Altaïr pushed the thought of preparing a gift to the back of his mind.
He and Isis crossed the pontoon bridge and boarded the large ship that had sat "stranded" in the middle of the river for more than half a year, then made their familiar way to the tavern.
By now, a restaurant had also been built inside the outpost to make meals more convenient for everyone, but the Hunters still habitually ate at the tavern aboard the ship.
After all, the tavern also served as the Guild Hall. It offered enormous Hunter meals that an ordinary person could never finish, and the Guild subsidized the prices. Restaurants catering to ordinary diners held little appeal for them.
Since this was only a routine meal, the two did not order an extravagant spread. Instead, they chose three generous, inexpensive set meals. Altaïr ate one, and Isis ate two.
There were only a handful of Hunters in the advance team, so the tavern's Felyne Chef had not gone to the trouble of devising many different set meals. Most consisted of a meat-based main dish, vegetables, and a staple food.
Today's meal, for instance, included a huge serving of fish and seafood stew, several washed but uncut carrots and celery stalks, a large plate of mashed potatoes loaded with butter and black pepper, and a small bowl of nuts for snacking.
It seemed a little slapdash, but the Hunters had long since grown used to it.
Pragmatism prevailed throughout the advance team. Unless it was a special occasion, such as someone's birthday, the kitchen aimed for balanced nutrition first and flavor second. Presentation did not factor in at all.
Fortunately, Tidal Island was rich in resources. The Hunters regularly brought back meat, while dedicated personnel handled the fishing and farming. Mangrove Outpost was now completely self-sufficient in food. Both the outpost mess hall and the tavern aboard the ship emphasized the same things: hearty portions and full stomachs.
The stew, the set meal's only main dish, contained large boneless chunks of fish as well as diced Hermitaur meat, oysters, squid, and sea prawns. Cream and a little flour thickened the broth, and its rich, savory aroma was enough to whet anyone's appetite.
Isis grabbed her spoon and fork and dug in with gusto. In less than fifteen minutes, two oversized meals had vanished before her, while Altaïr had yet to finish his single serving.
"I'm full!" Isis sat up straight and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Her gaze settled on Altaïr, who was fully armed. "Are you taking a quest and heading out later?"
She knew Altaïr was not the type to wear armor every day of the year. Unless a mission required it, he usually wore ordinary clothes.
"Yeah." Altaïr was still thinking about the gift, so he answered somewhat distractedly.
Isis asked curiously, "What are you hunting?"
"I haven't decided yet." Altaïr gathered his thoughts and answered more seriously. "There aren't any high-danger Monsters the advance team needs hunted right now.
"Maybe I'll just take a quest to hunt a Yian Kut-Ku or something. I heard their population in the Mangrove Forest has grown too large and is starting to disrupt the logging camp."
"I see. Then I'll sit this one out. I'm going to have Hubert give my equipment a thorough servicing." Isis rose from the table, said goodbye to Altaïr, and left the tavern.
As the high-danger Monsters near the outpost were gradually cleared out, fewer quests required two 5★ Hunters to work together.
If the target was only a Monster on the level of a Yian Kut-Ku, there was no need for a two-person operation. At times like these, they split up and acted independently. After all, they would be back within a day or two.
Including expedition quests, however, there was still plenty of work that required teams of 5★ Hunters. In the ten months since the advance team arrived on Tidal Island, they had explored less than one-tenth of the colossal island.
That was because the Village Chief was deliberately controlling the pace of exploration.
The reason was simple: they were the first-wave advance team, not a scientific expedition.
Their primary mission was to build Mangrove Outpost into a permanent stronghold, secure the surrounding area, create a relatively safe environment, and lay the groundwork for the teams that would follow.
They were not there to conduct a sweeping investigation and provoke trouble wherever they went.
This conservative approach to pioneering frustrated Ms. Meow-It-All. To scholars like her, the colossal island brimmed with unknowns.
