Liber is located at the northernmost tip of the Schrade region.
While its straight-line distance from Minagarde, the most prosperous harbor city in the northwest of the continent, is not far, the climates of the two locations are worlds apart.
Without the towering Schrade Mountains to provide cover, the frigid moisture from the Akura Ice Sea sweeps unchecked across this land. One rarely sees a sunny day throughout the four seasons, and every night brings a heavy snowfall.
A bone-chilling wind whipped against them. Stepping off the airship, Altaïr and Sajji both shuddered violently.
"Let's go buy some winter cloaks first."
"Agreed, meow."
They flagged down a passerby to ask for directions. Fortunately, there was a clothing shop near the airship docks, and the man and cat hurried inside.
When they emerged, Altaïr was wearing a thick Anteka-skin cloak, while Sajji had donned a sealskin smock. Combined with his Nerscylla Palico armor, the look was quite peculiar.
Fortunately, Sajji had always been a pragmatist. Even if he currently looked like a cat-shaped bronze statue wrapped in a dust bag, he didn't care in the slightest.
Looking up at the gloomy sky and the scattered, drifting snowflakes, Altaïr felt a pang of regret.
It had been nearly half a year since his last correspondence with Teacher Karin. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if she was still in this city; rushing over like this seemed a bit reckless.
But since they were already here...
"Let's head to the Guild Hall first and ask around. If we're lucky, we might find news of her and the others."
At this, Altaïr paused for a few seconds. "If we can't find them, we'll just treat it as a vacation. The fish and crabs caught from the Akura Ice Sea are famous. We can eat our fill!"
"Great, meow!"
"Come to think of it, why does it feel strangely satisfying to have a feast without bringing Isis along?"
"Something is wrong with you, Boss, meow."
The man and cat chatted idly as they followed the winding streets to the local Guild Hall.
In a style characteristic of the north, the entrance to the Liber Guild Hall did not use the wooden swing doors common in taverns, but rather a heavy curtain made of Popo fur. Pushing through it felt even heavier than a wooden door.
As the curtain fell back into place, the wind and snow from the outside world were completely sealed off.
The furnace inside the Guild Hall burned brightly, almost instantly melting the snow clinging to the cloak into water, which dripped onto the somewhat greasy wooden floor.
Altaïr scanned his surroundings.
Unlike the refined luxury of Metapetatto, if one were to use a single word to describe the style of this Hunter's Guild Hall, it would be "rugged."
Massive stone bricks, unpolished logs, furnaces forged from heavy steel, and strange decorations made of Monster bones adorn the walls and ceiling.
It felt more like a pirate stronghold than a Hunter's Guild Hall.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of alcohol. Here, rather than light and crisp beer, the Hunters preferred high-proof spirits.
"Hey! Kid, you're a new face!" a female Hunter with dreadlocks called out in a loud voice.
Another Hunter with a messy, full beard chimed in with a laugh, "Brand new fur cloak, just got here from the south, didn't you? Careful you don't freeze your nose off." "Hahaha!"
If he were an ordinary person, he might have been intimidated by such an aggressive greeting and teasing, but as a Hunter, Altaïr was long used to it.
Human customs and cultures might differ from place to place, but the Hunter community was basically the same everywhere; if you spoke to them with too much politeness, you'd only end up looking like a pretender.
He took off his cloak, shook off the water droplets, and tossed it onto a nearby rack. Grinning, he said, "The cold is one thing, but what's with all the moisture here? Is the water free in this place or something?"
"Water costs money?"
Even though it wasn't particularly funny, the group of Hunters burst into another round of laughter.
"Hahahaha! I get it now, you're from the Great Desert, aren't you, kid!"
"That Haifa person said something similar, haha!"
Hearing a familiar name, Altaïr felt a spark of joy. He looked toward the female Hunter with dreadlocks. "Hey, sister, is the Haifa you mentioned a Great Sword user from Loc Lac?"
"Ah, she's an acquaintance of yours?"
"Yeah. She's likely traveling with a Dual Blades user named Karin. That's my teacher."
"Oh! So you're Karin's apprentice." The dreadlocked Hunter waved him over enthusiastically. "Come, have a few drinks to drive out the chill first!"
"Sorry, I'm not really used to drinking during the day," Altaïr declined the invitation with a dry laugh.
Refusing like this might make them feel he was being disrespectful, but looking at the small glasses on the table in front of her made his scalp tingle.
Using glasses that small for beer would be pointless, so whatever was in that bottle and being poured into those cups was almost certainly high-proof liquor that could be set on fire.
