Altaïr pressed his hands against Erik's shoulders, preparing to shove away this disgusting fellow who was willing to cling to another man just for the sake of ecological research.
Suddenly, a flash of light erupted behind them, accompanied by a crisp "click."
Twenty years ago, it might have been a rarity, but now that portable cameras were widespread, anyone who wasn't completely behind the times knew that was the sound of a camera shutter.
"Oh-ho, meow! I caught something good, meow!" A silver-furred Felyne, still wearing sunglasses, held a portable camera high in the air. "What a touching moment, meow! It looks just like two people in a passionate embrace, meow!
By the way, you must be Altaïr, meow? You wouldn't want this photo sent to Isis... no, to Isis's parents, would you, meow?"
"Who are you?" Altaïr pushed Erik aside, looking at this unfamiliar Felyne with confusion.
Wasn't this the flashy guy sunbathing at the entrance of the Guild Hall earlier?
As for the bit about "showing the photo to Isis's parents," he hadn't heard it clearly. Even if he had, he wouldn't have taken it to heart; he would have simply assumed the creature was talking nonsense, seeing no potential issue whatsoever.
Sajji, however, underwent a drastic change in expression. Seizing the moment while the Felyne was busy giving Altaïr a mischievous "Meow-hehehe" laugh, he suddenly lunged forward. He snatched the portable camera from the cat's paws, flipped open the back cover, and pulled out the film, exposing it to the light before giving it a vigorous shake.
"Phew... safe, meow," Sajji let out a long sigh of relief after completing the deed.
The silver-furred Felyne, who had been cackling just a second ago, froze in a daze. It took a long while before she blurted out, "You mother-meower?!"
"Who is this guy?" Seeing that the cat wasn't answering him, Altaïr simply asked Erik.
The Felyne had appeared right after Erik showed up, and since both of them had silver hair/fur, he subconsciously assumed there was a connection between them.
"Don't know. Seems to be named Mandragora or something. She's a real nutcase," Erik replied offhandedly.
He had a great memory, but only for ecological and biological research; as for things he didn't care about, they were forgotten in the blink of an eye.
"My meowing name is Shalan, meow! Are you a pig, meow?! How can you get both characters wrong when there are only two of them, meow!" The silver-furred Felyne jumped up in a rage, baring her fangs.
Altaïr thought about it and confirmed he hadn't heard the name before... no, that wasn't entirely true. According to what the Guild Manager had said earlier, putting the ice blocks in the Guild Hall seemed to have been the idea of a certain "Miss Shalan."
He had assumed it was a Guild staff member, but it turned out to be this Felyne?
Recalling the way the cat had set up a lounge chair to sunbathe at the Guild Hall entrance, Altaïr mentally labeled her as "hedonistic" and "neurotic."
Having no interest in further conversation, he muttered a polite "Hello" and prepared to leave with Sajji.
"Don't go yet! I've been waiting for you for days. Take me into the Jungle! We can negotiate the reward!" Erik grabbed his arm.
Shalan also spread her arms wide, blocking his path. "I'm Isis's mother's hunting partner, meow! I have questions for you, meow!" Looking at the silver-haired boy and the silver-furred Felyne blocking him from both sides, Altaïr felt a headache coming on.
He felt like he was starting to hate the color silver.
"You know how dangerous Hyper Monsters are. It isn't safe enough for me to take you into the Jungle alone. We'll talk about this after Isis gets back.
Pleading won't work. If you act recklessly, I'll write to the Professor and have you tied up and sent back to Dundorma."
With that, Altaïr pulled his arm from Erik's grasp and turned to Shalan. "You are Isis's senior?"
He didn't harbor much doubt regarding the cat's identity; after all, such things were easy to verify.
"That's right, meow! Little Isis and Francesca, I watched them both grow up from the day they were born, meow!" Shalan puffed out her chest and put her paws on her hips, sounding perfectly justified.
She doesn't just know Isis, but Senior Francesca as well? It seemed she really was an elder.
"I see. So, what is it you wanted to ask?"
"..."
Faced with Altaïr's direct gaze and blunt question, Shalan suddenly found herself at a loss for where to begin.
Seeing that the Palico named Shalan remained silent for a long moment, Altaïr remained patient and asked another question. "Or is there something you need my help with?"
What do I need him to do, meow? I just came to mess with you, meow, but I can't exactly say that, can I, meow?
Moreover, this polite yet distant manner of communication was something she wasn't very good at handling...
"No... nothing for now, meow."
"All right then. We'll be leaving now."
Altaïr nodded to her once more and walked away. Sajji, trailing beside him, even turned back to stick her tongue out and make a face at Shalan.
Shalan stood frozen on the spot.
Should she call him back and make an issue out of the camera? The problem was that she had been the one caught secretly taking photos of him first. If she tried to complain that some greenhorn Palico had seized the opportunity to ruin her negatives, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on no matter who she told; she'd probably just be mocked.
He hadn't been lacking in politeness, either. Even if she tried to complain to little Isis later, there wasn't really anything to report.
