During Gordon's recovery, the instructor had been thinking about one thing.
It was time for the kid to change weapons.
The instructor had long known that the Sword and Shield did not suit Gordon. So why had he insisted on having Gordon use it for training?
Simply because, until a novice hunter had finished training and developed his skills, the Sword and Shield was the best weapon for staying alive! That lightweight little round shield was just too useful.
In fact, there were more than ten types of hunter weapons with fully developed fighting styles.
He set aside Light Bowguns, Heavy Bowguns, and Bows for now. For one thing, he did not know how to use them himself and could not teach Gordon. For another, Gordon had already said he had no interest in ranged weapons. Close combat was a man's romance.
As for melee weapons...
The Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, and Long Sword favored agility, requiring hunters to attack monsters quickly and precisely.
The Lance and Gunlance favored steady, defensive fighting and often required support from teammates.
The Great Sword and Hammer delivered heavy, powerful blows that could decide a fight in a single strike.
As for the Hunting Horn, forget it. The kid was tone-deaf, without a shred of musical talent.
The Insect Glaive and Switch Axe, developed only within the past two years, as well as the Charge Blade, which was still experimental and not yet technically mature, were clearly even less suitable for a beginner.
What was Gordon's greatest advantage? Without a doubt, his strength.
The instructor had never questioned that.
What other kid trained with a millstone in his teens? Gordon was the only one he had ever seen. Calling him naturally gifted with immense strength was no figure of speech. It was a fact.
Could an ordinary teenager pick up an enormous, hundred-kilogram tusk and bludgeon a Bullfango King to death with it?
Combined with Gordon's burly build-over a hundred and eighty centimeters tall and still growing-the weapon that suited him best should, in theory, be one of four: the Great Sword, Hammer, Lance, or Gunlance.
They were all heavy weapons that needed strength to unleash their full power.
Which one he ultimately chose would have to depend on Gordon himself.
When the instructor found Gordon, he was doing rehabilitation exercises.
The instructor had always been pleased with Gordon's dedication. A lazy fellow with nothing but talent had no future. Only hard work could take someone to the top.
"Gordon, first, congratulations again. Having successfully completed your assessment quest, you're now a true hunter."
At that, Gordon was about to speak, his face brimming with excitement, but the instructor raised a hand to stop him.
"You've probably noticed it yourself. The Sword and Shield doesn't suit you. It can't make full use of your build and strength."
Gordon nodded, looking a little stunned.
He treasured his Hunter's Knife. He had even carefully gathered the fragments that had broken off during his fight with the Bullfango King and kept them as mementos.
But during that fight, he had indeed felt the awkwardness of being unable to put his strength to use.
"In my experience, the Lance, Gunlance, Great Sword, and Hammer are the four heavy weapons best suited to you. They can make better use of your strength, too.
"Of course, that's only my personal judgment.
"Choosing the right weapon will directly affect your entire career as a hunter. The final decision has to be yours."
The instructor's expression was solemn, and Gordon could not help growing serious as well.
"Instructor Ernest, I've thought about this too, but I've never used any weapon other than the Sword and Shield. How am I supposed to judge?"
The instructor folded his arms and nodded. "Come with me. We'll go to the training ground."
The so-called training ground was little more than a clearing with a few thick wooden posts, located in the hills behind the village.
As Kokoto Village's only apprentice hunter-or rather, former apprentice hunter-having a space like this to train in was already quite a luxury.
Various weapons rested on the training ground's weapon rack.
They were all training implements made from crude iron and had not even been sharpened. Other than being sturdy and durable, they had no merits whatsoever.
After listening to the instructor's detailed explanations and analysis on the way over, Gordon narrowed his choices down to four weapons.
The Long Sword, Dual Blades, Great Sword, and Hammer.
He had ruled out the supposedly more suitable Lance and Gunlance early on. A slow, steady, turtle-like approach to combat did not fit his style.
He preferred taking the offensive.
Gordon picked up the Dual Blades first. After a few haphazard swings, he nearly sliced his own head and sheepishly put them down.
It was not just a matter of proficiency. Using Dual Blades demanded exceptional coordination and flexibility. The Blade Dance, the core of their moveset, unleashed a dozen or even several dozen slashes in a short span of time.
For Gordon, who could barely reach the middle of his back when he put his hands behind him, that was almost impossible.
Ruled out!
Next, he picked up the Long Sword.
The slender weapon was as tall as a person but not particularly heavy. Yet swinging it gave him a distinct sense of power, swift and fierce without sacrificing agility. He was very interested.
At least it felt much more comfortable than the Sword and Shield. He would keep it as an option for now.
The third weapon he tried was the Hammer.
To be honest, he did not much like the Hammer's shape. It always struck him as a little clumsy-looking, yet he also had a particular fondness for it.
The reason for that fondness was simple: the weapon Instructor Ernest specialized in was the Hammer.
He swung it, smashed it down, then gripped the handle and spun like a whirlwind with his feet as the pivot for several turns before putting it back on the rack.
How should he put it? It felt powerful, but it was not very natural to use. It felt worse in his hands than the Long Sword. If he had to choose between the two, he would pick the Long Sword.
The last weapon he tried was the Great Sword.
The instant he picked it up, he instinctively exerted both arms and lifted it.
Its heavy, solid feel could not help reminding him of that enormous tusk.
The weapon was a little shorter than the Long Sword, but many times broader and thicker, and far heavier. To someone else, that extra weight might have been a burden.
To him, however, the weight was reassuring.
Without being taught, he stepped his left foot half a pace forward, rested the Great Sword on his right shoulder, and shifted his weight back, adopting a shouldering stance.
As he held that stance, an indescribable power gathered and built within him, until he could no longer bear not to release it.
"Haaah!"
He stepped forward with his right foot. Driven by that power, the heavy Great Sword on his shoulder came cleaving down with the force to cut through anything, smashing the wooden weapon rack before him to pieces.
"Uh, sorry, Instructor! I'll fix it!" Gordon did not know why he had slashed the weapon rack, but judging by the instructor's expression, he did not seem angry at all.
Instead, there was a trace of excitement mixed with the satisfaction on his face.
"It's fine." The instructor smiled and waved a hand. "Want to try the Long Sword again?"
"No need. I'm going with the Great Sword!" Gordon grinned. He loved its heavy feel and the sense that it could cleave through anything.
He had a feeling that, after wielding a Great Sword, any other weapon would feel terribly awkward.
"Um, Instructor, could you lend me this Great Sword for now?"
Gordon shamelessly asked, "As you know, my Hunter's Knife was destroyed, and I don't have another weapon at the moment..."
"No!" The instructor immediately turned stern.
"As a hunter, there are several principles you must never violate.
"One of them is that a hunter's weapons and armor must be forged from materials the hunter obtained himself. Giving or lending weapons and materials is strictly forbidden!"
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