With Hakucho and Sajji keeping watch from the air, the group had no chance of stumbling into a Monster by accident. The return to camp was uneventful, though they happened to travel during the coldest hours before dawn, and the temperature was brutal.
Fortunately, Isis and the others had gathered plenty of peppers. The little fruits warmed them from within, helping the Hunters endure the bitter night on the snowfield until they reached camp at dawn.
Traveling across the snowfield throughout a winter night was extremely dangerous, and Rand had been terribly worried while waiting at camp. Only when he saw the group return safely did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
—--
After a full day and night of rest at camp, the party packed their gear and began the journey back to Liber.
Their long trek through the ice and snow had nearly exhausted every kind of supply. With the Elderfrost Gammoth heading back toward the Furahiya Mountains, Karin and Haifa's tracking and surveillance mission was effectively over.
Confirming the Grimclaw Tigrex's presence and recording the battle between the two Monsters already exceeded the quest's requirements. Whatever the Grimclaw Tigrex did next was beyond the capabilities of their small group.
Because Altaïr had fired that Flash Pod on his own initiative, Karin naturally dumped the report on him.
Altaïr had little choice but to accept the task that gave most Hunters a headache, taking the time to compile a thick report.
The higher-ups could deal with the headache from there.
—--
Several days later, the party arrived in Liber.
They settled the quest with the Guild Master at the Guild Hall and submitted their report. The news of the Grimclaw Tigrex's appearance greatly concerned the Guild Master, who promised to relay it to headquarters immediately.
Altaïr, Isis, and Morgan, the Hunters who had actually participated in the quest, each also received credit for completing a 6★ investigation quest. It was an unexpected bonus.
—--
At the customary post-quest feast, Altaïr pressed a bulging coin purse into Rand's hands.
He had originally intended to hire Rand as a guide for only a few days, but had ended up keeping him in the snowfield for more than half a month. Feeling rather guilty, Altaïr wanted to compensate him.
Rand promptly shoved the coin purse back.
His thick, unkempt beard made his expression difficult to read, but the delight in his eyes was unmistakable.
"What are you saying all this for?" The bearded Lance user first feigned anger, then continued with obvious delight, "Heh heh, I've already made some headway with Shield Assault. With a little more practice, I should truly master it.
With a bit more experience, I might even reach the threshold of becoming a High Rank Hunter and try for a promotion.
Compared with that, forget guiding you for half a month. I'd happily camp out on the snowfield for half a year!"
Karin and Haifa exchanged a look.
They had been in Liber for several years. By all rights, their Guild-assigned garrison period had ended long ago, but Liber had yet to produce a High Rank Hunter of its own. The warmth and care the locals had shown them made it difficult to simply pack up and leave.
They did, however, have their eyes on several promising candidates for High Rank.
Rand was among them. A 5★ Hunter in his early thirties could hardly be called a prodigy, but he was undeniably talented and stood every chance of reaching High Rank within the next two years.
Despite having only the tentative training guidance provided by Isis, a Gunlance user, he had already made real progress toward mastering Shield Assault, once again proving his talent.
His younger brother Sig was somewhat impetuous, but he too had considerable promise. The brothers complemented each other in offense and defense, and their quest completion rate was remarkably high.
Hunters who worked with a regular partner enjoyed far more advantages than those who hunted alone.
Perhaps Karin and Haifa could pay closer attention to the brothers and occasionally lend them a hand. If both men reached High Rank, the two women could finally leave with peace of mind.
Altaïr sensed what they were thinking. He tore a sheet from his memo pad and handed Rand the paper and a pen. "Rand, how about this?
Leave me a mailing address. I'll find a way to obtain some Lance and Switch Axe training notes from other senior High Rank Hunters and send them to you later."
Rand stared at him in surprise.
He could have politely refused money, but he simply could not turn down this kind of help. His face flushed, and after hemming and hawing for a long moment, he thrust out a huge hand and clapped Altaïr heavily on the shoulder.
"Then Sig and I owe all of you an enormous favor! If you ever need us for anything, just send word, and we'll come straight away!"
Rand had clearly misunderstood Altaïr's reasons, but Altaïr did not bother explaining.
