Running through the Forest

Just as Amos had said, Gordon had examined the grass roots and soil to determine whether it had rained in the past day or two.

Now that he had a definite answer, he had a general direction for his search.

Like Great Bullfango, Shakalaka loved mushrooms. Unlike the former, which only knew how to eat them, these cunning little creatures put mushrooms to a much wider range of uses.

Gordon had personally seen a Shakalaka use a huge mushroom cap as a broad-brimmed hat, disguising itself to ambush a passing Kelbi.

According to Instructor Ernest, some larger Shakalaka tribes had even mastered the technique of combining nitroshrooms and fire herbs into gunpowder, allowing them to develop "firearms."

Fortunately, these "high-tech" Shakalaka had only been discovered in the New World so far. For now, he did not have to worry about a Cha-Cha (Shakalaka) suddenly jumping out of the bushes and shoving a barrel bomb in his face.

In any case, mushrooms of every kind held considerable appeal for Shakalaka.

Gordon decided to first find somewhere suited to mushroom growth, search specifically for signs of Shakalaka, then follow their tracks to hunt them down.

The vegetation on the outskirts of the Metabe Forest was much like that of the Schrade Hills. Gordon had plenty of experience finding places where mushrooms would grow in this sort of environment.

Along the way, he carefully observed the growth of the woodland plants, the density of the shade, and the distribution of water. Before long, beside a small pool in the forest, he found a fallen, rotting log covered in a large patch of specialty mushrooms.

Honestly, if he had not known Amos and Hayata were following close behind, and if his youthful pride had not gotten in the way, he would have cheered, rushed over, and harvested the lot.

Setting those slightly embarrassing thoughts aside, Gordon told Porkchop to keep watch, then approached the log for a closer look.

After just a couple of glances, Gordon clenched his fist in excitement.

This patch of specialty mushrooms had clearly been "visited"!

The mushroom-covered log sat high enough that animals such as Great Bullfango and Mushroom Pigs would have had trouble reaching it. These marks also differed from the mess those gluttons left after feeding. Many of the mushrooms had been cut off cleanly at the base.

In other words, they had been "harvested"!

Gordon leaned closer, squinting as he searched carefully. Soon, he found several tiny footprints in the moss clinging to the log and the soil around it.

The footprints were only as large as two fingers held together. Their shape somewhat resembled a human foot, but they had no toes.

Gordon was certain these were Shakalaka tracks!

He crouched, gently brushing his fingertips over the soil at the edge of a footprint, then picked up a little and rubbed it between his fingers.

"Still fairly fresh. Probably left sometime last night."

Following the footprints a little farther, he soon found a narrow game trail that would have been easy to miss without a deliberate search-a natural path where the vegetation had thinned from frequent passage by small and medium-sized creatures.

The trail wound onward in broken stretches, eventually leading deeper into the forest.

Gordon glanced back and found Amos watching him from a dozen or so meters away. Their eyes met, and when Amos gave a slight nod, Gordon put his worries aside.

With an expert backing me up, what was there to worry about?

"Let's go, Porkchop. Keep an ear and a nose out."

"Meow!"

Behind them, Hayata struggled to keep up, her little face drawn with distress.

This was her first time traveling through a dense forest full of thick foliage, vines, and fallen leaves.

Amos merely followed beside her at an unhurried pace, offering no additional help. If she wanted to become a hunter, she would have to get used to all of this.

At a time like this, the advantages of the Hunter armor set, that "special beginner equipment," became apparent.

It was light enough while still offering the most basic protection.

The stiff leather greaves protected her ankles and knees well, helping prevent sprains. The sharp grass and thorns among the bushes could not penetrate the armor and leave her covered in cuts, either.

Of course, a few bloody scratches on her exposed cheeks were unavoidable.

"M-Master Amos, how much farther is it...?"

After forcing herself onward for quite some time, Hayata finally reached her limit. She braced both hands on her knees and gasped for breath.

Breathing as easily as if he were strolling through a garden, Amos glanced at her flushed cheeks, then surveyed their surroundings. He put his fingers in his mouth and gave a loud, short whistle.

Gordon, who had been pressing ahead a short distance in front of them, stopped immediately and turned to look.

Amos lowered his palm toward him, signaling a rest. Gordon paused, then rubbed the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.

Having never hunted in a team before, he lacked a sense of coordination.

True, Hayata was nothing more than "dead weight" in their party this time, but similar problems often arose when fellow hunters went on hunts together.

Could a Dual Blades user carrying a pair of lightweight blades weighing only a few kilograms expend stamina at the same rate as a Gunlance user hauling a tower shield and a Gunlance with a combined weight of over a hundred kilograms?

Keeping constant track of his companions' condition was another essential part of hunting together.

"Sorry."

Gordon had barely begun his apology when Amos waved it aside. "It's fine. I didn't stop you just because Hayata needed to catch her breath.

"We've already entered Shakalaka territory. They should show themselves soon. There might even be a patrol watching us from hiding right now.

"Take a moment to recover and get ready for a fight."

Amos's words were meant not only for Gordon, but for Hayata as well.

Suddenly tense, the girl immediately drew the Hunter's Knife tucked horizontally behind her waist and raised the round shield in her right hand before her chest. She looked around, poised to fight for her life at any moment.

Gordon and the others were much more composed. They checked their weapons' edges, made sure their armor straps were secure, and drank a little water. With that, their preparations were complete.

Only their searching eyes and the occasional faint twitch of their ears revealed how intensely they were concentrating.

"They're here. Two of them."

Amos abruptly turned his gaze in one direction. Rather than draw his weapon, he took hold of Hayata's collar from behind and began retreating.

Several more seconds passed before Gordon pinpointed the sounds coming from that spot.

There was the rustle of branches and leaves being pushed aside, accompanied by strange, shrill cries.

"Gagaya!"

"Jabakagaga!"

Gordon reached for the sword hilt behind his shoulder, fixing his eyes on the gently shaking bushes. The moment two short figures leaped out one after the other, he swung the Great Sword off his back in a decisive downward slash.

Whoosh!

His preemptive strike missed. The Buster Sword's heavy, hooked tip sank into the soil and seemed unlikely to come free immediately.

Watching from behind, Hayata could not help letting out a startled cry.

Only then did she get a clear look at the two figures that had dodged Gordon's downward slash.

They were small humanoid creatures about sixty centimeters tall, with scrawny bodies and mottled gray-green skin that brought moss-covered limestone to mind.

Their helmets, seemingly made from the shells of some large tree fruit, were covered in bizarre patterns. Nearly half the size of their bodies, these helmets-or masks-completely concealed their heads and were the very reason for their species' name.

Shakalaka.