According to Ms. Meow-It-All's calculations, the valley where Honeysuckle had fallen into the fissure lay north of Mangrove Outpost, roughly eighty to ninety kilometers away in a straight line.
For Hunters, that distance was not especially daunting, but the rugged mountains between the two points meant the journey would take at least three or four days on foot.
With the Pioneer and favorable weather, they could make the trip in two or three hours.
However, the advance team still knew very little about the mountains. Given the risk of attacks by Flying Wyverns, the Village Chief rejected Altaïr's request to fly directly across them aboard the Pioneer.
In the end, Ms. Meow-It-All proposed a different route. After leaving Mangrove Outpost, the Pioneer would follow the coastline instead of heading straight north, then drop the Hunters off on the western coast of Tidal Island.
That would spare the Hunters more than two-thirds of the journey without putting the Pioneer at undue risk.
—--
The Pioneer hovered at low altitude above the wind-battered stone cliffs on Tidal Island's western shore.
Even with Millsy at the helm, she could not hold the ship steady in such powerful gusts. Fortunately, the Hunters moved quickly, rappelling down the rope and reaching the ground within seconds.
Once he released the rope, Altaïr waved his thanks to Millsy and the rest of the crew.
The Pioneer swayed as it climbed, turned back toward the coastline, and soon vanished from sight.
"It would be nice if the Pioneer could pick us up for the return trip too," Isis said wistfully as she adjusted the straps of her Gunlance and Large Shield.
Of the three Hunters, she was unquestionably the least fond of long-distance travel.
Blast Dash let her reposition quickly in battle, but it was useless for covering long distances. Burdened by heavy armor and equipment, she remained the slowest member of the group and had to work the hardest to keep pace.
"How about some Dash Juice?" Kagetsu pulled a pale yellow potion from her pouch and made to uncork it and drink.
She habitually carried a vast assortment of potions, drinking them at every opportunity and relying on her Wide-Range Talisman to share their effects with nearby companions.
Altaïr hurriedly stopped her. "No need. Save it for when we actually run into danger."
No wonder Kagetsu was always broke. Even setting aside the cost of feeding her swarm of Kinsects, using Dash Juice merely to make traveling easier would cost her a fortune in potions.
Kagetsu chuckled sheepishly and put the potion away. "So, which way are we headed?"
Altaïr spread out the map and checked it against his compass. "The Great Volcano we saw from the Pioneer lies at the center of the island.
"If we travel about twenty kilometers toward the Great Volcano, we should reach the area around the canyon.
"Ms. Meow-It-All calculated its coordinates, so there may be a margin of error. Once we get close, we'll have Sajji scout from the air and correct our course. We should find it without too much trouble."
Sajji looked a little downcast. "Too bad Hakucho isn't here, meow. Otherwise, I could take off now and show everyone the smoothest route, meow."
"Can't fly without a biological engine, meow?" Clawdia taunted from the side.
Sajji did not argue. He merely muttered, "That's true, meow. I can't even pedal the Rathalos Model-09 up to speed by myself, meow."
Clawdia snorted, then realized what he meant. Baring her fangs, she hissed angrily.
"All right, that's enough. Let's pick up the pace. We need to reach the canyon before dark." Altaïr patted Sajji on the head and gave him a warning look, telling him not to keep teasing Clawdia for his own amusement.
If Sajji truly made her furious, he would be the one to suffer for it.
The group quickened their pace.
Compared with the flat southern shore, the terrain along Tidal Island's western coast was markedly more rugged. Towering sea cliffs gave way directly to rolling hills.
The elevation continued to rise as they pushed deeper inland, forcing them to cross one mountain ridge after another on foot.
—--
After four or five hours, they had covered barely ten kilometers.
When they reached the summit of one peak, Altaïr signaled for a short break. Using his Slinger and Clutch Claw, he swiftly climbed a tall fir tree and peered into the distance.
Through the heavy mist, he could just make out the silhouette of an immense brown peak looming among the clouds.
It was the Great Volcano at the heart of Tidal Island. According to Ms. Meow-It-All and the other scholars, the island's very formation was closely tied to it.
Lowering his gaze from the Great Volcano, Altaïr raised his telescope and surveyed the surrounding terrain.
He soon spotted an area where the land sloped steadily downward. Water and soil gathered in the lowlands, making them more fertile and covering them in noticeably denser vegetation. The terrain matched Honeysuckle's description of the canyon's surroundings.
There would be no need for Sajji to scout from the air after all.
Once he returned to the ground, Altaïr shared his discovery with the others. "We're only seven or eight kilometers from the valley in a straight line. The good news is that there are no more mountains to cross. If all goes well, we can reach it in two or three hours, before the sun sets.
"We can find somewhere in the valley to camp, then begin the search in earnest at daybreak."
At that, the weary Isis immediately perked up. The group set out again and quickened their pace.
Going downhill proved harder than climbing. Even with the Slinger, Clutch Claw, and rope, the descent was grueling. By the time they approached the canyon, darkness had already fallen.
Altaïr stared into the pitch-black canyon ahead, unwilling to risk leading his companions inside.
Honeysuckle had said there were no signs of Large Monsters in the canyon, but her information was nearly six months old. With the path impossible to see after dark, venturing in blindly would be far too dangerous.
Instead, they found a cave near the canyon and began setting up camp for the night.
Vegetation flourished throughout the valley, so they quickly gathered enough firewood to last until morning and lit a campfire inside the cave.
The instant the flames sprang to life, something deeper inside the cave caught Altaïr's eye.
He fashioned a simple torch from the firewood, told his companions where he was going, and walked alone to a rock wall in one corner of the cave.
A crack more than two meters long split the wall, most likely the result of some geological shift. When he brought the torch closer, a glittering reflection from within made him whistle in surprise.
It was an exposed vein of ore.
Isis set down her half-roasted ration and came over. After staring at the crack for a moment, she looked equally surprised. "Did we just find a mining site?"
"Yeah." Altaïr nodded with a smile. "Judging by the richness of this vein, the ore deposits in the area must be substantial.
"We haven't made any progress on finding Star Jasmine yet, but the other two tasks look easy enough to complete."
"Let me try!" Kagetsu ran over excitedly with an Iron Pickaxe resting on her shoulder.
Altaïr and Isis stepped aside. Kagetsu approached the crack, raised the Iron Pickaxe high, and brought it down with all her strength.
"Clang!"
"Ah! That's the sound of money!" Kagetsu cheered. She swung several more times with undiminished vigor, showing no trace of fatigue from the day's trek through the mountains.
With every strike, chunks of ore and rubble broke free from the crevice and clattered to the ground.
Kagetsu bent down and picked up a fist-sized piece of deep blue-green ore.
She examined it in the firelight, her expression blissful. "Ahh... This is high-grade Dragonite Ore!
"Even before factoring in regional price markups, a Guild buyer would pay about 500z for it!
"A Hunter who needed it urgently might pay several times that much!"
"How do you know so much about..."
"Of course I do! If you don't gather, mine, fish, and search bonepiles during quests to earn some extra money on the side, how are you supposed to keep this whole family fed?!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)