit poison from sacs inside their throats.

All six of them, dead.

“These things are...”

Zeeg looked around, unable to comprehend the scene.

There were no external wounds on the Iopreys’ bodies. However, their eyes were ruptured, and trails of lingering white smoke originated from their mouths, where their feces were vomited out.

Undoubtedly, the burning smell in this area was from the Iopreys’ corpses.

However, burnt spots were nowhere to be found. The environment included.

If this were to be caused by a Rathalos or Rathian, then it would have been a fireball attack, which would have scorched the skin, evaporated the water dry, and burnt the earth black.

But nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the collapsed Iopreys.

“Khezu...”

Upon hearing Freda’s words, Zeeg turned to her. She was kneeling down in front of a puddle, looking at something.

Going near her, he could see soil piled up in a cone shape with a flat top.

“Khezu’s that white wyvern, right? And this was caused by that thing?”

Freda nodded.

“Among you people, is there anyone who has fought a Khezu?”

Elmeria and Gannon raised their hands.

“-With that said, we didn’t defeat it though.”

“Eh, really?”

As Zeeg asked in surprised, Elmeria pouted in annoyance.

“N-never mind that! That time, our quest was to dig Coal... While we were immersed in swinging our pickaxes in the jungle’s cave, it just jumped out at us so suddenly. I just don’t wanna talk about how repulsive and disgusting it was-”

Elmeria crossed her arms, her body shaking as if having chills.

“We got out of there on the double... What’s with that look, Zeeg!? We didn’t think that thing would be there, and we didn’t bring a lot of medicine because we had to carry the coal! –M...more importantly, how do you even know for sure that this was caused by a Khezu!?”

Freda pointed at the cone-shaped soil pile on the ground.

“This is a mark from being clung onto by a Khezu’s tail. Besides, there’s also how the Iopreys died. That couldn’t have been caused by anything but a Khezu.”

“Well, why’s that?”

“Khezu releases the light of death. It’s what people at the armory calls ‘electricity’; if you touch it, the lightest effect would be loss of stamina and momentary paralysis, but in the worst case your body would be burnt from the inside- Like these Iopreys.”

“...Now that’s not very appealing.”

Zeeg shivered. Then, as a shadow cast over him from above, Zeeg was prompted by his hunter instincts to look up at the sky.

“!”

As he caught what was there in his sights, the boy had goosebumps. As usual, the clouds are floating low, with no sign of the thunders stopping. In that sky, a “ghost” flew through.

On a body so white that it seemed to be melting into the fog, small wings that shouldn’t have been able to support its thick body extended; it was undoubtedly the appearance of a wyvern.

But there was no head on its neck!

However-

“Khezu!”

Freda unsheathed the Heroic Blade from her waist.

“Eh-!?”

-BWOOOOOH...

A bizarre roar sounded from its headless neck. However, it did not seem to have any intention to land, but rather keep its altitude as it slowly flew away.

(“That’s a Khezu...?”)

Zeeg focused his eyes. However, he could not get a good look due to the fog’s obstruction.

“Gannon, that’s-!!”

Raising her voice in shock, Elmeria pointed at the Khezu.

“It’s captured something!”

“Young mistress, the binoculars.”

“R-right!”

Elmeria took out a pair of binoculars from her bag in a hurry and looked through it, then raised her voice once again.

“-Fradio!”

“Wait, what!?”

Zeeg strained his eyes once more.

He still couldn’t get a good look, but surely, he could see that the headless wyvern does have something in its grasp. It was something in ashen grey- That’s right, like Fradio’s Gypceros armor.

Freda ran off- headed in the same direction the wyvern was flying towards.

“Ah- Wait!”

Zeeg went after her in a panic. Right after the boy, Elmeria and Gannon followed.

“What’re we going to do!?”

“We’re going to help him. Khezus don’t eat when they’re outside of caves. If it’s now, then we might make it in time.”

While he kept on running, Zeeg turned to look at Elmeria and Gannon.

The girl had an unamused expression on her face, as if she felt that she was being dragged around to places by Freda, but of course, she had no objections as it was for the sake of saving Fradio.

“Uwah-!”

As they came out of the tall grass, Genpreys were there. Five of them. As the ferocious monsters became aware of Zeeg’s group, they cried out loudly to each other, then made a leap for their targets all at once.

“Zeeg!”

Prompted by Elmeria’s voice to look forward, the boy could see the Khezu slowly start its descent on solid ground. Perhaps there is an entrance to a cave there. Their nests may differ in location, but in structure, most wyverns’ nests closely resemble each other.

“Out of the way!”

Zeeg unsheathed his Ravager Blade+ from his back, pulled on the handle to bring out the fang blades, then brought down the sword right on the head of a Genprey that was rushing at him.

Its blood sprayed into the puddle, causing ripples.

The Genprey was cut clean as its internal organs scattered from the cross section; its life ended in one attack.

“If it’s these things, then I have no complaints about making this baby’s debut!”

Standing slightly apart from the group, Elmeria let the Breath Core on her waist drop into her hand, then made a swing with precise timing at the two Genpreys jumping at her.

A heavy impact sounded as the broken half of the hammer smashed a Genprey’s side. The monster’s body shook vigorously in the air as an explosion occurred on the opposite side of the hammer’s hit.

“Haah!”

The hammer pierced through the Genprey’s body, ripping it in half. The arc of its swing then met with the other Genprey, pulverizing it in an instant.

“-! Awesome~!”

Stopping her swing, Elmeria exclaimed in delight.

