"Oh, why am I telling you all this?"
Realizing that her words had weighed down the mood in the room, Malika quickly collected herself and pulled her face veil back on.
"A notice was posted in town yesterday warning that a Monster might attack and telling everyone to prepare for evacuation. You two came here because of that, didn't you?"
Although Altaïr and Isis had not mentioned it, Malika had already worked out the truth.
Guild headquarters had already issued a State of Emergency Declaration. The local authorities who had first raised the alarm naturally no longer needed to keep the situation under wraps.
Most ordinary citizens did not understand the difference between a State of Emergency Declaration and a standard Monster attack warning. For them, what they had to do remained the same: follow instructions and evacuate when necessary.
Ted and Malika, however, were both High Rank Hunters who had retired due to injury. They knew exactly what such a special warning meant.
Had they been the ones heading to the battlefield, they would not have hesitated for a second.
But when it was the younger generation's turn to take the front lines, it felt completely different.
Even Ted, once known as the "Iron Wall" and famous for always standing at the very front, could not help warning them in a grave voice. "You two aren't rookies anymore. You know how serious this is. Unless it becomes absolutely necessary... don't push yourselves too far."
Altaïr and Isis nodded solemnly at their elder's well-intentioned warning.
"So what exactly is happening this time? Is an Elder Dragon attacking? What species? Did Manti Town happen to block its migration route, or has it merely entered the surrounding area and created a risk of attack?"
Malika looked at Ted and fired off several questions in quick succession.
"Right, so what is happening?" Ted looked at Altaïr and Isis.
Malika's expression immediately turned frightening. "You said you were going out to gather information. You spent the whole night at it and came back knowing nothing?
"So you really did just find somewhere to get drunk and waste the entire night?!"
"I... I..." Ted wanted to defend himself, but lying had never been his strong suit. After stammering for a moment, he simply gave up on thinking and bellowed with utterly undeserved confidence, "I went all the way to the mayor's estate yesterday to find out what was going on! Then I learned the strategy meeting wasn't until tonight. What else was I supposed to do?
"I might've gotten drunk and spent the night there, but I still brought you two bottles, didn't I?!"
As he spoke, he thrust the two bottles of Dragon's Breath Liquor into Malika's arms.
Malika almost laughed from sheer anger, but she had no way to deal with this shameless brute.
Punch him a couple of times? Kick him a couple of times?
Had he earned the title "Iron Wall" for nothing? If she unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, she would sprain her wrist and twist her ankle while he rubbed his forehead and said, "Didn't feel a thing." Would that not only infuriate her even more?
Altaïr quickly stepped in as a peacemaker and explained what they knew so far.
Neither Ted nor Malika was an ordinary civilian, so telling them hardly counted as leaking confidential information.
"Shen Gaoren? So that's what it is." Ted tucked away the flicker of pride in his eyes and scratched his massive chin.
He was no stranger to that kind of Monster. The reason was simple. His hometown, Minegarde Town, where he and Malika still lived, had been attacked by migrating Shen Gaoren more than once.
The most recent attack had occurred over ten years ago.
Since Minegarde Town had built a sturdier new Fortress thirty years earlier, the ensuing operation to drive the Monster off had gone very smoothly. The walls and facilities suffered some damage, but casualties were minimal.
The attack before that had occurred much longer ago.
Ted had not even been born then. According to the town's elders, Minegarde's only defense at the time had been an old, crumbling fortress. The Hunters had been forced to rely on those flimsy walls and hold the line with flesh and blood. They had barely managed to defend the city, and only at a horrendous cost.
"Among Elder Dragon-level creatures, Shen Gaoren is actually on the less dangerous end."
Ted knew Altaïr and Isis would never withdraw from the battle, so he began sharing his experience. "Shen Gaoren is not very aggressive. It rarely attacks Hunters directly.
"Just be careful when its steps send tremors through the ground. If you lose your footing and end up beneath one of its legs, it'll flatten you into paste in an instant. No one can save you from that.
"There is one other thing you absolutely must watch out for. When an obstacle such as a city wall blocks its path, Shen Gaoren will spew thick, corrosive acid at it to dissolve whatever stands in its way.
