Nakarkos's mangled corpse floated on the surface of the sea.
Its opponent, the brilliantly gleaming Goldbeard Ceadeus, was in no better shape.
The torrent of Dragon Element energy released by Nakarkos as it died had severely wounded the Goldbeard Ceadeus. If the Monster had not managed to break free of those tendrils at the last moment and twist aside to keep its vitals out of the way, the high-energy breath attack, several meters in diameter, might have pierced straight through its chest.
Before leaving, the Goldbeard Ceadeus circled Nakarkos's corpse and thoroughly vented its fury on the body, leaving it a mangled mess like a rotten orange someone had stepped on.
Fortunately, Ceadeus shared a whale-like diet, filter-feeding on schools of small fish and shrimp, and had no interest in such a large piece of meat. Otherwise, the Goldbeard Ceadeus would have torn Nakarkos to pieces and swallowed it long ago.
No one could have anticipated that the slaying quest would end in such an unexpected fashion.
The Hunters all felt stifled, as though their prey had been stolen from them.
What frustrated them most was that Nakarkos had first been bombarded by cannons, then blasted with an Anti-dragon Bomb, bombarded by cannons again, and finally constricted and savaged by two Ceadeus, one large and one small. Hardly any part of its body remained intact.
Even with meticulous carving, gathering enough materials for a single weapon would be difficult, let alone a set of Armor.
The Professor, however, was in a rather good mood. Judging by the outcome, this was a good thing of sorts; at least it had caused no further casualties.
He directed the crew of the Knowledge Seeker to secure Nakarkos's corpse with ropes and tow it ashore for dissection.
This step had not been part of the original plan.
Still, the Knowledge Seeker had already been deployed, and the aerial research lab was no less capable than the Soaratorium. Its onboard equipment was more comprehensive than that of many Research Institutes.
Although Nakarkos's corpse was badly damaged, it was still the body of an Elder Dragon. Failing to dissect and study it properly would have been a terrible waste.
An urgent letter was sent back to Metapetatto by peregrine falcon. The scholars who had remained in the city to search for information and await news immediately boarded an Airship and rushed over, throwing themselves into this "feast" reserved solely for researchers.
The wounded returned to Metapetatto aboard the Airship that had brought the scholars; the injured needed a more stable environment in which to recover.
Olivia and Dylan were the first to leave.
As a member of the Guild Knights, Olivia had to return to headquarters and submit her report within the allotted time after the quest ended. Dylan also needed to return to his hometown, Melchita.
The pair would take a ship to nearby Port Tanzia, then use the routes available there to travel to their respective destinations.
Before Dylan departed, he gave Altaïr and the others his address.
He was not particularly warm or outgoing, but after fighting alongside these young people, he had gotten along quite well with them.
He invited Altaïr and the others to visit his home if they ever had the chance to travel to Melchita.
Altaïr naturally would not reject the senior Hunter's goodwill, so he exchanged mailing addresses with Dylan.
Since the four Hunters had come on a commission from the Royal Academy, the group did not need to make a special trip back to Metapetatto to settle the quest.
They stayed behind for the time being to protect the scholars aboard the Knowledge Seeker as the researchers conducted the dissection.
—--
It was summer, and the area lay along the continent's hot southern coast. In just a few days, Nakarkos's corpse had already begun to decompose badly.
The stench of the rotting corpse attracted nearby Monsters, causing no small amount of trouble for the Hunters.
The scholars worked day and night, removing valuable specimens as quickly as possible and storing them in the Knowledge Seeker's cold storage. The remaining flesh and blood, which held little research value, had to be left where it was to become part of nature's cycle.
—--
"It's finally over. The smell was killing me..." Aboard the slowly ascending Airship, Isis complained in a nasal voice, two paper plugs stuffed into her nostrils.
Marine creatures naturally carried a fishy odor, and the smell after they rotted was especially dreadful. The massive Nakarkos was no exception.
To make transporting the dissection samples easier, the Knowledge Seeker had anchored very close to Nakarkos's corpse, and the foul stench of decay had permeated every corner of the ship.
The smell might well have been part of the reason the wounded, Dylan, and the others had been in such a hurry to leave. If not for Francesca and the Professor, Isis would have fled long ago as well.
"Decomposing corpses are an unavoidable part of biological research. You have to learn to adapt," Francesca said with a cheerful laugh.
Her words might have been more convincing if she had not been wearing a pig-snout gas mask designed to block poisonous substances.
"What are you planning to do next? Are you coming back to Dundorma with us, or what?" Francesca looked at Altaïr as she asked.
She knew that the group usually let Altaïr make the decisions, so asking anyone else would have been less efficient than asking him directly.
Altaïr glanced in the direction the Knowledge Seeker was sailing. "I heard the Knowledge Seeker isn't returning directly to Dundorma. It's stopping at Port Tanzia first?"
"That's right."
The Knowledge Seeker gradually drew away from the corpse on the beach, and the oncoming sea breeze dispersed the foul stench that had hung over the deck for days.
Francesca removed her gas mask and took a deep breath. "Back when we were tracking Nakarkos, the Professor wrote to the Port Tanzia Guild to request reinforcements. He promised to share the spoils and conduct a joint study of Nakarkos's body with them after the Hunt.
"Even though we didn't end up needing the Tanzia Guild's help, a promise is a promise. The Professor said we'd deliver a batch of specimens to them.
"The Knowledge Seeker won't stay there long, probably only a day or two, and then it will return to Dundorma."
Francesca paused. "Personally, I'd suggest spending a few extra days exploring Port Tanzia if you don't have anything else pressing to do.
"As the largest trade hub in the southern part of the continent, it has plenty of interesting things to see.
"Transportation is convenient too. You don't have to hitch a ride on the Knowledge Seeker; whenever you want to return, it will be easy to buy an Airship ticket."
As she spoke, Francesca glanced at Isis again. "Port Tanzia is also famous for its grilled seafood. It combines the heavy use of spices common in the south with high-quality seafood from the southern seas, creating a delicacy that's hard to find anywhere else."
Isis's eyes lit up.
Altaïr looked at Nymera and Morgan. There was no need to ask Isis; she was already brimming with energy.
"I have no objections," Nymera said with a smile.
She had an easygoing temperament and rarely insisted on plans of her own.
Seeing how eager Isis was, Hibiki bounded excitedly beside her. Naturally, he had no objections either.
Morgan was as expressionless as ever. He rarely took part in discussions about activities outside the Hunt, making his attitude of "whatever you all decide is fine" abundantly clear.
"In that case, we'll stay at Port Tanzia..." Before Altaïr could finish, he heard someone call his name.
"Altaïr."
The Professor emerged from the cabin, holding a small roll of letter paper. "This is a little sudden.
"There's a rather... troublesome quest. The Guild plans to assign a High Rank Hunter to handle it, and I recommended you.
"When we arrive at Port Tanzia, a Guild Airship will come to pick you up."
"Ah, my grilled seafood..." Isis looked utterly devastated.
"Not you. This isn't a combat mission. It only requires one person." The Professor glanced at Isis. "Altaïr has sound judgment. He can handle it alone."
"Understood." Altaïr nodded without hesitation.
"Huh?" Isis froze.
I'm being left behind?