"......This isn"t funny at all."Cramming a wooden box with supplies before closing the lid and locking it, Elmeria muttered her complaint without even herself noticing.
"Does this concern that young miss?"
Hearing Gannon"s voice, the girl groaned as she finally noticed that she had said something.
It was just as he said.
There wasn"t any objection on coming out to search for Fradio. Not even when she"s doing this free of charge. If he really was in trouble, she can always demand some compensation from Fradio himself. Like having him treat each person to five high-grade Aptonoth Steaks, something like that. Elmeria had that in mind when she accepted the job. However-
("Why did that girl have to come along?")
That girl in question is a hunter, equipped with Khezu armor and wielding a one handed sword- She is Freda.
And that is why it"s not funny at all.
Even so, in the end, it was Elmeria who agreed to have her.
When Freda said she wanted to come along, Elmeria immediately refused her.
However, someone approached her in a nonchalant manner- It was the Guild Master, manager of the gathering hall and of the hunters in Minegarde, an elderly man of the rarely seen wyverian race.
Usually seen seated on top of the counter, either smoking from his pipe or drinking alcohol, he is a person that not just hunters- but everyone in the city, can"t say no to.
But it is not because of physical prowess.
Originally, he was not a hunter, but rather a trader. Elmeria understood that "power" is not exclusive to one"s abilities to wield swords or hammers skillfully.
And it was that old man who asked her to let Freda come along.
"This young miss is my older brother"s apperentice, you see... He"s relying on me to help as much as I can for the young miss to get to do as she wishes."
That was what the Guild Master said.
"This won"t be for free, of course? This isn"t a request, but rather a reward from me personally, 10,000 Zeeny per person...... How about it?"
Right now, for Elmeria, it was an offer that she couldn"t possibly refuse.
That is because, at any rate, she had spent most of her money on hand in fixing up the Breath Core.
Thanks to that, she also had no choice but to move to a different room, to the lower ranked Rook room that she used to rent when she was still a beginner.
She wanted to surprise both Zeeg and Fradio by showing her hammer off so much that she even took out a loan, but the money could have been quickly paid back when the team is all back together.
However, Fradio is missing.
With the girl being able to come out and search for him while also receiving a reward, she had no objections. Besides, this job was to be done free of charge at first.
("Still... This is pretty annoying.")
From Zeeg"s story, Freda is older than the boy by two years, and older than Elmeria by three, but her face makes her look younger than her actual age.
However, her mannerisms are refined and delicate, and she seems to have a certain quality that attracts people"s eyes.
She didn"t stand out when she"s staying silent, but when she started talking, the attention of hunters at the gathering hall were all drawn to her.
The Khezu armor on her body isn"t all that special for high-ranking hunters.
But it"s a different story for her one-handed sword.
("...And it just had to be the Heroic Blade!")
Up to this point, while in another city, Elmeria had a few encounters with hunters who wield one-handed swords called Heroic Blade.
They- regardless of male or female- would speak in an arrogant manner, acting in such an att.i.tude as if they were saying "I"ll let you guys fill up my party slots".
Gannon would drive them all away, and afterwards, if they were to join up with other groups and go out hunting, none of them would return.
The reason is that they are pretentious, the Heroic Blades they own being mere replicas.
As one would expect, that kind of people do not exist in Minegarde.
It is only natural. The Guild Master is the blood brother of the Hero of Kokoto himself, after all.
The old man acknowledged this blade- Which means this Heroic Blade is the original.
Elmeria made a long groan.
("Thanks to that, my Breath Core was completely overshadowed!")
That was another thing that she couldn"t stomach.
("--Another?")
She did have that thought, but she had to give it another thought whether or not there was another thing that she couldn"t stomach. That detail felt hazy, so she couldn"t get a clear answer.
Anyhow, the only thing that"s clear is that she can"t get along with Freda at all.
Her interrupting the Breath Core"s reveal was part of the reason, but it was mostly from her experience with those kind of showoffs- Ones who wield that blade. Even if this one is the real deal- She fears that if the girl were to be a showoff who tries to finish off monsters with her sword, everyone would likely be exposed to more danger.
From having joined that kind of people several times before, Elmeria has learned from experience that there are no worse hunters than the showoffs who fancy themselves heroes.
"What"s your take on this, Gannon?"
While folding casual clothes that she deposited with the guild, Elmeria asked her question.
Gannon had already finished packing up. He doesn"t have much luggage, with the only casual clothes he owns being the black dress suit he wears when looking after Elmeria. Any othertime, he would wear clothes that serve as padding under his armor.
Standing at the door like a guard, both sides of Gannon"s lips dropped. It is his habit while pondering over something. Elmeria knew by heart that it is best to wait silently in times like this.
