Although Francesca's message was not particularly urgent, Altaïr and the others did not waste much time in Dundorma.
—--
Early the next morning, they boarded the Airship arranged by the Guild and headed for Metapetatto.
Since they had no idea what mysterious Monster had attacked the village, the Hunters prepared their equipment as thoroughly as possible.
The Knowledge Seeker had already gone ahead, so keeping their gear aboard the ship would make it easy to swap equipment when necessary.
Altaïr alone packed three sets of Armor: his Espinas Armor Set, Brute Tigrex Armor Set, and Chaotic.
His weapons were even more excessive. He had the Dragon-element Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower], the Thunder-element Taikun Katana, Rosenzahn with its Fire and Poison elements, and the Cool Cleavers with their Ice and Water elements. Together, they were so heavy that he could not move them without help.
The two Gunners, Morgan and Nymera, were in much the same position. Isis alone always fought with a single set of equipment.
What's that? The Kuarusepu Armor Set had poor fire resistance? Then she would just bring the Fireproof Mantle and tough out the rest with sheer fighting spirit!
Altaïr promptly scolded her, and she finally stuffed a few extra Fire Res Jewels into her pocket. If the need arose, she could find a workshop and have them temporarily slotted into her Armor. At least that counted as a countermeasure.
As for consumables, they had little to worry about.
The local Guild would help prepare supplies, and more importantly, they could hardly forget what Francesca had done for a living before calling them over.
Whether they needed potions, Ammo, or any other hunting tools, they only had to ask and she could procure them.
Thus, the group had not even spent a full day back in Dundorma before setting off at breakneck speed for another quest location.
—--
When the Airship landed at Metapetatto's port, Altaïr paid close attention to the city's atmosphere and the residents' reactions.
Everything was as usual, every bit as lively and prosperous as he remembered.
Compared with two years earlier, the port seemed to have expanded considerably. The city, rebuilt from ruins, remained as vibrant and full of life as ever.
Isis noticed it too. As she descended the Airship's gangway, she moved closer to Altaïr and whispered, "It looks like they haven't issued a State of Emergency Declaration."
"Right. A State of Emergency Declaration isn't issued lightly." Altaïr nodded. "The local Guild has probably determined that Metapetatto is safe for now, so they haven't made the news public. That should prevent unnecessary panic."
He recalled the information the Guild Manager had provided. The attack had occurred in a bay on the western side of the Jungle, while Metapetatto stood at the Jungle's easternmost edge.
Although both places lay by the sea, the former faced the western sea, while Metapetatto faced the Inland Sea. They were not part of the same waters at all. The entire Jungle also stretched between them, leaving a straight-line distance of several hundred kilometers, so there was no reason for excessive alarm.
Guildmarm Noya might be somewhat hopeless in certain respects, but she had always been reliable when serious matters arose. Otherwise, she would never have become the Guild's person in charge here.
"Come to think of it, it's been so long since we last saw Guildmarm Noya, little Lillian, and everyone else," Isis mused throughout the walk from the port to the Guild Hall. "I wonder how they're all doing now."
They had not actually lived in Metapetatto for very long, but Guildmarm Noya and the others had been so welcoming, and the food had been so delicious, that Isis had come away with a wonderful impression of the place.
That was also one reason she had immediately agreed to come when she heard something had happened here.
The Guild Hall at the center of the city was as bustling as ever. Isis pushed open the doors, stepped inside, planted her hands on her hips, and surveyed the room.
The Tavern Area seemed to have expanded considerably over the past two years, and many of the faces were new. Guildmarm Noya's "talent policies" had clearly produced remarkable results.
"All right, stop staring longingly at the Tavern Area. Let's report to Guildmarm Noya first, find out what's happening, and then think about everything else." Altaïr nudged Isis from behind.
Isis felt a little indignant.
She really had not been thinking about food. She had been surveying the Hunters there!
Altaïr, Morgan, and Nymera had no doubts at all about why she had been watching the Tavern Area. They walked straight past her and headed for the Quest Counter.
Isis stamped her foot in frustration. The "crack" from the floorboards beneath her made her expression stiffen, forcing her to swallow her emotions and hurry awkwardly after the others.
She would talk to Guildmarm Noya about compensation later...
—--
At the same time, a golden gleam lit Guildmarm Noya's eyes behind the Quest Counter.
What was this? A fine sapling had slipped out of her nursery, grown into a towering tree over the past two years, and now returned with other trees in tow?
Today was her lucky day, dammit!
Before the group could reach the Quest Counter, the Guildmarm rushed out to meet them, still clad in her uniform.
Tears that looked anything but fake welled in her eyes. "You... you're finally back! And this time... will you be staying?"
"We'll be leaving. We heard some trouble had cropped up here. Someone made a request, and the Guild arranged for us to provide support. Once the matter is resolved, we'll be off."
Altaïr's expression was deadpan, and his reply exceptionally blunt.
He knew this woman all too well. Show her even the slightest warmth or leave the least room for ambiguity, and she would latch on immediately.
Over the years, who knew how many softhearted young people she had ensnared with this tactic?
Of course, many had eventually left for various reasons, just as Altaïr and his companions had, but plenty had chosen to stay.
That much was clear from the Guild Hall, once somewhat empty and now completely packed.
Faced with Altaïr's "heartless" response, Guildmarm Noya gave a fragile, broken smile like a loving mother wounded by an ungrateful son. "Ah, I see... Yes, you've all grown up now. You have your own affairs to keep you busy."
"Hahaha! All right, all right, I was only joking!" Guildmarm Noya's expression changed in an instant, replaced by a cheerful grin. "I know you're all High Rank Hunters now and can't stay in a tiny place like this forever.
"The fact that you hurried over to help already means more to me than I can say!"
She turned to Morgan, who stood among Altaïr's companions. "And to this gentleman I haven't met before, thank you for your support!
"For the welcome feast, order whatever you like later. No matter how much you eat, it's all on my tab! The menu has plenty of new desserts too!
"The berries and Honey harvested from the Jungle this year are top-notch!"
A shrewd judge of character, she had naturally recognized that Morgan was male. His distinctly masculine hairstyle also suggested that he probably disliked being mistaken for a woman.
It was obvious who the hearty meal was meant to tempt and who the desserts were for. Those small gestures worked exactly as she expected. Morgan raised an eyebrow, feeling a little more goodwill toward the enthusiastic and eccentric Wyverian Guildmarm, while delight surfaced in Isis's and Nymera's eyes.
Altaïr saw all this and felt a headache coming on. Yet the woman knew exactly how far to go. She simply wanted to build goodwill, asking nothing in return.
That kind of investment might be wasted on cunning, slippery people, but it worked remarkably well on most Hunters, who were straightforward at heart.
This was not only true of Isis and the others. It was true of him as well.
Despite his stern expression, Altaïr had never forgotten how wholeheartedly Guildmarm Noya had looked after them during their time in Metapetatto.
Even if Senior Francesca had not been the one to raise the issue, and Guildmarm Noya had written to ask for help instead, they would still have rushed over without the slightest hesitation.
He sighed. "Let's put the welcome feast aside for later. First, tell us about the current situation. Has the investigation made any progress?"
As the topic turned to serious matters, Guildmarm Noya's expression grew grave as well.
"The situation isn't very optimistic..."