The Professor, leading Olivia and Nymera, set off on the trail.
This beautiful cave, suspected to be the Estrellian's nest, suddenly fell quiet.
Well, perhaps not entirely quiet; Erik was scurrying all over the place as if he'd downed a dangerous dosage of Dash Juice.
"Whoa! Is this giant tree a variant of a banyan? Look at these thick aerial roots! A Large Monster could practically lie down right under here! Wait? Could this be where the Estrellian sleeps?"
"So many varieties of aquatic plants... how did the seeds for all these even end up down here?"
"Ah! A fish I've never seen before!"
One moment he was gently stroking a tree trunk, the next he was jumping into a pool to scoop up a handful of water weeds. Erik was beyond excited. Isis instinctively moved to go tie him up, but Altaïr reached out a hand to stop her.
"The Professor has a point. Erik's behavior is actually less likely to alert a Monster; it might even help lure the target in. Let him keep himself busy."
Isis tilted her head and thought about it. "True. I almost forgot he's the bait."
"Let's carefully inspect this cave first and see which spots are suitable for an ambush."
"Right!"
The two of them, along with Sajji, began a slow circuit of the cave.
The cave wasn't very large, and they quickly finished their reconnaissance. There were only two entrances and exits.
One was the corridor they had used to enter, leading from the lower cave, and the other was the opening at the top of the cave, partially obscured by the giant tree's canopy.
"We definitely need someone lying in wait near the corridor entrance. That way, if the Estrellian enters from there, we can block its exit. Isis, you hide over there. There's a cluster of large-leafed shrubs that'll fit you perfectly."
"No problem."
"As for this opening at the top of the cave..." Altaïr looked up, feeling a bit conflicted.
The curved tree trunks were like a staircase; the Estrellian could climb in and out along them. Should he hide in the tree?
It would be too easy to get spotted, and fighting in the branches would be difficult. If the Estrellian was determined to flee, he might not be able to stop it.
"Boss, leave it to me, meow." Sajji showed off the Rakna-Kadaki No. 2 on its back. "I can fix the base of Rakna-Kadaki No. 2 to the trunk. That way, I can pin it down for a few seconds, meow."
"Deal." Altaïr nodded firmly. "Then I'll find a place to hide near the base of the tree. Once it comes in, I'll do my best to ensure it doesn't get a chance to approach this giant tree again."
With their respective ambush points arranged, Altaïr prepared to have everyone get into position.
The Estrellian could return at any moment. While the non-threatening Erik could continue wandering around, those of them who were fully armed had better hide as soon as possible.
"Fill your bellies while you can. It probably won't be convenient to eat for a long time after this," Altaïr reminded them.
Isis nodded, pulled out a ration, and stuffed it into her mouth in two bites. Then she pulled out a second one, chewing as she headed toward the bushes where she was to hide.
"Wait." Altaïr suddenly called out, having thought of something.
"?" With her cheeks bulging, Isis turned back. "I was thinking, since we want to draw the Estrellian back, wouldn't a pleasant scent be more effective than Erik?"
Isis's eyes lit up at the suggestion; in certain situations, her mind worked remarkably fast. "You mean...?"
"Erik!" Altaïr called out, raising his voice.
For some matters, it was more reliable to consult a scholar.
Deeply immersed in his own research, Erik didn't hear him. Altaïr gave Isis a look, and she immediately bounded over with excitement, hoisting Erik up and carrying him back.
"What is it now?" Having his research interrupted, Erik's delicate face was a mask of annoyance.
"Do you think it's feasible to use the scent of food to lure the Estrellian back?"
"Food?" Erik hesitated for a moment before quickly catching onto Altaïr's line of thinking. "Records show that Estrellians have high intelligence. Trying to tempt it with food alone would likely be difficult to pull off."
"I see..." Altaïr looked disappointed.
Isis looked even more crestfallen.
"However, it is actually a good idea," Erik said, rubbing his chin. "Large Monsters generally have a very keen sense of smell.
