Hearing the giant man's booming laughter, Isis, who had been eating with her head down, looked up in confusion.
That laugh sounded... strangely familiar.
When she raised her head, she saw the enormous bald head that had left such a vivid impression on her as a child...
"Uncle Ted!"
Isis practically leaped out of her chair. She cheered, tossed aside the shrimp shells in her hands, and bounded toward him without even pausing to wipe her hands.
"Huh?"
The burly giant turned in surprise when he heard someone call his name.
Then his surprise gave way to delight. "Aha! If it isn't little Isis!"
Under the curious gazes of Altaïr and the others, Isis sprang to a stop in front of Ted. He naturally reached out with both large hands and lifted her by the armpits. Her momentum forced him to spin once in place to bleed it off before setting her down with a laugh.
The gesture would have looked more natural with Francesca or Morgan. But with Isis, who stood 195 centimeters tall, it seemed...
Actually, it did not look all that strange?
After all, Ted still towered more than half a head over Isis. With his broad, wall-like build, the overall effect was little different from a 180-centimeter adult catching a 160-centimeter girl...
"What brings you here? Aren't you running a distillery in Minegarde?" Isis asked brightly.
Ted grinned, showing his large front teeth. "I heard the ElDe Region had some fine strong liquor, so I came to Manti Town to check it out and make a vacation of it. I stopped by the mayor's estate to ask around, heard they were offering Hunters free food and drink, and figured I'd help myself to a glass!"
The giant made no attempt to hide the fact that he was freeloading.
"And what about you, little Isis? Just passing through for a free meal too? Don't tell me you're here to join the operation! Hahaha..." Ted's laughter trailed off as he froze.
He looked her up and down again. "Wait. A Zamtrios Z Armor Set?! Didn't you only just enter the training camp?"
"I graduated from the training camp years ago," Isis replied happily. "This time, my companions and I received orders to reinforce the operation."
Ted vigorously rubbed his slick, shiny bald head several times and muttered, "Well, damn. Blink and you miss it. That little sprout from back then is already joining operations on this scale?"
"Oh, right! Let me introduce everyone." Isis turned toward her companions. "This is Uncle Ted, an old friend of my father's. He's an incredibly strong Gunlance user known as the 'Iron Wall'!"
Altaïr thought, Just as I suspected.
This stout, barrel-bellied giant was clearly no ordinary man. Any Hunter who had earned a title had to be High Rank at the very least.
Generally, only 7★ or 8★ Hunters who had been famous for years gradually gained epithets reflecting their fighting styles and specialties as stories of their deeds spread.
The best-known of those epithets became what people called a "title."
After introducing Ted, Isis gave him a brief introduction to her companions from the advance team.
When she came to Altaïr, Ted studied him longer than the others. For one thing, an Espinas Armor Set was striking on someone his age.
For another...
"Kid, you from the Great Desert?" Ted asked with a grin.
Altaïr had not expected the senior to ask such a question and nodded reflexively. "I'm from Loc Lac."
"Ha! Then we've got a bit of a connection." Ted brought a palm far thicker and stronger than an ordinary person's down hard on Altaïr's shoulder.
"My wife's from Loc Lac too. That practically makes you two neighbors!"
"Ah, that is quite a coincidence..." Altaïr managed.
When Ted mentioned his wife, Isis asked, "By the way, didn't Malika come with you?"
Ted's smile froze on his face. After a couple of seconds, he cautiously asked, "Er... what time is it? Has midnight passed yet?"
Altaïr took out his pocket watch and checked the time. "It's just after nine in the morning."
"I'm in trouble..." Ted's cheek twitched.
Isis asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Ted forced an awkward smile onto his rugged, scarred face. "I saw the evacuation notice posted in town yesterday, so I went out to see what I could learn. There isn't a Gathering Hub here, so I had to ask the mayor. Then I heard Hunters could eat and drink for free, so I stopped in for a few bottles of the good stuff...
"It's all because I don't drink as much as I used to! Back in the day, a few bottles like that never would've put me under!"
"So you forgot Malika at the inn, passed out here alone, and slept until morning?" Isis leaned back to stare up at him.
"Malika may have a good temper, but you're a dead man, Ted."
"Nonsense! I ain't scared of her!" Ted glared. "What can she do to me?"
His words sounded tough, but even Altaïr, meeting him for the first time, could sense the bluster.
"Ahem. Say, kid." Ted suddenly turned to Altaïr. "You're a native of Loc Lac, right? You can speak the dialect of the Desert folk and all that?"
"...Strictly speaking, I was born a Desert Nomad and settled in Loc Lac as a teenager," Altaïr answered honestly, though he had no idea why Ted was asking. "As for the dialect, of course I speak it. In fact, it was only in the last few years that I finally lost the Great Desert accent when speaking the common tongue."
"Great, that's perfect!" Ted thumped Altaïr's shoulder again, even harder this time. "You got anything to do right now, kid?"
"Nothing at the moment."
"Perfect! Come with me. Isis, you too! I'll tell Malika I happened to run into little Isis, and that you, Altaïr, are from her hometown, so the three of us got caught up talking!
"When we see her, start speaking to her in the Great Desert dialect. She was complaining to me the other day that she hadn't been home in so long, she was starting to forget the sound of her own dialect. Keep her talking about local snacks, how the streets have changed, all of it. Once she's happy, she'll forget this whole business!"
Ted slapped his thigh in excitement, marveling at his own genius.
Altaïr and Isis exchanged a look.
The same thought ran through both their minds. That still doesn't explain why you reek of booze. And what do you mean by "got caught up talking"? From yesterday morning until now?
Still, an elder had invited them, and they genuinely had nothing else to do. Altaïr could hardly refuse...
Isis did not think too deeply about it. Even if Ted had not invited her, she had planned to visit Malika anyway. It had been several years since they had last met.
Ted was effectively an uncle to Isis, and Altaïr could not bear to watch him make such a terrible mistake. He offered a tactful suggestion. "Senior Ted, is there a particular food your wife likes? She may not have eaten breakfast yet. Perhaps you could bring her something from here."
"Malika's favorite food?" Ted swept his gaze over the long table laden with fine dishes, finally settling on the two bottles of Dragon's Breath Liquor the messenger had just brought in.
"That woman loves booze as much as I do. These'll work! Come on, let's go!"
He slung one arm around Altaïr's shoulders and the other around Isis's, half pushing and half guiding them out of the mayor's estate toward the inn where he and his wife were staying.
Altaïr fell silent.
He did not dare imagine what awaited a husband who had said he was going out on business, stayed away all night, returned the next morning reeking of alcohol, and handed his wife two bottles of liquor while calling them breakfast...
(Translated by yourtl.app)