Zeeg busily prepared the party's base camp, with Elmeria watching behind him, crossing her arms in an imposing stance.

The location for constructing a base camp has to not only be a fairly large open s.p.a.ce, but also hard for monsters to reach.

For example, in a cave with a hole in its ceiling, or on a cliff where one can survey the whole area.

For this hunt, the chosen location is a caved in area near an aquifer.

The water spring isn't big enough for wyverns to drink, and the area itself is too small for them to glide down and land.

Moreover, the exit that leads to the forest and hills, and also the main road, is so narrow that even a Velociprey won't be able get through.

One could say that this is the perfect camping spot.

The trip here on a carriage took three days.

All the way, Elmeria complained to Gannon about the possibility of Zeeg being a hindrance.

The large man is most likely more than 50 years old.

Wrinkles at the end of his eyes can be clearly seen, and the white hair mixed in with his black eyebrows is hard to miss.

However, his muscles and bones under the armor are rock-solid. Zeeg could not imagine what kind of training he went through.

Gannon is a silent man, a complete contrast to Elmeria's talkative personality.

Speaking of the girl, she has quite a sharp tongue.

All Elmeria talked about during the trip were about a new hunter's lack of strategy and manner issues.

This highly annoyed Zeeg, as he knew that those words were directed at him.

He thought about talking back at her many times but kept quiet, since the chance to experience a fight against the Rathalos is worth the mild humiliation.

More importantly, he understood that a hunt can't be accomplished purely by stubbornness.

In moments when Zeeg was about to lose his patience, the Gypceros guy- Fradio, would approach before the situation gets bad.

"Well well, sorry you had to go through that."

He would whisper that and sit down beside Zeeg.

"Even though the young lady said all that, she doesn't have any malicious intent, you know? She's giving you examples of mistakes a novice hunter could make. Of course, she told you those things to prevent you from doing anything that would get all of us in danger."

What Fradio said was correct.

Even though Zeeg was annoyed at Elmeria's rants, most of the examples she gave were things that have happened to him before, and he's not so immature that he would be incensed by her words.

During the short trip, Zeeg got to know everyone in the party and their roles.

Generally speaking, Elmeria was like the princess of the team.

No matter what the girl says, Gannon wouldn't say anything in response, replying with nods or some other gestures, like a n.o.blewoman's butler.

Gannon is also the one tasked with making all the meals. According to Fradio, the reason was that he and Elmeria can't cook to save themselves.

Besides, Gannon's cooking is so good that he puts common chefs to shame.

With that said, Elmeria isn't too arrogant to do things herself, but it was Gannon who wouldn't let her do anything.

Even if it's a given for hunters, she maintains her weapons and armors with care, and prepares hunting supplies accordingly.

The carriage is filled with tools and supplies for the wyvern hunt.

Bomb Materials and Flash Bugs, components for crafting Flash Bombs, prepared for on-field combination in case the initial stock runs out. Paint b.a.l.l.s, used to track a monster by marking it with a strong, unique smell. Trap Tools and Nets, materials used for a.s.sembling a Pitfall Trap. Small Barrel Bombs for detonating Large Barrel Bombs. And most importantly, health-recovering Potions. All those items are packed in the carriage.

Zeeg was surprised that so much preparation has to be made to hunt a single Wyvern.

In every quest he has done, including the Yian Kut-Ku hunt, Zeeg has only used the Paint b.a.l.l.s- he has never used the other items such as Pitfall Traps or Large Barrel Bombs.

His Buster Blade was enough to complete the hunts. He admires the Rathalos for requiring so much preparation to hunt, even for the veteran hunters.

"The Rathalos is so great, huh..."

Zeeg mumbled, and Elmeria laughed at him.

"What are you saying? It's because you're here with us that we need to prepare so many things. The Guild Master asked us to teach you the basics, after all. These lessons aren't cheap, you know? Of course, the expenses for these items will be paid with your share of the reward money."

"Wait a second! That's like I'm working for free!"

Voicing his complaint, Zeeg's nose was pushed by Elmeira.

"For free or not, do you think you'll get to do anything?"

Even though he wanted to kick her in the b.u.t.tocks, Zeeg reminded himself of Fradio's warning that if he did, Gannon would kill him.

Even though Fradio looks like an executioner because of his Gypceros Cap, he seems to be peace-loving.

As a result, he does a great job as the party's voice of reason.

A hunting party can have a maximum of four members.

Which means, with three people as permanent members, Elmeria's party must have had recruited some temporary members before, like this time.

Zeeg couldn't imagine what would happen if Fradio was not there to defuse arguments between Elmeria and the other member.

If a dispute were to break out in the middle of a hunt, things could get ugly. And that is why Fradio is a crucial part of their team.

("He's a pretty weird guy though....")

Zeeg thought while putting up a tent that could fit four people, staking down the pegs and tightening the ropes.

It was said that each hunter has a unique personality, which seems to be true.

("Alright.... It's complete.")

He stood up and dusted his hands.

For Zeeg, putting up a tent is an easy task. Even if it's a lot larger than a one-person tent, the process isn't any different.

"It's finished!"

Zeeg turned around and raised his chest proudly.

With a stubborn look on her face, Elmeria checked out the tent's construction, pulling hard on the ropes and pus.h.i.+ng heavily on the canvas.

Not finding any mistakes in the construction, she made a bitter face, as if she's chewing on a Bitterbug.

"Hm... Well, you should be able to do this much. You've been playing hunter for a while, after all."

"What do you mean by playing?"

Being talked back like that, Elmeria let out a grin.

"I mean exactly what I said. You should have realized by now that just hunting a Yian Kut-Ku doesn't make you a professional yet, right?"

"That's...."

Even though he has already realized that, Zeeg didn't want to admit it.

He also didn't want to believe that hunters to hunt together are superior to those who hunt alone.

There was a hunter that stopped by the village who was able to take on a Rathalos by himself.