"That acid can eat through city walls. A human body won't fare any better. One fortress lost soldiers who were dissolved along with the wall itself. You must be careful."
Isis nodded repeatedly. Altaïr took out his notebook and carefully wrote everything down.
"That covers the basics. Speaking of which, Isis, choosing the Zamtrios Z Armor Set was smart."
Ted bared his teeth in a grin. "The Zamtrios Z Armor Set's Tremor Res Skill will help you keep your footing around Shen Gaoren. That's extremely important."
Isis blinked in surprise. She had not planned that far ahead. She had worn the Zamtrios Z Armor Set to Kamura Village, then returned to Tidal Island without changing before boarding the Airship and coming straight here.
"By comparison, Altaïr's Espinas Armor Set is a poor match. Poison is useless against Shen Gaoren, and as for the Heroics Skill boosting your physical abilities when you're badly wounded...
"Heh heh... Neither being stepped on by Shen Gaoren nor being drenched in its acid will leave you merely wounded. Either one will kill you outright. You'd be better off wearing nothing at all."
"I see. So I'd be better off without armor..." Altaïr began seriously considering Ted's "suggestion."
Malika saw the dangerous glint of interest in her young compatriot's eyes and promptly clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't listen to that fool!
"You absolutely need armor. Even if the Monster never touches you, fragments from Bowgun rounds or cannon shells, or the shock wave from an explosion, could kill you!"
"All right." Altaïr reluctantly abandoned his reckless idea.
Afterward, he asked the two veterans several questions about Shen Gaoren's weak points and attack patterns. Ted and Malika answered each one patiently.
Altaïr recorded every piece of experience and advice they shared. The information would be vital to the success of the interception operation.
Once he had asked nearly everything he wanted to know, Altaïr put away his notebook, satisfied that the trip had been worthwhile. He looked up to find Isis hopping up and down like a fool, fascinated by the strange sensation of the Zamtrios Z Armor Set absorbing each impact.
For a moment, he did not know what to say.
After a brief silence, Altaïr offered a tactful reminder. "Isis, isn't there something you'd like to learn from Mr. Ted?"
He deliberately emphasized "learn."
Isis still failed to catch on. "Huh? Oh... right! Aunt Malika!"
"Hm?"
"How's Babaka? Is he doing okay?"
As though worried Altaïr might feel left out of the conversation, she explained, "Babaka is Aunt Malika's hunting partner, and he's an incredibly strong Shakalaka!"
"Mm, he's doing well. But he stayed behind to mind the shop in Minegarde Town, so he didn't come with us."
Malika replied casually.
Altaïr stared at her in mute confusion.
A husband and wife had gone traveling together and left their hunting partner at home to mind the shop?
No, that was not the point...
He pulled Isis aside and asked in a low voice, "Didn't you say Mr. Ted was a highly skilled Gunlance user?"
Isis nodded vigorously. "That's right! Iron Wall Ted! Before he retired, Uncle Ted was an 8★ Hunter!"
"You've been wanting to find a great Gunlance user to learn from, haven't you? Then ask him to teach you!"
Isis stared blankly at him.
A question mark might as well have appeared over Isis's head. Then her eyes went wide.
She had no memory of ever seeing Ted clad in armor or holding a weapon, so her impression that he was a powerful Gunlance user had never been more than an abstract fact.
Deep in her heart, Ted had always been the loudmouthed, boisterous, booze-loving, funny old uncle who carried her around everywhere.
Finally connecting the two images in her mind, Isis dashed over to Ted in a few quick strides.
Her eyes burned with terrifying intensity. "Uncle Ted! Teach me how to use a Gunlance!"
Startled, Ted leaned back. "Teach you to use a Gunlance? Why would you use a Gunlance? Weren't you learning the Long Sword from Amos?"
"No! I'm a Gunlance user! I'm a Gunlance user!" Isis repeated herself for emphasis.
Ted still looked baffled. "Since when did you become a Gunlance user? Then who's going to inherit the swordsmanship of Grandpa Amos and your mother?"
Pointing at Altaïr as though lodging a complaint, Isis whined, "He inherited it!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)