After hearing Nymera explain herself, Altaïr and the others finally understood what she had been thinking.
"If you're only going home to train for a while, why did you look so hesitant and guilty earlier?" Altaïr asked helplessly. "Couldn't you have just told us outright?"
Nymera tilted her head. Now that the serious matter was out of the way and she had relaxed, she dropped her overly formal manner of speech. "Everyone has only just reached High Rank. You must have plenty to keep you busy, so shouldn't I feel guilty for leaving at a time like this?"
"Oh, that's nothing serious!" Overcome with emotion, Isis drained an entire glass of beer in one gulp. "Make sure you write to us often! Send your letters to Dundorma. We'll write back just as often!"
"Of course." Nymera smiled. "I'll send some tea and pastries that keep well, too."
"Send plenty!"
The somber mood dissolved completely. Even Nymera, who was not much of a drinker, managed to force down half a glass before asking with flushed cheeks, "Oh, by the way, Isis, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"
"Oh, right! I nearly forgot!" Isis's expression turned serious. "Gael and Master Amos told me that after our promotion to High Rank, the Guild won't assign us any quests for about two months.
"After that, all kinds of difficult assignments will start coming in. We need to use what little time we have left to finish upgrading our equipment.
"I'm planning to Hunt a Kuarusepu on my own, both to test my strength and to use its materials for new gear!"
Altaïr shot Isis a discreet glance.
"Hunt one on your own?" Although Nymera had never heard of a Monster called Kuarusepu, she could guess it was a 6★ Monster.
"That's right. We were specially promoted without having to complete an assessment quest, so I'll treat this as an assessment of my own!" Isis wiped the foam from her lips.
"I see." Nymera looked thoughtful. "It seems I'll have plenty to keep me busy back home besides training."
Farewell drinks were rarely cheerful and usually did not last long. But once this gathering turned into a celebration midway through, there was no harm in staying for a few more rounds.
—--
The moon stood high in the sky when Nymera stepped lightly onto the long flagstone path outside the Gathering Hall.
She turned around.
At the Gathering Hall entrance, Altaïr stood with his arms crossed and raised his chin toward her as though to say, "Safe travels." Beside him, Isis held one arm high like a flagpole and waved vigorously.
Sajji and Clawdia bounced up and down as they waved their little paws.
Walking backward, Nymera cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "I'll catch up with you as soon as I can!"
With that, she vaulted onto Hibiki's back. The Palamute loosed a long howl, broke into a swift gallop, and carried her out of sight at the end of the road.
—--
"The wine is gone, and the night lies still. With a light pack, I journey home... Hmm..."
Nymera set aside her ink brush and tucked the wooden plaque bearing those two short lines into her clothes. "I'll write the rest when we meet again."
—--
"Boohoo... I don't want Nymera to go!"
"All right, all right. She's only going home to train for a while. It's not as though she's never coming back."
"She said it would be at least half a year..."
As they left the People's Tavern, Isis wrapped both arms around Altaïr's shoulders and let her feet drag as she sagged sideways against him, wailing all the while. Anyone watching would have assumed she was drunk.
But Altaïr knew just how absurdly high her tolerance was. A few glasses of beer would not even make her tipsy, and stronger liquor would fare little better.
Isis was hardly a petite, delicate girl to begin with, and she was still wearing her heavy armor.
When she "performed" a move that should have seemed affectionate or teasing... well, how could he put it?
With Isis hanging from his side, armor and all, Altaïr could barely remain standing.
Left with no choice, he grabbed her arm and forcibly adjusted his stance, shifting her from his side to his back until it looked as though he were giving her a piggyback ride.
At least, it did if one ignored the two long legs dragging along the ground.
Actually lifting her all the way was possible when she wore casual clothes, provided she cooperated by tucking up her legs. In armor, forget it. She had to weigh at least two hundred kilograms...
Along the way, Isis stopped wailing and fell silent, as though lost in thought.
That lightened Altaïr's burden a little. By the time he had half-carried, half-dragged her to her front door, he felt as though he had just finished a fitness drill, and his breathing had grown ragged.
"Get off. Master Amos will scold you if he sees this." When Isis still refused to let go, Altaïr reluctantly began prying at her arms.
Why did she seem clingier than before? Was it the alcohol?
Isis released him and stood upright, her expression still melancholy.
Altaïr gave her another look and finally understood.
For all their laughter and joking at the tavern, they had merely been trying to keep the farewell from becoming too sentimental.
Her behavior had not been clinginess or teasing. She simply could not get drunk, so she had acted the part to vent her frustration.
"I've decided." Isis sniffled. "I'm going to Hunt the Kuarusepu alone."
Altaïr frowned. "You're not actually drunk, so what's gotten into you all of a sudden?
"I understand that you said all that to reassure Nymera and let her leave without feeling guilty, but did you really mean it?"
Naturally, he opposed letting Isis Hunt the Kuarusepu alone. Whether she was capable of doing it was one question; whether there was any reason to take such a risk was another.
When a fellow Hunter needed rescuing or a city and its people needed defending, stepping forward despite the danger was a Hunter's duty.
But Isis's desire to Hunt the Kuarusepu alone clearly came from a more emotional place, making it a pointless risk in his eyes.
"I'm perfectly sober." Isis shook her head. "When was the last time you Hunted alone?
"I don't mean a Monster you could defeat easily. I mean a powerful opponent that might still beat you even if you gave it everything you had."
Altaïr thought for a moment. "That aberrant Taikun Zamuza, over a month ago?"
"For me, it was over a year ago, when I Hunted the Tigerstripe Zamtrios for my promotion to 5★." Isis's voice grew serious.
"Together, the two of us can Hunt an Espinas. A Kuarusepu is far less aggressive, so it shouldn't be too dangerous. If Nymera joined us, the fight would become even easier.
"But what I want to know is whether I truly have the strength to be promoted to 6★. Or can I do nothing without my companions' help?
"There will always be times when my companions aren't around for one reason or another, just as none of us were there when you Hunted that Taikun Zamuza.
"If you hadn't been strong enough, what would have happened?"
There was one more thing she did not say.
What if one of her companions fell? Would she be strong enough to handle everything alone and bring them both out of danger?
Her voice was low. Beneath the dim light spilling from the windows, the two seemed to be whispering, belying the gravity of their discussion.
Altaïr frowned. "I understand wanting to test your own strength, but you still have to consider the risk. You can do that once you've finished upgrading your equipment.
"Didn't you Hunt the Tigerstripe Zamtrios only after upgrading to your Lagiacrus gear? Against a completely unfamiliar Monster like the Kuarusepu, you should at least have someone backing you up–"
"Then it wouldn't be a real test!" Isis raised her voice, beginning to sound agitated.
At that moment, her front door opened from within.
Amos stood behind it, his weathered face thunderous. "How long are you two planning to stand out here?"
Altaïr: "..."
"..."
"And didn't I tell both of you to come home for dinner? Instead, you stayed out drinking until now?"
* * *
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