Several days later, Serl, now fully recovered from his injuries, packed his luggage and prepared to leave Loc Lac.
His sole purpose for coming to this desert city was to participate in The Desert Feast and witness the majesty of the "lord of the desert."
Now that his goal had been achieved, there was naturally no need to linger here any longer.
As teammates who had trained together for weeks and fought side by side to repel Jhen Mohran, Altaïr and Asa came early to the Airship dock to see him off.
"Alright, don't make those faces. It's not like we'll never see each other again," Serl said with a laugh to the two of them. "For the next few years, I'll probably be operating out of Grom-Baum.
If you ever get the chance to go there, remember to look for me at the guild hall tavern."
"Got it!" Asa replied readily.
Altaïr nodded gently. He had heard of that forest city built deep in the jungle, located on the eastern side of the Old World.
It was said that the city was filled with lush green trees, between buildings, along streets, and even inside structures, something he found difficult to imagine as someone born and raised in the desert region.
Serl boarded the Airship and departed.
The two waved goodbye to him, watching as the Airship rose high into the sky. After watching for a while longer, Altaïr finally withdrew his gaze.
He turned around, preparing to leave with Asa, when he suddenly noticed that Sajji, who had come with them, was still standing in place.
Staring at the departing Airship, Sajji seemed lost in thought, not moving at all.
Glancing at the Airship, now just a tiny dot in the sky, and then sidelong at the dazed Sajji, Altaïr began to form some ideas.
—--
"You're saying you plan to leave Loc Lac and travel?"
Seeing Altaïr arrive fully armed, Joda looked up in surprise, instinctively thinking he had come to pick up another quest.
"Yes," Altaïr nodded. "Of course, I'm not leaving immediately. I just wanted to inform you in advance. I'll complete all necessary handovers according to regulations before departing."
"That won't be necessary," Joda waved his hand. "You're not in charge of patrols; you usually just come here to pick up quests. There's nothing to hand over.
I'm just a bit curious. What suddenly gave you the idea to travel?"
Altaïr remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Loc Lac is where I grew up. I know every street here, and there are many people who have looked after me.
Whenever I didn't do something well, someone would always step forward to help me, to cover for me..."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Of course it is. It's so good that it makes one not want to move, let alone leave." Altaïr lifted his head. "That's exactly why I want to go out, to temporarily leave this warm, comfortable, and drowsy place, and experience a harsher world."
"Alright then," Joda pushed aside the official documents in front of him and sighed. "Every year there are a few stubborn ones like you. We're used to it by now.
You've already been promoted to 2★. Staying with the Loc Lac Rangers doesn't seem to serve much purpose beyond accumulating quest numbers.
Going out on your own, suffering a bit... it's one way to accelerate your growth.
I approve. Remember to prepare well before you leave. Oh, and don't forget to say proper goodbyes to your friends."
"Mm." Altaïr nodded, taking off the straw hat symbolizing his membership in the Loc Lac Rangers and placing it on Boss Joda's desk. "There's one more thing I hope you'll allow, Boss Joda."
"What is it?"
"I want to invite Sajji to become my hunting partner and take him with me when I leave."
"Sajji?" Joda glanced at Altaïr. "Well, it makes sense. You two get along well and often work together. I have no objections. Sajji was never an official member of the Loc Lac Rangers anyway. He's just a little Felyne I picked up and took in. As long as he agrees, you can take him with you anytime."
Altaïr's face showed a hint of embarrassment. "Actually, I've asked him a few times, but he said the Loc Lac Rangers and you, Boss Joda, have been kind to him, so he can't leave."
"So you want me to help persuade him?"
"Mm."
Joda glared at Altaïr, annoyed. "You're leaving on your own, and now you want to poach the Loc Lac Rangers' mascot? When that failed, you come to me, the leader of the Rangers, to help you poach him?"
Altaïr's expression grew even more awkward.
"No, I won't help you with this." Joda's expression turned serious. "You know Sajji sees me as his boss, and my words carry a lot of weight with him. If I speak up, he'll agree, even if he's not entirely willing. You'll have to convince him yourself. If you can persuade him, I won't stop you, but if he refuses, I won't intervene on your behalf."
Altaïr fell silent for a moment, then bowed slightly to Joda. "I apologize. I didn't think this through properly. I should focus more on what Sajji truly wants, not on how to make it easier for myself."
