"It seems... that really is the case."
Hearing the Second Fleet Captain's description, Andrew instantly understood what he meant, and he recalled for a moment the actual hunting situation when facing Elder Dragon-class monsters...
The instant he thought of all those mangled chunks of flesh, Andrew couldn't help but fall into a brief, speechless silence.
Then, with a hint of feeling, he picked up the thread of the conversation:
"For an Elder Dragon, this thing's attack counts as nothing more than a flashy visual effect tacked onto the strike—aside from looking a bit cooler, it's far less practical than a Hunter just swinging his blade once."
"After all, these attacks not only consume an enormous amount of energy, they also block your line of sight for observing the monster's attack movements, making it impossible to anticipate and dodge—bringing real danger to the Hunter."
"And in a battle like that, a single instant of error could lead to extremely serious consequences—even getting carted outright—which makes it far too much of a losing bargain."
No one would be willing to gamble with their own life.
In the real world, very few people would use their own little life to act out that so-called saying: strength is fleeting, but death lasts a lifetime.
What's more, the real world gets no version updates—if you're strong, then you really are strong for a whole lifetime!
Lost in thought, Andrew subconsciously stroked his chin and continued muttering his analysis to himself:
"Against monsters below the Elder Dragon tier, the effect is actually pretty good—but it still comes back to the same problem."
"For a Hunter capable of hunting Elder Dragons, the spare time and energy this costs would be better spent just giving the monster a straight slash—that's far more practical."
If nothing else, there was one thing Andrew could be certain of.
This ability to control hurricanes could, no matter what, never accomplish what he himself had—running a single spear-thrust clean through a Diablos that had already set foot on the path of frenzy. And even if it could—
if he relied purely on himself alone to supply the life energy, that degree of consumption would probably leave even Andrew feeling a wave of weakness sweep over him.
And in such a state, if he were to run into danger, he'd genuinely have no strength left to resist.
Let alone an ordinary Hunter.
As for monsters one rung lower on the food chain...
If the whole purpose of equipment crafted at the cost of an Elder Dragon's gem was merely to do this, then the cost and the return would be far too disproportionate.
This was a precious Elder Dragon gem—the kind that could make rarity-14, master-class powerhouse gear!
There was no way it made any sense to just casually squander it like that!
Any monster a hurricane could swiftly wipe out, Andrew could deal with even faster by his own hand.
So with just a bit of careful analysis, one would realize that for the product of this technique, the reality was simply this: those who could use it had no materials, and those who had the materials had no need for it—and even less use for it.
No wonder Andrew had never seen this technique used on anyone else.
After all, for this world, where there was no special energy to draw upon, it was indeed just as the Second Fleet Captain had said—simply a chicken rib, too tasteless to be worth eating yet too good to throw away.
Listening to Andrew mutter his analysis, the Second Fleet Captain, his face full of smiles, nodded with an expression that said, "Well, kid, turns out you understand this stuff pretty well," and then said:
"However, for you, it's a different story."
"Since the world you crossed over to already has this special energy called Ether, then you've got to put it to good use."
"A so-called Hunter is one who, in the hunt, makes the most of everything in the environment that can possibly be used."
At this point, the expression on the Second Fleet Captain's face suddenly turned serious.
He lowered his head slightly and fell silent for a moment before looking back at Andrew, and what showed in his two eyes was a seriousness unlike ever before.
"I know, Little Andrew. Everyone at the Guild knows."
He said in a low voice:
"The other world isn't like ours. Many times, more than nature or monsters, it's humans who are the greatest threat to one another."
"We've met no small number of visitors from other worlds, and we've come to understand their worlds as well."
"Captain..."
Hearing the man's sudden words, Andrew was momentarily at a loss for what to say.
Just as every child who leaves home never tells their family about the hardships they've faced out in the world, Andrew, since returning to the Astral Outpost this time, had never once mentioned the villains he'd run into in New Eridu.
But now the other man had pointed it out directly all the same.
For a moment, Andrew didn't quite know how to answer the man standing before him.
"You're a good kid."
"I believe that even having gone to another world, you wouldn't choose to set aside your conviction as a Hunter—that you wouldn't turn the Dragon-hunting weapon in your hands against another human being."
As he said this, the Second Fleet Captain's face—carved by the years and the forge-fire until it was covered in deep, weathered lines—was full of heroic spirit, yet what showed in his eyes was an unconcealable tenderness.
A smile rose to his face once more, and he laughed heartily as he went on:
"Though I trust that with your strength, even if you ran into a situation like that, you'd surely have no problem."
