The Nibelsnarf went peacefully.
The SOS Flare Altaïr had fired was not the red one symbolizing an emergency call for help, but a yellow one used for marking a position.
Therefore, the people he called over were not random, unknown hunters active in the vicinity.
Instead, they were a 5★ Dual Blades user and a 6★ Great Sword user who had been specifically lying in wait for his signal at another camp several kilometers away.
With their combined strength, it wouldn't have been much trouble even if a Tigrex had been blocking the camp entrance, let alone a Nibelsnarf.
"My apologies for the trouble this child has caused you." The female Dual Blades user, clad in Nargacuga Armor, bowed to Karim while pressing down on the back of Altaïr's neck.
"No, no, no, no, no," Karim said, waving his hands frantically. "You should be the one I'm thanking. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would've done, being trapped on this rocky flat."
"Hey! Karin! Aren't you going to carve some materials from this Nibelsnarf? They're worth quite a bit, you know!" In the distance, the tall female Great Sword user in Tigrex Armor shouted over to them.
The Dual Blades user named Karin gave Karim an apologetic look and quickened her pace toward the Nibelsnarf's corpse.
"They're both so strong! They killed that Monster in just a few moves. By the way, is the one with black hair your mom? She looks so young!" Karim exclaimed in amazement.
Altaïr's face was expressionless. "She's my teacher. The other one is her partner. She taught me how to use a Great Sword, so I guess she's my teacher too."
"What do you mean, 'I guess she's my teacher too'? You sound so reluctant." The Great Sword user, who was taller than most adult men, walked over and thumped Altaïr on the head.
"Kid, we took care of this surprise Nibelsnarf for you. How's your promotion quest coming along?
Don't tell me you still haven't hunted five Genprey. You already fired an SOS Flare. If you haven't finished, it can only be counted as a failure."
Altaïr fought the urge to rub his head and took out several Genprey head crests stained with dried blood from his pack. "I finished, Teacher Haifa."
"That's more like it!" The female Great Sword user named Haifa grabbed Altaïr's head and gave it a vigorous rub. "You've officially been promoted to 1★, kid. We'll throw you a celebration party when we get back!"
Altaïr, however, did not show the elation he should have at that moment. Instead, he stared intently into Haifa's eyes and said seriously, "Teacher Haifa, I'm a real hunter now. I can be independent and support myself.
Please take Teacher and leave. She's already stayed in this city for too long."
"Ah, this." Haifa scratched her hair. "It's not my place to say. Let's head back first. You should have a good talk with Karin."
—--
The group rode a Sandship back to the largest city in the Great Desert, Loc Lac City.
Sensing that the atmosphere among the three was a little off, Karim, ever the perceptive one, bid them farewell as soon as they returned to the city.
Before leaving, he pulled Altaïr aside and whispered, "I don't know what's going on between you all, but I can tell they mean well. Don't be so stubborn."
After speaking, he clapped Altaïr firmly on the back, shouldered his enormous backpack, and strode away.
"Tsk." Altaïr turned his head away, annoyed.
He knew in his heart that Karim was right, and that was precisely why he was so irritated.
"Let's go," Karin said softly, coming to his side. "First, we need to go to the gathering hall and turn in the quest. That's the most important thing."
Altaïr silently nodded and followed behind her.
Watching the two, whose personalities were practically carved from the same mold, Haifa shrugged and followed along.
The three of them made their way to the guild hall tavern.
This was both the place where the Guild posted quests and liaised with hunters, as well as a spot for hunters to gather and drink.
Unlike the guild hall taverns in other places, it never rained in Loc Lac, so the entire gathering hall building was semi-open-air. You could be eating a meal or having a drink and still get a mouthful of sand from the wind.
Most people from out of town found it hard to get used to, but the locals called it a special feature.
If you've come all the way to the city of sand and dust, how could you not eat a mouthful or two of sand?
Seeing the three of them push open the door, the hunters in the tavern greeted them enthusiastically.
"Little brother Altaïr, were you successful?"
"Haha, you even have to ask? Of course he was!"
"Come on! A toast!"
