Back at camp, Altaïr took a seat at a stone table.
The presence of such "furniture" in a Hunter's Camp showed how heavily this one was used and how many resources the local Guild had invested in facilities meant to improve life for Hunters.
Was this simply what one should expect from Kamura?
Altaïr spread the map across the stone table and was about to speak when he noticed that Isis was already busy dealing with the Mosswine they had caught on the way back. With no other choice, he called out, "That can wait. Let's discuss our tactics first."
"Oh, right." Isis wiped her hands a couple of times and hurried over.
"Based on what we know, the Espinas has two states: normal and enraged.
"In its normal state, it is extremely sluggish. Even when attacked, it may not bother fighting back, simply relying on passive defense like a turtle.
"But in this state, its entire body is covered in a hard carapace and its hitzones are terrible. It has almost no true weak points. Even though both of our weapons are decent, dealing effective damage will be difficult.
"Once it truly feels threatened and grows angry, it enters its enraged state.
"In that state, its muscles engorge with blood, dramatically increasing its strength, speed, and aggression. Its rampaging form is said to surpass even a Tigrex's, making it extremely dangerous.
"On the other hand, the faster blood flow and swelling muscles force apart the normally tight seams in its carapace. Scholars believe this may help it move more freely while also allowing it to shed heat more easily.
"At that point, we can inflict damage far more easily by attacking those gaps in its armor."
"So, basically, it has low attack and high defense in its normal state, then high attack and low defense once enraged. Right?"
"Exactly. The key to a successful Espinas Hunt is choosing the right tactics for each state.
"My current plan is simple. As with other Large Flying Wyverns, we should focus on its legs, build up damage, and force it to fall over.
"Your Gunlance can break armor better than my Long Sword. During its normal state, I'll face it head-on and hold its attention while you focus on attacking its legs.
"Once the Monster enters its enraged state..."
"Then we switch places? I draw its attention, and you attack the legs?" Isis cut in, her eyes shining.
"Good thinking, but unfortunately, that's not the plan." Altaïr encouraged her before continuing. "According to Guild Master Hojo's assessment, an Espinas at full rampage isn't something either of us can hold in place.
"Once it becomes enraged, we'll immediately switch to hit-and-run tactics. We'll take turns attacking and drawing its attention, steadily building damage until it falls."
"I see!" Isis nodded firmly. "What about the battlefield? Are we using that cave?"
"Right. Remember the Nargacuga signs we found earlier?" Altaïr pointed to a mark on the map. "Here. It's still about five or six kilometers from the Espinas's nest in a straight line. That isn't especially close, but it isn't far either.
"If we fight in the Jungle, the noise and smell of blood will probably attract that Nargacuga and cause unnecessary trouble.
"Fighting in the Espinas's nest will be much safer; the Nargacuga probably won't dare barge into its lair and cause trouble.
"The cave will also keep the Espinas from flying, which works in our favor during the Hunt."
"Ohhh, got it. But what if the Espinas flies out of the nest anyway?"
Altaïr held out his hands. "Then we'll have to adapt on the spot. Remember the areas we identified while scouting, where large trees grow amid dense tangles of vines?
"Terrain like that makes it difficult for a Large Flying Wyvern such as the Espinas to move around. We'll prioritize driving it toward those areas.
"That covers the basic strategy. Any questions or suggestions?"
"Nope!"
"All right. Go kill your pig."
"You bet!" Isis trotted off excitedly.
For his part, Altaïr dug a large pit in the dry sand, gathered some fist-sized stones and dry branches, tossed them inside, and lit a fire in the hole.
By the time the wood had burned down to coals and the stones were scorching hot, Isis had finished skinning and cleaning the Mosswine.
She used her knife to cut away the Mosswine's leg meat, ribs, belly, tenderloin, and other tender cuts, leaving the rest for the two Palamutes. After carrying the pair all day, the Palamutes yelped happily, buried their heads in the meat, and began tearing into it.
Altaïr lightly marinated the large chunks of meat with the seasonings he had on hand, then wrapped them in the cleaned pigskin with some Unique Mushrooms. He tossed the bundle into the steaming pit, filled it back in, and left the rest to time.
—--
Two hours later, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the sky was completely dark.
Once he judged the meat done, Altaïr rose from beside the campfire and shouted, "Senior Maki! Senior Minoto!
"Come join us for a bite!"
Isis blinked. "How did you know they were nearby?"
"Just guessing," Altaïr said casually. "If they aren't here, no harm done. If they are, it would be rude to eat a feast without inviting them."
"You've got a good heart, kid." Maki dropped from the sky and landed beside them.
Minoto followed right behind her.
Isis looked around in astonishment. They were on a sandy beach, with no cover within dozens of meters in any direction.
Had the two seniors really flown down from the sky?
Maki sat cross-legged beside the campfire, sniffed the air, and asked, "What did you make? It smells pretty good."
Together, Altaïr and Isis dug up the pigskin bundle that had been buried and slow-roasted, then shook off the charcoal ash and sand.
Isis sliced open the pigskin with her knife, speared a large piece of leg meat so tender it practically fell apart, placed it on a clean banana leaf, added some mushrooms, and offered it to the two seniors.
"Ah, thank you." Maki accepted it with a grateful nod.
While out hunting, Maki occasionally cooked Well-done Steaks herself, but that simply meant putting Raw Meat over a fire. She had never seen it prepared this way before.
She took a bite, grinned at Altaïr, and said, "Not bad. I didn't know you could cook like this. Is this how you prepare it back home?"
"Sort of. Though in the desert, we usually don't roast Mosswine."
Minoto did not seem particularly fond of the meat, but she loved the mushrooms that had roasted inside the bundle while soaking in the fat. She ate two in a row. "Absolutely delicious. Thank you for the meal."
"Hehe." Isis giggled, then dug in.
Hunters tended to eat quickly. After wolfing everything down, Maki patted her belly. "Ahh, I'm full. I'm full.
"You've got some real skill, kid. This tastes better than Minoto's cooking!"
Maki had accidentally spoken the truth and earned a sharp glare from Minoto.
"Well, as your senior, I can't eat your food without offering some advice in return." Maki whittled herself a wooden toothpick and started picking her teeth.
"Your strategy is decent. The key to hunting tactics is having a clear objective; don't bog the plan down with too many details. The more 'airtight' a plan is, the more likely something is to go wrong. Adapting on the fly matters more."
"Ah, you were eavesdropping on us..."
Altaïr quickly clamped a hand over Isis's mouth.
What do you mean, "eavesdropping"? It's called caring! Learn to talk!
"Anyway, here's a heads-up. Monster density is high around Kamura, and Monster intrusions are extremely common.
"Don't underestimate those unassuming little creatures; they can cause serious trouble at the worst possible moment."
"Could you be a little more specific?" Altaïr asked cautiously.
Maki bared her teeth at him. "Nope. Figure it out yourself."
P.S. The gaps in Espinas's armor are a setting specific to this story. The red color appears directly on its shell in canon, but that can hardly mean the shell itself has softened.
(Translated by yourtl.app)