After confirming who would take part in the Hunt, Altaïr went to find Maki.
The original plan had been for him to face the Espinas alone. Now that Isis was joining him, turning it into a two-person Hunt, he at least needed to inform Maki, the nominal leader, and explain the situation.
Maki was standing in the small plaza at the village entrance, looking around for something. When she heard the news, one eyebrow rose noticeably.
"I don't mind," Maki said, crossing her arms as usual. "Honestly, given your current strength, fighting an Espinas alone would be risky, but manageable. Hunting one alone is another matter. You're not quite ready for that."
Altaïr did not argue, but the flash of defiance in his eyes did not escape Maki. She gave a derisive snort. "I heard about that Taikun Zamuza you hunted.
"From the description, I could tell that its offensive power was terrifying, but its body was fragile. That allowed you to exploit an opening and kill it quickly.
"Espinas is different. Its hide is so thick and tough that even Gravios would struggle to surpass it. There are no shortcuts against a Monster like that. You have to fight it head-on.
"Think of it as a Monster that combines Gravios's defenses, Tigrex's strength and speed, Rathalos's breath attacks, and Rathian's poison. Do you still think you can take it down alone?"
Altaïr fell silent. If it truly was as Senior Maki described, his chances of completing the Hunt alone were no more than thirty percent.
"So my original plan was to throw you in front of the Espinas, wait for you to cart, then step in and finish the quest.
"Now there are two of you. It will still be a hard fight, but your chances of success should at least reach fifty percent, right?
"That makes it more likely I can save myself the trouble, so why would I object?"
With that, Maki's expression suddenly changed. She reached out and patted Altaïr on the shoulder. "Besides, that girl named Isis... she's your... this, isn't she?"
She held up her little finger.
"What does that mean?"
In the Great Desert, holding up one's little finger symbolized an oath sworn by cutting it off, but Altaïr was certain Maki did not mean that.
"Lovers! I mean, are you two lovers?"
Maki could not explain why she cared so much about the kid's personal life. Could it be that she saw too much of her younger self in him and had unconsciously begun treating him like a godson?
"No." Altaïr's expression turned serious. "We're hunting partners. Teammates."
"Tch. You're lying to yourself. If you didn't feel that way about her, would you have invited her so readily?" Maki scoffed. "I don't know what you're running from. You're young. Be bold and charge straight in.
"If it works out, great. If not, learn from it and try again. What are you afraid of, that her family might beat you up?"
"A little..."
"Oh?" Maki jokingly rolled up her sleeves. "What kind of family does she come from? You're about to reach High Rank. What are you still afraid of?"
"I wouldn't call it fear. More like respect," Altaïr said, sounding faintly cowed. "Her father is that 9★ Hunter."
...
"You're serious?"
"Yeah."
"Ahem. No wonder she's so tall, huh?" Maki laughed dryly and rolled her sleeves back down. "Anyway... treat her well. I was joking about charging straight in. Don't take it seriously."
The two fell silent.
Maki composed herself. "All right, are your preparations for the Hunt complete? Have you registered the quest? Finished gathering intelligence?"
"Not yet..."
"Then what are you standing around for? You're leaving tomorrow morning. Get moving!"
—--
Shooed away like an annoying fly, Altaïr wandered around the village and eventually found Isis at the general goods merchant's shop.
The merchant was a young Wyverian man whose face was hidden behind a white cloth painted with strange patterns, lending him a mysterious air.
"Here are the items you purchased. Please take good care of them." He handed Isis a box.
Isis accepted it and happened to spot Altaïr approaching. She called out, "Altaïr, over here! The merchant said everything was on sale today, so I bought some extra! See if there's anything else you need. We can buy it now!"
Altaïr quickened his pace and joined Isis. He checked the contents of the box and found a large number of Antidotes, several doses of Herbal Medicine, and even two Max Potions.
When Isis told him the price, Altaïr's first thought was that they might have been sold counterfeits. He hurriedly inspected the medicine she was holding.
