After hearing Jara's plan, Altaïr looked thoughtful, Isis wore a strange expression, and Nymera silently shot him a look as if he were something filthy.
But there was no denying that, at least in theory, Jara's plan had a decent chance of working.
Mainly because, aside from this method, it was hard to think of any other way to draw the male Lagiacrus's attention while leaving the female Lagiacrus completely indifferent.
"I think the plan is feasible, but the details need careful consideration." Altaïr raised his head. "For instance, Jara just mentioned using 'something with a strong scent' as bait. What specifically should we use, and how do we obtain it? All of that needs to be confirmed in detail.
"We should find someone familiar with Lagiacrus habits and consult them properly, so we don't end up basing this on wishful thinking."
"Would asking Az work?" Isis spoke up. "He's been hunting underwater for so many years. Lagiacrus must be an old adversary by now, so he should have a clear grasp of every aspect of their habits."
"That makes sense."
They acted immediately, and as it happened, Az's home was only a short distance away, a few minutes' walk at most.
The group practically jogged there, and when they saw Az, he was in the middle of packing his luggage.
Having fulfilled his promise to teach them, he was already itching to go deep into the Jungle, toward that "Estrellian secret area," to search for those mysterious and rare little cave fish.
Ursula did not intend to travel with him, but she said she, too, would leave Moga Village in the next few days. She wanted to take this opportunity to return to her hometown and see some old friends.
Learning that the group had come to ask for information on Lagiacrus, Az set aside the fishing gear he had been halfway through sorting and bared a mouthful of white teeth in a grin.
"Lagiacrus? Now that, I'm a real expert on. No boasting here. Saying I've hunted a hundred Lagiacrus in my lifetime would be an exaggeration, but around thirty, give or take, I've definitely taken down.
"Prime specimens at their strongest? Enormous old beasts? The rare Subspecies, especially adept at ground combat? Even a Rare Species specimen, the kind that exists only in legend and is unimaginably powerful, I've faced 'em all!"
"Look at you, showing off," Ursula said from the side, curling her lip, though she did not refute his claim of being a "Lagiacrus expert."
"What is it you want to ask? Movement habits? The telltale signs before certain powerful attacks? Surely not something like elemental weaknesses. That basic info is all in the field guides, and I can't even be bothered to answer that."
"...We do want to ask about all of that too, but maybe we'll hold off on that for a bit. What we want to ask is, uh..." Altaïr tried to organize his words.
"Once a male and female Lagiacrus have paired off and built a nest during the breeding season, if another male Lagiacrus approaches, is there a chance to break the pair apart?"
Az stared at them, baffled.
What kind of question was that? Jara hurriedly added from the side, "If you wanted to enrage a male Lagiacrus, what would be best to stimulate it with, using something from another male Lagiacrus? Blood? Urine or feces? Scales or skin flakes? Or something else?"
Az looked even more baffled.
He was even starting to wonder if these little bastards were just here to mess with him for their own amusement.
Ursula, who had been observing from the side, was quicker on the uptake. "You want to go to the big island to hunt a Lagiacrus, and you're worried about encountering a mated pair, so you want to figure out a way to separate them?"
"That's right." Altaïr nodded and told the two of them the method Jara had come up with.
As expected, Az and Ursula's expressions grew strange as well.
Afraid they would take offense, Altaïr hurriedly added, "We think taking on two Lagiacrus at once is far too dangerous. To lower the risk, we had no choice but to think of a way to separate them."
Ursula waved a hand and said with a laugh, "A weird method isn't a problem. We're Hunters, not knights. As long as it works, that's all that matters.
"Honestly, the two of us have discussed what you might do before.
"I guessed you'd find help in the village and get a few Sea People Hunters to lure one away. Anyway, it'd just be a matter of having the Third Princess submit an extra quest form.
"Az guessed you'd charge in, concentrate your strength to repel one, then figure out how to deal with the other at your leisure.
"We never expected your approach to be so... targeted."
"So, do you two think this method is feasible?" Nymera asked tentatively.
Az sat cross-legged on the ground, folded his arms, and bowed his head in thought for a moment. "It should work. You got one thing right: male and female Lagiacrus only come together to reproduce. There's no real bond between them.
"I once took a Hunt involving two Lagiacrus. We quickly dealt a severe wound to one, and the other sensed danger and left immediately. Didn't even hesitate.
"That's why I guessed you'd just charge straight in. Actually, if you split up the work properly, you might not end up being attacked by two Lagiacrus at once."
Az's answer relieved Altaïr somewhat.
Jara pressed eagerly, "So what's the best way to lure them? For land-based Monsters, they usually mark territory with urine. Is it the same for Lagiacrus?"
"No, Lagiacrus typically use their body mucus," Az explained. "Like most aquatic creatures, Lagiacrus also secrete mucus on the surface of their bodies.
"They rub this mucus onto rocks. Even underwater, the scent can last for quite a long time.
"If you can get your hands on some Lagiacrus body mucus and smear it near a Lagiacrus nest, you might actually have a chance to lure the male out."
"Mucus, huh..." Altaïr nodded. "How would we go about collecting this mucus? Scrape it directly off a Lagiacrus?"
"That could work. Or if you find traces where a Lagiacrus has marked its territory, you should be able to collect some mucus from that as well.
"The stuff's like glue. It has a very strong fishy stench, and it won't easily dissolve or disperse underwater."
"Understood." Altaïr looked at Clawdia. "Clawdia, can I leave the task of collecting mucus from a Lagiacrus to you?
"There are quite a few Lagiacrus near the atoll, but they probably won't notice a creature as small as a Felyne.
"When you get there, pick the largest, meanest-looking male Lagiacrus and scrape off as much mucus as you can, bottle it, and bring it back."
"Mucus, meow."
The disgust on Clawdia's face was plain to see, but considering it was for the sake of the coming Hunt, she nodded in agreement.
"Understood, meow. It's quite far from here to the atoll, meow. I'll need to borrow a small boat from the fishermen, meow."
"While Clawdia goes to collect the mucus, the rest of us will land on the big island today and set up at the Hunter's Camp there.
"We'll use the next day or two to scout the entire island. First, to confirm the terrain and whether any other Large Monsters are present. Second, to pinpoint the location and condition of the Lagiacrus nest and formulate a lure plan.
"Once Clawdia returns with the Lagiacrus mucus, we'll officially begin the Hunt."
The others exchanged glances, then all nodded in agreement.
"Alright, if you've finished your questions, hurry on back now. We've still gotta pack our gear." Az walked back to his own luggage and continued sorting his fishing tackle.
Altaïr shamelessly sidled up to him again. "Az, about those things you mentioned earlier, the Lagiacrus's movement habits, and the tells before certain high-power moves, could you explain in more detail?"
Az shot him a sideways glance. "I thought you lot didn't care about all that. Figured you'd forgotten already."
"No way." Altaïr pulled out his memo and a pen. "Every word of this is the invaluable experience of a legendary sea-combat Hunter, and I intend to record every single bit carefully."
"That's some fine flattery." Looking thoroughly pleased, Az scratched the stubble along his jaw. "First thing you need to remember is this: Lagiacrus are Monsters that spend most of their time underwater. Their behavior is completely different from land-based Monsters, y'know."
Altaïr scribbled rapidly. He certainly didn't consider what he'd just said to be flattery.
To Hunt a Lagiacrus successfully, he had to not only write all this down, but also make Isis and the others study it thoroughly, preferably until they could recite it from memory.
(Translated by yourtl.app)