Altaïr carried a large package of refined jerky, along with plenty of smoked dried cheese and nuts, while Isis held two large bottles of alcohol in her hands.
Led by Sajji, the two knocked on the door of Naziya's heavy mechanical caravan.
"Who is it?" came an impatient voice from inside.
The door was pulled open, and Naziya, with her messy hair, glanced at the two outside before her gaze lowered and landed on Sajji.
"You still remember to come back?" She lifted Sajji up, sounding somewhat annoyed. "Leaving a half-finished machine and disappearing for most of the day, do you even have a mechanic's soul?!"
"Sorry, meow!"
Altaïr behind him quickly explained, "Sorry, Sajji wanted to come back earlier, but I kept dragging him around."
Naziya snorted upon hearing this. "Assembling and crafting complex mechanical components is most unforgiving when interrupted midway. Not only might you miss steps, but even the feel of the work changes, compromising the integrity of the machinery and increasing the likelihood of future malfunctions."
"Meow..." Sajji hung his head in shame, ears drooping.
Seeing this, Naziya's expression and tone softened slightly. "It's necessary to relax occasionally, take a day off, and go out to bask in the sun, but remember to do it before starting work. As for the project you left half-finished, dismantle it and start over. It's your first practical mechanical creation, you don't want it to fail, right?"
"Understood, meow! I'll finish it in one go, meow!"
Jumping down from Naziya's hands, Sajji raised his small screwdriver high, meowing as he slipped past her feet and ran into the workshop inside the caravan.
Naziya's gaze shifted back to the two standing at the door, looking somewhat awkward. She stepped aside and gestured with her head. "Come in, find a place to sit. I'll get you some tea."
Altaïr and Isis exchanged a glance, then followed her inside, carefully navigating around the mechanical items and tools scattered everywhere before hesitantly sitting at a long table that resembled a workbench more than a dining table.
"I say, does Miss Naziya seem to be in a bad mood?" Isis whispered softly.
"Seems like it," Altaïr replied stiffly, his lips barely moving as he hissed through his teeth, "But it's probably not because of us."
Before they could exchange more words, Naziya returned carrying a large iron kettle steaming with heat and several tin cups.
"Sorry, I don't have any snacks prepared at home," Naziya said, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Let's just make do with some hot water."
With that, she poured each of them a cup of scalding hot water.
Tea leaves had been placed in the cups beforehand, and unlike ordinary tea, a slightly sharp, refreshing fragrance wafted out, activated by the hot water.
"Mint tea, it's invigorating. Not sure if you're used to it."
Isis thanked her and instinctively reached to hold the cup with both hands, only to pull back immediately upon touching it. Between the boiling water and the tin cup, the tea would likely be undrinkable for a while.
Altaïr shot her a meaningful look, and Isis quickly placed the alcohol bottles she was carrying on the table. Altaïr also brought out the gifts they had prepared beforehand.
Naziya raised an eyebrow. "You brought gifts? Do you need my help with something?"
She spoke while unwrapping the oil paper containing dried meat and smoked cheese. "Hey? These are perfect beer snacks. Let's skip the tea and have some drinks instead. I'll go fetch two more cups."
Naziya used her teeth to pull the cork from one of the bottles, brought it to her nose and sniffed, revealing a satisfied expression. Just as she was about to rise to exchange the cups, Altaïr quickly stopped her.
"We're not good with alcohol, so that won't be necessary. Miss Naziya, please keep them for yourself to enjoy slowly."
Those two bottles contained strong liquor, and since they had only drunk beer a few times, they were afraid they might embarrass themselves if they drank.
After glancing at the two and confirming they weren't just being polite, Naziya sat back down. "Alright then, you two aren't adults yet anyway. It wouldn't be good for you to get drunk."
"I really like the gifts. If there's anything you want my help with, just say it directly. I won't refuse if it's something I can do."
Dealing with such straightforward people was convenient, so Altaïr didn't beat around the bush either, taking out the material list tucked in his memorandum.
