"Ahem! Let's not bring up the past anymore!"
Seeing Altaïr and Isis going down an increasingly absurd tangent, Francesca quickly cut them off.
Her earlier worries about Isis being deceived were already tossed aside. She had a fairly good impression of this kid named Altaïr, plus Pawdrick's "professional judgment" suggested he was a relatively reliable person.
The current problem was, having boasted too much back then, how could she extricate herself without losing face?
"Cough, are you two planning to stay in Dundorma for a while?" Temporarily unable to think of a better solution, Francesca tried to change the subject.
She succeeded. Isis and Altaïr exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.
"Probably not for long."
"Probably will stay for a while."
Their answers were unexpectedly uncoordinated.
Isis came back this time specifically to get scolded, and besides that, to find her hunting partner, Clawdia. Now that both goals were achieved, she naturally didn't want to linger too long in this overly familiar city.
Altaïr was exactly the opposite. Through his conversations with Amos, he increasingly realized the complexity and breadth of Long Sword swordsmanship. He had thought he'd basically mastered the use of this weapon, but now he understood his knowledge of the Long Sword was far too superficial.
Having finally encountered a good teacher like Amos, of course he wanted to seek more guidance.
At the very least, he needed to learn advanced sword techniques like Foresight Slash and Iai Slash. Even if he couldn't execute the more difficult techniques right away, he needed to lay a foundation for future self-practice. Of course, improving and perfecting Crimson Blade Slash and Long Sword Charged Slash couldn't be neglected either.
There was too much he wanted to learn. Even though he generally picked up techniques quickly, a month might not be enough.
Altaïr and Isis looked at each other again.
This was perhaps the biggest drawback of teaming up: when their itineraries conflicted, disagreements easily arose.
Altaïr knew Isis didn't want to stay long in her hometown, just as he didn't want to stay in Loc Lac forever. He tentatively suggested, "How about you go back to Val Habar first? I'll catch up as soon as I finish here?"
Isis also hesitated.
They hadn't discussed whether, after coming to Dundorma, they still planned to return to Val Habar.
According to Isis's earlier thoughts, Clawdia had probably gone off to train on her own. They might have to search for her while traveling across the continent.
Who would have thought they'd run into her right after returning to Dundorma?
But if she didn't stay longer in Dundorma, where else could she go?
She didn't have any urgent, must-do matters. She couldn't force Altaïr to leave just because "I'm bored of Dundorma," ruining his hard-won training opportunity, could she?
Going back to Val Habar alone for a while seemed possible. Come to think of it, since switching to Gunlance, she hadn't hunted a 3★ Monster solo yet. Maybe use this chance to reassess herself?
Seeing the two of them tangled in indecision, Francesca suddenly spoke up. "Actually, I have a suggestion."
Altaïr and Isis looked over.
In their eyes, Francesca was a model senior, a mature and excellent older sister. They both listened attentively to her suggestion.
"Do you two know about the Arena Challenge?"
They both nodded.
Isis grew up in Dundorma, and many elders around her were Hunters, so of course she knew.
Altaïr had also lived in Loc Lac for ten years; Loc Lac's Great Arena was quite famous, so he was naturally aware too.
The so-called "Arena" tasks were closely related to the "Capture" system promoted by the guild.
During hunts, at least one-third of Hunters chose to capture Monsters when they were weakened, using traps combined with Tranq Bombs or Tranq Ammo.
For Hunters, this effectively prevented the Monster's death throes, making it more efficient. Apart from transportation being troublesome, it had many advantages, especially regarding material rewards.
In high-intensity combat, it's difficult for Hunters to hold back, so normally hunted Monsters often have damaged body parts.
Plus, hunting grounds are dangerous, and Monster corpses decay easily. Hunters don't have the conditions to carve slowly and handle meticulously. The materials they can actually bring back to the city are usually not plentiful.
Capture is different. After recovering a live Monster, the guild will either slaughter it directly or temporarily raise it for research purposes.
Whether it's slaughtered and meticulously carved by guild professionals, or raised for a period until the Monster's injuries heal before slaughter, more materials can be obtained.
Even though the guild takes a portion of the materials as a fee, the final amount settled to the Hunter is far greater than directly hunting and carving it themselves.
