The conversation lasted for quite a while.
The middle-aged man was truly prone to sentimentality; Gordon found this to be true with Ernest.
The old fellow even wiped away tears as he spoke, self-reproachfully asking if he had failed to provide Gordon with a sufficiently good environment for growth.
After listening in a daze for a long time, Gordon finally understood what the instructor and the village chief meant.
— Kokoto Village was too remote, lacking the "soil" necessary for growth; if he wanted to continue becoming stronger, he should go out and see the world.
So, go out and explore, then?
Although he was a little reluctant to leave everyone in Kokoto Village, the thought of having the opportunity to see a broader world and challenge unheard-of Mysterious Monsters made him excited.
The sadness and reluctance in his heart had long since vanished!
Of course, he also did not forget to ask Zhu Pa for its opinion, and Zhu Pa's idea was even simpler.
For it, coming to Kokoto Village was merely a part of its training away from home; as long as it could continue to follow Gordon, what difference did it make whether they were in Kokoto Village or somewhere else?
Since that was the case, there was nothing to hesitate about; Gordon's strong execution ability was both his weakness and his strength.
Once he made up his mind, he would advance towards his goal with the highest efficiency.
It took Gordon nearly a week to sell and process the various furs and medicinal herbs he had collected over the past two or three years; except for some essential hunting-related materials, everything else was converted into easily portable precious metals and cash.
He felt like he had never been so wealthy!
Fortunately, the instructor was there to keep him grounded.
Ernest, like a talkative old woman, repeatedly reminded Gordon that unlike the poor, remote villages where many things could be self-sufficient, in the city, everything cost money.
Even though he had a lot of money now, if he wasn't careful, it wouldn't last long.
Hunters were actually high-income earners, so to be reduced to hunting for tomorrow's meals and lodging would be a truly miserable existence.
Regarding the question of where to go for the first stop after leaving Kokoto Village.
Gordon decided to ask for the opinions of the instructor and the village chief, but what he didn't expect was that they actually had a disagreement on this matter.
The destination recommended by the instructor was East Doruma City, the largest and most prosperous metropolis in the center of the continent.
The Hunter's Guild Headquarters, the Royal Paleontological Scribes Headquarters, the Ancient Dragon Observation Bureau, and the world's largest Hunter's Gathering Hall were all located there.
East Doruma not only gathered the world's best Hunters, but also had the best resources for blacksmith workshops, trading markets, Investigation Teams, and transportation facilities.
In East Doruma, you could even take an airship and reach any Hunting Field on the continent within a few days, a convenience Gordon, living in Kokoto Village, could not even imagine.
However, the village chief expressed opposition.
He stated that East Doruma City was indeed very good, but it was too good, too perfect; if the inexperienced Gordon chose it as the initial stop of his journey.
Then, it was also very likely to become the final stop of his journey.
Excessive prosperity could be a slow-acting poison that eroded one's will.
Upon hearing this, Gordon realized clearly for the first time.
— Was this old man's usual senile appearance all an act?!
Unaware of Gordon's disrespectful thoughts at the moment, the village chief continued with his suggestions.
He recommended two locations: one was Jiangbo Village, a coastal area in the southeast of the continent.
This was a newly established human settlement in recent years; although its scale had not yet reached the level of a town, it had an extremely rapid development momentum.
He also knew the village chief of Jiangbo Village, a young and very thoughtful junior from the Dragon People; he was confident that under the leadership of that young village chief, within a few decades, another large city would rise in the southeast of the continent.
If Gordon went there, it would be an excellent choice, whether for a short stay or a long-term residence.
The other recommended location was more conservative.
— The coastal city, Minagarde City.
This was the closest large human city to Kokoto Village; although it couldn't compare to East Doruma, it was still one of the top ten prosperous cities on the continent.
The biggest advantage of choosing this place was "familiarity."
Whether in daily life aspects such as diet, dialect, climate conditions, and folk customs, or in hunting-related aspects such as Hunting Field environments and monster ecological distribution, it had commonalities with Kokoto Village.
At the same time, Minagarde City also had abundant resources that Kokoto Village could not compare with, enough to provide Gordon with the best growth environment.
It could be said that it was the most suitable "stepping stone" for Gordon, a fledgling bird who had just learned to fly, after leaving the nest.
Three options were placed before Gordon for him to choose from.
Gordon, holding Zhu Pa, deliberated, and first excluded the option of Jiangbo Village.
Kokoto Village was located in the northwest corner of the continent, while Jiangbo Village was situated in the southeast; the climate, environment, and natural ecology of the two places were vastly different.
Gordon truly had no interest in crossing the entire continent as soon as he left home, running to another remote wilderness at the end of the world to engage in construction; everyone admired pioneers, but not everyone could be a pioneer.
After hesitating for a long time between East Doruma City and Minagarde City, Gordon and Zhu Pa finally chose the latter.
The reason was also very simple, just like no restaurant would serve the main course at the very beginning.
Instead of indulging in the best from the start, it was better to keep a sense of anticipation in his heart and reveal it step by step in the future.
Soon, the day of departure arrived.
At the entrance of Kokoto Village, almost the entire village had gathered there.
Gordon, who was usually so carefree, was now somewhat at a loss; he truly hadn't expected so many people to come and see him off.
"Remember to come back and visit when you have time~" The aunt from next door kept wiping away tears.
The Blacksmith Shop Owner, as strong as a bear, thumped Gordon's chest, his voice booming, "A man should be out exploring! Ha, when you become a famous Hunter, I'll put up a sign outside my shop!
'The first weapon of the legendary Hunter Gordon was forged right here!' Hahahahaha!"
The traveling merchant at the item stall, the proprietress of the tavern, the village children who constantly clamored about wanting to become Hunters...
Everyone in the village came up one by one to bid farewell to Gordon.
Some even gave him parting gifts, perhaps a bag of dried food, or an amulet made from a leaf of a hometown tree; none of them were valuable, but Gordon carefully put them away one by one.
Zhu Pa, beside him, even received more, and most of it was food.
Dried fish, ham, cheese, sausages, dried bread, catnip, everything...
The little fellow was also teary-eyed; a year ago, when it first arrived at Kokoto Village, everything here had made it feel flustered and helpless.
Now that it was leaving, it suddenly felt reluctant.
"Alright, hurry up and depart, don't be so sentimental; it's just a long journey, there will always be a day for reunion." Ernest stood with his arms crossed, looking resolute.
But everyone could see that this man, who always presented himself as a tough guy, had eyes that were redder than anyone else's.
Gordon also sniffled; as he backed away, he waved vigorously at everyone, a forced, broad grin on his face, "It won't be long! When I can defeat Rathalos, I'll come back and cut him down! It won't be long!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.