Faced with Altaïr's rejection, the female Hunter didn't get angry; instead, she let out another "Hahaha!" laugh. "You really are Karin's student! Karin never lets Haifa drink during the day either!"
After she finished laughing, she slapped her dizzy, drunken companion sitting next to her. "Hey! Didn't you hear the man's looking for his teacher? Has any of you seen Karin?"
"Ka... Karin? What's a Karin?" The man was clearly wasted, his mind a complete fog.
The boisterous female Hunter shoved the drunkard's head onto the table and shouted across the room, asking around on Altaïr's behalf.
Finally, she heard from the guild receptionist delivering drinks that Karin and Haifa had been in for breakfast that morning, though she wasn't sure where they had gone since.
Altaïr thanked the group of helpful Hunters repeatedly. At the very least, he knew his teacher and the others were still in this city; finding them wouldn't be difficult now.
"Come on, come on, you've got to drink a bit with us now. We won't force-feed you; just drink as much as you can handle!" The dreadlocked Hunter chuckled mischievously as she picked up a bottle.
Altaïr was helpless.
Since she had gone out of her way to help him, it would be genuinely rude to refuse again.
He sat down at the long table, and amidst the cheering and jeering of the crowd, he took the bottle and popped the cap.
He took a tentative sip first. Contrary to the throat-burning, stinging flavor he had imagined, the alcohol here was surprisingly smooth, carrying a light, fruity aroma.
Maybe she was looking out for him and gave him a bottle of fruit wine, he thought.
Having almost never touched hard liquor, Altaïr took a few more gulps. In the blink of an eye, half the bottle was gone. However, as the liquid hit his stomach, a surge of heat flared up like a raging fire.
"Phew... ha..." Altaïr exhaled a heavy, alcohol-laden breath.
Even the Hunter with dreadlocks couldn't help but click her tongue. "I didn't tell you to drink it like that. Chugging half a bottle on an empty stomach... this isn't beer, you know."
As the fumes rose, Altaïr's vision grew blurred. He shook his head violently, narrowly managing to keep from blacking out immediately.
His body felt light and airy; he felt like he was in peak condition!
He slammed the bottle down onto the table and shouted, "Only half a bottle? Child's play!"
"Hahaha! Attaboy!"
"Wooooooooh!!"
The surrounding Hunters erupted once more into laughter and cheers.
Beside him, Sajji couldn't help but cover his face.
The boss doesn't usually talk like this, meow. He's clearly had one too many, meow.
Laughing, the dreadlocked Hunter shoved a large piece of leg meat into his hand. Altaïr tore into it ravenously, stripping the bone bare in just a few bites before tilting his head back to gulp down several more mouthfuls of booze.
"The kid's got a decent stomach for it!"
Under the influence of the alcohol, Altaïr's thoughts grew increasingly muddled, and his voice louder. "Let me tell you, I've got a companion who's a true total drunkard... she can drink as much as she wants and never gets tipsy!
I might be a tiny bit worse than her, but I can handle way more than just a couple of bottles! Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
The large bottle of spirits soon vanished entirely into his stomach.
Finding the bottle empty, Altaïr stood up, stepped onto his chair, and yelled, "Guild receptionist! Another bottle, one bottle of... what is this stuff called again?"
"North Wind Brandy."
"Right! Sad Wind Brandy! Another bottle! No! Bring me a few more bottles!"
Just then, the hide curtain at the entrance was pushed aside. A cold wind carrying fine snow swirled in as two figures entered the room.
"Drinking this hard in the middle of the day?" The tall Great Sword user patted the snow off her cloak and asked cheerfully, "Any seats left? Count me in!"
"I have told you many times, drinking during the day is prohibited, and excessive drinking is even more so." The Dual Blades user behind her spoke in a cold tone.
"Uh..."
"What is it?" Seeing her companion freeze in her tracks, the Dual Blades user stepped out from behind the Great Sword user.
She looked up to see Altaïr with one foot on a chair, an empty bottle held high, shouting, "Bring me more!"
"..."
Her fists tightened.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
PLACES
Schrade — An ancient kingdom whose name lives on in the northern region and mountain range of the same name. The Schrade Kingdom was destroyed long ago by the Elder Dragon Fatalis, and its ruins, known as Old Schrade, stand as a haunting monument to the dragon's devastating power. The region retains a harsh, remote character, and Liber City sits at its northernmost edge, battered year-round by arctic winds rolling in off the Akura Ice Sea.
MONSTERS
Popo — A large, woolly herbivore resembling a mammoth, native to cold and snowy regions. Docile by nature, Popo are a staple of northern ecosystems and are commonly hunted for their thick, insulating fur. Their hides are frequently used in cold-weather clothing, bedding, and heavy curtains.