And the portion of Monster materials taken by the guild can also be used for reward distribution, trade, city defense weapon manufacturing, and various other purposes, truly achieving a win-win situation.
This was why the guild encouraged Hunters to capture, sometimes even issuing specialized Capture Quests.
But there was another problem here.
In a big city like Dundorma, the number of large Monsters captured by Hunters daily could reach several, even over a dozen.
Most of these would be slaughtered directly, while a small portion would be temporarily raised by the guild for research or other reasons.
Wild large Monsters are extremely difficult to raise long-term, and raising large Monsters itself consumes vast resources; food, manpower, space, etc.
So periodically, the guild needed to slaughter some of the raised Monsters according to plan.
If it were Monsters like a Velocidrome, it might be easier, but a male Rathalos whose injuries have mostly healed isn't something just anyone can slaughter, even if it's covered in chains and shackles.
In the end, only Hunters can handle it.
But after going to the trouble of capturing a large Monster and binding it tightly with chains, having a Hunter hack it to death is somewhat wasteful.
Thus, on someone's suggestion, Arena Quests were born.
Major cities built Arenas, where Hunters who accepted Arena Quests would battle and hunt the Monster inside.
This way, Hunters got more practical combat training. If an accident occurred, rescue was easier, and serious injuries or fatalities were largely avoided.
Ordinary citizens as spectators provided substantial ticket revenue and greatly reduced the average person's fear of Monsters. It could be said to kill multiple birds with one stone.
For Hunters, these Arena Quests were also very popular. After all, they were relatively safe; no need to track the Monster all over the hunting grounds and get led around by it. The rewards were good and counted normally towards quest completion.
So these types of quests were often snatched up as soon as they were posted.
As for the Arena Challenge Francesca mentioned, it added more "competitive" elements to the regular Arena Quests.
Simply put, it was a timed competition: same Monster species, whoever finished it faster.
For fairness, the guild provided specific armor and weapons. Record breakers could receive extra rewards.
"So you mean, there's an upcoming Arena Challenge that Isis could participate in?" Altaïr asked to confirm.
"Exactly. Actually, it's not necessarily just for Isis. Arena Challenge events include solo and duo categories. You could participate too in between your training. "Wouldn't it be more efficient to polish your skills through actual combat while training sword techniques?" Francesca said with a smile.
"That's not a bad idea." Amos, who had been quiet, nodded in praise. "Sword techniques aren't forged in the training ground. Without real combat, you can never truly master them."
Isis tilted her head. "Sounds pretty fun, huh!"
Honestly, going back to Val Habar alone would be a bit boring. Staying in Dundorma to participate in the Arena Challenge seemed more interesting.
"One last question." Altaïr raised his hand. "We're both willing to participate in the Arena Challenge, but such events aren't just open to anyone who wants to join, right? "Lots of Hunters must sign up. How do we get spots?"
"That's easy." Francesca smiled confidently. "Compared to regular Arena Quests, the Arena Challenge has a stronger commercial aspect. To sell tickets well, it needs topics. "You two aren't even adults yet. Kids your age are still training in the training camp, and here you are coming to participate in the Arena Challenge. That's a topic right there! "By the way, I didn't get to ask earlier. I know Isis is 3★, but what about you? 2★?"
"I just got promoted to 3★."
"..." Francesca's cheek twitched.
Damn it, the fact that my Hunter rank is only 2★; I'll tear my mouth before letting them know that!
(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.
CONCEPTS & SYSTEMS
Arena / Arena Challenge — Arenas are enclosed combat venues built in major cities where Hunters battle pre-captured Monsters. Standard Arena Quests offer safe, reliable hunts with good rewards. The Arena Challenge adds a competitive layer: Hunters are timed and ranked against each other using guild-provided standardized equipment, ensuring fair comparison. Record breakers receive special prizes. These events also serve a public function, drawing crowds of civilian spectators and generating revenue for the city.
Capture System — An alternative to outright killing Monsters, the Capture system allows Hunters to incapacitate a weakened Monster using traps and Tranquilizer Bombs, delivering it alive to the Guild. Captured Monsters yield more materials than hunted ones, since Guild professionals can process them carefully. The Guild retains a portion of materials as a fee, using them for research, city defense, and trade. The system is actively encouraged by the Guild and underlies the existence of Arena Quests.