"Good, I'm glad you understand." Joda nodded firmly, then changed the subject. "But I can give you some advice. That kid Sajji loves machines and mechanical gadgets. He spends almost all his mission rewards on those messy little trinkets."
After saying this, he said no more and returned to his work.
Altaïr blinked. He had noticed this about Sajji but hadn't considered it from that angle.
"Thank you very much!"
Joda waved a hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly, signaling that Altaïr could leave.
—--
Altaïr hurried back to the dormitory and found Sajji there, sitting at a small low table, tinkering with something.
Altaïr crouched behind him and leaned in for a closer look. It seemed to be a wind-up toy. Sajji had taken it apart and was trying to reassemble it.
"You're pretty skilled at this."
"Meow!" Startled, Sajji's fur bristled, and he instinctively tried to hide the pieces.
"Why hide it?"
Sajji paused and muttered, "Last time Asa saw me, he said I'm still a kid, Meow, always playing with toys, Meow."
Altaïr's eye twitched. "He's the childish one. I'll beat him up next time."
"Beat him up, Meow!" Sajji happily agreed.
Altaïr stayed crouched beside Sajji, watching as he slowly reassembled the toy. It was a simple tin wind-up frog. After Sajji tightened the spring, the toy frog began hopping forward in little jumps.
"Success, Meow!"
Sajji excitedly raised his paw, and Altaïr smiled, extending his palm for a high-five. Sajji finally snapped out of his daze, "Sorry meow, kept you waiting so long meow. What brings Altaïr to find me meow?"
"Mhm." Altaïr sat cross-legged before Sajji. "I've already submitted my resignation to Boss Joda. I plan to leave Loc Lac and travel abroad."
Hearing this, Sajji stiffened momentarily before nodding his little head. "So that's how it is meow. Do be careful meow."
Altaïr noticed Sajji's normally perky pointed ears had drooped slightly, and couldn't help reaching out to ruffle the fur on his head.
"Won't you come with me? Let's go see what the world beyond the desert looks like together?" Altaïr said softly. "The day Serl left, you stared at that airship for a long time.
The outside world, novel things, mechanical contraptions you've never seen before... you yearn for those too, don't you?"
Sajji remained silent for a long while before speaking. "You're not wrong meow, but I must stay with the Rangers team to repay everyone's kindness meow."
"If you want to go then just go together! What kind of repayment is this anyway?"
Another voice chimed in as Asa poked his head out from his bunk. "Who needs a little Felyne like you to repay any debts?"
"Meow!" Sajji nearly jumped out of his fur in fright.
Altaïr also turned in surprise. He hadn't noticed anyone else in the room earlier. How did this guy have such low presence when he wasn't speaking?
"What are you doing here?"
"I've been here all along. Got dragged out on patrol yesterday, didn't get back until after midnight, just catching up on sleep here."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"Heard you talking behind my back, wanted to eavesdrop a bit longer." Asa grinned as he rolled out of bed.
He walked over to Sajji, glanced at the tin frog, then reached out to tweak the tips of Sajji's ears. "Before, we thought you had nowhere else to go, that's why you stayed with the Rangers team with everyone.
Turns out you've been holding onto this repayment idea all along?"
Sajji struggled free from Asa's hand, both embarrassed and flustered. "What's wrong with that meow! Is that not allowed meow?!"
Asa grabbed Sajji under his arms and lifted him up despite his struggles, carrying him to the dorm entrance before shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Someone! Is anyone there?!"
"Shut up, Asa!"
"Damn it, trying to sleep here! What's all the noise about!"
Shouts of complaint came from throughout the Loc Lac Rangers' quarters, mostly from Rangers members who had returned from night patrol to catch up on sleep.
Asa raised his voice another notch, drowning out the other complaints. "Altaïr invited little Sajji to travel with him! Little Sajji says he wants to go but can't because he needs to repay everyone's kindness! What do you all think?!"
"What? What's this?"
"What's going on?"
Resha in her underclothes, along with several others, came running out of their respective quarters to gather around Asa.
Sajji, held aloft by Asa, had turned completely pale like a ghost.
Altaïr covered his face sympathetically. He had originally intended to gently persuade and counsel Sajji slowly, but with Asa's public humiliation, there was no way Sajji could stay in the Loc Lac Rangers now.