"They're fighting each other. Can you stop messing with my hair?"
Ciri impatiently slapped Axel's hand away and forcefully shook off his grip.
Axel shrugged and lightly tapped her side.
"I just like the fluffy texture. If the hair is off-limits, I'll have to find another target."
"Just stick to the hair, damn it."
Ciri glared at him before striking his arm.
"We should leave. If we stay here much longer, those Fire Dragons might notice us. My sword is ordinary steel, and I don't have any oils prepared for fighting Fire Dragons. There's no way I can deal with them."
Midway through her complaint, she remembered who she was talking to.
Grabbing Axel's wrist, she lowered her voice.
"If you wanted to, dealing with them wouldn't be difficult, right?"
"Why would I?" Axel replied. "They have their own place in the ecosystem, and they haven't done anything to me."
Shaking his head, he guided them higher into the sky.
When they reached an altitude of nearly three thousand meters, Ciri suddenly pointed into the distance.
"Look over there, it's a settlement!"
Her eyes brightened.
"Damn, I really need a bath. I haven't eaten properly in two days either."
She tugged on his sleeve.
"Let's head there. And I still want to ask about the Wild Hunt. Are you actually willing to help me, or are you just talking?"
As she spoke, Axel followed her gaze and guided them toward Astera.
While flying, he shook his head.
"That approach won't work, friend. If you want my help, there should at least be a worthwhile reason."
"You're a god. Do you really need incentives?" Ciri shot back.
Axel scoffed.
"I may not need them, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't offer them."
"You're impossible."
"As an example," Axel continued, "when we arrive, I'll take a bath too. You can help scrub my back. Do a good job, and I'll head to your world and tear the Wild Hunt apart."
"Tch."
Ciri snorted.
"If you weren't making demands, I'd say you're easier to get along with. The moment you turn everything into a transaction, it becomes annoying."
"That's your opinion."
Axel chuckled, earning another exasperated eye-roll.
As Astera drew closer, Ciri finally voiced another complaint.
"I thought witchers like Geralt had complicated personal lives, but you're somehow worse.
And for the record, no matter what happens today, you're not getting your way, you bastard."
A few moments later, they arrived within three hundred meters of Astera.
Seeing the settlement up close, Ciri gasped.
"From a distance, I thought it was a fortress built into a cliff."
Her eyes widened.
"But the upper level is actually a giant ship resting on top of it."
She glanced at Axel.
"You could probably move something that large yourself, couldn't you?"
At least now, she felt much safer.
Axel knocked lightly on her forehead.
"When you don't need me, you try to keep your distance. The moment you do need me, suddenly it's 'we.'"
He smirked.
"You're more cunning than you look, little girl."
After another tap to her forehead, Axel guided them toward Astera.
The enormous ship had clearly been hauled onto the cliff by tremendous force. Around it, the settlement had expanded into multiple levels containing workshops, trading areas, living quarters, and gathering spaces.
Although Astera appeared lively, there were only around a hundred people present.
The moment Axel and Ciri appeared in the sky, they attracted everyone's attention.
"What is that?"
"They're flying without Wingdrakes!"
"How are they doing that?"
"Who are they?"
"The Fifth Fleet isn't due for another couple of weeks."
"They aren't using any equipment."
"It's a man and a woman."
"The girl is holding onto him pretty tightly."
"Where are their weapons?"
"Commander!"
A rugged, sun-darkened older man emerged from Astera as people called out to him.
Standing by the railing, he shouted toward them.
"Travelers, I am Astera's Commander. May I ask your names and purpose here?"
"Heh, Commander sounds impressive."
Ciri tugged on Axel's arm.
"I don't sense any hostility from them."
Nodding, Axel descended and landed in front of the Commander.
As he did, the Commander carefully inspected both of them. After confirming there was no visible equipment enabling flight, his surprise only deepened.
Axel extended a hand.
"Hello, Commander. My name is Axel. The simplest way to describe me is that I'm a god from another world."
"A god, meow?"
Behind the Commander, a massive Felyne wearing a vest and sporting a scar over one eye walked forward.
"Do gods really exist, meow?"
"Huh?!"
Ciri stared.
"The cat talks! And it's walking upright!"
Her hands twitched with the urge to pet it.
The larger and tougher the Felyne looked, the more irresistible it became.
