Guildmarm Noya led the group to a quiet corner and found them a table. After asking Lillian, the young receptionist who had grown from a little girl into a young woman, to fetch someone, she began explaining the situation with a grave expression.
"Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. So far, there has been only one attack on a human village. The repeated attacks we feared have not occurred."
"Could it have been an opportunistic attack by a migrating Monster, perhaps looking for food?" Altaïr suggested.
The attack had occurred by the sea, and no clues had been left on land for anyone to follow, making it highly likely that the attacker had come from the ocean. The sea was vast and boundless. Tales of incomprehensible Monsters passing through, devouring entire villages, and quietly departing were horrifying, but not especially rare. Countless mysteries of that kind remained unsolved.
"The two High Rank Hunters sent by the Guild searched the coastline thoroughly for several days without finding any useful clues, so that was our initial conclusion as well. Some Monster had passed through, devoured the village, and vanished without a trace." All trace of Guildmarm Noya's earlier playfulness was gone as she sighed softly. "However, two days ago, the Royal Academy scholars who had just arrived in Metapetatto spent the night examining quest reports and cargo records from the surrounding region. They discovered another clue we had overlooked. Over the past two years, sea beast attacks along the western coast of the Metapetatto Jungle have grown increasingly rare. There has not been a single attack in the past six months, even though one or two used to occur almost every month."
Altaïr's brow furrowed.
"Isn't a decrease in attacks a good thing?" Isis asked, puzzled.
"Not necessarily." Altaïr shook his head slightly. "In a small area, such as a single village, a Monster might attack one month and not the next. That's perfectly normal. But when the overall number of Monster sightings drops sharply across an entire region, there is cause for concern. It means the Large Monsters in this region, perhaps even throughout these waters, have disappeared. Whether some powerful creature frightened them away or hunted and devoured them all, either possibility is deeply unsettling."
"I believe the latter is more likely." The voice that reached them was aged but still vigorous. Guided by the young receptionist, an elderly Wyverian man wearing thick glasses strode toward their table, prompting the Hunters to stand.
"Professor!"
"No need for greetings." The elderly Wyverian waved them off, cutting Isis short as she began to speak. He motioned for everyone to sit, then continued, "When Miss Lillian told me that the High Rank Hunters sent as reinforcements had arrived, I suspected it would be you. You reached us sooner than I expected. Now, returning to the subject, the frequency with which marine Monsters appeared along the Metapetatto Jungle's coast did not collapse all at once. It declined rapidly over the course of a year or two.
"That suggests predation, not a mass flight caused by fear.
"If only Gobul and Royal Ludroth had vanished, the situation would be easier to explain. The mass migration of a population of powerful sea beasts could produce a similar pattern.
"But even nearshore apex predators such as Lagiacrus and Mizutsune have vanished. That is a serious problem.
"They all stand at the top of the food chain. Very few creatures can prey on them, and every one of those creatures is exceptionally dangerous."
The Hunters exchanged glances.
The situation appeared far more serious than they had originally anticipated.
"In that case, doesn't that narrow down the list of suspects?" Altaïr pressed. "We're looking for something capable of preying on powerful sea beasts such as Lagiacrus, something with an enormous appetite that can devour the marine Monsters off the Metapetatto Jungle to near extinction in only a year or two and make an entire village disappear, rather than merely storming into it and causing destruction.
"There can't be many suspects that meet all those criteria, can there?"
"Yes and no." The Professor pushed up his thick glasses. "If the attacker is a creature we already know something about, only two candidates are currently considered highly suspicious.
"But humanity's knowledge of this world remains far too limited, especially when it comes to the deep sea. The species we have discovered and documented probably account for less than a tenth of all those that exist.
"The attacker could easily be a completely unknown Monster. It would be extremely foolish to apply our past experience blindly."
"I see." Altaïr nodded thoughtfully.
After a moment, he looked at the Professor. "If I'm not mistaken, you're in command of this investigation, correct? The four of us will be under your command for the time being. Please give us whatever instructions you see fit."
A hint of a smile appeared on the Professor's stern, aged face. "You don't need to tell me that. I have no intention of wasting valuable manpower.
"However, I won't have many assignments for you just yet. The two High Rank Hunters who arrived earlier have already investigated the attack site and surrounding area more than once. There would be little point in sending you there again.
"For now, our investigation remains focused on gathering information. Our people are collecting all manner of news and rumors from merchants, fishermen, and mountain folk. I expect we will have results within the next few days.
"Use this time to rest and regroup. Things will get busy soon enough."
The Professor jumped down from his seat. "Oh, right. The Knowledge Seeker is currently docked at the seaport.
"There are still plenty of empty cabins aboard. You can stay on the ship and store all that backup equipment there as well. It will make getting around much more convenient."
With that, the impatient elder hurried away.
"All right, we'll head over shortly," Altaïr agreed without hesitation. This was exactly the arrangement he had hoped for.
Traveling with a ship offered too many advantages to count. The Knowledge Seeker was like a mobile aerial base. From food, clothing, lodging, and transportation to combat logistics, the Hunters would not have to worry about a thing.
Moreover, this operation was being led by the Professor rather than Mr. Alva. The Professor was sterner and far more reliable.
Only Guildmarm Noya looked utterly disappointed.
She had wanted to give each of the four promising young High Rank Hunters the most luxurious suite available and thoroughly spoil them.
Unfortunately, her crafty plan had failed.
"We just came from the port, and I didn't even notice the Knowledge Seeker was docked there. If I'd known, I would have moved our backup gear and luggage aboard already. It would've saved us the trip back and forth," Isis said, glancing regretfully at the pile of luggage beside her.
Despite having the fewest belongings of her own, Isis's great strength meant she carried more than anyone except Hibiki.
The load was not heavy for her, but making extra trips was still a nuisance, wasn't it?
"There's no need for that! I'll have someone deliver everything for you! Lillian!" Guildmarm Noya seized the chance to make herself useful.
"Coming!" The lively young receptionist arrived with a group of Felynes. In no time, the Felynes loaded everyone's luggage onto a cart and hauled it off to the port.
After thanking Guildmarm Noya politely, Isis looked at Altaïr. "So, do we eat first, or should we head to the Knowledge Seeker and find Francesca and the others?"
Guildmarm Noya's expression flickered. She quickly cut in, "Let's eat first! It's already past mealtime, and Miss Sterling must be busy right now!"
Her plan to spoil them with luxurious suites had failed, but at the very least, nothing could be allowed to ruin the welcoming feast!
"I heard you'd arrived and rushed straight over. I can still catch a meal too? Perfect! I've been so busy that I haven't eaten a thing. You don't mind one more person, do you?"
Francesca had appeared out of nowhere, grinning from ear to ear.
A vein bulged at Guildmarm Noya's temple, and her warm, sincere smile cracked for an instant.
Altaïr, Isis, and the others had once been summoned away by a single letter from this woman, and now even Serl was about to be whisked away by her.
Francesca Sterling! My lifelong nemesis!