Having understood the situation, Altaïr finally let his heart sink back into his chest.
To be honest, when he had encountered the overly enthusiastic Guildmarm and that unreasonably luxurious Hunter Cabin earlier, he had half a mind to grab Isis and make a run for it to avoid getting entangled in some bizarre incident.
It seemed he had overthought things.
Isis hadn't thought nearly as much; she was already immersed in the table full of delicacies.
Metapetatto bordered the sea to the east, while the other three sides were surrounded by vast Jungle. While such a geographic location, "embracing nature" as it did, made it prone to Monster attacks, the abundance of natural resources was incomparable to most other regions.
Take, for example, the large mushrooms Isis was currently stuffing into her mouth by the handful.
Altaïr had seen this once in Loc Lac; they were called extremely rare treasures from the Great Forest. To preserve maximum freshness, merchants had buried them in soil and transported them via Airship inside a large basin containing a live tree. Anyone who didn't know better would have mistaken it for a potted plant, and the price was naturally high enough to scare someone to death.
But here, a giant platter of them was served up, simply seared on an iron plate with butter.
The various land and sea delicacies on the menu were too numerous to count. Even with Isis's appetite, it would be impossible to try every dish within three or five meals.
He wasn't sure if Guildmarm Noya's strategy of using living conditions to attract Hunters worked on others, but Isis had definitely fallen for it. Unless she worked her way through the entire menu twice, this girl probably wouldn't be willing to leave.
"Setting aside the enjoyments like food and fun for a moment, what's the situation with quests and transportation around here?" Altaïr continued his inquiry.
As the shared brain for the two of them, he had more to consider.
Brandley said with a smile, "There's no end to the quests, anyway. The Jungle is right at our doorstep. Further northwest is the Schrade Forest and Hills, and to the northeast is the Kuruputiosu Wetlands. These three massive hunting grounds alone could accommodate a thousand Hunters and still have room for more.
"Regarding transportation, to be honest, it's not as convenient as Dundorma, but it's manageable since the hunting grounds are right outside.
"Since you're nearly 4★ at your age, you must be the hardworking type when it comes to quests. Noya is fondest of your kind.
"If someone comes just to slack off for the benefits and is too lazy to even gather a mushroom... well, don't let the Guildmarm's usual bubbly attitude fool you. She's quite terrifying when she loses her temper."
Altaïr nodded, finally feeling a bit more grounded.
—--
Leaving Isis to eat slowly, he rose from his seat alone and headed toward the Quest Counter.
Noticing his approach, Noya, who had been idly playing with little Lillian, immediately straightened up, her eyes gleaming as she looked over.
When they were registering their quest earlier, she had snuck a peek at their Hunter's Notes. She had made up her mind right then, good heavens, even if she had to resort to using her charms, she was going to make these two stay!
"Ms. Guildmarm..."
"You can call me Noya too, you know~." Noya cupped her cheek with one hand and blinked, striking a cute pose.
"..." Altaïr's entire face scrunched up as if he had just seen something filthy.
"Um, sorry, you're not used to this style, are you?" Noya rubbed her face and picked up a pair of plain glasses from behind the counter. Putting them on, she folded her hands demurely in front of her waist and adopted a formal, slightly detached smile.
"Mr. Altaïr, is there anything I can help you with?"
Altaïr felt a bit of a headache coming on. He wanted to tell this young Guildmarm to act normal, but in the end, he said nothing, fearing it would only encourage her further.
"Madam Guildmarm, as my companion mentioned before, we are planning to promote to 4★ soon. We have specific targets in mind for our hunt.
So, I wanted to ask if there are any suitable quests. If not, I'd appreciate it if you could notify us when a fitting one appears."
"No problem!" The Guildmarm receptionist quickly pulled out a pen and paper. "What kind of targets? What are the requirements? Just say the word!"
The fact that the Guildmarm receptionist was preparing to take official notes made Altaïr feel a spark of goodwill toward her. "My companion Isis is targeting Basarios. As for me, I'm planning to target Yian Garuga or Shogun Ceanataur.
There aren't many other requirements, other than ensuring no other large Monsters are lurking nearby; avoiding intrusions as much as possible."
"I see. You're planning to upgrade your gear while you rank up, right?" The Guildmarm receptionist tossed the pen and paper aside.
"Miss Isis is a tank, so her target is Basarios. You, Mr. Altaïr, are aiming for offensive-type armor. I completely understand!"
