"Meow! Everyone, come on out! We're almost there!"
At Sita's call, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes finally emerged from the trees. Upon spotting the unmistakable silhouette of the ship, they all let out gasps of awe.
"Meow, that huge thing—how did you get it up there, meow? Are the hunters all as big as Fire Wyverns or something? Did they all lift it together, meow?"
Even from such a distance, they could sense the sheer size of the ship. The Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors simply couldn't imagine what kind of size and strength would be required to move such a massive object to such a high place.
The only explanation that came to mind was the one Sita had mentioned along the way—that hunters were incredible beings who could do anything, the pride of all Felynes. In their minds, these hunters must be beings with strength rivaling Logan himself, working together to accomplish this great feat.
Hearing that innocent—yet slightly painful—question, and looking into those pure, earnest eyes, Sita was momentarily at a loss for words.
Had he exaggerated a little too much during the journey and given them the wrong idea?
But now, he wasn't quite sure how to explain the truth.
What was he supposed to say? That the massive ship had ended up broken and stranded on top of the mountain because a Kushala Daora had gotten into a fight with an unknown Elder Dragon, and the sheer shockwaves of that battle had flung it up there?
Somehow, that didn't feel like a very dignified answer.
So he chose silence instead.
Luckily, the Grimalkyne warrior had only asked the question out of casual curiosity and didn't press any further when Sita didn't respond.
Instead, it joined its companions in unpacking the food they had hunted during the journey. After feeding the Jagras first, they finally sat down to enjoy their own lunch.
Following the coastline and passing through the Jagras' nesting grounds, they at last arrived at the gates of Astera—a massive and sturdy wooden door controlled by mechanical systems.
High above, a lookout hunter had just spotted a group of Jagras approaching and was about to raise the alarm—until he noticed Sita at the rear of the group.
"What's going on here?"
Hunters were very familiar with Jagras—especially their leader, the Great Jagras. These were creatures known for their weak combat capabilities, ease of hunting, and incredibly high reproduction rate.
Most of their basic gear was crafted from Jagras materials—standard Jagras sets.
These predators were never known for being friendly toward other creatures. So how had Sita managed to follow behind them unharmed?
And what were all those bundles tied to the Jagras with vines?
They marched in neat formation, completely lacking the ferocity expected of carnivorous wyverns. As a group, they looked more like the tamed herbivores used inside the base for transport.
Finally, when the hunter spotted the four Grimalkynes behind Sita, he let out a breath of relief. So that's what it was—Grimalkynes.
It was well-known, especially after contact with the Grimalkynes from the forest's outer region, that they had the ability to tame Jagras.
The only surprising thing was the number of them. Typically, a single tribe could only afford to raise three or four Jagras at most.
"Those Grimalkynes with Sita must be from deep inside the Ancient Forest, right? No wonder they can survive in such a dangerous place. They've actually managed to tame that many Jagras. Their access to food must be incredible."
The hunter pulled the lever to open the massive gate, allowing Sita and the others to enter. After they had all come through, he closed the gate and curiously eyed the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes.
After greeting the vigilant hunters on duty, Sita led the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes deeper into Astera.
The outpost was relatively quiet, but the facilities and architecture—things the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes had never seen before in the New World—felt incredibly novel and intriguing to them.
Along the way, both scholars and hunters glanced at them with curiosity, but none stepped forward to interrupt or cause offense.
There were even a few cat-like creatures similar to themselves bustling about. When they noticed the new arrivals, they greeted them warmly.
This scene helped ease the tension the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes had felt at first. Their spirits lifted, and not a single one showed even a hint of fear.
...
"So, something that major happened at the Ancient Tree? A war between the Zinogre and the Fire Wyvern actually broke out?"
The Admiral still wore a look of disbelief as he repeated the question.
Sita rolled his eyes. He had already explained everything clearly—so why was the boss still looking like he couldn't believe it?
Couldn't he see the row of Jagras quietly letting the Felynes unload cargo just a few paces away? Or that pile of Zinogre materials?
"Damn it! Why wasn't I at the Ancient Tree?! A once-in-a-century spectacle like this, and I missed it!"
The Admiral smacked himself on the head, clearly frustrated. Skirmishes between apex monsters weren't rare—but a full-scale war between entire species? That was unimaginably rare.
Even in the records of the Scribes, there were only scattered notes on such events—no detailed descriptions or accounts.
And so, as the most dedicated hunter of them all, the Admiral felt deep regret and frustration at missing such a historic encounter, all because he had to remain stationed at Astera.
He couldn't help but envy his own Palico—bitterly, deeply envious.
He wanted to see high-ranking wyverns brawling too!
Compared to the Admiral's frustration, the Field Master's attention had been completely captured by the four Fire Wyvern-aligned Grimalkynes currently feasting in the canteen.
A fascinating symbiotic relationship. The fact that Lynians could form bonds with the ferocious and proud Fire Wyverns—such a thing had never been heard of in the Old World.