The Commander stood beside the Felyne.
"Whether you're a god or not is secondary."
His eyes narrowed.
"What interests me is the claim about another world."
He studied Axel carefully.
"If I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't believe it."
By now, more people had gathered behind him, all staring curiously at Axel.
Meeting their gazes, Axel smiled and casually reached out.
Whoosh!
A burst of flame appeared.
A massive female Rathalos suddenly materialized in front of everyone.
One moment she had been watching two males fight for mating rights.
The next, she was standing in the middle of Astera.
"Roaaar?!"
The confused wyvern immediately panicked.
Before she could react, an invisible force locked her in place.
It felt as though she had been trapped in solid jelly.
Her entire body went limp.
The hunters of Astera instantly prepared for battle.
The muscular Felyne Chef grabbed a frying pan and charged forward without hesitation.
Before becoming Astera's Head Chef, he had been the Commander's Palico partner during the First Fleet expedition.
A frying pan or a weapon, it made little difference to him.
The helpless Rathalos quickly found herself on the receiving end of a thorough beating.
Only after everyone realized she couldn't resist did they finally stop.
The Commander took a deep breath.
"So this is the power of a god from another world."
He nodded respectfully.
"You summoned a Rathalos from afar and rendered it completely helpless."
Looking at the trapped wyvern, he continued.
"Please release her. The Ancient Forest ecosystem still needs Rathalos populations to remain healthy. We haven't issued hunting requests against female Rathalos in a long time."
He glanced toward the researchers.
"In fact, we actively protect their nests these days."
A member of the research team immediately stepped forward to inspect the wyvern.
The New World's population was small, but its hunters were veterans.
Most of the expedition's true combat strength came from the First Fleet, hunters who had spent decades surviving in the New World.
Many of them had become living legends.
To hunters of that caliber, creatures like Rathalos were no longer existential threats. They were vital components of the ecosystem.
Beside Axel, Ciri listened in astonishment.
"A dragon like this is a protected species?"
She patted the restrained Rathalos.
"In my world, dragons are feared monsters. This one doesn't even seem capable of using magic."
The Commander smiled.
"So there are dragons in your world too?"
Then he turned back to Axel.
"As for magic, that's a discussion I'd like to have."
He gestured toward Astera.
"My friend from another world, perhaps you would allow us to host you for a while. And perhaps release this poor, helpless Rathalos as well."
Axel rolled his eyes.
Without warning, he grabbed the Rathalos by one leg and flung her into the distance.
The giant wyvern vanished across the horizon like a thrown stone.
A powerful gust swept across Astera.
The Commander stared.
Even the Commander himself couldn't throw a Rathalos that casually.
At most, he could launch one with a full-force punch.
Nearby, the Head Chef nodded enthusiastically.
"Guests from another world deserve the finest meal Astera can offer, meow! Please follow me!"
"So adorable."
Ciri swallowed hard.
"If all non-humans were this friendly, my world would be a much better place."
She moved beside the Felyne.
"You're a chef, right? What should I call you?"
The two quickly fell into conversation as they headed toward the dining area.
Seeing this, the Commander relaxed.
Turning toward the settlement, he raised his voice.
"Since we have visitors from another world, we'll take the rest of the day off."
Cheers erupted immediately.
"A banquet!"
"Finally!"
"Head Chef is cooking!"
"Real food!"
The crowd excitedly rushed toward Astera's third level.
The Commander and Axel followed at a slower pace.
As they walked, the Commander explained.
"The race your companion likes so much are called Felynes."
"They are far friendlier than the Gajalaka and have lived alongside humans for generations."
He pointed toward the Head Chef.
"That Felyne was my Palico partner during the First Fleet expedition. These days he's Astera's Head Chef."
After a pause, he continued.
"As for the Commander, he recently chased a Teostra into the Wildspire Waste. It may be some time before he returns."
He looked toward the horizon.
"The New World has been unusually peaceful lately. Even monsters that normally cause trouble have become strangely quiet."
His expression turned thoughtful.
"I only hope that peace lasts until the next Elder Crossing."
The Commander smiled.
"You probably don't know what that means yet. After we've shared a few drinks, I'll explain it properly."
Then he looked at Axel with genuine curiosity.
"And in return, I'd love to hear stories about your world. After all, this is the first time we've ever met someone from another world."