Although it was just a simple sentence, and although the one he was speaking to wasn't even human, but a Felyne.
But it was as if he had found an outlet for the emotions pent up in his heart. Altaïr, who had been on the verge of being consumed by loneliness, suddenly felt much better.
Sajji, on the other hand, let his once-perked ears droop.
Altaïr reached out, somewhat amused, and ruffled the fur on its small head. "Thanks for your concern. I'm okay now, really.
But before we officially start the hunt, can you come with me somewhere?"
"Of course, meow." Sajji nodded emphatically. "There's no one else watching, meow. If you're feeling bad, it's okay to cry, meow!"
"No." The numbness on Altaïr's face had gradually given way to calm. "After all these years, I've finally come back to see everyone. It wouldn't be right to have a long face. Come with me."
They walked slowly, circling the great lake that was about to dry up completely.
Suddenly, Altaïr stopped and walked toward a pile of long-dead reeds. Scattered around the withered grass were a few weathered bones... human bones.
Sajji looked at Altaïr nervously. These bones might have belonged to one of his relatives or friends.
Altaïr crouched down beside the remains and reached out, stroking them gently.
Numerous bite marks were still visible on the bones. This was not surprising; in this resource-scarce desert, it would be a miracle for a complete skeleton to remain.
Sajji had expected Altaïr to collect the remains, but he didn't. He just caressed them for a moment before standing up and continuing on his way.
Sajji quickened his pace to catch up. "Aren't you going to give them a proper burial, meow? We have plenty of time and supplies, meow. There's no need to rush, meow."
"There's no need." Altaïr's tone was so calm it frightened Sajji a little. "Bodies buried in the sand will be dug up and eaten by wild animals. Cremation disrupts the natural cycle.
The desert nomads have no custom of burial. We are born of the wilderness, so it is only natural that we should end in the wilderness. Death is worthy of grief and remembrance, but there is no need to pour too much emotion into a corpse."
"...It's good that you can see it that way, meow."
As they continued forward, they would occasionally find a few scattered bone fragments.
Though Altaïr had said "there is no need to pour emotion into a corpse," he would stop to touch and stroke each bone he saw before moving on.
They walked until they came before a particularly massive skeleton.
It was clearly the skeleton of some large Monster. Two large, curved horns were still attached to its giant skull, which was the size of a small house.
"Wh-what is this, meow? A Diablos?" Sajji stammered. "Is th-this the culprit, meow?"
Altaïr walked over to the overturned skull and patted the pair of pale, dry, yet still magnificent horns. "No, this is the skeleton of a Rust Duramboros. It was once the guardian deity of this oasis. Back then, everyone called it 'Big Guy.'
As for the Monster that caused all this, to be honest, I'd also like to know where it went. But..."
Altaïr's gaze swept across the surroundings. Amidst the desolate grass and the ruins of the village, faint, dark-yellow figures could be seen, lurking quietly and closing in. "They might not be the same pack from back then, but since you're the ones occupying this place now, you shouldn't have any complaints if I take my anger out on you."
Altaïr tightened the straps of his shield and drew the Hunter's Dagger from his back, its blade reflecting a cold light.
As if realizing their 'prey' had discovered them, the desert bandits lurking in the shadows stopped hiding. With low growls, they emerged from among the overgrown ruins and slowly began to surround him.
"One, two... five Genprey, meow?!" Sajji's voice trembled. "Isn't that too many, meow? We should retreat, meow! It would be better to split them up and take them down, meow!"
Before Altaïr could reply, two of the Genprey kicked off with their powerful legs and charged, screeching as they rushed forward impatiently.
"We can't run. Just protect yourself."
After glancing back and leaving Sajji with those words, Altaïr met the charge of the fastest Genprey head-on.
The Genprey seemed surprised that this small, seemingly ordinary prey would counter-attack so decisively.
In the blink of an eye, Altaïr was right in front of it.
When fighting in a pack, a Genprey would dare to attack even a large Monster, so it certainly wasn't going to be intimidated by the prey before it. Without a second thought, it opened its bloody maw and raised its small forelimbs, which were tipped with equally sharp claws, to tear forward.
At the instant before impact, Altaïr shifted his footing, turned sideways, and raised his shield, deflecting the Genprey's lunging bite. Then, following the motion, he swung the Hunter's Dagger in his left hand.
Reforged and strengthened with a large amount of high-quality ore, the Hunter's Dagger's destructive power was a far cry from its initial state months ago.
The blade easily sliced through the Genprey's trachea and carotid artery. The creature, so menacing just a second before, felt its hind legs give out as it tumbled to the ground.
Though not dead yet, it clearly didn't have much longer to live.
He had dispatched one opponent with extreme speed, but the situation had hardly improved. The second Genprey was now only a few meters away, preparing to leap, while the others were closing in from the sides.
Worried that Altaïr would be attacked from both front and back, Sajji also drew his Felyne Sword and charged forward through gritted teeth, hoping to relieve some of the pressure.
But just then, Altaïr, who had looked ready for a desperate fight, suddenly changed his movements. He lowered his weapon and kicked off the ground, retreating so quickly and decisively that Sajji was caught off guard and nearly crashed into his back.
The second Genprey's pounce hit nothing but air. It shook its head and continued its pursuit.
By now, Altaïr had retreated to the skeletal remains of the Rust Duramboros, his back against a massive rib bone as thick as a man and three or four meters tall, looking like a pillar from a house.
Seeing its prey had stopped retreating, the Genprey lunged forward to bite without hesitation.
Altaïr stood frozen in place as if stunned. Only at the last second, just as the hook-like fangs dripping with paralyzing venom were about to touch him, did he suddenly spin around and duck behind the rib.
Thud! The overeager Genprey slammed headfirst into the rib bone, shattering several of its fangs.
Altaïr's feet never stopped moving. While the Genprey was still dizzy from crashing into the skeleton, he had already circled back out from behind the rib.
He raised his arm and thrust his sword, stabbing under the Genprey's forelimb, bypassing the bone, and plunging it straight into its chest cavity. He twisted the hilt, scrambling the Genprey's heart, then pulled out his hunting knife. The second Genprey collapsed to the ground, now a lifeless corpse.
Sajji finally began to register what was happening.
Altaïr hadn't lost his senses as he had feared. On the contrary, he was perfectly calm.
On open, flat ground, facing the combined assault of five Genprey would indeed be dangerous.
But with his back to cover, relying on his familiarity with the Genprey's attack patterns and his own agile footwork, there was much more room to maneuver.
As for where to find cover? The Rust Duramboros's skeleton was the best cover there was!
After years of being gnawed on by scavengers, of rot and weathering, the flesh and blood on the skeleton had long since vanished, but the main structure of the ribs and spine remained largely intact.
The gaps between the ribs were just wide enough for a person. A hunter could easily pass through by turning slightly sideways.
The Genprey had slender bodies, so it wasn't impossible for them to squeeze through, but due to their body structure, they couldn't turn while passing through the gaps in the ribs.
This made it completely impossible for them to bite the agile hunter and Felyne.
The battle turned into a one-sided game. In just a few dozen seconds, the remaining three Genprey also fell beside the Rust Duramboros's remains.
Flowing blood stained the withered bones red.