"What do you mean 'phase her out'?!" Brandley glared at Buck with dissatisfaction. "Serl said Francesca would always be the honorary leader of our Vanguard Hunting Party, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, isn't it all the same?" Buck replied with an air of indifference.
It was clear that this Hammer user named Buck held far less "respect" for Francesca than the Heavy Bowgun user did.
"Sorry." Altaïr raised a hand to interrupt them. "Is your hunting party leader, Serl, a Sword and Shield user? Wearing Rathian Armor?"
"Ah, exactly! You know the boss?" Buck looked over in surprise.
A smile appeared on Altaïr's face. "Yes, he visited Loc Lac over a year ago. I received a lot of guidance and help from him back then."
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember. The boss told us he met a very talented kid in Loc Lac, that must be you!
Wait? But didn't he say you used a Sword and Shield?"
"I'm proficient with several weapons, but currently I mainly use the Long Sword." After a brief explanation, Altaïr continued asking, "So, is he in Metapetatto now as well?"
"Him?" Buck and Brandley exchanged a glance. "He is, yeah. But he hasn't been around the last few days; he went out on a solo mission. Once he gets back from this trip successfully, he'll promote to 5★."
Altaïr's eyes lit up at the news. "As expected of him. We can't afford to fall behind either."
Isis nodded firmly. "Exactly! We're aiming to promote to 4★ by the end of the month!"
"You two are about to promote to 4★ as well?!" Buck and Brandley looked over in shock. Even the youngest, Balina, couldn't help but let out a "Wow!"
While 3★ Hunters in their late teens or early twenties weren't common, they weren't unheard of either. Serl had promoted to 3★ at roughly that age, while the two of them had been slightly slower, reaching it in their early twenties.
But hearing that Isis had already been at 3★ for two years, meaning she had promoted at seventeen, was an entirely different story.
Looking at the grinning Isis, Buck instinctively wanted to remark "As expected of the daughter of those two," but then he noticed the weapon on her back wasn't a Great Sword or a Long Sword, but a Gunlance, which didn't fit the mold at all.
The compliment died in his throat. After a two-second pause, he changed it to: "That's bloody impressive!"
As the group ate and drank, they finished exchanging backgrounds. Eventually, Altaïr shifted the conversation toward the topic weighing on his mind.
He lowered his voice slightly. "Logically speaking, you two have been in Metapetatto longer. What do you think of the Guild here? Don't you find it a bit..."
"A bit weird, right?" Brandley finished the sentence with a smile. "Luxury rooms at cheap prices, surprisingly affordable food and drinks at the tavern, and even the guild receptionists are incredibly enthusiastic.
Everything is just a bit too good; you're worried there's a catch or a trap?"
"...Yes." Brandley was so blunt that Altaïr's expression turned a bit awkward.
"It's not strange to have those worries. To be honest, we were even more paranoid than you when we first arrived," Brandley said with a chuckle.
Buck leaned in as well, shooting them a knowing look. "When the boss first saw the rooms, he double-checked the price and didn't even dare to check in. He ran out and asked around everywhere before he finally felt at ease."
"So, there's no hidden catch or motive? The Guild here just happens to have exceptionally good benefits?"
"Pretty much." Brandley took a sip of his drink. "Though I wouldn't say there's no motive at all. You both know this city was destroyed about ten years ago, right?"
Altaïr and Isis nodded in unison.
"Most of the older generation of local hunters perished in that disaster, and it's been difficult for a new generation to grow up amidst the ruins.
After all, a Hunter Training Camp isn't something you can just set up on any random plot of land. Take Balina, for example; even though she's a native of Metapetatto, she had to go abroad to Giovadreo to receive her basic hunter training.
Add to that this city's unique geographical location, which makes it prone to Monster attacks, and the number of hunters in New Metapetatto has been insufficient for a long time.
To address this, the Guild headquarters has poured a massive amount of resources here over the years, but to be honest, not many hunters are actually willing to put down roots and stay."
At this point, Brandley paused, his expression turning slightly subtle. "That was until last year, when the old Guild Manager retired and a new one took over. The Metapetatto Guild began what could be called a radical set of reforms.
The reconstruction of the training camp was put on hold, and a vast amount of resources was diverted to the expansion of the Guild Hall.
The Guild Hall, which was originally modest and practical, became massive and luxurious. Looking at those rooms, you can tell the investment was anything but small.
Then, they rolled out a series of preferential policies, using the most pragmatic means to aggressively attract young hunters from all over, as well as traveling hunters."
Hearing this, Altaïr understood.
The decision to slow down the reconstruction of the training camp seemed radical, but it was actually critical.
Even if they poured in resources and built the training camp, what about the instructors? Even if they hired instructors from other cities with high salaries, it would take several years at the earliest for the first batch of rookie hunters to graduate.
And newly graduated rookies cannot immediately become a combat force. Gathering mushrooms and herbs or slaying a few Velociprey is the limit of what a rookie hunter can achieve.
Due to a lack of experience, rookies are also highly susceptible to danger. Without veterans to lead them, the casualty rate of newcomers could give instructors a heart attack.
Safety is one aspect, and growth speed is another. Take Balina: under the guidance of several veterans from the Vanguard Hunting Party, her growth rate will far exceed that of rookies her age.
In fact, all Guilds are like this; experienced hunters naturally help and protect rookies as they grow, passing down experience and techniques from one generation to the next.
The problem, however, was that the Metapetatto Guild had been short-handed for years. They couldn't even clear the backlog of quests, and the veterans were worked to the bone. Even if they wanted to mentor rookies, they lacked the time and energy.
So, the new Guild Manager simply decided to suspend the training camp reconstruction and reserve the limited resources for ready-made combatants. By using preferential policies to attract a large number of local and traveling hunters, they could get the framework of the organization back on its feet first.
The Vanguard Hunting Party was exactly the kind of group drawn in by these incentives.
Once they had enjoyed the luxurious rooms, various perks, and the unique urban atmosphere of Metapetatto, they would find it hard to adjust even if they returned to their original cities.
Even if not everyone chose to stay long-term, keeping a portion of them was enough to substantially bolster the strength of the Metapetatto Guild.
In a few years, once a sense of cohesion had gradually formed, they would become true "local hunters."
By then, the training camp should have been successfully rebuilt, starting to churn out batches of novices to grow under the guidance of the veterans.
With more hunters, the city would become safer, the rich natural resources of the Jungle could be tapped, and merchants would congregate, further stimulating urban development and forming a virtuous cycle.
"That's a very fine reform," Altaïr praised from the bottom of his heart. "I'm starting to get curious about what kind of person the new Guild Manager here is."
Hearing this, the eyes of Buck, Brandley, and Balina all turned toward the Quest Counter.
Sensing their gaze, the Wyverian guild receptionist looked back and flashed them a sweet smile.
Altaïr: "..."
I knew there was something off about that guild receptionist!
"...So, the Guild Manager here is actually serving as the guild receptionist herself?"
Buck shrugged. "That wasn't how it was supposed to be. I heard the original receptionist got pregnant and went home to have her second child, and since they couldn't find a suitable replacement in time, the Guildmaster hauled somebody's daughter over to fill in, and even stepped in personally.
To everyone's surprise, it was a massive hit, so she just kept the dual role."
Altaïr propped up his forehead, unsure of how to react.
Previously, he had just thought Noya was a bit strange, a little over-enthusiastic for a guild receptionist, but for some reason, he was starting to feel a sense of admiration for her.
(Translated by yourtl.app)