For the past two days, Altaïr had been staying at the Sandship fleet's dock. To put it nicely, he was familiarizing himself with the ships. To put it more bluntly, he was doing odd jobs.
According to Asa, Dragonships were like sickly children; if you didn't take good care of them, major problems would arise during use.
Fortunately, the small sandships had a simple structure, so their inspection and repair were not as complex as that of the Dragonship Hozan-maru. Ordinary craftsmen were up to the task.
To enhance the performance of these small sandships, the fleet had even allocated a portion of its Yukumo Wood quota to them.
This wood possessed a strength comparable to steel yet was very light. Hunters from its place of origin even used it to craft weapons, making it one of the best shipbuilding materials available.
However, due to the great distance between the two locations, transportation costs were extremely high, which made the wood exceptionally expensive by the time it reached Loc Lac.
Aside from organizations like the Sandship fleet, which had special operational needs and dedicated funding from the local guild, few would use this wood for building or repairing ships. It was considered a gross extravagance.
As Altaïr picked up the Yukumo Wood, he felt a little strange.
As the name suggested, Yukumo Wood came from Yukumo Village on the Western Continent. That was his master's hometown, said to be a hot spring paradise that was as warm as spring all year round.
After leaving Loc Lac, Master will probably go back to her hometown for a visit, right? I wonder how she's doing these days.
The "ping, ping, pang, pang" of hammering paused, and a craftsman's voice came from within the ship's cabin.
"Could you pass me a plank, please!"
Startled from his thoughts, Altaïr quickly picked up the Yukumo Wood planks stacked to the side and carefully handed them over.
"Thanks!" The hammering resumed.
Just as Altaïr was about to drift back into a daze, Asa walked over, carrying a bundle of Ballista Ammo. He boomed, "How's our little baby's repair coming along?"
The busy craftsman had no time for him. A good while later, after nailing in the last plank, the craftsman finally climbed out of the small sandship's cabin.
"Just about done. The cracked planks on the hull have been replaced, and the Ballista mount has been given extra reinforcement. This way, even if the hull falls apart, you won't have to worry about the Ballista being ripped off the ship."
"Hey! Why are you saying such unlucky things! If the ship really falls apart, the two of us will come back as ghosts to haunt you!"
After sending the craftsman off with a mix of thanks and apologies, Altaïr shot Asa a helpless glare. That guy's big mouth was a lost cause; he couldn't be bothered to lecture him.
Looking at the bundle of heavy Ballista Ammo in Asa's arms, made of solid steel, as thick as an egg, and looking more like fishing harpoons than arrows, Altaïr's curiosity was piqued.
"This is ammo for a Heavy Ballista, right? And you just mentioned the mount and all that. Are small sandships also going to be fitted with Ballistas? I thought only the Hozan-maru was equipped with such heavy weaponry."
"Heavy weaponry? No, no, no, no." After putting the large bundle of Ballista Ammo into the cabin with Altaïr's help, Asa stretched his arms and explained, "In the face of a Jhen Mohran, only large cannons and the Dragonator can barely be considered heavy weapons.
As for this Ballista thing, to it, it's no different from a toothpick. The main reason they install these things on small sandships is to fire One-shot Binders. They connect the ship to the Jhen Mohran, which slows it down.
Also, the combatants in charge of boarding the dragon will climb onto the Jhen Mohran's back using the binder's ropes to deal damage. It's dangerous, but it's also a chance to strike it rich, you know!"
Asa winked at Altaïr, his expression practically screaming, "Go on, ask me."
Although Altaïr had some idea of what Asa meant by "striking it rich," he considered the guy's mood and asked anyway, "So, how do you strike it rich?"
"Hehe, I'll give you the details!" Asa pulled Altaïr down to sit on the ship's rail. "According to the seniors in the fleet, Jhen Mohran loves to devour minerals in the sand sea.
Some of the indigestible minerals are expelled from its body, like sweat, and solidify into a special kind of ore at the glands on its back.
This ore is extremely valuable. Many merchants come to Loc Lac during the Autumn Harvest Fest just for it. If you can gather a few pieces, you'll make a fortune!"
Hearing this, Altaïr couldn't help but feel a stir of excitement.
He wasn't short on money; after all, his master had left him a large sum before departing, and he had accumulated a fair bit from the frequent quests in recent months.
But what hunter could resist the temptation of high-grade materials?
"Don't listen to this guy. Jhen Mohran is... it's no ordinary Monster. If you're thinking about making money the whole time during a fight, you'll get distracted and something bad will happen."
An unfamiliar male voice spoke up. A young hunter was walking toward them. He had plain, short brown hair and looked to be in his twenties.
Altaïr's gaze involuntarily fell upon the hunter's armor.
The Rathian Armor, a high-grade suit of armor meticulously crafted from Rathian materials. Its performance was far superior to the Ranger's Armor set he was wearing, or even the Gendrome Armor he had yet to acquire.
Due to the Guild's strict regulations, hunters could only craft gear using materials from Monsters they had personally hunted.
In other words, this young hunter, who looked to be only five or six years older than him, had successfully hunted a Rathian, the so-called "Queen of the Land"!
"Big Brother Serl!"
Asa grinned, hopping off the ship's rail. He walked over to the young hunter and enthusiastically made introductions. "This is the guy I was telling you about, Big Brother Serl, my partner from the other team. A real 4★ hunter, you know!
And this here is my good buddy from the Loc Lac Rangers, Altaïr. Don't let his age fool you, he's super strong. He just turned seventeen two months ago and he's already 2★!"
Altaïr and the young hunter named Serl extended their hands at the same time and shook.
Suddenly, Altaïr felt a pull that brought their shoulders together in a brief hug, and the other man's free hand patted him on the back twice.
Altaïr was a bit stunned. So friendly right after meeting? This senior didn't seem like the type to be so openly affectionate.
After they separated, Serl noticed the change in Altaïr's expression and looked a little confused himself. He turned his head and asked Asa, "The desert region etiquette you told me about... this is how it's done, right?"
"R-Right..." Asa was trying to hold back his laughter. Altaïr knew at a glance that the guy was teasing someone again. He explained apologetically, "It's really not a problem. Hugs and cheek kisses are very common daily greetings in Loc Lac.
But handshakes were introduced from the outside; they're a more widespread and universal form of etiquette.
When meeting a stranger for the first time, we also use handshakes to avoid making them feel awkward or uncomfortable. It was just a bit unexpected for it to suddenly turn into a hug."
"I see."
Serl wasn't displeased with Asa over such a small matter. He rubbed the back of his head. "As long as I didn't do anything rude or make you uncomfortable, that's all that matters."
Altaïr was a little surprised.
The man was older than both him and Asa, and his achievement of becoming a four-star hunter in his twenties was enough to make people take notice. He was a true elite, and it would have been perfectly normal for him to act more arrogant or aloof.
But this senior seemed to have a very good personality. The words he'd said earlier proved he was a rather steady person, yet not overly rigid. He seemed like he would be pleasant to be around.
Altaïr's favorable impression of this senior grew significantly.
"By the way, Big Brother Serl, what brings you to the shipyard all of a sudden?" Asa spoke up again. "You're a hunter sent by the Guild to provide support, you don't need to help with preparations."
Hearing this, Serl asked with some uncertainty, "But isn't today the day for all the teams to practice together? Or perhaps I remembered wrong?"
Was that a thing? Altaïr looked at Asa in confusion.
The latter opened his mouth. "Ah, sorry. I was so focused on repairing the ship that I forgot to tell you."