Once he had confirmed that everything was genuine and in perfect condition, he relaxed and could not help asking the merchant, "At these prices, aren't you losing money?"
The merchant folded his hands into his sleeves and bowed slightly. "Not at all. These prices cover only the cost of the goods, with no profit added. There is no need for concern. I have long been acquainted with Lady Yomogi and Miss Nymera. Since the two of you are Nymera's friends, it is only proper that I extend you some courtesy."
"Thank you very much." Altaïr nodded gratefully, then suddenly remembered something and asked tentatively, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Kagero?"
"Indeed I am."
Altaïr and Isis exchanged matching "I knew it" looks. So this was where Nymera had picked up her habit of never speaking plainly.
Now that they knew the merchant had cut his prices to look after the juniors of old friends, neither Altaïr nor Isis had the nerve to take advantage of his kindness by stocking up any further.
They thanked him again and were about to leave when he called them back.
"Please wait, you two. Would you care to try a little Talisman melding?" Kagero's gentle voice sounded like a demon whispering temptation. "With only a few Monster materials you have no other use for, you might meld a precious Talisman..."
Altaïr felt a flicker of temptation, but Isis grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
"No, thank you."
As Isis tugged Altaïr along, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Fuka warned me about this. When you come to Kamura Village, you have to watch out for the masked man who asks if you want to try Talisman melding. He'll only turn rare, valuable materials into worthless trash you can't even recycle. I never guessed it was Mr. Kagero!"
Kagero was speechless.
—--
After returning to their lodgings, Altaïr and Isis divided up the medicine they had bought from Kagero, packed it into their respective Item Pouches, and confirmed that all their supplies and equipment were ready.
—--
Once that was done, the two headed to the Gathering Hub together.
Registering the quest was crucial. Even though they were only joining someone else's quest, they could not skip it.
Altaïr also planned to ask around about Espinas's weaknesses, since that information would directly influence their battle strategy.
He remembered Maki's warning clearly. Do not go to the Quest Counter to register. Find the portly old man riding a frog. Altaïr had not been able to imagine what kind of person a "portly old man riding a frog" could possibly be.
Unexpectedly, he saw him the moment he walked through the Gathering Hub's entrance.
There really was a short, stout elderly Wyverian riding on the back of a massive creature that resembled a young Tetsucabra. He smiled as he surveyed the people coming and going through the Gathering Hub.
Altaïr led Isis over to the old man, greeted him politely, then took out the quest form Maki had given him and explained that they needed to register.
Guild Master Hojo took their Hunter's Notes and leafed through them for a while, then looked both of them over carefully. In the end, he completed the registration for them.
As he handed back their notes and the quest form, he reminded them, "That one doesn't always know her limits. Be careful out there, you two."
Altaïr found the old gentleman quite kind. Anyone capable of taming a young Tetsucabra as a mount could hardly be ordinary, so he decided to try gathering some information from him.
"Sir, would you happen to know Espinas's elemental weaknesses and vulnerable parts?"
Guild Master Hojo furrowed his brow, silently blaming Maki. Still, he could not bear to watch two young Hunters head into danger without knowing anything, so he patiently began explaining Espinas to Altaïr.
Altaïr hurriedly pulled out his notebook and began taking careful notes.
Isis felt that the more information they gathered, the better. She looked around and quickly spotted a suitable candidate.
It was a young Wyverian woman in shrine maiden garb, her expression cool and reserved.
Isis remembered seeing a nearly identical Wyverian woman outside Yomogi's Tea Shop. Nymera had introduced her as a 7★ Bow user and mentioned that she had a younger twin sister who was an accomplished Lance user.
This had to be the twin sister!
She probably knew something about Espinas, didn't she?
Isis jogged over. When Altaïr noticed her running off, he turned to look.
He saw Isis stop before the Wyverian receptionist with two bows in her hair and bow deeply. "Excuse me, miss. We're going to hunt an Espinas. Could we ask you for some information?"
Minoto's eyes widened.