"...If this concerns the young miss being a showoff, I do not think that is the case."
"Why?"
Elmeria asked as she crammed one last piece of clothing into her leather trunk, then pulled on its belt tightly.
"In spite of her owning the true Heroic Blade, she didn"t have any intention to show it off. If she hadn"t spoken, it is most likely that no one would have noticed her. At first, I also thought she was just a normal hunter who happened to share the table with Zeeg."
"Is that so?"
Elmeria was slightly dissatisfied.
"Then, why do you think she stuck her head into our Fradio searching business? Do you think she was honest about the reason she gave us?"
When Elmeria told her that it"s none of her business, Freda-
"If I hear there"s someone that may need saving, I can"t afford to not act. More so if the person in question is a friend of Zeeg"s."
Said that as her response.
Gannon folded is arms and groaned faintly.
"......That may very well be her true disposition, yes. It is because at the jungle where Fradio"s whereabouts was last known, there were no news of rare ores or appearances of unusual monsters. After all, among hunters, there are ones who start their career because they want to protect people."
"Most of them are aiming for rare materials though."
The bag, swelled up from all the things crammed inside, was thrown on the bed.
Not overlooking Gannon"s anxious facial expression, Elmeria smiled for him.
"Don"t worry. I won"t dwell on it. It"s true that I"m not satisfied and all, but we"ve already accepted this job and there"s also the special reward. Besides-"
"Besides?"
Elmeria headed to the weapon rack and grabbed the Breath Core.
"It"ll be a good time for me to accustom myself to this thing. The catalogue specs is excellent and all, but its practical use in the hunting grounds is another story- That"s one thing I"m looking forward to, at least."
"Looks like something really did happen."
Standing inside the tent of the jungle base camp, built on a cliff so high that one wouldn"t be able to see the bottom, Zeeg was taking a look around as he heard Elmeria"s mutters.
Fradio"s belongings were still left inside the tent, but raw meat preserved in the salt bucket was swarmed by common insects, attracted by the reek of decomposition. Maybe the amount of salt used wasn"t enough.
Other than that, washed underwear were left hanging, and some backup supplies such as potions were stored away, apparently untouched.
"Oh dear me, this is troubling indeed."
The guild staff, dispatched from the sub-branch located in a nearby village, spoke up.
A plump man in his forties with a bald head, he has a habit of wiping his head with a piece of cloth even though he"s not sweating.
"Normally, if it"s past the contract period, whether dead or missing, all of the luggage would have been packed away immediately. You see, Sir Heart has been a good customer, and this is the first time something like this happened. He had always paid a large sum of fees in advance, and he would usually immediately contact the headquarters if something were to go wrong."
"First off all, we"ll investigate the surrounding area for a bit."
Elmeria said that before exiting the text. The man followed right behind her.
"Then if we find something, we"ll begin our real search. Anyway, please pack up Fradio belongings and store them somewhere safe. It"s fine to throw away the rotten meat though."
"Understood. Well then, I shall wait here for everyone"s return."
"If we don"t come back in 3 hours, contact the headquarters. -Well, that"s never going to happen though."
Turning to Zeeg who had just exited the tent, Elmeria smiled, showing her sharp teeth.
"We"re leaving now, alright?"
"Roger."
Without anybody saying a word, they lined up with Gannon leading the way, followed by Elmeria, then Freda, with Zeeg being the last in line.
"Please be careful."
Zeeg and the group moved away from the camp area, the man"s voice echoing from behind them.
Spreading beyond the cliff is a magnificent landscape, so beautiful that it can cause one to tremble in awe, their sense of wonder never growing stale no matter how many times they look.
On the opposite side, several waterfalls can be seen flowing down from high cliffs, the wind carrying cool air over to this side with thunderous roars.
As Zeeg turned around, he could see Freda doing the same, gazing upon the scenery.
The bandage wrapped around her head is not soaked in blood anymore, but she still chose to still put on a chain cap, her reason being that helmets would make her head damp, which is not good for her wounds.
"Is this your first time?"
Being asked by Zeeg, Freda turned her head to him without stopping her feet.
"Coming to the jungle, I mean."
"No. I"ve come here several times. It"s just that I never get tired of looking at the scenery here."
Saying that, the girl turned to look at the other side of the cliff once more.
Seeing the girl"s pale skin shining beautifully as intense sunlight shone on her face from the side, Zeeg unintentionally stared in fascination.
Freda does indeed have certain qualities that draw people to her.
Could it be that reason she was bullied throughout her childhood was not because of jealousy or hate? Maybe everyone just wanted her to look their way.
But of course, that would never qualify as an excuse.
