On the Airship heading to Loc Lac, Altaïr held a piece of coarse cloth dabbed with a little blade oil, gently wiping down and maintaining his new weapon.
Strictly speaking, a brand-new weapon just acquired from a Wyverian artisan, one that had not even tasted blood yet, should not have needed that much time and effort spent on maintenance.
But Altaïr kept in mind a passage from Isis's mother's swordsmanship notes: meditation and maintenance were both excellent ways to attune oneself to a weapon; if you had idle time, you should simply do them more often.
Once the entire blade, including the ornaments on the scabbard, had been wiped spotless, and a thin layer of blade oil had been applied to the edge, Altaïr raised the sword with one hand, examined the even sheen of oil against the daylight, and smiled in satisfaction.
Just then, an Airship crew member passed by him. Seeing the enormous blade in his hand, he could not help exclaiming in wonder:
"Hey, Hunter, you're really strong, lifting a sword that big with one hand! So, is that a Great Sword? It looks incredible!"
The corner of Altaïr's eye twitched, but he did not bother correcting the misunderstanding and brushed it off with a few noncommittal noises.
When Smithy had shown him the design sketches back then, he had already had this feeling. This sword was more like a Great Sword than a Long Sword.
You had to understand, for a traditionally shaped Long Sword like the Khanga Rebellion, the blade width at its widest point generally would not exceed ten centimeters. This sword, however, surpassed thirty centimeters at its widest point. That was entirely Great Sword territory.
Yet a Great Sword could not be swung quickly like a Long Sword. The weight and center of gravity distribution between the two were completely different.
As a master craftsman, that Wyverian artisan naturally had not overlooked such a fundamental issue.
He enlarged the size and weight of the tsuba to help balance the center of gravity, and shortened the blade's proportions, making it shorter, thinner, and lighter.
Taken together, this sword was still heavier than an ordinary Long Sword, but for Altaïr, who possessed astonishing coordination and was adept with many kinds of weapons, this weight was within an acceptable range.
The hilt was made with a telescoping design. This kind of design was very common on Great Swords and was also used quite a bit on Long Swords.
When the blade was drawn and the hilt extended, it became an unusual, three-pointed, double-edged Long Sword, a bit heavier than an ordinary one.
And when it was sheathed, with the hilt shortened, combined with the width, thickness, and weight of the scabbard, it became a Great Sword with a rather classic and standard silhouette.
According to that master craftsman, this was the first time he had ever made such a strange design. It was only because the client was an oddball himself. Otherwise, once this sword had been made, he would not even know who could use it.
That said, Altaïr was more than merely fond of this sword.
The broad blade and forward-weighted center of gravity endowed this sword with formidable physical destructive power, while the inherent properties of the materials also granted it considerable Dragon Element energy.
This rare and powerful elemental energy always produced unexpected results when facing older, more primitive Flying Wyverns, as well as certain more mysterious and powerful Monsters.
He planned to use this weapon as much as possible in the near future, to master its handling and feel.
He believed that for a considerable time to come, this unorthodox Long Sword named Tyrant Blade [Solar Eclipse], together with the Khanga Rebellion, would serve as his primary weapons.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Just as he was thinking about how to adapt his training, the bell signaling the Airship's descent rang out.
Urged on by the bell, the crew members hurried to their respective posts and busied themselves, while the passengers, having received the signal, also gathered their luggage and made their way onto the deck.
Isis, Nymera, and Lambert, who was yawning and still looked half-asleep, emerged from the cabin together.
Their luggage was rather modest; most of it had already been sent back to their residence in Metapetatto through the Merchant's Guild.
Freed from the heavy Basarios Armor, Isis's step was light. The new Lagiacrus Armor fit perfectly, accentuating her already remarkable height and making her look exceptionally tall and slender. She no longer had the somewhat lumbering, walking-wall steadiness she had shown before.
Nymera, on the other hand, looked as if she had thorns under her armor, incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.
The Rathian Gunner set she was used to had a traditional design, prioritizing practicality with a crisp, soldierly feel.
As for this Doom Estrellian set she had acquired barely two days ago, calling it "flamboyant in design" felt far too understated.
The armor, predominantly silver and purple, borrowed ancient designs from an eastern kingdom for its main sections. A wing-like decoration similar to the Rathalos X Series was mounted on the back, and the helmet was likewise shaped like wings, with bright purple plumes trailing all the way down to the waist.
As for the chest area, perhaps to account for a Gunner's need for agile movement, it was quite... revealing.