"Alright, alright, don't block the way. All of you, make way for me!" The tall and sturdy Haifa walked ahead, pushing aside the laughing and joking hunters who had crowded around. She "escorted" Altaïr to the quest counter.
In this heroic city where one could drink down sand just by opening their mouth, even the quest receptionists had more forthright personalities than the delicate young ladies in other cities.
The quest receptionist, who had dark brown skin and a head of brilliant red hair, smiled and held out her hand to Altaïr, as if to say, Hand it over!
Altaïr, who had been looking down with a somewhat heavy heart, finally perked up under the enthusiastic gazes of the people around him.
He took out the Genprey head crest, the slaying proof, from his bag and handed it to her.
The receptionist carefully inspected the freshness of the crest. After confirming it was from a recent hunt, she took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Slaying confirmed, quest successful!
Congratulations! Little brother Altaïr, a one-star Hunter under the age of seventeen. Even now, with the Guild's reforms and lowered assessment standards, there aren't many of you!"
A short, elderly Wyverian with a comical handlebar mustache leaped from behind the counter onto the countertop. "Little fellow, hurry and take out your Hunter's Notes! I, the Guild Master, will personally brand your first star!"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Altaïr, a little embarrassed, took out his Hunter's Notes.
A staff member immediately brought a heated branding iron to the mustachioed Guild Master, who pressed a star-shaped brand onto the new beast-hide cover of the notes.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, the young man's promotion was officially complete.
The mustachioed Guild Master casually tossed the highly symbolic branding iron aside and laughed with his hands on his hips. "That old geezer Dondolma came to show off to me before, saying they had a sixteen-year-old genius who got promoted. Don't we have one here in Loc Lac, too?
Ahahaha! Today, it's on me! All food and drinks are half price!"
"It's rare for the old geezer to be so generous, so I can't lose out. Everyone, drink up! It's my treat!" Haifa roared with laughter.
"Ooooh!" Amid the fervent cheers, the party began.
—--
The celebration continued late into the night.
As the guest of honor, Altaïr was naturally offered many toasts, but Karin blocked all the alcohol, reasoning, "The kid's still young and can't drink. If you want to drink, you can find Haifa."
In the end, it was Haifa, who had a considerable tolerance for alcohol, who was drunk into a stupor. Lying on the floor, she kept yelling, "Mom, stop hitting me!"
By the end of the drinking, the only ones still standing in the gathering hall were Altaïr, who wasn't allowed to drink, and Karin, who had remained restrained the entire time.
The master and apprentice duo stepped over the crowd of drunkards, as if treading over a floor of corpses, and walked out the door.
As the cold desert night wind blew, the slightly tipsy Karin sobered up. Sensing something, she turned her head and met Altaïr's intense stare.
"Teacher, I'm independent now. You don't need to be tied down here for me anymore."
"That again?" Karin pressed a hand to her forehead.
Faced with his teacher's weary tone, like she was placating a willful child, Altaïr grew agitated. Words he normally wouldn't dare say came spilling out all at once.
"Ten years ago, you were a five-star Hunter in your twenties! Everyone said you could charge all the way to the top and catch up to the very best!
But to take care of me, you wasted ten years in Loc Lac, the most crucial ten years! Even Haifa, who used to be inferior to you, was promoted to High Rank two years ago, but you're still stuck at five-star! Don't you feel..."
"That's enough," Karin interrupted him, her tone flat. "I've told you before, I've never felt tied down by anyone. This is the life I chose for myself.
Besides, I don't think you're completely ready yet. Didn't you just send out a distress signal last night?"
This sentence seemed to strike a nerve. The young man, who rarely showed such intense emotion, instantly exploded as if he'd swallowed dynamite.
"I don't need you to look after me!" he roared, then vanished in the blink of an eye.
Karin was left standing there, stunned.
"What a foolish mother she is," a grumbling voice came from behind her. "But seriously, I also think you should let go of his hand and let him walk on his own."
"Guild Master?!" Karin turned around in astonishment.
"You too. Try to embark on your own journey again. I've been holding back your High-Rank promotion assessment for too long. It's time for you to take the next step."
Winking at her, the old Wyverian rode away on his beloved Mosswine at a leisurely pace.