Altaïr wasn't entirely certain what the wyverian artisan envisioned for the Doom Estrellian Long Sword, what form it would take or how it would feel in hand, but he trusted the smith's skill completely.
"Let's go with your plan," Altaïr said, showing full confidence in that regard. "I'm not the type of Blademaster who can only wield traditional swords.
"Even if the design is somewhat unconventional, I should be able to adapt and get the hang of it quickly enough."
"Good." A rare glint of eager anticipation surfaced in the wyverian artisan's eyes.
Like artists, smiths were creators, and deep down they all harbored the desire to craft something "different." As a Master Craftsman, he was no exception.
It was just that most Hunters preferred traditionally designed weapons, since those designs had been proven through countless battles to be reliable and comfortable to wield.
But few realized that traditional weapon designs did not suit every type of Monster material.
Take the Doom Estrellian materials Altaïr's group had brought. They contained no singular, cohesive parts like horns, great saber-like fangs, or an entire tail spine. These materials also had poor compatibility with metallic components. To forge a Long Sword from them, the only option was to piece the blade together from claws, fangs, and carapace.
If forged in the traditional Long Sword shape, a slender, elongated blade, it would risk insufficient blade strength and make it difficult to unleash the materials' true power.
Fortunately, Altaïr wasn't picky about weapon shapes, allowing the smith to go all out based on the materials' characteristics.
"I already have a rough idea for this weapon's future upgrade path as well. When you eventually obtain materials from that Arbiter Estrellian and wish to enhance it, you may seek me out again." The wyverian artisan smiled as he gave this assurance.
"Then I'll trouble you at that time, Smithy," Altaïr said, bowing slightly in pleasant surprise.
The smith nodded and looked toward Nymera. "Your name is Nymera, correct? Come with me to take your measurements. Altaïr, you too. You've grown quite a bit taller; I need to remeasure your arm length and hand dimensions."
As the wyverian artisan spoke and was about to rise, Altaïr suddenly spoke again. "One moment, Smithy. I'd like to ask something.
"If we were to replace Isis's Armor, what set would you recommend as a suitable choice?"
"Isis?" The wyverian artisan glanced at her. "A 4★ Hunter. The Basarios Armor Set is already a very solid set. It could even serve you into 5★..."
Halfway through, the wyverian artisan stopped, his gaze sweeping over the group.
Regios Armor Set and Seregios Long Sword, the Glavenus Gunlance, the Rathalos Light Bowgun, and the Doom Estrellian armor set and weapon soon to be crafted.
Hmm... This was clearly not the equipment level a typical 4★ squad should possess.
Noticing the wyverian artisan's gaze, Altaïr offered an awkward chuckle. "I imagine you've picked up on it. Our luck hasn't been the best. We often run into Monsters well above our Hunter rank.
"As the main frontliner who bears the greatest risk, Isis's armor should by rights be the best among us, but right now it's lagging behind just a little.
"If our luck turns foul again someday and we run into something strange... you see what I mean, right?"
The wyverian artisan fell silent.
He was so exasperated he nearly laughed. It was truly rare to see someone justify reckless leapfrogging with such brazen confidence.
Altaïr's expression turned serious. "I mean it. Yesterday, on our way here from Rekusara, we were attacked by a Monoblos. It was a pretty harrowing ordeal."
The wyverian artisan looked at Isis skeptically. "Was it really an ambush, and not you actively provoking trouble for yourselves?"
Isis nodded rapidly. "Really, really! We were escorting participants for a speed racing competition. The competing ship came under attack, so of course we had to step in.
"And that guy Altaïr actually forced the Palamute to carry me away, saying something about how it'd be easier for him to cover our retreat and pull out on his own! He wasn't even wearing Armor at the time!"
By the end of it, Isis was thoroughly indignant.
Her original intent was to have the wyverian artisan scold Altaïr on her behalf, but she hadn't realized this instead only strengthened the artisan's approval of him.
Taking risks wasn't something to be encouraged, but if the risk was undertaken for a companion's safety, and that companion happened to be a junior he was close to, then the meaning changed entirely.
The Felyne Chef's shift in attitude yesterday had followed a similar logic.
"It seems your luck truly is terrible." The wyverian artisan gave Altaïr a deep, meaningful look.
He knew Isis wouldn't lie. That tendency to stumble into accidents and danger made him wonder if it was hereditary.
"Very well. My suggestions are merely to provide direction for your future. I'm not telling you to go right now, so don't do anything reckless."
