"That careless bastard?" Altaïr looked at Maki in confusion.
Maki was hardly stern or solemn, but perhaps because of her absolute confidence in her own strength, she usually carried herself with complete composure.
(Such composure.)
This was the first time Altaïr had ever seen her lose her cool and start cursing.
"It's nothing..." Maki's mouth twitched a couple of times. After what sounded like a few more muttered curses, she continued, "Anyway, the possibility Isis mentioned does exist. We need to get close to that Shagaru Magala and find some way to stop it from taking flight and escaping... That will be troublesome."
After considering the problem for a moment, Maki waved it aside. "Forget it. Leave the Shagaru Magala to the few of us. I called you here mainly to contain the outbreak and deal with the other two sources.
"We cannot wait until the Frenzy Virus spreads beyond the Red Stronghold before we act. We need to take the initiative and exterminate the infected Monsters."
No one objected.
The fate of a Monster infected with the Frenzy Virus was almost always sealed. A tiny handful of exceptionally powerful Monsters could use their own immune systems to forcibly "overcome" the disease and even grow stronger under the virus's stimulation...
But no one had time to identify such rare exceptions. To prevent more Gore Magala from emerging, their best option was to exterminate every Large Monster over fifteen meters long.
Maki's gaze swept across Altaïr's group and the members of the Crag Ammo Heavy Bowgun Squad. "The Meowcenaries will coordinate with you, and the village Palamutes will carry you swiftly to the target areas.
"You will probably be Hunting at a grueling pace for some time. Thank you for taking this on."
The Hunters and Guild Knights nodded. They had come for precisely this purpose, and having far too little to do over the past two days had only left them uneasy.
"Senior Maki, I would go forth as well." Nymera stepped forward half a pace, slipping unconsciously back into her old-fashioned manner of speaking.
Maki's first instinct was to say, "No. Stay in the village. Someone needs to remain here and guard it."
But when she saw Nymera's earnest gaze, then looked at Altaïr, Isis, and the others beside her, the words refused to come.
Someone truly did need to stay behind and protect the village.
Maki, Master Utsushi, Hinoa, and Minoto formed the "frontline team" responsible for pursuing the primary target, the Shagaru Magala.
That would leave Nymera as Kamura Village's only remaining High Rank combatant...
As Maki wrestled with the decision, an old yet vigorous voice rang out from the Guild Hall entrance amid hearty laughter. "May our flames blaze to the heavens! How about leaving the village gate to this old man?"
At the sight of the elder striding boldly inside, the corner of Maki's eye twitched violently. "Please, don't start. You're over ninety. Can you even hold a sword anymore?"
"Lord Fugen."
"Former Village Chief."
The people of Kamura wore strange expressions, but they still bowed respectfully.
Annoyed by Maki's skepticism, Fugen furrowed his thick, snow-white brows and snorted. "Hmph! I can still cleave a steel ingot fresh from the great kiln in half with a single stroke!"
"And after that one stroke, your arms and legs shook like leaves and you nearly threw out your back, didn't you?" Maki shot back without mercy. "Why are you making more trouble in the middle of the night? Go home and lie down!"
Using his Long Sword as a cane, Fugen thumped it irritably against the floor. "It isn't just me! Hojo is still a warrior fit for battle!"
Maki reached out with magnificent disrespect and cupped the soft, plump flesh beneath Guild Master Hojo's round chin. "Look how fat he's gotten! You're better off counting on his Gugu than on this old man in a fight! (Gugu was the Tetsucabra Guild Master Hojo rode.)"
"If you think we're too old and decrepit to be useful, there are still Kagero, Hibasa, Yomogi, Iori, and the others. If they picked up weapons..."
"Stop." Maki's expression hardened. "We risked our lives to end the Rampage at its source so the villagers and children would never have to take up arms again.
"As long as I am alive, I will never send civilians, the elderly, or children onto the battlefield!"
The former and current Village Chiefs glared furiously at each other.
Hinoa and the others watched anxiously. Maki and Fugen were both uncompromisingly stubborn, and no one had ever seen either one back down.