That means it's not impossible to accomplish alone, even if it's currently beyond Zeeg's capabilities.

"Well, never mind that. Next, go get the beds."

"All by myself?"

"Isn't that obvious? I need to carry the supplies and items- You wouldn't say that you'd rather do that, right? I still don't trust you enough to have you handle those important items. Anyway, you'll need to show me that you can be of use first. If you understand that, then get going!"

"Ouch!"

Zeeg staggered after being kicked on the back of his thigh.

("This little-!")

He wanted to punch her so badly, but ceased the thought after seeing Gannon, who is busy with his work but still keeps watch on everybody, from the corner of his eye.

He didn't want to be impaled by the Diablos Horns on Gannon's shoulder.

"Tch..."

As he made a sound to show his dissatisfaction, another kick followed, but Zeeg was able to dodge it this time.

Pretending to not feel anything, he walked to the carriage.

Elmeria didn't give chase, and instead threw out strings of insults, her face red with frustration.

"....How vulgar."

Zeeg muttered while climbing onto the carriage.

"You two seem to be getting along well!"

"Wha-!"

Fradio was sitting inside the carriage. Zeeg was so startled that he almost lost his footing.

A variety of herbs and mushrooms were arranged in front of Fradio. There was also an empty bottle rolling on the floor.

Even though he doesn't wear any other armor right now, the Gypceros cap is never taken out.

"You're combining items here, Fradio?"

Zeeg asked while being careful not to shake the carriage.

One of the skills hunters have is to combine items and tools from materials found in the wild.

For example, Herbs, which have styptic properties, and Blue Mushrooms, which have no use by itself but can enhance other herbs' effects, can be combined into health-recovering Potions.

However, anyone could make something as simple as that. Items like Gunpowder and Large Barrel Bombs, on the other hand, are difficult to combine if one is not a hunter.

What Fradio is making right now is Gunpowder.

He ground a mixture of Fire Herbs and Nitroshrooms into fine powder, poured it into a bag, and sealed it.

He then takes a deep breath and calls out to Zeeg by waving his hand.

Zeeg took a seat, but Fradio doesn't say anything.

"Fradio, I wasn't 'getting along' with her at all, you know?"

Zeeg spoke up to deny Fradio's previous statement.

"Is that so?"

"That's right. What made you think that we were getting along? I was insulted almost constantly, and she even kicked me in the leg..."

"Hehehe!"

Fradio laughed like he was plotting something. Though with his facial expression being unreadable due to the Gaypceros Cap, he seems strangely emotionless.

"So that's how you see it? Interesting. Does that mean when the Gypceros emitted a flash of light from its crest, it was actually asking for my love? It looks like it was an attack, but in fact it's not... So that it..."

"What're you talking about?"

Zeeg tilted his head sideways, and Fradio blinked once.

"Ah, excuse my rant. I was reminded of the wonderful, sweet memories of the time spent with Gypceros."

"What made you think of a Gypceros when talking about me and that girl?"

"Hm? Don't you see the resemblance?"

"Of course not. I've never even seen a live Gypceros before."

Hearing that, a great deal of pity was shown on Fradio's eyes, as if he was saying that there's no greater misfortune than this.

"Listen well, Zeeg. Among the many species of wyverns, not a single one of them can compare to the Gypceros in beauty and cuteness. Every hunter needs to see that figure! Feel those elastic hides! The damp, sticky sensation from their skin! The blinding flashes of light from their crests! Their poison attacks that will take your breath away! Their art of feigning death! Everyone needs to experience it at least once in their lives. If not, then why do we even become hunters in the first place!? She looks at me, and in return I look at her... Aligning my bowgun's sights with her sweet little eyes, then pull the trigger..."

Fradio clenched his fist as if he was pulling a bowgun's trigger. He started to sweat, his skin twitching.

While catching his breath and squinting his eyes, it looked like he was smiling happily.

"Ah, excuse me. At any rate, I highly recommend seeing it once. She can be found often in the jungles."

"Hah..."

The Gypceros may be a 'she' to Fradio, but there's no way to know if it really is a female or not.

One thing for sure is that Fradio's feelings for the poisonous bird wyvern is beyond Zeeg's comprehension.

"With that said, maybe the reason why the young lady is always scolding you might be that she's interested in you? Otherwise, she wouldn't even say a word- Ah, that doesn't mean she's in love with you, so don't misunderstand, alright?"

"Of course not!"

Zeeg replied immediately. Even if it's true, he would never want to be in a relations.h.i.+p with someone so selfish and overconfident. If someone were to be in love with him, he wished they would be a mature lady, like Becky.

"Hey, Fradio. Why did you choose to team up with those two?"

"Is it strange?"

"You see, I've been wondering about how teams are formed."

"Well..."

Fradio rested his chin on his hand.

"I suppose that teaming up with someone you've never seen before is strange, yes. As for those two-"

He turned to look at Elmeria, who is currently watching Gannon maintain his lance.

"-They have been paired up the moment they registered at the guild. I don't know how they're related, and have no intention to ask. There's also a party you might know called the Crimson Avian Wings, who teamed up right from the start. Other than that, even though they registered at different times, there are quite a lot of hunters who team up because they knew each other before. How do I say this... hunting is a dangerous job, so entrusting your life to strangers isn't exactly the best idea, don't you agree?"

"Then what about you? Were you acquainted with them?"

Fradio slowly shook his head.

"I used to hunt alone. A Gypceros specialist, so to speak. When the young lady was going to hunt a Gypceros, Becky recommended her to find me. At that time, I was in a different city, so I don't really want to turn down an invitation from someone who traveled far just for me. I also wanted to observe how other hunters fight the Gypceros. With that, I joined up with them. It was supposed to be just for that one hunt, but they've taken quite a liking to me and made me a permanent member."

"Hm... Well, those two are pretty strange though..."

Zeeg turned to look at Elmeria and Gannon.

"They don't seem to be a family... And that girl, is she really strong?"