Did she just lose this round? It didn't feel like a total loss, but why did she feel so stifled?
Beside her, Erik looked equally melancholy.
He knew Altaïr's personality; the man meant exactly what he said. Pleading might work on Isis, but it was truly useless when it came to Altaïr.
If he actually annoyed the man, he really would be tied up and deported back to Dundorma.
As they watched Altaïr's retreating figure disappear, the boy and the cat stood in silence for a while.
Suddenly, Shalan spoke up. "Silver-haired brat, we need to cooperate, meow."
"How do you want to cooperate, Miss Mandragora?"
"Dammit, meow, my name is Shalan, meow!" Shalan indignantly swiped at Erik with a claw.
"Fine, I'll try to remember. Class Magnoliopsida, Order Asparagales, Family Orchidaceae, Genus Haraella, species Haraella retrocalla, Shalan, right?"
"...Right, meow." Shalan pressed her paws to her face, thinking hard before asking: "If someone wanted to designate a specific Hunter for an investigation mission, which level of your organization would the order have to come from, meow?"
Erik shook his head. "Whether it's a request from the Royal Academy, the Scriveners, or the Observation Bureau, there's no way to force it upon a Hunter.
Only in specific emergencies, for instance, when investigating an Elder Dragon, can the Hunter's Guild headquarters designate a specific high-rank Hunter to participate.
During that process, the Guild listens to the opinions of scholars to decide on the candidates, but that's limited to high-rank Hunters." "Low-rank Hunters are basically entirely free; if they don't want to participate, they don't have to."
"We can't force them, meow." Shalan fell back into thought, but before long, a devious, triumphant smile spread across her face.
"I have a plan, meow!"
"What plan?" Erik asked urgently.
"Do you know how many stars I have as a Palico, meow?"
"I think you mentioned it, but I forgot."
Shalan swatted Erik again before crossing her paws over her chest and puffing out her fur. "I am a legendary nine-star Palico, meow! An existence reigning at the very peak of the Palico pyramid, meow!
In terms of influence within the Guild, while I might not match an eight or nine-star Hunter, I'm not far off, meow! My letters can be delivered directly to His Immenseness's desk, meow!"
"Oh, wow, that's impressive." Erik clapped twice. "So? You're going to ask His Immenseness to forcibly assign Altaïr to act with us? His Immenseness wouldn't do something like that, would he?"
"Of course not, meow. But I can write a letter to the Hunter's Guild headquarters saying that I happened to be passing through the Metapetatto Jungle, felt that something was wrong, and decided to conduct a thorough investigation. The Guild will definitely approve it, meow."
"That's true. If a Palico of your level volunteers to lead an investigation, the Guild has no reason to refuse."
"But my expertise in ecology, biology, and other specialized fields isn't deep enough, meow. Wouldn't it be perfectly reasonable to request a scholar's assistance, meow?"
Hearing Shalan say this, Erik's eyes lit up, and he picked up where she left off:
"And just happens that a young scholar named Mr. Erik, who has finished his official business for the Royal Academy, is also in Metapetatto! So, the nine-star Palico Lady Shalan decides to bring along her academic accessory to act together!
That way, I can enter the Jungle and participate in the investigation!"
"And then, meow! Lady Shalan is worried that while she is focusing on the investigation, she won't have the energy to look after the safety of a fragile nerd.
So, the kind-hearted Lady Shalan decides to recruit another Hunter specifically to act as the nerd's bodyguard. This is also very reasonable, meow!
That way, I can torment that boy all day long, meow-hee-hee-hee!"
"It is reasonable, but when the Guild's documents come down, they'll only authorize the recruitment of a Hunter as a bodyguard. They won't specify that it has to be Altaïr, right?"
"That depends on how deep Altaïr's love for you goes, meow." Shalan put her paws on her hips. "He knows you're a nerd who ignores all danger once you're in the wild, meow. An average person wouldn't be able to handle you, meow.
If he doesn't go along, you might just die out there, meow. Could he really just leave you to die, meow?"
"..."
Erik finally understood Shalan's plan completely.
An investigation team centered around Shalan was his key to entering the Jungle, and he was the bait Shalan would use to lure Altaïr into coming along.
A strange, mutually beneficial relationship had been established...
But there was one thing he didn't understand. "I want to enter the Jungle for the sake of the investigation, but why are you so obsessed with bringing Altaïr into the wild?
It can't really just be to tease him, can it?
If you don't make it clear, I won't be your bait. Even though I really want to get into the Jungle, Altaïr is my friend too."
The mischievous grin on Shalan's face gradually faded, and her eyes flickered. "One can only see through a person's true nature most clearly when they are out in the wild, meow.
Even though Sophia and Amos both say he's a good kid, I still have to confirm it with my own eyes, 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.
CONCEPTS & SYSTEMS
His Immenseness — An honorific title used to refer to the supreme authority within the Hunter's Guild hierarchy. Correspondence addressed to or from His Immenseness carries the highest institutional weight in the Guild's administrative structure, making it a rare and powerful lever even for the most senior hunters and Palicos.