-GYAH!

Zeeg turned around as he heard another Genprey raise its voice.

Freda was fighting it.

She narrowly dodged the lunging jaw of a Genprey before immediately turning around and cut its neck with the blade of her one-handed sword.

The Genprey’s head was cut clean, falling over Freda’s shoulder into the puddle with a splash.

(“Whoa...”)

Zeeg was thoroughly fascinated by Freda’s flawless movement and excellent swordplay.

But while he wasn’t paying attention, a sudden gust blew at him.

“GYAH!”

Zeeg hadn’t noticed that the last monster of the pack was sneaking up on him, with its cry in deathly agony bringing the boy back to his senses. Bubbling blood gushed out of the Genprey’s mouth as its white scaly abdomen was pierced by the Diablo Spear.

“...Do not let your guard down.”

Dealing the blow with silent movements unfitting of his large build, Gannon then spoke up. Zeeg gulped in nervousness, knowing that he would have been bitten in the neck if the large man were to be even slightly slower.

“S-sorry...”

Gannon swiped the Genprey’s body off his lance, then made a step towards the cave.

Zeeg sheathed his great sword and went after the leading man. Elmeria and Freda also followed in line.

Regrettably, there wasn’t enough time for them to carve materials from the Genpreys. What takes priority right now is saving Fradio- or more accurately, the hunter in Gypceros equipment who could have been him.

Although Elmeria did shout out earlier that it was Fradio, she mustn’t have been certain.

That is because, even when seen from a distance, the gunner in the Khezu’s clutch definitely had the Gypceros Cap on.

The four finally arriving at an opening in the rock face, they stopped and stood there. A cold atmosphere oozed out from beyond the blue darkness.

“Freda, you have any advice for us? You’ve fought that thing before, right?”

“Many times.”

Freda answered while checking her Heroic Blade’s sharpness.

“His body doesn’t have any scales, and is instead fully covered in a special mucus. That mucus sticks to bladed weapons to dull their edge, and also serves to disperse impact from blunt weapons.”

“How annoying.”

“Hm. Also, when his body shines in white and blue, get away. It’s the sign of an electric emission attack. If you take it head-on, you might end up the same as those Iopreys earlier.”

“What about breath attacks?”

Zeeg enquired white taking out a whetstone, then nimbly polishing the fangs of his Ravager Blade+, one by one.

“He can spit lightning balls- a sphere-shaped light mass packed with electricity. If it hits, you’d most definitely die on the spot. The movement sign of him performing this attack is a raised-up neck, the same as other wyverns. His line of fire won’t change after he starts doing that, so just run to the side. And then, you’ll also need to pay attention when he clings to the ceiling and drips his saliva. It’s highly acidic, and can melt all the way to your bones.”

“Not just disgusting in looks but also fighting style, huh.”

“You think so? I think he’s lovely- like something out of a fairy tale.”

Elmeria looked at Freda, eyes narrowed.

“...You- don’t tell me... You like Khezu?”

Freda did not give an answer.

However, Zeeg thought that it is very likely the case. She referred to the wyvern as a “he” in the same manner as how Fradio referred to the Gypceros as a “she”, and the girl is also fully equipped with Khezu equipment.

“Seriously? –No, it’s not that I care about what wyverns you like or anything, but you can fight, right? I don’t want you to say something like you feel sorry for it in the case when we need to kill it, you know.”

“...If it’s that, then you should have known the answer after seeing my equipment.”

Elmeria stared at Freda for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“You’re the same as Fradio even in that aspect, huh.”

“The same?”

“You see, Fradio-” Zeeg spoke up, “He likes the Gypceros a whole lot. He even insisted on using equipment made from that wyvern, not changing to better things even when he had plenty of money and materials for them.”

Freda nodded, as if to state her agreement.

“There’s one more thing you need to know when fighting him. Flash Bombs won’t work. It’s because his eyes have regressed greatly. The methods he uses for finding prey are currently unknown. It’s said that he does not do it by listening to sound, but by sensing smell and temperature.”

“But that does not mean it does not have a sense of hearing.”

Gannon spoke up while surveying the darkness ahead.

“I have encountered it once during my youth, and it responded to the sound of the Field Horn used by one of my friends, for it to direct its attention to them so that I could escape.”

As for what happened to that friend of his, one would know just by looking at his facial expression even if he doesn’t say anything.

“If we can get its attention, then it’s all good- Alright, shall we?”

Zeeg and the others nodded.

Stepping out of hiding, the group ran head first into the cave with Gannon as the vanguard.

They surveyed their surroundings without stopping their feet.

Something resembling ivy dangled from the ceiling, and there were white mushrooms growing here and there. The interior’s walls emitted a blue glow. On the wall to their left-hand side, they could see a large opening that leads deeper into the darkness.

(“There!”)

From that hole, a slimy white tail poked out.

Elmeria and the others seemed to have noticed it as well.

As usual, Gannon leads the way. The Khezu still hasn’t noticed the group. It stood there, turning its back to its pursuers. What it is currently doing in the dark may very well be eating, but the hunters forcibly rid themselves of such thoughts.

Zeeg reached for the handle of his great sword, preparing to charge ahead like usual.

Elmeria detached the Breath Core from her waist, still holding it behind her.

Freda held her shield up, while drawing her Heroic Blade with her other hand.

-Finally, a Field Horn has been blown!

Its sound echoed throughout the cave. From the hole in the wall, the Khezu turned its seemingly headless neck around.

(“Geh-!”)

