The Best Hunter
Pina managed to finish packing despite Nicoletta's relentless barrage of questions. It had been a hellish stretch of time.
She still felt Nicoletta's voice swirling around her ears. Pina herself was a chatterbox who talked like a song thrush, but Nicoletta took it to another level entirely. Having spent so long with the quiet Alice, Pina simply couldn't adjust to Nicoletta's constant noise.
Why was a knight so interested in a hunter's work? More than that, why had she suddenly shown up to torment them on their day off?
Pina picked up her bag with a sullen look.
"All done. Let's go."
Alice finally spoke.
"Good work."
There were several meanings packed into those words. Pina nodded weakly at Alice's remark, her shoulders slumping as she let out a sigh.
Nicoletta's eyes sparkled.
"Time to head out?"
"Yeah."
Alice said it as she opened the door.
"Don't get your hopes up too high. Hunting's pretty much the same wherever you go."
Hunter work might feel romantic, but when things didn't go smoothly, there were plenty of problems.
If you couldn't find tracks, you couldn't even start. Time outside was limited. And even if you found tracks, if they vanished midway and everything fell apart, you were left in a bind.
Killing monsters wasn't the only part of hunting, but the process itself was, objectively speaking, an utterly tedious game of hide-and-seek.
Nicoletta laughed lightly and stood beside Alice.
"Even if I try not to expect anything, I can't help it. I get to watch the best hunter at work, after all."
"The best hunter?"
Nicoletta looked at Alice, curiosity written all over her face.
"You were a Pro from the future, weren't you? You've already shown more than enough skill. Doesn't that make you the best?"
Alice snorted and shook her head.
"Me, the best? Hardly..."
The expression on Alice's face as she said it was a strange one.
Suddenly Nicoletta remembered Alice's situation. A hunter who had survived alone in a future where everyone else had died. Perhaps what she'd said to Alice had been rude.
The higher others' estimation of her rose, the more Alice would hate herself for failing to protect the future despite having that kind of ability. Realizing her slip of the tongue, Nicoletta touched her lips.
"Sorry. That was the wrong thing to say."
Alice, flustered by Nicoletta's apology instead, shook her head and replied.
"You don't need to apologize..."
"No, I do."
Nicoletta laughed — haha.
Alice made a dubious face, then turned her head away.
What's with this atmosphere?
Alice rolled her eyes around.
She had only been embarrassed by the praise of being the best hunter. She hadn't thought much of it otherwise.
Alice stepped forward in her combat boots.
The Forest of Illusion swayed its branches in the cold winter wind, welcoming Alice's party after their long absence.
It wasn't just Alice — many people came and went through here, so footprints were scattered messily across the snow.
Hunters visited the forest even on winter days like this for commissions. In winters like these, commissions never dried up — they only increased.
For example, someone might request Kodadonora tails because they'd heard they made good winter scarves, or ask for Kakari oil sacs because they were short on oil right away — all sorts of commissions kept the place booming.
The commission Alice had taken was simple.
In winters when hunting was difficult, Fantanotors would occasionally sneak into settlements and eat livestock monsters like Mudridons or Amargamos. It had happened again this winter, and the fed-up ranch owner had commissioned the Association for an extermination.
Pina spoke up.
"Mudridon tails are especially delicious. That's why the ranch owner is making such a fuss."
Nicoletta recalled the commission and said,
"Commissions are more closely tied to daily life than I expected."
"Right?"
Pina explained for Nicoletta's benefit.
"They lost their property to monsters. In frontier settlements like this, it happens all the time no matter how careful you are. There are so many monsters around. That's why hunters never get a day off."
"I see. I've only ever been in the capital, so I don't know the details of life out here. And it's not just me — other people from the capital would be the same. Inside the kingdom, away from the outskirts, there are almost no dangerous monsters. Like the hunters say, we're greenhouse flowers."
"By that measure, we're just barbaric butchers."
Nicoletta shook her head at Pina's words.
"Butchers? Who's the one pioneering the land from the front lines and dealing with monsters? I don't think of it that way."
"You're nicer than I expected."
"Oh, really? Thanks."
Alice, who had been quiet, shot them a look.
