At first light, Altaïr opened his eyes.
Isis and the others had kept watch over him for most of the night and were exhausted. The three of them, one human and two Felynes, were now curled up together, fast asleep. Altaïr had no intention of disturbing them. He left a note and quietly slipped out of the guest room.
Nymera had risen even earlier. She was in the shop helping Yomogi prepare the fillings for the Dango. When she saw him pass, she waved and called out a morning greeting.
Altaïr dipped his head in greeting to Nymera and Yomogi, who was busy at work. He could not help marveling at how different Nymera seemed back home, so much livelier...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Nymera tossed something to him.
Altaïr caught it. The object was wrapped in large leaves, and he could not tell what it was. When he brought it closer, the scent of grain told him it had to be food.
It could not be Bunny Dango, could it...?
"This is a rice ball. It's made from rice shaped by hand, our everyday staple, much like the flatbread you're used to." A gentle male voice came from behind him.
Altaïr quickly turned. "Good morning, Master Iori."
"Good morning."
Master Iori was not especially tall or broad, standing around five feet seven inches, but he had handsome features and a gentle manner that put people at ease.
"I'm on my way to work. If you have nothing else to do, would you like to come and have a look?" Master Iori offered with a smile.
Altaïr was tempted, but he did have something more important to do. With an apologetic look, he politely declined. "I'm sorry, Master Iori, but I need to visit the Village Chief first.
"Could you tell me where I might find her?"
Master Iori chuckled. "Maki? If she's in the village, she's usually at the Steelworks by the village entrance, watching people come and go. It's not far from the Buddy Plaza. I'll take you there."
"Thank you for going to the trouble."
The two left the tea shop and walked along the quiet streets of Kamura Village.
Emerald grass lined the road, and cherry blossoms drifted overhead in the breeze. Though autumn was already well advanced, the village still brimmed with life.
"This place is breathtaking," Altaïr said with genuine admiration.
Master Iori glanced at him with a smile. "If I remember correctly, your hometown is Loc Lac. Isn't the boundless sea of sand in the Great Desert a world-famous sight?"
"I'm used to it... It's just sand..."
"By that reasoning, all you see before us is ordinary grass and trees," Master Iori said with a soft laugh.
"When I was your age, I also longed to see the world beyond Kamura, the vast Old World and even the New World past the horizon.
"But now that I'm older, I never tire of the sights I've known since childhood. I no longer feel any desire to leave."
As he spoke, several Palamutes came bounding over, barking and howling as they circled Master Iori. Finding Altaïr in its way, one of them shoved him aside with its head.
"Yes, yes, I couldn't bear to leave you fluffy fellows either," Master Iori said with a helpless smile as he patted each Palamute on the head. At a single gesture from him, the Palamutes, creatures most people would find too wild and unruly to train, promptly sat in a neat row before him with their long tongues lolling out.
"I'm sorry, but it looks like I can't take you any farther." Master Iori gave Altaïr an apologetic glance, then pointed into the distance.
"See that chimney? That's the Steelworks. Maki likes to watch the village from there, so she should be easy to find.
"If she isn't there, try checking the rooftops now and then. She has a habit of climbing up to high places."
"Thank you." Altaïr bowed slightly. When he straightened, Master Iori was already being herded away by several Palamutes, powerless to resist.
The landmark was impossible to miss. Following the chimney, Altaïr soon reached a small plaza.
A massive building stood before him, a roaring furnace visible inside. It looked like an enormous smithy, so this had to be the Steelworks Master Iori had mentioned.
An arched bridge stood opposite the building, linking Kamura Village to the far shore of the lake.
No wonder they called it the village gate plaza.
Altaïr looked around and easily spotted the person he sought at the entrance to the Steelworks.
Maki wore close-fitting blue combat garb, with an ornate Long Sword strapped diagonally across her back. She stood with her arms folded, cutting an imposing figure.
A Long Sword? Not Dual Blades? The thought crossed Altaïr's mind.
He composed himself and strode over.
He had barely stopped before her and opened his mouth when Maki suddenly shouted, "Burning Spirit!" so loudly that Altaïr jumped.
"That's an ancient saying from Kamura, meaning endless fire and light. It was also the previous Village Chief's favorite catchphrase. Doesn't it sound impressive?" Maki asked with a smile.
"Yes... very," Altaïr said, carefully keeping his expression neutral.
It was certainly impressive, just rather sudden.
"I've been waiting for you, young man from a distant land. What's your name?"
"Village Chief, my name is Altaïr. I'm a 5★ Hunter from Loc Lac."
"Don't call me Village Chief; just call me Maki." She tipped her chin up slightly. "I've only been Village Chief for a few years, but I've been a Hunter for half my life."
Altaïr silently judged her to be a frank and openhearted veteran.
He could speak plainly with someone like her.
Curious, Altaïr asked, "Maki, how did you know I'd come looking for you?"
"Because we're alike." Maki did not keep him in suspense. "Those scars where Elder Dragon blood soaked into your body cover far too much skin to be ordinary.
"You were already grievously wounded, cut all over, and then an Elder Dragon drenched you in its blood, didn't it?
"You're not even a High Rank Hunter, yet you charged into the thick of an Elder Dragon battle and gambled your life. Should I call you brave or simply careless with your own life?"
Altaïr was silent for a few seconds. "I was defending my home, so I couldn't afford to worry about my own safety."
"Exactly!"
Maki bared her teeth in a grin and looked Altaïr up and down once more, then jerked her chin for him to follow.
They set off one behind the other along the village path.
Nymera had said Maki disliked talking and preferred communicating with hand gestures, but Altaïr was finding the veteran remarkably talkative.
"Yan gave you that potion too, didn't he? Did anything happen during the night?"
Altaïr answered honestly, "I felt an urge to roar, but I held it back. Perhaps because of the emotional strain, my blood surged for a moment and triggered Demon Mode."
Maki stopped and turned around. "That's all?"
"Yes."
"Your blood didn't boil until it poured from your nose and mouth? You didn't suddenly want to bite off your fingers and swallow them? You didn't feel like grabbing whatever was nearby and fighting it to the death?"
"No," Altaïr said after a brief silence, then could not help asking, "What exactly happened to you?"
Maki clicked her tongue and resumed walking. "Nothing much. There are simply too many different remnants inside my body, and when they're all stimulated at once, the result is rather frightening."
"This may be presumptuous, but I have to ask: how many times have you fought Elder Dragons?"
"Dozens of times, more than I can count," Maki replied casually.
Altaïr fell into an even longer silence.
Anyone else who made such a claim, even a High Rank Hunter, would almost certainly have been boasting.
Most High Rank Hunters who lived to retire could count their encounters with Elder Dragons on both hands, including monsters such as Jhen Mohran that could only be fought as part of a large force.
But this was Kamura, a land teeming with powerful creatures, and Maki was its Village Chief. Even the village's Guild receptionist was a 7★ Hunter. Maki's strength was probably second only to the 9★ Hunter Altaïr had met as a boy... Come to think of it, hadn't that Hunter been from Kamura too?
As they talked, they reached the Training Area at the edge of the village.
Maki turned to face him. "If I'm right, Yan suggested that you ask me for help. When it comes to problems like this, I doubt anyone has more experience than I do.
"And I do have more than one way to deal with it.
"Ultimately, don't think of this as a 'disease.' Treat it as a gift your opponent left behind, or rather..."
"A trophy?" Altaïr interjected.
"Exactly." Maki bared her teeth. "Since it's a trophy, stop thinking about how to get rid of it. Start thinking about how to use it."
(Translated by yourtl.app)