Never before has Zeeg seen a wyvern so repulsive.

Immediately at the end of its neck was something resembling a face with only a pair of lips. It gave an impression of a badly wrinkled frankfurter that had been cut open on its tip.

While the Khezu shook its body and waved its neck, extending it outside the hole.

The neck was frightfully stretchy.

Its skin stretched out as much as it could, showing its gums and rows of sharp teeth at its end. Saliva dripped from the space between its teeth, steaming as they created small punctures in the cave’s rock floor.

(“Where’s Fradio?”)

While the boy was looking around for him, the Khezu spread its small wings and kicked down on the ground, making a jump with the intention of dropping its body on Gannon.

A gunner hunter in Gypceros equipment was held in its foot!

“Nuh-!”

Gannon raised up his Diablos Carapace Shield just in time to defend against the talons of the monster’s other foot. The heels of his Gravios Greaves broke the rock surface as they dug into the ground.

Although in an unstable stance, Gannon grabbed his Diablo Spear and jabbed its pointed end at the Khezu, aiming at the leg that the monster was using to hold its prey.

-BWOOOOOH!

Sounding its bizarre roar, the Khezu’s saliva sprinkled all over the as it thrashed around, flinging away its prey. The gunner hunter in Gypceros equipment struck the Ice Crystal wall, scattering a faint glow before falling down to the ground.

Currently however, the group doesn’t have the time to go help the person up.

Zeeg grasped the handle of his sword tightly as he ran towards the Khezu.

Elmeria charged up her strength as she ran off, and Gannon covered his front with his shield, advancing towards the Khezu in order to draw its attention.

The white wyvern readjusted its stance and stretched its neck towards Gannon. However, its aim seemed to be off, as its neck missed the man, extending past him.

“Gannon, behind you!”

Gannon turned around as he heard Elmeria’s panicked exclamation.

The unbelievably long neck curled back and opened its red mouth as it prepared to devour the large man from behind.

(“I won’t make it in time!”)

Zeeg felt a chill run down his spine. However-

“Kuh-!”

The sharp teeth were met with symbols of red and blue wyverns on Freda’s small shield, effectively stopped by her guard.

However, half of the girl’s arm was stuck in the monster’s mouth!

Freda moaned as the wyvern’s teeth wedged into her arm, its saliva steaming as it melted away her vambraces.

“Freda-!”

Zeeg ran ahead in an arc, unsheathing his Ravager Blade+ and swung it down at his target’s wing. Although his sword bounced back in an instant due to the mucus on the monster’s skin, the blade was able to cut its wing membranes, tearing it apart as the Khezu collapsed and hit the wall.

“Eat this!”

Elmeria waved her hammer as she ran in.

She’ll definitely hit its head, was what Zeeg thought.

However, the Khezu instantly shortened its neck, causing the Breath Core’s swing to shred the air as it banged on the crystal wall. A tremor could be felt throughout the whole cave along with a thunderous echo, as the impact left a large round hole on the wall.

Parts of the wall and ceiling then crumbled.

“Tch.”

Elmeria pulled her hammer out of the wall, then raised it for an overhead swing.

It was then that the Khezu stuck its tail on the ground, standing there as its white body started to glow in blue.

“This is bad- Run!”

Freda shouted as she hopped back, Zeeg rolled away to the side, but Elmeria couldn’t respond in time due to her body already fully committing to her strike.

Zeeg looked on with dazzled eyes, maybe because he hit his head while rolling.

“Young mistress!”

While hopping away, Gannon forced his body to change direction back forward, then used the giant horn on his Diablo Mail to grab Elmeria by the sleeve of her doublet, then threw her backwards.

Then sounded a crackle similar to a seed busting open as it fell into fire, as flashes of bluish-white lightning dispersed in a circumference around the Khezu.

Gannon ate that attack in full, his body springing up frantically like a fish out of water. He was then thrown out of the snares of lightning, tumbling into a pool of water.

“Gannon!”

With a shout that may as well be a scream, Elmeria rushed up to the large man, grabbing his arm in an attempt to drag him up.

She could not do so due to his weight, however.

Freda ran up to them and lent a hand. This time the Khezu, with its tail still grounded, stretched its body all the way up to the ceiling. A white radiance could be seen in its abdomen, running up its neck!

“Watch out!”

Zeeg shouted.

Freda turned around, and after discerning that dodging would be futile, readied her shield and sprung out in front of Elmeria and Gannon.

The Khezu then released an electric ball from its mouth, with Freda taking a direct hit!

The whole cave was briefly illuminated in a bluish-white radiance.

Then as the light subsided, Freda, Elmeria, and Gannon were found collapsed on the ground, not moving a muscle.

The Khezu wasn’t there.

“Dammit!”

As Zeeg was rushing to their aid, a hand stopped him.

Turning around, he was met with the pair of eyes looking at him from inside the executioner-like Gypceros cap, worn by the gunner in Gypceros equipment.

Having seen that, the boy was fully convinced that it is indeed Fradio.

“...Please run away.”

The voice was faint, but surely, that was what he said.

There’s no way I’ll do that- was what Zeeg intended to say, but he was thrusted away by Fradio before he could do so.

Zeeg looked on as he fell over on his back.

In the spot he was standing on just a moment ago, the Khezu jumped down! The rock floor cracked as it landed, fragments of Ice Crystals glittering as they scattered.

Finally able to stop his tumbling now that that he fell into a pool of water, Zeeg raised his face up from the water and was met with a sight horrific beyond words.