Even setting aside the distant regions still completely shrouded in mystery, the areas they had already explored held Taikun Zamuza, Lolo Gougarf, and other Monsters worthy of in-depth study.
And then there was the black-and-gold Flying Wyvern the Hunters had encountered deep underground in the Collapsed Canyon.
Judging by the descriptions Altaïr and the others had brought back, Ms. Meow-It-All strongly suspected that it was an Origin Wyvern species the Guild had already classified as extinct: Meraginasu.
If this had happened at the Wycademy, the Soaratorium would have been dispatched long ago. If 4★ or 5★ Hunters were not enough, they would send High Rank Hunters. If one High Rank Hunter was not enough, they would send an entire team of them. One way or another, they would dig that creature out of the ground.
However, the Village Chief denied her request for an in-depth investigation, and with good reason. Given the advance team's current combat strength, they could not be certain of hunting that mysterious Flying Wyvern. Even if they could, there was no need to take the risk.
If they concentrated all their manpower on intensive research every time they discovered a new Monster, the advance team would never accomplish anything else.
Ms. Meow-It-All understood that, given the mission the Guild had entrusted to the advance team, the Village Chief had made the right decision. She would never object, much less do anything out of line.
Still, curiosity gnawed at her until she could hardly stand it. Fascinating mysteries were everywhere, yet she could not investigate them properly. What could be more painful for a scholar?
Francesca had tricked her, meow!
Francesca had enticed her into joining the advance team with promises of Tidal Island's unique ecosystem and species, but what good were they if she could not explore to her heart's content, meow!
Confronted with a resentful Ms. Meow-It-All who hissed whenever they met, Francesca felt rather unfairly accused.
I didn't lie, did I? First comes securing the area, then construction, and only after that research and further development. Isn't that the standard procedure for a pioneering operation?
Didn't the Research Commission spend twenty years laying the groundwork before the Third Fleet began stationing scholars in large numbers?
We may not need twenty years on Tidal Island, but surely it's reasonable to spend a year or two getting settled first?
Altaïr knew nothing about this minor dispute among the advance team's leaders. If he had to choose a side, though, he might actually agree with Ms. Meow-It-All...
Nearly a year had passed since he received the secret scroll from Isis's mother. In recent months, he had stopped developing new techniques and focused instead on refining and mastering the sword techniques he already knew.
Instant Slash and Spirit Release stood out in particular. The two techniques represented advanced applications of his force of will and Spirit Gauge energy, respectively.
He could now execute both moves proficiently, but that proficiency remained at the level of "technique" rather than the "swordsmanship" Master Amos spoke of.
He sensed that once he truly grasped and united the principles at the heart of both techniques, his strength would rise to an entirely new level.
To achieve that, he needed genuine pressure from a Monster a full level above Rathalos or Pariapuria. Something like that black... Meraginasu?
Lost in thought, Altaïr ate more and more slowly until a figure took a seat across from him and pulled him out of his tangled musings.
Nymera held a cup of hot tea and smiled at him. "The trading ship has arrived. Are you happy with Isis's birthday gift?"
The corners of Altaïr's eyes twitched.
In all the years he and Isis had known each other, they had always spent their birthdays together. They had never made a habit of exchanging gifts; they were simply too close, and things like that easily slipped their minds.
He had been wondering why Isis had suddenly thought to prepare a gift for him. Now it was clear that the woman sitting across from him had put her up to it.
"Of course I'm happy with it."
Nymera set down her teacup and leaned forward slightly, as if pressing him for an answer. "Since you're happy with it, you can't very well neglect to return the favor, can you?"
"I'm going to. I just haven't decided what to get her yet..." Altaïr gave a dry laugh.
"What about this?" Another person sat down beside him and slid a quest form across the table.
Altaïr turned. It was Francesca, who was supposed to be busy working at the docks.
Sure enough, Senior Francesca had been in on it too...
(Translated by yourtl.app)