With the hunting of the two Nerscylla, the village's state of emergency was subsequently lifted.
Altaïr, who had sustained some injuries, rested in the village for a day. The Village Chief, the villagers, and the surviving hunter took turns coming by to offer their thanks, and celebratory banquets were, of course, indispensable.
However, life wasn't so pleasant for everyone, specifically for the young boy, Archi, who had run away from the village on his own.
Although his recklessness and efforts had ultimately played a role and indeed provided some assistance to Altaïr's hunt, his merits could not offset his faults.
The first thing his father, the surviving hunter, did after regaining his mobility was give his son a severe thrashing.
Ignoring warnings, abandoning his younger sister, and stealing his father's weapon for a risky stunt.
Injuring a neighbor who had kindly tried to stop his nonsense, and sneaking out of the village alone.
Suicidally charging into a Monster Den and nearly being swarmed to death by Nerscylla Hatchlings deep within the cave.
Any one of these actions taken alone would have earned him a beating he truly deserved.
Added together, Archi's father felt he was being far too good-tempered by not breaking the boy's legs; even the younger sister, who usually followed him everywhere, couldn't resist scratching him several times.
When his father called him out to see Altaïr off, Archi's entire face was swollen, he walked with a limp, and his arms bore the bite and scratch marks left by his sister.
Altaïr found the sight amusing.
Since the father had already provided a physical education, there was no need for him to lecture the boy any further.
To be honest, he thought quite highly of the lad; he seemed reckless and impulsive, but his mind was actually quite sharp. Once he improved his own strength and accumulated more combat experience, he would surely become an excellent hunter sooner or later.
—--
Not long after Altaïr and Serl left the remote village aboard their Airship, another Airship bearing the Guild emblem landed in the village.
Leading the group was an elderly lady appearing to be in her sixties or seventies. A quiet young girl wearing glasses followed closely behind her carrying a book satchel, while two Guild Knights accompanied them as escorts.
They were scholars and students from the Royal Academy, dispatched by the Guild to investigate the situation regarding the Nerscylla nest.
The Guild would determine the final course of action based on the contents of their report and their recommendations.
While following the village Hunter toward the location of the spider nest, the elderly scholar asked the girl in a testing tone.
"Alma, as you just heard, the two adult Nerscylla that established the nest have been slain by a hunter. How do you believe the remaining Nerscylla Hatchlings should be handled?"
The girl in glasses thought for two seconds and answered seriously: "The spider nest is too close to the village. Although the probability of the hatchlings reaching adulthood without parental protection is small, they remain a threat after all.
Wouldn't it be best to eliminate them all and then burn the nest to the ground?"
The elderly scholar paused, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Decisiveness is your greatest strength, yet also your greatest flaw.
Decide after you understand the situation, Alma. Understand the situation before you make a decision."
—--
At the Metabettat Guild Hall, before the Quest Counter.
The Guildmarm Miss Noya held a glowing star-shaped branding iron with both hands, nervously bringing it close to the Hunter's Notes resting on the desk.
Watching Miss Noya act as if she were facing a mortal enemy, Serl and Altaïr exchanged a look, seeing the speechless exasperation in each other's eyes.
Earlier, Serl had returned from successfully completing his 5★ Rank-Up Quest just in time to join the emergency relief for Altaïr. Only now did they have the chance to go through the formal promotion process together.
The verification, settlement, and registration steps were all finished. They had reached the final stage: branding the new Star emblem onto the cover of the Hunter's Notes.
Once this was done, their promotion would be officially complete.
Seeing a bead of cold sweat about to drop from the tip of Noya's nose, Serl spoke up to comfort her. "It's just branding a symbol on the cover, don't be so tense."
The sudden sound of his voice made the high-strung Noya flinch.
Sizzle...
"Eek! Why did you talk just now! It's crooked!"
"..."
Serl fell into silence as he stared at the fifth star, which sat slanted beside the four neatly aligned stars on the cover of his Hunter's Notes.
Altaïr forced down the urge to clutch his chest in relief.
That was close. If he hadn't insisted on the principle of "first come, first served" and let the Guildmarm brand Big Brother Serl's book first, that crooked Star emblem would have ended up on his own Hunter's Notes.
Noya flushed slightly. "Cough, I know a reliable leatherworker. How about I get the cover of your notes replaced? I'll just file a report with the Hunter's Guild headquarters."
"Forget it... it's not a big deal." Serl sighed and put away his Hunter's Notes.
Then, he and Noya both looked toward Altaïr.
Your turn.
"Uh, Miss Noya, how about you give the branding iron to me, and I'll do it myself under your supervision?" Altaïr asked tentatively.
