Seeing the Monster had been dealt with, the residents and passersby who had retreated to a distance or hidden in their houses cautiously emerged.
The livestock merchant, who had been extraordinarily brave to fight the Remobra, felt his legs go soft and plopped onto the ground, his chest heaving like a bellows.
"Is he alright?" Altaïr asked, sheathing his weapon and walking over.
Sajji supported the merchant's shoulder, looking a little worried. "Not so good, meow. He wasn't bitten, just scratched a few times, but the Remobra's claws are poisonous, meow. We need to neutralize the poison and bandage him up quickly, meow."
"Do you have any Antidotes?" Altaïr asked as he took a Potion from his bag and held it to the merchant's lips.
"I don't have any Antidotes or bandages, meow. Resha has them, meow."
"It's fine, I'll handle it," a gruff voice boomed.
A tall, powerfully built man pushed through the crowd of onlookers, shouting in a loud voice, "Alright, everyone back off. Don't crowd around and gawk."
After speaking, he knelt beside the merchant, took out a bottle of Antidote to feed to the injured man, and then began to check his wounds.
Altaïr took the opportunity to observe the man.
He had thick limbs and dark brown skin, and he looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was equipped with a suit of Ranger's Armor similar to Resha's, though the details were different, it was the more common style designed for male blademasters.
The large, conspicuous straw hat he wore was practically the symbol of the Loc Lac Rangers.
Altaïr recalled Resha mentioning that they were close to the district that "Boss Joda" was in charge of. That made the identity of the man before him all but certain.
Not long after the man arrived, Resha also pushed through the crowd and ran over.
The two of them helped the injured man drink the Potion and Antidote, bandaged his wounds, and after a few minutes of rest, the merchant's condition had clearly improved, though he was still shaken.
The man took the merchant's arm and helped him to his feet, his deep voice having a calming effect. "That was just a simple dressing to stop the bleeding. We'll take you to the clinic now. The wounds need to be cleaned and treated again, and you might need stitches."
The merchant nodded with a pained expression, asking a stall owner he knew to watch his livestock. Supported by the man and Resha, he limped toward a nearby clinic.
Altaïr, left behind, was unsure whether he should follow.
The man turned his head and gestured to him with a nod. "If you've got nothing else to do, come along. You really helped us out this time. I'll treat you to a good meal later!"
"Do I get some too?" Resha asked happily.
"What's it got to do with you, meow?"
—--
They took the injured merchant to the clinic and got him settled, then arranged for other Rangers to calm the citizens and retrieve the Remobra carcass. By the time they had finished, the sun was already high in the sky.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," the stout man said, taking off his straw hat and letting it hang behind his neck. He revealed a square-jawed face with a short beard.
Resha whispered an explanation from the side, "The boss never takes off his straw hat while on duty, not even indoors. Taking it off means he's entering 'rest mode.' He's easier to talk to then."
The man smacked the back of her head, then extended a hand toward Altaïr. "My name is Joda. Although these guys like to call me 'Boss,' the Loc Lac Rangers don't have any official ranks or hierarchy. At most, you could say I'm a senior to these youngsters."
Altaïr nodded. "I'm Altaïr, a 1★ Hunter. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The man named Joda suddenly took half a step closer and stared at him. "Mm, I've heard your name. Our Loc Lac isn't a small city, and I haven't heard of many cases of someone becoming an official hunter before the age of seventeen over the years.
To put it more simply and directly, you're one of those so-called 'young prodigies,' aren't you?"
Faced with the other's slightly barbed compliment, Altaïr just gave a slight nod of his chin and didn't reply.
It was Resha who seemed surprised. "Huh? And here I thought we'd picked up a little vagrant. Turns out you're this amazing, kid?"
Seeing Altaïr's placid reaction, a look of appreciation appeared in Joda's eyes.
Hunters weren't scholars; whether one was a prodigy or not wasn't that important.
There were countless examples of late bloomers, and the so-called prodigies who died early in the jaws of a Monster were just another number on the list of casualties.
"A good kid!" He laughed and clapped Altaïr's arm forcefully. "Sorry, I deliberately made my words a bit harsh just now. It seems you truly don't care about that so-called 'prodigy' title.
That's great. If you were one of those guys whose nose shoots up in the air after a tiny bit of success, I wouldn't even bother talking to you."
"Mm," Altaïr grunted in acknowledgment.
"..."
Now it was Joda who was at a loss. This kid was probably the quiet, reserved type. Chatting with someone like that could easily lead to a dead end.
"What do you like to eat? My treat! Thanks to you for what happened just now. If you hadn't arrived early, that merchant's injuries would have been much more severe."
