Even in its most aggressive enraged state, it remained suppressed by the hunter.
As its stamina waned, its rage burned out into exhaustion. With wounds continuously deepening, the Kecha Wacha's resistance grew increasingly feeble.
It began attempting to flee.
However, marked by a Paintball and lacking any true capacity for flight, the Kecha Wacha could never shake its pursuer.
After an entire afternoon of chasing, the pitiable Kecha Wacha finally collapsed helplessly in a pool of blood.
The hunt was complete.
After Altaïr and Sajji finished carving materials, they began their return journey.
The greatest advantage of a hunting ground being near a base lies in this: if the hunt goes smoothly enough, a same-day return is possible.
Returning to Val Habar, Altaïr and Sajji went immediately to the Guild Hall Dragonship. Hannah, who had processed their quest rank earlier that morning, hadn't even finished her shift.
But Sajji noticed with surprise that the patch of green hair on Hannah's bangs was gone.
Noticing Sajji's staring gaze, Hannah reflexively covered her bangs with her hand and said crossly, "What is it? I took some time during my lunch break to dye it, so what!"
To be honest, Sajji's comment that morning about her "looking like a Congalala" had been too much of a blow.
Rather than immediately taking leave to dye her hair, she had endured the strange looks from hunters and gritted her teeth behind the counter all morning. She was practically moved by her own professionalism.
Sajji tilted his head. "It's nothing, meow. I just think pure pink hair lacks a bit of the layers it had this morning, meow."
"..."
Hannah, despite her specialized etiquette training, nearly failed to suppress a curse.
Seeing the guild receptionist's face turn dark, Altaïr quickly pressed down on Sajji's head and placed a blood-stained object wrapped in cloth onto the counter.
Hannah gave Sajji a glare, adjusted her emotions, and unwrapped the bloody bundle.
It was a gory nose, a Kecha Wacha's nose. Though it had no practical use, it served as the slaying proof for a successful hunt.
An ordinary young girl might have screamed at the sight, but Hannah was long accustomed to such things. After carefully inspecting the shape and freshness of the nose, she smiled at Altaïr.
"Inspection complete, quest finished. Congratulations, Altaïr. From now on, you are also a 3★ Hunter." The Guildmarm skillfully completed their quest registration.
Then, under their expectant gazes, Hannah took the star-shaped branding iron from a locked safe, heated it over the furnace, and pressed a third star onto the cover of Altaïr's Hunter's Notes.
Altaïr, who usually kept his emotions in check, couldn't help the joy in his heart as he high-fived the jumping Sajji.
With an amused look at them, Hannah spoke up: "Little Isis left a message here for you. She said to head over to Chef Meow's place as soon as you settle the quest; she's prepared a celebratory banquet for you."
Altaïr was momentarily dazed.
He and Sajji hadn't even crossed paths with Isis since returning to Val Habar, heading straight to the Guild Hall to settle the quest. This meant she had gone to arrange the banquet ahead of time.
Was she that certain their hunt would go smoothly and they would return in time for dinner?
On second thought, however, Altaïr didn't find it strange.
The Iron Gospel and the Skalda S Set were pieces of equipment that wouldn't look out of place in the hands of a 4★ Hunter; they were sufficient to face a Large Flying Wyvern.
The threat level of a Kecha Wacha was bottom-tier among 3★ Monsters, and adding to that the detailed experience and advice shared by Jara...
If he still couldn't complete the hunt smoothly and quickly, he would be nothing short of useless.
If the one challenging the Kecha Wacha were Isis, he too would have prepared the victory feast early.
Thanking the Guildmarm Hannah, Altaïr led Sajji out of the Guild Hall and arrived at Chef Meow's shop.
Sure enough, beside a large table laden with delicacies, Isis was already waiting.
She wasn't the only one waiting; Jara raised a chubby hand to wave, grinning. "Congratulations! After Isis, another one reaching 3★ before even reaching adulthood!
By the way, you aren't eighteen yet, are you?"
"Thank you," Altaïr responded politely. "Almost. Another month or so."
"Eh? Isis said the same thing just now. Are you both born in June?" Naziya asked with surprise, leaning her chin on her hand with elbows on the table.
"Yes, our birth dates aren't more than a few days apart."
"Teacher Naziya meow!" Sajji rushed over and hugged Naziya's leg.
