Walking down the street toward the guild hall tavern, Altaïr surreptitiously glanced at Sajji, who was following beside him.
Sajji's senses were exceptionally sharp. The moment Altaïr's gaze fell upon him, he looked up.
"Meow?"
"It's nothing." Altaïr concealed the embarrassment of being caught peeking with a deadpan expression. "I was just thinking, have you gotten a little taller again?"
Hearing this, Sajji immediately brightened up.
He straightened his body with effort, causing his little belly to stick out. "Can you tell, meow? Is it obvious, meow? I've grown almost a whole centimeter since last month, meow!"
It's not actually that obvious. I just said it because I know you're still in your growth period, Altaïr thought to himself.
Of course, he would never say that out loud.
Although he had been rejected once, it was impossible to say he had completely given up on Sajji.
For the past few months, they had eaten and lived in the same dorm room and gone on almost every mission together. To others, they had already become a permanent duo.
Miss Resha was quite jealous about this; ever since Altaïr had joined the Loc Lac Rangers, the little guy hadn't patrolled with her in a long time.
To be fair, Sajji was not an outstanding Palico, at least not yet.
His body wasn't strong enough, and he had obvious deficiencies in hunting techniques and combat skills. In Altaïr's eyes, however, these were all temporary problems.
After all, Sajji wasn't an adult yet. Plus, after being taken in by the Loc Lac Rangers, he had served more in a support role than as a combatant. He had only truly begun his Palico training in the last few months, so it was normal for him to lack experience.
His body could be strengthened through training, experience could be slowly accumulated, and his skills could be polished step by step, but some things about his fundamental nature were hard to change.
Loyal and sentimental, emotionally stable and not prone to sudden outbursts, and never hesitating when it was time to act; these were the traits Altaïr truly valued.
He believed that Sajji could grow alongside him and would sooner or later become an excellent Palico.
But all of this was predicated on one thing: Sajji had to be willing to follow him.
The kindness of being rescued back then had made Sajji completely devoted to the Loc Lac Rangers. Altaïr could fully understand this.
Putting himself in Sajji's shoes, if someone told him to stop seeing Karin as his teacher and become their disciple instead, he would refuse without hesitation, even if that person were a famous high-rank Hunter.
If that person continued to pester him, he would even feel repulsed and actively distance himself. This was also why he hadn't asked Sajji if he wanted to become his partner again in the past few months.
The answer would certainly be no.
The man and the cat walked slowly through the bustling streets of Loc Lac. Because of the Ranger's Armor they wore, people would occasionally greet them, and Altaïr would respond with a smile each time.
He realized that he, too, had grown accustomed to his identity as a member of the Loc Lac Rangers.
Perhaps living a peaceful life like this forever wouldn't be so bad? The thought flickered in his mind for only a moment before being extinguished.
No, I will not stop here.
Altaïr looked up and found that he had already arrived at the entrance of the guild hall tavern.
Pushing the door open, he saw the brown-skinned, red-haired guild receptionist behind the magnificent counter kick away a drunkard who was trying to flirt with her, then turn to look at him.
"Huh? If it isn't little Altaïr. Haven't seen you in a while. I heard you're with the Rangers team now? What can the Guild do for you today?"
"I'd like to apply for the key quest to advance to 2★. If possible, it would be best if the target was a Gendrome."
"Getting ready to advance to 2★ already? You're fast!" The guild receptionist looked at him with a beaming smile, her hands moving without pause as she quickly flipped through the bound quest documents.
"Yo-ho! Lucky you, there happens to be a suitable quest. The hunting grounds aren't too far, either. Take a look?" The guild receptionist handed the quest document to Altaïr.
"Thank you." Altaïr politely took the document. After just one glance, he froze.