"Very."

Fradio answered without any hesitation.

"There was one time when we were surrounded by a pack of Ioprey in the jungle- Ah, do you know what an Ioprey is?"

Zeeg nodded.

According to what he heard, the monster is a variant of Velociprey. Even if it's cla.s.sified as a small monster, they're two meters long on average.

Their distinctive features are the vivid red skin and head crest. Their behaviors are mostly the same as Velocipreys.

When one sees a prey, it will call out to their pack with a loud cry.

The difference is that the Iopreys have poison sacs, enabling them to spit toxins at its foes.

"...In the Jungle, the moist air and thick vegetation reduces the effectiveness of Gannon's lance, and the branches and vines get in my line of fire. I thought it was the end for us. You see, at that time I still doubted the young lady's skill, thinking that she was carried by Gannon."

"But you were wrong?"

"Yes. It was an impressive display. Even in the thick jungle, she wielded the Diablos Maul effectively. She looked for the pack's alpha and rushed it down, crus.h.i.+ng its head with her hammer... The Iopreys, seeing the young lady lift her blood-soaked hammer from the alpha's pulverized head, immediately fled. Only a first-rate hunter could land a blow that swift and accurate."

"She really doesn't look the part though..."

Right now, she's dangling on one of Gannon's Diablos horns like a monkey.

No one would believe that she's a skilled hunter if they saw this. But Zeeg believes it, as he has experienced the power of her swing once before.

"Hehehe... You'll understand soon enough. Anyway, didn't you come here to get something?"

"Oh, yeah! She told me to come get the beds... Jeez, she's such a slave driver. She said she has to carry the supplies, but look at her now, playing with Gannon..."

"She heard that, you know."

"Oh c'mon... She's not a Yian Kut-Ku. At this range she shouldn't-"

As Zeeg said that, a white object was flung at him, hitting his nose.

The impact caused him to fall flat on his back with his nose aching.

At that moment, a small piece of monster bone can be seen spinning in the air above him.

Zeeg a.s.sessed that the Small Monster Bone was the object Elmeria flung at him. She made it look so easy.

("Dammit..!")

She most likely heard the whole conversation. With her ears being as sensitive as the Yian Kut-Ku, Zeeg wondered if a Sonic Bomb would stun her like it does the bird wyvern.

His nose slightly bleeding, Zeeg tried to raise his hand to stop it, but couldn't move.

It's as if he was seeing the world in slow motion.

As the bone piece falls down, Fradio grabbed it before it hit Zeeg's face again.

"Are you okay?"

"That hurt ..."

Zeeg whimpered, shaking his head. While stopping his nosebleed, he swore that he would get back at her one of these days.

The next morning, Elmeria didn't seem to regret what she did to Zeeg's nose.

She pa.s.sed a BBQ Spit to Zeeg.

Excluding rations provided by the guild, Hunters need to gather and cook their own meals on-site.

For that reason, carving and cooking raw meat are one of the first things a hunter learns to do.

"While we're getting ready, go grill us some steaks. We'll set off immediately after we finish eating. Don't mess this up, alright? I'll have you eat all the burnt pieces and even throw in some extra kicks."

Zeeg grabbed the parts and made a grumpy face to show his dissatisfaction.

"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me that."

"Hmph. If that's the case, good."

Elmeria let out her usual arrogant snort before turning around to organize her items.

("She just has an endless supply of insults...")

This time, Zeeg complains in his mind. No matter how good her ears may be, she definitely won't know if it's kept in his head.

Zeeg took a piece of salt-cured meat from the salt bucket and put in on the spit, attaching one side of the meat's bone to the handle.

He then started a fire with flint and steel.

(Alright....)

Rubbing his hands together then gripping the handle tightly, he started spinning-

"Trut truu trut truu~ Trut truu truut~ Trut truu ruu trut tuu tuut~ Tuu ruu ruu tuu ruu ruu- tu ru ruu- tu ru ruu- tu ru ruu- trut truu trut truu truu----hup! Mm~! So tasty~!"

Zeeg lifted the meat up from the spit with perfect timing. The meat is crunchy on the surface, but still juicy inside.

"Ahhahahahaha! He hee~~ Trut truu trut truu~ Seriously!? I'm dead! I'm so dead!"

Hearing her laughter that seemed like it could be heard by monsters all over the forest, Zeeg turned around with the well-done steak still in his hand.

He saw Elmeria rolling on the floor, laughing.

"What now!?"

Zeeg waved the meat in his hand, and Elmeria stopped laughing and stood up.

"You... can you not cook meat without humming the BBQ Song?"

"So what...? There's nothing wrong with that..."

"That's fine and all, but singing so loudly is like making an announcement to the world that you're a rookie, you know? I'm starting to doubt that you were really able to hunt a Yian Kut-Ku."

"I wasn't lying!"

"Well, that doesn't really matter. You'll only be watching this time, anyway."

Elmeria approached and s.n.a.t.c.hed the meat from Zeeg's hand. She took a bite and smiled, not caring about the meat juices that got all over her mouth and cheeks.

"Mm... so tasty- Well, what're you waiting for? Hurry up and grill the rest."

"Tch..."

Zeeg grumbled as he turned back to the BBQ Spit.

While grilling the other three pieces, he hummed the song in a sarcastic tone and an increasingly loud voice.

While receiving their meat, Gannon just nodded once, and Frado thanked Zeeg.

After extinguis.h.i.+ng the fire, Zeeg sat down to eat his piece of meat, while also looking at Fradio, curious about how he would eat.

There's also a possibility that he would take his mask off, revealing his face.

Fradio rinsed the meat with spring water before placing it on a large leaf.

He then uses his carving knife to cut the meat into little pieces, and eats them by opening his mask slightly from below.

Elmeria and Gannon, on the other hand, bite their meat directly.

Zeeg could think of only one description for Gannon's face without his helmet- gritty.

