That very night, Altaïr borrowed a Carrier Pigeon and sent a letter to Loc Lac.
Loc Lac and Val Habar were separated by a sand sea and a stretch of desert. On foot, it would have taken over a month at least, but for a Carrier Pigeon, it was a distance that could be covered in a day or two.
The next step was to wait, continuing preparations for the Hunt while quietly awaiting a reply from Loc Lac.
Considering the limited window of the Lagiacrus breeding season, they couldn't wait indefinitely, so Altaïr set a one-week deadline.
If no reply came within a week, they would proceed with the original plan and spend more money to rent an Airship.
As it turned out, on the evening of the third day after the letter was sent, the reply arrived, delivered by a peregrine falcon.
Peregrine falcons flew faster than Carrier Pigeons and had a much higher survival rate against extreme weather or Monster attacks, but they were extremely difficult to breed and raise.
Outside of official organizations like the Guild, only large merchant associations generally kept a small number, and the cost of using them was exorbitant.
Using a peregrine falcon in emergencies to shave off a precious half day or full day could be critical, but was it really necessary for a matter like this?
Opening the metal message tube, thinner than a finger, Altaïr pulled out the slip of paper inside, unfolded it, and began to read.
[My dear brother Altaïr!
By the time you receive this letter, we will already be halfway there. We will arrive in Val Habar by tomorrow, or the day after at the latest! I have brought a noble guest, one who is quite intrigued by the legendary Lagiacrus soft roe.
I have already arranged the reward money and even the quest form. You needn't worry about transportation or anything of the sort; just focus on preparing for the Hunt.
See you soon!
Your good friend, Karim.] "That's what he says." Altaïr passed the note to his companions.
"Awesome!" Isis threw her arms up and cheered.
Nymera also broke into a smile. Having a huge expense suddenly eliminated would make anyone happy.
Jara rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Then let's push hard tonight and get everything in order. The boss could arrive as early as tomorrow, and it wouldn't be polite to keep them waiting."
"Jara has a point." Altaïr picked up his utensils again and said with a smile, "No drinks for us tonight, then. Let's hurry up and eat, then go pack our things."
—--
As they watched the Airship slowly descend before them, Altaïr and the others were somewhat stunned.
They had encountered plenty of Airships, including small Airships, cargo Airships, the Guild's armed large Airships, and they had even once ridden on the legendary Soaratorium.
But this wasn't a question of scale or technological advancement.
They had truly never seen a flying vessel so lavishly decorated.
This Airship was over thirty meters along its central axis. By standard Airship classifications, it should fall somewhere between a medium and a large Airship.
The gondola section was very wide. An Airship with this design would be relatively slow, but its stability and carrying capacity would be significantly enhanced.
The air sacs used a segmented design. Such air sacs would similarly affect the Airship's speed, but the advantage was greater safety; even if one or two air sacs ruptured accidentally, the remaining sacs could still let the Airship touch down relatively smoothly.
Of course, none of these features were the true reason this Airship drew such attention. What truly captivated everyone's gaze were the decorations adorning it.
Was the massive crest on the ship's side rail gilded? Were the wisteria-vine and leaf motifs twining across the ship's hull for ornamentation gilded too? And the figurehead... surely that couldn't be solid gold? Even the fabric covering the air sacs seemed to have impossibly fine gold thread woven into it, reflecting a shimmering, almost dazzling gleam under the sunlight.
"Th-this... is this really your merchant friend's ship?" Isis was practically stammering.
"What are you thinking?" Altaïr lifted his chin, gesturing toward the brilliantly gilded crest on the ship's rail. "That's the royal crest. This is a royal family vessel.
"This may not be the Airship we're waiting for. Karim and the others might still be on their way–"
Altaïr's words were cut short as a familiar figure appeared at the bow of the slowly descending, magnificently adorned Airship, waving vigorously in their direction.
"Brother Altaïr! We've arrived!"
"Huh, so it really is that guy." Altaïr grinned and let out a short laugh. "Haven't seen him in two years, and now he's gotten himself involved with the royal family?"
The Airship touched down smoothly on the Airship dock. Its gangplank, far wider than those of ordinary Airships, slowly unfurled. Two knights clad in ceremonial light armor strode briskly forward and took their positions on either side at the foot of the gangplank.
Immediately after, a golden-haired lady dressed in an opulent gown hastily descended the gangplank amid a cluster of maids and attendants.
Karim jogged along behind her, utterly perplexed as to why this normally languid, dignified lady had suddenly grown so impatient.