When she said she wanted to help search for Fradio, Zeeg was not surprised even one bit.
He just knew that if it"s Freda, she would definitely say it, And that is the reason he was dumbfounded when Elmeria relentlessly rejected her proposal.
In the end, the decision to let her come along was made thanks to the Guild Master"s words, but Zeeg could not understand why the Elmeria was so strongly opposed to it.
Although Freda is registered at the guild, she works at villages in remote regions most of the time, making her Hunter Rank not very high.
However, she is a person of high reputation.
The mere sight of a full set of Khezu armor she has collected is a clear indication of her abilities, and even though her name is not very well-known among hunters, but among merchants who traverse through remote regions, she is highly popular hunter. The merchants would say that the mere mention of the name Freda Esgrand would make monster run away.
In general, hunters are realists.
Completing accepted requests may be important, but if the situation were to become a matter of life or death, they would not hesitate to abandon the job at hand.
In that case, they would need to forfeit the contract fee they paid, but they can always earn more money as long as they still live.
Therefore, when monster hunters were to be requested for guard duties, the clients would have to accept that there is a slight (so the guild says) risk of articles being abandoned.
If hunters were to make the decision to retreat, they would not abandon the people they were hired to guard, but the goods would be deemed hindrances and promptly abandoned, no matter how much monetary value they hold.
However, there are also cases when said goods are considered as important as the lives of merchants themselves.
Even if they were to be saved from monsters, the loss of their goods could mean the end of their lives as merchants.
But it seems that Freda never abandons her clients" articles. She never hesitated to use herself as decoy to ensure the merchant caravans" safe retreat.
That is why her injuries never stop adding up. The girl said so while laughing faintly during their return trip to Kokoto Village, and it stuck in Zeeg"s memories.
There also seems to be merchants who intend to exploit this side of Freda for their own benefits.
The carriage coachman from that time furiously told that there are people who intentionally choose dangerous routes and hire Freda for protection, then demand extra compensation from their trading partners later.
"You know, Lady Freda is just too kind. She"s always covered in injuries... So that"s why we came up with a countermeasure-"
Nowadays, the requests Freda takes are no longer from individual merchants, instead being ones submitted to the guilds, with the route"s safety and other factors being put into consideration whether or not it is necessary to have her on the job.
As it is the guilds" absolute condition that traders need to sign their contracts, the number of requests that intentionally puts her in danger have decreased.
But that also resulted in the requests she accepts being only the truly dangerous ones, ultimately doing nothing to change her situation of being injured constantly.
"That reminds me. Lady Freda might dislike what I"m going to say, but among traveling merchants, some have been keeping scales and the like from monster defeated by Lady Freda as protective charms, saying that doing so makes them feel like Lady Freda is by their side, giving them courage. It"s become quite a popular act lately."
As he said that, the coachman showed the small bag hanging from his neck.
It contained a Velociprey Scale.
Freda listened to the story with a mixed expression of embarra.s.sment and delight.
"Zeeg!"
Turning around in response to Elmeria"s voice, Zeeg could see the girl glancing back at him.
"You"ll get blindsided by an Ioprey if you keep s.p.a.cing out like that, you know. There"s been talks of an Iodrome wandering around here as well."
"Ah- Uh, sorry."
Pulling his thoughts back together, Zeeg went through a row of pillars that seemed to be the remains of some ancient ruins. Elmeria is still in a bad mood. Although she pretended not to be, it was still apparent from the tone of her speech.
("So this is what happens when Fradio isn"t here with us.")
Zeeg was reminded of that man"s importance to the party as lubricating oil that reduces friction among its members.
In times like this, unfitting his executioner-like appearance, the man would calmly lighten everyone"s mood, something that is impossible for Zeeg to do. If the boy were to say anything to Elmeria while she"s angry, he would only be in for a painful experience.
Descending a flight of crumbling stairs and going through a stone gate, he was met with overwhelming humidity in the air and the stink of thick greenery.
The boy bated his breath as he surveyed his surroundings. He focused his ears, strained his eyes, and sniffed for unusual smells, but could not find any trace of monsters.
"Where should we search first?"
In response to Zeeg"s question, Elmeria pointed in the direction where water could be heard flowing.
"Let"s start from there, then make a sweep around the thick forest. Gypceros won"t appear in arears where the sky is obstructed, so it"s if we are to seach for clues on Fradio"s whereabouts, I think it"ll be fine to leave the caves for last- You"re fine with that, right?"
Freda nodded her bandaged head.
"You know him more than I do, so I"ll leave all of the decisions to you."
"Oh yeah?"
Probably not pleased with how Freda answered, Elmeria gave a blunt response, then folded her map and started walking.