Adding to that, Nymera's figure was already quite striking, so when facing her, Altaïr had to subtly keep his line of sight raised to avoid offending her.
However, that deliberately polite gaze only intensified Nymera's embarrassment, and she instinctively raised a hand to cover her chest.
Seeing this, Isis reached out a finger and poked her chest with a mischievous grin. Nymera quickly sidestepped to dodge, a "little game" they had already played countless times over the past two days.
It made Nymera grind her teeth in frustration. She decided that once they arrived in Loc Lac, she absolutely had to find a tailor and have a piece of cloth added over the chest!
Selectively ignoring the girls' small interactions, Altaïr cleared his throat. "We'll be landing in Loc Lac shortly.
"I plan to visit some elders and friends first. Well, mainly everyone from the Loc Lac Rangers. You all know them. Tonight, we can all go and have some fun at the tavern.
"Tomorrow I'll go and pay my respects at the grave; that might take a few days.
"Loc Lac is quite a famous tourist city, so you can all enjoy the food and sights in the city."
Isis, Nymera, and Lambert exchanged glances. It was obvious that Altaïr intended to visit his family's grave alone.
But paying respects at a grave was, after all, a rather private matter, and they naturally would not insist on accompanying him.
Sensing the somber mood, Isis scratched the corner of her lip with a finger. "Any classic local food in Loc Lac?
"You know, the kind of shops or stalls the locals love!"
"Of course, meow!" Sajji bounced out. "There's a really good roast meat shop, meow! Back when we were with the Loc Lac Rangers, everyone would gather there for meals, meow! There's also a familiar breakfast stall. Their flatbreads and bean paste are both really tasty, meow! Even more authentic than the Felyne Chef's cooking at the Guild Hall, meow! I also know all the tourist photo spots, meow! The Grand Stone Gate, the Great Arena, the Jhen Mohran tusk, just follow me, meow!"
Sajji volunteered eagerly, offering to be a tour guide for Isis and the others.
Altaïr understood that he was trying to help ease his burden. He wanted to mourn the dead in peace, yet did not wish to seem neglectful of friends who had come all this way.
With Sajji helping as a guide, Isis and the others could enjoy themselves too.
Reaching out to ruffle the top of Sajji's head, Altaïr, having quickly regained his composure, put away his meticulously maintained weapon. He glanced over at the girl with dark circles under her eyes, who was yawning again. "Lambert, you've been doing quests so diligently. The number of 1★ quests should be nearly enough by now, right?"
Lambert closed her mouth and nodded. "Still a few left, but almost there. I plan to advance to 2★ this month."
Hearing this, Altaïr could not help but feel his lips twitch into a grin.
If he remembered correctly, advancing from 1★ to 2★ required completing thirty 1★ quests, a measure to ensure newly minted Hunters could properly accumulate experience.
Leaving aside those who yearned for a settled life and intended to be gatherer Hunters all their lives...
Young Hunters with drive and the desire to grow stronger would typically accumulate enough quests in about three to six months.
Lambert had only taken a little over a month, much faster than even he himself had managed back in the day.
However, advancing to 2★ was not just about completing enough 1★ quests. The assessment quest for 2★ advancement typically targeted pack leaders like Velocidrome or Bulldrome, whose strength far surpassed that of ordinary Small Monsters.
Someone with a sensible mind would generally choose to accumulate more practical combat experience first, rather than preparing for 2★ advancement less than two months after becoming an official Hunter, like Lambert.
"Advancing so quickly, are you prepared?"
"I'm confident." Faced with Altaïr's question, Lambert, who mere seconds ago had seemed utterly drowsy, answered with complete earnestness.
"Just think it through yourself." Altaïr had no intention of interfering further. "Though not in large numbers, there are Kulu-Ya-Ku near Loc Lac as well. If you're aiming for 2★, you might consider targeting one of those."
Lambert's eyes lit up at this.
She still remembered that Uncle Ferdie had recommended the Kulu-Ya-Ku series among the armor sets for her. She had not expected to find them right near Loc Lac.
After giving Lambert his advice, Altaïr turned to Isis. "The monsters around Loc Lac are quite abundant, and traveling the sand sea by Sandship is convenient. We might even consider completing our advancement here.
"Hunting on the open sands is far more convenient than returning to Metapetatto and trudging through the humid jungle."
"Oho." Isis cupped her chin, sinking into thought. "You think we could find a Monoblos near Loc Lac?"
"...Don't be ridiculous. Pick a different target."
(Translated by yourtl.app)