Altaïr had just reached the smithy entrance when he stopped in his tracks and shuddered violently.
Sajji, perched on his shoulder, turned to look at him. "What's wrong, meow?"
"I just... felt a sudden chill run down my spine. Maybe I'm coming down with a cold?"
"What kind of nonsense is that, meow? We're in a volcanic region, meow..."
Isis, who had entered the smithy ahead of them, poked her head through the doorway. "Why are you two standing around out there like idiots?"
"Nothing." Altaïr shook his head, dismissed the ominous feeling rising within him, and quickened his pace into the smithy.
Inside, Gemma was wearing goggles as she ground a sword against a high-speed whetstone, sending sparks flying.
When she saw Isis and Altaïr enter, she set the half-finished sword blank aside, raised her goggles, and planted one hand on her hip. "Hey, you're here. Is Altaïr's ear all better?"
"Completely healed," Altaïr replied with a smile.
"Good. I wasn't looking forward to explaining your equipment in writing." Gemma tilted her head. "Come with me. I put a lot of time and effort into crafting your armor."
As a village of smiths, Harth had a sizable smithy. Gemma led the two of them through the front hall and into an area resembling a warehouse.
Numerous sets of armor and weapons were stored there, all commissioned by Hunters. Thanks to the exceptional skill of the Troverian smiths, quite a few Hunters traveled to Harth specifically to have their equipment forged.
Among the orders were high-grade sets such as Rathalos and Agnaktor armor.
"Here you are! Take a look at your new armor!" Gemma stepped back a few paces and presented the two sets mounted on mannequins before them.
"The Palico armor made from the leftover materials is ready too. Go try everything on and see how it fits!" Gemma pointed to a nearby fitting room enclosed by a cloth curtain.
Altaïr and Isis exchanged a glance, then each snatched up their equipment and broke into a sprint.
There was only one fitting room, so naturally, whoever reached it first got to use it!
Altaïr would not even bother comparing his strength with Isis's, but when it came to speed, he was quite confident.
He dashed into the fitting room one step ahead of Isis, making her stamp her foot in frustration.
Putting on unfamiliar armor for the first time always took a while. Even with Sajji's help, Altaïr needed more than ten minutes to finish suiting up.
He drew back the curtain and stepped out, then stood straight, spread his arms, and asked Isis, "How does it look?"
Isis had grown too impatient to bother answering him. She grabbed her own new equipment and dove into the fitting room.
Gemma smiled and pulled over a full-length mirror for him.
The armor's main colors were black and a gravel-like grayish yellow. Altaïr loved the color scheme. It could even serve as camouflage in the desert, and it was far easier on the eyes than the green-and-red Espinas Armor Set.
Spikes made from Tigrex claws and fangs covered the knees, elbows, shoulders, and even the helmet. Its appearance alone made the entire set look fiercely aggressive.
"It's great. It looks a little different from what I remember, but I love it. Actually, I think I prefer it this way." Altaïr removed his helmet and smiled.
Gemma grinned. "I know what the Tigrex armor you remember looked like. Just as Hunters from the Highlands dream of owning a Rathalos Armor Set, the Tigrex Armor Set is a symbol of strength in the desert.
"Still, as I mentioned before, this Brute Tigrex Armor Set uses a design modified by New World smiths. They replaced the original brow-guard-style headpiece with a fully enclosed helmet that offers better Defense.
"The pauldrons have also been reduced in size for greater mobility. They retain the armor's Defense without getting in the way of precise movements, which makes your attacks more accurate (Weakness Exploit).
"But the set's core blessing is still its enhancement to strength and stamina (Attack, Health Boost). Wearing it gives you a physique as robust as a Brute Tigrex's.
"Simple and straightforward, but extremely effective."
"I can feel the boost to my strength and stamina." Altaïr clenched his fist. "How does this Talisman-like blessing actually work?"