But it was unclear whether these particular Grimalkynes were unique, or if the New World's Fire Wyverns differed from their Old World counterparts not just in appearance, but also in intelligence and control over their instincts.
This question was of tremendous importance to the Research Commission.
If the Grimalkynes could form a symbiotic relationship with Fire Wyverns, then perhaps—if the conditions or key factors could be identified—could the Commission also establish a new kind of relationship with the Fire Wyverns of the New World?
If they could secure the aid of creatures of that caliber, the benefits to the Commission would be immeasurable!
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors sat on paw-shaped stone stools outside the canteen. One paw held a spoon, the other a fork, blowing on grilled meat and hearty stew. They had never tasted food this delicious before. Even though Grimalkyne tongues couldn't handle hot food well, the aroma was too enticing. They didn't even wait for it to cool completely before diving in.
"Meow~ meow~ Eat up, eat up, nya~"
The Grammeowster Chef, head chef of the Commission's meals, looked like a round, gentle silver tabby.
With motherly affection, she watched the Grimalkynes—who, while clearly strong, were much leaner than the Felynes at the outpost. Her paws never stopped working the ingredients as she kept urging the little ones, who looked like they hadn't had a proper meal in ages, to eat more, worried they might not get enough.
"These Zinogre materials are in excellent condition. Once the second wave of hunters arrives, and we combine these with the supplies they bring from the Old World, we'll have more than enough to fully upgrade everyone's equipment."
Carlos, newly appointed as Astera's official commander and no longer just acting leader, held up a list of materials with excitement as he addressed the others present.
Ever since the hunters returned from the Wildspire Waste four years ago, the high-grade weapons and gear they had brought from the Old World had suffered immense damage. Many pieces were beyond repair due to the lack of replacement materials.
Gradually, the elite hunters of the first expedition group had ended up outfitted almost entirely in the most readily available Jagras sets. Only a select few were fortunate enough to possess other gear, such as Barroth armor.
This new influx of Zinogre materials had come just in time, greatly relieving the overwhelming pressure hunters were facing in terms of equipment.
"Huh? Why are there Fire Wyvern scales here?"
One of the logistics personnel, helping with the unloading, removed the protective wrapping from two carefully packed bundles—only to find that they weren't Zinogre materials at all.
"Meow! Hiss!!"
The moment the Fire Wyvern scales—set aside and stored separately—were touched, the four Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors immediately stopped eating.
They dropped to all fours and dashed forward, snatching the scales out of the handler's hands. Then, they quickly surrounded the unpacked Fire Wyvern materials on the ground, forming a protective circle. Their eyes darted about warily, and visible puffs of breath escaped their mouths
The Jagras nearby, which had been resting quietly, also sensed the sudden change in mood. They quickly stood up and hopped to the Grimalkynes' side.
"What's going on? Why the sudden hostility?"
The Admiral was puzzled. He gestured for the tense onlookers to back off and raised his hands to show he meant no harm, approaching carefully while signaling Sita to translate.
"What happened, nya?"
Sita was just as confused. That logistics worker hadn't shown any hostility at all.
"Meow! These were a special gift from the Fire Wyvern boss! They're not yours, meow!"
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes stared warily at the pile of Zinogre materials that had been unloaded from the Jagras earlier. One of them replied to Sita with clear tension in its voice.
Sita followed the gaze of the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes, scanning back and forth, and soon realized what had them so on edge.
After spending time with them, he had come to understand just how revered the "Fire Wyvern Boss" they spoke of truly was in their eyes.
To put it bluntly—it was nothing short of faith.
The materials specially bestowed by their Fire Wyvern boss were seen by the Grimalkynes as the highest honor imaginable.
The misunderstanding had stemmed from the logistics staff member who had just finished inspecting and sorting the Zinogre materials for storage. He hadn't noticed that the Fire Wyvern materials were specially packaged, and when he opened them out of curiosity, the Grimalkynes mistook it as an attempt to take them.
That was why they had reacted with hostility.
Sita quickly stepped in to explain that it was all a misunderstanding. Those Fire Wyvern materials were personal property of the Grimalkynes, and no one was going to touch them.
He then relayed the situation to the Admiral, who immediately offered reassurance as well. With Sita translating and smoothing things over, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes gradually began to calm down. Still suspicious, they carefully rewrapped the scales and materials before returning them to their original place.
They had the Jagras circle the area protectively before finally heading back to their seats.
"…Did you see that? That one scale—it was from a female Fire Wyvern," the Field Master muttered under her breath, nudging Commander Carlos with his elbow.
"I saw it. It was much larger, but very similar to the one your team brought back years ago. I just don't know if it came from the same wyvern," Carlos replied, his tone equally hushed.
Under the sunlight, the scale shimmered with a golden, metallic sheen—strikingly similar to the one they had recovered four years ago. The Field Master had then speculated it belonged to a female Fire Wyvern undergoing transformation into a Golden Rathian.
"These little guys… they really are something else. To be able to coexist with a creature like that."
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