Once he had settled on a clear plan, Sajji worked with remarkable efficiency.
He dismantled Isis's Glavenus Gunlance again, confirmed its internal structure, took measurements, and drew blueprints for the parts. The mayor's staff then escorted them to the local smithy, where they placed a rush order for the custom components and completed the entire modification before sunset.
To be safe, they went to the extra trouble of buying a high-quality chunk of Eltalite Ore from a merchant for the new components. Had they used ordinary steel, the work might have gone even faster.
Once the modification was complete, the heat-dissipation system on Isis's Glavenus Gunlance no longer engaged automatically. Unlike Ted's earlier modification, which had locked it down completely, this one placed it under the user's control and allowed her to eject the heat canister whenever the weapon needed cooling.
It was only a minor modification, and the weapon itself had not changed, yet Isis was inexplicably excited, as though she had obtained an entirely new piece of equipment.
With the folded Gunlance resting across her thighs, she kept flicking the new lever. The weapon's cooling mechanism popped out, retracted, popped out, retracted... She was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Altaïr nudged her with his elbow, signaling her to stop playing with it for now.
The brightly lit banquet hall was filled with the Hunters who had answered the call for reinforcements, all waiting for the strategy meeting to begin.
The attendants had long since cleared the dishes and utensils from the long table. They had even set out several baskets of flowers and fruit, both as decoration and to mask the lingering smell of food.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall, and the plump mayor led several people inside.
To Altaïr's surprise, two familiar faces were among them.
The first was a young scholar with finely chiseled, handsome features and hair as soft and lustrous as pure silver. If he tidied himself up even a little, he could easily become a "beauty" who appealed to men and women alike.
Yet he was as unkempt as ever, with disheveled hair and a vacant stare that made him look half-asleep. Had the person ahead of him not been leading the way, he might well have wandered off and gotten lost.
Ahead of him walked a hunched, frail old Wyverian man in a scholar's robe. His steps were quick and steady, and his expression was stern.
"Professor! Erik!" Isis waved happily when she spotted them.
The dazed young scholar jolted at the sound of his name, turned toward them, and scampered over in delight.
A flicker of surprise passed behind the Professor's lenses, which were as thick as the bottoms of wine bottles. Steady and reserved by nature, he would never behave as casually or impulsively as his disciple. He merely dipped his chin in acknowledgment of Isis's greeting.
Erik had accompanied the Professor, but since he had no part in chairing the meeting, he slipped into a seat on Altaïr's other side.
Morgan, who had been sitting there, blinked in confusion as he shifted slightly to make room. Both young men were slender, pale-skinned, and silver-haired. They almost looked like brothers... or perhaps sisters?
Since Erik was a friend he had not seen in a year or two, Altaïr greeted him before turning his attention back to the people who had entered with the mayor.
More precisely, he focused on the two Hunters among them.
One was a tall, powerfully built man who appeared to be in his forties. His dark hair and beard were both short and bristly, giving him an air of unyielding strength.
Strapped to his back was a menacing dark-green Great Sword. Its edges were lined not with sharpened blades, but with countless jagged fangs capable of sawing through a Monster's flesh and hide with ease.
Altaïr's eyes narrowed.
He recognized the weapon. It was the Berserker Sword, a Great Sword forged from Deviljho materials. Given Deviljho's Danger Rating, this Hunter had to be at least 6★, and was most likely 7★.
The other was a female Hunter wrapped in a cloak, her hood pulled low. All he could see was a strand of pure white hair hanging from beneath its edge and a sliver of her pale face.
An air of mystery surrounded her.
Judging by the few glimpses he caught of her lower garments and gauntlet, she appeared to be wearing pieces from a Guild Guard set. Like Lady Olivia, whom he had met during the Estrellian Incident, she was probably a Hunter who answered directly to the Guild, perhaps even a Guild Knight attached to headquarters.
The plump mayor looked quite excited. He opened with a few formalities, such as "Thank you all for rushing to Manti Town's aid!" before introducing the three people beside him.
The Professor was a consulting scholar dispatched by the Guild to provide academic support and tactical advice. Since Altaïr already knew him well, he paid little attention.
The other two were what interested him.
"And this is Mr. Griffin, a 7★ Great Sword user known as 'Griffin the Victorious'!" the plump mayor announced with fervor.
Griffin kept his expression rigid, but a hint of embarrassment and helplessness flickered in his eyes.
Altaïr could roughly guess why. So-called "titles" always involved a certain degree of exaggeration.
With the exception of a few flamboyant personalities, most people would feel awkward hearing their name and title proclaimed before such a large crowd.
Of course, Griffin himself was the only one embarrassed. The assembled Hunters responded mostly with respect.
At the plump mayor's lead, everyone applauded in welcome.
"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!" One person clapped especially loudly, drawing sidelong glances from those around him.
It was Ted, seated at the edge of the banquet hall. He grinned broadly as he slapped his huge palms together, producing a thunderous din that could have drowned out drums and gongs.
Malika, seated beside him, raised her bottle toward Griffin when he instinctively looked their way.
Clear astonishment filled Griffin's eyes when he recognized the pair. He left the plump mayor's side and practically jogged over to Ted and Malika.
"Senior Ted, Senior Malika, are you two taking part in the operation as well?"
"We're only passing through Manti Town and happened to get caught up in this incident," Malika said with a smile. "Joining the battle is out of the question. Just look how fat he's gotten, and I'm rusty myself."
Ted patted his bulging belly. "We've had our fill of the mayor's meat and drink. Sneaking away without a word after all that would be too shameless, even for me. As long as you don't mind us old-timers butting in, we'll try to offer a few suggestions later."
Unrestrained delight spread across the plump mayor's face.
When the burly, heavyset man had arrived at his door the previous day in plain clothes, boldly claiming to be a Hunter and asking whether that meant he could eat and drink for free, the attendant at the entrance had hesitated.
Fortunately, the mayor had hurried out in time, respectfully invited the man inside, and instructed the attendants to treat him well.
He had known that someone with that kind of build could not be ordinary. Judging by Mr. Griffin's deferential manner, he had truly struck gold this time!
After briefly explaining the situation, Ted and Malika urged Griffin back to the mayor. With so many people waiting, it would have been inappropriate for them to start catching up then and there.
The plump mayor cleared his throat and began introducing the other Hunter, the woman wrapped in a cloak.
"This is Miss Nightmist." The plump mayor's introduction stalled as soon as it began. His knowledge of the enigmatic Hunter did not extend beyond her name.
Even that name did not sound real. It was more likely an alias she used for some reason...
"Miss Nightmist, if you don't mind, perhaps you could introduce yourself?" the plump mayor suggested.
The female Hunter pushed back her hood, revealing a pale, gaunt face.
"Mm. I'm called Nightmist. At least, I believe that's my name now..."
Her answer left everyone in the room thoroughly bewildered. Lambert, who had been half-asleep, snapped her head up.
She tilted her head and studied the woman for a moment before muttering under her breath, "What a strange person. It's as though she's lost something..."
The female Hunter's hearing was astonishingly sharp. She turned toward Lambert and met her gaze.
After a brief silence, Nightmist spoke in a slow, even tone. "I am one who has lost the veil of night and now wanders beneath the white night."
Everyone stared at her in blank confusion.
P.S. It's hard to tell whether Nightmist truly has some mysterious past or is simply suffering from chuunibyou.
If it's the latter, let's assume what she lost was her mind...
(Translated by yourtl.app)