"...Shh. Keep it down."
Pina blinked, then covered her mouth with an oh-no expression.
"I got carried away without realizing..."
"There might be monsters nearby, so be careful."
In Alice's opinion, the two of them seemed to get along better than expected.
Especially Pina — she was talking more than when she was with Alice alone. She'd hated it so much at first, but now she seemed to be gradually opening up.
Alice felt a tiny twinge of exclusion. But this was exactly when she couldn't lose sight of her original purpose. What mattered in this outing was Nicoletta's observation tour.
"Nicoletta, watch carefully."
"Got it."
Alice began working with Pina.
Following the map, they walked to a spot near the marshland and found a place for base camp.
"This should be good, right?"
"Yes. I think so."
Both Alice and Pina had accumulated considerable field experience. The moment they decided on a place to stay for the day, they each took their roles and moved smoothly through laying out waterproof tarps, gathering wood and stones, and setting up a campfire without a hitch.
Nicoletta, watching the two from behind, asked Pina,
"What's that powder?"
"This is monster droppings."
Nicoletta blinked at Pina's words.
"Hunters make powder out of that? That's... pretty interesting."
"Huh? What on earth are you thinking?"
Pina let out a small laugh.
"It's not for eating. We use it to mark our territory. Then other monsters won't approach easily. That way, unless it's really dangerous, we don't need to post a night watch as much."
"I see. Good information. No need to drain the soldiers' stamina with unnecessary night watches."
"A night watch is still safer, though. If a monster like a Luga-lac comes in ignoring the territory, it's dangerous. So we always check the surroundings once before sleeping."
"True, we had night watches too, and sometimes monsters would show up. Having to scramble up and grab your gear was a real pain. Can I try sprinkling some too?"
"Ah, yes. Here you go."
Nicoletta asked about this and that like a truly curious student.
And she listened carefully without looking down on Pina, who was smaller and younger than herself. Pina had found it tiresome at first, but she was growing less averse to Nicoletta's passion and answered each question diligently.
Suddenly Nicoletta rubbed her arms as if a bit cold.
Pina said,
"It's a little chilly, isn't it?"
Nicoletta agreed with a slight shiver at Pina's words.
"Yeah, it is a bit cold. I should've brought Thermal Powder separately."
"I packed some — want some?"
"Oh, is that okay?"
"Yes, I brought plenty."
Nicoletta smiled and said,
"Thank you, really."
"Ahem, it's nothing."
Pina twitched the corners of her mouth upward while pretending it was no big deal.
It was something she did all the time, but having someone next to her who appreciated it properly sent Pina's pride soaring. Nicoletta smiled faintly watching her.
Easy to read.
Pina was a very easy person to understand. At first she hadn't managed her expression well, apparently disliking the unplanned situation, but with Nicoletta constantly praising her from the side, her mood seemed to have completely lifted.
Alice, on the other hand, was still silently doing her own work.
Watching her snap firewood branches or gather them up, Nicoletta whispered to Pina,
"Is Alice always this quiet?"
"Yes. She's extremely taciturn. Though she's improved a lot compared to before."
"Really?"
"Yes. At first she looked truly depressed. Well, she had every reason to be. She'd forgotten her entire past. I only found that out much later. She never showed it at all while she was with me. She was just obsessed with killing monsters. That was all rage directed at Miteraos... well, that dragon, anyway."
Nicoletta sighed with a pitying expression.
"I would have been the same. I don't know what it feels like to have everything ripped away from you, but..."
"But these days she even jokes around, and she talks more. Her expression's gotten a lot brighter too."
"That's good."
Alice was looking at a branch. A finger-sized bug was crawling along the tip. Alice watched it quietly, then blew a puff of air from her mouth to knock the bug off.
"See? Now she even spares little insects like that..."
The bug, apparently offended by Alice's treatment, spread its wings and flew straight at her.
Alice immediately caught it in her palm, slammed it to the ground, and crushed it under her boot heel.
The look of pure disgust twisting her brow was a free bonus.
Nicoletta looked at Pina without a word.
"...Anyway, she's gotten a lot brighter. Mm."
Pina emphasized again. Her eyes were wavering, unable to find their footing.