"Rumble..."
The massive frame of the Rathalos Model-09 rolled across the pontoon bridge with a low, muffled rumble. As its tracks pressed into the soft sand on the opposite bank, the noise immediately died away.
After all, the chariot had no true "engine" in the conventional sense. It was powered entirely by Felyne muscle, so as long as its tracks did not scrape loudly against the ground, the vehicle was remarkably quiet.
At the Engine No. 2 station, Clawdia pedaled vigorously, supplying the chariot with a steady surge of power.
That was right; Sajji had ultimately brought the chariot along after all.
The reason was simple. With three Hunters and two Felynes setting out on a lengthy quest, they naturally had to carry a wide variety of supplies.
If they packed everything into their backpacks, the added bulk would hinder their movement.
Under ordinary circumstances, Hunters would use a light cart pulled by an Aptonoth, Gargwa, or similar livestock to transport their supplies.
The base camp had no shortage of such animals, but Clawdia had volunteered to use the Rathalos Model-09 in place of a cart.
It was not designed as a transport vehicle, but its frame offered plenty of storage space. Packed properly, it could serve the same purpose.
Altaïr considered the idea and accepted her suggestion.
If Sajji had been the only one pedaling, Altaïr would never have agreed to use his partner like a draft animal. Clawdia, however, had boundless stamina, and she had proposed the plan herself.
So Altaïr let her put in the extra effort.
After Sajji's repeated modifications, the pedal drive was easy to operate and even had multiple gears. As long as she was not trying to reach high speed, Clawdia could pedal all day by herself.
Morgan regarded the crimson chariot with a complicated expression.
As a Gunner who often had to disassemble and maintain his weapons, he understood enough about machinery to appreciate the chariot's sophistication.
Then he looked at the glider, the rocket launcher, and even the portable Dragonator Sajji had brought along.
He genuinely felt that the abilities displayed by his roommate's hunting partner had far exceeded what anyone could reasonably expect from a Palico.
What other Palico could take to the air on a glider for aerial reconnaissance, spot a target, land, knock a Monster off its feet with a portable Dragonator, then blanket the area with firepower from a chariot and rocket launcher? (At least, that was how Morgan imagined it; in reality, the sequence was not feasible.)
Isis's Felyne was just as outrageous.
Out of curiosity, Morgan had crouched down, squeezed himself into the drive position of the Rathalos Model-09, and tried pedaling it. The resistance in the pedals was greater than he had expected.
He doubted his own stamina could match Clawdia's over a full day of pedaling.
The discovery dealt Morgan a heavy blow. Fortunately, he was not easily discouraged and soon rallied.
By now, none of the arrogance he had displayed when he first joined the advance team remained. His mind held only one thought: The world is vast, I'm too weak, and I have to work harder.
The abilities Sajji and Clawdia displayed only strengthened his determination to find a hunting partner of his own.
He did not expect his future partner to possess skills as outrageous as theirs, nor did Altaïr or Isis owe their strength to their hunting partners.
What he truly envied was the experience of helping one another and growing together.
He even wondered whether a partner he had met when first setting out as a rookie, then grown alongside until now, might have become every bit as outstanding as Sajji and the others.
No, even an ordinary Palico skilled at gathering would be enough. They would surely become inseparable best friends, just like Altaïr and Sajji.
With that thought, Morgan, who had been a loner before joining the advance team because of his appearance and personality, clenched his fists.
He was still young. As long as he found a compatible hunting partner, he could build a deep bond with them from the ground up!
He had already decided that once the investigation quest was over, he would ask the Village Chief and Francesca for leave and make a special trip to Kamura Village.
Whether he found a Felyne or a Palamute, he was certain he could meet a hunting partner who clicked with him!
Altaïr and Isis gave Morgan a strange look. What was he thinking about, clenching his fists with such determination?
After descending the pontoon bridge, the group passed through the logging camp.
The camp's heavy wooden gate slowly opened as the winch turned. Walking at the front of the group, Altaïr looked back to remind everyone of the danger ahead.
"The Mangrove Forest is not peaceful. Stay alert. Let's move out."
Before the investigation team had even completed its preparations and set out, the other Hunters of the advance team had already swept through the Mangrove Forest near the logging camp.
The few Lolo Gougarf that threatened the camp and its smiths had been hunted down. Dawn had also led several Hunters deeper into the woods, farther from the camp, and chased the Lolo Gougarf lurking there until they fled in panic, bounding and scrambling away.
The forest near the camp had been cleared almost at once. As a result, the investigation team did not encounter so much as a single Mosswine on the first day of its journey. They had to settle for gathering a few mushrooms, roasting them, and eating them with dry rations to fill their stomachs.
—--
As the investigation team moved farther from the camp, the Mangrove Forest gradually came alive again. Over the next two days, they encountered everything from small worms and crustaceans burrowing through the sand to Large Monsters such as Lolo Gougarf and Royal Ludroth.
Sajji came wobbling down on his glider, narrowly avoiding the mangroves' umbrella-like branches and the web of vines tangled throughout the forest. Unable to correct his landing posture in time, he crashed headfirst into the ground.
"Meow meow meow meow!"
Altaïr grabbed Sajji by his kicking legs, pulled him out of the dirt, and asked with concern, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine, meow!" Sajji shook himself, flinging mud and sand from his fur. "There are too many branches and vines here, meow, so the landing didn't go quite as planned, meow!"
"In other words, you still haven't mastered it, meow." Leaning against the Rathalos Model-09, Clawdia delivered her customary jab.
Sajji gritted his teeth but could find no way to refute her.
He was absolutely certain that his glider was more advanced and easier to operate than Lady Shalan's kite.
Lady Shalan could pilot her kite and land steadily even amid the Jungle's more complex terrain, while he could not do the same with his glider; clearly, his technique still needed work.
Isis flicked Clawdia's ear, reminding her not to dampen a fellow Felyne's spirits.
Altaïr, meanwhile, crouched down to check Sajji over, and only after confirming he was unharmed did he ask:
"What did you find during your reconnaissance? Were there any Large Monsters nearby, or anything else unusual?"
Sajji continued shaking himself. He was a long-haired breed, and the grit trapped deep in his fur would not come out completely, leaving him uncomfortable. "Nothing unusual so far, meow.
"There are quite a few Hermitaur active near the coast to the south, meow. I suspect a Daimyo Hermitaur may be nearby, meow, but it's hiding beneath the sand, so I couldn't see it, meow.
"About ten kilometers east, there's a sea cliff jutting out toward the ocean, meow.
"The winds there should be strong, meow. The glider could catch the wind and climb higher, meow. I was thinking of heading over there and taking off for another reconnaissance flight, meow."
Clawdia shot him a sidelong glance. "Flying higher won't help, meow. You're not a Cohoot, so without that kind of eyesight, will you be able to see anything clearly, meow?
"The winds around the sea cliff are chaotic, meow. If you lose control and crash again, you won't get away with merely landing headfirst, meow."
Clawdia's words sounded like a taunt, but they were really a warning, and perhaps even an expression of concern.
"There's no need to rush the aerial reconnaissance." Altaïr agreed with Clawdia. He took out a rolled-up, hand-drawn map and spread it open.
"Nymera's map from her preliminary reconnaissance also marks that sea cliff, along with a warning that a small Snake Wyvern, suspected to be a Remobra, is roosting there.
"If we get too close, it may attack. Besides, it's getting late, so we'll find a place nearby to camp for the night."
(Translated by yourtl.app)