Standing before the entrance of the Hunter Guild Hall in Metapetatto City were a human and a cat.
Both possessed similar silver-white hair and moved in such perfect synchronization that they looked up at the grand lintel of the Guild Hall at the exact same moment.
"This is the place."
"This is the place, meow."
As they spoke, they glanced at one another, expressions filled with mutual confusion before stepping a few paces apart.
Why is this cat (human) copying me (meow)?
They both stepped forward simultaneously, heading toward the main doors of the Guild Hall.
Realizing the other also intended to enter, their pace quickened, each trying to beat the other inside.
Ultimately, the Felyne triumphed. It dropped to all fours and accelerated suddenly, darting into the Guild Hall like a streak of light. "I win, meow-hee-hee!"
The silver-haired youth sighed in resignation. He considered himself quite a fast runner, but he was clearly no match for a Felyne. He had no choice but to follow the cat inside.
As soon as he stepped through the door, he heard the silver-furred Felyne shouting, "Help, meow! A suspicious person has been following me the whole way, meow!"
The silver-haired youth froze in his tracks. He felt several unfriendly gazes land on him.
In the Tavern Area where the Hunters gathered, several helpful Hunters were already cracking their knuckles and standing up, ready to toss him out.
Sensing trouble, he hurriedly pulled a scroll of documents from his coat and held it high. "I am Erik, an Academy scholar affiliated with the Royal Academy. I have come to investigate local ecological anomalies.
The strange one is that Felyne!"
There was actually no logical connection between those two sentences, but saying them together inevitably led to certain misunderstandings.
For instance, that the Felyne might be carrying some kind of infectious disease.
The crowd's attention shifted back to the silver-furred Felyne.
The silver-furred Felyne jumped up in a rage. "You're full of meowing crap! How dare you slander me? Do you have any idea how high my Palico rank is, meow?
A beanpole like you, I could kick ten of your kind to death, meow!"
"You slandered me first," Erik shot back, refusing to back down.
"But you're suspicious, meow! You were following me, meow!"
"That's because I was heading to the Guild Hall anyway! Why don't you say you were the one following me?!"
By now, the onlookers realized it was just a misunderstanding and stopped paying attention.
Just as the pair was about to continue their argument, a voice drifted over from the Quest Counter. "You two, the Guild Hall is no place for bickering."
With the guild receptionist speaking up, the two were forced to cease their dispute. This was her territory, after all; if they kept shouting, they might get kicked out.
The guild receptionist then beckoned them over.
The silver-haired youth and the silver-furred Felyne locked eyes, and then, as if in spite of each other, they both broke into a full sprint.
The winner was once again the silver-furred Felyne. It leaped onto the Quest Counter first, turned around, and planted its paws on its hips. "You want to race me? Ridiculous! Keep dreaming, meow!
When I was kiting an Akantor around the Volcano, you hadn't even been born yet, meow!"
Erik and the guild receptionist both stared at the silver-furred Felyne in utter astonishment. They hadn't paid much attention when this fellow claimed her Palico rank was high; after all, anyone can brag.
However, mentioning the name "Akantor" gave her words a completely different level of significance.
As a powerful Monster that was among the most ancient and rare, with strength rivaling that of the Elder Dragon species, information regarding the Akantor was highly classified. It wasn't something an ordinary person could possibly know.
"Pardon my rudeness. I am Noya, the person in charge of the Metapetatto Hunter's Guild." The Guild Manager, who also worked part-time as the guild receptionist, gave a slight bow. "May I ask your name?"
The silver-furred Felyne puffed out her chest even further. "I am called Shalan, and I am the hunting partner of the 'Red Blade', meow!"
The Guild Manager's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She suddenly grabbed one of Shalan's paws and shook it vigorously. "You are a member of that hunting group?"
"That's right, meow! Now you know how amazing I am, meow!" Shalan waited for the other woman's praise.
Instead, the Guild Manager's expression suddenly turned grave. "So, does this mean that hunting group has also come to Metapetatto? Has the situation truly deteriorated to such an extent?"
"Meow?" Shalan forcefully pulled her paw back. "That's not it, meow. I'm just here on vacation, meow, and to check in on a junior, meow."
The Guild Manager finally breathed a small sigh of relief, and her gaze shifted back to Erik.
The young man had previously stated he was an Academy scholar here to investigate ecological anomalies. Noya prepared to check his documents and provide the necessary assistance to the young scholar depending on what they said.
Erik habitually handed over the scroll of documents. As Noya took the papers, her gaze finally landed on his face.
His skin was fair and delicate, his features refined and elegant, and his emerald-green eyes were so clear and bright that even she, well-traveled as she was, found herself momentarily distracted.
"Young man, are you interested in a part-time job as a guild receptionist? The benefits are excellent..." Noya blurted out.
Erik: "?"
Realizing what nonsense she had just uttered, Noya quickly cleared her throat. "Ahem, a joke. Just a joke to lighten the atmosphere."
With a dry laugh, she broke the wax seal on the documents. After scanning them quickly, she nodded. "The contents of the documents are confirmed. The Metapetatto Guild will support your actions. You can bring any requirements you have to me."
Before Erik, several investigation teams had already arrived. It wasn't just the Royal Academy; the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, the Elder Dragon Observation Team, and even the Frenzy Virus Research Institute had all sent personnel.
She had received several similar documents over the past few days.
"I see..." Erik felt that her previous look didn't seem like she was joking, but he had no desire to dwell on such trivialities.
"Currently, I am mainly responsible for information screening. I hope your Guild can provide all reports submitted by hunters over the past six months.
I will screen them for any potential anomalous information and report back to the Royal Academy."
"That is certainly no problem, but are you alone?" Noya couldn't help but glance at the young scholar. "The number of reports from the last six months is staggering.
Furthermore, we've already submitted the useful intelligence. There might not be much meaningful information left to find in the rest."
"There is no need to worry." Erik sounded quite confident. "I process information relatively quickly. Once I'm finished, I hope to enter the Jungle to conduct a field investigation."
The Professor was still in Dundorma presiding over the research on that Hyper state Duramboros, yet he refused to assign Erik to any other investigation teams, claiming those people couldn't keep him under control. He had even sent him all the way here just to handle paperwork.
In that case, I'll finish organizing the information as fast as possible and then go myself!
"You want to enter the Jungle too?" Noya looked troubled. "To be honest, the investigation teams that entered the Jungle previously have already taken several hunters with them.
Metapetatto was already short on hunters, and we still need to maintain the Guild's normal operations. I might not be able to spare any more hunters to serve as guards."
"I don't need guards! I can go by myself!"
"No, you can't."
Noya unfurled the document Erik had just handed her, opening it fully and pointing to a small line of text at the very end. "It specifically emphasizes here that you are strictly forbidden from entering the Jungle alone, unless Altaïr and Isis serve as your guards.
Uh, do you know Altaïr and the others?"
"...I do." Erik hadn't expected the Professor to add such a line at the bottom of an official document.
It completely blocked his path to free exploration!
"Meow?" Shalan, who had been squatting nearby watching the show, leaned in. "You're a friend of little Isis and that Altaïr fellow, meow?
Come here, let me ask you a few things, meow."
(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.
MONSTERS
Akantor — A colossal, wingless Monster of extreme rarity and ferocity. Though not formally classified as an Elder Dragon, its raw destructive power is considered comparable to that tier, and information concerning it is treated as highly classified by the Hunter's Guild. Its name alone carries tremendous weight among experienced hunters, and confirmed encounters are treated as catastrophic events. The claim that Shalan once kited one around a Volcano illustrates just how seasoned a hunter she truly is.