Lambert, sitting in the corner, waved at them.
Whether Altaïr was imagining it or her parents had simply fed her well during her recent stay at home, Lambert's dark circles seemed lighter than usual, and her normally unkempt hair had been trimmed and tidied.
By her standards, she looked somewhat more energetic.
Kagetsu was there too, still wearing the "Guild Supporter" armor that looked ninety percent like a Guildmarm uniform.
In the galley that doubled as a tavern, the sight of someone in such a uniform made Isis instinctively raise her hand to call her over and order something.
Fortunately, she caught herself just as she opened her mouth. Barely suppressing the order, she blurted out, "Good morning."
To her surprise, Kagetsu grinned and trotted over. "Sorry, ma'am, but the restaurant isn't open for service yet. If you'd like to order, you'll have to wait until after we set sail."
"Are you actually working a second job as a Guild receptionist?!" Isis could not help asking.
"...Just working a few side jobs."
Altaïr's gaze, however, fell on a tall figure in the center of the galley.
The Uragaan Set, among the thickest and heaviest of all super-heavy armor sets, made his frame look even broader, like a solid fortress wall.
"Senior Dawn." Altaïr went over to greet him.
They had worked together before during the Arbiter Estrellian Incident.
Dawn was a former member of the Guild Defense Corps, a veteran who had served under Master Fabius, and a reliable, even-tempered Lance user with extensive experience.
"Altaïr? Isis and Nymera too. It's been a while." Dawn was more than twice their age, but he did not pull rank. He stood and returned their greeting.
When he rose, Altaïr noticed that the table and chairs he had been using were actually thick, solid wooden stumps rather than ordinary slatted furniture.
There were quite a few such stumps in the galley, clearly provided for Hunters whose weight in full armor was astonishing.
"Senior Dawn, do you know how many Hunters are on the expedition team?" Isis asked curiously.
"Eight, as far as I know." Dawn's voice was as deep as his build. "You three, me, Kagetsu, and that unfamiliar young woman over there make six. The other two haven't arrived yet."
"I hope they don't miss the ship, meow..." Sajji looked a little worried.
"They won't." Dawn glanced at him. "Miss Stirling confirmed a few days ago that every member of the expedition team had already arrived in Dundorma. There is no need to worry about anyone being absent."
It took Isis a couple of seconds to realize that "Miss Stirling" was Francesca.
Altaïr, meanwhile, noticed something else. The information Dawn had provided made it clear that he understood the expedition team's organization far better than they did.
If Altaïr's guess was right, the veteran Lance user was probably the leader of the Hunters' "combat group."
His Guild background, extensive experience, and steady temperament made him a reassuring choice of leader.
Altaïr called Lambert over from the corner, where she had been doing her best impression of a Unique Mushroom, and introduced her to Dawn.
Dawn was normally reserved and gave off a serious, steady air, but he was kind to younger people, even a rebellious-looking girl like Lambert.
He spoke first and greeted her. "Hello there, young lady."
Though rebellious and unsociable, Lambert was not lacking in manners. She bowed her head slightly. "Greetings, Senior Dawn."
Altaïr remembered Dawn mentioning during an earlier conversation that he had a daughter a little younger than them. Come to think of it, would she not be about Lambert's age by now?
No wonder Dawn carried himself like a father.
The six Hunters had been chatting around a long table for a while when the galley door was suddenly pushed open.
The group instinctively looked over.
"Hello, everyone!" The high-pitched voice instantly revealed the newcomer's lively personality.
He was a young Blademaster of twenty-four or twenty-five, dressed in light armor predominantly colored purple and gold, so flashy it was almost blinding.
Bareheaded, with a handsome face and conspicuously bright, wavy blond hair, he had an undeniable presence.
"What an attention hog, meow," Clawdia muttered softly beside Isis.
For reasons of her own, she did not merely dislike flashy types like him. She hated them.
Altaïr did not care about the newcomer's personality. His attention was on the man's equipment.
The weapon was instantly familiar: a Nerscylla Sword and Shield, a Sleep Element weapon made from Nerscylla materials, just like the one Altaïr owned.
He could not identify the armor at all, however. He knew neither its design nor the materials used to make it.
Beside him, Nymera spoke softly. "Somnacanth S. The materials come from a Monster called Somnacanth, a Leviathan native to Kamura.
The armor emits a special substance that activates a sleep toxin, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of Sleep Element weapons."
Altaïr understood. Armor that enhanced sleep effects paired with a Nerscylla Sword and Shield... Was he a control-focused Sword and Shield user?
Such Sword and Shield users often handled support or healing as well, making them highly valuable to a team.
"Nice to meet you, everyone! Nice to meet you!" the Sword and Shield user said cheerfully as he strode toward the long table.
Altaïr gave him a friendly smile, then turned his gaze back toward the door.
Less than half a minute after the golden-haired Blademaster arrived, the final Hunter appeared.
Almost the exact opposite of the previous arrival, this one wore no expression at all.
His cool, pale skin and nearly silver hair gave him a washed-out appearance and made him seem difficult to approach.
He looked very young, with small, delicate features. He was certainly under a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, and rather than broad or sturdy, his build could even be called petite.
Against that ferocious, dark-colored armor, however, his slight frame took on an entirely different character, especially with the massive arm guards fitted with crimson Clutch Claws that radiated overwhelming aggression.
A Seltas Queen Gunner Set? Altaïr was somewhat surprised. Among Gunner sets, the Seltas Queen Set was a standard heavy armor set, considerably thicker than ordinary Gunner armor and sturdy enough to shrug off attacks from Small Monsters thanks to Hero's Shield, which negated minor damage.
Like Somnacanth S, the Seltas Queen armor emitted a special substance that made gunpowder more volatile, greatly increasing the power of ammunition such as Sticky Ammo through the Artillery skill.
His weapon was a Heavy Bowgun called "Piercing Crab," crafted from Shogun Ceanataur materials. If Altaïr remembered correctly, it could fire almost every type of offensive ammunition, including several levels of Spread Ammo, Sticky Ammo, Pierce Ammo, and Cluster Ammo.
So this aloof-looking female Hunter was actually an aggressive Heavy Bowgun user?
Appearances really could be deceiving.
Altaïr sighed inwardly and looked away, then extended his hand toward the blond Sword and Shield user, who had already sat down at the long table. "Hello, I'm Altaïr."
"You must be Morgan, my cabinmate, right? Pleased to meet you."
There was no way Francesca would assign a male Hunter and a female Hunter to the same cabin.
"Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you!" The blond Sword and Shield user grabbed his hand in both of his and shook it vigorously up and down.
"But who's Morgan? I mean, it's a nice name too, but my name is Theodore. You can call me Theo, like my other friends do!"
Altaïr froze. You're not Morgan? Then who is Morgan? Did Dawn misremember? Was there a ninth Hunter?
The cold-faced Heavy Bowgun user also approached the long table, shifted his gaze toward Altaïr, and said, "I'm Morgan."
At that, Altaïr, Isis, and the others all froze, shock written across their faces as they stared at the Heavy Bowgun user.
Apparently long accustomed to reactions like theirs, he sighed softly and spoke in a distinctly androgynous voice that leaned toward the feminine:
"Indeed, for certain reasons, I wear female armor, but I am actually a man."
(Translated by yourtl.app)