The moment the door curtain was lifted, a wave of sound rushed forth, carrying a complex blend of food, ale, and a hint of sweat.
The smell wasn't exactly pleasant, Sajji was so overwhelmed he sneezed on the spot, but Altaïr found it strangely familiar.
The guild hall tavern in Loc Lac had this exact same scent.
Even the hunters' enthusiasm was identical. Spotting his unfamiliar face, several merry drinkers raised their tankards to him from across the room.
Had he been more outgoing and lively, he could have easily joined their drinking circle, and no one would have rejected this new young brother.
Unfortunately, he was naturally more reserved. After nodding in gratitude, Altaïr led Sajji straight toward the counter.
Noticing his approach, the golden-haired guild receptionist behind the counter, dressed in an elegant suit dress, smiled and gave a slight bow. "Hello, welcome to the Val Habar Guild. I'm Hannah. How may I assist you, Hunter?"
Altaïr and Sajji exchanged glances, both feeling somewhat unaccustomed to this.
Shouldn't a guild receptionist be more like the red-haired elder sister from the Loc Lac Guild, who would boisterously greet them with, "You're here! What's up?"
But then again, the one in Loc Lac was the only guild receptionist Altaïr had ever interacted with before. It was hard to say which style was actually the outlier.
Her polite and proper demeanor made Altaïr a bit stiff, while Sajji leaned against the counter, staring intently at the receptionist's gleaming golden hair.
Residents of desert regions mostly had dark hair colors like black or brown, and some nomads had ashen-white hair, Altaïr being one of them.
Among the tourists who visited Loc Lac, there were quite a few blondes, but their hair was usually light gold or golden brown. This was the first time he'd seen such a pure, radiant gold color like the receptionist's.
The receptionist noticed Sajji's gaze and chuckled, ruffling the little one's head. "Pretty, right? It's dyed. We Val Habar folks love bright, vibrant colors.
Felyne fur can be dyed too. Want me to recommend a shop? You could turn all golden and shiny~."
Imagining himself as a golden Felyne, Sajji shuddered. "Thank you, but no need, meow!"
Sajji's interruption eased Altaïr's initial tension. He handed over his Hunter's Notes. "I'm Altaïr, a 2★ hunter, and this is my hunting partner, Sajji. We're from Loc Lac. Here's my identification.
We plan to stay in Val Habar for a while and would like to register here."
"Loc Lac, the pearl of the Great Desert, such a lovely place." The receptionist smiled as she took the notes, checking them while making conversation.
"They're holding a food festival there right now, aren't they? Isn't it a pity to miss it and come here instead?"
Altaïr and Sajji looked at each other.
For tourists from other regions, events like the Autumn Harvest Fest or food festivals were indeed attractive large-scale celebrations.
But for locals like them who experienced them every year, the appeal was rather limited.
Plus, they had both been members of the Loc Lac Rangers. What did large events mean? Endless overtime...
"Not... really a pity," Altaïr replied with an awkward yet polite smile.
The receptionist tilted her head. "True~. Even our Val Habar Hunters' festival feels pretty boring to me, too."
The golden-haired receptionist named Hannah kept chatting without slowing her work, quickly completing the registration process.
She closed the Hunter's Notes and handed them back to Altaïr with both hands. Her tone became noticeably warmer and friendlier compared to her earlier formal politeness.
"Registration complete~! You're now officially a member of the Val Habar Guild. Welcome to the Val Habar Guild, little brother Altaïr!"
"Thank you very much." Altaïr took the notes and expressed his gratitude.
Hannah studied Altaïr's still somewhat youthful face for a moment. "Little brother Altaïr, you're not even an adult yet? Just past seventeen and already promoted to 2★.
With a promising newcomer like you joining, the guild master will be thrilled!
By the way, do you have a place to stay? I can help arrange an affordable Hunter Cabin for you."
"Not yet. If there's an available cabin at the Guild Hall, that would be perfect." Altaïr glanced at his memo.
On the page listing 'Tasks to complete after arriving in Val Habar,' guild registration and securing accommodation were the top two items.
"I'll take them." A gentle, scholarly woman's voice spoke up. A lady wearing glasses with a dark green shawl over her shoulders approached.
She appeared to be in her thirties or forties, with a distinct air of intellect.
"Guild Master Sophia." Upon seeing her, the receptionist immediately straightened up, placing her hands in front of her abdomen and bowing.
Altaïr and Sajji then realized this lady was the guild master of the Val Habar Guild.
So young. They had assumed all regional guild masters were grumpy old men like that mustached fellow.
Noticing their widened eyes, the lady named Sophia guessed their thoughts and smiled faintly. "The former guild master is elderly. I just took over last year and still have much to learn."
"Hello, Madam Guild Master." Snapping back to attention, Altaïr quickly bowed his head and gave a brief self-introduction.
"I know you." Sophia's smile widened. "The guild master of Loc Lac specifically wrote me a letter.
He said Loc Lac finally produced a genius, but then you inexplicably ran off to my side. He even joked about raising trade taxes by one percent because of it."
"..." Altaïr didn't know how to respond.
"Alright, don't take it so seriously. The tax increase was just a joke. He meant for me to look after you."
Altaïr fell silent. Over the years, he had received too much care from others, and a sense of unrepayable shame washed over him.
"Don't overthink it. Looking after the younger generation is only natural. You young ones just need to focus on growing well." After saying this with a smile, Lady Sophia turned. "Follow me. I believe there's an available cabin on the third floor."
Altaïr and Sajji followed her to a room near the Dragonship deck on the third floor.
The room was small, less than twenty square meters, clean and simple, but equipped with all necessary furniture: a bed, wardrobe, desk, chairs, storage chest, etc.
The lighting was quite good too. Sunlight streamed through the round porthole, casting a warm orange-yellow hue over everything in the room.
"The rent is 1000z per month. Just pay Hannah monthly. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course." Altaïr hurriedly expressed his thanks. The fact that the local guild master herself had shown him the room made him feel incredibly honored.
"I'm glad you like it." With that, Guild Master Sophia prepared to leave, but as she stepped out the door, she remembered something and turned back.
"Oh, and Val Habar migrates periodically. It's December now, so the next migration should be in February. Since you've just arrived, many things might feel unfamiliar.
When you have free time, try chatting with the locals. You'll get plenty of useful advice. Be more outgoing, make some friends, you'll come to love this city."