The brothers were good men, easy to get along with, and worth forming a lasting friendship with. Both were experts in snowfield combat, a field in which Altaïr had little experience, so they might have opportunities to work together in the future.
Karin reached out and tapped Altaïr on the head.
This kid...
—--
Morgan's new equipment had been completed, and the group had reunited with both teachers. With no other reason to remain in Liber, Altaïr, Isis, and Morgan boarded an Airship for Dundorma.
Unlike the northern lands, which remained buried beneath ice and snow, Dundorma had already welcomed spring by March.
After shedding their padded shirts and trousers and the rest of their cold-weather gear, they felt much lighter.
As soon as they disembarked from the Airship, Morgan excused himself and left to rent a room at the Guild Hall.
Unlike Nymera, who enjoyed watching drama unfold from the shadows, Morgan had no interest in that sort of thing and even less desire to play the third wheel.
If he had that much free time to watch the drama unfold, he would rather spend it training for his promotion to High Rank.
(Nymera: Hey!)
The other two returned home first, or rather, to Isis's home.
—--
Over the next two days, Altaïr compiled a notebook containing his insights into Long Sword techniques, other weapons, Weapon Arts, fighting-spirit cultivation, and more.
The idea of someone barely into his twenties producing a training manual might have seemed comical. Yet given his strength as a High Rank Hunter and, in particular, his unique insight into blending techniques from different weapons, the notebook was extraordinarily valuable.
That was not Altaïr's own opinion. It was Master Amos's assessment after briefly reviewing the notebook.
"You've compiled all this. Are you planning to take on a disciple?" Amos carefully closed the notebook and handed it back to Altaïr.
Altaïr pushed it toward him again and asked tentatively, "No, I mean... well, Master Amos, could I trade these notes for advice or insights from other High Rank Hunters?"
"Of course." Amos lightly tapped the notebook with his fingers. "I've told you before. With your extraordinary coordination, you were born to test new techniques.
What makes this notebook most valuable is the way you isolate the strengths of different weapons and reproduce them with other weapons, along with your record of the results."
A smile glimmered in Amos's eyes. "Even veteran High Rank Hunters could find a wealth of intriguing ideas in these notes of yours.
If you're willing to exchange ideas, many Hunters will gladly trade their experience for yours. It would also help establish your reputation."
"I'm not interested in making a name for myself..." Altaïr said. The possibility had never even crossed his mind. "If possible, I'd like to trade for training insights on the Lance and Switch Axe."
That was right. He had not simply mentioned Rand and Sig's situation and then forgotten about it.
For now, all he wanted was to help the brothers grow stronger as quickly as possible, so Teacher Karin and Teacher Haifa would not have to remain indefinitely in that remote, frozen wasteland.
"You want to learn the Lance and Switch Axe?" Amos's expression turned strange.
"No..." Altaïr briefly explained his reasons.
"I see. That won't be difficult at all." Amos appreciated Altaïr's desire to look after his teachers.
"Liber is remote and isolated. Many Hunters there can't even read, making it difficult for them to exchange knowledge about Weapon Arts. In Dundorma, though, this will be easy to arrange.
As a High Rank Hunter, you can request training materials directly from the Guild, and the Guild won't be stingy.
Of course, if you're willing to make your notes public, I can also help you exchange them for more advanced training resources from the Guild."
"Uh, these are only personal observations. There's nothing secret about them, so of course they can be made public."
"All right. Leave this to me. Give me their address, and once I've secured suitable materials, I'll send them over." Amos picked up the notebook and rose from the table.
He had always been a man of decisive action; he was already preparing to head out and speak with the right people.
"Thank you, Master." Altaïr hurriedly rose and expressed his gratitude.
As Amos walked out the door, he recalled Altaïr's reluctance to become famous and shook his head with a soft chuckle.
A disciple of mine could never remain nameless.
A few years ago, Altaïr had drawn on Demon Mode to create Crimson Blade Slash, then merged it with the Great Sword's Charged Slash to develop Charged Spirit Roundslash. From that moment on, the boy had ceased to be a "nobody" among Long Sword users in the Old World.