Altaïr's gaze swept over the discarded pen and paper. The spark of goodwill that had appeared seconds ago vanished instantly, followed by a two-point deduction.
"Basarios is no problem. There aren't any Basarios in the Jungle, but they occasionally appear over in the Kuruputiosu Wetlands. If all else fails, there are always some at the Volcano. Give me a few days, and I'll find one!
There are Yian Garuga in the Jungle, but they're rare; it'll come down to luck. Shogun Ceanataur share a similar distribution range with Basarios, so I'll see what I can do.
However, if I'm not mistaken, the equipment you're currently using is Skalda S Armor. Honestly, the performance of Skalda S as offensive armor is on par with the Yian Garuga Armor Set and the Ceanataur Armor Set. There isn't much need to swap.
On the other hand, Yian Garuga materials can be used to forge a decent poison-element Long Sword, and Shogun Ceanataur materials can create an excellent raw Long Sword. Perhaps you could consider prioritizing a new weapon instead.
As a side note, Nerscylla is also a good choice. Those things show up in the Jungle sometimes, and Nerscylla materials can forge a quite outstanding sleep-attribute Long Sword. Wouldn't that be another option?"
Altaïr glanced at this Guildmarm receptionist with some surprise. Her first impression was unreliable, but she was unexpectedly familiar with Hunter-related knowledge. To even recognize Skalda S, which was relatively niche gear?
Moreover, her advice was genuinely sound.
He currently only had two Long Swords: his most frequently used Iron Gospel, and the Eager Cleaver, a thunder-element Long Sword forged from Khezu materials.
A seasoned Long Sword user wouldn't dream of heading out without five, six, seven, or even eight blades of various elements. Rather than replacing his armor, he perhaps truly should prioritize forging more weapons of different elements to handle various situations.
"We'll go with your suggestions, then. Please keep an eye out for Basarios, Shogun Ceanataur, Yian Garuga, and Nerscylla for us.
We'll take a few days to rest, maintain our gear, and restock our items before we prepare to take on the Rank-Up Quest."
"No problem at all!"
Though she was a bit eccentric, her efficient attitude and detailed, reliable advice caused Altaïr's opinion of this Guildmarm to rise once again.
After all, she was the head of a city's Hunter's Guild; for her to handle things personally to this extent was truly no small feat.
"Sorry for the trouble, and thank you very much," Altaïr said with a nod of gratitude.
"Don't mention it! After all, I'm everyone's idol, little Noya~!" She struck a pose with her hands on her hips and gave a wink while flashing a peace sign.
"..." Altaïr watched her, his expression turning stony.
Clearly sensing his favorability dropping, Noya's expression froze. She lowered her hand with a forced laugh and cleared her throat. "Ahem... everyone at the Guild Hall says a receptionist should be lively, so I got used to it..."
As if trying to dispel her embarrassment, the little receptionist Lillian standing beside her suddenly put her hands on her hips and flashed a peace sign too. "When Lillian grows up, she wants to be an idol who connects everyone, too!"
Upon hearing the little girl's words, Altaïr fell silent. His expression gradually softened, and he let out a soft sigh.
"You've really had a hard time."
Sajji poked his head out from behind Altaïr's shoulder and sighed in perfect sync.
"Indeed, meow. She might be a bit loopy, but isn't this Guildmarm supporting this disaster-stricken Guild in her own way, meow?
Being a Wyverian, she looks young, but her actual age might already be that of an old lady, meow. Who knows what hardships she hides behind all that daily jumping around and acting cute, meow?"
Noya, who had been moved just a second ago by Altaïr's heartfelt "You've had a hard time," saw her expression twist instantly.
She slammed her hands onto the counter and roared, "That's nonsense! I really am only twenty years old!"
(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.
MONSTERS
Nerscylla — A large Temnoceran, a class of arthropod-like monsters related to Carapaceons such as the Shogun Ceanataur. Its pale grey chitinous carapace is naturally conductive and vulnerable to thunder, but the Nerscylla compensates for this weakness by hunting Gypceros and draping their insulating rubbery hide over its body like a cloak. It is an ambush predator, moving in near-silence, injecting sleep or lethal venom via its chelicerae, and storing prey in silk-wrapped cocoons within its nest. Its materials can be used to forge sleep-attribute weapons. Threat level 4★.