"Heheh, that comes from a special processing technique pioneered by New World smiths. Explaining it in detail would be a hassle, but you can think of it as something akin to refining a Talisman from Monster materials. The underlying principles are similar.
"When equipment is forged from the materials of certain powerful Monsters, it can even reproduce some of the abilities they possessed in life."
"What a remarkable technique," Altaïr praised sincerely.
After finishing her explanation for Altaïr, Gemma turned to Sajji beside him and winked. "What about our little Palico? How does the new Palico armor feel? Does it fit?"
Sajji stared down at the strangely shaped armor with the lifeless eyes of a dead fish. "Did it really have to look like this, meow? I remember Tigrex Palico Armor looking pretty normal, meow..."
Gemma cupped her chin in both hands and put on an innocent expression. "Isn't this what you chose?
"I told you there were two designs. One was traditional Palico armor, heavier and more protective, the sort of armor meant for a melee Palico. The other was flexible and lightweight, allowed you to dig holes incredibly fast, and suited Palicoes who didn't fight on the front lines.
"Weren't you the one jumping up and down, telling me you were sick of heavy melee armor and wanted the lightweight design?"
Sajji looked down again, his whiskers twitching twice. "F-fine, meow. It may look strange, but it really is much lighter than my old Seregios Palico Armor, meow."
Altaïr looked at Sajji with some concern. "But will this Palico armor really protect him?"
"Of course it will!" Gemma said, her hands on her hips.
"I put a great deal of work into this armor. It may look fragile at first glance, but its outer fabric is stitched from Brute Tigrex wing membrane, and the vital areas inside are reinforced with padding made from Brute Tigrex shell. It actually offers quite good Defense.
"Come on, little Sajji. Get down on all fours and roar for the camera!"
Gemma cheerfully picked up a camera she had prepared beforehand.
Sajji was reluctant, but he could tell how much thought Gemma had put into his new armor. He grumbled a few times, then did as she asked.
"Click!"
Gemma circled Sajji and snapped picture after picture, grinning all the while. If she ever got the chance, she had decided, she would craft even more entertaining and imaginative Palico armor!
Just then, Isis and Clawdia emerged from the fitting room in their new equipment.
The human and Palico both stared instinctively at Sajji. Left with no other choice, he snapped his mascot-like helmet shut, slumped to the side, and played dead.
"It's actually pretty cute!" Isis beamed at Clawdia. "How about I get you a similar set of Palico armor next time?"
Clawdia, who rarely disagreed with Isis about anything, shook her head frantically.
Altaïr looked Isis up and down, taking in her new armor, then turned to Gemma. "Would you classify this set as heavy armor or super-heavy armor?"
"By design, it's heavy armor, but its weight borders on super-heavy. After all, it was forged primarily from Kuarusepu's mineral scales and the ore crystals on its back. Those materials are extremely dense."
Gemma turned to Isis. "How does it feel? Is it too heavy?"
"Not at all!" Isis stretched her limbs and hopped in place a couple of times, looking thoroughly satisfied. "I thought my old armor was too light, but super-heavy sets like Uragaan armor are far too bulky and hard to move in. This set is heavier without being too thick. It's perfect for me!"
"Good to hear!" Gemma said with a smile. "This set also carries a strength-enhancing blessing (Attack Up). Combined with your natural superhuman strength and the strength-enhancing Talisman you're wearing, I can't even imagine how powerful you'll become.
"The properties of its materials also grant the armor excellent protection (Defense Up). Its exceptional weight and specially designed joint locks help you brace yourself securely (Guard), making it much harder for Monsters to knock you back.
"That old man's recommendation really was reliable. At your current level, I honestly can't think of a set better suited to you.
"There is one thing you need to watch out for. This armor's fire resistance is abysmal (-20), and its thunder resistance isn't good either (-5), though that weakness is nowhere near as severe.
"From now on, think carefully before wearing this set when hunting Monsters capable of producing flames or extreme heat."
"Got it!"