Freda didn"t seem to mind that, however.
The girl kept her hand free, keeping her hand on the sword"s handle on her waist, while at the same time observing her surroundings as she proceeded onwards. Zeeg followed right behind her, watchful of his own back.
Walking on a naturally occurring animal trail, they found a giant human head carved from stone, apparently a ritual item of sorts, fallen on the ground. Seeing that its body part is nowhere to be found in the area, it is possible that no more than the head was created. The color of the surrounding earth was dark, with various types of mushrooms grown on it.
Hearing a rusting sound from nearby, everyone present reached for their weapons.
"Oink"
What stuck its head out of a bush was a pig-like monster, Mosswine. It would attack with tackles if provoked, but other than that it is a docile creature. As its regular diet consists of mushrooms, people would be told to stay behind a Mosswine is they were searching for Special Mushrooms.
"......Let"s go."
Elmeria let go of her hammer"s handle, then knocked on Gannon"s back.
The group still has plenty of raw meat left. There is no need to hunt.
Going past some short pillars that seemed to serve as a sign and climbing up a slope, Zeeg and the group reached the river. The body is quite wide, the current is fast, and the light brown water is deep.
A log bridge goes over the river, seeming to have been set up by someone. However, the surface is covered in moss, indicating that if one were to cross carelessly, they would lose their footing and instantly be swallowed by the water below.
All four crossed on the log bridge, paying extra attention to their feet.
Buzzing sounds of bugs" wings could be heard occasionally from the thicket on the other side, sounding quite jarring to the ears.
Zeeg knew the source of that noise, and he doesn"t like it one bit.
They are the giant bugs, Vespoids and Hornetaurs. Resembling Rhinoceros Beetles, the Hornetaurs" sh.e.l.ls can be manufactured into fairly tough armor, but when considering the annoyance of being interrupted by other insects while carving, it is not very desirable.
Before they were attacked while still on the bridge, Zeeg and the others reached the other side.
At the same time, Gannon unsheathed the Diablo Sprear from his back, pulled on the handle, and made a charging thrust towards the bushes ahead.
Splatter sounds echoed consecutively, green fluids and black sh.e.l.l fragments scattering in all directions. Not just one, but all of the Hornetaurs that have gathered were struck down in one blow.
Then, in before the boy"s eyes, Freda drew the Heroic Blade and ran towards where Gannon just attacked, bringing down her sword at a different bush.
The body of a Vespoid scattered in all directions, its transparent wings shining in seven colors as they contacted sunlight.
Behind the girl, another Vespoid quickly approached, bending its body in preparation for a sting, but before Zeeg could warn her, Freda had already turned around and cut it down.
"......Not bad."
"You too."
Gannon and Freda exchanged a few words as they stepped into the thicket, striking down any giant bugs that dared to approach.
"Looks like it"s not our turns yet, huh."
In response to Zeeg"s statement, Elmeria snorted arrogantly,
"It"d be a total waste if I debut the Breath Core with those bugs, you know."
And made that remark.
But from a practical standpoint, weapons with long attack delays such as great swords and hammers aren"t suited for clearing small targets, which was the real reason that the two of them didn"t draw their weapons.
That is actually the case for lances as well, but unfitting of his physique, Gannon has the ability to easily hunt those insects thanks to his pinpoint accuracy.
Although it is a given in Zeeg"s case, Elmeria seems to also lack the ability to handle her hammer in that manner. Then again, great swords and hammers are designed to be swung in an arc, so expecting pinpoint accuracy from them is quite unreasonable.
"Looks like they"re done."
Before Elmeria could finish her sentence, Gannon and Freda had already came out of the thicket. Both of them are in an uninjured state.
Freda was holding something in her hand.
At first they thought it was the body of a vespoid that luckily didn"t get crushed, but that was not the case- It seems to be some kind of splinter.
"! That"s-"
The first one to notice was Elmeria.
Freda nodded and showed what she had in hand. It is a part of the Tankmage bowgun. It was broken off from the barrel.
"......Could this be Fradio"s?"
Zeeg asked, and Elmeria muttered, "Could be". Her voice was vaguely trembling.
"Young mistress."
This time, it"s Gannon.
Zeeg and the others turned around, seeing the large man crouching on the riverbank. As they approached, he pointed at the area at his feet. Right there were some remaining footprints, though they are now filled with water. Furthermore-
"There is this too."
What he picked up for others to see was a blackened empty bullet sh.e.l.l, made of a Huskberry.
"The footprints slide from front to back."
Elmeria picked up a branch and poked the print hole.
"Fairly deep... Looks like they put in considerable effort so as to not lose their footing. However, they had been pushed into the river by some greater physical force- Something like that."
