Early the next morning, Altaïr, Isis, and their companions bid farewell to the enthusiastic villagers of the fishing village. With the help of boatmen, they boarded a small fishing boat and traveled along the western shore of the inland sea, heading towards the nearest city, Metapetatto.
—--
After two days and one night of sailing, they arrived at the port of Metapetatto City.
This was an ancient yet newly rising city.
The history of the city could be traced back several hundred years, when scattered mountain dwellers from the Old Jungle banded together to survive.
On the edge of the jungle, among the hills along the western shore of the Geo-Krukk Inland Sea, they built a humble human settlement, which became the precursor to Metapetatto.
Over a long period of development, Metapetatto grew from a small village into a town, and later established commercial streets and a port.
The abundant natural resources of the Old Jungle were concentrated here and shipped via the port to Dundorma across the inland sea, or transported southward across the road bridges to the southern continent.
Ultimately, it developed into one of the most prosperous trading cities along the inland sea circuit, as well as a vital transportation hub connecting the eastern and western parts of the continent.
And why is it described as "newly rising"?
Due to geographical factors, this city was prone to attacks from Monsters in the jungle.
To protect the city, the Guild built a Fortress here. In countless battles, innumerable Hunters, soldiers, and even ordinary citizens shed blood and gave their lives to protect their homeland.
Even so, there were still some "things" that human strength could not overcome.
Over ten years ago, this city was burned in dragon flame. The number of casualties exceeded ten thousand, and property and economic losses were impossible to calculate.
The only fortunate thing was that its long history had given the residents of this city an extremely strong sense of self-identity. Even though their home was destroyed, their hearts never scattered.
Supported by the Guild and various merchant guilds from different regions, the people of Metapetatto rebuilt a brand-new Metapetatto City on the ruins.
Such an experience also endowed this city with a rather unique spirit.
It possessed the weighty heritage of an ancient city, along with the drive and vitality characteristic of a newly rising city.
The proportion of young people and children in the city was also astonishingly high. While this description might sound slightly odd applied to humans, rushing to reproduce after a great disaster is simply the instinct of living beings.
Even self-proclaimed "intelligent" humans are no exception.
"Hey!"
Isis jumped forcefully, hopping from the small boat onto the pier, followed closely by Clawdia.
Altaïr, who had just helped the boatman set up the plank ladder and was about to step ashore, nearly got rocked into the water by them.
"Sorry..."
Apologizing helplessly to the boatman, who waved cheerfully, Altaïr, with Sajji, boarded the pier.
After asking someone for the location of the local Guild Hall, he quickly caught up with Isis, who had already wandered off, and they walked together towards the Guild Hall.
Along the way, children occasionally ran past them. Seeing their armor and weapons, they would shout exaggerated "Wow!" cries.
Some with guts even gathered around them, wanting to reach out and touch, but were scared off by Isis, who snarled and made faces.
Perhaps because she was too tall and wore a helmet, a little girl who looked only four or five years old was frightened and cried, leaving Isis scrambling awkwardly.
In the end, thanks to Sajji's help, the little one was coaxed and sent away; Sajji had done this sort of thing plenty of times back in the Rangers team.
The adults noticing this didn't get angry, just smiled kindly. When passing some fruit stalls, enthusiastic vendors even tossed them a few fruits, saying they were offering them to eat.
Over the past year, they had visited quite a few places. Although Hunters were generally welcome everywhere, people as friendly and warm as those in this city were truly uncommon.
"The atmosphere here is really nice." Isis bit off half a fruit, mumbling, "There's even free fruit."
Altaïr looked at her with amusement. "If you like it, stay a while longer. We've been running around in the wilderness lately; let's take a good rest."
Just right, before taking the promotion to 4★ quest, a series of preparations were needed. They had originally considered whether to return to Dundorma, since they were more familiar there.
But now, it seemed unnecessary. Preparing for the promotion in this city seemed fine too.
Chatting and laughing, the two entered the Guild Hall.
