Nadia's sadness showed for only a fleeting instant. Before anyone else could notice, she had already composed herself and returned to her usual calm demeanor.
"Here, take these, just in case." She approached Tala and handed her two Herbal Medicines. "If... I mean, if we're attacked...
"Don't worry about anything else. Even if one of us gets hurt, don't stop to help. Retreat at full speed immediately. Understood?"
Faced with Nadia's solemn warning, Tala nodded quickly.
Nadia then gave two Herbal Medicines each to Sajji, Clawdia, and Kral. They could use the medicine to protect themselves or, in an emergency, treat one of their companions.
She did not distribute the remaining twelve Herbal Medicines evenly either. She kept three, gave four to Altaïr, and gave Isis the most, a full five.
Isis was about to say something, but Nadia silenced her with a wave. "I'm a Gunner, so I'm the least likely to be exposed to potent poison. I don't need as many.
"You two are Blademasters and have to fight at close range. Especially you, Isis. A shield can't block a spreading cloud of poison. If a fight breaks out, you may be poisoned repeatedly, so of course you need to carry more."
Nadia's reasoning was sound. Altaïr and Isis raised no further objections and accepted the precious pills.
Everyone still remembered Kral's warning and what had happened to the unfortunate Charge Blade user.
Rather than simply stuffing the Herbal Medicines into their Item Pouches, they hid them in different places on their bodies: inside their belts, behind their shields, in inner pockets, and elsewhere.
Nadia even tied one Herbal Medicine to the small braid at the end of her hair, where it blended seamlessly with her colorful beaded ornaments.
Unless Chameleos used its tongue to strip them bare and lick them from head to toe, stealing every last dose would not be easy.
"Mr. Kral." Altaïr spoke while slipping an Herbal Medicine beneath one of his vambraces. "Besides potent poison, do you think sleep and paralysis toxins would work against Chameleos?"
"Huh? Well, I've never actually tested them." Kral paused in the middle of adjusting his cuffs and trouser legs, tying the loose fabric with cord so that it would not hinder his movement. "If Chameleos really does feed on Vespoid, it should have considerable resistance to paralysis toxin.
"Sleep toxin is harder to judge. It might work, but given an Elder Dragon's metabolism, it would probably take a very large dose."
"Hmm... What do you all think? Should we empty our Item Pouches, hide everything elsewhere like the Herbal Medicines, then fill the pouches with Sleep Herbs and Sleep Sacs?
"We could even carry several extra pouches filled with the same things and trick it into stealing them."
Everyone fell silent.
Even Sajji could not help muttering, "Boss, you're getting more devious by the day, meow."
Nadia remained silent for a moment, then gave a soft laugh. "Heh. That might actually work. Even if we try and fail, we won't lose anything."
"Guild Master Ota, could you prepare a few more bags of Sleep Herb for us?"
"Of course!"
Far from thinking they were being reckless, Guild Master Ota seemed rather excited. "I'll prepare them right away. It's simple and won't take long!
"Should we smear some Vespoid blood on the bags to make them more tempting?"
Nadia shook her head. "No. Elder Dragons are highly intelligent. If we make the bait too obvious, it may grow suspicious. We can sprinkle in a little spice to mask the scent of the Sleep Herb, though."
"All right!"
Although Guild Master Ota was over sixty, she still moved briskly. Before long, she returned carrying several bags of Sleep Herb.
"It's all been dried. The bags may look small, but each contains a substantial dose, equivalent to several pieces of Drugged Meat!
"Stealing even one should be enough to affect it! Go ahead and divide them among yourselves..."
The Hunters laughed as they stuffed the bags into their Item Pouches or tied them directly to their belts. Isis carried the most and even hung two from her shield.
Tala reached out to take one, but Nadia slapped the back of her hand. She had no intention of letting a newly promoted 1★ Hunter serve as bait for Chameleos to lick.
Altaïr had initially wanted to hang several extra bags on Kral. The man had no combat ability, but as a field scholar with the Royal Paleontology Scriveners and a member of the Chameleos research team, he was remarkably skilled at escaping danger and had luck to spare.