Naziya glanced at it before setting it down. "Looking to craft an Ingot Armor Set? Or advanced ore-series weapons?"
"It's for weapons."
"That's quite a quantity. Must be for heavy weapons, and more than one piece?"
"Yes, one Gunlance and one Long Sword," Isis answered honestly.
"I still have some of these ores in stock here that I can sell you. For the rest, you'll need to buy from merchants. Gathering everything piece by piece should take about half a month."
Naziya's expression turned somewhat troubled. "But I've been busy with some other troublesome matters lately, so I might... Ah, wait a moment?"
Suddenly seeming to remember something, Naziya's gaze snapped toward Altaïr. "Speaking of which, little brother Altaïr, you're from Loc Lac, right? Then you should be quite familiar with the sand sea region?"
"Um... I suppose?" Altaïr felt somewhat unnerved by her intense stare.
Naziya stood up excitedly, placing both hands on the table as she fired off a series of questions. "Things like navigating in the desert, finding oases, survival skills, you should know about those too?"
This question Altaïr could answer with much more confidence. "Although I'm from Loc Lac, I actually come from desert nomad origins. I'm quite familiar with all that."
"That's perfect!" Naziya's eyes shone. "How about this, you help me with something, and I'll do you a favor in return, using my connections to gather the ore materials in the shortest time possible!"
"First, what kind of help are we talking about?" Altaïr was tempted, but he wasn't in the habit of making commitments before understanding the situation.
"Where to begin..." Naziya sat back down. "To put it simply, I'd like you to serve as guards and guides, protecting a scholar on an investigation to Sun Worship Town deep in the sand sea."
"Sun Worship Town?" Isis repeated the place name, her face full of confusion.
But Altaïr had heard of this place, an industrial hub located deep in the sand sea, famous for producing high-quality heat-resistant metal.
"If it's just being guards and guides, of course that's no problem. Could you tell us more about the details?" Altaïr nodded as he spoke.
"Certainly!"
Compared to her previously irritated expression, Naziya's face had clearly relaxed considerably. Evidently, this "troublesome matter" was what had been putting her in a bad mood.
"You know a bit about my parents working in Dundorma, right? Have you heard of the Royal Academy?"
"I heard Brother Jara mention it last time, but I'm not too clear on what the Royal Academy actually is," Altaïr answered honestly.
Isis chimed in from the side: "I know a little. It seems to be a semi-research, semi-educational institution established through the guild's initiative, with collaboration from the Royal Paleontology Scriveners, Elder Dragon Observation Team, and Wycademy.
Over the years, it has trained numerous young scholars and various specialized technical personnel."
"That's pretty much correct. My parents work there as instructors, teaching mechanical engineering.
Yesterday I received a letter from them saying that a prominent biology professor is coming to investigate some unusual phenomena occurring in Sun Worship Town.
Since they knew my parents originally came from the Great Desert, the professor asked them to help find a guide.
Coincidentally, I've been to Sun Worship Town before with them to purchase heat-resistant metal, so I know the route. Plus, I'm technically a hunter, so my parents assigned this task to me."
"Mhm"
Altaïr nodded while listening. It seemed perfectly reasonable that colleagues would ask for help and casually volunteer their hometown daughter for the job.
Naziya continued, "If the scholar plans to travel by airship, I wouldn't mind going along to show the way, I could treat it as a supply run.
But from what my parents said, the scholar seems to want to travel overland while conducting investigations along the way. The area around Val Habar would be fine, but I have no experience trekking through the sand sea!
Although I was born and raised in the desert, there's definitely a difference between Val Habar city and the deep sand sea, right?
What if I end up getting the scholar lost in the sand sea? That would be a real mess!"
PS: Note: Sun Worship Town doesn't appear in the game's storyline but appears in the setting collection as an important industrial town in the desert. More specific details will be described later (to some extent, it might be the prototype for Oilwell Basin).