Sajji clearly had not expected Ning-Ning's attitude to change so dramatically after he showed off his "muscles."
He slung his "muscles" back across his shoulders and cleared his throat. "Ahem, meow. We'll talk about that after the quest is over, meow. First, tell me what happened here, meow."
"Yes, meow." Ning-Ning was remarkably cooperative.
She began with a detailed account of what had happened around ten days earlier, when Lambert failed in her challenge against Deadeye and Ning-Ning and her underlings hauled her back on a Felyne cart.
Lambert's letter had described much the same sequence, though she had discreetly omitted the Felyne cart.
After all, no one wanted to waste ink on something so embarrassing.
"The three humans stayed to guard the village, while I took the letter to the nearest town, meow.
"When I got back from town, the village was still intact, meow."
As she spoke, the corner of Ning-Ning's mouth twitched, and her face involuntarily settled into that same mocking expression. "Those Hunters kept urging the villagers to evacuate to town and return only after that black maniac had been dealt with, meow.
"But the villagers refused. They said this was the most important season for gathering Unique Mushrooms and Giant Pinecloud Mushrooms, so they couldn't simply leave, meow. They also said they had refuges nearby and would hide there if danger actually came, meow."
Her expression looked mocking, but there was no derision in her voice. Altaïr sighed softly as well.
Unlike Isis and Morgan, who had grown up in towns, Altaïr and the Felynes had struggled to survive in the wild. They understood all too well how important it was to gather supplies at the proper time of year.
If they missed that window, their plans for the entire year's supplies would be thrown into disarray, perhaps even leading to famine.
On one side was "a danger that might appear"; on the other, "major losses that were certain to happen." No wonder the mountain folk had been unwilling to leave.
"What happened next?" Isis pressed.
"Then that black maniac came, meow. The Hunter with the musical instrument and the one with the Bowgun lured it away together, meow.
"The one with the Shield escorted the villagers to a nearby refuge, meow. That's where we're heading now, meow."
"I see..." Altaïr nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder there had been no mass casualties.
The rebellious girl who used to skip class, the restless mountain village boy, and the inexperienced Gunner from the Rangers had all grown into fine Hunters capable of protecting others.
"But the two who lured the black maniac away were badly injured, meow, especially the one with the Bowgun. He almost died, meow.
"We barely managed to drag him back, meow." Ning-Ning's voice carried obvious discontent, as though she thought the Hunters' desperate efforts had not been worth it.
"People without the strength to fight should simply listen, meow, instead of making trouble for those who really have to risk their lives, meow."
Sajji shot her a glance. "Don't say things like that again, meow.
"That may be how things work among Felyne tribes in the wild, meow. The young, strong warriors who hunt and protect the tribe are its absolute core, so every decision has to revolve around them, meow.
"But human society is much more complicated, meow. Everyone has their own responsibilities, so this isn't really anyone's fault, meow."
Ning-Ning pursed her lips. She clearly disagreed with Sajji, but the strength he had displayed kept her from arguing.
Sajji did not continue the lecture. The group followed Ning-Ning through the mountain forest and soon reached the concealed entrance to a cave.
The opening was extremely narrow, less than a meter wide. Vines and bushes that had clearly been planted by human hands surrounded it, hiding the entrance from view.
With a few rocks and logs piled just inside the entrance, even Small Monsters such as Velociprey would be unable to squeeze through. If the cave was spacious enough inside, it would make a natural refuge.
"I brought them, meow!" Ning-Ning shouted into the cave. "Don't forget the reward you promised me, meow!
"If you don't deal with that black-furred maniac, I'll come back to collect what I'm owed, meow!"
With that, she turned, slipped into the bushes, and ran off.
"What a contrary little thing, meow." Sajji glanced in the direction Ning-Ning had gone.
Having grown up in a wild Felyne tribe himself, Sajji could infer most of Ning-Ning's story from what little he had heard.
Her home had been destroyed by a Monster, and her tribemates had either died or scattered.
But as one of the tribe's "warriors," she had refused to let the matter end there. She had gathered a few companions and stayed behind to harass their enemy.
Such a group could not last long. In the wild, where mere survival was a struggle, revenge mattered far less than staying alive.
Her greed for coin probably came from needing human currency to buy supplies and maintain her position as the group's boss. Her pursuit of strength at any cost sprang from the same need.
Had her tribe not been attacked and torn apart, that rare drive might have made her the tribe's warrior chief, or even its leader.
Instead, she was reduced to leading a few underlings around the forest all day.
"She'd actually make a good Palico, meow."
Clawdia, who had remained quiet throughout the journey, suddenly spoke. "The fact that she draws her blade instead of turning tail when attacked, and that facing someone far stronger only makes her want to improve, already puts her ahead of most Felynes, meow."
"No!" Isis grabbed Clawdia under the arms and lifted her up. With an utterly serious expression, she said, "Ning-Ning might make a good Palico, but we absolutely can't recruit her into our group. She's a threat to you."
"Meow?" Clawdia looked as though a question mark had popped over her head. "A threat? Her, meow? She could train for another ten years and still never beat me, meow."
"That's not what I meant..."
"All right, all right." Altaïr wearily interrupted Isis's fanciful warning. "Someone is coming out."
The sound of heavy objects being moved came from inside the cave. Then a familiar yet unfamiliar figure squeezed sideways through the entrance and emerged before Altaïr and the others.
"Senior Altaïr! Senior Isis!" The abrupt change in light made the young man squint, but as soon as he recognized their faces, he cried out in delight.
"Lambert was right after all! She said you would come!"
"Chia, long time no see." Altaïr greeted him with a smile.
It felt as though only an instant had passed. Barely two years had gone by, yet the inexperienced boy Altaïr remembered gathering mushrooms all day had grown into a tall young man.
The orange-red Tetsucabra Set made his build look even sturdier. Fine scars marked his face, and with the Large Shield and sword on his back, he looked every bit like a "reliable frontliner."
"Ning-Ning told us what happened. You did well." Altaïr reached out and patted Chia's arm. "I heard Vari and the others were badly hurt. How are they now?"
Chia's expression turned serious. "Lambert's doing all right. She took some Potions and rested for a few days, so she's fine now.
"Vari's much worse. Yian Garuga's breath nearly hit him head-on. He dodged at the last moment, but the blast still broke several bones.
"There's no proper doctor in the village, so we can't set them perfectly. We were afraid the bones would heal crooked and leave him with chronic injuries, so we didn't dare give him too many Potions."
"Which bones did he break, meow?" Clawdia cut in.
"Mainly his ribs and the bones in his arms."
"That's not too bad, meow. If his pelvis or spine were broken, I couldn't do anything, but I'm confident I can handle ribs and limb bones, meow.
"Sajji, come help me, meow. My father showed you how last time too, meow."
"Got it, meow."
Clawdia led Sajji into the cave ahead of the others.
A relieved smile spread across Chia's face. "I should have expected nothing less from you, Senior Altaïr and Senior Isis. Even your hunting partners are so skilled!"
Altaïr nudged Isis with his elbow. "See? Any threat? Not at all."