In the same barbecue restaurant where they first met Boss Joda, Altaïr and Sajji were discussing a very serious and important question; where should be the first stop of their journey.
Spread before them was a large plate of grilled meat and a map of the Old World.
"How about Dondolma? The largest city in the Old World, the center of economy and politics, and the guild headquarters is located there."
"Port Tanzia seems nice too, meow. The most prosperous seaport in the southern part of the continent, meow, not far in a straight line from Loc Lac, meow."
"The Western Continent might also work, with natural scenery completely different from the Great Desert."
"Isn't Grom-Baum quite good too, meow? Mr. Serl is active in that city, meow."
"It doesn't necessarily have to be a big city; smaller places could work too? For example, Poke Village (Pocket Village) in Frasia Great Snow Mountain. I've never seen snow in my life."
"Me neither, meow. But going straight from the southwest to the northeast of the continent... won't the climate be a bit hard to adjust to, meow?"
"That's true..." Altaïr nodded, crossing Poke Village off his memo.
However, the remaining options were still numerous enough to make both of them dizzy.
"I say, you two, have you never traveled far before?" A person sat down at their table uninvited.
Altaïr and Sajji looked at the person simultaneously. He was wearing white chef's attire, his apron stained with grease.
"Who are you, meow?" Sajji couldn't help but ask.
Altaïr, however, had some impression of that face. He asked uncertainly, "Are you... Karim?"
"That's me! Long time no see, little hunter brother!" The young man in chef's clothes revealed a row of white teeth, smiling happily.
"You know him, meow?" Sajji asked curiously.
"Sort of." Altaïr nodded slightly. "I met this Mr. Karim during the exam to become a full-fledged hunter."
After briefly introducing both sides, Altaïr looked at Karim. "By the way, Mr. Karim, aren't you a traveling merchant? Why are you working as a chef now?"
The young man named Karim shrugged. "I lost all my goods while escaping for my life last time, went completely bankrupt. So I had to find a place to work and save up some money first."
"Hey! Karim, where are you slacking off now?!" The boss's angry roar came from the kitchen.
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I still have a while before I get off work. Don't leave in a hurry after eating, let's chat more later!" Karim clasped his hands together in apology before rushing to the kitchen. "Coming, boss! Communicating with customers is also part of doing business!"
"That's not the job of a chef! Hurry up and add more firewood, the fire in the stove is too weak!"
"Right away!"
Altaïr and Sajji looked at each other. After finishing the grilled meat in front of them, they couldn't just leave directly, especially since they hadn't refused Karim's "let's chat later" suggestion.
Plus, given his identity as a traveling merchant, he might actually have some good advice about travel matters?
Fortunately, Karim didn't make them wait too long. About half an hour after their meal, Karim, smelling strongly of cooking oil, ran out from the kitchen carrying a plate of desserts.
"Sorry, sorry to keep you waiting! These are on me!"
Karim plopped down, pushed the snacks toward Altaïr and the others, poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down before wiping his mouth and asking, "Where were we again?"
"We were talking about how you lost everything and are working to save up money, meow," Sajji said, looking at him.
"Uh, right. I've saved up quite a bit over the past few months, so let's skip that topic," Karim chuckled dryly. "I overheard you talking about your destination earlier. You're planning to travel, right?"
"Yes," Altaïr nodded in confirmation.
"Choosing a destination is very important. First, you need to figure out the purpose of your trip.
Take me, for example. My goal in traveling is to sell goods and make money, so I have to consider where my products will sell best, along with factoring in travel costs and such.
If you pick the wrong destination, even if the journey goes smoothly, you might end up losing everything.
So, why are you traveling?"
Altaïr and Sajji exchanged glances before Altaïr tentatively said, "To broaden our horizons and see the world?"
"That's too vague! You need a clearer idea. For instance, if you want to improve your strength, you should go where Monsters gather, just a random example, since I don't really understand Hunter stuff.
In short! You need to figure out your goal first, then narrow down your destination!"
Thinking Karim made a fair point, Altaïr and Sajji began discussing in low voices.
For Altaïr, improving his strength was indeed his primary goal.
However, Karim truly didn't understand Hunter matters, because Hunters don't need to specifically seek out places teeming with Monsters. As long as you're willing to take on quests, there are endless hunts all over the world; it doesn't matter where you go.
Thus, he decided to leave the choice to Sajji.
After hesitating for a moment, Sajji tentatively suggested, "Could we find a place with more advanced industrial technology, meow? I want to learn more about mechanisms and machinery, meow.
Loc Lac's industrial level is pretty average, meow. I can only tinker on my own, meow. It would be great if I could find someone to learn from, meow."
"Is there a suitable place?" Altaïr asked Karim.
Karim rubbed his chin. "There are plenty of places with advanced industrial technology. Frankly, which major city doesn't have strong industrial capabilities?
Loc Lac is a special case; its environment is unique and resources are scarce, so it can only focus on tourism."
"So, it's better to choose among the big cities, right?" Altaïr looked at the map, pondering.
"Wait, not necessarily. Even if big cities have advanced industrial technology, you might not have access to it. You can't just toss your Felyne into a factory and have him tighten screws for half a year, can you?"
"True..."
"Wait!" Karim snapped his fingers, growing excited. "I know the perfect place for you, and it's not too far either. It's ideal for your first long-distance trip."
"Where, meow?" Sajji asked eagerly.
Karim pointed to a spot on the map, slightly north of the desert region, and drew a circle. "The Mobile City, Val Habar!"
"Val Habar," Altaïr murmured thoughtfully.
Of course, he knew of this unique city. After all, there were only a few human settlements of any size in the Great Desert, and Val Habar was one of them.
The reason it's considered special is because this so-called "city" has no fixed location.
It is a massive conglomerate formed by countless caravans and sandships, migrating periodically, a true "Mobile City" in every sense.
"Val Habar is indeed a great choice. The straight-line distance isn't too far, the environment is easy to adapt to, and you can experience cultural customs completely different from those in Loc Lac.
But why is this place suitable for Sajji? Val Habar isn't an industrial city, is it? Isn't it a commercial hub?"
"Little brother, you're thinking about this the wrong way." Karim pretended to scold Altaïr with dissatisfaction. "The little kitten wants to learn about machinery and mechanisms, not chase after industrial cities themselves.
Although Val Habar's industry isn't highly developed, their mechanical technology is unique in the Old World. I've been there twice, and many things there can truly make your eyes pop out.
Houses that transform into caravans with the pull of a lever are everywhere in Val Habar, and no two look the same.
Supersonic airships that spew flames from their sterns, flying at speeds more than three times that of ordinary airships; whoosh, and they're gone in a blink.
Even the Hunter's Guild Hall there can transform, turning into an enormous sandship!"
Sajji's eyes sparkled as he listened.
Altaïr, reminded by Karim, recalled something as well. "Now that you mention it, the Transforming Weapons that have become popular in the last twenty or thirty years, the Switch Axe and Charge Blade, were originally developed by craftsmen from Val Habar, if I remember correctly.
So, Sajji, how about making Val Habar the first destination of our journey?"
"Sounds good, meow!"