After confirming that Lambert did not need anyone fussing over her and was fine being left to her own devices, Altaïr and Isis threw themselves into their intensive quest-grinding marathon without further worries.
Hearing what they were looking for, Guild receptionist Hannah cheerfully told them there was no need to bother the Guildmarm; she had plenty of quests perfect for the two of them.
What kind of quests were popular? Among 4★ quests, hunts for Rathian or Yian Garuga were considered reliable favorites.
The quest rewards were generous, the materials carved after the hunt could be used to craft in-demand equipment, and they were sometimes issued as promotion exam quests. As a result, demand often outstripped supply; you had to wait around the Guild Hall, or even travel to other cities, just to find one.
By contrast, what kind of quests were the most unpopular? "Like this one." Hannah pulled out a quest form so dog-eared from being passed over that it had not found a single Hunter willing to take it.
Altaïr took it and glanced at it. A dual Nibelsnarf hunt quest. "Alright, I get it." He understood immediately.
For a 4★ quest, the reward money was no better than a Rathian hunt, while the difficulty and danger were by no means lower.
Facing two Large Monsters at once was no easy task; generally, a team hunt was required for safety.
But in a team hunt, the reward money had to be split, making it even less profitable. Besides, 4★ Hunters typically had no interest in gathering materials from 3★ threat-level monsters, which were useless except for selling to the Guild for a little spare change.
No wonder no one wanted to take these quests.
But for these two, such quests were just about perfect.
There was a huge backlog of them, so they did not need to worry about running out of suitable quests. During the hunt, they could take one monster each. Easy and enjoyable.
They could even use the opportunity to have a little competition and see who was faster.
Come to think of it, judging by the hunting grounds listed on the quest form, wasn't this around the same place where Lambert had the misfortune of running into Nibelsnarf a few days ago?
"We'll take this one." Altaïr pressed his hand down on the quest form. "Pick out a few more like this for us. The closer to Val Habar, the better. If we can head out and be back the same day, even better."
"No problem!" Hannah flashed two enthusiastic thumbs up. "Let's aim for one a day! How about I line up a month's worth for you upfront?"
"...That's a bit much, don't you think?"
"RUMBLE!"
The roar of Wyvern's Fire echoed among the dunes. The explosive blast shattered half of the Cephadrome's skull and its shovel-like upper jaw at once, and the Monster collapsed limp onto the sand.
"I was faster this time!" Isis raised her Gunlance high and shouted.
Not far from her, Altaïr had severed the leg muscles of another Cephadrome with a Spirit Blade Roundslash chained into a Spinning Crimson Slash, forcing it to crash to the ground.
The follow-up Spirit Blade Thrust into Spirit Helm Breaker cleaved its neck clean through, and the spurting blood dyed the sand a dark red, nearly black.
The scorching air intensified the sharp, coppery stench, and the nearby schools of Cephalos scattered in all directions.
"A huge Cephalos school with two Cephadrome leaders at once. That's truly rare." Altaïr shook his blade to flick off the blood before sheathing Khanga Rebellion.
"With their leaders gone, the remaining Cephalos won't easily regroup. We'll arrange for a few more Hunters to finish mopping them up later, cut their numbers down further, and the nearby trade routes should be safe."
"I was faster this time!" Isis ran over and insisted again, "Four to three! I won this match!"
"Yes, yes, you won."
Altaïr answered casually, unsure where Isis's recent intense competitive streak had come from.
Over the past half month, the two of them had ridden a Gargwa cart in and out of the hunting grounds around Val Habar, clearing out those long-backlogged "trash quests."
That talk about one quest a day had only been a joke. That kind of pace might make sense for 1★ quests, but for 4★ quests, it was far too exaggerated.
In those fifteen or sixteen days, counting this dual Cephadrome hunt, the two of them had completed seven 4★ quests total, averaging one every two to three days.
Such efficiency was already staggering. They managed it only because the targets they chose, Nibelsnarf, Yian Kut-Ku, Barroth, and Cephadrome, were all 3★ species they'd hunted more than once before. With enough experience, they could grab their weapons and set out immediately.
Otherwise, a mere two or three days might not even be enough to prepare supplies and gather intel on the targets.
