Tala pulled the crossbow bolt free, releasing the Vespoid corpse pinned to the pillar.
With guests waiting nearby, she could hardly start carving on the spot. She kicked the Vespoid corpse behind the gatepost, wiped the bolt clean, and returned it to her quiver. That took care of the disposal.
Altaïr's gaze lingered for two seconds on the finger-wide hole in the pillar, stained with insect blood.
On the way there, he had noticed similar holes and dents in many of the buildings. At first, he had assumed insects had gnawed them out, but now he understood how they had formed.
No wonder they could not use more powerful Bowguns... Vespoid were a constant infestation here. If people blasted them with Bowguns, few of the city's wooden buildings would remain intact.
After disposing of a Vespoid as casually as if she were swatting a fly, Tala led the group into the Gathering Hall.
Like those in other cities, the Gathering Hall was lively and noisy, its air filled with a subtle blend of alcohol, food, and sweat.
The smell was not especially pleasant, but to Hunters, it was the scent that put them most at ease.
The group's arrival naturally drew the attention of the Hunters in the tavern. Tala attracted little notice because many of them knew her, while Kral's Scrivener robes marked him as someone outside their immediate interest.
Their gazes naturally settled on the three unfamiliar Hunters.
Altaïr's Brute Tigrex Armor Set was quite rare, but experienced Hunters could recognize it as Tigrex-series armor from the appearance of its materials. Isis's Glavenus Gunlance was also easy to identify.
Altaïr's Taikun Katana and Isis's Kuarusepu Armor Set, however, were completely unfamiliar. So few Hunts of either Monster had been recorded that finding similar equipment anywhere in the Old World would be difficult.
Nadia was the hardest of the three to gauge.
Her lightweight armor, which looked little different from everyday clothing, was a unique custom piece. A master smith employed by the Guild had carefully crafted it from a selection of materials taken from various Monsters.
Many recognized her weapon as a Rathalos Light Bowgun known as the Rathalos Cannon.
None of them knew that the seemingly ordinary crimson Bowgun slung across her back was far from an ordinary Rathalos Light Bowgun.
It was an Eternal Rathling Phoenix, repeatedly reinforced with materials from a Hyper Rathalos, a Rathalos Mantle, and even parts from a Teostra.
Its power and sustained fire output far surpassed those of an ordinary Rathalos Cannon.
"That color... That's no ordinary Tigrex."
"A High Rank Hunter?!"
"That Gunner is one thing, but those two Blademasters are far too young..."
The tavern's clamor of drinking and shouting almost instantly died away, replaced by hushed whispers.
Nadia had long since grown accustomed to such scenes and remained perfectly composed. Altaïr and Isis had experienced them many times as well, yet they still found the attention somewhat awkward.
It was no wonder some Hunters wore cloaks when traveling long distances on missions. Not everyone wanted to be the center of attention.
Tala hurried over to the Quest Counter, her small face taut as she solemnly told the guild receptionist, "The guests Guild Master Ota has been waiting for are here."
Whether she was playing along or truly regarded the matter so seriously, the receptionist's cheerful expression immediately turned stern, and she even snapped a military salute. "Understood! I'll go get the Guild Master right away!"
With that, she dashed away from the counter.
The lively receptionist soon returned with a white-haired woman, both walking at a brisk pace.
The woman appeared to be in her sixties. An old injury seemed to have left her with a slight limp, yet her long, rapid strides gave her an air of decisive efficiency.
Judging by her build, muscle mass, and the scars visible on her exposed skin, she had once been a Hunter herself.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting. I'm Ota, Guild Master of the Grom-Baum Guild. Please follow me."
After that brief introduction, she turned and strode away without wasting a word. Altaïr and the others did not even have time to introduce themselves before hurrying after her.
The Hunters followed Guild Master Ota to her office. Untidy stacks of documents covered both her desk and the coffee table in the reception area, making it clear that keeping things organized was not her strength.
Looking somewhat embarrassed, she moved a pile of documents off the sofa and gestured for them to sit.