-Fradio is being eaten alive!

The Khezu is swallowing the man whole, starting from his feet. The state of him slowly being swallowed down the monster’s throat could be seen from above its translucent skin.

“Please, run away! Hurry! Everyone-”

Completely swallowing Fradio down, the Khezu’s swelled up significantly as the man was trapped inside its stomach, locked in a Fetal position.

The white wyvern sprung up and clung to the ceiling, then began its retreat towards a hole in the wall that apparently leads deeper into its nest.

A great sword is unable to reach all the way up to the ceiling.

At any rate, Zeeg understood fully that he’s unable to do anything by himself in the current situation.

Keeping his eyes on the Khezu, Zeeg crept towards Elmeria and the others. In his head, the boy was trying to shake off negative thoughts, such as the possibility of their internal organs having been cooked well-done like those Iopreys from earlier.

“Elmeria! Freda! Gannon!”

Zeeg shook up the bodies of those three.

Although there was a burnt smell, it was not as bad as when they found the Iopreys. The only apparent external effect was only a small amount of burnt hair.

The first one to regain consciousness was Elmeria.

“Elmeria!”

“Zeeg...? What happened-”

“Fradio was eaten by the Khezu! But he’s still alive! He’ll be digested if we don’t hurry and help him out!”

With a face like she had just sprung awake from a dream, Elmeria looked up at the ceiling.

The Khezu was searching for the entrance to its nest. But that hole had caved in due to Elmeria’s previous missed strike. The wyvern pushed its mouth against the collapsed lump of rock again and again.

After making some observation, the girl then turned around to Gannon, seeing that although he is still alive, he still hasn’t recovered from the paralysis effect and was inflicted a few burn injuries. Reaching into her backpack, the girl groaned as she found that all of the medicine bottles inside had shattered.

“...We’re getting out of here.”

“What-”

“While the Khezu is preoccupied with Fradio inside its stomach, we’ll be retreating to the basecamp for some time to find our bearings.”

Zeeg grabbed Elmeria by the collar.

“Are you seriously saying that!? You’re leaving Fradio here just like this!? We won’t make it back in time! If it’s medicine, I have some right here-”

Zeeg reached for his bag, and upon realizing that it was soaked as he opened it, he noticed that two out of four bottles he brought with him had shattered.

“If we fight in this state, we’ll all die-”

Speaking as if she was forcing those words out, tears welled up in Elmeria’s eyes.

“If we were able to help him out but at the cost of you, Gannon, or me dying, then what’s the point!? You think Fradio will be thankful for that!? He’s a hunter! Like all of us! He... he understands...”

Other than tightening his grip of the girl’s collar, Zeeg did not give any response.

The voice of Fradio’s previous statement rang in his ears.

Yes, the man surely told him- to run away.

“Let her do what she wants.”

Who muttered those words white struggling to stand up was none other than Freda.

As a sign that her wounds must have opened up again, blood welled up on the bandage wrapped around her head. Blood also seeped from her arm where she was bitten earlier.

“I will not turn back.”

Elmeria glared at Freda with a look as if the anger in her eyes was bursting into flames.

“...Still keeping up the hero act, huh.”

“Say whatever you want. I’ve decided that I will never turn back. Sure, it’s possible that he had already prepared himself. But if I turn away from him, despair will surely well up inside him as he abandons all hope of salvation. If it’s his fate to die here, then at the very least, I want him to not lose hope until the very end. I want to be the one keeping those feelings ignited in the hearts of people, and for that, I will never turn back.”

Freda started limping towards the Khezu.

Zeeg noticed that the girl’s breath was mixed with a burnt stink. Meaning, although she guarded the electric ball attack with her shield, she didn’t come out of it unscathed.

“Freda!”

Zeeg tossed her one of the potion bottles he has left. She caught it and looked on with a puzzled look on her face, before chugging it all down in one go.

Zeeg then forced the other bottle into Elmeria’s hands.

“Elmeria. I get what you’re saying. As a hunter, what you chose was probably the right decision. But still, I can’t do it. you see, I have a feeling that if I leave Fradio behind, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. That- that’s what I don’t want.”

As Zeeg stood up, he looked at the girl in her eyes, before turning on his heels as if to break away.

Freda looked up at the Khezu, holding in her hand the empty bottle she just drank from.

And then- It was flung up.

The bottle hit the Khezu’s head and bounced back down, shattering to pieces as it hit the ground. Its pale white neck, seemingly able to stretch and bend freely in any direction, turned to Freda.

“Get over here.”

The Khezu separated its talons from the ceiling. Its white, giant body then dropped down directly above Freda.

The girl dodged with minimum movement, while at the same time swinging her sword. Blood gushed from the base of the monster’s neck as the sharp blade lacerated its wrinkled skin.

The Khezu thrashed around, letting out a wild scream.

Freda promptly raised her shield.

With a groan, the monster tackled! Freda was knocked away by the blow, her back hitting hard on the Ice Crystal wall.

By holding on to the thick crystal protrusions, the girl was somehow able to keep herself from falling to her knees.

-BWOOOOOH...

Letting a howl out its throat as if to announce its victory, the Khezu trembled as it changed direction, causing tremors with each step as it approached Freda.

“Hey!”

Zeeg shouted.

The Khezu stopped its feet and turned its neck.

The boy could identify Fradio beyond the translucent skin of the monster’s inflated abdomen.

The man’s eyes under his cap showed signs of doubt, but surely, hope of living through this predicament welled up inside him.