"No way!" Noya crossed her arms in an X and refused flatly. "These irons can only be kept and used by the managers of each local Guild. Handing it to someone else is a serious disciplinary violation!"
"Then, then..." Altaïr's mind raced. "How about this? I'll get the Smithy to make an iron plate the same size as the notebook cover. We'll fix it over the cover with a cutout exactly where the star should be. Then you can just slot the iron in vertically, like a key?"
He had a mild case of OCD; if his Hunter's Notes ended up with a crooked star like Big Brother Serl's, he would seriously consider replacing the leather.
"Do you really distrust me that much!?" Miss Noya glared at him.
"I do not trust you," Altaïr answered decisively.
"..."
Am I usually too nice to these guys? To think he'd show me no respect at all. I am the Guild Manager, after all... aren't they afraid I'll make life difficult for them? Huh?!
Of course, she only dared to grumble these words in her head. If recruiting talent were ranked by priority, the guy in front of her undoubtedly belonged to the highest tier.
A 4★ Hunter at only nineteen years old; she'd tie him to the Metabettat Guild Hall with ropes if she had to!
Bang!
The doors to the Guild Hall tavern were kicked open. The swinging gates, polished to a glass-like sheen from years of maintenance, slammed heavily against the walls.
At that moment, Noya's eyebrows shot up.
Which bastard was it! Did they have any idea those doors were made of Yukumo Heavy Wood? They were incredibly expensive!
"I'm back!" Isis burst through the door, carrying a massive pack of Basarios materials on her back.
"."
Noya took a deep breath, a strained smile plastered on her face. "Miss Isis, you certainly are... full of energy today!"
Isis didn't notice anything unusual and asked eagerly, "Sister Noya, how is it? Did Altaïr set off? Is he back? Was he faster or was I?"
Altaïr turned around and waved at her. "Sorry, I had a bit of an advantage in terms of distance to the hunting grounds. I win this time."
"Eeeh...!" Isis slammed the pile of Basarios materials onto the freshly waxed floor with a heavy thud. "The hunt itself only took me half a day. I thought I had it in the bag; I spent all my time just commuting on the boats."
Isis said this, but her face didn't show much regret; her competitive streak wasn't actually that strong.
Clawdia, however, was the exact opposite.
Watching Sajji flash a peace sign at it from beside Altaïr, Clawdia turned its head away and let out an unrefined "Tch."
Altaïr first introduced Serl and Isis to each other, then said to Isis with a smile, "Perfect timing, you've finished your rank-up quest too.
Come on, let's head to the forge first and ask the Smithy to help us make a guide for branding the emblems."
Isis was completely bewildered. "Why look for the Smithy? What do you mean by a guide?"
A humble, forced smile appeared on Noya's face. "In... in short, it's a tool. Just go, I'll reimburse you out of my own pocket..."
"."
Seeing her like this, Altaïr actually felt a bit embarrassed.
He pushed his Hunter's Notes, which he hadn't put away yet, toward her. "Forget it, go ahead and stamp it. Just try not to get it too crooked. If it really doesn't work out, we'll do what you said and just replace the cover."
Isis, who understood a little but not everything, took out her own notes as well. "Are we branding the star emblems for the 4★ promotion? Then count me in.
These Basarios materials should serve as proof of a successful hunt, right? Check them over!"
Looking at the two sets of Hunter's Notes pushed in front of her, Noya felt a flicker of genuine touch.
She placed the branding iron back into the hearth to heat for a moment. To keep her hands from shaking, she simply slumped her entire body against the Quest Counter, slowly inching the iron toward the covers of the Hunter's Notes, centimeter by centimeter.
The sound of the searing iron touching the leather covers was distinct and pleasant. Amidst the faint scent of singed leather, a perfectly steady star emblem appeared on both Altaïr's and Isis's Hunter's Notes.
"See, it printed beautifully." Altaïr stowed his Hunter's Notes with satisfaction, not forgetting to offer a word of praise to the guild receptionist.
"Of course!" Noya wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "My hand just slipped before, an uncharacteristic performance!"
Even the good-tempered Serl couldn't help but look a bit dark-faced at this point.
"Hand slipped... uncharacteristic performance..."
(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
Hunter's Notes — The personal record book carried by every licensed hunter, issued by the Guild. It documents the hunter's rank, certifications, and quest history. During formal rank promotion ceremonies, Guild managers brand the cover with a star emblem using a heated iron, making it an official credential. The notes serve as both a career record and proof of identity when accepting quests or entering Guild-controlled facilities.
Rank-Up Quest — A special quest assigned by the Guild that a hunter must complete to advance to the next star rank. Unlike standard commissions, Rank-Up Quests are tailored to assess whether the hunter has the skill and composure required for higher-threat missions. Successfully completing one triggers the formal promotion ceremony.