He looked completely harmless, and Chameleos might even prefer licking him.
Unfortunately, Nadia refused to allow it. Whatever risks the Royal Paleontology Scriveners took during their own investigations were their business, but the Hunters were leading this operation. They should not expose noncombatants to unnecessary danger.
Once every necessary and unnecessary preparation was complete, the Hunters followed Tala through the gates of Grom-Baum and into the vast rainforest, which covered an area comparable to the Great Desert.
Tala was a true local. She had been born in the Telos Jungle and had accompanied her father into the forest to gather mushrooms since she was a small child.
Dense vines formed walls and tangled roots spread like nets, leaving outsiders struggling to find a place to step. Tala crossed that difficult terrain as easily as level ground.
Light and nimble as a Kelbi, she darted swiftly through the dense forest.
Had Nadia not stopped her, Tala would have climbed the towering trees and swung between branches and vines. Asking the two Blademasters in heavy armor to follow her up there, however, would have been unreasonable.
Even while running along the ground, Altaïr and Isis were soon drenched in sweat.
They were both grateful for the time they had spent in Metapetatto, where they had received a crash course in moving through the jungle.
Otherwise, two High Rank Hunters would have been left in the dust by a newly promoted 1★ Hunter, forcing her to stop and wait for them farther ahead...
That would have been far too embarrassing...
After nearly an hour of racing through the forest, they skirted a valley of complex terrain and reached an area crisscrossed by waterways.
Tala stopped. Her breathing had grown labored after running at such speed for so long.
Knowing how to move through the forest was one thing, but her stamina naturally could not compare with that of the Hunters. Even Kral, a Royal Paleontology Scrivener, was breathing more steadily than she was.
"This is... a tributary of the river we crossed earlier!" Once Tala had finally caught her breath, she continued, "Vespoid don't like gathering near the main river, but there are plenty of them in places with lots of small streams!
"There are many other insects here too, along with mushrooms, herbs, and other resources. We often come here to gather."
Nadia nodded. "All right, you two should head back. We know that the route we took here is safe, at least.
"Wait beneath that giant tree we passed. Once we've finished investigating this area, we'll come and meet you there."
"Huh? I have to leave too?" Kral pointed at himself.
"Yes. There is no reason for you to take this risk yet. If we find tracks or signs that we can't interpret, then we'll reconsider."
"All right..." Kral looked disappointed but did not argue.
Nadia watched the two of them and continued, "Keep an eye out for our signals. If you see us fire a yellow signal flare, return to the city immediately and tell Guild Master Ota to impose a lockdown.
"If the signal is red... have her issue a State of Emergency Declaration as well and prepare the city's defenses."
Tala nodded. Although she desperately wanted to continue accompanying the High Rank Hunters, she knew that staying would only get in their way.
After quietly saying, "Stay safe, everyone," she left with Kral.
"They're quite obedient." Altaïr chuckled, took out a potion, and drank it.
"What did you drink?" Nadia looked at him in mild confusion. They had not found a single clue yet, much less entered combat. Why was he taking a potion now?
"Psychoserum." Altaïr tossed aside the empty bottle. "It heightens the senses. Pretty useful in a situation like this, don't you think?
"I took a few extra bottles from the warehouse since they were free anyway."
"True enough." Nadia chuckled and signaled for them to spread out. "Stay within fifty meters of one another. Call out immediately if you find anything."
Isis raised her shield, glanced around, and muttered, "I don't see any Vespoid, though."
Altaïr did not answer. He raised one foot and kicked a large tree with all his strength. A Hornetaur fell to the ground, while at least three or four Vespoid darted from the shadows among the trees.
"Bzzzz!"
"See? There they are."
"Eek! Are there normally this many?!"
Just as the Hunters and Palicoes began searching the Vespoid-infested woods for clues, an SOS Flare rose from the direction in which Tala and Kral had departed...
At that moment, even the usually elegant Nadia could not help cursing.
"Damn it!"
* * *
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