Zeeg pulled on the handle of his Ravager Blade+. Fangs of steel sprung out all in a row, giving off a sinister sheen.

Staining his waist, Zeeg then put all his strength into a sideway sweeping swing.

He just can’t afford to aim for the monster’s abdomen.

The blades wedged into the Khezu’s leg, tearing off flesh.

The wyvern staggered as it let out a shriek so grating that it could destroy one’s eardrums.

Another strike!

Zeeg defended himself from the thrashing enemy, while at the same time positioning his great sword for another strike in the leg.

However, the Khezu crouched down so low that it could have crushed Fradio inside it, then spontaneously sprung up.

The great sword missed its mark, and the Khezu flipped itself upside down in midair, wedging the talons of its uninjured leg into the rock ceiling, then hanged itself down directly above Zeeg.

As Zeeg felt something tapping his back, a burning pain ran through his skin, causing the boy to squeal in agony.

“Hop backwards, face up!”

Moving his body in reflex to Freda’s voice, Zeeg fell on his back into the pool of water.

He could hear the sound of something dissolving as the pain in his back was relieved.

(“Acid spit!”)

After gritting his teeth and standing up, Zeeg glared at the ceiling. His hand fumbled around for some rocks. If the enemy doesn’t come down from there, then there’s nothing else he can do.

The situation made Zeeg feel deep gratitude for having had a gunner. And that is all the more reason that he can’t afford to lose Fradio here.

But as he lifted his arm, the skin on his back was ripped open, making him unable to exert any force.

(“Dammit!”)

Zeeg shook off his welling tears. Then-

A dull thud echoed along with an impact that gave an impression of a horned wyvern’s rush, as a giant horn pierced through the Khezu’s wing membranes, staking it to the ceiling.

That is- the Diablo Spear!

Zeeg turned around and saw Gannon, losing consciousness with half of his body still raised up in a throwing pose.

Its bearings distorted, the Khezu let out a shriek.

With its talons separated from the ceiling, the Khezu’s staked wing broke as it could not bear the weight of its whole body, causing it to plummet down on its back along with the lance.

Zeeg broke into a run!

Elmeria rushed forward with hammer in hand! Freda as well!

The Khezu got up and attempted to make its escape, limping away.

Zeeg slipped past the monster’s tail, aiming for its uninjured leg as he made a side sweeping swing.

Razor-edged fangs of steel tore its way through the Khezu’s protective mucus layer, firmly digging into its leg!

Feeling an intense pain running through his back, Zeeg dropped his great sword and collapsed on the spot.

He knew for sure that the skin on his back had already torn off.

Still, Zeeg’s previous attack had a significant effect, as the Khezu was toppled, falling into the pool of water with a splash and landing on its shredded wing.

Freda rushed in with the ferocity of a tempest, thrusting the Heroic Blade into the Khezu’s throat and dragged it along in one go, dissecting the monster from neck to tail.

Paying no mind to the various body fluids that gushing out, the girl reached her arm inside and dragged Fradio out!

In a coughing fit, the man fell to the ground along with a continuous stream of gastric juices. Freda then dragged the man away from the Khezu.

-GWAAAAAH-

The Khezu’s spontaneous outcry shook the air like a violent electric shock.

“Shut up already!!”

Pinning down its writhing neck, Elmeria brought down the Breath Core on it with all her might.

A mysterious force rippled the monster’s soft and flabby skin, all the way from head to tail.

And with that- the Khezu ceased all movement.

“Kuh...”

Zeeg bore with the pain as he got himself back up, eventually managing to sit up cross-legged. He then took off his Ioprey Helm and took in a deep breath. Honestly, that was a close call. If the monster were able to dodge the boy’s last attack, then things might have turned out differently.

As Zeeg slowly stabilized his respiration, he could see Elmeria approaching.

Zeeg felt nervous.

Although he didn’t think what he chose to do was wrong, he did go against the girl’s decision.

Elmeria knelt on one knee, showing an expression of displeasure as she examined the boy’s back.

“...That’s going to leave a mark.”

“Eh, I’ll be fine.”

“Well, scars like there are like award medals for hunters, after all.”

“What about Gannon?”

“He’s fine.”

Elmeria took the bag from her waist and squeezed it on top of the boy’s wound. Drops of potion that soaked the bag seeped into the wound, easing the boy’s pain slightly.

“...Now, I don’t think my decision was incorrect.”

While returning the bag to her waist, Elmeria muttered.

“That was a gamble with lives on the line. It’s good and all that we won, but it’s definitely not what a hunter should do.”

“-That’s right.”

Turning to the source of that voice, they could see Fradio stepping towards them, with Freda supporting him. Parts of his Gypceros equipment had been melted out of shape.

“Fradio!”

Zeeg picked up his Ravager Blade+ and used it as an improvised walking stick, leaning on it as he stood up.

With someone who was just being digested by the Khezu up until a moment ago still standing up, the boy couldn’t afford to sit around.

Although his back still hurts, he could keep standing up with Elmeria’s support.

Frado gave Zeeg and the others with a reproaching look.

“Whatever would I do if any of you guys ended up dead from that kind of behavior? –Well, I am thankful, of course.”

“You alright there?”

“Yes. Well, I did break a few ribs, and my skin was cut and got festered. But that was noting. My wounds were infected so I figured that I needed antidotes for first-aid treatment, but when I went out to gather materials, I was surrounded by Iopreys and attacked by the Khezu-”

“What about burns? Those Iopreys got their insides burnt to a crisp, you know.”

