The voyage back to Tidal Island took several days and passed calmly, without incident.
—--
Upon returning to Mangrove Outpost, the first thing the group needed to do was report to the Guild Hall and end their leave.
Before they could even reach the large ship that housed the Guild Hall tavern, however, someone called out to them from behind.
"You're back?" Francesca hurried over.
Of the three, neither Isis nor Nymera had changed much. Only Altaïr had replaced his equipment, so Francesca's gaze naturally settled on him.
Whatever else might be said of her abilities, she had always had a keen eye for equipment. She immediately recognized the rare Armor Set Altaïr was wearing. "Wait, weren't you going there for treatment?
"Even after subtracting the travel time, you couldn't have spent more than half a month in Kamura Village! Where did you get an Espinas Armor Set?!"
Altaïr was about to explain when she raised a hand to cut him off. "Never mind that for now. You've come back at just the right time. There's an emergency meeting. Follow me."
With that, she strode ahead.
Altaïr, Isis, and Nymera exchanged glances, then quickened their pace to catch up.
A brisk walk looked very different for someone 1.6 meters tall than it did for someone over 1.9 meters. To avoid the awkwardness of being overtaken by the people behind her, or forcing them to slow down for her sake, Francesca gradually broke into a run.
By the time they reached the Guild Hall, she was slightly out of breath.
Damn, I haven't been getting enough exercise lately.
Inside the Guild Hall were the Village Chief, Ms. Meow-It-All, Hubert, and the other key members of the advance team. The three Hunters, Morgan, Lambert, and Kagetsu, were also present, but Dawn and Theo were absent, likely away on a mission.
At first, the Village Chief looked surprised to see Francesca enter the Guild Hall out of breath. When he noticed Altaïr and the others following behind her, however, his surprise turned to delight.
"You're back from Kamura Village? Excellent!"
The group quickly took their seats.
"What happened? Why did you call us here in such a hurry?" Morgan, impatient by nature, was the first to ask.
The Village Chief gave Morgan a long, grave look, deepening the latter's inexplicable unease.
Without keeping them in suspense, the Village Chief got straight to the point. "The Hunter's Guild headquarters and the Elder Dragon Observation Team have jointly issued a State of Emergency Declaration."
The Hunters in the room exchanged glances. They all knew what it meant. An exceptionally dangerous "calamity" had appeared and was threatening a human settlement.
In other words, it was a warning that an Elder Dragon-level creature was about to attack a town.
Under normal circumstances, only high-rank Hunters were qualified to access information on creatures that powerful. Even so, elite 4★ and 5★ Hunters generally knew something about them, and Lambert and Kagetsu, though only 3★ Hunters, knew far more than the average Hunter because of their own experiences.
The moment the Village Chief spoke the words "State of Emergency Declaration," the atmosphere inside the Guild Hall grew tense.
"A few days ago, the Guild received a report that a colossal creature had appeared off the coast of the South ElDe Region and made landfall."
Morgan's head snapped up, and Altaïr cast him a discreet glance.
If he remembered correctly, Morgan's hometown was Manti Town in the ElDe Region.
The Village Chief continued, "The Guild immediately dispatched high-rank Hunters and Airships to investigate. They have now confirmed its identity: a colossal Shen Gaoren.
"That Shen Gaoren is currently heading toward Latio Volcano. Within seven to ten days, it may reach Manti Town, a major town in northern ElDe..."
"Impossible!" Morgan slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet. "A Shen Gaoren only comes ashore on the South ElDe coast and migrates north once every sixty years or so! The historical records state that clearly!
"The last attack was thirty years ago! How could another one come so soon?!"
"It isn't entirely impossible, meow." Ms. Meow-It-All, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "Shen Gaoren is a Carapaceon and does have a fairly stable migration cycle, but outside factors can alter that cycle, meow.
"For example... intense geological activity, meow."
Intense geological activity again?
The thought surfaced unbidden in Altaïr's mind.
Ms. Meow-It-All continued, "Tidal Island lies only about two hundred kilometers from the coast of South ElDe where the Shen Gaoren came ashore, meow.
"If last year's major earthquake disrupted its migration cycle, that would make sense, meow."
