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The Felyne's lament was heartbreaking to hear and see. Sophia reached out and gently patted its back in comfort. Ethan, while sympathetic, suddenly thought of a question.
Speaking of which, a talented Hunter often has an equally talented partner. Should I be thinking about luring a Felyne to become my Palico?
"When you feel down, eat a big meal."
Ethan wasn't sure how to comfort the grieving Felyne, so he simply divided the roasted Kulu-Ya-Ku meat into small pieces and handed them to the person and the cat opposite him.
"Ah, thank you."
"Thank you, meow…"
Ethan wiped the grease from his carving knife and looked at the Felyne, asking as if casually: "Will you continue trading after this?"
"Have you ever considered changing professions to become a Palico?"
"Meow!"
Ethan's question made the Felyne involuntarily recall the terror of being chased by the Great Jagras leader. It shivered and shook its head like a rattle-drum:
"Monsters are too terrifying, meow! I definitely can't do it, meow! If I died at the hands of a monster, my family wouldn't be able to live, meow!"
Tsk, fair enough.
Ethan clicked his tongue. It was just a casual question, so he wasn't particularly disappointed.
"We'll set off after you rest for another quarter of an hour."
…
It was rare to see many large monsters in the Stream area. The Great Jagras leader was already considered the most dangerous monster one could encounter near Yukumo Village. Therefore, Ethan's escort journey was completely uneventful. They chatted simply, and without incident, they arrived at Yukumo Village—though Ethan was mostly just listening the entire time.
"I'm going to the Gathering Hall to settle my quest. What about you two?"
Ethan tightened the bundle of Jaggi materials he was carrying and turned to look at the two figures behind him.
"I need to go find the Commerce Chief to report the losses, meow… I hope I don't get fired, meow…"
Ethan silently patted the Felyne, named Buckthorn, on the back. Too miserable. He bought his own cart and Kulu-Ya-Ku, and now, after an accident, he has to worry about being fired...
"In any case, thank you for saving my life, Ethan, meow… If you ever come to Loc Lac in the future, please allow me to host you, meow… If I haven't been forced to move to the wilds by then, meow…"
"Hmm, if I get the chance to go, I will definitely come to see you."
Watching the dejected Buckthorn walk away, Ethan then looked at Sophia. Even without speaking, Sophia understood his gesture.
"As for me, I should be heading to the Royal Paleontology Research Team (Royal Scholar's Team) research station here in Yukumo Village to report in."
Ethan blinked. Sophia didn't go to the Caravaneer's Guild to be a Quest Maiden; instead, she ran off to Yukumo Village to be a Scholar... How strange…
"The Scholars' Team? Why Yukumo Village?"
Sophia gently pushed up her glasses and turned to look at the vast mountains and ravines outside the village. "Because the ecosystem near Yukumo Village is very peaceful."
She turned back to Ethan. "The headquarters of the Scholars' Team in Dundorma decided I was too young and lacked experience, so they sent me here to train myself first."
"I was actually quite upset about it at first, but now I understand they were right. Having knowledge alone without the ability to operate freely during field research only causes trouble for others."
"So, to become a qualified member of the Scholars' Team as soon as possible, I need to start working hard too!"
Ethan nodded silently. So, she's a rookie fresh out of the gate. That would place the timeline of this world a few years before the 4th generation…
But then he reconsidered. Currently, there was no sign of the Zinogre in Yukumo Village, no talk of the Amatsu's legend, and no Guild-stationed Hunter to hold down the fort. This suggested that the Portable 3rd storyline hadn't happened yet. Hiss… He didn't even know the chronological order of each game's story; the Monster Hunter timeline is really vague.
After bidding farewell to Sophia, Ethan walked toward the Gathering Hall up the mountain, lost in thought.
The moment he walked through the door, the warm, moist steam unique to the hot springs immediately enveloped him. His breathing felt a little dampened.
"Eh, Ethan? Haven't you left yet?"
Konoha popped her head out in surprise. Sasayu looked over at the sound and gave a slight bow, greeting him.
"I'm here to settle the quest."
Ethan's forehead was full of dark lines (a look of frustration). He lifted the bundle filled with Jaggi materials onto the counter. The package hitting the counter made a heavy, muffled sound.
"So fast?"
Konoha looked at Ethan in surprise, a look that secretly delighted him.
Ethan pulled out his Hunter's Notebook and pushed it across. "The materials I carved are in the package."
Konoha opened the package and seriously counted the number of fangs inside. She nodded, recorded the results of the initial certification quest, and then imprinted a star onto the cover of the notebook.
She chuckled, pushing the notebook and the package back. She then took a money pouch from under the counter, counted the amount, and placed it beside the package.
"Congratulations! From today onward, you are a one-star Hunter!"
"I feel like I'm watching a rising Hunter star. You need to keep up the good work!"
Ethan grinned. "I'll take that as a good omen."
Then, as if he remembered something, he said, "Oh, right, I need to submit an observation report."
"Eh?"
"The Great Jagras leader individual. Over nine meters long, with a tendency to attack humans…"
Ethan paused, remembering how he slammed it with a Super Discharge and the angry roar he heard from afar. He revised his description.
"Its distinguishing feature is a half-meter-long wound on its head, and there is a high probability that it will actively attack humans."
Konoha immediately became serious. "Are you certain? If it's truly an individual harboring hatred toward humans, the Guild must issue a subjugation quest immediately, and an Urgent Quest at that."
Ethan reached up to scratch his head, his hand touching his Yukumo hat.
"I should think so… Even if it didn't hate humans before, it definitely hates them now…"
"Ah?"
Konoha looked confused. What did he mean?
"That thing tried to attack a passing member of the Scholars' Team. During the fight, when I was covering her retreat, I injured it. Judging by its roar, it must really despise humans now."
"I see… Fighting to save someone, well, there's no helping that…"
"I will report the Great Jagras leader situation. Is the Scholars' Team member alright?"
Ethan lowered his hand from his hat and rubbed his cheek instead. "Apart from being a little startled, she's fine… Hmm, I mean, she should have been startled, right?"
By the end, Ethan wasn't even sure himself, given that Sophia is notoriously monster-obsessed. It was hard to say whether she was actually scared.
Bidding farewell to the Quest Maiden who rushed off to report to her superior, Ethan stretched. He stored his weapon and armor in the nearby changing room, put on the special swim shorts for the bathhouse, quickly washed off the sweat, and then settled into the hot spring pool with a groan of pleasure.
"Ah! There's nothing better than soaking in a hot spring after hard work…"
Especially since the Gathering Hall's hot spring water is the highest quality in the village, and it's completely free as one of the benefits for Hunters. That made it even better…
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