The mustachioed Guild Master had a map spread out before him.
Six or seven small crosses in red ink had already been marked on the map. Details such as direction, distance, and terrain were annotated beside each one, making them clear and easy to spot.
"And then there are the two you discovered." The Guild Master personally marked the locations where Altaïr and Isis had each found the small Flying Wyverns.
Looking at the red crosses scattered haphazardly around Loc Lac, almost as though they encircled the city, the Guild Master's expression grew increasingly grim.
Those red crosses did not mean that these were the only places around the city where the small Flying Wyverns could be found. They merely showed that so many had already been discovered in the two days since the notice was issued.
They could not yet be sure about areas farther away, since two days was only enough time for Hunters or members of the Loc Lac Rangers operating near the city to respond.
Over the next few days, more reports would come in. Only then could they begin to gauge the distribution of this small Flying Wyvern species across a wider area.
The situation was clearly abnormal. Individual Monsters occasionally left their original habitats to seek new homes in distant regions, which was common enough to cause no alarm.
An entire group migrating on such a scale was another matter. There had to be something driving it, and that rarely meant anything good.
"We need to notify the Hunter's Guild headquarters and conduct a more thorough investigation," Lady Aisha, the Guild Master's deputy, reminded him.
"Of course."
The Guild Master no longer wore his usual beaming smile. "Assign someone to remain at the Royal Paleontology Scriveners' research institute. They're currently dissecting the corpses brought back by the Hunters.
Once they're finished, send the research institute's dissection report and this map to the Hunter's Guild headquarters together by peregrine falcon express.
Hopefully, Dundorma has information about this small Flying Wyvern species and can tell us what to do next.
Otherwise, with sightings so widespread, even if we want to investigate the cause of this abnormal migration, it will be very difficult to know where to begin."
"Perhaps we could consider a more direct approach?" Altaïr, who had accompanied the mustachioed Guild Master to the Guild Hall, asked pointedly.
The mustachioed Guild Master and Lady Aisha gave him knowing looks. They certainly understood what Altaïr meant by "a more direct approach."
"You're a dangerous one too, kid. Lady Aisha, make a note of that in his file." The Guild Master glanced sideways at him, his expression caught between amusement and seriousness.
Altaïr sighed helplessly. "I'm just looking at this rationally. That small Flying Wyvern species is already invasive. A few arriving would be one thing; perhaps after several generations, they could gradually integrate into the Desert ecosystem.
But if dozens, hundreds, or even more flood into the Desert all at once, won't they damage the local ecological balance? Wouldn't the safest course be to dispatch Hunters to cull them before they cause even greater harm?"
The mustachioed Guild Master, sitting cross-legged on the table, picked up his hookah pipe and rapped Altaïr on the head with it. "Everything you've said sounds reasonable enough. But when an ecosystem shifts abnormally, you can't treat the symptoms and ignore the cause.
"Take the Remobra, for instance. They're very similar to the small Flying Wyvern species you mentioned. They often gather along the migration routes of certain powerful Monsters, which is why they're seen as harbingers of disaster.
"If you kill those Remobra, it won't affect the powerful Monster driving the migration in the slightest. It might even draw more predators to the area.
"Finding the source is the best way to solve the problem."
Altaïr could not help pressing further. "And what if you can't find the source soon?"
"Then we kill them. We can't let an invasive species keep spreading unchecked. It may not be a perfect solution, but it's still a solution," the Guild Master answered without a moment's hesitation.
"You really know how to have it both ways, don't you?" Altaïr muttered wryly, taking a mild jab at the utterly unpretentious Guild Master.
The Guild Master stroked his mustache and gave an odd chuckle. "That's the privilege of being Guild Master! You youngsters shouldn't burden yourselves with so much. This doesn't concern you. Off you go now, off you go."
He waved Altaïr away as though brushing aside a fly, making the dismissal unmistakable.
Altaïr gave a slight bow in acknowledgment, then turned and left.
After Altaïr's silhouette had vanished, the mustachioed Guild Master's smile faded. "This is no small matter. Raise the city to Class II Alert Status.
