Chief Gathering Officer

"Someone wants to bring a shipment of insects through the east gate, but the Guild Knights stopped them because there are too many, meow!"

The Felyne messenger called out the news.

"Too many... probably a merchant association bought them up in various places and brought them into town to sell, right? Why notify the Kinsect Research Institute?"

Sara expressed his confusion.

"They aren't from a merchant association, meow. They specifically said they were the Kinsect Research Institute's dedicated gatherer!"

"Li Le!"

Sara and Holo spoke in unison.

"A quantity of live insect materials this large can't be brought into town freely, meow. The Guild Knights asked me to notify you, Director, so you could go verify it."

"All right, all right. Thank you, little Felyne. We'll head over right away."

With that, Sara and Holo hurried toward the east gate.

Several Guild Knights in heavy armor, holding conical lances, stood ramrod straight in two rows before the gate.

Outside the gate, off to one side, an enormous, rounded insect-silk net bag drew everyone's attention.

Scritch, scritch~ scritch, scritch~...

The densely packed sound of insect wings rubbing and scraping together set the surrounding onlookers' teeth on edge.

Beneath the enormous "insect ball," the comparatively small Ahtal-Ka supported it on her back, resting on the ground with her legs stretched out.

Sitting on a small wooden stool in front of her, Li Le looked at the insect request list in his hands with hesitation.

"There's no way to count all these..."

"Li Le!"

Hearing two familiar calls, Li Le looked up.

"It's the director and Holo. Get up, Ahtal-Ka. We'll be able to enter town soon!"

Four insect legs drew inward, and the "insect ball" rose.

Ahtal-Ka had no trouble supporting the "insect ball," despite its size being vastly out of proportion to her own.

The imposing knight captain, who stood over two meters tall, ran over to Sara, greeted him respectfully, then began discussing the matter.

He explained how serious the consequences would be if so many insects were improperly stored and escaped in Dondorma.

Sara expressed his understanding, then explicitly agreed to take responsibility for the insects.

After he signed a document, the Guild Knights lined up on either side stepped back, clearing the road through the gate.

"Thanks for the stool, Captain."

"You're welcome."

After returning the stool, Li Le began guiding Ahtal-Ka into town.

"I'm relieved to see you back safely, but this quantity... that insect-silk bag is strong enough, right? I signed an agreement with the Guild, you know."

Sara looked at the "insect ball" and asked somewhat nervously.

If it burst open along the way, Dondorma would certainly become lively.

"Don't worry, Director. It should be fine."

"Should... Holo, let's go ahead and direct the residents. We'll try to clear the road as much as possible. That should make this faster."

That night, thin clouds and sparse stars dotted the sky.

With everyone at the Kinsect Research Institute working together, the "insect ball" finally reached the institute.

"We need to sort them and put them in cages as soon as possible. I'm afraid we won't be resting tonight. Holo, go to the Felyne Agency and hire as many Felynes as you can to help."

"Yes, Director!"

Holo hurried off.

"I never imagined I'd be anxious because I had too many Kinsects one day..."

Sara sighed.

"Director, does choosing a hunting weapon have something to do with height and build, too?"

Li Le asked.

"Seeing the Guild Knights using lances gave you that idea, didn't it?"

"That's right."

"It does. Someone too small and thin will find it difficult to handle heavy hunting weapons like lances and gunlances. Conversely, someone too tall and muscular will also struggle to master the Insect Glaive and dual blades."

"What if they insist on trying?"

Li Le asked curiously.

"If they're quick learners, it's not as though they won't be able to learn or improve at all. But once they actually go hunting, many drawbacks will become apparent."

"I see."

Li Le understood.

Of course, you could break convention and choose a hunting weapon you liked regardless of your build.

But when fighting monsters to the death, you alone would have to bear the disadvantages of that mismatched combination.

After putting up a shade canopy, Li Le lay down on the ground.

Three consecutive days of running around catching insects in the wild had left him utterly exhausted.

Ahtal-Ka was the same. After unloading the "insect ball," she went over to the little lean-to and lay down.

Human and insect drifted off to sleep.

Chirp, chirp~

Birdsong sounded.

Li Le opened his eyes to broad daylight.

He saw a pale pink quilt patterned with beetles covering him.

He guessed Holo must have given it to him.

He got up and looked toward the Kinsect Research Institute's two-story building.

There was no empty space left on either the eaves or the walls. Every inch was hung with insect cages.

At the same time, large numbers of insect cages were piled like little mountains on both sides.