To everyone's surprise, Fugen suddenly smiled after a few seconds of deadlock. He straightened his slightly stooped back and looked down at Maki, who was still more than half a head shorter than him. "I knew you would say that.
"Your desire to protect everyone is admirable, but shouldering all the pressure yourself is far from wise. The day will come when you can no longer bear it.
"Nor should protecting the younger generation be the only way you raise them. If you never let them face hardship, how will they shoulder their responsibilities in the future?"
That last sentence made the corner of Maki's mouth twitch uncontrollably.
So that was why you sent me, not even twenty at the time, to face the Wind Serpent and Thunder Serpent?
As Fugen looked at Maki, who was no longer young, his gaze and tone softened. "There is no shame in asking for help, whether from the Guild, your elders and friends, or everyone in the village.
"If Guild Master Hojo had not suggested seeking aid and taken charge of it, you would never even have thought to ask Guild headquarters for help, would you?"
Maki fell silent.
Fugen chuckled, then continued, "We may no longer be able to swing our swords, but when you encounter a problem you cannot solve, there is no harm in consulting a few old-timers.
"We can still put pen to paper and ask for reinforcements."
Fugen then called toward the area outside the Guild Hall. "Stop hiding and come in. You've only spent a few years traveling abroad. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
Maki's head snapped up, her gaze flying to the Guild Hall entrance.
Could it be...?
The hanging flower branches that curtained the entrance were pushed aside, and a tall, slender figure walked in.
...No. Wrong guess. The figure Maki had expected was tall enough to need to duck through the doorway.
Still, the newcomer was every bit as exciting a reinforcement.
Altaïr and the others also turned to look.
The newcomer was a middle-aged woman over one hundred eighty centimeters tall, with well-defined muscles.
Her skin was dark enough that she looked at first glance as though she came from a desert tribe. Her jet-black hair and gentle features, however, made it clear that she was simply deeply tanned and, like Maki and the others, probably native to the Kamura area.
A Long Sword was strapped to her back, and she wore a Zinogre Armor Set.
Altaïr noticed that her Zinogre Armor was unusually dark, almost deep blue-green, while the fur trim that should have been white gleamed gold instead, the hallmark of an Apex individual.
A custom dye job, or had the materials come from some special individual?
Altaïr suspected the latter.
"Ayame? The old man actually managed to call you back?"
There was no malice in Maki's remark, but Ayame had spent years wandering far from home and still felt a twinge of embarrassment.
Ayame rubbed her nose, then her expression turned serious. "If Uncle Fugen hadn't written to me, I wouldn't have known that something had happened in the village.
"I am a daughter of Kamura Village too. Of course I would come back at a time like this."
"This is Lady Ayame, Lord Fugen's niece and an exceptionally skilled Long Sword user," Nymera whispered, introducing her to Altaïr and the others.
"I rarely remember seeing her return to the village, but I have heard many stories about her.
"The best known is that she and Hibasa partnered up and Hunted thirty 5★ Monsters in a single year. (See P.S.)"
Altaïr was momentarily speechless.
If the story was true, the only reason Kamura's Large Monsters had not yet been driven to extinction was the sheer abundance of the region's natural resources.
Maki was visibly thrilled by Ayame's arrival.
"I was just thinking that our team lacked offensive power. To deal with wind pressure and roars, Master Utsushi has to support us with a Hunting Horn. Hinoa is a Gunner, but she specializes in skirmishing, while Minoto is a pure Tank. That leaves me as our only attacker.
"Ayame, your timing is perfect. Take Minoto's place so she can remain here and guard the village. Then the youngsters can cut loose and focus on their own assignments!"
"?"
In her excitement, Maki failed to notice Minoto's frosty glare beside her.
P.S. In the short stories from the official artbook, the original text was roughly about how Ayame and Hibasa brought back mountainous piles of Barioth and Nargacuga materials. Iori asked how many they had killed, and Ayame said they'd taken about twenty-something quests (while complaining about how tedious accepting quests was) and finished them all at once. That's a bit too ridiculous, so I changed it to one year…