"Notify the head of the Loc Lac Rangers, the Admiral of the Sandship fleet, city representatives, merchant representatives, and the heads of all other key departments. Have them convene for a meeting.
"Also order every reachable High Rank Hunter currently on a non-critical mission to return immediately."
"Yes, Guild Master."
After recording everything, Lady Aisha asked, "Should we issue a State of Emergency Declaration (Elder Dragon attack warning)?"
The mustachioed Guild Master fell silent for several seconds, then shook his head. "Spreading panic prematurely won't help the city prepare. The situation is still unclear, so hold off on issuing the declaration for now."
"So it really is serious..." Altaïr muttered to himself as he walked out of the Guild Hall.
Listening to the lively sounds of Hunters drinking and chatting in the open-air tavern, which did not even have windows, he slapped his cheeks firmly to steady himself.
Without meaning to, Altaïr found himself heading straight to the research institute, not far from the Guild Hall.
Only Altaïr had accompanied the Guild Master to the Guild Hall. Isis, Lambert, and the others, including Sajji, should all still be at the research institute; none of them had left yet.
—--
Sure enough, in the main hall of the research institute, which was still a mess, he spotted Lambert crouching by the wall. She had found a quill pen somewhere and was using it like a cat toy to tease Sajji and Clawdia.
The feather bobbed before their eyes. Driven by pure instinct, Clawdia could not resist pouncing on the quill pen. Lambert reacted quickly, whisking it away just before Clawdia landed on nothing but air.
Then Clawdia slapped her.
Even with her claws retracted, a single slap from a combat-oriented Palico who specialized in melee nearly sent Lambert sprawling flat on the ground.
You just had to provoke her, didn't you?
Altaïr picked up Clawdia, who was hissing at Lambert, and set her aside. "Where's Isis? Why don't I see her?"
"Senior Isis is in the dissection room, assisting the scholars." Lambert rubbed her reddened forehead as she answered.
"Isis? Assisting scholars? As a lab assistant?" Altaïr suspected the slap had knocked a few screws loose in Lambert's head.
Sajji chimed in from the side. "It's mainly brute strength, meow. When a carcass on the dissection table needs to be turned over, the scholars can't lift it even with several people, but Isis can manage it alone, meow."
"Oh, that's what she's doing. Then let's wait for her a while." Altaïr picked up the quill pen from the floor and flicked it idly as he began playing with Sajji.
They did not have to wait long. Isis soon emerged from the dissection room, looking utterly dejected.
"Done with the dissection already?" Altaïr casually set the quill pen on a nearby shelf and stood up to ask.
With her body and hands smeared with blood, Isis looked rather intimidating. She rubbed her nose, only to smear blood across her face and make herself look even more alarming. "It's already been cut into small pieces. They won't need my help for the next part.
My flying partner... Uuu..."
"All right, all right. The scholars already said it wasn't a Mernos, so it couldn't carry you through the air." Altaïr handed her a towel with a resigned look so she could at least wipe her face clean.
"Never mind that for now. I collected the bounty for bringing back the carcass. This 5000z is yours."
"Oh." Isis took it with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
"Did the hunt for the Tigerstripe Zamtrios go smoothly?"
"Aren't the materials piled up right over there?" Isis gave Altaïr an odd look. With his powers of observation, she did not believe for a second that he had failed to notice them.
"Good. Hmm... we've accomplished everything we came to Loc Lac for as well. Once Nymera returns, you two should take Lambert and head back to Metapetatto first.
Winter is almost here. The wind and sand will grow fierce, and the city is often hit by sandstorms. It won't be a pleasant place to stay.
I still have something to take care of, so I'll stay in Loc Lac for a few more days."
Isis paused halfway through stuffing the money into her pack and looked up at him. "Is this matter really serious this time?"
"It's nothing. Just a few Small Monsters. How serious could it be?" Altaïr said with a smile.
"Hmph. You have the nerve to lecture me?" Isis leaned close to his face. "You're just as bad at lying as I am, you know."
(Translated by yourtl.app)