“Ah, I’m fine in that regard. Gypceros’s Rubbery Hides are highly resistant to electricity. Well, that did save me, but I never thought that I’d end up getting to experience being eaten alive. I’m glad that its gastric juices haven’t fully started working yet.”

Zeeg felt relieved. If the man is able to run his mouth like that, then he definitely is alright.

“I’ll be fine by myself now. Thank you, little miss...”

Fradio expressed his thanks to Freda as he moved his body away. He had been in a restless state since earlier, and it seemed that he could not endure it anymore. Maybe it was because of Freda’s Khezu equipment.

“Freda Esgrand.”

As Elmeria called her by full name, Freda looked at her caller. Most of the bandage on her head had already turned deep red. Although she looks a lot better now compared to earlier, blood is still dripping from her left hand where she had been bitten.

“You have my thanks. As a result of your actions, Fradio was saved.”

“......”

“But... From now on, you should never party up with anybody else again.”

“Elmeria!”

Zeeg was astonished. He questioned those words said by the girl.

However, Elmeria paid the boy no heed as she continued.

“Surely, your sword inspires hope in people. It makes them forget thoughts of giving up. It makes them muster up their courage. I think it’s a good influence on those ordinary people you defend. Surely, when they see you standing up against monsters, strength would return to their exhausted legs, and they would rush to your aid so that everyone would return together alive.”

“I’ve always thought that it is what I wanted.”

“I knew you’d say that. But hunters are different from ordinary people. Take too much medicine, and it’ll become poison. When they see you, even in situations they know full well that they have to quit, they’d surely stand tall to the end together with you. –Still, even if you know all this, you still won’t stop going down that path, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s why I said what I said. Your ideals are praiseworthy and all, but it will get your comrades killed. You can’t possibly keep winning forever in this gamble.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Freda wiped off the drop of blood that ran down from her bandage.

“I think that’s that the Kokoto Village Chief tried to teach me when he sent me to Minegarde along with Zeeg. And what was written in his letter to the Guild Master must have been for me to party up with someone and successfully complete a request.”

“And for just that, we had to go through a near-death experience... That won’t do at all.”

Although Elmeria said that, her voice sounded gentle.

“Well, since that damn Guild Master forked up 10,000 Zenny just like that, I already knew that there’s some hidden agenda.”

Freda smiled.

“Thanks for the warning. As you advised, this will be the last time I join a party.”

“That’s for the good of everyone involved.”

“Right.”

Freda moved away from Fradio and knelt down in front of the Khezu’s corpse, then took out her hunter-issued carving knife and stripped off a sheet of the creature's Flabby Hide.

It was the very moment that reminded everyone that she’s certainly a hunter.

“...Alright, I’ll be going.”

The girl said as she stood up.

“Eh!?”

Zeeg was taken by surprise.

“You’re going already-”

“Isn’t it bad luck for five hunters to be out together?”

Zeeg was at a loss of words.

Although it is just a superstitious belief, but it was during a 5-member hunt when the Hero of Kokoto lost his fiancée. Hunters avoid being in groups of five as a result, no matter the situation.

“That’s why I’m going on ahead, back to basecamp.”

“B-but, your wounds-”

“I’ll manage. You guys are too injured to have someone break off from the group to help me as well, right? Two of you guys need to be supported in order to move, after all.”

That was the truth. At the very least, Gannon needs to be supported up by Zeeg, and Fradio needs Elmeria.

“Don’t worry. I’ve always been in this by myself.”

As Freda came closer and looked at Zeeg with her unobscured eye, the boy’s heart throbbed.

Freda the Frowner- The face of that girl certainly remains unchanged.

“Still, I glad that for the very first and very last hunt together, I was able to spend it with you.”

The girl’s face moved closer, and their lips made contact.

Zeeg felt pain running through his arms, so great that they could have been torn apart, but he paid it no mind.

It was just an instant.

Their connected lips then silently separated, in the same manner as when they came into contact.

“...Goodbye, Zeeg.”

Freda walked past the boy and exited the cave, leaving him behind the image of a faint smile. She never turned her face around. Only the rear view of her white Khezu armor remained.

Zeeg licked his lips.

His first kiss, shared with Freda, had the faint taste of blood.

“Gwuoh--!”

A thump sounded as stars scattered right inside the boy’s eyes.

He knew that a solid fist had been brought down on the top of his head, but he needed a little more time until he fully realized it.

Elmeria snorted arrogantly while waving her fist.

“What was that for--!”

“It’s because you were spacing out! Get your act together! It’ll be annoying if we don’t get back to the basecamp before it gets dark, you know!”

“What’s up with her? Jeez...”

While grumbling to himself, Zeeg fastened his Ioprey Helm to his waist, picked up the Diablo Spear, and went to Gannon to lend him a shoulder.

“...Sorry for the trouble.”

Gannon expressed his gratitude to Zeeg in a straightforward manner as he stood up, albeit with an apparently puzzled expression painted on his face.

Elmeria lent Fradio her shoulder and walked up to the other two, then gave the boy another glare.

(“I just don’t get it.”)

However, Zeeg did not inquire anyone for the reason. He simply did not want to spark any arguments for the time being.

As all four members made their exit from the cave, night had already started its fall, apparent from the encroaching darkness.

Staying wary of any Ioprey or Genprey encounters, Zeeg and the others walked off, their destination being the basecamp.

“Good grief... I truly want to wash my body right now, more than anything.”

Slowly walking on, Fradio spoke up with a sigh.

