The stout mayor drew a deep breath, forcing down the nightmare that threatened to rise within him.
"What you say is true. That is why, over the years, we have not only built Battle Street but also constructed several public refuges, all to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. They are underground and should be sturdy enough..."
"Refuges alone aren't enough to prevent civilian casualties," Malika interrupted. "I asked around town during the day. The refuges you built are large communal shelters, correct?"
"Y-yes. Is there a problem with that?" The mayor was growing visibly nervous. "Manti Town had no refuges back then. Everyone could only hide in their homes, and many people died when the Monsters attacked. I made a special trip to a major city to study its shelter facilities, then hired a team of professional craftsmen to build ours to the same standards. They should... They should be fine, shouldn't they?"
Malika shook her head. "Refuges alone won't do any good. Prey are clever, especially when an alpha leads the pack. They'll follow the scent, break into the refuges, and... Well, it isn't hard to imagine what happens after that."
The stout mayor tensed further. "We formed a town guard of about thirty able-bodied adults. Would having them patrol the streets be enough?"
Griffin, the highest-ranked active Hunter present, spoke up. "No. Small Monsters are still Monsters. A handful of well-trained soldiers can work together to deal with one Prey, but a whole pack will quickly scatter their formation. And there is no way they can withstand Remobra attacking from the air. Remember, the larger Remobra can grow almost as big as a Yian Kut-Ku. Only Hunters can deal with them." (Remobra really are quite large.)
Altaïr sighed silently.
It was clear that the mayor genuinely loved his town.
According to the original forecast, the next Shen Gaoren attack was not supposed to come for another thirty years. By then, the mayor would have long since passed away, and no one could have blamed him for leaving the problem to future generations.
Yet he had still done everything in his power to prepare for a disaster he should never have lived to see. Battle Street, the warehouses built into the walls, and the refuges had all been constructed to the standards of a major city.
However, he had overlooked one critical problem. Manti Town was a purely commercial town, surrounded by barren wilderness without a single hunting ground nearby. Even the Latio volcanic mountain range lay more than a hundred kilometers away.
The location had both advantages and disadvantages. Monsters were scarce, so the town rarely had to worry about threats in its immediate surroundings. On the other hand, it had no environment in which to foster Hunters. Those born and raised there almost always left to seek opportunities elsewhere. That was only natural for someone as talented as Morgan, but even the 1★ and 2★ Hunters who formed the backbone of Hunter groups could scarcely remain in Manti Town. Accepting a 1★ or 2★ quest meant traveling one or two hundred kilometers to the volcano, making it difficult even to earn a living.
As a direct result, Manti Town had almost no resident Hunters. It did not even have a Gathering Hub. Whenever a Monster-related problem arose, the town had to post requests for outside help.
Low Rank Hunters, however, played a vital role in the emergency refuge systems of major cities.
The defense of Loc Lac a year earlier was a perfect example.
A large group of Egyurasu had stormed into the city alongside Guanzorumu. The Loc Lac Rangers and numerous Low Rank Hunters had guarded the refuges while sending personnel to hunt down the Monsters that broke into the city.
Without them, civilian casualties would have been several times higher.
"I-is it too late to put out a notice and recruit people now? We can pay! Several times the usual rate!" The stout mayor's jowls trembled.
Thanks to Malika and Griffin's warnings, he had finally realized the greatest flaw in their operation.
A defensive battle required more than a handful of elite fighters.
Elite Hunters might stand firm against a swarm of Prey and even carve a bloody path through them, but once the pack scattered and began hunting across the town, even the strongest Hunters could do little to stop them.
If the residents suffered heavy losses, successfully repelling the Shen Gaoren could hardly be called a victory.
"Of course it's too late," the Professor said, glancing sidelong at him. "Sending out a notice takes time. Spreading the word and transporting personnel take even longer.
"The Guild dispatching a small group of elite Hunters is one thing. Recruiting people yourself is another. The two operate at completely different speeds."
Nightmist, who was in charge of tactical command, spoke up. "How many people do we currently have available?"
The stout mayor immediately replied, "Excluding the two High Rank Hunters, we have six 5★ Hunters, another six 4★ Hunters, and two 3★ Hunters.