The Metapetatto City Hunter's Guild Hall was not small. Among the Guild Halls they had visited, in terms of building scale and facility completeness, it could be said to be second only to Dundorma's Guild Hall tavern.
It was clear that the Guild Manager here was quite "ambitious."
As they talked and walked, passing a long table, two Hunters drinking together turned their heads simultaneously.
"Oh? Dundorma accent? Fellow newcomers here?"
"Haha, coincidence! Come drink a few cups!"
Hearing the familiar, warm hometown accent, Isis instinctively wanted to walk over. Altaïr helplessly pulled her back.
Hunters didn't like false gestures; inviting you to drink a few cups was not a polite phrase. If you really went, it probably wouldn't be just one or two cups before leaving.
Although confident in Isis's drinking capacity and indeed intending to meet other Hunters to exchange information, there were more important matters now.
"We'll handle some procedures first, then come!" Altaïr waved to them with a smile.
"Agreed! We'll order more dishes, wait for you!"
Isis licked her lips. The big feast eaten before leaving the fishing village had been digested over two days on the boat. Later, they'd need to ask about local specialty dishes and eat well!
Behind the Quest Counter, seeing them approach, two guild receptionists, one tall and one small, bowed together. "Welcome to the Metapetatto Hunter's Guild Hall~."
Altaïr was momentarily stunned. These two guild receptionists were both unusual.
The taller one was actually a Wyverian, seemingly quite young, around twenty years old by human standards, though exact age was hard to say since she was Wyverian.
The other guild receptionist was human, very petite, her height not even reaching the Wyverian guild receptionist's shoulder.
Altaïr's surprise wasn't due to her height, but her age. The little girl looked at most twelve or thirteen years old. Even as a trainee not yet officially working, this was too young!
Isis's gaze toward the little girl was filled with envy. So small, like a little animal, wearing a small skirt would be very cute.
Unlike her, at twelve or thirteen, she was already taller than many adult men. She tried wearing a small skirt once, and even Amos couldn't hold back.
"Hello?" The Wyverian guild receptionist smiled at them. "My full name is quite long, just call me Noya. What can I help you with?"
"Hello, Hunters! I'm Lillian!" The other guild receptionist, though young, seemed lively, introducing herself without any shyness.
"Hello. We need to register a quest." Altaïr regained his focus, handing over the quest form written by the fishing village Village Chief and their Hunter's Notes.
Since that Plesioth had threatened the village's safety, the fishing village Village Chief had the authority to issue quests directly to Hunters, but afterward must report and register with the Guild, otherwise it couldn't be recorded in the quest log.
"Okay!"
The Wyverian guild receptionist Noya efficiently completed the registration procedures. When she returned their Hunter's Notes, her beautiful big eyes shone with excitement.
"Mr. Altaïr, and Ms. Isis, right? Are you two traveling Hunters?"
"Mm, yes."
"Considering staying in our Metapetatto for a while? This is a very, very wonderful city!"
Altaïr hadn't yet replied, but Isis nodded honestly. "We're planning to rest here for a bit, then apply for the promotion to 4★ quest.
Does sister have suitable recommendations for commissions here?"
"Yes! Of course! Any Monster commission you want, we have here! If not, we can grab them from other cities!"
Altaïr: "?"
(End of chapter)
(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.
PLACES
Old Jungle — One of the oldest and most storied hunting grounds in the Old World, characterized by its dense multilayered tropical canopy, network of waterways, and extraordinary biodiversity. It sits at the western edge of the continent and borders the Geo-Krukk Inland Sea, making the surrounding region both a rich source of natural resources and a persistent flashpoint for Monster incursions into human settlements.
Metapetatto — A port city on the western shore of the Geo-Krukk Inland Sea, at the edge of the Old Jungle. Known in the games' lore as a trading hub established by hunters as a waystation, it sits at a strategic crossroads connecting the eastern and western parts of the continent. In this story, the city was devastated by an Elder Dragon attack roughly a decade before the present, losing more than ten thousand lives, and has since been rebuilt from the ground up under ambitious new Guild leadership.