Maki had always brimmed with confidence, as though she could solve any problem the moment she stepped in. Now, however, she looked utterly frustrated.
Her frustration only deepened as the good news arrived. Altaïr and the others had successfully Hunted a Chaotic Gore Magala, and the scholars at the Frenzy Virus Research Institute had used its remains to develop high-quality Wystones and medicines capable of completely curing Frenzy Virus infections.
At the Citadel, with support from the Royal Order knights, the Heavy Bowgun Squad had purged a Gore Magala amid a thunderous artillery barrage.
Guilds throughout the Kamura region had worked together, allowing Hunters to cull more than fifty infected Large Monsters in just over half a month and effectively curb the Frenzy Virus outbreak. The good news went on and on.
Maki's cheeks puffed out even farther.
It felt as though the entire world was making progress while only her side, the most crucial one, had fallen short. Worse, her failure might render everyone else's efforts futile. The frustration was unbearable to someone as proud as Maki.
If Hinoa and Master Utsushi had not held her back, Maki would have spent ten minutes resupplying at the fortress gate and headed straight back out, determined not to return until the target was dealt with.
As for Ayame... that bold and uninhibited woman (older sister? aunt?) was even more impatient than Maki. Had Maki not ordered her back, returning would never have crossed her mind.
When Altaïr and the others entered the meeting room, the kindly Guild Master Hojo was gently soothing the sulking Maki as though she were his little granddaughter throwing a tantrum.
The instant the door opened, however, Maki reverted to her usual self, the wise and imposing leader of Kamura.
This was a side she revealed only occasionally before her elders. She would rather die than sulk and act spoiled in front of her juniors...
"Ahem. I heard about the Chaotic Gore Magala. You did well." Maki straightened her back, folded her arms, and nodded sternly.
The atmosphere in the meeting room felt slightly odd, but Altaïr paid it no mind. After greeting Guild Master Hojo and the other senior figures, he looked at Lady Maki.
The question in his eyes was obvious. What had happened?
The corner of Maki's mouth twitched.
There was no mockery in Altaïr's eyes, but Maki read a very different message in them. What was wrong with all of them?
We took down a Chaotic Gore Magala that was not even part of the plan. What about you? What have you been doing for more than half a month? You actually let your target escape?
Maki's fists clenched.
Master Utsushi spoke first.
This middle-aged man, already over fifty yet still possessed of a "handsome face," was Kamura Village's Hunter Instructor. He had personally trained even Maki, and the two were as much friends as teacher and student.
He was said to be proficient with every kind of weapon, making him a true weapon master.
Altaïr had long wanted an opportunity to exchange techniques and insights with him, but the right moment had never presented itself.
"We caught up with that Shagaru Magala twice. The first encounter was brief, and it soon flew away. The second time, we prepared in advance and cornered it in its nest. After fighting us, it escaped again despite severe injuries that had nearly shattered its wing bones.
"We have not found another trace of it since."
"It did not leave a single trace?" Isis asked in astonishment. "Did it even remove the Paintball mark? That is clever..."
The Kamura Hunters in the room, including Maki, all flushed with embarrassment.
Standing beside Isis, Nymera nudged her and whispered, "Kamura Village does not make a habit of using Paintballs."
"Ah..." Isis rubbed the bridge of her nose awkwardly and said nothing more.
Maki sighed. "That was our mistake. We are accustomed to tracking prey with Cohoots. In most situations, Cohoots are more convenient than Paintballs.
"But that creature appears to have learned how to evade a Cohoot's surveillance and tracking. Had we been more cautious and brought a Paintball, we might have been able to track it down. Who can say?"
"Do we at least know which direction it went?" Altaïr pressed.
"We cannot tell. That Shagaru Magala flew straight above the clouds, so we could not see where it went at all."
After a pause, Master Utsushi continued, "Given its intelligence, it could easily have flown in the wrong direction first, changed course once it was far away, and completely misled us."
How was anyone supposed to find it now...?
Altaïr considered himself fairly quick-witted, but even he could not think of a good solution.
This elite team, composed of one 8★ Hunter and three 7★ Hunters, possessed enough strength to overpower the target.
But once an Elder Dragon adept at flight sensed danger, abandoned direct confrontation, and devoted itself entirely to hiding and fleeing, dealing with it became a genuine headache.