Our scent has already permeated the nest. When the Estrellian approaches and detects this, it might be too wary to enter.
That is why the Professor arranged for me to act as bait, to trick the Estrellian into thinking the scent belongs only to a non-threatening human like me, thereby lowering its guard."
Erik spoke with ease, clearly harboring no resentment about being used as bait. "To put it another way: trying to trick an Estrellian into eating something is very hard.
But if we're just using the aroma of food to mask our own scent while piquing its curiosity, I'd say we have a fair chance."
"That's good enough," Altaïr smiled.
He hadn't intended to actually feed the Estrellian anyway; if they could spark its curiosity, that would be a major success, and the masking of their scent was an unexpected bonus.
Releasing Erik, Altaïr looked around and soon found a relatively flat spot. He walked over and set up the portable BBQ spit.
Isis followed him with an excited expression, punctually producing the slab of Glavenus filet bacon they had finished smoking just that morning.
Generally, Altaïr carried the stove and frying pan while Isis was responsible for the ingredients; what they ate in the hunting grounds depended entirely on what she brought along.
Consequently, they usually ate quite sumptuously.
Altaïr used a small knife to slice the large piece of bacon into thin strips and began searing them in the frying pan.
Since the goal this time was to generate an aroma to attract the Estrellian rather than to satisfy their hunger, Altaïr naturally didn't bother with any extra side dishes.
He intentionally kept the heat low, taking more time to sear the bacon slices as dry as possible, which helped the savory fragrance diffuse more effectively.
The cave, which had originally looked like a dreamlike wonderland, was now filled with the smell of frying meat and a heavy smoky aroma, a total eyesore to the scenery.
But the Hunters didn't care about that. Whenever a slice of bacon was fried crisp, Isis would pick it up with her fingers and pop it into her mouth, following it with a bite of a ration, chewing with a loud crunch.
"It's delicious when it's crispy, too!"
Once the large slab of bacon was finished, Altaïr looked up. The pale haze of smoke was drifting out through the openings in the cave roof; the scent should carry quite a distance.
Altaïr nodded with satisfaction and prepared to clean and pack away the cooking utensils. He suddenly noticed that the frying pan was half-full of oil rendered from the bacon. He was about to pour it out when he saw Isis staring at the pan.
Altaïr's eye twitched. "You aren't planning to drink that, are you?"
Isis shook her head; even she wouldn't want to drink straight grease. "I just think it's a waste. This oil would be so fragrant for frying vegetables."
Altaïr looked at the fat in the pan.
If they were back at camp, he might have found a small jar to collect it, but he clearly didn't have that luxury right now.
However, Isis's comment about it being "fragrant" gave him an idea.
He placed the frying pan on the damp moss to cool it down. "Go get Erik."
Isis, now full and obedient, quickly dragged a reluctant Erik over.
"What is it now?" Erik grumbled, annoyed that his research had been interrupted again.
By now, the grease in the frying pan had cooled slightly, turning into a thick, semi-liquid state. Altaïr tested it with his finger; it no longer burned.
"I'm going to smear this oil on you," Altaïr said, getting straight to the point.
"Ugh! No way, it'll be all slimy and disgusting!"
"It smells wonderful. The Estrellian should love it," Altaïr said in a low, eerie tone.
"..." Erik fell silent.
"If we're lucky, the Estrellian might even come over and give you a couple of licks," Altaïr continued to entice him.
He was lying to Erik, of course. Who would actually dare let an Estrellian get close enough to lick them? What if the Estrellian didn't lick, but took a bite instead?
But imagine it: the Estrellian, lured by the scent, returns to its lair.
It sees a person who smells delicious and poses no danger wandering around. Its attention is piqued, and it wants to move in for a closer look, that's only natural, right?
In that moment, while the Estrellian is distracted, they could rush out and block its retreat!
"Fine."
Between personal hygiene and a chance for a close encounter with an Estrellian, Erik decisively chose the latter.
"Put on plenty."
(Translated by yourtl.app)