Alva was on the verge of a breakdown when he first learned that a completely unknown, unprecedented Elder Dragon, one that had only just completed its metamorphosis, had been alive for less than two hours before that family of reckless brutes hacked it to death.
Couldn't you at least have left the corpse intact?! You even smashed its head to pieces!
But after listening to Altaïr's detailed account of how the mysterious Elder Dragon had "emerged," he fell silent for a long time.
Before taking charge of the project to turn the Knowledge Seeker into an aerial research laboratory, he had directed the Frenzy Virus Research Institute.
Consequently, few people were more wary than he was of spores, proliferation, and parasitism.
More importantly, the way the mysterious Elder Dragon had torn through the Ghost Dragon's body and emerged from its corpse was far too similar to the phenomenon he had spent half his life researching...
Once he understood the full course of events, his attitude reversed completely.
Not only did he clap Altaïr and Isis on the shoulders and praise them for a job well done, but he also personally organized a cordon around the mysterious Elder Dragon's corpse, established basic quarantine procedures, and immediately sent an urgent letter to Guild headquarters.
Are you kidding me? The Frenzy Virus alone has kept the entire world in turmoil for decades, and even now, outbreaks still flare up from time to time, with a Gore Magala appearing here and there.
The Qurio around Kamura have never been completely eradicated either. If another threat like this emerged, how would humanity survive?!
"Yes, that thing had to be killed. You did well..." Alva spoke with an uncharacteristic thirst for blood.
He utterly detested anything capable of devastating ecosystems on such a scale.
Eyeing the cordon around the mysterious Elder Dragon's corpse, Isis tentatively asked, "So, um, Uncle Alva, can we still carve it for materials?"
"No." Alva rejected the idea without leaving any room for negotiation. "Aside from what is required for research, everything left will be completely incinerated to prevent contagion or contamination."
"Fine..." Isis muttered, reluctantly looking away.
Isis was not the only one disappointed. Altaïr winced as well.
The mysterious Elder Dragon had been immensely powerful. Its materials might have lacked structural strength, but the energy they contained was astonishing. In the hands of master craftsmen, they could surely have become extraordinarily powerful equipment.
Gordon and Hayata clearly had no need for those materials. This had been Altaïr and Isis's chance to legitimately acquire higher-grade equipment ahead of schedule.
Unfortunately, those suspicious microorganisms had caused the heaven-sent opportunity to slip away.
"In any case, you two should come back to the Knowledge Seeker with me. We have the necessary equipment there, and I'll give you both a thorough physical examination." Apparently worried that leaving the two young Hunters beside the mysterious Elder Dragon's corpse might give them ideas, Alva raised a hand and pointed upward.
"Don't Mom and Dad need a checkup too?" Isis asked with a pout.
"Them? The things their equipment came from are far more terrifying than you can imagine. Microorganisms wouldn't even want to go near them. You two, on the other hand, are splattered with blood.
"If that blood were as infectious as the Frenzy Virus, you would already be infected."
Urged on by Alva, Altaïr and Isis had no choice but to climb the ropes hanging through the fissure in the dome and return to the surface. Only after a brief examination by the ship's physician were they allowed to board the Knowledge Seeker.
—--
What followed was a series of tests they found rather strange, including blood draws. By the time the results came back, night had fallen.
Altaïr had assumed the tests were merely a formality and never expected them to uncover an actual problem.
When Alva found the group with the report in hand, his expression was grave. Even Gordon and the others grew tense at the sight of him.
"Is something wrong?" Hayata asked a little too quickly.
"Isis is perfectly fine. Aside from a few minor injuries sustained during the fight, she's in excellent health.
"Altaïr, on the other hand... his situation is rather troubling," Alva said, his gaze settling on the young Hunter standing nearby.
"...Me?" Altaïr pointed at himself, baffled.
"Yes. We detected a considerable concentration of foreign matter in your bloodstream. It appears to consist of those microorganisms that resemble a haze of dust."
Isis stammered, "Wh-what does that mean? Is he infected?"
Hayata frowned as well. "It sounds similar to the Frenzy Virus. Could something like a Wystone or a potion solve the problem?"
"I'm more curious about how he became infected in the first place."
Gordon looked at Altaïr, who seemed somewhat dazed. "Logically, he shouldn't have inhaled many of those microorganisms. He had no open wounds, and his helmet was fully sealed. The Monster's blood couldn't have splashed directly into his mouth."
"That's what puzzles me most. If only a small amount entered through the air or penetrated his pores after settling on his skin, it shouldn't have been able to breach a healthy Hunter's immune system.
"Isis is the best example. She has no problems whatsoever."
Alva paused for several seconds before continuing, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "I compared Altaïr and Isis, and I suspect... the scars on his body are responsible."
"Scars?" Isis froze for a moment, then understood. "You mean the scars left by Guanzorumu's corrosive blood?"
"Yes." Alva turned to Altaïr. "I'd like to take another sample and compare the microbial residue within the layers of scarred and normal skin."
"Go ahead," Altaïr said, having no reason to object.
Alva immediately retrieved his sampling tools, excised a small skin sample from Altaïr, and hurried away.
The Hunters gathered in the Knowledge Seeker's dining hall fell silent for a time.
Unlike Isis, who was anxious and tense, Gordon wore a rather peculiar expression.
Isis noticed immediately and asked, "Dad, do you know something?"
"I wouldn't say I know anything. I just, uh... have a theory," Gordon said. Never one to beat around the bush, he straightened his back slightly and looked at Altaïr.
"I recall you mentioning that you know Maki. Is that right?"
"Senior Maki? Yes. She gave me a great deal of guidance during my time in Kamura Village," Altaïr said with a nod.
Compared with Isis's agitation, Altaïr himself seemed remarkably composed.
"Your condition may be similar to Maki's. Some people are simply prone to allergies. You could call it an atopic constitution.
"You may both have the kind of constitution that is susceptible to all manner of strange infections.
"That doesn't mean your immune systems are weak. Rather, your bodies seem more willing to... accept foreign substances."
"Hmm. That sounds like it could be a good thing?" Altaïr mused.
"A good thing, my ass! Senior Maki is plagued by more ailments than anyone can count, remember?!" Isis was so furious that she nearly leaped from her chair.
Altaïr hurried to placate her. He had barely managed to calm her down when Alva rushed back, still holding a glass slide.
"Well?" Gordon prompted with a tilt of his chin.
"The scars are a factor, but they're probably not the primary cause," Alva said rapidly.
"To put it simply, if one microbe makes it through Isis's skin barrier, then ten make it through Altaïr's skin, while twelve to fourteen enter through his scarred skin.
"Is that clear enough? The scarred areas are indeed more vulnerable to foreign matter, but the fundamental reason is that his immune system allows those microorganisms to enter.
"I've seen one other case like his. You all know Maki from Kamura Village, correct?
"When I went to Kamura Village to help resolve the Frenzy Virus problem there, I studied her. Her condition was similar.
"Whether it was Frenzy Virus spores, the Qurio virus, or any number of other strange things, her body accepted them all without rejection.
"Even more absurdly, she never displayed any allergic reaction or immune rejection whatsoever. Could this be a hereditary disorder present from birth?
"Come to think of it, she has scars similar to yours, caused by a breath attack and then tainted with Monster blood or something... You're also about the same age. Are you two directly related by blood?"
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