“How was it? The experience of being eaten alive by the loathsome Khezu.”

In response to Elmeria’s sarcastic question,

“...Surely, it was the worst ever experience in my life.”

Fradio gave that answer.

The answer felt so genuine and relatable that Elmeria could not help but break into laughter. It was as if she had completely forgotten the motives behind hitting Zeeg’s head earlier.

For that reason, Zeeg also joined in the laughing, forgetting that he had just been hit. He thought of it as making an oath to not ask her why the girl did what she did.

Roars of thunder could be heard in the distance as the night approached with the deepening fog.

Zeeg and the others made it safely back to the basecamp, but Freda was nowhere to be found.

They instead met another hunting party that had arranged to use the basecamp, with them explaining that the girl had borrowed a boat and already departed.

--However, nobody was surprised.

They had a feeling that it would turn out like this. After all, the girl had already said her goodbye.

Even so, Elmeria had a bitter expression painted on her face. She was probably thinking about how the words she spoke earlier could have been what drove Freda away.

Elmeria, staring at the darkened river, was given a pat on her shoulder from Zeeg.

“...We’ll meet her again, somewhere out there.”

“Not like I care or anything.”

Turning away from the river, Elmeria looked at Zeeg before suddenly wiping the boy’s lips with her thumb.

“Wha--! What was that for--!”

“--It’s all bloody.”

With an expression showing that she was angry for some reason, Elmeria wiped her thumb on her thigh before nudging Zeeg’s arm.

“Hey, aren’t you also injured? Go get some medicine and I’ll apply them for you.”

He totally forgot.

And as he recalled, he felt as if his back were being torn off.

“Right... I’ll leave it to you.”

With that, Elmeria went back to her usual expression, written with sarcastic remarks like “what would you do without me?”, before lightly grabbing Zeeg’s arm and walking onwards.

Members of two the parties, gathered around the bonfire, had already started to drink. The boy and the girl walked on, welcomed by the warm radiance of fire and the merry laughter among comrades.

Epilogue

“Going at it alone like that, I wonder if you’ll really be alright…”

Elmeria made a sarcastic remark, while standing under a shade atop a ledge with the scenery of a desert stretching behind her as backdrop.

All while twirling a white parasol.

“Just leave it to me. It’s not the same as that time, you know?”

While inspecting his Kut-Ku equipment one last time, Zeeg made a fearless declaration as he laughed.

“How so?”

Whimsically doubtful, Elmeria tilted her head.

As always, Gannon stood behind the girl like a statue with a stern expression painted on his face, silently listening to the exchange between the boy and the girl.

“This thing, what else?”

Zeeg knocked on the handle of the great sword on his back- Its blade dyed in flaming red and lined with shredding fangs, it is the Lacerator Blade+.

In the end, after his dilemma whether or not to wait and upgrade his sword to the Tactical Blade, he came to a conclusion that it would take too long to gather the Fire Wyvern Claws needed. Besides, he would also need Fradio’s help if he were to get some Pale Extracts for brewing Mega Demondrugs, and with that being out of the question, it was only practical for the boy to settle for the second best option.

From the last incident, Fradio’s hate for the Khezu had further solidified, ahough not to the point of being impossible to handle just yet.

“For the rest of my like, I hope to not encounter that disgusting wyvern ever again.”

He made that declaration with an unbreakable will, tougher than even Dragonite Ore.

But today, Fradio is not here with them- At the basecamp of the desert region.

Shortly after being released from hospitalization, he took up some light hunting jobs to get back into shape, before taking another vacation to spend time with his beloved Gypceros.

At first, Zeeg intended to pass his leisurely time in the city.

However, he almost immediately got word from a merchant who went to Kokoto Village that the Monoblos had reappeared. The boy couldn’t possibly afford to keep still.

And for some unknown reason, Elmeria and Gannon also came along.

The conditions of the Village Chief’s request is the same as last time.

Just that this time, as a measure to prevent a failed subjugation from happening, the old man had issued the quest to multiple hunters at once.

“Let the fastest one win, was what he meant.”

Without any hesitation, Zeeg paid up the contract fee.

That happened the day before yesterday.

After confirming the stock of his Potions, Flash Bombs, and other tools, Zeeg looked at Elmeria.

“…Don’t butt in, alright?”

“Dressed like this?”

Today, the girl isn’t wearing her usual Rathalos equipment, but rather a dress with long skirt and complete with a frilly parasol, making the boy want to call her out for looking so flashy like some kind of noblewoman.

Gannon is in his usual Diablo Mail, making the contrast so great that it hurts.

Held in his hand is a large basket.

Contained inside are home-made sandwiches they received from the villagers.

From Elmeria’s neck hung a pair of binoculars, making it perfectly apparent that she’s here for a picnic.

“We’re just going to look this time, so don’t worry. Well, do your best and try not to die, alright?”

“You didn’t even have to tell me that much.”

Zeeg then reminisced about Freda.

Since then, he would sometimes hear rumors of her- of Freda the Frowner. Currently, she seems to be gaining quite a lot of popularity among traveling bards and poets.

Has she responded to the Monoblos’s reappearance as well?

Maybe, just maybe- They would meet her again right here- That was what Zeeg thought during his carriage trip to Kokoto Village.

The Village Chief hadn’t informed Zeeg of the names of the other hunters who had also accepted this quest.

He only knew that among them was the maid in black from the village’s gathering hall, the one called Vivi. It’s possible that Freda is also among that list of hunters as well.