His black, swept-back hair has quite a lot of white mixed in. The edges of his mouth slightly point down.

His wrinkles are clearly defined, especially the spots between his eyes and cheeks, and his neck is almost as wide as his face.

The Diablo armor set wouldn't suit him if he wasn't this large. After all, Gannon is a front-line fighter, so physical strength is also important.

His build is so solid that his bones and muscles could be considered part of his armor.

After they're done eating, the party dug a hole to bury the bones.

If left alone, the remaining smell could attract small monsters and bugs to the camp, and that would be dangerous.

Zeeg disa.s.sembled the BBQ Spit and put the parts in his item pouch, which also contains a few other items such as Whetstones and Herbs.

He didn't get his share of supply items because he most likely wouldn't need them anyways.

"...Is everyone ready?"

Elmeria looked around once equipped her Rathalos Vambraces, then picked up the Diablos Maul, resting it on her shoulder.

Gannon silently put on his Diablo Helm.

Fradio double-checked the Tankmage's barrel before carrying it on his back.

Zeeg also checked his Buster Blade. The sword was maintained and sharpened with care. It was so clean that Zeeg thought it might even be able to sever the fire wyvern's tail in a single cut.

He expected a snarky comment from Elmeria, but she didn't say anything.

The girl unrolled a map and waited for everyone to come and look, her finger pointed at the area designated by the number 5.

"According to the guild, this is where the Rathalos has set up its nest. It's a cave in the

mountainside, with a hole in its ceiling. The wyvern most likely uses the area just for sleeping, since it doesn't seem to be around that much. If we're going to find it-"

She then pointed at the numbers 3 and 10 on the map.

Fradio nodded.

"Yes, I agree. Area 3 is the Aptonoths' feeding ground, and is a location where the Rathalos can glide down to land. As for area 10, there is a pond that it can drink from. The target is likely to show up in these two locations."

"I hope it doesn't escape into area 9 though. It's a narrow path that's too dangerous to fight in, and those sneaky Melynxes seem to be showing up there, too."

"Those thief cats can be such troublemakers sometimes, don't you agree? Even if the stolen item was just a felvine, it still feels annoying."

Fradio shook his head, and Gannon nodded in agreement.

"That's true..."

Elmeria mumbled while she folded the map.

"...Alright, shall we? The time limit is 50 hours. Any longer than that and the quest will be considered a failure, so give it your all- Well, it'll probably go smoothly if the rookie doesn't do anything stupid though."

Zeeg didn't respond to her snark. Not that he was ignoring her, but the boy was so excited that he simply couldn't hear what Elmeria said.

Feeling a little unsatisfied with Zeeg's lack of response, Elmeria picked up her stuff. The biggest item is the Large Barrel Bomb.

Zeeg and Fradio each took a barrel. Gannon doesn't carry one because his role is to guard the party.

The bombs are heavy, but that means they have great destructive power.

Fradio has warned Zeeg during the trip that if the bomb were to explode on his back, there wouldn't even be a single bone of him left.

The plotting laugh he made while saying that weirded Zeeg out.

"Alright, let's go!"

Elmeria leads the team, going through the tunnel that connects the camp to outside.

She was followed in a straight line by Gannon, Zeeg, and lastly, Fradio.

("Uh...")

As Zeeg exited, the bright suns.h.i.+ne hit his eyes, and a refres.h.i.+ng breeze blows.

Immediately outside the tunnel was a slope where one could survey the surrounding area.

There is a small cliff to the party's side, with a river at its bottom.

The currents aren't very fast, but they won't be able to cross with all this luggage.

Forest and hills similar to this side can be seen on the other side of the river.

The sky was wide and clear, with a flock of birds flying in a leisurely manner.

Gannon a.s.sumes the lead position, switching with Elmeria.

Zeeg tried his best to keep up with the party's pace, enduring the barrel's weight on his shoulders.

Even though Elmeria is smaller than him, she carried her barrel without even breaking a sweat. Zeeg didn't want to lose to her.

Turning to the left and going down the slope, the group reached a gra.s.sy field bordered by a river. The scenery was breathtaking.

A pack of herbivore monsters- Aptonoths, can be seen grazing in the field.

They may be over 10 meters long, but they are timid in nature, and will usually run away when threatened.

Some will attempt to fight back, however. Their tails are fairly powerful, their strikes could result in a few broken bones if one is not careful.

They usually aren't wary of humans, so they could be easily domesticated or trained to haul carriages.

The party approached the pack of herbivores. Some of them looked around, probably because they could smell the gunpowder, but soon kept on eating.

"Hey... aren't we going to hunt them?"

Zeeg turned to Elmeria and asked his question.

"Is that necessary?"

She answered without turning around.

"Eh? Isn't that the basics? Collect all we can, and sell unused materials to the merchants."

"You've always been hunting like that back at your village, right?"

"Of course. The village chief used to say something about that too, but the reward money isn't quite enough for me to get some good equipment. I also had to do my own fis.h.i.+ng, mining, catching bugs, and picking herbs and mushrooms... Some mushrooms even fetch a good price."

"I see. There isn't anyone who could teach you back at the village, so the chief sent you to the city, huh? Oh dear..."

"What's up with that tone?"

"Well, never mind that. You're just watching anyway. If you don't do as I say, I'll tie you up and use you as Rathalos bait, got it?"

"I know..."

Zeeg had to comply even though the other person is younger than him.

The girl's unwavering stance made her look more mature than she really is, even with that height.

Walking past the Aptonoth pack and climbing another slope, Gannon suddenly stopped, raising his hand to the side.

Naturally, everyone else also stopped.

"Rathalos?"

Elmeria whispered, and Gannon shook his head lightly.

"No... they are Velocipreys."

Zeeg slightly s.h.i.+vered as he saw the monsters' blue, black-striped skin.

The Velocipreys are small carnivores. These raptor-like creatures may be weak compared to the Yian Kut-Ku, but they attack in packs.

