Shut up!

Gordon stopped arguing with Amos. He knew better than to be ungrateful.

Once he learned of the King Shakalaka's existence, it took only a little thought to realize that the "extra support" Amos had mentioned when volunteering to join the quest had merely been an excuse.

With his strength as a High-Rank Hunter, why would he need anyone's support while taking Hayata on ordinary one- or two-star quests?

Clearly, he had spotted the danger hidden in this quest and come along specifically to "support" Gordon.

"Whatever the case, thank you for looking out for me."

After a moment's hesitation, Gordon decided to say it plainly and acknowledge the favor.

Amos smiled without denying it. Fortunately, the youngster wasn't some stubborn hothead. As long as he could listen to advice, that was good enough.

"We'll search westward instead of going any deeper. If those Shakalaka refuse to show themselves, we'll withdraw from this tribe's territory first.

"We still have plenty of time left for the quest. At worst, we can pick another target later. There's no need to fixate on one tribe and fight to the bitter end."

Gordon nodded.

He still felt there was no real need to change their plans over such a tiny possibility, but out of respect for Amos, he would agree not to venture any deeper.

With their route decided, Gordon set off first, taking the lead to clear the way.

Amos continued his lessons, using practical demonstrations to teach Hayata how to find her bearings in the dense forest, locate water sources, and so on.

Long after the group departed, peace returned to the forest. Only a few Shakalaka corpses remained on the ground, their bloody stench spreading freely and attracting countless mosquitoes and flies.

Rustle, rustle.

Amid the scraping of branches and grass, several small figures emerged from the low bushes in the forest.

They were Shakalaka.

"Kaba-cha!"

"Kacha."

"Gaga-kabaya!"

The bodies of their kin sent the Shakalaka into a frenzy. Their crude, primitive language echoed through the forest in a noisy jumble, but just as their arguing grew more heated, the appearance of a figure silenced them all.

He stepped out from the dark shadows of the trees, into daylight turned dusky yellow by the layers of leaves overhead.

He, too, was a Shakalaka.

Just as gaunt and hunched, with gray-green skin and shriveled limbs that looked weak, he seemed no different from an ordinary Shakalaka apart from being slightly taller.

Yet he was the ruler of every Shakalaka across more than a hundred square kilometers-the King Shakalaka.

As the King Shakalaka approached, the others, who had been arguing endlessly just moments before, bowed low and cautiously stepped aside to clear a path.

"Kacha."

The King Shakalaka walked over to the bodies and muttered something under his breath. Then he raised the scepter carved from some unknown beast's bone high overhead and let out a shrill howl.

"Gagaya!"

Like a spark dropped into gunpowder, the Shakalaka gathered around him raised their weapons as well, their fanatical howls ringing through the forested hills.

"Gaga-kabaya!"

After wandering around the edges of the Shakalaka territory for quite some time, Gordon and the others had encountered no more Shakalaka.

With no progress on the quest, Gordon was naturally a little disappointed, and a little bored. But he knew that hunting was like this.

Hunters often spent several times longer searching for and tracking their prey than fighting it. That was precisely why they were called "monster hunters," rather than "monster killers" or something of the sort.

Hayata, however, felt that her day had been more fulfilling than ever before-or rather, a little too fulfilling.

Amos seemed determined to cram everything into her head at once, one piece of knowledge after another. She had no idea how much she would still remember after a night's sleep.

"Hayata, look at this kind of fern. Its stems are unusual-they only grow toward the sun. Sometimes you can use them to find your bearings. Have you remembered that?"

"Blue ferns... ugh... y-yes, I have."

Seeing that his pupil's eyes were practically spinning, Amos had no choice but to stop and sigh silently.

It wasn't that he lacked patience. He genuinely had limited time. Although the guildmaster had granted him leave, as a High-Rank Hunter, he couldn't truly set aside an entire year or two to teach a pupil.

He had to help Hayata develop as quickly as possible, at least until she could enter a novice hunting ground alone and hunt things like Aptonoth.

That way, even if he was called up for a high-rank quest, Hayata could practice on her own and gradually gain experience, rather than wasting too much time and letting her talent go to waste.

Just as Amos was debating whether to harden his heart and make Hayata memorize a little more, Gordon came sneaking back from up ahead.

"Mr. Amos, there's a Mushroom Pig up ahead. Heh heh."

Seeing Gordon's broad grin, Amos gave a somewhat helpless chuckle. Hayata still looked puzzled, so he explained, "The lad's craving some grilled meat."

"You can grill meat in a hunting ground?" Hayata asked in surprise.

She had always thought hunting was an extremely dangerous, tense activity that required keeping your nerves taut the entire time.

"Of course. I always carry a Portable Barbecue Grill."

Gordon patted the pack at his lower back, then winked at Hayata. "As long as there aren't any monsters nearby, you can grill meat. It really does perk you up much more than those blasted Rations."

Still a little doubtful, Hayata looked at Amos. He nodded and said, "Hunters aren't as relaxed in a hunting ground as they would be on vacation, but they don't stay overly tense either. Otherwise, they'd soon become mentally exhausted.

"Grilling meat, gathering, and fishing are all things hunters do regularly. Of course, you have to make sure the surroundings are safe first."

"There's a Mushroom Pig up ahead rooting around for lichen to eat. They're a real delicacy, and you don't get many chances to eat them in town. Oh, right, I don't think Hayata's drawn blood today. Why don't you go slaughter it?"

Gordon delivered those scalp-tingling words with a perfectly cheerful expression.

Although she had already prepared herself to take lives when she decided to become a hunter, she had never so much as killed a fish before. Faced with the actual task, she couldn't help hesitating.

"Hmm, it really is a good opportunity. You'll have to draw blood sooner or later." Amos folded his arms, looking thoroughly in agreement.

"Aptonoth are too large to kill easily, and Kelbi are too nimble. Of the animals around here that are safe to hunt for meat, Mushroom Pigs are the best choice.

"Hayata, give it a try. Slit its throat, or find a way to knock it down and thrust your knife into its belly near the flank. They aren't particularly aggressive. It's not dangerous."

Hayata looked at her teacher, then at her senior, who was only a few years older than her. The corner of her eye twitched.

Compared with ordinary people, hunters seemed much more casual about "slaughtering something."

But I'm about to become one of them myself, aren't I?

Swallowing hard, Hayata fought down her unease and nausea, raised her Small Round Shield, and gripped her Hunter's Knife. Step by cautious step, she approached the thicket where the Mushroom Pig stood.

"Is all that really necessary? It's just a Mushroom Pig, not a Bullfango King..." Gordon muttered, somewhat at a loss.

"Shut up!"

Hayata turned back and snapped at him, her cheeks puffed with indignation.