The Wyverian craftsman was a man of few words, his square, dark face revealing little expression, giving off an unapproachable vibe. In reality, however, he was a gentle and warm-hearted person.
He led the two inside the workshop, offering each of them a drink, Sajji included.
After thanking him, Altaïr took the tin cup handed to him and realized it seemed to contain some kind of beast milk, still warm.
"Popo Milk," the craftsman explained simply. "Nutritious. Good for kids."
Altaïr felt a bit helpless. Though he was still a few months shy of officially coming of age, he didn't consider himself or Isis children anymore.
But the man was a Wyverian, and judging by his appearance, he didn't seem particularly young. In terms of actual age, he could very well be old enough to be Altaïr's grandfather. Might as well just grin and bear it.
He took a small sip of the beast milk. The texture was almost like cream, thicker than he had expected.
"Tasty, right?" Isis, who had already downed half her cup in one go, chimed in with a hint of pride. "Uncle Smithy isn't just a top-tier blacksmith, he's also really skilled at raising and taming creatures.
When Val Habar migrates, he's even in charge of guiding the large beast herds."
"Impressive," Altaïr praised sincerely.
He knew Isis wasn't one to exaggerate. For someone to excel at one thing was already a remarkable achievement, let alone being skilled at multiple disciplines.
Uncle Smithy pursed his thin, barely visible lips, seeming a little embarrassed.
"Isis, what brings you here?" he asked, as if trying to change the subject.
Only then did Isis remember they hadn't come just for the Popo Milk. She quickly wiped her mouth. "Right, we wanted to try out some new weapons. Uncle Smithy, do you still cater to hunters?"
The craftsman paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Follow me."
Altaïr and Isis hurried after him, while Sajji quickly gulped down the rest of his beast milk and scrambled to catch up.
They entered the inner section of the smithy. On the workbenches, walls, and weapon racks, at least twenty or so weapons were displayed.
Many of them seemed to be crafted from high-grade materials, like the half-finished crimson Heavy Bowgun on the workbench, which likely used Rathalos materials, or the Charge Blade on the weapon rack, probably forged from Diablos parts?
There were plenty of others he couldn't even identify.
It seemed this craftsman was quite famous among the hunters of Val Habar. Many elite hunters bypassed the larger workshops to place custom orders with him.
"These are commissioned by clients. You can't test them," the craftsman said, pulling out some iron weapons from under the workbench and storage chests. "These are finished products for sale. They're all basic items made from ordinary steel. Feel free to try them."
Altaïr and Isis exchanged glances, both visibly excited.
Ordinary workshops wouldn't just let unfamiliar customers freely test merchandise meant for sale.
"Should we find an open space?" the craftsman thoughtfully added.
"Thank you, Uncle Smithy!" Isis dashed over to the pile of weapons, slinging a Gunlance over her shoulder and grabbing a Charge Blade to hold in her arms.
Altaïr picked up a Lance.
You only truly understand how heavy these things are once you get your hands on them.
Everyone says the Great Sword is heavy, but it's still just one sword. Weapons like the Lance, with a large shield plus the lance itself, definitely aren't lighter than the Great Sword in terms of weight.
Yet Isis effortlessly picked up two sets without showing any strain. This girl really is...
"Do you need the Sword and Shield?" Altaïr asked Isis.
Isis hesitated slightly, "Probably... not? Carrying too many would be inconvenient."
"Then these are all the shield weapons. Take the Hammer too, that thing is also good for smashing. You can try them all," Altaïr said.
"Okay."
Altaïr slung the Lance over his back and approached the iron hammer, attempting to lift the heavy Hammer as well. He managed to lift it, but his legs were trembling slightly.
Isis, who had slung the Charge Blade over her shoulder like a small satchel, reached out toward Altaïr, "Should I help you carry it?"
"...No need." Altaïr refused through gritted teeth.
Sajji glanced sideways at him, "Male pride, meow."