"Ah, right. I'll have someone prepare some tea," she said as she turned toward the office door, but Nadia called her back.
"Don't trouble yourself. You're still the same as ever, Ota. Didn't I suggest ages ago that you hire a secretary to help you?"
"Bah, there's no need." Ota waved a hand. "I've lived this rough-and-ready way since I was young. Having someone follow me around would only feel awkward."
"So you're the one the Guild sent this time, 'God's Eye' Nadia. Heh, I can breathe a little easier now.
"Ah, forgive me. I haven't asked who these people are yet, have I?"
"These are Altaïr and Isis, both outstanding young 6★ Hunters. This is Kral, deputy head of the Royal Academy's Chameleos research team."
"Well now, you're all so young!" Ota enthusiastically shook each of their hands in turn.
After that brief exchange of pleasantries, the aging Guild Master went straight to business. "I'll skip the formalities. As soon as the Elder Dragon Observation Team warned us, I dispatched people to investigate the area where the Chameleos had last been seen.
"As you know, Grom-Baum isn't a major city like Dundorma. We have High Rank Hunters, but not many.
"Only two High Rank Hunters in the city could deploy immediately. Since at least one had to remain here in case of an emergency, I sent Linton out..."
"Linton? The 7★ Charge Blade user?"
"Yes." Guild Master Ota rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed the corners of her eyes. "I shouldn't have sent him alone.
"Between Chameleos's invisibility and potent venom and the jungle's complex terrain, there are far too many ways for something to go wrong."
Nadia frowned. "Is Mr. Linton... all right?"
From Guild Master Ota's mood and expression, it was clear that something had happened to the 7★ Charge Blade user, though probably not the worst.
"We lost contact with him on the fourth day after he set out. We were deeply worried and had begun assembling a rescue team when one of the Elder Dragon Observation Team's balloons brought him back.
"A Chameleos had ambushed him and left him unable to move. Fortunately, the Observation Team's balloon was nearby, and the scholars risked landing to rescue him."
The answer eased Nadia's concern slightly. She pressed on. "Can you tell us exactly what happened?"
"Of course. After Linton regained consciousness, he told us what had happened. He said a dense fog had suddenly risen around him in the forest."
"Ah! Chameleos often bring fog with them when they appear! They can create dense mist!" Kral exclaimed.
"Hmm... Linton realized that too. To avoid an ambush, he put his back against a giant tree and readied himself to defend.
"Then he noticed that the fog around him had turned dark yellow. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late. The toxin in the fog seeped into his body through his skin. He said his entire body ached and felt weak, and he could barely remain standing."
"That's its stamina-draining toxin!" Kral exclaimed again.
Ota paid no mind to the young scholar's excited outbursts and continued. "Linton immediately took out some Herbal Medicine to neutralize the toxin, but just then, a long tongue shot from the dense fog and snatched the pill from his hand.
"He was already too weak to react. The tongue then stole his entire Item Pouch as well.
"As the toxin continued spreading through his body and taking effect, he lost consciousness without ever seeing his attacker.
"Once the fog cleared, the Elder Dragon Observation Team scholars who had noticed the disturbance moved in to rescue him.
"According to them, Linton was fortunate that the Chameleos had not used its lethal hemolytic toxin. Otherwise, he certainly would not have survived until they could land and rescue him. You might call it a blessing in disguise."
"It may not have been mere luck." Nadia's eyes narrowed slightly. "That method of attack was exceptionally cautious...
"It used only a nonlethal toxin to incapacitate the Hunter and render him unconscious, then did nothing further to harm him...
"The Chameleos has most likely encountered humans before and come off worse. It knows that Hunters are dangerous and that killing one will only bring stronger Hunters after it, so it deliberately held back.
"That makes this troublesome."
"A kindhearted Chameleos? Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Isis asked, puzzled.
"This isn't about whether it's kindhearted." Altaïr understood Nadia's implication and found the situation equally troubling.
"That's a Chameleos with experience fighting Hunters. With an Elder Dragon's intelligence, it is going to be extremely difficult to deal with..."