The fangs inside their beak-like mouths are strong, and their claws can easily rip out a human's unprotected flesh. They are not be underestimated.

"...Here I go."

Covering his face with the Diablo Helm's mask, Gannon drew out his weapon.

The lance stretched out, becoming twice as long. Its head, made from a Fire Wyvern Marrow, was set ablaze as it contacts the air.

He then took out his s.h.i.+eld in a similar manner, then charged in.

"You stay here."

Elmeria said while putting down her luggage and drawing her hammer.

"If you make a bad move and break any of the items, I won't forgive you."

"Please take good care of them."

Even Fradio said that while patting Zeeg's shoulder.

"W...wait! If it's just Velociprey, then I-"

Zeeg tried to follow them, dragging everyone else's luggage along. The battle was already over when he arrived, however.

"Hm... he never needed help, after all."

Fradio's said to himself, his bowgun still holstered on his back.

Gannon took care of all the Velocipreys by himself. With that said, it doesn't mean he killed all of them.

A patch of gra.s.s near him was burnt, and on it lies a badly charred corpse of a Velociprey.

Realizing that it's impossible to win, the other monsters in the pack immediately fled.

Elmeria, seeing Zeeg drag her luggage, looked at him cross-eyed.

Before she could reprimand him for disobeying orders, Zeeg spoke up-

"Hey, why're you letting them get away?"

Materials from those carnivores fetch a good price at the market.

With this group's abilities, or even just Gannon's skill with the lance, the Velocipreys shouldn't be able to run away from them.

"That's simple- We don't kill things pointlessly."

Elmeria s.n.a.t.c.hed her item pouch away from Zeegs hands, even though she still has her hammer drawn.

"What is our objective? To hunt the Rathalos, right? Before then, we should keep fighting to a minimum, so that we wouldn't get injured before the real fight. We also need to preserve our limited supplies. If you want to kill every single monster that appears, then perhaps you're better off just going back to your village, kid."

"What did you say!?"

Losing his patience, Zeeg raised his fist.

"Now, now. Stop it, you two."

Out of nowhere, Fradio was standing beside Zeeg, pointing the Tankmage's barrel at his hand, ready to pull the trigger.

Judging from his eyes, he's serious. If Zeeg were to move his hand any further, Fradio would shoot without any hesitation, and the shot would most likely blow off his arm.

Knowing that, Zeeg broke out in a cold sweat.

"Zeeg. Her words may sound harsh, but that's her way of teaching you the spirit of a hunter. Please don't start a fight here... And the young lady, too. Please consider that he's still a rookie."

"...Hmph."

Elmeria turned away to pick up her luggage and then walked to Gannon.

Seeing that, Fradio turned his bowgun's barrel away.

Zeeg was so nervous that his strength disappeared from his knees, but was somehow able to keep himself from collapsing.

"Hehehe.... I'm sorry. Did I surprise you? Don't worry, I wasn't planning on pulling the trigger anyway."

Zeeg kept quiet even though he knew it was a lie.

Fradio picked up his bag and continued walking with his Tankmage still drawn.

This is due to the possibility of the female fire wyvern Rathian appearing in this area.

("Dammit...")

Zeeg felt angry at himself, both for being so scared, and the fact that he had to admit what Elmeria said about him.

That is because, when he thought about it, she was correct.

The Velocipreys aren't their targets. Moreover, if the fight drags on, the Velocipreys' cries could alert the Rathalos.

If it were to come over here, the battle would get messy, putting everyone at a higher risk.

They also won't be able to use the bombs that have been prepared.

Zeeg understood that when he has calmed down. Before, he would only think about benefits in the short-term.

("Now that I think about it, the village chief did tell me to broaden my horizons...")

That might be what he's experiencing right now.

But one thing is for sure- Zeeg now understands that hunting recklessly isn't the right thing to do.

Even if the party did wipe out the Velociprey pack, they wouldn't be able to keep much of the carved materials, since their bags are full of supplies.

That would make it a worthless kill.

The chief used to say that, as hunters, it is one thing that they absolutely should not do.

It's not that Zeeg doesn't understand, it's just that he hadn't given much thought about the complicated stuff like coexistence with nature.

("Alright! I'll take this chance to learn a whole lot from them!")

Realizing his mistakes, Zeeg picked up his luggage and caught up with the rest.

("At least I'll get to see a live Rathalos from a safe distance! It's actually not bad! Who knows, they might even share some of its scales with me, too!")

He wouldn't be able to continue on if not for his optimism.

After Zeeg has caught up, the group walked through a narrow path, appearing at a large gra.s.sy plain atop a cliff.

This area, marked in the map with the number 3, is the Rathalos' hunting ground.

However, things are surprisingly quiet.

A few Aptonoths can be seen grazing. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

Just when Zeeg thought things were safe-

A strong gust of wind blew, a large shadow flying over the party.

"It's here! ---Let's go! Zeeg, stay back!"

With that said, Elmeria put away the Diablos Maul on her back and picked up her bag.

She then took out a Flash Bomb and held it in her hand.

"Hehehe... Let's get started, then."

Fradio loaded up the Tankmage.

As for Zeeg, he climbed onto a ledge where he could survey the whole area.

The first thing he saw was the Apthonoths running away from the shadow towards his position, causing tremors with their heavy steps.

Elmeria and Gannon ran past them in the opposite direction.

On the other side of the field, Zeeg could see the figure of a huge wyvern beating its red wings as it landed- the Rathalos!

So huge! It's several times larger than an Aptonoth!

The wind from its beating wings kicked up billows of dust.

Something was shot at the wyvern's chest, causing a brief, red flash.

A strong, unique smell soon followed, covering the whole area. It was a paint bullet.

Zeeg immediately knew that the Rathalos has noticed the party.

Shaking its long neck, the wyvern opened the mouth on its fiendish face, revealing lines of sharp fangs.

It then let out a mighty roar, causing a shockwave.

