Although finding Star Jasmine was the main purpose of the trip, Francesca had still prepared an Eltalite Ore gathering quest so the expedition could be registered through official channels.
Her reasoning was simple. If they could claim another reward along the way, why not?
When Hubert, the head of the smithing team, heard that they would be surveying mining sites and collecting Eltalite Ore, he eagerly supplied them with several Mega Pickaxes.
Precision-forged from Machalite Ore, these tools were exceptionally sturdy and nearly impossible to wear out, far superior to the ordinary Iron Pickaxes sold at the general store.
The elderly Troverian clearly had an unusual passion for ore. If the outpost had not depended on him to oversee construction, he would probably have shouldered his tools and joined the expedition himself.
Honeysuckle had originally wanted to accompany them, but Isis persuaded her to stay behind.
The mission party was pared down to Altaïr and Isis, accompanied by their Felyne partners, Sajji and Clawdia.
Honeysuckle was skilled with the Slinger, so she was not entirely helpless in a fight, but even taking down a Small Monster alone would be difficult for her. Alfalfa was also too young to be separated from her mother, which meant Honeysuckle would have to bring her along. If a Monster attacked, someone would have to break away from the fight to protect them both. It was better for them to wait somewhere safe at the outpost.
Honeysuckle was disappointed, but for her child's sake, she ultimately agreed to stay.
She wove a small ball from vines and leaves gathered near the outpost and gave it to Isis. It served as both a blessing and a token. Once Star Jasmine saw it, he would know to follow them back.
Even so, Altaïr would have preferred to bring one or two more companions as a precaution.
Unfortunately, the advance team was desperately short-handed. Dawn had taken Theo on a quest to hunt a Pariapuria. Whenever an urgent quest like this appeared, the dependable leader of the front line was always the first to answer the call.
Without saying a word, Morgan had taken a separate Pariapuria hunting quest and set out alone.
He was currently a 4★ Hunter. Under normal circumstances, he was not qualified to hunt a 5★ Threat Level Monster like Pariapuria by himself.
There was, of course, one exception. He could accept it as a promotion exam quest.
He had already completed the required number of 4★ quests, and his encounter with a Pariapuria just a few days earlier had given him a solid understanding of the Monster. He intended to capitalize on that experience, hunt one alone, and earn his promotion to 5★.
Whether a competitive streak had influenced his decision, only Morgan knew.
With Dawn, Theo, and Morgan all gone, and Altaïr and Isis preparing to leave as well, a few capable people still had to remain at the outpost.
Lambert's strength had improved remarkably quickly. Ever since she had single-handedly defeated a Gogomoa while covering the smiths' retreat, she had gained the confidence to challenge 3★ Monsters and soon earned her promotion to 3★.
Her pace was almost comparable to Isis's back in the day. Of course, it was worth remembering that Clawdia had practically carried Isis through her own 3★ promotion...
A 3★ Hunter was no longer considered a "rookie." After Dawn and the others left, the burden of driving Monsters away from the outpost fell almost entirely on Lambert and Nymera.
Both were already run off their feet, so Altaïr could hardly pull anyone else away. In the end, the party had to consist of just the two Hunters and their two Felyne partners.
Just as they were about to leave, however, someone came running after them...
"Hey! I heard this is only a gathering quest, right? Count me in!"
Kagetsu trotted over in a Supporter Set that resembled a Guildmarm uniform, an Insect Glaive slung across her back and a gleaming golden Elscarad perched atop her head.
"'Heard,' huh, meow?" Sajji muttered from the side. "Weren't you the one who processed the paperwork for that gathering quest, meow?"
Ignoring Sajji's jab, Kagetsu turned a mournful look on Isis. "Everyone keeps going on quests without me. Sob..."
She had already sized up the group. Altaïr was unquestionably the one who made the decisions, but persuading him would not be easy. Soft-hearted Isis was a much easier person to work on.
Isis looked at Altaïr. The corner of his eye twitched twice.
Kagetsu occupied an awkward niche...
Dedicated support specialists like her were rare throughout the Old World. The trade-off was that, while she was not entirely incapable of fighting, her combat ability ranked near the bottom among Hunters of the same rank.
In large-scale operations, however, she could be truly irreplaceable, a textbook specialist for the right situation. During the battle against the Arbiter Estrellian, for example, the Guild had specially authorized her participation even after the quest was raised to High Rank.
That had been an exceptional case. Under normal circumstances, a 3★ Hunter like Kagetsu could participate in quests no higher than 4★.
Every Hunter on the advance team had also been handpicked by Francesca. Even Theo, whose own role leaned toward support, could clear a 4★ quest alone with near certainty. There was little reason for them to bring a dedicated support specialist.
The only Hunter who could regularly team up with Kagetsu was Lambert, another 3★ Hunter. The two got along well, but their combat styles simply did not mesh. Although both were Blademasters, neither could anchor the front line. Together, one plus one added up to less than one. After gritting their teeth and trying several times, they had been forced to give up.
That left Kagetsu in a bind.
She could barely defeat a 3★ Monster alone. Parties taking on 4★ quests did not need her, and she was not qualified for 5★ quests. Besides working part-time as a Guild receptionist for a fixed salary, she could only supplement her income with poorly paid 1★ and 2★ quests.
Worse, she had an entire swarm of Kinsects waiting to be fed, all their little mouths wide open. She was on the verge of going broke.
After listening to Kagetsu's tale of woe, Isis looked at Altaïr once again.
Altaïr was at a loss as well. If this had been a difficult hunt where a support specialist was unnecessary, or an urgent investigation quest like the last one, he would never have agreed.
This time, however, they were only searching for someone and mining a little ore along the way. Bringing her seemed harmless enough. Besides, she was exceptionally good at escaping danger. If they ran into trouble, they would not have to worry about her.
After a moment's hesitation, Altaïr asked, "Do you have a Kinsect with a keen sense of smell, one that's good at tracking?"
The question caught Kagetsu by surprise, but then she nodded furiously. "I do! I do!
"Moth-type Kinsects have incredibly keen senses of smell, several times sharper than a Palamute's!
"I have a Bilbobrix, but I haven't been raising it for very long, so its other abilities might not be particularly strong yet..."
"That doesn't matter." Altaïr waved a hand. "The real purpose of this quest is to find someone. As long as it can help us track Star Jasmine, nothing else matters.
"If your Kinsect proves useful, we'll give you a larger share of the reward."
"Really? Then it's a deal! Give me just a minute. I'm going to switch Kinsects!"
Kagetsu scooped up Glint, the golden Elscarad perched on her head and the Kinsect she had invested the most resources in, then ran back toward the outpost, muttering, "Sorry, Glint, you're sitting this one out. I'm taking Little White!
"I can't help it. The boss asked for this one. Once mommy gets back, I'll buy you all some delicious Kinsect Jelly!"
Watching Kagetsu retreat with a spring in her step, Clawdia meowed skeptically. "Are you sure she's okay, meow?"
During the Estrellian mission, Clawdia and Isis had joined as later reinforcements, so they had barely interacted with Kagetsu.
"Don't worry. She only looks unreliable. The Kinsects she raises are genuinely powerful." Once Kagetsu was out of earshot, Altaïr unexpectedly came to her defense.
"Hunters rarely team up with her, but it isn't because they doubt her abilities. There simply haven't been many operations lately that required a full party, so she rarely gets a chance to use what she's good at.
"If a genuinely High Threat Level Monster appeared, she would almost certainly have a place in the hunting party."