A large hand reached over from the side and took the Hammer from Altaïr's grasp.
The blacksmith effortlessly hoisted the Hammer onto his shoulder, then picked up the nearby Sword and Shield, his voice steady, "Anything else to try?"
"...No, thank you."
"Follow me." The blacksmith led the two out through the back of the smithy tent.
Only then did Altaïr and the others notice the extensive Popo pasture behind the smithy. Several well-fed Popo were wandering within the enclosure, leisurely grazing on hay.
After curiously observing for a moment, they circled around the pasture and came to an open area.
The blacksmith stopped, "This should do."
Altaïr unstrapped the Lance from his back and suggested, "Try the Hammer first, it's the only non-defensive one. Then try the Sword and Shield, Charge Blade, Gunlance, and Lance in order from lightest to heaviest."
"The boss's OCD is getting worse, meow," Sajji muttered under his breath.
Isis simply nodded in agreement.
"Let me demonstrate first. Try to mimic these movements and tell me how it feels." Altaïr, who knew how to use the Hammer, picked up the heavy iron weapon.
He performed several movements in sequence: swinging, uppercutting, horizontal swings, and pounding strikes.
Isis copied each of his movements. Though her technique and force application weren't quite standard, it was sufficient for a trial.
Seeing Isis set down the Hammer, Altaïr asked with a smile, "How does it feel?"
"Quite powerful!" Isis really liked the heavy, solid feel, "But there's this sense of..."
"Unstable balance," the blacksmith interjected from the side. "You're too tall and thin. If you want to use the Hammer, you'll need to adjust your movements specifically, and the hammer handle should be lengthened by about a handspan accordingly."
"Those aren't major issues, it mainly depends on whether you like it," Altaïr pondered. "Or would you consider a long-handled hammer?"
"Long-handled hammer?" Isis looked puzzled, as if she'd never heard of such a weapon.
"That would be the Hunting Horn," Altaïr said with a laugh. "The old master who taught me the Hammer used to call it that. It's also an impact weapon, if you're skilled in music."
"No no no no." Isis shook her head vigorously. "I'm destructively unskilled when it comes to music. When my older sister tried to teach me singing as a child, she ended up crying from listening to me."
"...Alright then."
"I'm getting curious, meow." Sajji blinked at Isis.
"Let's set the Hammer aside for now, I'll try other weapons first." As if eager to change the subject, Isis spoke urgently, then proactively picked up the Sword and Shield.
She executed a very standard combo, deliberately practicing the Shield Bash portion several extra times.
"Still feels a bit too light, like I can't properly control the momentum," Isis said, shaking her head.
Altaïr, who had anticipated this outcome, picked up the Charge Blade. "Try this, it's like a heavier version of Sword and Shield."
"This is a Charge Blade," the craftsman corrected with seriousness.
"Yeah, yeah, this is a Charge Blade," Altaïr responded with a laugh.
Perhaps he hadn't even realized it himself, since joining the Loc Lac Rangers, meeting Sajji, Resha, Asa, Nuri and the others, and later leaving Loc Lac to become friends with Isis who was his age...
Over these past six months, his personality had become much more cheerful. He no longer maintained that stern expression all the time like before, and would occasionally crack a joke or two.
"You try it first. Didn't you want to test defensive weapons too?" said Isis as she put down the Sword and Shield.
"Alright."
Altaïr fixed the Charge Blade's large shield onto his right arm while lifting the axe blade with his left hand. "Whoa, the handling is indeed much more substantial than the Sword and Shield."
As he spoke, he performed several basic slashing and blocking motions, feeling quite satisfied. Then he tried tactical movements like rolling, which felt somewhat awkward.
The craftsman reminded him from the side, "The Charge Blade's shield is much larger than the Sword and Shield's. It's not very suitable for rolling while holding it, try sidestepping instead."
"I see." Altaïr attempted the sidestep and found it much smoother. "Now let's try axe mode... How do you switch modes again?"