Upon hearing that Altaïr and the others might be in danger, Isis and Nymera naturally lost any interest in spending the final days of their vacation relaxing.
After quickly filling her stomach, Nymera grabbed her weapon and Ammo belt and headed alone to the Bowgun Training Area in the Guild Hall.
It wasn't that she absolutely had to squeeze in one last training session before departure; her primary goal was to calibrate her Bowgun.
Weapons like Bowguns and bows have precise mechanisms; even letting them sit unused for a short time can lead to a drop in accuracy due to loosening springs or strings.
Though the current situation wasn't exactly an emergency, she estimated she wouldn't have time to find a dedicated spot for calibration later. Since Dundorma's Guild Hall tavern had a well-equipped range, finishing the adjustments here was the best choice.
Isis also returned to her home after devouring her meal.
The departure time agreed upon with the Professor was tomorrow; she needed to let Amos know, and she had a few things at home that needed to be packed into her luggage to take to Metapetatto.
Hearing the news, Amos felt strangely conflicted.
When Isis stayed home for more than a few days, he found her annoying, wondering why someone so young was resting so much and wanting to usher her back to work, yet when it was actually time for her to go, he felt a twinge of reluctance.
Perhaps that was just how people got as they aged, prone to bouts of sentimentality.
As Amos was wallowing in his feelings, he saw Isis pull several old, worn-covered notebooks from her bedside bookshelf and hurriedly stuff them into her travel pack.
"Wait a minute?!"
Amos's voice rose involuntarily. "Where do you think you're taking those?"
Isis looked down at the journals in her hands with a dazed expression, then back at Amos. "To Metapetatto?"
"Do you have any idea how precious those notes are?!" Even Amos, who usually had excellent control over his Spirit, couldn't help but sound exasperated.
The last time he had been this angry was... well, it was two weeks ago, when Isis spent her days doing nothing but eating and sleeping in bed.
Those were the journals where Isis's parents had recorded their hunting experiences and various insights!
Setting aside how valuable the techniques and experiences within them were, the sheer amount of classified information meant that if an ordinary person even took a peek at them, the Guild would have the Guild Knights take them in for questioning.
For the past decade or so, he had kept these notebooks personally secured.
He hadn't even dared to hand them over when Isis first became an official hunter; after all, she was still young then and lacked judgment. Much of the knowledge and techniques in those notes would have been more harmful than helpful if learned too early.
Since Isis had been promoted to 4★ during this return trip, a 4-star Hunter could no longer be considered a novice, and she finally had the preliminary clearance to access such classified information.
Only after much deliberation had he entrusted these precious journals to her.
Shouldn't such invaluable materials be kept in the safest cabinet, handled only after carefully washing one's hands, turned with the utmost caution, and then solemnly replaced without ever leaving the study?
And you're just stuffing them into your luggage to carry around?!
Poked in the forehead and scolded by Amos, Isis felt a bit aggrieved. "I know these notes are precious. If I had time, I'd just memorize them all." "But Instructor Altman has been pushing me so hard with training lately that I haven't had time to read them. I don't even know when I'll be back next time...
Besides, it's the content that's precious, not the notebooks themselves. Knowledge is only meaningful if it's put to use, isn't it?"
Amos choked on his words.
Despite everything, the kid actually had a point.
To anyone else, these manuscripts might hold some special commemorative significance, but to Isis, they were simply things her parents had written by hand.
As she said, knowledge was only meaningful if it was put to use.
"Even so, you aren't taking all of them," Amos said through gritted teeth. "One book, at most. You wouldn't look at them if you took more, and you wouldn't remember them even if you did."
He was as confident in Isis's muscles as he was skeptical of her memory.
Deep down, the girl wasn't stupid; her reading comprehension was at least above the average for her age. It was just that, compared to her physical talent, she often seemed a bit dim-witted.
"Fine... I'll just take one, then." Isis grumbled as she began pulling the notebooks back out of her pack. "That way, even if I accidentally lose my luggage, it won't hurt quite as much."
Amos's face instantly went dark.
He raised his hand and delivered a sharp smack to the back of Isis's head. "You aren't taking them! Not a single one is going out there!"
After a barrage of scolding, Amos took a few heavy breaths, his aged face still dark with irritation. "Pick the one you want to read first. I'll stay up all night and copy it for you. You're taking the transcript with you!"
As for why he didn't make Isis copy it herself, part of it was that she was heading out tomorrow, and he couldn't quite bring himself to make her stay up all night transcribing.
The other part was that, given the girl's reading and writing speed, she might not even finish in one night. If she muddled through and copied key information incorrectly, it could lead to serious trouble later.
Isis gave a silly grin and began sorting through the books.
After careful consideration, she finally selected the volume where her mother had meticulously summarized her insights on Long Sword swordsmanship.
"This one!"
Amos: "..."
If Isis had chosen this book two years ago, he would have been overjoyed. Now, he just felt like he was having a heart attack...
The next morning.
After an emotional farewell to a still-grumpy Amos, a fully armed Isis left home with a large pack on her back and Clawdia leading the way.
They first arrived at the entrance of the Guild Hall, where they met up with Nymera, who was already waiting for them.
Checking her pocket watch, the needles hit the appointed time just as the Professor stepped out of the Guild Hall and into their view.
"I have completed the filing with the Guild, and the Airship to Metapetatto has been arranged." Seeing the two arrive on time, the Professor nodded in satisfaction. "However, before we depart, there is one more thing I need Miss Nymera to try. Follow me."
With that, he turned and led the way.
Isis and Nymera exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
The Professor hadn't just plucked the two of them to help on a whim; he had followed formal procedures and paid them, making him their employer. Naturally, they had to stick by him.
The group made their way toward the Great Library, stopping in front of a massive building that occupied a vast area of land. On the surrounding streets, many young people dressed in the robes of the Royal Paleontology Scriveners walked quietly, most of them carrying blueprints, scrolls, or books. Whenever they saw the Professor, they bowed respectfully.
The atmosphere was that of "intellectuals," entirely different from the Guild Hall or the training camp, causing Isis and her companion to instinctively soften their footsteps.
This was the Royal Academy.
Established several years ago under the leadership of the Guild, it was a joint educational institution formed by the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, the Observation Bureau, the Wycademy, and other major scholarly organizations. It aimed to train young scholars, Handlers, and various types of specialized professionals.
As one of the founders of the Royal Academy, the Professor held a position of high prestige. His student, Erik, was also a well-known figure within the Royal Academy, though his reputation might not have been particularly positive.
Following closely behind the Professor, they entered the main gates of the Royal Academy.
Isis looked around with a face full of curiosity. Having grown up in Dundorma, she was a local, but this was her first time actually stepping inside this place.
The Royal Academy was not a semi-public facility like the People's Tavern; without the Professor leading them, the two of them would never have been allowed in.
There were giant bookshelves everywhere, specimens of various creatures, and countless classrooms and research labs.
"A forest of bookshelves, the scent of old volumes," Nymera murmured to herself.
A Wyverian scholar walking past her paused in his tracks and turned to stare at her in surprise. "That's not a Common tongue vocabulary. Are you a survivor of the Moon Capital?"
"Looking at her features, she certainly seems to have that lineage." Another person walking with the scholar also leaned in, adjusting their glasses as if examining a rare specimen.
"I, I am not..." Nymera, who had been immersed in the unique cultural atmosphere of the Royal Academy just a second ago, was so startled she began to stutter.
Isis scratched her head. "Argh, I feel like my brain is starting to itch."
(Translated by yourtl.app)