—--
Hunting Quest: A Mantis-like Shadow Approaches in the Dark (★★★★★★)
Quest Details: Hunt one Nargacuga subspecies (Green Nargacuga)
Location: Flooded Forest
Time Limit: 30 days
Reward: 14500z
Possible Monsters: Gobul, Ludroth
From the young and beautiful village chief: A terrifying Monster has appeared deep in the Flooded Forest. Its dark green shadow and twin blades make it look just like... a mantis! Hmm, is that metaphor not intimidating enough?
Don't be careless, now. It's very fast, and its moss-covered fur is like camouflage in the dense forest. But if it's you, I'm sure you can handle it!
Go get 'em, little Karin~! (●'◡'●)
—--
Seeing the cute, hand-drawn smiley face on the quest document, the corner of Karin's eye twitched a couple of times.
After all these years, the village chief was still the same as ever.
"Hey, Karin, did you grab the SOS Flare?" her friend's worried voice sounded in her ear. "I'll stay right here at the camp and won't go anywhere. There's no need to rush to advance to 6★. Don't push yourself. The moment you feel like you're struggling, fire the signal for help. I'll come running right away."
Karin tucked the quest document into her Hunter's Notes and shot a sidelong glance at Haifa. "What's with that tone? Do I give you the impression of some delicate flower who needs help just to walk? If I recall correctly, I was the one who always had the upper hand on you back in the day, wasn't I?"
Haifa scratched her head and chuckled. "But you've had a nearly ten-year gap, after all. Even after a few months of rehab, it's hard to say if you're back at your peak. Besides, even back then, you wouldn't have been very confident against this Green Nargacuga, right?"
"Heh, I don't think I'm any more fragile now than I was ten years ago." Karin checked her Cleaving Jaws. "Raising a child is surprisingly good for tempering one's will."
"Ooh! There's an old saying in Loc Lac: 'A woman who becomes a mother becomes as strong as a rock.' My mom's like that. My dad often says that after she had me, she became terrifyingly strong."
"..."
For a moment, Karin didn't feel like talking to this person. After a final check of her equipment and items, she walked alone toward the camp's exit.
"I'm heading out."
—--
After arriving at this unremarkable campsite, Altaïr sat quietly for a long time before finally standing up.
"Let's go."
The man and the cat walked out of the camp.
Following closely behind Altaïr, Sajji kept grooming his whiskers, occasionally looking up to study the back of the figure in front of him with an uneasy expression.
He wasn't worried about the Monster they were about to face, but about Altaïr's state.
For some reason, ever since accepting that Gendrome hunt quest, he had become extremely quiet.
Although he was never very talkative, it had never been like this. He had barely spoken a word on the way to the hunting grounds, didn't respond when spoken to, and seemed completely distracted.
This can't go on, meow. In this state, forget completing the mission and getting promoted, he'll get into trouble during the fight, meow!
Sajji extended a paw and tugged firmly on the hem of Altaïr's clothes.
Altaïr's reaction was a bit slow. He dragged Sajji forward a few steps before realizing what was happening and turning back with a somewhat dazed look. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong with you, meow!" Sajji was a little angry. "You've been acting weird ever since you took the quest, meow!"
"I'm fine..." Altaïr replied perfunctorily.
Sajji stared at him, took an SOS Flare from his pack, and even placed his paw on the flare's pull-cord.
"If you don't explain, I'm pulling the cord, meow."
Altaïr's face stiffened. If Sajji fired the SOS Flare, this promotion quest would undoubtedly be a failure, and his future promotions would also be affected.
He couldn't accept such an outcome. Even if it wasn't for the promotion, he had to complete this quest.
He hadn't intended to share the reason with anyone, but if it was Sajji, who had a similar experience, perhaps...
Altaïr covered his face with his hands and rubbed it vigorously, forcing himself to cheer up a little.
"This area wasn't always so barren. It used to be a rather large oasis. That area up ahead was once a huge lake, with plenty of fish in it. Now, only a few puddles are left."
Sajji was taken aback. "You're very familiar with this place, meow?"
Altaïr managed a strained smile. "This... was once my home."