"I'm going back!" Having clearly lost his composure, Morgan gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
"Mr. Morgan, please wait." The Village Chief rose to stop him. "This emergency meeting was called precisely to discuss sending support."
Morgan halted.
The Village Chief swept his gaze across the room. "Manti Town is a commercial town with few hunting grounds nearby, so it has very few local Hunters.
"Along with the State of Emergency Declaration, the Guild issued a support mobilization order requiring the cities around Manti Town to dispatch elite reinforcements.
"Our advance team's Mangrove Outpost falls within the mobilization area. Therefore, aside from Dawn and Theo, who are currently away on missions, every Hunter here will go to support Manti Town.
"The Airship will depart at dusk. Please make your preparations. Any questions?"
"Wait. Lambert and Kagetsu are only 3★ Hunters. It may be unwise for them to accompany us." Nymera raised a hand and gestured toward the only two 3★ Hunters present.
Altaïr, Isis, Nymera, and Morgan were all 5★ Hunters. There was a clear gap in strength between them and the two 3★ Hunters.
Lambert was about to speak when Altaïr answered first.
"No. This will be a large-scale operation. They may actually be the ones who can contribute the most."
After several seconds of silence, Nymera nodded, conceding his point. Then she turned to Morgan.
"Must we prepare ammunition and other supplies?"
Every Hunter understood what she meant. It was already afternoon, and little time remained before their departure at dusk.
If all they needed to do was choose their Armor and weapons, equip themselves, and leave, there would be no problem. There was clearly not enough time, however, to prepare a full stock of combat supplies.
After all, their opponent was a colossal Elder Dragon-level creature.
Aside from Morgan, who had grown up in the region, none of the Hunters knew much about Shen Gaoren. The words "colossal" and "Elder Dragon-level" alone, however, were enough to tell them that this would be a battle of attrition.
The one or two standard loads of Ammo they carried would not be enough.
Morgan gradually recovered from his earlier agitation. Although he remained visibly anxious, he could at least think rationally again.
"That won't be necessary. Manti Town isn't far from the continental land bridge. It's one of the major commercial hubs connecting the southwestern and northeastern regions of the Old World, so it lacks nothing.
"The Mayor is a shrewd man. Manti Town keeps stockpiles specifically for emergencies."
The Village Chief spoke up as well. "I know the Mayor. He truly is an intelligent and enthusiastic man. At least half the credit for Manti Town's growth belongs to him.
"He may not be a Hunter and may have started out as a merchant, but rest assured, he will arrange everything needed to support the operation."
Nymera nodded, indicating that she had no further concerns.
"Morgan, do you know Shen Gaoren's elemental weaknesses?" Altaïr asked the question that concerned every Hunter in the room.
Morgan shook his head, his face tense.
The older generation in Manti Town occasionally spoke of the attack thirty years ago, but how would they know specialized details such as the creature's weaknesses?
After becoming a Hunter, Morgan had looked up some information out of curiosity. Most of the relevant records were not available to Low Rank Hunters, however, so he had learned very little.
"Its primary elemental weakness is Dragon, meow," Ms. Meow-It-All said gravely. "Fire and Thunder Elements are also effective, meow.
"But be careful. Although Shen Gaoren is not an Elder Dragon, its body is extraordinarily large, meow.
"Don't bother with traps, Flash Pods, or Status Ailments such as potent poison and paralysis, meow. None of them have any effect, meow."
Altaïr felt a twinge of regret. If potent poison had worked, he would have chosen his newly acquired Rosenzahn. As things stood... he would probably continue using [Heaven Swallower].
"Oh, right, Altaïr. Remember to stop by my forge later," Hubert called in his booming voice. "Your new weapon is finished. It's far stronger than I expected!
"Its Thunder Element is exceptionally powerful. Bring it with you when we leave."
Altaïr was delighted by the news, but this was hardly the time to show it. He merely nodded to indicate that he understood.
P.S. Manti Town comes from the second generation and also appeared in an official novel, where Shen Gaoren repeatedly trampled through it...
If I remember correctly, the "Town" in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is Manti Town, distinct from Schrade Town.
(Translated by yourtl.app)