Seeing Nymera "entangled" by the others, the Professor stepped in to bail her out.
"She is from Kamura Village. Based on her age, you should realize that even if her parents were Moon Capital refugees, she would have been born after the Moon Capital's destruction.
If you're looking for research subjects, you'd be better off making a trip to Kamura Village yourself; there should be actual Moon Capital survivors living there."
The Professor frowned at the two men, reprimanding them with moderate sternness. "You are both accomplished scholars; stop chasing shadows and think a little deeper about things."
The two scholars, who certainly did not look like students, bowed quickly to accept the lesson. After offering their apologies to Nymera, they departed together.
Glancing at Nymera, whose expression remained somewhat stiff, the Professor explained, "The administrative focus of various academic organizations differs slightly.
Aside from training the youth, the Royal Academy's more vital mission is theoretical research. It's no exaggeration to say it's a gathering place for the most bookish scholars of every major organization. To the average person, it seems full of eccentrics.
If you encounter a similar situation again, just refuse them directly. There's no need to worry about being polite."
Nymera nodded gently.
Before the Professor's voice had even faded, several young people, looking to be seventeen or eighteen, around Erik's age, approached cautiously holding cameras and measuring tapes.
"Is this a Palamute? It's way bigger than the one the teacher brought before, huh?"
"Could it have some Hibiscular bloodline?"
"Excuse me, Hunter, is this Palamute your hunting partner? Could we take a few photos and take some physical measurements?"
Nymera's body, which had just begun to relax from the awkwardness, tensed up once more.
If they had been as rude as the previous pair, she would have followed the Professor's advice and refused outright, but these youngsters were quite polite, making her feel too embarrassed to say no.
"Grrr–"
Hibiki suddenly turned his head, baring a mouthful of sharp fangs and letting out a low growl at the students.
Clawdia, perched atop his head, also let out a low-voiced "Meow–"
Though Clawdia's intention was to intimidate Hibiki and warn him not to act out, in the eyes of the young trainees, it looked like a dog and a cat turning back simultaneously to snarl and roar at them.
"S-Sorry!"
The group ran away in a fright.
A human-like smirk of smugness appeared on Hibiki's canine face, followed immediately by a swat to the forehead from Clawdia's paw.
"That's exactly how it should be done."
The Professor gestured with his eyes toward the figures retreating in the distance. "The Royal Academy is teeming with people who have an excess of curiosity. If you agree to one group, more and more people will swarm you.
By then, they wouldn't just be measuring the Palamute's height; they might end up measuring Isis's height as well."
"I see..."
Hearing this, Nymera and Isis followed even closer behind the Professor. Neither was particularly good at saying no, and they hoped to use the Professor's "reputation" to ward off any curious stares.
The group arrived at a shack atop the main building of the Royal Academy. Even before entering, they could smell a faint, musky scent.
"This is the place." The Professor stopped his pace. "This is the loft where we keep carrier pigeons, petrels, and other such avian messengers..." "Gah-ya!"
A sharp screech echoed from within the shack.
Isis wore a look of utter confusion. "Was that... a carrier pigeon?"
"We occasionally house other creatures temporarily," the Professor said, his expression unchanged. "For instance, Wingdrakes from the New World."
"I've heard of those!" Isis looked a bit excited. "Are we going to use one for this mission?"
"Of course not. Handling a Wingdrake requires specialized training, and we don't have that kind of time," the Professor said, leading the way into the shack.
He looked around, tilted his head back, and let out a sharp whistle.
Flap-flap-flap!
Feathers flew everywhere as a massive flock of pigeons nearly buried the Professor alive.
"Get back, get back!"
The Professor waved his hands to drive away the overeager pigeons. With a helpless expression, he turned to Nymera. "That one always stays at the very top of the loft. I figured you would be familiar with how to handle them, which is why I brought you here."
Nymera followed the Professor's gaze upward. Perched on a crossbeam at the very top of the shack, she saw a round, plump figure with grey-and-white mottled feathers.