"But who am I? I'm the Captain of the New World Investigation Team's Second Fleet, the Head of the Astral Outpost's Logistics Department, and an outstanding craftsman of the Guild!"
"As a craftsman, how could I ever let a Hunter under my charge go face the coming threats with his bare hands!"
His gaze fell once more on that suit of armor faintly wreathed in swirling wind—the one that embodied these past few days of nearly sleepless research, finished just barely in time.
Then, smiling, he continued:
"With this ability as an augmentation, I think it should be more than enough to deal with the vast majority of human threats in that world."
It was a bit of a gray area, but this was already the best method the Second Fleet Captain could think of.
After all, when you really got down to it, this ability was nothing more than a special effect skill built into the armor; no matter how you looked at it, it couldn't count as a Dragon-hunting weapon as defined by the rules.
Surely the Guild couldn't go so far as to forbid even punching someone with your fists while wearing armor?
If every means of resistance were forbidden, then wouldn't a Hunter, when facing other humans, become nothing but a wooden post unable to strike back?
The essence of forbidding Dragon-hunting weapons from being pointed at humans was to prevent this immense and terrifying violence from harming the safety and lives of ordinary people, in order to build a more harmonious society.
But if the rules restricted things to that extent, it would instead be putting the cart before the horse.
And hearing the Second Fleet Captain's words, Andrew instantly grasped what the man was getting at.
Andrew, who had never been a pedantic sort to begin with, naturally wouldn't refuse the man's goodwill—after all, it had to be said that this ability to control hurricanes really could expand the range of his own capabilities to a tremendous degree.
Relying solely on the range his two hands could reach was simply too limited; in the future, he was bound to run into situations beyond his grasp.
With this ability, things would be different.
"All right, all right—as long as you understand what I mean, that's enough. Next, take Little Miyabi along with you and head to the training ground to give your new gear a proper test."
"While there's still a bit of time, I can help fine-tune them for you."
Seeing that Andrew already understood, the Second Fleet Captain said no more, and with a beaming smile he shooed the two of them off in the direction of the training ground.
At the same time, he turned to Hoshimi Miyabi at his side and explained:
"It's not just that kid's armor—Little Miyabi, I made the very same modification to your Tachi as well."
"I remember that earlier, when we were getting ready to craft the equipment, that kid mentioned that the attribute you've always used in that world, Little Miyabi, is ice. With my modifications, that Tachi—even though it doesn't have a Velkhana dragon gem—can still draw out a measure of the true essence of extreme cold."
"As long as you grip it in your hand, lowering the temperature of the frost you unleash by another notch should be no problem at all."
Faced with the care and instructions of the Second Fleet Captain—an elder of Andrew's—Hoshimi Miyabi wasn't nearly as relaxed and casual as Andrew, who was an old acquaintance of his.
Bowing slightly to express her gratitude, she also said earnestly:
"I understand. Thank you very much for your help."
"Hah, what's there to thank me for?"
Hoshimi Miyabi's earnest thanks actually made the Second Fleet Captain's old face flush, and he hurriedly waved his hand and said:
"This is all just what I ought to do as Head of the Logistics Department."
Then, as if to keep Hoshimi Miyabi from saying any more words of thanks, the Second Fleet Captain went so far as to shoo the two of them straight out the door.
It had to be said—the Second Fleet Captain was a blacksmith through and through; his strength was beyond question.
Being pushed along, Andrew hadn't forgotten the old geezer who'd gotten lost wandering off to the conference area, so just at the moment before they went out the door, he reluctantly managed to speak up in warning:
"Oh right, I'll tell you in advance—I already gave the old geezer his gift ahead of time. When I came over, he'd already gone off to show it off to the Commander-in-Chief, so his next stop should be right here."
This sudden remark not only made the Second Fleet Captain freeze for a moment, but it also left Kaelu—who had already fallen into a daze after seeing just what grade of equipment Andrew had come to collect—utterly stunned.
The old geezer... who on earth was he referring to?
Setting aside the fact that Andrew could actually converse with this Second Fleet Captain so intimately, practically like family—
why was it that, according to Andrew, this person he called the old geezer could just go straight to that supreme commander of every Hunter in the entire New World, the legendary Commander-in-Chief, to show off a gift?
Wasn't that Commander-in-Chief a legendary figure renowned for being calm, dignified, and able to keep a straight face even in the face of heaven and earth collapsing?!
Why, coming out of Andrew's mouth, did he sound like some next-door old gramps being pestered to no end by a friend?!