Zeeg took a look at the fiercely flowing river. Could it be that, just as Elmeria said, the hunter that may or may not be Fradio had fallen right here?
Zeeg gulped down his saliva. This point of the river should not be that far from a waterfall.
There may be elevation differenced for the different rivers that flow through the jungle, but most of them eventually lead to waterfalls.
"Young mistress, these footprints-"
Elmeria took a look at the print that Gannon pointed at.
"Bullfango. Looks like they"ve taken a full tackle."
Her voice was the voice of someone who is struggling to maintain their composure.
Bullfango- If that is truly the case, then a Tankmage being broken to pieces is understandable. That is because their charges can easily dent even Hi-Metal equipment.
"......Then, what do we do now?"
Zeeg asked, looking at everyone.
From seeing those footprints, it is apparent that it happened not so long ago, but a few days have certainly pa.s.sed since then.
Even so, no one returned to the camp, so the most realistic outcome, however undesirable they may be, would be either them getting swept away by the currents and falling down the waterfall or eaten by the aquatic monsters.
Elmeria fell into silence as she stared at the prints. Zeeg understood that the shock she felt must have been severe.
Putting her career as a hunter into consideration, she should have had some experience of losing comrades, but that doesn"t mean it is something that one simply gets used to.
Although the boy has gotten to know her for a whole year now, he feels that he hasn"t even scratched the surface.
"For the time being, let us go downstream and search the riverbank of both sides."
Gannon spoke as he stood up.
"Young mistress and I will be on this side. Zeeg and the young miss on the other side. -Is this acceptable?"
"Eh? Ah, sure......"
One would think that Elmeria would be opposed to this proposition, but this time she accepted it with no objections.
"Well then."
As she said that, Freda quickly headed towards the log bridge, with Zeeg hurrying behind her.
-However, even though they searched the riverbanks thoroughly for an hour since then, they found noting in addition to the Tankmage parts and footprints from the start.
"......What should we do, young mistress?"
While sitting on the damp ground, Gannon asked.
All Elmeria did was look at the river"s currents while staying silent, not giving an answer.
Then, Freda quietly stood up and carried her luggage on her shoulder.
"I"m going."
"W-Wait a second! You"re going back to camp!?"
Freda glanced at Zeeg with the eye not covered with an eyepatch.
"No. I"ll be descending the cliff and search downstream. The waterfall here is not that high. If luck was on their side, they could have been swept downstream- Though there is still a possibility of them drowning due to the weight of their armor. You people can do what you want, but I will never abandon them. Until I confirm by myself that the person is already dead."
With that said, she started crossing the log bridge.
"H-Hey!"
Zeeg stood up in a panic and picked up his luggage. The, he turned to Elemria and Gannon.
"I"ll be going with her, what about you two?"
"......Isn"t that obvious?"
Elmeria stood up, wiping the mud off her equipment. Her face raised up, filled with determination.
"I don"t need that girl to tell me everything to know that Fradio is still alive out there. That guy like a Gypceros, after all."
Zeeg looked at the girl"s face and grinned.
"The Gypceros"s signature move is playing dead, after all."
"That"s right."
A fearless smile finally appeared on Elmeria"s face as she knocked on Zeeg"s Kut-Ku breastplate.
".......Well then, shall we?"
Gannon stood up, moving his ma.s.sive body.
"It would not be very nice to make the young miss wait any longer."
Zeeg turned to the other side of the river as he heard those words, seeing Freda silently looking their way while standing still.
"So, why did you become a hunter?"
After going past the waterfall, while the group was walking along the riverbank to a point where the currents have become less fierce, Freda asked Elmeria her question, with Zeeg attempting to listen in while looking for traces of Fradio at the same time.
As Freda said, the waterfall"s height was not that great. Not as high as the one that can be seen from the basecamp, at least. But with that said, it was still as high as 15 meters.
They descended by having Gannon remain on the top while dropping down the other three using ropes, then the large man himself climbed down along the cliff. The way he climbs down without any struggle despite having giant horns on both shoulders obstructing him was admirable.
At the bottom of the waterfall was a not-so-large basin, but it was so muddy that the bottom could not be seen.
If Fradio"s body were to be found, this location would be the first possible spot.
"I"m diving."
After saying that, Freda was starting to remove her Khezu armor when Zeeg stopped her in a panic.
"Why not let her do it?"
Elmeria said that, but Zeeg shook his head.
"Freda"s injured. Wouldn"t it be bad if her wounds were infected from diving here?"
"How nice of you."
Her style of speech was so obviously sarcastic, but Zeeg ignored it as he removed his armor. Not just that, but his clothes and underwear as well.