After issuing that warning, the wyverian artisan looked toward Isis. "You're 4★ now as well. You can judge many things for yourself.
"What direction do you see yourself developing in, what are your needs, or in other words, do you have any dissatisfactions with your current Armor?"
Isis folded her arms and thought hard for a moment with her head lowered. "First of all, the Armor needs to be sturdy enough, and ideally it should have an effect that improves guarding (Guard).
"My previous Barroth armor set had that effect, and it helped me withstand more powerful attacks.
"Back then, I still wasn't very skilled with my shield, and it already made a noticeable difference. The improvement should be even more pronounced now."
"Mhm." The wyverian artisan nodded slightly, his mind swiftly sifting through options. He already had a few candidates.
"Oh, and one more thing is very important. My fighting style is rather unusual among Gunlance users. I'm not the typical heavily armored hunter; I actually lean more toward offense.
"The Basarios Armor Set I'm wearing now is sturdy, sure, but it's a bit too cumbersome and hampers my movement.
"If I get the chance to switch to new equipment, I hope the armor won't be quite so heavy and thick. At the very least, don't make it so hard I can barely run."
The wyverian artisan gave another "Mhm." "Knowing this much is about enough. After eliminating sets like the Uragaan Set, which are highly praised among Tanks but too cumbersome, there are three Armor sets I'd recommend for you.
"The first is the Zamtrios X Series.
"Zamtrios itself is a 4★ threat level Monster, so regular Zamtrios Armor definitely can't match your current Basarios Armor in terms of Defense.
"However, if you have enough time to Hunt five, ten, or even more Zamtrios, carefully selecting the materials to craft the Zamtrios X, then it's a completely different story.
"This Armor set not only has excellent defensive capabilities and the Guard enhancement design you need, but it also isn't overly heavy. It even has Recoil Down, a feature that indirectly boosts shelling power.
"You could say it's the most suitable equipment for you, and it's my top recommendation."
From an elder's perspective, he naturally didn't want Isis to take risks.
In his view, repeatedly Hunting a certain 4★ Monster to craft higher-quality equipment was much safer than secretly provoking those powerful Monsters.
The only downside was the immense time required. Gathering all the materials within half a year would be considered very smooth; with worse luck, it could easily take a year or two, or even longer.
This was also the choice of most veteran 4★ to 5★ Hunters, and even some high-rank Hunters.
Isis was somewhat tempted, but younger people tended to be more impatient. The idea of spending such a long time just to craft one Armor set clearly didn't appeal to her.
"What about the other two options?" Isis pressed.
The wyverian artisan felt a bit helpless but had no choice but to continue. "The second option is Lagiacrus Armor.
"This Armor also reinforces Guard, and the overall design is relatively light and flexible, with Stamina Recovery making it almost effortless to use.
"The downside is that Lagiacrus materials have poor energy conductivity, which weakens the effects of various elemental and status attack upgrades.
"However, since you are a Gunlance user, elemental attack is generally not within your consideration, so this drawback can basically be ignored."
"Oh oh!" Isis was clearly more tempted than before, but she still wanted to hear the third option.
"The last option is Gravios Armor."
"Eww, don't tell me it's as thick and heavy as the Basarios Armor!"
The wyverian artisan said, somewhat amused, "There is indeed a problem with heaviness, but it's not as cumbersome as Basarios.
"After all, as a juvenile, Basarios has a thicker but slightly less hard carapace, so we smiths have to compensate with thickness.
"But when Basarios grows into Gravios, its rocky carapace becomes far denser, and Armor design can be optimized around that. While it's not light at all, at least the armor thickness won't hinder movement.
"It's the type that falls between super-heavy Armor and conventional heavy Armor, I suppose."
At this point, the wyverian artisan paused slightly. "Besides the Guard reinforcement effect you wanted, this Armor has another advantage.
"Do you know that Basarios uses the pores inside its rock carapace to cultivate bacteria, providing itself with nutrients?"
"Yeah, I read that in a book." Altaïr, standing nearby, nodded.
"This Armor has a similar effect. We implant bacteria beneficial to the Hunter's body, thereby strengthening the user's power (Attack Up).
"Given your combat habits that emphasize offense, this effect might be quite suitable."
"It really is." Isis held her head, agonizing for a moment, then looked to her two companions for help. "What do you guys think? Should we go Hunt a Lagiacrus? Or a Gravios?"
The wyverian artisan fell silent.
(Translated by yourtl.app)