Snore-meow~ snore-meow~...

Dozens of Felynes lay sprawled every which way on the ground by the entrance, snoring as they slept.

"The director and Holo are so efficient..."

Li Le had barely finished muttering when Holo emerged from the institute carrying a barbecue spit, heavy dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Li Bug... no, Li Le! Good morning."

Seeing everything as insects, Holo shook her head and corrected herself.

"Thanks for the quilt."

"You're welcome. I tucked the 8,000z reward for reporting a new species under your stone pillow. Remember to come have breakfast in a bit."

Before long, the wafting aroma of roasting meat woke the hired Felynes.

The weary cats gathered around the long table and dug in alongside Li Le.

Inside the laboratory.

Director Sara sat on a bench, one eye ringed blue and the other black.

He looked at the report tallying the insects received this time, his face troubled.

The price Li Le quoted certainly wouldn't be as unscrupulous as a merchant association's.

But with this sheer quantity, the Kinsect Research Institute's meager budget simply couldn't cover the payment.

"Director Sara, there are too many Kinsects to feed and raise every day. We're terribly short-staffed. We should keep some of the short-term Felyne hires on long-term."

Holo came in and explained the situation.

"Hmm..."

Sara rubbed his chin, looking hesitant.

"For some reason, a lot of the rearing feed is missing, too. We'll need to buy a large amount."

"Hmm..."

"Oh, and we're running dangerously low on insect cages."

"I understand, Holo... do you think the Guild would still let me accept hunting contracts now?"

"Wha... don't joke, Director! Even the Plesioth armor you wore in your prime doesn't fit you anymore! And what if you run into danger?"

"It'll be fine. I'll only accept hunting contracts below three stars, and I'll hire a proper Felyne wilderness rescue team. As for the armor... I can have the smithy reforge it a little smaller."

Sara looked unwilling to admit defeat.

"Uh... but reforging it to a smaller size would cost quite a bit, too."

At Holo's reminder, Sara finally had nothing left to say.

"Sigh. We'll have to discuss it with Li Le. But he's only been working at the Kinsect Research Institute for three days. It's a little hard to bring up."

"Don't worry, Director. Li Le is a good person. I'll go get him."

Before long, Li Le arrived in the laboratory, which was hung with rare insect specimens.

"Have a seat, Li Le. I have good news."

"What is it, Director?"

"In recognition of your outstanding performance in catching insects, I'm promoting you to chief gathering officer of the Kinsect Research Institute."

"I've been promoted..."

As Li Le smiled, the corners of his mouth suddenly stiffened.

"Is there any difference between chief gathering officer and gatherer?"

"Of course. For example... for example, any gathering Palicoes the institute hires for fieldwork in the future will all be under your command."

"That sounds good. Thank you for the promotion, Director."

"Good, isn't it? Haha."

"Oh, Director, would it be convenient to settle the payment for the insects I caught this time?"

This time, it was Sara's smile that froze.

"Well... to be honest, my current budget is nowhere near enough to pay for this insect purchase. If I forced the payment through, the institute would have to stop operating."

"It's all right, Director. When you planned Ahtal-Ka's development, you weren't going to charge me, and you even arranged a job for me. You also volunteered to take responsibility for the risks of transporting the insects into town."

"In short, as chief gathering officer, I'm willing to weather this difficulty together with the Kinsect Research Institute."

"Li Le..."

Sara rose excitedly and clasped Li Le's hand.

"But I do have one small request."

"Ask away."

Sara waved a hand, looking ready to agree to anything.

"Could you guide me in becoming a hunter?"

"Well... actually, with your talent for gathering in the wild, you should be able to live quite well even without becoming a hunter."

Sara tried to dissuade him.

Having spent his entire life as a hunter, he knew its dangers and hardships well.

If it were merely a passing whim, there would be little need to dissuade him. The pain and ordeals along the way would drive him to quit.

But Li Le had clearly made considerable preparations, and his mind was firmly set.

"I know being a hunter is very dangerous. But this gathering trip made me realize that the gap between me and a companion is growing wider and wider. I don't like that feeling, and I want to try catching up."

Sara circled Li Le twice, carefully inspecting him from head to toe.

"Your physical foundation is a little poor, but it's not impossible. And since you've already settled on the Insect Glaive as your hunting weapon, my professional guidance should make things somewhat easier."

"Does that mean you're willing to help?"

Li Le asked excitedly.

