Over the next several days, the observation Airship remained several hundred meters above the ground, monitoring the flightless "Demon King."
After so long under observation, the "Demon King" also noticed the strange, round object in the sky. It tried to frighten it off with roars, flung sand and stones at it with its enormous horn, and even used the slopes of the dunes and the beating of its wings to launch itself into the air and ram it.
However, the Airship was simply too high for it to reach. In the end, it gave up and ignored the vessel.
Afterward, Alva, who was personally directing the observation operation aboard the Airship, ordered it to descend to an altitude of two hundred meters.
At that height, the scholars could observe the target's full appearance more clearly while remaining well beyond the "Demon King's" maximum leaping height. The Monster seethed with frustration, but there was nothing it could do.
The Hunters were not idle either.
Both Sandships made frequent sorties. With Sajji and Hakucho providing aerial reconnaissance, the crews scoured the area for male Diablos and lured them over to serve as opponents for the "Demon King."
From the "Demon King's" perspective, having punching bags delivered to its doorstep every day was naturally satisfying, though it did wonder why this kept happening.
Diablos were known for their thick hides and powerful physiques, not their intellect. In that respect, the "Demon King" was no different from its smaller kin.
After a brief spell of confusion, it gladly accepted these "gifts from nature."
The Hunters' luring operation continued for more than a week. When they could no longer find any male Diablos nearby, they sailed farther afield, eventually finding a dozen or so opponents for the "Demon King."
Without exception, the "Demon King" defeated them with ease.
That was not to say it emerged completely unscathed. If Isis and Kitty fought for real, Kitty could still leave two rows of bite marks on Isis, couldn't she?
Those minor injuries were hardly worth mentioning. By comparison, the improvement in Francesca's Sandship piloting was far more noticeable.
Francesca humbly accepted Altaïr's suggestion and sent Buck, who was contributing little to the operation, back to camp. He and his apprentice Balina, the team's two Hammer users, remained behind as guards.
With Alva also leaving the hunting party to stay aboard the observation Airship, only three people remained on the Vanguard Hunting Party's Sandship.
Its load had been reduced by nearly half, so the vessel became much faster and considerably easier to handle.
To be honest, Brandley wanted to leave too.
He felt that staying aboard the Sandship meant getting in the way of his two bosses' budding relationship.
But Serl, Francesca, Altaïr, and even Pawdrick all refused to let him go.
From a quest perspective, the luring operation required a Gunner aboard each Sandship.
From a... non-quest perspective, after all the teasing from their companions, leaving those two alone together would still be rather awkward.
Pawdrick had secretly told the others that if the pair spent a month alone while awkwardly conscious of each other, their feelings might deepen into a different kind of relationship. Then again, the awkwardness might build until their bond evolved in an entirely different direction, turning them into true bros for life.
"Steady progress can't be rushed, meow." That was Pawdrick's assessment.
Everyone agreed.
—--
Another night fell. After searching all day without finding a single male Diablos anywhere nearby, Altaïr finally realized that something was wrong.
He gathered the Hunters who had taken part in the search.
"We may have... played right into Mr. Alva's hands." Altaïr's voice was heavy with resignation as he faced his companions.
"Huh?"
Isis, Morgan, and Brandley all looked confused. The possibility had never even occurred to them.
Serl and Francesca, however, furrowed their brows.
As leader of the Vanguard Hunting Party, Serl was accustomed to making decisions for his companions. His natural caution had already left him vaguely aware that something was amiss.
Francesca was quick-witted, but she did not approach matters with a Hunter's mission-focused mindset. Proud and competitive, she had spent the past few days concentrating entirely on mastering the Sandship and refining her piloting techniques. Altaïr's warning finally made everything click into place.
"You mean...?"
"What we've been doing may seem unrelated to the breeding experiment, but in practice, we've driven away every male Diablos in the area.
"For the female Diablos in heat during breeding season, that leaves the 'Demon King' as their only possible mate."
"Ah... Ah!"
Isis and the others were usually too lazy to think that deeply, but they were not stupid. Once Altaïr explained it, they all understood.
"Doesn't that mean we've helped the 'Demon King' build a harem?!"
Altaïr sighed. "You could certainly put it that way. If the 'Demon King' has a strong mating drive, every female Diablos in the area could end up bearing its offspring."
"Then what do we do now? Go protest to Mr. Alva?" Morgan asked with a deep frown.
"Protest, my ass." Francesca sneered as she stood. "Just because I haven't shown you what a Rajang can do, you think I'm some tame hot-spring monkey? Watch me."
With that, she stormed out of the tent.
—--
A few minutes later, she returned with Lady Lania...
Lania had spent the past several days personally escorting the prisoner Sid to Dundorma and had only returned earlier that day. After hearing the Hunters' account, her expression immediately darkened.
Without another word, she turned and strode toward the main tent at the center of camp, where Alva was staying.
Altaïr and the others exchanged glances, then followed with a touch of malicious delight.
—--
Not long after Lania entered the main tent, blood-curdling screams rang out from within, sending chills down their spines.
Remembering the terrifying skill she had displayed while subduing Sid, Altaïr hurriedly led the group inside, worried that something might genuinely happen to Alva.
They found Lania pinning Alva to the ground as though he were a captured criminal.
His arm and wrist were twisted behind his back at angles that seemed to defy human anatomy. The sight alone was painful.
Altaïr suddenly understood why the Guild's upper echelons had assigned Alva's wife, Lania, to oversee him personally.
After all, "Professor Alva" was a senior figure within the Royal Academy and held positions with the Elder Dragon Observation Team, the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, the Frenzy Virus Research Institute, and several other research organizations. His status was remarkably high.
Any other Guild Knight, even Julius, the leader of the Guild Knights, would have to question him according to procedure.
Only Lania could skip every formality and resort to violence without hesitation...
"Stop, stop, stop! My arm's going to break! I'll confess! I'll confess!" Alva, normally so refined and composed, yelled without a shred of dignity.
When his wife attacked without a word, he showed neither confusion nor grievance. Instead, he promptly admitted to his "crimes."
Lania finally released him, her expression as cold as ice. Her voice remained terrifyingly frigid. "Start talking."
With the young Hunters watching from the sidelines, Alva knew he was in the wrong. He straightened his clothes and chuckled awkwardly. "Well, about that... I admit I used all of you to interfere with natural breeding to some extent, but..."
Alva paused for several seconds.
His expression grew even more dejected than it had been while his wife disciplined him in front of his juniors. "But it all failed...
"Even if you hadn't asked, I would have told you within the next couple of days. That creature is simply too contrary to its natural instincts.
"Do you know how many female Diablos followed its calls and scent to approach the 'Demon King' over the past few days?"
"How many?" Isis asked eagerly.
"Four," Alva replied. Then he abruptly grew agitated. "But do you know how many times it mated?!
"Zero! Not once!"
Alva let out a frustrated curse. "Damn it! It drove every one of those female Diablos away!"