(“Still, no hard feelings or anything… The one who hunts down the Monoblos will be me!”)

Zeeg’s fighting spirit flared up, hotter that even the desert’s scorching sun.

“Alright, I’ll be off.”

On the other side of the darkness, it lies in wait.

Waving his hand to Elmeria, Zeeg then walked off towards the tunnel that connects the basecamp to the rocky canyons.

In order to settle an unfinished score, alone.

-What awaits is the one-horned wyvern, Monoblos!

Afterword - Yuuki Rin

Everyone, it is unexpectedly quick for us to meet again, and for that I am happy. This is Yuuki Rin.

My previous work, Monster Hunter - Commandment of the Hunt, sold fairly well and gained quite a popularity thanks to the game being a smash hit, thus! A sequel has been released!

OH YEAH-! Maybe it was because after I was done writing the previous volume's afterword, and after I checked out the Star Wars exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science, I went to the dinosaur exhibition as usual and made a prayer to their bones.

On that occasion, I noticed that some of the bones were missing, with an explanation slapped on in their stead saying "Dismantled to be used for research", which further solidifies my belief that those bones were once alive and covered in flesh.

With all those things happening, here comes the second volume.

This book introduced a character wielding a one-handed sword, a weapon that did not get any representation in the previous volume, and also diversified the appearing wyverns and fight scenes. If the previous book was a "first time online" scenario, then this time it would be "both on and offline".

Because of the Monoblos, you see.

By the way, it's only natural that I got my hands of a Hunter's Encyclopedia, published by eb!, and I must say... among the armor concepts in the equipment section, I took a liking to the Mummy Style. The scarab coffin was something else. The Anubis-inspired headgear as well.

If this game were to get a new installment, I do hope this equipment is added.

For the materials, I wonder if it'll be from that "Graveyard Guardian Dragon"... It would be nice if the set could be completed by playing offline.

At any rate, this year's summer really was hot.

My air conditioner was wonky; it was so bad that I thought it had broken. While I am irresistibly attracted to ancient Egypt civilization, I'll have to give up when it comes to dealing with hot weather, as I am totally incapable of doing so.

As a way to beat the heat, even if it just gives an impression of doing so, I chose to watch the sea documentary film Deep Blue. Notified in advance by the King's Brunch TV program of a showing, I decided that I would absolutely go see it.

But this film was only shown at Roppongi Hills and a few other places, you see. (Looks like some grand roadshow is taking place after this)

And so, I went to Roppongi Hills.

The place was heavily crowded, despite being a weekday's morning. As expected of a summer vacation. I was quite annoyed by the fact that couples were all over the place, but the film was splendid.

Killer Whales, bravo!

Especially the scene when they ***'d the ***'s ***- Good Job! To the idiot couples who walked out of the theater saying they feel sorry for the prey, don't you people dare eat meat ever again!

Viva! Survival of the fittest!

Later that day, I had sushi for lunch.

It was indeed a wonderful film which showed that when we eat, it means we're consuming the lives of others.

Monster Hunter also has that aspect to it too, I'd say.

-So tasty! And stuff.

By the way, Deep Blue also has a great soundtrack. I also bought the soundtrack discs and play them at work. They help calm the nerves.

If it were to be shown at a nearby theater, I'll definitely go watch it again.

Well then, since I was ordered to write an afterword that is longer than four pages, I'll talk about a comic that I'm currently interested in.

With that said, it's not a Japanese manga, but rather a western comic.

Right now, I'm really liking Nightmares & Fairy Tales.

It's a comic that tells nightmare-like stories surrounding a rag doll called Annabelle; the illustrations are marvelous! I've purchased three copies- one for propagating, another for personal reading, and the last one for preserving; I've been reading it everyday.

I'm so into this that I even ended up buying a 1/1 scale Annabelle rag doll (Regular Edition. I'd be nice if the buttons were wooden, but oh well). I unexpectedly came across one while taking a stroll at Akihabara, and so I took the offer immediately! The store's employees didn't seem to even know what it even is though-.

Anyhow, the coffin-shaped box is super cute! Now, let's hear those bloody, nightmarish stories! -Was what I wanted, but even today, all my Annabelle does is stare at me silently from inside that coffin-shaped box.

Also, the foreign artist seemed to have come to this year's Comiket, which I was informed of later. I was furious for missing it. And I'm still furious even now. Dammit! If I had known about this, I would have absolutely went there!!

...I wonder if it'll be released in Japanese~

And with all those ramblings, the pages have finally run out.

For Zeeg who has once again (apparently) matured as a hunter, I wonder what kind of hunter will he become? Although it's currently unknown whether or not there's going to be a third volume, I do want to write a sequel, if given the approval.

This time, Capcom's development team has taken good care of me as well.

As a customer who loves dragons, you have my heartfelt thanks for bringing this wonderful game into this world. If you'd be so kind, I'd like there to be a 1.5 version of the game that allows one to access the city and get rare materials even when offline.

And to Koyama-sensei, the book's illustrator who even went with me to see dinosaur fossils at the National Museum of Nature and Science, thank you for your hard work!

Well then... let us meet again!

(Or maybe you’ll find me in one of the cities!)

August 2004

Yuuki Rin

Afterword - Koyama Shigeto

Second Edition(Lie): Yuuki Rin Criticizing Corner

"Vivi", who appeared in this volume, (apparently) is the character that Mr. Yuuki is most interested in.

And because of that, despite her lack of "screen" time, he somehow persuaded me to make a drawing of her...

Koyama Shigeto

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