For a moment, it's as if the air itself was torn apart by the wyvern's voice.

Zeeg immediately covered his ears so that he wouldn't faint from the shock.

("What about them!?")

Raising his face back up, he could see that the others weren't stopped by the roar.

All of them rushed up to the Rathalos, Fradio included.

("Why!? Aren't gunners supposed to attack from a distance!?")

The wyvern landed, causing a tremor. Its upper body was lifted back up, and its long neck extend forward.

Fire can be seen blazing in its mouth.

("A breath attack!?")

If anyone were to take a direct hit, especially when carrying a barrel bomb on their back, they would be burnt to a crisp.

Suddenly, something was thrown, exploding into a blinding flash of light in front of the Rathalos. It's Elmeria's flash bomb!

Zeeg's eyes were briefly covered in all white. He blinked rapidly to restore his vision.

As his sight returned to normal, he saw something unbelievable.

Elmeria crept under the Rathalos as it roared in confusion!

Zeeg could clearly see how big the wyvern is compared to the girl.

One of its legs alone is bigger than her whole body, and each of its sharp, curved talons is like a short sword.

On the ground under the wyvern, Elmeria placed the Large Barrel Bomb she was carrying.

Then, she turned around and made a hand sign.

At first, Zeeg thought she was calling himself, but the sign was actually meant for Fradio.

Fradio rushed to the Rathalos without any hesitation, stopping between its legs.

Then, he placed his Large Barrel Bomb beside the one previously placed, and set a Small Barrel Bomb beside the two large barrels.

Even from a distance, sparks can be seen on the small barrel's fuse. That means it's been ignited, ready to go off at any moment.

Seconds later, the small barrel exploded, detonating the two larger barrels!

The explosion was even louder than the wyvern's roar.

The sh.e.l.ls on its stomach broke off, and a stream of blood gushed out from the wound, dyeing the gra.s.s red.

Even then, the monster is still active, which means the injury wasn't fatal.

Gannon drew out his lance and s.h.i.+eld, then charged in, his equipped Hi-Metal Greaves kicking up soil behind him with each step.

Nearby, Elmeria dropped her bag and started running towards the target in a curve.

Fradio, on the other hand, ran to Zeeg's side and dropped his bag.

Using the luggage as a makes.h.i.+ft bowgun stand, he set the Tankmage on it, sat down, and started aiming.

The bowgun's trigger was pulled, the shot followed by a loud sound and a cloud of gunpowder smoke.

It exploded on the Rathalos' eye, causing its blood to spatter off.

The male fire wyvern raised its head and roared, revealing its stomach that just got its sh.e.l.ls torn off.

"OOOOOHHHH!!!"

Gannon rushed forward, the wounded spot being his target.

The h.e.l.lfire lance thrusted deeply into the wound, setting it on fire.

Even though the Rathalos also has the fire attribute, its flesh was burnt away regardless.

Gannon didn't stop there. With his tremendous strength, he pushed on until the wyvern was toppled.

Falling sideways on the ground, its wing was bent out of shape. A loud cracking sound of breaking bones can be heard.

While the monster was writhing in pain, a shadow entered from the side- it was Elmeria.

"Hereee Goes!!"

Without hesitating, she swung down the Diablos Maul with all her strength.

The hammer made a direct hit to the Rathalos' head, causing a loud thumping sound.

Small flames lashed out of the wyvern's mouth as half of its head sunk under the earth.

The strike was not enough, however, since only the scales were sc.r.a.ped off.

Elmeria then lifted up her hammer for another pound-

"....Young mistress!"

Gannon put down his lance and leapt at Elmeria, pus.h.i.+ng her down flat on the ground.

Immediately above them, the Rathalos' tail swung past like a halberd, narrowly missing the girl's back.

A direct hit would have broken Elmeria's spine, since she wasn't wearing body armor.

Even if she did survive the attack, the impact would most likely knock her off the cliff.

Gannon still holds Elmeria in the same position, as if he was absorbing her into his body.

The Rathalos lifted itself up, shaking its slightly deformed head.

Half of its face was heavily wounded, missing one eye. Small flames still lash out from its mouth.

In this form, it looks even scarier than normal.

On Fradio's side, he loaded his bowgun with a new bullet and made a quick shot. It seemed like he didn't even need to aim.

The shot made a small explosion on the tip of the wyvern's nose.

It roared out in pain, spread out its wounded wings, and flew up.

The wind from its beating wings kicked up billows of dust so thick that Elmeria and Gannon's figures were totally obscured from sight.

Fradio made another shot. This time, it didn't explode, and instead made a small spark as it hit the target's face.

The Rathalos, initially planning to dive at Gannon with its poisonous talons, decided to retreat after being hit.

It ascended and flew away from the area.

Without waiting for the wyvern to be out of sight, Fradio holstered his bowgun, picked up his bag, and ran to the other two to regroup.

Zeeg, seeing that, picked up his luggage and followed.

("Awesome... Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!")

Zeeg couldn't contain his excitement.

In such a short time, the veteran hunters could deal that much damage to the Rathalos. Not to mention the last part.

Things looked very dangerous, but Fradio didn't seem to panic. Could it be that Gannon's defense was enough to take on the wyvern's talons anyway?

Before the other two reached him, Gannon stood up.

Elmeria, who had been pressed down by Gannon the whole time, stood up as if nothing happened.

She then proceeded to blow off the dust that got into her armguard.

"That was awesome!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Zeeg started speaking without even knowing what he was talking about.

Words just involuntarily flowed out of his mouth.

"I can't believe it! Going under that... that thing's legs- without any hesitation! I finally understand! The difference in power between the Yian Kut-Ku and the Rathalos! Man... that was so awesome..."

Zeeg continued his rant in excitement, but Elmeria nonchalantly walked past him.

"Er... Well..."

The feeling Zeeg had when he was ignored at the peak of his excitement was like being splashed by a bucket of cold water.

