The touching reunion scene froze for several seconds. Altaïr, standing nearby, sensed the awkwardness and was about to speak up to ease the tension.
Another figure emerged from inside the house.
It was an elderly man with a tall, upright posture. His hair was gray, and he appeared around sixty or seventy years old. His right arm was severed from the middle of the upper arm, yet his gaze remained sharp, intimidating enough to make one avoid meeting his eyes.
This old man truly had a formidable presence.
Altaïr had expected Isis to be trembling nervously, stammering even while greeting him.
Instead, she cheered, scooped up the motionless Clawdia in front of her with one hand, and spread her arms to hug the old man. "Grandpa Amos!"
The old man's sharp eyes softened considerably. He raised his left arm, intending to pat Isis's back, but found his arm blocked by the large shield and Gunlance behind her, halting his motion.
Sajji wasn't foolish either. With family reuniting, there was no need for him to intrude. He had already jumped down from Isis's shoulder beforehand.
Altaïr rubbed Sajji's head and smiled at Clawdia, who was being hugged by Isis and staring directly over her shoulder toward them.
Realizing she might have misunderstood, Clawdia stopped bristling and nuzzled Isis's neck.
Several seconds later, Isis released Amos and Clawdia, but Clawdia didn't loosen her grip, still clinging to Isis.
The joy of reuniting with family and partner subsided slightly, and Isis immediately became nervous again. Fortunately, she remembered she had brought along a "target" to help divert attention.
"Ah! Let me introduce them. This is my hunting companion, and his hunting partner Sajji. "This is Grandpa Amos, whom I've told you about, and my hunting partner Clawdia." Isis briefly introduced both sides.
"Hello, sir. My name is Altaïr." Altaïr straightened up, placed his hands beside his thighs, and bowed formally, greeting the old man and the Felyne named Clawdia respectfully.
Sajji quickly imitated the gesture.
This polite and proper attitude added a touch of goodwill in the old man's gaze toward them.
Although he had once been a Hunter, he wasn't fond of interacting with loud, overly familiar types who immediately tried to shoulder-hug. Young people like Altaïr, who understood etiquette, were more favored by him. Of course, admittedly, a larger part of the goodwill stemmed from the Long Sword Altaïr carried on his back.
"Don't crowd at the door. Come inside." After Amos said this, he led the way into the house, and Altaïr and the others hurriedly followed.
It was a two-story small building, spacious inside, at least it seemed spacious to Altaïr and the others, though in Dundorma, it was just the most ordinary residential house.
Amos asked Isis to take the guests to the living room while he went to prepare tea.
The furnishings at home hadn't changed much since she left. Isis led Altaïr and the others to put down their luggage and sit on the sofa. Then she placed Clawdia on her lap and combed her fur.
This little one had clung to her from the doorway to the sofa without ever coming down, but Isis was long accustomed to it. Her hunting partner had always been very clingy.
Soon, Amos brought a tea tray with tea sets and snacks to the living room.
Looking at those exquisite snacks, a somewhat absurd thought popped into Altaïr's mind; could these snacks all be handmade by this old man?
"Don't be polite. Feel free." Amos said after setting down the tea tray.
Isis hurriedly took the teapot from Amos's hands and poured tea for everyone. Sajji, sitting beside the tea table, stealthily extended his paw toward a pastry he particularly liked.
"Ah! Right!"
After pouring the tea, Isis suddenly stood up as if remembering something. Clawdia, unprepared, fell from her lap, and Sajji also startled, dropping the pastry he had just grabbed onto the table.
Isis excitedly ran to where she had placed her luggage, pulled out a delicate, small Item Pouch and a leather Ivy Cap from her pack.
She handed the pouch and cap to Clawdia and Amos respectively, boasting somewhat, "I prepared these specially for you. They're made from Tigrex hide!"
Clawdia, who had just climbed back onto the sofa, happily accepted the Item Pouch, but Amos's face instantly darkened.
Altaïr wanted to cover his face. Bringing out the gifts was fine, but why specifically mention Tigrex? Looking for a scolding?
The reason he wore this leather coat was to divert Amos's attention more toward himself when the topic arose. Yet, you jumped out first.
After the words slipped out, Isis also realized something was off. She stiffly turned to glance at Altaïr, as if seeking help.
Amos, who was staring at Isis, instinctively shifted his gaze following her movement and then landed on Altaïr's new leather coat.
Amos had no knowledge or concern about various leathers and materials, but a comparison showed that the brand-new leather coat on Altaïr and the leather cap Isis gave him had the same texture.
The pouch, the cap, and the leather coat... the connection between the three...
Amos narrowed his eyes slightly.
Altaïr shuddered. Although he intended to share some of the blame for Isis, why did he feel the old man's gaze was somewhat off?
Amos felt a subtle displeasure. Similar emotions had only appeared twice in his over sixty years of life, the last time being twenty or thirty years ago...
He stared at Altaïr, gazing deeply for several seconds, then shifted his gaze back to Isis. The latter was curled up like a startled Downy Crake, looking pitifully worried about being scolded.
"..."
The displeasure in Amos's heart instantly dissipated. Isis was raised by him personally; in understanding this girl, even her parents couldn't compare to him.
Thus, he immediately determined he had overthought earlier.
These were just two kids.
They hunted the Tigrex together. Isis used Tigrex hide to prepare gifts for them. That boy making a leather coat for himself was also normal.
The displeasure faded, but Amos's ignited anger hadn't dissipated yet.
He stared at Isis. "Tigrex? Hmm? You previously said you wanted to go out to hone yourself, to become a true 3★ Hunter. "So your 'true 3★ Hunter' means poaching a Tigrex and using its hide to make a pouch?"
Amos pointed at the leather Item Pouch in Clawdia's embrace, while his leather cap was selectively ignored.
Clawdia hugged her Item Pouch tightly, turning away. From today onward, this thing would be her most precious treasure.
Isis stammered, "That... that was... an accident."
"An accident? Ms. Sophia's letter to me explained the matter very clearly." Amos said coldly.
Altaïr sighed silently.
In front of this old man, Isis seemed to have even forgotten how to apologize or admit mistakes. Stand up, bow ninety degrees, shout "I'm wrong! I won't dare again!"
"Sorry, it's my responsibility." Altaïr left his seat, bowed his head, and said, "I thought of trying an adventure and dragged Isis along."
"Sit down." Amos pointed to the sofa seat. "Don't think about taking blame for her. Even if it truly was as you said, you wanted to go on an adventure, her, as a companion, choosing not to stop you but joining the action is the biggest mistake itself."
Clawdia, who was rubbing her precious pouch, also raised her head, tugged Isis's sleeve, "Don't take risks like this again next time, meow."
Then, she silently mouthed to Isis without sound: "Remember to take me along, meow. I can protect you, meow."
Isis giggled and nodded to her.
Although Amos didn't hear what they exchanged, seeing Isis's silly smile, he could guess.
A vein throbbed at his temple. He stood up and slapped both the human and cat's heads hard several times.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
PEOPLES Felyne —
A race of bipedal, cat-like beings who coexist with humans throughout the Monster Hunter world. Intelligent, sociable, and capable of speech, Felynes frequently serve as companions, cooks, and hunting partners to hunters. They are distinguished by their feline features, expressive tails, and characteristic speech pattern of appending "meow" to their sentences. Clawdia and Sajji are both Felynes.
ENDEMIC LIFE
Downy Crake — A small, fluffy bird found in various ecosystems across the Monster Hunter world, first appearing in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Known for its timid, easily startled nature, it is often used as a benchmark for skittishness.