"Gyah-!"
Turning red, Elmeria turned her back on the boy.
"Wh- wh,wh,why"re you taking all your clothes off!?"
"Isn"t that obvious? You want me to wear armor on top of wet underpants when I get back up?"
"Zeeg is right."
Freda gave her agreement, staring at Zeeg without showing any sign of embarra.s.sment at all, causing the boy to hurriedly jump into the water out of awkwardness.
"A-Alright, I"ll go take a look."
Saying that, Zeeg dived.
The bottom of the basin was quite muddy indeed, but he could still see as far as his hands could reach out to.
He went on for as long as he could hold his breath, but Fradio- Or even Gypceros armor, were nowhere to be found. All he found were sh.e.l.ls of prawns that already got their meat eaten, monster bone that seemed to belong to Aptonoths, and a set of Ioprey armor designed for female hunters, seemingly cut apart, worn by the skeleton of its owner.
Zeeh then resurfaced and reported his findings.
"......Seems like a Plesioth was here."
Gannon made his a.s.sessment from the state of the basin, and Zeeg agreed with him.
The piscine wyvern Plesioth belongs to species of extra-large monsters, greater in size than even the Mon.o.blos and Gravios. They are approximately twice as large as an average Rathalos.
With that said, they are unable to fly in the sky, with the hypothesized usage of the large wings they possess being to maneuver itself in water.
Its black-and-gold scales are not only beautiful, but also becomes hardened upon contact with water. Its whole long body is covered in those scales, which means when it attacks by ramming its body like a whip, the power would be so great that one could die instantly if they were to be hit in the wrong spots.
Furthermore, the Plesioth can shoot water out of their mouth with sheer power so high that it can"t be underestimated for being just water.
The pressurized water jets are like sharp unbreakable swords that would cut anything without fail, sometimes even slicing hunters in half along with their armors- Like that woman at the bottom of the basin.
"No Gypceros armor down there, right?"
Zeeg nodded.
"Then let"s hurry on our way. We don"t have the time to be fighting that thing."
The agreement was unanimous. Zeeg quickly wiped his body dry and re-equipped his armor, then headed downstream together with everyone else.
On the way, they ate some Mosswine Sandwiches, made by grilling minced and flattened Mosswine meat then inserting it between two pieces of common bread. Although they had already gone stale, the meat juices that would seep out with each bite gave them a nice taste.
They ate while still constantly walking, not taking any breaks for even just a moment.
They went on until the surrounding environment isn"t what they would call a jungle anymore.
They could clearly see that most of the trees surround them had long withered away. The dampness of the ground is too great. The river they have been walking along became wider, slowing the currents, and the ground along the riverbank is quite muddy.
Additionally, the area has been covered in thick fog for a while now, and they could occasionally hear roars thunder in the distance.
It was at this point that Freda asked Elmeria why she became a hunter.
"That"s a weird question."
Going forward while paying extra attention to her feet so as to not fall over, Elmeria spoke without turning around.
"I can"t give you an answer. I was already a hunter when I was first aware of my surroundings, you see. And what about you? Why did you become a hunter?"
"I was-"
Freda told Elmeria the same story that she had previously told Zeeg.
"-And that"s why I would never abandon anyone. Not until the very end."
"Mm-hm."
Elmeria gave a cold response.
"Well isn"t that good? Motivations to become a hunter differ from person to person, after all. But still, if you go out hunting with that way of thinking- You"ll end up dead sooner or later, you know?"
Zeeg was startled. That was because he himself also felt that way.
According to what Freda said, as the Trader Guild chooses requests for her, and as her fame builds up, more and more increasingly dangerous jobs would come flooding in.
And it"s very likely that she won"t be opposed to it.
Even if the ones choosing Freda"s quests were to be changed to the Hunter"s Guild, judging from her abilities, she would be faced with danger all the same.
In times like that, it is important to know when to quit, but the girl wouldn"t even put it into consideration.
For that reason, although her methods may make her popular among merchants, it has been constantly taking a toll on her body.
"That may be true."
Freda did not rebut what Elmeria pointed out.
"Even so, that is still the kind of hunter I aspire to become. And you? You"ve been in this for so long, so what kind of hunter do you aspire to be?"
"Nothing in particular. I"m just a hunter for the sake of being a hunter. I already got the Breath Core that I"ve been wanting for so long, so I think I just want continue doing this for as long as I"m able. That"s the only thing I know how to do, and I don"t intend to learn any other ways of life."
Zeeg felt that Gannon has turned his head around, glancing at Elmeria. He wasn"t sure of it because of the helmet, but the boy thought that the large man"s eyes expressed a sign of confusion.