"Of course. If you want to quit along the way, you can tell me at any time. There's no need to feel ashamed. After all, many people dreamed of becoming hunters when they were young."

"All right, Director Sara. I'll see it through to the end."

"In that case, it's time to introduce myself again."

As Sara spoke, he took a five-star badge bearing the Guild's emblem out of his desk.

"A five-star hunter, a man who hunted Rathalos, king of the skies, and holds hunting records for both the largest and smallest Plesioth. Known as the 'Soaring Insect Glaive Wielder'-that is I, Sara."

Sara finished with his head held high and struck a dashing pose with his arms folded.

But seeing Li Le's rather muted reaction, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.

"Oh! That's amazing! I'm stunned."

Li Le had been slow to react because he had heard hunting Rathalos and Plesioth included in Sara's self-introduction.

But he quickly understood, apart from those few hunters whose strength reached terrifying heights.

For an ordinary hunter, being able to hunt a Rathalos with a team was already worthy of considerable praise.

"Li Le, don't think I'm beyond your reach. You're still young. Countless possibilities await you."

Sara patted Li Le's shoulder and encouraged him.

"It's been a long time since I last trained a junior, ever since I founded the Kinsect Research Institute. I'll need to write up a plan first. As for you, the first thing you need to do is eat."

"Eat more food?"

Li Le tried to understand.

"Meat, to be precise. And you'll need to grind Might Seeds into powder and add them to it. As for the amount, let's start with three times your usual intake."

"Three times?"

Ever since arriving, Li Le's appetite had indeed been growing rapidly.

But suddenly tripling his food intake was still beyond his comprehension.

"Don't worry about food expenses. You're the institute's chief gathering officer now. I can still get the Guild to approve a meal allowance."

"So the only question is whether I can eat it all?"

Li Le understood.

"That's right. And you'll need plenty of exercise after meals to maintain your figure and avoid putting on fat as much as possible, until your physical strength rises above the baseline for the hunter examination."

Li Le understood at once.

Though the Insect Glaive and dual blades did not favor a tall, muscular build,

that did not mean the assessment allowed for too much of a shortfall in physical strength.

"Try to improve your eating speed along the way, too. It isn't part of the assessment, but it'll help both in everyday life out in the wild and in combat."

With Sara's preliminary guidance,

Li Le left the laboratory and returned to his little shack.

He took out a Might Seed he had gathered in the wild and ground it into powder.

When he reached the outdoor dining table, Holo was cleaning grease off the grill.

After hearing the meal plan Sara had prescribed, Holo lit the campfire again.

Plate after plate of whole cuts of roast meat soon arrived on the table.

Li Le sprinkled on the Might Seed powder and began trying to eat beyond his normal capacity.

Soon, a ring of blood vessels bulged in his eyes.

Li Le felt as though countless fine needles had pierced his muscles at once.

"This Might Seed really packs a punch..."

Feeling somewhat lightheaded, he quickly rubbed his forehead to ease it.

The stinging in his muscles gradually subsided, and a restless energy soon surged through his body.

For now, he could only focus on eating. It was not time to exercise yet.

After steadying himself, Li Le continued chewing and swallowing in big mouthfuls.

Only when his belly bulged did he finally manage to eat three times his usual amount.

At that moment, Li Le really wanted to lie down and sleep right there.

The reminder to exercise a lot and not get fat surfaced in his mind.

He then rose from his seat and began running briskly in circles.

"Starting already...? Looks like Li Le really wants to become a hunter."

Sara, who had walked out of the research institute, remarked at the sight.

"Maybe he'll become a rising star among hunters who draws the whole world's attention."

Holo spoke with anticipation.

"Let's hope so... Oh, right, our funding shortage has been resolved. When you go out to buy supplies this time, buy two twenty-meter-long pointed wooden stakes, and some rope sturdy enough to hold."

"Twenty meters long? What does the institute need wooden stakes that size for?"

Holo was puzzled.

"None of the equipment at the training grounds was set up specifically for the Insect Glaive. If we want better training, we'll have to build it ourselves."

"All right, Director... Could we buy some short wooden stakes for Ahtal-Ka, too?"

Holo asked.

"Oh? Has Ahtal-Ka shown a need to build a wooden nest?"

"I can't say for sure. Ever since it woke up, it's been fiddling with the institute's firewood pile, as though it wants to fit the pieces of wood together and assemble something. But the firewood is so weak that it breaks into pieces after a couple of knocks."

"Since it'll help us investigate its habits, buy some while you're at it."

Sara approved it on the spot.