Leon arrived at the dining area. Sunlight spilled over the eaves and onto the tables where hunters sat in boisterous groups, sharing stories of their hunts. In the background, the cauldrons bubbled and hissed as several Felynes skillfully served up plates of food.
Leon scanned the room but couldn't spot Flora anywhere. He caught a passing Felyne to ask about her.
"Miss Flora and Ramsey headed out to the Elder's Recess first thing this morning, meow. It was an urgent hunting request."
"They went to... the Elder's Recess?" Leon's expression soured slightly, a hint of envy clear on his face.
He had originally planned to ask Flora about the Schrade Village Chief, but he hadn't expected her to already be out on a hunt.
Then again...
'She is a hunter, after all...'
Just as Leon sat down to grab a bite, a familiar shout came from behind him.
"...Leon."
Leon turned to see Yuri walking toward him.
Dressed in clean, simple light armor, Yuri looked somewhat exhausted. She stopped in front of Leon, took a breath, and suddenly bowed deeply.
With her head lowered, she said, "Thank you for saving me the other day. I never got the chance to properly say it."
Leon was taken aback. He waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to be so formal. I had a mission to—"
"No." Yuri straightened up, shaking her head firmly. "If you hadn't been there, I probably would have died under the Rathalos's claws."
She reached into her vest and pulled out a charm woven from monster bone and red thread. Handing it to Leon, she continued, "This is a lucky charm I've always carried. It's saved me before... and now, I want you to have it."
What surprised Leon even more was how much Yuri seemed to have matured after her brush with death.
He looked at the charm, and though he felt a bit caught off guard, he accepted it solemnly. "Thank you. In that case, I'll take all the luck you can give."
Seeing Yuri's serious demeanor, it was obvious she had learned about Leon's upcoming assignment from the Sword Master.
"By the way," Leon said, pocketing the charm and changing the subject, "do you know anything about the Schrade Village Chief?"
"The Chief?" Yuri nodded, but her tone immediately grew somber. "He's been missing for a long time... The last time anyone saw him, it was supposedly in the Rotten Vale."
"The Rotten Vale?" Leon's brow furrowed as he pressed for more. "Wasn't it said that the Chief went back to the mainland?"
"I don't know for sure," Yuri said, lowering her voice. "Even the high-ranking members of the Research Commission avoid talking about it. But I heard my grandfather say that he personally saw the Chief deep within the Rotten Vale, carrying some kind of strange device."
Leon fell silent at the news.
He tapped his knuckles against the table. "So the Chief is still in the Rotten Vale? Is it because..."
Yuri hesitated before answering. "He's looking for an Elder Dragon."
As soon as she said the words 'looking for an Elder Dragon,' a specific name flashed in Leon's mind.
—Vaal Hazak.
The master of the deepest reaches of the Rotten Vale. Clad in rotting flesh and slow-moving, yet capable of controlling the Effluvium, it lacked the overt aggression of other Elder Dragons but was no less deadly. It was the true king of that land of death.
Leon voiced his confusion. "He's looking for Vaal Hazak?"
"I'm not sure," Yuri shook her head. "I just remember my grandfather saying the Chief was tracking an Elder Dragon..."
"Could he be trying to hunt one?" Leon muttered. "If so... Vaal Hazak is likely the target."
Yuri nodded in agreement. "I don't know why he wants to find it, but ever since you discovered that Elder Dragon, Schrade Village has dispatched quite a few hunters to the Rotten Vale..."
"In that case," Leon stood up, his voice resolute, "I need to head to the Rotten Vale myself."
Yuri's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're going alone?"
"Don't worry, I'm just going to find someone." Leon paused, his gaze calm. "I have questions that only the Chief can answer."
Yuri opened her mouth to argue but eventually just nodded softly. "Then... just be careful."
Leon patted Yuri on the shoulder and turned to leave, a strange premonition swirling in his chest.
The boisterous chatter of the dining area drowned out the underlying tension between them.
However, just as Leon was about to walk away, Yuri suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait a second." Yuri hesitated for a moment before making up her mind. "Don't leave yet. Stay here while I go grab something for you."
With that, she turned and sprinted toward a corner of the canteen. It was the storage area used by hunters, where iron trunks were neatly lined up, labeled with numbers and IDs.
Yuri stopped in front of a chest marked 'Y-31.'
She inserted her key, heaved the heavy lid open, and began rummaging through a small compartment at the very bottom.
Leon stayed put, watching her frantic yet focused silhouette. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Moments later, Yuri ran back, clutching a small pouch wrapped in deep blue velvet.
"Here, take this." Yuri handed him the pouch, her tone leaving no room for argument. "There are two Miasma Jewels inside. Slot them into your armor. At the very least, they'll help you last a bit longer in the Rotten Vale."
Leon took the pouch and unwrapped it, immediately recognizing the two deep purple jewels.
They emitted a faint, eerie glow, their surfaces etched with runes designed to suppress the corrosive effects of the Effluvium. These were high-rarity decorations.
Leon looked up at Yuri. "These things aren't cheap, are they?"
"Zip it," Yuri said, wrinkling her nose, though her voice had softened. "I'd be... really troubled if you just went and died in a place like that."
Leon arched an eyebrow. "Are you worried about me?"
"No! Who would worry about you?" Yuri looked away. "But... but don't you have that important mission in three days?"
So that was it. Yuri had heard about the Malzeno from the Sword Master.
Leon chuckled and nodded. "Alright, I'll take them then—since you're so insistent."
He tucked the jewels into his pocket. "I'll equip them. I promise your kindness won't go to waste."
Yuri huffed, but her expression relaxed considerably.
After a brief silence, she asked quietly, "So... when do you plan on leaving?"
"At noon," Leon said. "I'll go back, slot these Miasma Jewels into my gear, and then head out."
Yuri nodded. She didn't say anything more, but her eyes were filled with a mixture of worry and expectation.
They stood in silence for a few seconds, as if weighing the unease in their hearts.
"Let's have dinner together when you get back," Yuri whispered, her voice nearly lost in the ambient noise.
But Leon heard her. He raised his arm and gave her a casual 'no problem' gesture. "Don't you worry. I'm not going to let these jewels go to waste."