"There's no need to be so polite." Altaïr was not one to beat around the bush. "If you don't mind, I'd like to learn more about the Loc Lac Rangers first."
"Hoh." Joda glanced at Resha beside him. "Resha secretly told me just now that she wanted to recruit you into the Rangers. I thought it was just her own idea.
Looks like you're a bit interested too?
That's fantastic! We're always short-handed in the Loc Lac Rangers. We couldn't be more welcoming of reliable new blood joining us!"
A hint of difficulty appeared on Altaïr's face, but he knew he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself any longer. "Sorry, I'd like to ask first, do the Rangers accept part-timers?
I hope to advance to 2★ as soon as possible, so it might not be convenient for me to formally join the Loc Lac Rangers and patrol the city for long periods."
"Ha! I get what you mean!" A thick arm wrapped around Altaïr's shoulders as Joda said with a laugh, "You might have some misconceptions about the Loc Lac Rangers as an organization.
It's almost time for a meal, anyway. You like grilled meat, right? There can't be any young people who don't like grilled meat, right? There's a good place nearby. Let's talk while we eat!"
Altaïr felt a bit helpless. Do all you Loc Lac Rangers people like to discuss things over a meal?
But it seemed there was no room for refusal. And so, he was half-dragged by the two of them, plus one cat, to the shop that specialized in grilled meat.
—--
Even before he stepped through the door, the potent aroma of spices and onions assailed his nostrils, nearly making him sneeze.
Joda glanced at the crowd on the street out of professional habit, then asked Altaïr, "Ahaha, the flavors in this place are pretty strong, you know. You can handle spicy food, right?"
"...Anything is fine."
"Boss!" Joda's booming voice was enough to make one's ears hurt. "For three people and one cat, bring us a good amount of grilled meat naan! And bring extra onions!"
"Yo! Boss Joda, glad you could make it! Find an empty seat, the meat will be right out! Want some ale?"
"No ale for us, we've got patrol this afternoon."
"Tough work!"
After shouting back and forth with the owner for a bit, Joda led them to a table. Resha was clearly no stranger to the shop either; she went to the kitchen on her own, brought back two onions, and started peeling them.
"So, what was that about a misunderstanding you mentioned earlier?" Altaïr tried to steer the conversation back on track.
"Ah, right," Joda reacted as if he had forgotten they weren't just there to eat. "It's like this. Our Loc Lac Rangers started out as a volunteer organization. It was only after the Guild President incorporated us that we gradually grew to our current size.
So, don't think of it as an army or a knightly order. If you have to make a comparison, you can think of it as a club of hunters who've gathered to protect their hometown. Something like that."
"So, it's more flexible?" Altaïr asked tentatively.
"Exactly. Aside from routine work like daily patrols, other tasks are also simple, clearing trade routes, dealing with Monsters that get too close to the city, that sort of thing.
The difficulty isn't high. It's usually just Genprey and the like. If it's a more dangerous Monster, the Guild assigns it directly to hunters as a commission."
"Then why aren't these jobs posted publicly in the Guild Hall as quests?" Altaïr pressed.
"Ah, that question."
Joda stroked the short, coarse stubble on his chin. "How should I put it... There are a lot of these quests, they're low difficulty, and the pay is small. They'd just be 1★ quests if we posted them in the Guild Hall. Most hunters would find them unprofitable and wouldn't bother taking them.
But at the same time, these tasks need to be completed quickly, otherwise they'll disrupt the trade routes and threaten the safety of the citizens. That's why Loc Lac needs the Loc Lac Rangers."
Altaïr nodded, indicating he understood.
It was true. If it were him, once he advanced to 2★, 3★, or even higher ranks, he wouldn't be interested in taking on a quest like "Slay three Genprey" either.
Joda smiled and continued, "You're a hunter with a master-apprentice lineage, not one of those kids from the training academy.
In fact, many young hunters from the Loc Lac training academy choose to join the Rangers during their novice period.
It helps them quickly accumulate practical combat experience, and those slaying-related tasks all count toward their quest totals.
That's why some people say the Loc Lac Rangers are the cradle of Loc Lac's hunters.
Ah, the meat's here. Dig in!"
Joda pointed to the huge platter piled high with grilled meat that had just been set on the table and made a "help yourself" gesture. "There's another saying, that the Loc Lac Rangers are a gathering place for low-rank hunters.
That one sounds a bit harsh, but it's not wrong, really. It's a 'cradle,' after all."
Joda shot Altaïr a smiling glance. "Some fledglings grow their wings here until they're fully fledged, and then they fly away.
Then there are the old birds who are homebodies, choosing to stay in the nest, bringing back a twig or two each day to patch things up.
The Loc Lac Rangers is that kind of place."