It was just that, drawn in by this news, Andrew and the Second Fleet Captain didn't notice Kaelu's bewilderment in the slightest.
"What? No way!"
The Second Fleet Captain, who'd still been a bit bashful from Hoshimi Miyabi's formal thanks, was instantly seized with alarm, his face changing color as he immediately asked:
"Little Andrew, didn't we agree that you'd hold off on giving that Sapphire Star guy his gift right up until before you left?"
Facing the Second Fleet Captain, who had just gone all out to do him such a big favor, Andrew couldn't help but scratch his head a little sheepishly and say:
"Well, the old guy went and swallowed his pride and came to corner me directly, didn't he—and after all, he is my master, isn't he?"
Hearing this, the Second Fleet Captain understandingly patted Andrew on the shoulder.
He knew all too well what that Sapphire Star guy was like at the outpost whenever there was no danger around, so he immediately whipped his head back and called out to a long-haired, sturdy young man:
"Eldest apprentice! The fine-tuning of Little Andrew and the others' gear, and the workshop's work for the next few days—I'm leaving it all to you!"
Then, after a slight hesitation, he spoke decisively:
"If that Sapphire Star guy shows up, tell him I've gone out to look for forging materials—at the very least, I won't be back at the outpost for the next whole month!"
With that, he nimbly slung his forging hammer straight across the small of his back, hoisted onto his back a bundle from under the workbench that one glance told you had long since been packed and ready, snatched up the bottle of beard-care oil Andrew had given him off the bench, and got ready to slip away.
One look told you he'd rehearsed this in his head who knew how many times.
But just before leaving, as if suddenly remembering something, he dashed back over to Andrew, shoving a notebook that was obviously newly written straight into Andrew's hands while patting his shoulder with a satisfied look and rattling off at top speed:
"This bit of news is just too crucial—thanks, Little Andrew."
"This is the crafting techniques for Ether magic circuits and treasure tools that I've been compiling and writing up these past few days."
"With this notebook, once you return to that world, even setting aside the crafting, at the very least there'll definitely be no problem with the armor's ongoing care and maintenance."
"And if you study it well, you might even be able to make something new."
Then, without waiting for anyone else to react, he immediately bolted toward the staircase leading down to the dining area, looking every bit like he really was about to head out and hole up in the wilds for a month at minimum.
No—he was definitely serious.
Having to listen to that Sapphire Star guy hopping and bouncing around beside him showing off would be more unbearable to him than being killed.
Especially since, over the past few days, in order to get back at him for all the pent-up resentment of these past years, every single time Sapphire Star so much as passed through the workshop area, the Captain would give him a taste of it.
How could he possibly let the other guy have a chance to retaliate now!
"I'm bailing, buddy, I'm bailing!"
Show off and then run—damn, now that's a thrill.
Not giving that Sapphire Star guy the slightest chance to get his revenge!
Meanwhile, Kaelu, who was standing behind the three of them listening to their conversation, was dumbstruck on the spot, having completely fallen into a state of total mental brainstorming.
The master Andrew called the old geezer...
was actually Sapphire Star?!
That Sapphire Star—universally acknowledged as bright enough to serve as the most brilliant star in the night sky, lighting the way forward for everyone?!!
Although Sapphire Star had taught quite a few trainee Hunters in the New World over these past two years, no matter how outstanding a student he came across, in the end they could only ever address Sapphire Star as "Instructor."
But his disciple, from beginning to end, was one and only one—and that was the legendary...
Hearing about—and even laying eyes on—so many legendary figures all at once left Kaelu's brain a little overloaded.
And based on her own deductions, the moment she thought of this most likely truth, Kaelu's pupils instantly began to quake like the ground in an earthquake.
Because her own idol was precisely the partner of this legendary figure!
But hadn't it been said that this Hunter was, right now, off exploring the Forbidden Lands together with his partner?
How could he have suddenly turned up in the New World?
Recalling the whole series of events that had happened earlier in Felyne Village, the more Kaelu thought back, the more details she picked out that she hadn't paid attention to at the time.
Setting aside Granny Meow's incredibly familiar and affectionate attitude, there was the way that, even when elite Hunters came to Felyne Village to take on commissions, Granny Meow would fret greatly back in the cabin—yet this time she hadn't worried about this Hunter in the slightest, and so on and so forth.
No wonder Granny had secretly told her that this Hunter was definitely no worse than her own idol—it turned out he was the very man himself!
And with that, Kaelu's head went completely into overload.
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