("The future, huh...")
Zeeg hasn"t been able to picture what he wanted his to be like.
He"ll be fine since he"s still only 17, a voice inside of him whispered. But on the other hand, after hearing Elmeria, someone who is a year younger than him, give her clear thoughts on the matter, another voice would tell him that he can"t not worry about it anymore. Two conflicting thoughts in his head caused the boy to become anxious.
One year ago, the boy had carefree thoughts that he would eventually find his objective in life, but in the end, he hadn"t been able to find anything so far.
Although upgrading his weapon does count as an objective, when compared to Elmeria who looks beyond that, the boy"s situation is just in the short term; a dilemma between two upgrade paths because his current weapon doesn"t seem to make the cut anymore.
He did ask himself whether or not he wanted to be like the Hero of Kokoto, but he couldn"t come up with an answer.
The boy admired famous hunters- For example, a duo who called themselves the Red and Black Ogres, collectively referred to as the h.e.l.l Hunters.
However, those two differed from the Hero of Kokoto.
He couldn"t exactly explain how they"re different, but he felt that no matter how similar they may seem to be, there is a difference between those who are famous and those who, as heroes, act as role models for the people.
Even if one hunts a great number of monsters, that alone wouldn"t make them a hero.
("No good, no good.")
Zeeg shook his head.
("Right now, it"s all about Fradio! I"ll think about what"s next for me when I get back to the city.")
Brushing off his doubts, Zeeg concentrated on the task of searching the riverbank.
Freda and Elmeria, ceasing any further conversation, concentrated their nerves in order to detect any traces within their range of vision.
The riverbank gradually becomes narrower as they went on. The cliff has extended out in the sh.o.r.e"s direction.
A sense of impatience well up in Zeeg"s chest. No, it possibly can"t be just him. It was obvious that if they were to go on just like this, they would reach a dead end before long. If that truly is the case, they would be forced to turn back.
"......So this is as far as we go."
Gannon muttered weakly as he stopped his feet.
What stood before him was a cliff several meters high, and a bridge that had long sunk into the river.
"First of all, we"d have to go back to a place where we can make camp."
Elmeria spoke up with a voice that oozed with irritation.
It simply can"t be helped- Zeeg could do nothing but approve of that plan.
"Wait."
Freda pointed at the river.
"Look."
Zeeg and the others looked in the direction of her finger. They couldn"t see clearly due to the fog. However, as they concentrated their eyes once, they could see something out of place. In the air, something resembling a thread sparkled briefly, and beyond it on the water"s surface, a red object swayed up and down.
"Fishing line and buoy!"
Zeeg unintentionally exclaimed, covering his mouth in a panic almost immediately after.
As if in reaction to the voice, the buoy sunk underwater, resurfacing after a while.
"You idiot-"
The vicinity silent once more, Elmeria brought down her fist on the boy"s Ioprey Helm with a thud, but Zeeg couldn"t possibly voice any complaint.
In the hunting grounds, there is no knowing what could be lurking around.
Raising one"s voice in a quiet place such as this is forbidden. If the Plesioth were to be nearby, it could have jumped out spontaneously and attacked.
"S-sorry."
Zeeg whispered his apology.
The water"s surface was tranquil. The fishing line had no sign of being reeled up, and the buoy repeated its alternation between sinking and resurfacing.
".......The owner seems to be absent."
Elmeria spoke up.
However, at any rate, it was evident that there is a fishing spot on the other side of the cliff, and that a person was there. Knowing that, they couldn"t afford to turn back anymore.
Gannon measured the depth of the water that goes along closest to the cliff. It was only up to his knee. The surface was a funnel, meaning it would gradually become deeper, but it was still shallow enough for them to proceed.
"Young mistress, your hand."
Elmeria complied, grasping his hand as others did the same, joining hands with the person to their front and back, advancing along with Gannon as the lead. Although all members are at risk of being washed away if even a single person were to slip, there"s also a higher possibility that they would be safe. Considering the strength of Gannon"s arms, the latter seems to be the more likely outcome.
Luckily, the currents are unchanged in terms of their slow flow, resulting in everyone making their way to the other side safely without any slips along the way.
"This place is..."
Upon further observation of their surroundings, Zeeg and the others were surprised.
What was there was the swamp zone"s basecamp. As they normally came here via boat, and the fog was always thick, they had never known what was on the other side of the cliff that surrounded the camp.
In one spot at the shallows, a fishing rod was fixed in blade by rocks.
There was absolutely no sign of anybody else in the surrounding area.
However, it is evident that someone was here recently. That is because a bundle of firewood is still burning bright.
Zeeg and the others took a peek into the tent. The interior had a sour smell to it.
