After Ota sent word, Tala, the young Forest Patrol member, soon returned to the Gathering Hall.
Compared with the stern, formal demeanor she had deliberately adopted while guiding them earlier, Tala now seemed unusually excited. She was clearly trying to control her expression, but the corners of her mouth kept threatening to curl upward.
As for the reason...
When Guild Master Ota had first assigned her to receive the High Rank Hunters sent from Dundorma as reinforcements, Tala had already harbored a faint hope.
She had guessed that their reason for coming all the way to Grom-Baum was probably connected to those "mysterious and powerful Monsters."
Her encounter had taken place more than a decade ago, and her childhood memories had long since grown hazy. If possible, she desperately wanted to learn more.
Even catching one more glimpse would be better than reliving it over and over in her dreams.
Yet the High Rank Hunters had merely asked her to lead them to the Gathering Hall and had not mentioned the matter once along the way. She could not help feeling disappointed.
She had already put it out of her mind, only for the Guild to summon her again in an unexpected turn of events.
Could it be... that her wish was about to come true?
Watching Tala practically glow with excitement as she walked with a slight bounce in her step, Nadia gave her a knowing half-smile. "You figured it out?"
Even Altaïr glanced at Nadia when he heard that. Did she intend to tell the girl directly?
Tala froze for a moment, then replied somewhat sheepishly, "Well, the three of you are powerful High Rank Hunters. You couldn't have traveled all the way to Grom-Baum simply to look for Vespoid. There must be another objective behind your visit."
"That's right. We call those powerful creatures Elder Dragons, and one of them is the target of this expedition."
"Senior Nadia?!" Altaïr stared at her in shock. Was that really something she could tell a 1★ Hunter outright?
He and Isis had also learned about Elder Dragons very early, but their circumstances had been... different.
Ignoring Altaïr's warning, Nadia continued, "Guild Master Ota told me what happened to you as a child. You and your father were incredibly fortunate."
A bashful smile appeared on Tala's face. She considered herself very lucky as well. Guild Master Ota had told her that most Hunters went their entire lives without ever seeing such mysterious creatures.
Nadia saw through her thoughts with ease. "I mean that you were unbelievably lucky to survive without so much as a scratch."
"Huh?" Tala's smile froze.
"I know a younger Hunter whose experience was somewhat similar to yours. When he was still a carefree boy, he encountered a migrating Elder Dragon. His luck was not as good as yours. The village where he was born and raised, together with the surrounding forest, was burned to the ground by searing dragonfire. Before either of them could confess their feelings, the girl who had fallen for him died horribly in the Monster's jaws before his eyes..."
The girl stood rooted to the spot as the color drained from her face.
Nadia turned toward Altaïr, who had also fallen silent. "Altaïr, what happened the first time you encountered an Elder Dragon?"
"..." Altaïr remained silent for several seconds.
The first Elder Dragon he had ever seen was Jhen Mohran. Loc Lac had long since established a yearly routine for repelling it, complete with specialized tactics, so the actual casualties had not been severe.
Altaïr understood why Nadia had asked, however, and naturally would not offer that as his example. The second Elder Dragon he had encountered made for a far better one.
"Loc Lac's central district was destroyed, and the city's Hunter ranks were reduced by almost a third."
"H-how could that...?"
"That is what normally happens when an Elder Dragon appears." Nadia stared into Tala's eyes, her gaze so calm that it was unsettling.
"The beautiful, majestic creature in your mind is only a hazy childhood memory, idealized by years of fantasy.
"A real Elder Dragon is probably nothing like the creature you imagine. They are walking natural disasters."
Ota watched with a complicated expression as Nadia slowly tore Tala's illusions apart.
To protect Tala and preserve the Guild's confidentiality, Ota had never told her any of this. Perhaps, however, hearing the truth was what would truly serve her best.
Once she judged that the warning had sunk in, Nadia clapped her hands and smiled again. "All right. I told you this because I need you to understand how dangerous Elder Dragons are.
"I do not want you rushing toward one the moment you hear a rumor, as you did this time."
Nadia glanced at the still-dazed girl and continued, "For this operation, we would like you to guide us to the places near the city where Vespoid are currently gathering. Their movements may offer a clue to our target's whereabouts.
"Once we approach the target area, you may withdraw immediately.
"I will not pretend there is no risk involved. You have the right to know that, just as you have the right to refuse. Think it over carefully."
Coming back to her senses, Tala hesitated for several seconds before determination returned to her eyes.
Her overly beautiful fantasy had been shattered, but her desire to discover and understand had not changed. That desire was one of the reasons she had trained to become a Hunter.
"I'll join you. I'll do what I can and stay out of everyone's way."
A satisfied smile touched Nadia's lips. "Good. Go home and change into your hunting gear. A Forest Patrol uniform is not suited to an expedition.
"Come back here once you're ready. We will be setting out shortly."
After Tala hurried away, Altaïr turned to Nadia. "Ms. Nadia, between choosing her for the operation and taking such care to warn her, you seem particularly interested in Miss Tala. Are you thinking of...?"
"That's right. That girl is very talented."
Watching Tala disappear into the distance, Nadia's eyes shone with gentle anticipation. "I'll observe her a little more. If she proves suitable in every respect, I may consider taking her on as my disciple."
Ms. Ota's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful! She truly has great potential. I'm certain she won't disappoint you!"
"Is it because she struck a flying Vespoid with a single blind shot outside the Gathering Hall?" Isis asked curiously.
"That was not the only reason. Her five senses must be unusually keen as well. An ordinary person could not make out a Kushala Daora through a storm on a pitch-black, rain-lashed night.
"Besides, I am not getting any younger. Julius's disciple has long since become renowned throughout the land. I would like to pass on what I have learned as well."
"But you're still young, Aunt Nadia!" Isis said with a giggle.
"You certainly know what to say." Nadia laughed and patted Isis on the head. "I am several years older than your mother, you know."
Tala was quick. They had not been talking for long when she came running back, now wearing hunting armor and carrying a Light Bowgun on her back.
Altaïr raised an eyebrow at the sight of her equipment.
Her weapon was nothing unusual: a Cross Bowgun made from Monster Bone and Iron Ore, ideal for novice Hunters. Her armor, however, was a different matter.
It was a Rhopessa Armor Set. In terms of performance, it qualified as 3★ armor.
On second thought, however, that was not so strange. Forging the Rhopessa Armor Set required no materials from any Large Monster. Much like the Skalda Armor Set Altaïr had once worn, its key material was a rare insect known as the Butterfly Beetle.
Butterfly Beetles might be exceedingly rare elsewhere, but in the insect paradise of the Telos Jungle, anyone willing to spend enough time searching could eventually gather them.
Watching Tala bounce toward them like an enormous butterfly, Guild Master Ota wore a nostalgic expression.
A flicker of grief and remembrance crossed Nadia's eyes. "Mei..."