In the early morning of Minagarde, the vendors had not yet set up their stalls, and most citizens were still asleep. The usually bustling cobblestone streets had few pedestrians at this time.
Hayata, uncharacteristically, was not wearing a skirt but a set of cotton clothes that allowed for easy movement.
She trotted behind her uncle, Paine, her lips pursed in an attempt to look serious, but the excitement and anticipation in her eyes were impossible to hide.
Paine, walking ahead, had a stern expression, mirroring Hayata's, but there was no smile in his eyes; instead, they were filled with anxiety.
They were on their way to a Hunter's residence.
As they walked, Paine suddenly stopped. He turned his head, his voice filled with unease and helplessness: "Hayata, are you really not going to reconsider?
Monster Hunter is the most dangerous job, and you're a girl. What if something happens? How am I supposed to face your parents in heaven?
Didn't you used to say you wanted to be a musician or a painter? That would be so much better, so elegant and..."
"No! Uncle Paine, I want to be a Hunter!" Hayata's response was crisp and decisive.
"Sigh..."
Paine had a headache; this conversation had been repeated countless times over the past month.
After being attacked by monsters but fortunately rescued by Hunters, the caravan canceled its journey and returned directly to Minagarde City.
With lost goods, several members dead, and many injured, the caravan suffered heavy losses.
The most troublesome thing was that many caravan members who had witnessed their companions being torn apart by monsters and had themselves been injured or even disabled, resigned from their jobs and left the merchant guild.
After all, no one could guarantee that the next journey would be safe.
Even those who stayed were often plagued by nightmares, still feeling a thrill of fear when recalling that day, and this included Paine himself.
But Hayata was the sole exception.
That day's experience not only left no fear in her heart but instead gave rise to an even more dangerous idea: she wanted to become a Hunter, a Monster Hunter whose profession was hunting monsters.
At first, Paine thought Hayata was just having a whim, a rebellious fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl. Who doesn't have their willful moments?
But a month later, Paine realized he was wrong.
Although Hayata was usually mischievous and active, she was essentially a very obedient and well-behaved child.
For more than ten years, she had almost never acted willfully or thrown tantrums, making things very easy for Paine, who often traveled far, and the nanny who was responsible for her daily care.
However, this time, she was unusually stubborn.
For over a month, his earnest persuasion and the temptations of delicious food and beautiful dresses had failed to change her resolve in the slightest.
Because of this, Paine even lost his temper with her for the first time, confining her to her room.
Facing a truly angry Paine, Hayata did not talk back. Even when confined, she just silently walked into her room and sat in silence.
After a few days and nights, looking at Hayata, who used to be as bright as a little sun, with sunken cheeks, dark circles under her eyes like they were smeared with coal ash, and even her soft, smooth chestnut hair having lost its luster, looking as if she had lost her soul.
The middle-aged merchant, at his core a 'daughter-lover', surrendered.
"Alright, alright, go be a Hunter! I just don't know if your small arms and legs can even lift a weapon or wear armor!" That's what Paine, in his self-defeating manner, said at the time.
And so, Hayata got her wish.
The little girl, having gotten her wish, regained her usual vitality, chattering around Paine, asking when she could be sent to the Hunter Training Camp for training.
In larger human settlements, the Hunter's Guild has specialized training institutions for newcomers, and a large city like Minagarde is naturally no exception.
But Paine absolutely did not want his beloved niece to undergo that hellish training!
Among other things, he had heard about the training content of the local Hunter Training Camp. The basics involved barbells, dumbbells, and weighted cross-country runs.
After a few years of such training, the boys would naturally be strong and robust, and the girls, well...
Relatively few women volunteer to be Hunters, as most girls value beauty, and overly strong physiques are a nightmare for them.
Paine absolutely could not accept his pretty and cute niece becoming overly muscular.
In reality, Paine, like most people, misunderstood female Hunters. Female Hunters, who are naturally at a disadvantage in terms of strength and physique, rarely choose heavy weapons.
Ranged support weapons are very popular among female Hunters. Even if some female Hunters are naturally warlike and prefer close combat, they mostly choose agile types like Katana or Dual Blades.
Of course, there are extreme examples of those who like heavy weapons like the Hammer, and by breaking through their limits with effort, their performance is certainly no worse than that of male Hunters.
Compared to the collective training of the Hunter Training Camp, Paine, who had specifically inquired about relevant information, preferred another Hunter training model—the common 'old leading new' approach prevalent in many industries.
In short, it means that experienced Hunters guide newcomers one-on-one, in a mentorship style, helping them complete their training.
In small human settlements at the village or town level, young Hunters mostly complete their training in this way, as it's difficult for an ordinary village to gather enough young people willing to be Hunters to form a 'training camp'.
As for who to find to teach Hayata, Paine also had a plan in mind.
As a native of Minagarde, Paine had many friends, and several were close friends he had known since childhood.
And Amos was one of them.
In Paine's impression, Amos should be a formidable Hunter.
Paine wasn't very clear about the Hunters' ranking system, but he vaguely remembered hearing the Receptionist at the Hunter's Gathering Hall praise someone to a client, saying, "Lord Amos is an Upper Hunter!"
Judging from the Receptionist's proud and honored demeanor, and the client's reaction of "Ah, then I'm completely relieved!", an Upper Hunter must be very powerful, right?
Strong in ability, an old friend known for many years, with a clear understanding of his character and integrity, he could rest assured if such a person were to teach and train Hayata.
Besides this, another important reason Paine wanted Hayata to learn from Amos was the latter's "physique."
Among the Hunters he had encountered, the majority were burly, muscular men. Compared to them, Amos seemed quite "slender."
Hmm, or perhaps a different word, "lean and formidable," would be more appropriate.
If the sturdy muscle mass of strength-type Hunters brought to mind hard granite, then the muscles on Amos's body were like steel cables twisted onto bones, extremely refined.
When they were drinking together, Paine specifically asked about this, and Amos explained that it was a result of different training methods and weapon choices.
As an agile Hunter skilled in using the Katana, overly developed muscles would reduce speed and flexibility of movement.
As for whether strength-focused heavy weapons or agility-focused light weapons are stronger or weaker, there's no point in comparing; one can only say that each has its advantages in different situations.
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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.
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