Her previously puzzled expression instantly softened into one of warmth. Nymera curled her index finger against her lips and let out a series of sharp, rhythmic whistles.
On the beam, the large bird that had been dozing with half-closed eyes jerked awake. It flapped its wings with a loud whoosh, flew down, and landed squarely on Nymera's outstretched arm.
Nymera smiled and stroked the bird beside its large, round face. The big bird squinted its eyes and affectionately rubbed its head against her finger.
"What kind of bird is that?" Isis asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She had never seen a bird so... spherical.
"It's a Cohoot," Nymera said with a smile. "I believe the formal name is an owl? They are a species unique to Kamura and serve as the perfect partners for a Kamura Hunter."
"To be precise, it is a special subspecies known as the 'Kamura Owl,'" the Professor corrected. "Likely due to the influence of the unique high-energy environment in Kamura, they possess a higher intelligence than other birds of prey. They can even understand human speech and communicate with a Hunter in real-time through various calls, acting as aerial scouts. Cohoots are rare; the Academy had to pull a few strings with Kamura Village just to obtain a single chick."
"We tried to raise it using the methods for training carrier pigeons, petrels, and peregrine falcons. It grew quickly enough, but it refused to listen to a word we said. One scholar suggested finding a Hunter from Kamura Village to train it, and that proved effective. However, as soon as that Hunter left, it went back to ignoring everyone."
At this, the Professor gave Nymera a thoughtful look. "When I met you yesterday, I remembered this matter, which is why I asked you to give it a try. I didn't expect it to actually obey you. Why is that? Is the whistle different? Or is it because you are both creatures born and raised in Kamura, and it can sense a familiar scent?"
After muttering to himself for a moment, the Professor looked up again and continued. "In any case, if it follows your lead and helps with aerial reconnaissance, our search efforts will be much easier."
Nymera nodded confidently.
As a Hunter from Kamura Village, she had once raised a Cohoot of her own. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving in the Old World, that Cohoot had passed away, likely due to failing to acclimate to the new environment.
She had been heartbroken for a long time and had completely abandoned the idea of bringing another Cohoot over from Kamura.
But this little one had grown up in the Old World, so there shouldn't be any health issues.
During the period when she first arrived in the Old World years ago, she struggled to adapt, primarily because she had lost her Cohoot.
One must understand that Hunters from Kamura Village almost never train in tracking techniques. Before coming to the Old World, she hadn't even used a Paintball.
With a Cohoot watching from the sky, there was simply no need to worry about tracking a Monster.
"What is this little one's name?" Nymera asked the Professor while stroking the large bird on her arm.
"Our people named it 'Gugu,' but it didn't seem to like that. The Hunter from Kamura who helped us train it called it Mochi."
"Mochi?"
"Coo~!"
"Good boy." Nymera ruffled the feathers on top of its round head twice and smiled at the Professor. "This little one isn't fully grown yet. I'll take over the responsibility of looking after it. It will become a magnificent Cohoot."
The Cohoot leaned in and affectionately nuzzled her cheek.
At that moment, the Professor suddenly felt a twinge of unease.
He had sought out Nymera hoping she would command the Cohoot during this mission to assist in the aerial search, not to find the bird a new owner.
The research group responsible for Cohoot ecological studies hadn't finished their project yet.
Why did it feel like this Cohoot was already about to run off with someone?
(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.
ENDEMIC LIFE
Cohoot — A highly intelligent, owl-like bird native to the Kamura region. Unlike ordinary birds of prey, Cohoots possess an unusual capacity to understand human speech and coordinate with hunters in real time, relaying information about monster positions and terrain through a variety of distinctive calls. They serve as aerial scouts and are considered the traditional partners of Kamura hunters. Due to the unique high-energy environment of their home region, Cohoots are exceptionally rare outside of Kamura Village.
CLASSIFICATIONS
Wingdrake — A subcategory of Flying Wyvern first formally identified in the New World. Wingdrakes are small, pterosaur-like wyverns that pose little direct threat to hunters. In certain regions they have been domesticated or trained to serve as aerial messenger birds or transport aides.