"Ehh? What's wrong?"
"Lend me the workbench and tools meow! Model-01 - Custom Custom Custom was destroyed by a monster again meow!"
"I knew it." Naziya pouted, picking Sajji up and placing him in a nearby seat. "It's fine to borrow the studio, but little Sajji, you need to understand something.
Your goal isn't to become a smithy, but an Assist Cat that uses various mechanical devices to support the hunt."
Sajji froze upon hearing this.
It wasn't that he didn't understand the difference. A smithy could stay in a studio, using an abundance of tools and materials to create exquisite and durable machinery.
But an Assist Cat following the mechanical path is, in essence, a Palico. In extreme circumstances, they even need to utilize materials found in the hunting grounds to cobble together a functional machine from scratch to threaten a monster.
It's one thing to be an alchemist skilled at making explosives, but quite another to be an excellent Bombing Palico.
If he wanted to be an excellent Assist Cat, he shouldn't just spend energy on mechanical knowledge; improving his field adaptability was even more important.
If a device breaks, collect the parts that still work and combine them with nearby materials to quickly assemble a new one.
Rather than, as in this hunt, having the artillery cart destroyed and being left with nothing but a Felyne Sword to poke at a monster's backside.
"I understand now meow! I'll be careful meow!"
Altaïr smiled and rubbed Sajji's head.
Sajji's reckless behavior of charging in with a Felyne Sword after the artillery cart was destroyed today had served as a reminder. He had intended to find an occasion to discuss this with Sajji, but now it seemed unnecessary.
"Let's eat! Let's eat!" Seeing everyone seated, Isis's eyes gleamed. "The dishes have been out for a while; they'll get cold if we don't eat!"
"...Did you forget something?" Jara was equally expectant of the delicacies, but as a reliable adult, he at least remembered the purpose of this gathering.
"Ah? Oh, right!" Isis finally reacted, raising a glass filled with beer. She had begged Chef Meow for a long time before he agreed to relax the alcohol ban for her slightly.
"To Altaïr's smooth promotion to 3★, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
—--
The day after Altaïr successfully hunted the Kecha Wacha and promoted to 3★, the two hunters and one cat began packing their gear, preparing to head to Dundorma.
The duration of this trip to Dundorma was yet to be determined, but in any case, it wouldn't be a journey of just two or three days.
For Isis, although it differed from the original plan, she had broken through her own limits on a different path, fulfilling her goal of coming out for independent training.
So, on this trip back to Dundorma, besides receiving a scolding from her elders, she intended to get her hunting partner Clawdia back.
Altaïr also had his own objective. To put it bluntly, he planned to use Isis's connections to properly consult her mentor regarding Long Sword swordsmanship.
The Long Sword is arguably the weapon that values lineage and tradition the most, unrivaled in that regard.
If he wanted to integrate the various messy skills he had mastered into Long Sword techniques, he didn't know how much time it would take if he just blindly experimented on his own, and the final result might not be good.
He had, of course, consulted Isis, but while her own Long Sword swordsmanship was quite practiced, she was far from the level of mastery required to provide guidance to a freak like him.
If he could obtain guidance from Isis's mentor and successfully integrate those techniques, his Long Sword swordsmanship might see a leap in progress.
Well... provided her mentor didn't die of pure rage after seeing his Long Sword Demon Mode, Long Sword Charged Slash, and other such nonsense.
Before departing, the two visited the seniors and friends who had looked after them one by one.
Jara treated them to another massive meal and prepared a bag of top-quality Val Habar Spice. Naziya gave Sajji a set of portable tools for easy use on the go.
Chef Meow prepared a "giant bundle" of snacks for Isis to stave off boredom on the road.
The wyverian artisan hadn't prepared a parting gift, but he had put a lot of work into turning the Tigrex hide Isis and Altaïr had given him into exquisite leather goods: leather bags, leather hats, belts, and so on, including Altaïr's Tigrex hide coat, which he found impossible to part with.
Sophia, the Guildmarm, arranged a ride on a passing Airship to make their travel easier.
As the Airship slowly ascended, carrying them away from this vibrant city, Altaïr suddenly realized he was someone who couldn't stay settled for long.
Rather than regret or reluctance, his heart was filled with anticipation.
(Translated by yourtl.app)