After quickly cleaning the bloodstains from her Gunlance and Large Shield and putting her weapons away, Isis glanced at the two mangled corpses on the ground. "Should we carve these two Cephadrome?"
"Pick the good parts and carve a little. It'll fetch some money at least."
"Come to think of it, Cephalos liver is supposed to be a dream delicacy. Wouldn't Cephadrome liver be even more delicious?"
"No, Cephadrome liver is greasy and rough. Not good."
"Ugh, disappointing."
"...There are some Cephalos over there that got killed in the crossfire. You can dig out their livers. We'll take them back to camp and fry them up later."
"Alright!"
A Gargwa cart wasn't as steady as an Aptonoth cart, nor as swift as a small Sandship, but its light and nimble nature still made it the best choice for desert Hunters traveling short distances.
The only downside was that it was a bit bumpy.
They jolted all the way back to Val Habar, returned the rented Gargwa cart, and then headed to the Guild Hall to settle their quest.
After briskly handling the paperwork for the two of them, Guild receptionist Hannah habitually handed over a new quest form. "An oasis about twenty kilometers west of Val Habar. The targets are two Daimyo Hermitaur. Nice and easy, right?"
This time, Altaïr did not take the form. Instead, he held up a hand. "Sorry, we're not planning on taking any new quests for the time being."
"Our new gear is nearly finished, and we've already completed enough 4★ quests for the promotion."
Guild receptionist Hannah blinked at that, then looked a little disappointed. "So that's it, huh? I was hoping you could clear out a few more backlogged quests."
"We've already cleared quite a few, haven't we?" Altaïr said, looking at her helplessly.
"Hehe, true~!" Hannah withdrew that quest form and handed back their two Hunter's Notes with completed records.
Since Altaïr and the others had no further interest in taking on quests, as the Guild receptionist on duty, she naturally would not force them.
After nodding their thanks, the two took their notes and left the counter, heading straight for Nymera's room.
They had agreed earlier that after finishing this quest, they would go together to the wyverian artisan's shop to pick up their new equipment.
Nymera was indeed waiting for them in her room, but what caught them slightly off guard was that Lambert was also there.
She was sitting demurely on the edge of Nymera's bed, reading something. When she saw Altaïr and Isis enter, she politely stood up to greet them.
Setting aside her occasional fits of wild enthusiasm, under normal circumstances, they could actually have a normal conversation with Lambert.
"Perfect timing. Since you're here, that saves me the trouble of looking for you. We may be leaving Val Habar within the next few days."
"Huh?"
The first to voice a question wasn't Lambert, but Nymera. "Why such haste? Now that you have accumulated enough 4★ quests, I had assumed you two would complete your promotion in Val Habar before deciding on a departure date."
"Of course there's a reason." After briefly organizing his thoughts, Altaïr explained, "Val Habar's Great Migration is about to begin.
"During this period, every department and all available personnel in Val Habar will focus their full attention on the migration. The local Guild Hall will temporarily close, free-choice quests will no longer be issued, and the number of Airship flights will be sharply reduced.
"If we decide to stay and help, we'd have to remain for at least another month or so.
"Unless you're particularly interested in Val Habar's Great Migration, I'd suggest leaving before it starts."
A sparkle lit up in Isis's eyes. "The Great Migration? Is it a grand event like a Sandship racing festival?!"
Her mind conjured a majestic scene: tens of thousands of Sandships, covered wagons, and riding beasts surging across the sand sea, raising fierce winds and sandstorms as they thundered toward the horizon.
Altaïr waved a hand, casually puncturing the image.
"No, the Great Migration is very strict. All of Val Habar is dismantled into countless blocks. The departure order, the travel routes, the daily marching distance and stopping points, it's all rigorously planned. Not a single misstep is allowed, or it would cause a chain reaction of chaos."
"...Oh." Isis instantly lost all interest.
Nymera, on the other hand, was slightly interested in such a grand migration, but not to the extent of wanting to stay for over a month because of it.
"I have no objections. We can leave anytime."
"I'm fine with it too. So, after leaving Val Habar, are you planning to return to Loc Lac for a visit?" Isis, leaning against the wall, asked.
This was something Altaïr had explicitly mentioned before coming to the Great Desert.
Altaïr's gaze darkened. "Yeah. It's been years since I left. I want to go back and pay my respects."
(Translated by yourtl.app)