As soon as he set foot on land, Altaïr could clearly sense how different this stretch of coastline was from the Mangrove Forest they had passed earlier.
The ground here was harder, with virtually no sandy beach to speak of. Beyond a narrow band of rocky shallows made up of reefs and scattered stones, the terrain gave way to low vegetation composed mainly of salt-tolerant shrubs and weeds.
They escorted the Village Chief, or rather, kept pace with him as he jogged ahead, pushing farther inland.
Their destination lay along the riverbank, one or two kilometers from the coast. As they hurried along, the Hunters noticed that the ground here was remarkably flat and easy to cross.
There were virtually no large trees in sight, leaving the view wide open. Looking inland, they could even see rolling mountains in the distance.
The Village Chief's pace kept quickening. His footwork alone made it clear how excited he was.
Isis was even a little relieved that she was now wearing the relatively lightweight Lagiacrus Armor Set instead of her old Basarios Armor Set. Otherwise, the running Village Chief might have left her behind.
They maintained their brisk pace until they reached the flat expanse of exposed rock beside the Great River. From there, they could still see the edge of the Mangrove Forest on the opposite bank.
"Inhale... exhale!"
The Village Chief stepped into the shallows, turned to face the Great River, spread his arms, and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath as a strong wind swept across the water.
When he opened his eyes again, Altaïr smiled beside him. "You seem very pleased with this place."
"Of course!"
The Village Chief drew the ornate short sword at his waist. Its blade bore beautiful damask patterns and was clearly the work of a master smith. He drove it forcefully into the ground at his feet, then gripped the hilt like a shovel and pried at the earth.
Altaïr's eye twitched. He hated seeing a fine weapon treated that way.
"See how thin the soil is, especially here where we're standing? The bedrock is exposed. That's the main reason the Mangrove Forest hasn't spread to this side."
As he spoke, he picked up the thin clump of soil he had pried loose with the sword's tip and squeezed it in his palm.
The clump did not crumble. Instead, it compacted into a firm lump of mud, and a smile of heartfelt delight spread across the Village Chief's face.
"Don't be fooled by the thin layer of soil. The silt carried by the river is fertile and sticky, and the ample groundwater has kept it from being salinized by the tides.
"If we haul in more soil and cultivate it properly, we could even establish farmland right here on the rock. Once this area is developed, the crops alone would solve our food problems."
Dropping the clump, he stomped hard on the ground. "And look at this expanse of rock! Do you know what it means? It's the ideal foundation. We can build houses here without worrying about them sinking into the mud!"
"And here, too! The streams branching from the Great River like a spiderweb can be channeled straight into the camp. We'll have plenty of water without even stepping outside!
"The only slight disappointment is that there isn't a bend with water on three sides. Otherwise, we could put up a fence and build a secure stronghold in no time. Wait, that's not a weakness. It's a strength! A river bend might make the initial construction easier, but it would also limit the settlement's expansion!
"We're not just building a simple outpost here. Sooner or later, it'll become a village, even a city! This place can meet every one of our needs!"
The Village Chief grew more excited as he spoke, running back and forth across the open riverside land. One moment he claimed they could build a smithy here and use the river's current to power its machinery; the next, he pointed elsewhere and declared it perfect for a safe, level residential district.
It was as though a brand-new village were already rising from the ground in his mind.
"All right! It's settled!" The Village Chief raised his short sword again and drove it into the earth. "This will be our first camp on Tidal Island!
"When we return, we'll organize a survey team and draw up the plans. First, we'll put up a basic framework as quickly as possible, then gradually build it into a warm new home!"
The Hunters could not help smiling happily at his words.
No one wanted to remain adrift at sea forever. Only by establishing a real camp, raising walls to keep out Monsters, and building shelters against the wind and rain could the people's unsettled hearts finally find peace.
The Village Chief stood tall with his hands on his hips and swept his gaze across the surroundings one last time, ready to head back.
He could not wait to officially announce the good news to everyone and begin the second phase of development.
Just then, Morgan walked over.
His habitually impassive expression had turned grave. "Found something strange."
A prickle of foreboding ran through Altaïr. He tilted his head toward Isis, and the two followed Morgan. "Let's take a look."
As expected, the Village Chief followed as well. Altaïr turned, about to object, but the Village Chief spoke first. "Don't worry! I'm not some desk-bound administrator who spends all day in the village. I have plenty of field experience.
"You don't need to fuss over me. If danger comes, I can protect myself."
Altaïr hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding, though he gave Theo a meaningful look to remind him to keep an eye on the Village Chief.
Theo nodded, keeping his small shield close as he guarded the Village Chief's side.
The group followed Morgan along the riverbank. In less than a minute, they reached the strange object he had mentioned.
It was about the size of a coffee table. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for a rock, but a closer look revealed that it was a chunk of coral reef from the sea.
Several seashells and even a couple of strands of seaweed still clung to it.
"Pfft! Here I thought it was something serious. It's just a chunk of coral." Theo was as carefree as ever.
Morgan gave him a cold look. "Then explain how a piece of coral, which should only be found in the sea or at most on the beach, ended up here beside the river, one or two kilometers from the coast."
Theo had no answer.
Altaïr stepped forward and crouched beside the chunk of coral. "Over months or years, water could indeed carry a rock a long way. But this isn't downstream. It's upstream from the mouth of the Great River.
"Stones don't swim against the current. More importantly, the seaweed hasn't completely dried out or withered. That means this piece of reef hasn't been away from the seafloor for long, probably no more than a few days."
Isis moved closer. Bolder than Altaïr, she reached out and touched the coral, which still looked slightly damp.
"Eek! What's this stuff? It's all slimy!" Her palm came away covered in what looked like fungal filaments.
Altaïr glared at her. "Go wash that off in the river. You can't just touch every strange thing you find. Aren't you afraid it might be poisonous?"
Isis clicked her tongue and went to wash her hands. Altaïr drew his short sword, scraped some of the fungal filaments from the coral, and held them close to his nose. They carried a faint fishy odor.
"Village Chief, have you ever seen anything like this?" Altaïr asked.
The Village Chief shook his head. "No. Jumbo Village is coastal too, so I've seen plenty of coral reefs, but never one that climbed onto land. I've never seen fungal filaments like these either.
"Mushrooms growing on coral? That's a new one."
"That settles it. Stones don't grow legs, so some creature must have carried this here from the sea.
"I suggest we widen our search. Who knows, this might even be a trace left by a Large Monster."
He paused briefly before continuing. "If there really is a Large Monster active nearby, beginning the survey and construction work now would be far too dangerous."
"Indeed." The Village Chief's expression grew serious. "Let's begin the investigation immediately.
"The people on the ship are waiting for our report. Good news or bad, we have to bring them something definite."
"Then should we escort you back to the ship first?"
"No. That would only make everyone more uneasy. I'll stay with you. If there really is a Large Monster out there, let's find it as quickly as possible.
"If necessary, I'll issue you a Hunting License."
A faint smile tugged at Altaïr's lips as he studied the Village Chief's sharpened gaze. "Meowster might not take that so well."
The Village Chief understood his implication and chuckled. "The needs of exploration aren't always the same as those of research, after all."
"Fair enough. It looks like bringing a full squad was worthwhile after all." Altaïr wiped his short sword clean against his sleeve, sheathed it, and stood.
"Let's go see what's bold enough to barge into our future home."
(Translated by yourtl.app)