At South ElDe Port, on the southern coast of the ElDe Peninsula, a massive Argosy loaded with refined metals from Harth was leaving port.
A Wyverian man who looked to be in his forties or fifties by human standards stood at the bow, gazing out to sea. Sturdily built and dressed in a wide-sleeved robe, he wore a slight frown beneath his thick, dark brows.
He was both the head of the Merchant Guild and the captain of this vessel. His extensive business dealings and vast network of connections had earned him renown as the Argosy Captain.
Just then, a Felyne wearing a headband ran over. "Boss, I've double-checked the cargo and crew as you ordered, meow. Everything's normal, meow."
The Argosy Captain merely nodded at his first mate's report.
The unease in his heart did not fade. Instead, it only grew, though he could not identify the source of this inexplicable anxiety.
According to plan, the Argosy would depart from South ElDe Port and sail south to Port Tanzia to resupply. It would then follow the coastline around the southern reaches of the Old World, where the Great Desert lay, before turning north toward Minegarde Town in the continent's northwest.
Oh... right. They also planned to make a detour to the Guild's newly developed Tidal Island to trade. The types of goods had already been arranged by letter with Miss Sterling, so they should make a tidy profit along the way.
The entire voyage would take more than two months, making it a true expedition.
But after spending most of his life at sea, he knew this was not a dangerous route.
They would remain in coastal waters for almost the entire journey, following the continental shoreline. The usual hazards of an open-ocean voyage, such as losing their way, exhausting their supplies, or encountering extreme weather, were hardly concerns at all.
More importantly, they had the massive Argosy beneath their feet.
Nearly fifty meters long, it was driven by traditional sails and equipped with the latest steam turbine for auxiliary power. Even if it encountered a storm, it could power through safely.
To protect the precious cargo aboard, he had called in favors to acquire several Cannons and Heavy Ballistas.
Neither Monsters nor pirates posed much of a threat.
By all logic, this voyage should have been as smooth and uneventful as ever.
So why was he so restless?
The Argosy Captain tightened his grip on the railing. "Old friend, check the steam turbine again."
The headband-wearing Felyne saw no need, but the captain's orders were absolute at sea. With a nod, the first mate headed toward the engine room in the bottom of the ship.
The Argosy Captain glanced up and confirmed once more that the sky was clear. Then he pulled his pipe and tobacco from inside his robe, hoping to calm his nerves.
Suddenly, he noticed something strange and hurried to the stern.
They had left port only a few kilometers ago and were still in coastal waters, with seabirds all around them.
The birds loved to gather around large ships, feeding on small fish stunned by the churning wake or perching on the masts and railings to rest. The bolder ones would even snatch food from sailors' hands.
Now, however, every one of them circled high overhead. None approached the Argosy, and not a single bird was willing to fly close to the water.
In his nearly century-long life, he had learned that this was very likely a sign of an approaching natural disaster, such as a tsunami.
Without hesitation, the Argosy Captain rushed to the helm, ordered the helmsman to turn back toward port immediately, and rang the fog bell in alarm.
If this unplanned return incurred additional fines, so be it.
The sailors rushed onto the deck at the sound of the alarm. Though they had no idea what was happening, the Argosy Captain's shouted orders soon had them adjusting the rigging to help the ship turn.
The massive Argosy, riding low under its heavy cargo, slowly came about like a clumsy whale.
As the bow completed its wide turn and pointed back toward the still-nearby shore, an immense shadow rose from the depths less than a hundred meters off the vessel's side, vast enough to steal the breath from their lungs.
The first thing to pierce the surface was a gigantic horn, far taller and longer than the ship's mast and many times thicker.
As the horn broke through the waves and rose higher and higher, a colossal skull nearly the size of the Argosy itself emerged before the stunned captain and sailors.
—--
In the small square at the entrance to Kamura Village, an Airship slowly lifted off the ground.
Altaïr stood at the bow and silently watched the peaceful village, nestled amid green mountains and clear waters and adorned with ever-blooming cherry trees.
In barely half a month, they had all grown genuinely fond of this unique village.
A quiet sigh escaped Altaïr.
It was so soft that only he could hear it.
The trip had been fruitful, yet he still had one small regret.
From his initial treatment and training to the Hunts that followed and the forging of his new equipment, Maki had done so much for him.
He had wanted to give her a proper farewell and had even risen early to find her. Unfortunately, he had searched throughout the village without catching sight of her anywhere.
She must have gone out on a Hunt. Who knew how long it would be before they met again?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he sensed someone watching him and instinctively turned his head.
A sharp, imposing figure stood atop the great chimney at the highest point in Kamura Village. From there, her eyes were nearly level with his as she watched both the slowly ascending Airship and Altaïr himself.
Altaïr rushed to the railing and opened his mouth to call out, only to see the figure fling a kunai.
The kunai whistled through the air and struck the railing beside his hand with perfect accuracy.
Altaïr's gaze shifted away for an instant. By the time he looked up again, the figure atop the chimney had vanished.
Sajji climbed onto the railing and craned his neck for a closer look. "Boss, there's a piece of paper pinned beneath the kunai, meow! There's writing on it too, meow!"
Isis noticed it as well and shuddered.
Could Maki have left him some kind of secret scroll, just like her own mother had?
No way! Her mother's secret scroll had already allowed Altaïr to surpass her in swordsmanship. If Maki, who was every bit as strong as her mother, helped him improve again...
Altaïr gripped the kunai's handle, pulled it free, and carefully brought the paper it had pinned to the railing up before his eyes.
Isis leaned closer as well, her expression tense.
There was no legendary manual or secret scroll. The paper bore only four large characters forming a single blessing: May Your Glory Shine!!!
"Wow."
Altaïr's mouth twitched, but he carefully tucked the blessing away all the same.
Nearby, Nymera continued waving to her family below until the people on the ground had dwindled to indistinct specks.
A trace of melancholy crossed her face. She bent down, picked up a cherry blossom petal that had fallen onto the Airship's deck, and gently blew it from her palm.
"Cherry blossoms dance upon the wind; I too drift from my homeland on the breeze, bound for the ends of the earth..."
Hibiki darted in like a gust of wind and snapped up the petal before it had drifted even a meter, swallowing it whole.
"..." Expressionless, Nymera slapped Hibiki on the head.
Then she took out her writing brush and a blank wooden tag. "Nothing stirs the poetic spirit like homesickness. That line has merit; I shall record it."
"She's back to normal, meow..." Sajji covered his face.
Isis ventured, "Nymera, you know you can speak normally, like you did at home."
Nymera finished writing, put away the wooden tag, looked up, and smiled.
"Impossible."
P.S. Judging by the size of the Lao-Shan Lung skull on Shen Gaoren's back, the Lao-Shan Lung that Hunters usually face may actually be a mere juvenile...
(Translated by yourtl.app)