"We also have three or four local Hunters. They are all veterans who retired and returned home. One of them serves as the town's Instructor and was once a 4★ Hunter. The others were lower-ranked..."
"Hmm. So, including Mr. Griffin and me, we have around twenty Hunters in total," Nightmist murmured.
"Could we assign some of them to remain in town and deal with the Small Monsters following the Shen Gaoren?" one Hunter suggested.
"No." Nightmist shook her head decisively. "Shen Gaoren is an ultra-large Monster. We are already severely understaffed with this few people trying to intercept it.
"Half of us are Gunners, yet we still have fewer Gunners than Battle Street has cannon emplacements. We cannot even make full use of the defenses' firepower.
"Some Blademasters will also have to carry ammunition and protect the Gunners operating the cannons while packs of Prey and Remobra swarm them. We may not have enough Blademasters left for close-quarters combat to form even one squad..."
Altaïr raised his hand. "What if we select some ordinary members of the town guard to join the interception operation?
"Naturally, we wouldn't have them face the Shen Gaoren directly, but they should be able to help carry ammunition and reposition the cannons.
"That might free up a little combat strength to deal with the Small Monsters invading the town."
Nightmist frowned and hesitated for several seconds.
Truthfully, she did not want ordinary soldiers joining the battle. The likely casualties were one concern. More importantly, soldiers with no experience fighting Monsters would struggle to remain calm when confronted by a creature on Shen Gaoren's level.
But there seemed to be no better option.
"I suppose that's all we can do." Nightmist sighed softly. "Hopefully, more Hunters will arrive to help over the next few days. For now, we are desperately short-handed..."
Malika looked at Ted. After so many years of marriage, he immediately understood what she meant. He shrugged to show that he had no objections.
Malika spoke. "We both retired years ago because of our injuries, and neither of us has suitable weapons or Armor anymore. We probably can't contribute much on the front line.
"But we should still be able to handle a few Small Monsters. Even if we take out only some of them, the town will be that much safer.
"If you could prepare some equipment for us..."
"What do you need? I'll arrange it immediately!" the stout mayor said at once.
"A Gunlance and an Insect Glaive. Basic bone or ore models will do. Whatever you can get." Malika smiled. "There's no need for a Kinsect. I–"
"You're an Insect Glaive user, ma'am?" Kagetsu cut in. "If you need a Kinsect, you can borrow one of my little darlings. Which one catches your fancy?"
Kagetsu proudly displayed the Elscarad on her arm. Two more Kinsects crawled out of the pack behind her, one flying to the top of her head and the other perching on her shoulder.
Malika stared at her in surprise.
She had seen plenty of Hunters carry several weapons, but this was the first time she had encountered an Insect Glaive user who traveled with multiple Kinsects.
On closer inspection, they were an Elscarad, unrivaled in support; an Exalted Alucanid, specialized for offense; and a Ladytower, which enhanced defense, physical resilience, and mobility.
Good grief, every one of them was an exceptionally rare breed and incredibly difficult to raise... Just how rich was this girl?
Malika could not help taking a few more looks at Kagetsu. Her weapon was a Dragonbone Glaive specialized for Kinsects, and she wore a purely support-focused Supporter Set.
At that moment, Malika finally understood how Ted must have felt when he saw Isis use a Gunlance to fly.
Was this what young people were into these days?
Her mind teemed with questions, but Malika kept her expression under control and gave Kagetsu a friendly smile. "Thank you for the offer, but that won't be necessary. After my Kinsect partner passed away, I stopped raising new ones."
Kagetsu nodded. As a fellow Insect Glaive user, she naturally understood the sentiment.
She simply took a more "open-minded" approach to Kinsect partnerships.
Just as everyone began wondering whether they had any other options, Isis suddenly raised her hand.
"I've got an idea!"
Everyone instinctively turned toward her, and Isis hurriedly added, "I know how we can deal with the Small Monsters around the Shen Gaoren. At least some of them!"
"How?" Nightmist, the Professor, and the stout mayor asked almost in unison.
"We know where that Shen Gaoren is right now, don't we?" Isis clenched her fist. "We can go there first and kill all the Small Monsters following it!"
She had been looking for somewhere to practice her new moves anyway!
(Translated by yourtl.app)