For a Hunter with extraordinary stamina, a ten-kilometer cross-country run in full gear was little more than a warm-up. For Alma, however, it was a considerable challenge. She had received training from the Royal Paleontology Scriveners and in Handler duties, but had yet to qualify as a full-fledged Handler.
She gritted her teeth and pushed on, doing everything she could to pick up the pace and avoid falling too far behind Isis.
If Isis had not stopped from time to time to examine traces of possible Monster activity, Alma might already have been left behind.
Noticing how much Alma was struggling, Isis slowed down a little.
There was no reason to exhaust herself by sprinting at full speed just yet. They could afford to take it a little easier.
Even so, by the time they reached the vicinity of the target mine more than an hour later, Alma was drenched in sweat.
"S-sorry for slowing you down." Alma adjusted her crooked glasses and apologized between gasping breaths.
She had actually performed quite well in physical training. Although she was not among the very best, she still ranked above average among the apprentice Scriveners undergoing instruction.
Unfortunately, Isis was a physical phenomenon. She could have left almost any Hunter without exceptional stamina in her dust.
"It's fine." Well aware of her own unusual stamina, Isis looked unconcerned. "Take five minutes to rest, then we'll start searching for tracks around the mine.
"Stay alert. That thing is probably nearby."
"Understood." Alma nodded.
She did not immediately sit or lie down. Instead, she took out her waterskin, drank a few measured sips, then stretched her legs and steadied her breathing.
Five minutes was not long, but it was enough for her to recover.
Now it was time for her to play her part. A Handler's ability to analyze tracks and follow a trail should be no worse than a Hunter's.
In practice, however, knowledge learned from books could not match skills honed in the field until it was backed by enough practical experience.
Faced with the same scrape mark, Alma could roughly determine when it had been left and the direction in which the Monster had moved. Isis could even infer its posture and movements as it passed, making it easier for her to locate the next trace.
The difference left Alma disheartened. She felt like little more than an extra pair of eyes, watching Isis work without contributing much herself.
Just as she began wondering whether she should leave before she became more of a burden than a help, an opportunity to prove herself finally appeared.
They found a wide swath of deep, conspicuous scrape marks across a cliff face, as though a gigantic drill bit had gouged through the rock.
Isis made a corkscrewing motion with her hand. "It must have scraped along the cliff like this, almost like a drill. Maybe it was scratching an itch?
"Does Kuarusepu normally move like that? Is this enough to confirm what we're dealing with?"
In truth, even the Guild had yet to conclusively identify the Monster attacking the mine.
The miners' panic-stricken memories were not entirely reliable. The traits they commonly described, "a long, slender body" and "a body covered in ore," could also fit other Monsters, such as Uragaan...
The creature stayed hidden deep underground and almost never showed itself. The Guild's investigators could only conclude that it was most likely an adult Kuarusepu.
The marks before them might provide the decisive evidence they needed.
Alma ran her fingers over the cliff face. "This kind of corkscrewing movement is very common among Leviathans.
"If it were an Uragaan, it would curl into a wheel and roll forward instead.
"I believe these marks were left by a Leviathan... Hm? One moment, please."
The sky had grown dark, making it difficult to see, but Alma thought she caught a faint glint within the scrape marks.
She adjusted her glasses, took a small Iron Pickaxe no longer than her forearm from her belt, and chipped at the spot where she had seen the reflection.
Fragments of rock fell away. A tiny piece of crystal-like mineral, smaller than a fingernail, dropped to the ground with them.
Alma crouched, picked up the crystal, and displayed it to Isis in her palm.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing the same delight in the other's eyes.
Both the corkscrewing movement common to Leviathans and the crystal fragment embedded in the scrape marks made the evidence pointing to Kuarusepu increasingly convincing.
"I've seen a crystal specimen with a similar texture in the Royal Academy's specimen room." As she spoke, Alma took out a portable kerosene lamp and lit it.
In the firelight, the tiny crystal reflected a dazzling, almost mesmerizing radiance.
"Glassy Crystal. That's what scholars call the mineral found on Kuarusepu," Alma said softly. "If we heat it with a flame and see whether it absorbs light and heat, we'll know whether it truly came from a Kuarusepu."
As she spoke, Alma reached for her tool kit to retrieve a pair of small tweezers.
Isis moved first. She plucked the crystal from Alma's palm and held it over the kerosene lamp's flame with her bare fingers, giving Alma a firsthand demonstration of what it meant to have hands of iron.
After a moment, Isis withdrew her hand. "It feels a little warmer. Does that count as absorbing heat?"
"Uh... I suppose so? The notes on the specimen said that when the crystal is shattered by an impact, the energy stored inside it is released as well.
"But that would destroy the sample. We could try to..."
Before Alma could finish, Isis smashed the crystal against the ground.
"Crack!"
With a sharp sound like flint striking stone, the tiny crystal burst in a flash of light.
"Ha! That proves it. The Monster occupying the mine is a Kuarusepu!"
Isis was delighted, but Alma's frozen expression made her realize too late that Alma had not wanted to destroy the sample.
She scratched her head awkwardly. "Sorry. After the Hunt, I'll bring you back a big one."
"It's fine. That was the simplest and most direct way to determine whether the crystal was Glassy Crystal." Despite her disappointment, Alma quickly regained her composure.
The Kuarusepu Glassy Crystal in the specimen room was precious because it was the Royal Academy's only surviving sample. Alma had instinctively wanted to take this tiny fragment back for further study.
On second thought, once Isis Hunted the Kuarusepu, the Glassy Crystal she recovered might be measured by the ton. There was no need to be so protective of such a tiny piece.
Having confirmed the target's identity, Isis became even more eager to proceed.
They followed the trail until they reached the entrance to a mining tunnel deep inside the mine.
"It looks like that thing is inside." Isis stared into the dark tunnel for several seconds, surveyed the surrounding terrain, then looked up at the sky thoughtfully.
Alma asked quietly, "Do we need to go in?"
"No. Getting trapped inside a tunnel would be too dangerous." Isis looked at Clawdia, who had silently followed behind her like a shadow. "Clawdia, go in and check the Kuarusepu's location and condition. Be careful."
"Understood, meow." Clawdia nodded and darted into the tunnel.
Isis looked up at the sky again. "Alma, the weather is beautiful tonight. The moon is bright, and there are barely any clouds."
Alma was not sure why Isis had suddenly brought that up, so she merely nodded in confusion.
"Do you think it'll rain tonight?" Isis asked.
Alma studied the sky carefully. "I'm not a meteorologist, but based on what I know about the weather, it shouldn't rain before midnight."
"Midnight... That gives us at least five hours." Isis considered it for a moment, then made her decision.
"Alma, change of plans. Find somewhere to hide. We're starting the Hunt." As she spoke, Isis quickly checked her equipment and remaining supplies.
"Now? We're Hunting at night?" Alma asked in surprise.
As far as she knew, Hunters generally avoided Hunting at night whenever possible.
Poor lighting restricted a Hunter's vision, while most Monsters could see in the dark. Humans were at a distinct disadvantage.
"Kuarusepu's Glassy Crystal has to absorb energy before it can release it, right?" Isis opened her Gunlance's breech and confirmed that its shells were fully loaded.
"It absorbs light and heat beneath the sun, and electricity beneath storm clouds. But on a clear night... what can it absorb?"