Elmeria went to pick up her bag and put it on her shoulder before turning back to the boy.

"Look, just keep your impressions to yourself. We haven't even defeated the Rathalos yet. Get ready for the next round."

"The next-"

Elmeria turned away before Zeeg could even finish his sentence.

Gannon picked up his lance and followed the girl. He knocked Zeeg's head lightly as he walked past.

Zeeg felt that Gannon didn't do that to reprimand him, but to tell him to follow them.

"Let's hurry."

"Y...yeah."

Zeeg followed the party as he was called by Fradio.

Elmeria and Gannon already went on ahead, walking up a narrow sloped path between two small cliffs.

"Hey... what did she mean by 'next'?"

"The wounded Rathalos will most likely return to its nest to rest, so we'll ambush it there.

It won't be able to go on for long with those injuries, you see. But do you know? If it's not fatal, wyverns can heal themselves just by sleeping for a period of time."

"R...really!?"

Fradio let out a sly laugh and nodded.

"Of course it is. If we don't hurry, it will be able to recover. That's why we should get to the nest before it and prepare to do an ambush. You see, wyverns aren't so weak that they could be easily killed just by brute force. This time, we're lucky that the Rathalos doesn't seem to live with its pair. If it does, the female fire wyvern- Rathian, would be waiting for us at the nest, and we would have to fight both of them at the same time."

Another wyvern! The thought of fighting both at once sent s.h.i.+vers down Zeeg's spine.

As Fradio saw the boy's expression, he made a mischievous grin under his mask.

"Well... if the guild's information was correct, that is."

That statement startled Zeeg.

"Fradio!"

Elmeria turned back to them and shouted out.

"We don't have time to mess with the rookie! Hurry up!"

"I'm terribly sorry."

Fradio raised his arm to his bare chest, doing a n.o.bleman's salute.

Seeing that, Elmeria narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything more.

("Did she say that to help me...?")

Zeeg shook his head at the thought.

The party reached a round, s.p.a.cious plain on a hill.

Quite a lot of fresh gra.s.s grow in this area, but there is no sign of Aptonoths coming up to eat them.

That is because the area is surrounded by cliffs, and the only way to get here are either the slope that the group just climbed up, or from the other side of the cave, on top of a long vertical cliff face.

A fully grown Aptonoth is too big for the narrow path.

According to their information, the cave is where the Rathalos has set up its nest.

Without saying anything, the party walked across the plain and climbed up two ledges, reaching the cave's entrance.

A faint, burnt smell blew out along with the cool wind.

The smell hinted that something was burnt in there a few days ago.

As quietly as possible, everyone entered the cave, adjusting their eyes to the darkness.

The interior was silent, and there seemed to be no small monsters waiting in ambush.

"So we're here..."

Fradio spoke up while looking around.

"Normally, there would be Velocipreys coming in here to eat either the wyvern's eggs or the leftovers. Maybe it's because the Rathalos hasn't been here for long, or we came in a good time... Either way, it's better for us that they're not here."

"Let's get started."

Elmeria put down her bag and took out a green, cylindrical object.

"What's that?"

Hearing Zeeg's question, Elmeria looked at the boy in disdain.

"A Pitfall Trap, used for immobilizing the wyvern. You've never seen one before?"

"...Nope."

Zeeg answered, pouting. Elmeria let out a sigh and threw the item to him. He missed the catch, but somehow was able to grab it before it fell to the ground and let out a sigh in relief.

"Over here."

The girl called Zeeg walked ahead to the center of the cave. The spot has a ray of light s.h.i.+ning in from the hole in the ceiling.

Zeeg turned to Fradio.

In response, the man nodded to tell Zeeg to go with her.

The girl stopped at the spot that has a large piles of dry bones. Judging from the arrangement, it's possible that the wyvern uses this spot as its bed.

"It looks like there used to be another Rathalos living here before the one we're hunting."

Elmeria spoke up, as if she could feel Zeeg's curiosity.

"It was either recently hunted, or found its mate and moved away... We can't know for sure. But with the cave being free, a new Rathalos was able to move in."

"Hmm..."

"That..."

She pointed at the Pitfall Trap in Zeeg's hands.

"Let's see... Bury about half of it vertically at your feet."

Zeeg did exactly as told without saying anything.

"Step back."

When he finished, Elmeria pulled a string on the pipe. The trap's core sparked, caused a small rumble on the ground, and cast out a wide net around it.

"This trap causes a reaction in the earth below the net, making it soft and fragile. It'll wear off and return to normal after a while though. And if it's not something as heavy as a wyvern, it probably won't sink down- Well, let's go."

Zeeg and Elmeria walked away from the trap.

Gannon and Fradio were holding stinky objects that looked like b.a.l.l.s of clay in their hands.

"Uwa... What's that?"

"Monster excrements- probably from the Rathalos."

"Dung!?"

Now that he knows what it really is, Zeeg feels that the already stinky smell just got worse.

It was so bad that he had to cover his nose.

"Yes. Here, hurry."

Fradio pa.s.sed the Wyvern Droppings in his hand to Zeeg, causing the boy to jump away in reflex.

"What do you mean hurry!?"

"Isn't it obvious? Smear it on your body, of course."

"You're kidding, right!?"

"Of course he's not. Why would he lie when we have come this far?"

With no hesitation whatsoever, Elmeria dug up some droppings and smeared it all over Zeeg's armor, not giving the time for him to dodge.

"This will camouflage your scent. It's perfect for an ambush. If the Rathalos could smell us, it'll stay alert and refuse to sleep."

"Alright, I get it..."

Following the others, Zeeg smeared the droppings all over his body.

The smell was so strong that it nearly destroyed his olfactory system.

He never antic.i.p.ated this. Just before, the hunt was just a head-on battle just like he was used to, an absolute contrast to what the party is doing now.

The reality of a wyvern hunt is totally different from what he had in mind.

But after hearing what Elmeria said, he understood why they need to do this.

