The biggest difference between real hunting and the games, aside from the combat style, is ——————
"It's really here~ a 'Rathian Plate'!"
Looking at the green scale shimmering with an unusual light in his hand, Lancer couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.
Unlike in the games where materials are random regardless of the monster's size, in nature, monsters grow different parts as they age and grow in size—like this 'Plate' hidden behind the head.
"But it's a bit small. I wonder if it has a 'Ruby'..."
As for why Lancer was muttering about a 'Ruby' instead of a 'Mantel'?
It was simple: a Mantel is just the result of a Plate growing over time.
A huge Rathian, over 10 meters long, was quickly processed under the leadership of a certain incredibly enthusiastic mage.
"Phew~ I never thought the day would come where I'd get to personally dissect a 'Flying Wyvern'~"
At this moment, Olga Marie wasn't wearing ordinary clothes but a special outfit constructed from the 'Silver Witch' mana gem. Consequently, she didn't care about the bloodstains at all; she was just full of excitement. But right then, a splash of cold water was dumped right over her head.
"Ah~!"
Olga Marie, who usually maintained a mature "adult" expression, let out a cute scream. Once she realized what happened, she puffed out her cheeks and glared at Lancer, who was holding a small bucket.
"What are you doing~!!"
From the look of it, if Lancer didn't give her a reasonable explanation, she might not be able to resist smashing her magic staff into his face.
Fortunately, Lancer didn't just do it to tease her this time. Instead, he lifted another small bucket by his feet.
"The forest is different from the outside. Whether it's the scent on the egg or the smell of this 'Rathian' blood, it could attract the attention of other monsters. Cleaning off the scent is the absolute basics. Alright, stop complaining and close your eyes."
After saying that, he raised the wooden bucket again. Olga Marie, a bit dazed by Lancer's rapid-fire explanation, reflexively closed her eyes as the cold water splashed down again.
Looking at the silver-white dress clinging tightly to her body, Lancer nodded silently.
'See, I told you I'm not a Lolicon...'
Afterward, Olga Marie used her mana to dry the water off herself and began following Lancer's lead, using her warm right hand to help dry the three cats. During the process, the three felines made extremely cute 'meow meow' sounds, showing none of the fierce power they had displayed earlier while hunting the Rathian with Lancer.
In the meantime, Olga Marie asked a question she was quite concerned about.
"Where are we going next? Even though you stored that 'Flying Wyvern' away and we don't have to worry about transport, we probably won't get much rest if we stay out in the wild, right?"
At Olga Marie's words, Lancer waved his hand with a confident smile.
"Don't worry. Even though I don't know which region we're in yet, as long as hunters have been here, we can find the tracks they left behind. Following some markers will lead us to hidden supply boxes soon enough. There are maps in there that will tell us how to get to a town."
Even though he had only stayed for three days before, he had gained the basic common sense of hunters in this world.
To put it simply, the vast majority of this land is 'wilderness.' Generally speaking, no one comes here except hunters. The 'wilderness' is home to a large number of monsters, which usually don't approach human areas randomly. After all, all villages and cities have plenty of defensive siege weaponry. Except for a very few Elder Dragons, ordinary monsters can't pose a huge threat to cities and villages—not to mention the presence of numerous hunters.
However, even so, indiscriminate hunting is generally not allowed. According to the 'Wyverians,' these monsters are a part of 'nature.' It's only natural for humans to hunt them for survival, but overhunting is prohibited. Generally, hunters only clear out monsters around cities and villages; other than that, they specifically capture or hunt certain monsters upon receiving quests.
From the looks of it, they were in a forest, but he didn't know specifically which one. If they were lucky, they might run into hunters out on a quest. If not, they'd have to use Lancer's "dumb method" of searching for supply boxes.
Olga Marie was a bit nervous due to the unfamiliar environment of this world—after all, they were in a dense forest surrounded by monsters—but seeing Lancer's confident expression put her at ease. Lancer was actually quite reliable when doing serious work, so she stopped asking and turned her attention to the surrounding plants.
Looking at Olga Marie, who was getting excited over a strange plant, Lancer shrugged and crouched down.
"Aru, Tiger, and Jack, I'm counting on you. Help me find tracks left by other hunters."
"Meow!"
"Meow~~"
"Meow."
The three cats scattered. Jack, the most agile one, climbed a tree in a few leaps and began moving through the branches. Lancer shouldered 'Zero' and carefully observed his surroundings.
Even though he trusted the three cats implicitly, being a hunter meant that vigilance in the wild was the absolute basic of basics. It had nothing to do with strength; it was an attitude.
As the sun dipped low, a campfire was lit. The three humans and three cats sat around the fire eating a grilled meat feast painstakingly prepared by Tiger, but the expressions of two of them were a bit strange.
Olga Marie's piercing gaze made Lancer feel incredibly awkward. Even without her saying a word, he knew what that weird look meant.
'Where's that human village you promised?'
"Ahem~"
With a dry cough, Lancer ladled a bowl of thick soup from the pot and handed it to Olga Marie.
"We might just be too deep in. But if I remember correctly, even the largest forest on this continent can be crossed in a week at our current pace. It's fine. Besides, we're lucky; I wanted to collect some materials anyway, and since monsters are so dense here, it's practically 'paradise'!"
At Lancer's exclamation, Olga Marie's expression became even more complicated. She couldn't hold back her retort any longer.
"We were attacked 9 times in just 6 hours. Are you sure this is 'good luck'? A normal person would have been killed ages ago, right?"
Olga Marie really wanted to knock on Lancer's head with her staff to wake him up. Had he confused the concepts of 'good luck' and 'bad luck'?
Had Lancer's brain been waterlogged?
Naturally not. But just as he said, as long as the goal is achieved, it's fine~ Just like how he once caught a Plesioth while fishing; as long as it's edible, isn't that good enough?