Was Val Habar's soil truly that alluring?
A similar question lingered in the minds of Altaïr and his companions, though Nymera's expression had turned slightly peculiar.
They watched as the golden-haired lady, holding up the hem of her dress, ran all the way over to Hibiki and threw her arms around his large, furry head.
"As I thought! It's little Hibiki, ja!"
"Your Highness... please, in public, try to maintain some decorum," the Head Maid following closely behind her reminded her helplessly.
Hearing the title "Your Highness," Altaïr's eye twitched.
Given her age and the title "Your Highness," this could only be that Third Princess, whose reputation in Hunter circles was notoriously bad.
By all rights, after her elder sister, the former First Princess, ascended the throne to become Queen, her title should have been changed to "Princess." Yet she herself seemed to greatly detest that form of address.
And so, even with the "Third" prefix dropped, the title of "Your Highness" had continued in use.
Coming back to her senses, the golden-haired Princess nuzzled against Hibiki's neck a few more times before finally straightening up. She gave a small "ahem" to clear her throat.
Accepting from a maid the feather fan that gleamed with a silver-white sheen, she unfurled it with a snap, concealing the lower half of her face behind it.
"Are you Nymera's companions, ja?" The Princess looked toward Altaïr and the others.
"Yes," Altaïr nodded.
The Princess looked Altaïr up and down, her gaze lingering on his golden Regios Armor Set. She let out an "Mm-hmm," lifted her chin, and remarked, "Your taste in clothing is passable, ja."
After saying this, and before Altaïr could figure out what she meant, she turned her head and said to the Head Maid, "I'll head back and change into something easier to move around in first, ja.
"This place is full of colorful tents everywhere; it actually looks rather interesting. I want to take a stroll around, ja.
"Hibiki, keep up. There's good food on the Airship, ja."
The Princess, along with her entourage, returned to the Airship in a flurry, Hibiki trailing behind with his tongue lolling out.
Only then did Karim find a chance to sidle closer. He asked excitedly, "You know Her Highness?"
Altaïr shrugged, gesturing with his eyes toward Nymera. "We don't know her. She seems to."
Nymera mirrored Altaïr's shrug. "I wouldn't say I know her either. I was merely entrusted by my teacher to deliver a letter to Her Highness the Princess once.
"Her Highness seems quite fond of Palamutes, so..."
"So you've been doing pretty well for yourself, huh? Two years ago, you had to work odd jobs just to save up for a single trade run. Now your business reaches all the way to the royal court?" Altaïr teased with a grin.
Karim punched Altaïr lightly in the chest. "And look at you! Back then, a Nibelsnarf had you running for your life, and now you don't even bat an eye at a Lagiacrus.
"Heh heh, truth be told, this time, it's all thanks to you guys.
"Her Highness the Princess simply loves fierce and extravagant things. She tasted Cephalos soft roe at the food festival, but she felt it wasn't high-grade enough.
"As it happened, I'd just received word about you all, so I seized the chance to make a connection with Her Highness!"
"Don't be so modest. It's not just anyone who gets a chance to meet a Princess and act as a go-between," Altaïr said, laughing as he saw through him. "But let me make this clear upfront: we might end up delayed in Moga Village for a few days on this trip.
"Hunting a Lagiacrus requires a lot of preparation. Is Her Highness the Princess willing to wait?"
"That's even better!" Karim glanced around, and seeing no one paying attention to them, leaned in and whispered, "Honestly, I think Her Highness might be more interested in sightseeing than in Lagiacrus soft roe.
"She's probably restless from being cooped up in the palace and wants to stay out a few extra days.
"If you finish the Hunt and leave immediately on the day you arrive, she'll likely scowl. But if you drag things out for a few days there and give her a chance to appreciate the southern sea views, she'll actually be happy.
"Oh, right, here's the quest form. Her Highness went directly to the Guildmarm to request it, which saves you the trouble of having to filter through quests yourselves."
As he spoke, Karim handed a quest form to Altaïr.
—--
Hunting Quest: For the Legendary Delicacy...? (★★★★★)
Quest Objective: Hunt 1 Lagiacrus
Quest Location: Deserted Island
Time Limit: 30 days
Reward Money: 8000z; Possible Monsters: Sharq, Gobul, Jaggi
The Picky Princess: The Cephalos soft roe I tasted at the food festival was not bad, ja. But Cephalos are too ugly; they ruin my appetite. Aren't there any higher-grade varieties?
What? Lagiacrus soft roe? That sounds good. Serve it up, ja!
—--
(Translated by yourtl.app)