Gordon didn't continue to argue with Amos; he wasn't someone who didn't know what was good for him.
After learning about the King of the Gajalaka's existence, a moment's thought was enough to realize that Amos's previous offer to participate in the mission, where he said 'more care,' was just an excuse.
With his strength as an Upper Hunter, taking Hayata on ordinary Two-Star missions, why would he need anyone else to look after him?
Clearly, he had seen the hidden dangers in this mission and specifically came to 'look after' himself.
"Regardless, thank you for your care."
Gordon hesitated for a moment but decided to make it clear and accept this favor.
Amos smiled and didn't deny anything. It was good that this young fellow wasn't a stubborn hothead; it was good that he could listen to advice.
"We'll search to the west and not go deeper. If those Qimian Tribe members don't show themselves, we'll first withdraw from their territory.
There's still plenty of time for the mission; if worst comes to worst, we'll just change targets. There's no need to stick to one tribe relentlessly."
Gordon nodded upon hearing this.
Although he still felt there was no need to change their actions for such a small probability, out of respect for Amos, he decided not to go deeper.
Having decided on the next route, Gordon took the lead, walking ahead to clear the way.
Amos continued his teaching, combining practical demonstrations to instruct Hayata on how to identify directions in the dense forest, how to find water sources, and so on.
Long after the group left, the dense forest returned to peace, leaving only a few Qimian Tribe corpses on the ground, freely spreading a bloody smell, attracting countless mosquitoes and flies.
"Rustle rustle..."
Amidst the rustling of branches and leaves, several short figures emerged from the low bushes in the forest.
They were a few Qimian Tribe members.
"Crack!"
"Crunch..."
"Gaa gaa ka ba ya!"
The corpses of their kin made the Qimian Tribe members agitated. Rough and primitive language echoed through the dense forest, chaotic and noisy, but just as their quarrel grew more intense, the appearance of a figure made them all fall silent.
It emerged from the dark shadows of the trees, the faint yellow light of the sky filtered by the overlapping leaves shining on it.
That was also a Qimian Tribe member.
Similarly thin and hunched, with grayish-green skin and shriveled limbs that looked weak, it seemed no different from an ordinary Qimian Tribe member except for being slightly taller.
But it was the king of all Qimian Tribe members within a hundred square kilometers—the King of the Gajalaka.
As the King of the Gajalaka approached, the Qimian Tribe members who had been arguing incessantly all bowed low, carefully retreating to both sides to make way.
"Crunch."
The King of the Gajalaka walked to the side of the corpses, muttered something in a low voice, then raised the scepter carved from an unknown beast bone in his hand and shrieked.
"Gaa gaa ya!"
Like a spark dropped into gunpowder, the surrounding Qimian Tribe members also raised their weapons, and fervent howls resounded through the mountains and forest.
"Gaa gaa ka ba ya!"
After circling the edge of the Qimian Tribe territory for a long time, Gordon and the others did not encounter any more Qimian Tribe members.
With no progress on the mission, Gordon was naturally a bit disappointed and bored, but he also knew that hunting was like this.
The time Hunters spent searching and tracking prey was often several times longer than the actual combat, which is why they were called 'Monster Hunters' and not 'Monster Killers' or similar.
However, Hayata felt more fulfilled than ever, or rather, a bit too fulfilled...
Amos seemed to be trying to cram everything into her head at once, knowledge points coming one after another. She didn't even know how much she would remember after waking up.
"Hayata, look at this type of fern. Its stem is very special; it only grows towards the sunny direction. Sometimes you can use it to determine direction. Did you remember?"
"Blue fern, ee-woo, reme-remembered..."
Seeing that his disciple's eyes were almost spinning, Amos had no choice but to stop, sighing silently.
It wasn't that he lacked patience, but time was truly limited. Although the Guild Master had granted him a vacation, as an Upper Hunter, he couldn't truly take one or two full years to teach his disciple.
He had to help Hayata grow as quickly as possible, at least to the point where she could enter the novice Hunting Field alone and hunt Herbivore Dragons or similar creatures.
That way, even if he was summoned for Upper Hunter missions, Hayata could slowly practice and accumulate experience on her own, without wasting too much time or neglecting her talent.
Just as Amos was struggling with whether he should harden his heart and make Hayata remember a little more, Gordon, who was walking ahead, furtively ran over.
"Mr. Amos, there's a Xianggu Pig up ahead, hehe..."
Looking at Gordon's smiling face, Amos chuckled helplessly. Seeing Hayata still looking puzzled, he explained, "This kid is craving roasted meat."
"Can you roast meat in the Hunting Field too?" Hayata asked in surprise.
She had always thought that hunting was a very dangerous and tense activity, requiring one to be on edge the entire time.
"Of course, I always carry a portable barbecue grill!"
Gordon patted the satchel on his waist and winked at Hayata, saying, "As long as there are no monsters nearby, you can roast meat. It's definitely more energizing than that damned portable food."
Hayata still looked at Amos with some doubt, who nodded and said, "While Hunters in the Hunting Field won't be as relaxed as on vacation, they also won't be overly tense, otherwise, their minds can easily get fatigued over time.
Roasting meat, gathering, and fishing are all things Hunters often do, provided, of course, that the environment is confirmed to be safe."
"There's a Xianggu Pig up ahead, rooting for lichen to eat. That's a real delicacy; it's not easy to find in towns. Oh, right, Hayata hasn't seen blood yet, has she? How about you go and butcher that guy?"
Gordon said words that made Hayata's scalp tingle with a refreshed expression.
Although she had resolved to 'take a life' after deciding to become a Hunter, having never even killed a fish in her life, she couldn't help but hesitate in the moment.
"Hmm, it is indeed a good opportunity. You have to see blood eventually." Amos folded his arms, looking in agreement.
"Herbivore Dragons are too big and hard to kill, Ling Deer are too agile. Among the animals suitable for meat and not dangerous around here, the Xianggu Pig is the most suitable.
Hayata, give it a try. Slit its throat, or figure out a way to knock it down and stab it once in the waist or abdomen. They're not aggressive, not dangerous."
Hayata looked at her teacher, then at her senior who was only a few years older than herself, and her eye twitched.
Compared to ordinary people, Hunters seemed to have a much more casual view on 'butchering something.'
But she was about to become a member of this group, wasn't she?
Swallowing hard, trying to suppress the unease and disgust in her heart, Hayata held up her small round shield and clutched her Hunter's Knife, carefully walking step by step towards the bush where the Xianggu Pig was.
"What's the big deal? It's just a Xianggu Pig, not the Great Wild Boar King," Gordon muttered under his breath, a bit speechless.
"Shut up!"
Hayata turned her head, pouting angrily.
--+--
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!
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