Had it been almost any other kind of Elder Dragon, the quest would effectively have ended by now.
The Guild's usual response to a rampaging Elder Dragon was to demonstrate enough force to make the creature wary, assign personnel to monitor it, and then maintain a peaceful coexistence.
This Shagaru Magala, however, was clearly not the kind of Elder Dragon willing to coexist peacefully and live quietly.
Its secretive efforts to spread sources of infection made that obvious. If left alone, the creature could unleash another catastrophe within a few months...
Altaïr tried to summarize the situation. "In other words, we have the advantage in combat strength, but finding and restraining the target is difficult?"
"Correct." Maki nodded firmly, then gave Altaïr a slightly complicated look. "That... treatment from last time worked remarkably well.
"I can feel the old damage slowly being repaired, and my body feels much lighter.
"I feel terrifyingly strong right now. As long as we can find that creature and keep it from flying, I am confident I can complete the Hunt alone."
Hinoa, who always wore a gentle smile and rarely spoke first, suddenly stood and bowed deeply to Altaïr with great solemnity.
"I do not know what you did, but Maki's health is improving. She is the pillar of our village. Mr. Altaïr, all of Kamura Village owes you a debt of gratitude."
Behind Hinoa, Maki was frantically signaling to Altaïr with her eyes, hoping he would move past the subject. Isis also looked at him curiously, clearly wanting to ask what exactly had happened.
Altaïr hurriedly cleared his throat. "Ahem, it was nothing important... There are several ways to limit a creature's ability to fly, such as launching a surprise attack to damage its wings, restraining it with One-shot Binders, or asking the Guild to coordinate a joint operation with heavily armed large airships.
"The key is finding the target as quickly as possible.
"Speaking of which, that Shagaru Magala has been appearing near the Infernal Springs, correct? Does something about that place attract it?"
"Attraction may have nothing to do with it. The reason could be more passive," the Director said slowly. "Like migratory fish, Shagaru Magala possess an instinct to return to a particular ancestral homeland.
"That homeland is Heaven's Mount in Shiki Country.
"But why can a Shagaru Magala that appeared in Kamura not return to Heaven's Mount? Have any of you considered that question?"
The Hunters looked at one another.
Not even Altaïr had considered it.
"It is not that Shagaru Magala do not want to return. They cannot," the Director continued. "The Kamura region is already a gathering place for Elder Dragons, and practically every territory has a resident 'master.'
"Because Shagaru Magala severely damage ecosystems merely by existing, other Elder Dragons have never welcomed them. Wherever Shagaru Magala go, other Elder Dragons attack them.
"Furthermore, the Frenzy Virus has little effect on Elder Dragons. Without that core ability, a Shagaru Magala struggles to gain the upper hand against another Elder Dragon.
"As a result, Shagaru Magala become trapped in place, unable to break through layer after layer of resistance and reach other regions.
"Perhaps this, too, is one of nature's checks on such creatures."
"If that is the case, the situation is not as bad as I feared." Altaïr breathed a sigh of relief. Had the Shagaru Magala turned around and flown into the Old World, the Hunters would truly have been helpless.
After thinking for a moment, Altaïr pressed on. "Does the Infernal Springs have a master of its own, then? Or was that originally the Shagaru Magala's territory?"
Maki's expression turned peculiar. "The Infernal Springs... That place is rather unusual. Well, let us say it has a master.
"The resident Elder Dragon has an exceptionally mild temper and is exceedingly timid. It only settled there a few years ago, so even with another Shagaru Magala crowding into its territory, the resident does not dare attack the intruder."
A mild-tempered, timid Elder Dragon?
Altaïr had several questions, but Maki clearly had no intention of elaborating, so he did not press the matter.
After gathering his thoughts in silence for several seconds, he spoke again. "I suggest strengthening reconnaissance across the Infernal Springs and the surrounding regions as much as possible.
"The Gore Magala in both the Flooded Forest and the Citadel have now been dealt with, and the vast majority of infected hosts capable of giving rise to Gore Magala have also been cleared. The scattered Meowcenaries and other reconnaissance forces can therefore be redeployed there.
"Shagaru Magala are not small creatures, and their appearance is highly conspicuous. A dragnet search may not be the cleverest method, but it should still be reasonably efficient.
"Oh, and remind everyone to bring Paintballs."
* * *
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