The ambush wouldn't be successful if the target could sense them, after all.

"...This is a good spot."

Everyone turned to Gannon as he spoke up. He was looking at a ledge on the cave's wall.

Elmeria walked to his side and looked before nodding.

"What do you say, Fradio?"

Fradio drew out his bowgun, climbed onto the ledge, and lied down flat on the ground.

"Yes, this position is perfect. I can easily aim from here."

"Then that's decided- Zeeg."

Distracted by his armor covered in excrements, Zeeg raised his head at her sudden call.

Elmeria let out a mischievous smile.

"You won't be satisfied just by looking, right?"

"Y...yeah..."

Zeeg actually thought it was well worth the trip after he got to see a single battle against a live wyvern, but his stubbornness prevented him from admitting it.

Hearing that, Elmeria nodded.

"Is that so... Then I'll give you some work to do."

"Eh!?"

"Don't worry, it's just an easy task. When the Rathalos falls into the pitfall trap, I want you to run up and place the last barrel bomb as close as possible to the base of its neck. Should be easy, right?"

"The... the base of its neck? Isn't that a little bit too close for comfort!?"

"Of course it is."

"You say that like it's easy!"

"But isn't it easy? You just have to go up to it and place a barrel down. Fradio will handle the detonation. Well, you might get blown up along with the Rathalos if you're too slow though. Wait... don't tell me you're scared?"

Just before he could admit it, Zeeg's pride made him swallow his words.

"O...of course not?"

"Right?"

Elmeria let out a scheming laugh.

"You'll be fine. It might thrash around a bit, but it won't care about you until it's free from the trap."

Getting her share of fun from messing with the rookie, she turned around and walked to the ledge.

There, Gannon was gathering everyone's luggage together.

A large cloth, smeared with wyvern droppings, was spread out on the ground near him.

Elmeria called Zeeg with a hand signal, and he went to standby beside the Large Barrel Bomb.

Just as he thought, Elmeria and Gannon had no problem with covering themselves up with the stinky cloth.

The smell was unbearable to Zeeg, but the others don't seem to have any issue with it.

Seeing the gap between their skills and professionalism compared to his, he felt dissatisfied with himself.

But then, a strong wind blew those trivial thoughts away from his mind.

("It's here!")

That wind came from above. Zeeg held the cloth tightly so that it wouldn't be blown away.

Even with its now-impaired eyesight, the Rathalos would still be able to smell the group if the cloth were to be blown away.

Smearing their bodies and armor with its droppings just wasn't enough to conceal all of their scent.

All they could do was hold their breaths and wait for the right timing.

Elmeria said nothing, keeping her line of sight locked forward as if she could see through the cloth.

And then-

GGYAAAAAHHHHH!!

The Rathalos let out a thunderous roar as it spontaneously sunk down the ground, its voice echoing around the cave and caused ripples in the air.

Zeeg immediately sprung out of cover.

Without thinking, he grabbed the Large Barrel Bomb and ran towards the wyvern!

With the lower half of its body stuck in the ground, the Rathalos struggled, shaking its now-deformed head and beating its wounded wings.

It paid no attention to the human that was running up to it, and it showed no sign of breaking free, as if there was an invisible hand dragging it down.

("Dammit!!")

Starting to sweat profusely in terror, Zeeg screamed in his mind as he forced himself to keep running.

He knew that if he were to stop now, he would most likely be frozen in place.

("I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm scared!")

The thought repeated in his head. Even so, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Going under the thras.h.i.+ng wyvern's wing, he placed the barrel bomb at the base of its neck.

For a brief moment, he accidentally looked at the Rathalos in its functional eye.

("Oh c.r.a.p-")

Zeeg froze in fear, as if suspended by invisible chains.

Before his eyes, the wyvern's mouth opened up slowly, flames blazing inside its throat.

It's as if he was staring into the face of death.

"Zeeg!"

Hearing Elmeria's voice, it felt like the chains have disappeared.

Moving purely in reflex, he rolled to his side, successfully breaking away from the wyvern.

He then made a mad dash forward without ever looking back.

As he saw a brief spark of light from on top of the ledge, something flew past his face, barely grazing his hair. It was immediately followed by the sound of a bowgun shot.

An explosion triggered behind Zeeg, the hot wind blowing him away.

"Waah!!"

Before his head hit the rock wall, his body was grabbed by someone.

Only a few inches away from getting his head crushed, he realized that it was Gannon who saved him.

Zeeg tried to stand up, but having used up all his stamina, he lied down flat on his back.

Given a pat on the shoulder, he looked up. Elmeria was standing near him, looking at the spot he just ran away from.

"We did it."

Hearing that, Zeeg turned his head to look.

With half of its body still stuck in the Pitfall Trap, the Rathalos lays dead.

Some of the hard scales and flesh on its neck were blown off by the explosion.

The mouth on its wounded face opened wide, with its long, black tongue sticking out.

"Is it faking its death?"

Fradio jokingly said as he climbed down from the ledge.

Even though he said that, his Tankmage has already been holstered.

Elmeria hunched her shoulders and smiled.

"That's not your beloved Gypceros, you know."

From what Zeeg heard, the Gypceros will sometimes fake its death, tricking hunters to get close to it and then launch a surprise attack.

But the lifeless body of a wyvern in front of them is not a Gypceros.

"Well then... Shall we get carving? Don't let the Rathalos die a worthless death- You want to help too? Or are you too weak to get up?"

"Don't underestimate me..."

Zeeg strained his abdomen and held down his knees, then balanced himself as he stood up.

He was then met with an unexpected sight-Elmeria was genuinely smiling.

The feeling completely different from her mocking smiles and laughs from before.

Having seen this for the first time, the boy's face became hot, and he felt that it became slightly harder to breathe.

Elmeria tilted her head, wondering what's wrong.

And then suddenly-

"Please wait!"

A plain but elegant voice of a young girl resounded through the cave!