"Change weapons? How is that possible? The Charge Blade is the best in the world!"
Kayne grinned and pulled Ethan, who was following behind him, to the front.
"This kid wants to become a Hunter, so I'm just bringing him here to order a set of gear."
"I see…"
The old Wyverian nodded knowingly, then turned to look at Ethan, sizing him up carefully, and then turned back to Kayne.
"Even though you're a veteran Hunter, since you're bringing in a newcomer, I still need to emphasize this: according to Guild regulations, the materials for a Hunter's equipment must be hunted and gathered by the Hunter themselves. This is to ensure that the Hunter does not misjudge their ability based on their gear. This rule is absolutely inviolable!"
Kayne curled his lip. "Of course, I know that. That's why I'm ordering him a beginner set that doesn't require monster materials, such as the Hunter set, Leather set, Bherna set, or Yukumo set."
"You should have a reserve of the basic materials required for that kind of gear here at the Smithy, right?"
The old Wyverian thought for a moment. "We have all of them, except for the Bherna set. After all, I don't have the blueprints for the Bherna set here, so I'm not sure what materials it needs."
Kayne placed his money pouch on the counter. "Well, there you go! The Guild permits the sale and purchase of these types of materials. I'll buy the materials from you, transfer them to him, and then he uses those materials to forge the equipment. It's reasonable, logical, and flawless!"
The old Wyverian's furrowed brow twitched, and he nodded with some resignation. "Fine, fine. Doing this for a beginner set is within the allowed scope, but you absolutely cannot do this for higher-rank weapons or armor!"
Kayne beamed, slapping Ethan on the shoulder with a hearty thwack. "Why don't you quickly thank the old man?"
Ethan staggered. As he finally regained his footing, he heard Kayne slap his forehead again. "I almost forgot, you don't speak the common tongue…"
"Ah?"
The old Wyverian's eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead. He was very surprised. "He doesn't speak the common tongue? And look at his strange attire! Where did you bring this person back from?"
Kayne was nonchalant and carefree. "What do you care where he came from? He wants to be a Hunter and has the talent for it, so I brought him back to mentor him. Is there a problem?"
However, one phrase swirled in Kayne's throat, but he swallowed it back and didn't say it aloud.
Just based on the fact that he had seen this kid harmoniously share "friendship" with an Arzuros, he knew that the kid's character was not bad. He definitely wouldn't become the kind of person who violated Guild rules, poached, or eventually attracted the "Night" upon himself.
Good character, willing and talented to become a Hunter—isn't that enough? They are all human, after all. Why bother prying into his origins?
The old Wyverian was momentarily choked. He shook his head helplessly. "Alright, alright. Have you decided which set of armor you want to forge?"
"The Hunter set is mainly crafted from ore. The special defense skill triggered when wearing the full set allows the wearer to focus on details more easily, making it easier to set traps, combine items, barbecue meat, fish, or track monster trails."
"The Leather set primarily uses the hides of small monsters as material. The skill triggered when wearing the full set makes the wearer's hands more dexterous. This makes both gathering and carving easier, and the use of tools like pickaxes and bug nets becomes more refined, greatly reducing their chance of breaking."
"Then there's the Yukumo set. This set is primarily made of Yukumo wood. The effect triggered when wearing it is called 'Spirit's Whim.' It sounds mystical, but it basically allows the wearer to subconsciously perform a recovery action when hit, thus mitigating the damage they would have otherwise taken. Additionally, because this set is lightweight and doesn't impede the Hunter's movement, it allows them to better attack the monster's weak spots during combat, inflicting more effective damage… However, the 'Critical Eye' effect of this set isn't very strong. If it weren't for material limitations, I could actually make it feel almost weightless when worn…"
When mentioning the Yukumo set, the old Wyverian's introduction became noticeably more detailed. This had absolutely nothing to do with him being the designer of the Yukumo set.
Kayne chimed in while looking at Ethan, "Well, are you stunned? Ew… Don't try to force a straight face. Show your surprise; there's nothing shameful about it."
Back when he was in the Hunter Training Camp, when he first encountered Hunter gear and learned that seemingly ordinary armor sets could provide various seemingly unscientific and magical effects, his jaw dropped! How could this kid be so calm?
Ethan twitched his lips. What was there to be surprised about? It was just seeing something he had already encountered in the game, now presented with what sounded like a reasonable explanation.
If anything, he could summarize it in one sentence: Wyverian technology—isn't it amazing?
He watched the little old Wyverian pull a few design blueprints from the cabinet, explaining them with gusto. Without any hesitation, Ethan reached out and pointed at the blueprint for the Yukumo set.
Setting aside the nostalgia factor—this was the set he wore the first time he became a Hunter in the game—the Spirit's Whim skill, in reality, was a life-saving divine technique. He would have to be crazy to choose any other gear. Moreover, the Yukumo set also had the Critical Eye skill, covering both offense and defense. It was indeed an excellent gear design.
Seeing that Ethan had chosen his proud creation, the little old Wyverian felt that his saliva hadn't been wasted. He happily called the two Felyne helpers and had them lead Ethan to the back room to take his body measurements. Equipment crafted with this data would be the best fit.
Soon, Ethan finished his measurements and, while he was at it, changed into a set of Yukumo village everyday clothes, kindly donated by the Felynes. As soon as he came out, he saw Kayne sitting idly on the Smithy's doorstep, maintaining his Tyrant's Shield.
The old Wyverian noticed Ethan's gaze and couldn't help but tug at his white beard. "Do you want a weapon forged too? Please tell me it's not a Charge Blade."
Ethan was momentarily stunned. He thought today was just about getting a new set of armor. However, Kayne nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course! Let's go with a Bone Glaive (Charge Blade). It will be easier to upgrade to the Tyrant's Shield later, as the Diablos Charge Blade's attributes are also excellent."
The little old Wyverian, who had been spirited moments before, now looked slightly troubled, but then quickly became eager.
"The Charge Blade is a new weapon, only developed in the last couple of years. I've never actually taken an order for a Charge Blade before. Although I have the blueprints, the time it will take to forge will likely be longer. The Yukumo set can be finished in three days, but the Bone Glaive will conservatively take about a week to complete…"
"Hmm, this is a good opportunity to hone my craftsmanship…"