"Ah-."
Seeing something carelessly tossed on the floor beside the bed that had been stained in yellow, Zeeg hurried inside and picked it up.
It was a broken bowgun- one made from the Gypceros"s rubbery hides, the same as Fradio"s favorite Tankmage.
From the bag tied to her waist, Freda took out the piece that she had picked up back at the jungle and compared them together, making a perfect match.
"They were injured."
Turning to the voice, they could see Elmeria in a corner of the tent, holding a bloodied cloth. The red had already turned black, but they knew that it"s still fairly recent.
"I wonder if it"s Fradio..."
Holding the broken Tankmage, Zeeg took a look around the tent. However, he couldn"t find any other evidence that the man they"re searching for was here.
"Anyhow, we"ve now confirmed that a gunner who wields a Tankmage was struck by a Bullfango at the jungle, fell into the river, and then made their way here somehow."
Elmeria said as she rolled up the dirty cloths and put them away in the box, with a cheerful expression gradually returning to her face.
Considering the state of this location, the possibility of them surviving is high.
"Still, where could they have gone...? With all this blood loss, I don"t think they"re in the condition to be going outside......"
"Maybe help just arrived, and we already pa.s.sed each other?"
Zeeg said as he placed the Tankmage on the bed.
"Like, another hunter came here to hunt and found Fradio- or whoever it is- and already sent them back?"
"That"s possible..."
Elmeria lightly bit her lips as she pondered. That observation was just wishful thinking with no evidence to back it up. And now, the sun is starting to set. They would have to set off immediately if they were to make a search, but the swamp zone is vast. Zeeg also seemed to understand that she wanted some additional indicator.
"Looks like their wounds were badly festered."
Kneeled on one knee at the bed"s side, Freda examined the sheet and spoke up.
"They might have had a fever as well. Antidotes could be used to help with the infection though-"
Freda stood up, peeped into the tent"s storage box, then went outside and did the same to the supply box before returning inside.
"There aren"t any empty medicine bottles."
"But if the person who was here really is Fradio, then he should have some on him. He went to the jungle to fight a Gypceros, after all. Isn"t it essential to bring Antidotes when fighting against it?"
"They could have been ruined when he fell into the river."
"So you"re saying that Fradio left this place to gather ingredients for an Antidote?"
Freda nodded as an answer to Elmeria"s words.
"It is what hunters would do if they wish to stay alive."
Although Elmeria went silent, Zeeg had a feeling that Freda"s opinion was on point.
If it"s Fradio, then he would definitely do it. Before his infection becomes any worse, rendering him immobile, he would most likely go out to search for Antidote Herbs and Blue Mushrooms. He is a top-notch hunter, after all.
-Seriously though, what a miserable state I ended up in.
It was like his embarra.s.sed voice could be heard making that statement.
After letting out a sigh, Elmeria looked at Gannon.
"What about this basecamp"s number?"
He silently went outside the tent, looked at the number that should be written on the corner of the tent, then came back and told Elmeria.
The girl then took out a book from the bag on her back.
A few pages here and there had been torn off, but it is not that old of a book. On its cover, printed in gold: Kingdom of West Schrade Hunting Grounds Encyclopedia. Issued by the Hunter"s Guild annually, it is a hunter"s handbook detailing every single hunting ground under the guild"s supervision.
However, it is not owned by many. The reasons are that maps of hunting grounds are always provided on-site, and the book does cost quite a large sum of money.
Nevertheless, Elmeria would always carry it while traveling. During her spare time, she would enjoy picturing environments and testing out hunting tactics in her head. Besides, the book also contains various kinds of useful information, gathered by the hunters themselves.
"If it"s this swamp- then it"s this region."
Elmeria flipped the thick book to a certain page and showed it to everyone, while tracing her finger on the parchment.
"Gathering points for Blue Mushrooms and Antidote Herbs would be here... here, and here. You can pick Blue Mushrooms from swamp area 5, and for Antidote Herbs, wetland areas 4 and 9."
"Shall we separate into two groups?"
To Gannon"s proposal, Elmeria shook her head.
"There"s a possibility of there being a wyvern, so that"s too risky. I know we came in search of Fradio, but he won"t be thankful if one of us were to be killed by wyverns in the process. -You"re also fine with this, right?"
Freda nodded.
"Let"s hurry!"
Zeeg spoke up while packing up only the absolutely necessary items. Things like BBQ Spit are to be left here. That is because this time, the objective is to find Fradio- or whoever the huntermay be.
Even so, Whetstones and Potions would still be taken with him, just in the rare case the situation takes a turn for the worse.
"If we don"t hurry, it"ll get dark."