Altaïr could not have been more satisfied with his new Armor and weapon.
He offered only a tiny bit of feedback regarding the tightness of certain parts of the armor, and the adjustments took less than five minutes. The old smith quickly tuned the set to its optimal state for him.
Afterward, the old smith presented Sajji with his new gear.
"There are many styles of Seregios Palico Armor; some are armored carapace types focused on Defense enhancement, while others are light armor designed for flexibility and agility. I chose the latter based on your requirements.
Using the Seregios's wing membrane paired with thinner Scale sections, I crafted this set of Palico Armor."
"There is actually a special design that mimics a beckoning cat statue, but I felt that set of Armor wasn't flexible enough and had low practicality, so I didn't consider it."
Sajji nodded his small head vigorously. Sturdy but overly heavy armor would do him more harm than good; light armor was definitely better suited to his combat habits.
"As for the weapon, the original blueprints for Palico weapons used Bladescale Hone to craft a Halberd, but I recall you all saying you're an Assist Cat who operates machinery?
I took the liberty of making you a small mallet. The prototype is the Lucky Mallet that pairs with that beckoning cat armor I mentioned.
The decorations at the head and base of the handle are shaped with flat and recessed notches, so it can double as a screwdriver and a wrench."
If the Palico Armor from before merely made Sajji feel it was "pretty good," then this Golden Felyne Hammer, which combined the functions of a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench, struck a chord deep in his heart.
"This is wonderful, meow! Truly a master smith, meow!" He hugged the shimmering Golden Felyne Hammer, stroking it incessantly.
Then, he set the hammer down and bowed deeply to the old smith.
Most smiths did not particularly value the opinions of Palicoes, often letting their imaginations run wild when designing Palico equipment.
This was evident from the bizarre varieties of Palico Armor and the strangely shaped weapons often seen.
The weapons were especially varied; while common Felyne Swords were one thing, there were also forks, halberds, hammers, sickles, and even teddy bears. Even for a Melee Palico like Clawdia, how could anyone be proficient in everything?
Because of this, Sajji hadn't been very excited about changing gear and hadn't made any specific requests. He hadn't expected the old gentleman to listen to the few words he had exchanged with Boss Altaïr and even go as far as designing a small hammer that truly suited his needs.
"Thank you so much, meow! I will make good use of it, meow!"
The old smith smiled and patted his head before looking toward Isis and Clawdia, who both wore expectant expressions.
"I saw the materials you brought. You're planning to forge a Glavenus Gunlance, right? I really didn't expect you to actually bring back Glavenus materials in just a few days.
Don't mind my nagging, but as for things like sneaking off, once or twice is one thing, but you mustn't keep doing it just because you've had a taste of success. It's better to be cautious."
After a brief lecture, before Altaïr or Isis could respond, the old smith waved them over, signaling Isis to place the materials on the workbench. He then took out a magnifying glass and a small hammer used for checking internal cracks and began a meticulous inspection. The old smith's inspection was incredibly methodical; it took over fifteen minutes before he straightened up, rubbing his lower back and nodding. "Fine materials. Plenty here to forge the Glavenus Gunlance.
Crafting a weapon isn't as complex as a set of armor, but the mechanical structure of a Gunlance is tricky to build. It should take about four to five days.
There will be quite a bit of leftover material. Do you need a set of Palico Armor or a Felyne Sword made?"
"Palico Armor, meow!" Clawdia said without a moment's hesitation, having already made up her mind.
"Very well. Any personal requests?"
Isis immediately raised her hand. "I use a lot of slashing motions! So if possible, make the blade part extra, extra sharp. Also the shield, make it as thick and sturdy as you can. I'm very strong, so it won't be a problem!"
Clawdia also showed off her steel claws. "I'm different from her, meow. I'm a Melee Palico, and I like to jump onto the Monster to attack. Just make it with that in mind, meow!"
"I understand. The Palico Armor and the Gunlance will be finished together." After noting down their requirements with a pen, the old smith shouted toward the front of the shop, "Balina! Come help the customers with their measurements!"
Isis's expression stiffened at the name, her voice turning into a bit of a stammer. "D-didn't we just take my measurements for the armor a month or two ago? Is there... is there really a need to do it again?"
The old smith said earnestly, "Other things can be overlooked, but key data like height and arm length must be reconfirmed. Don't worry, it's just a few simple parameters. It's not as troublesome as armor; it won't take much time at all."
Isis wore a look of utter despair. It wasn't the trouble she was afraid of.
Hearing the call, Balina came jogging over. Tossing aside a bandage she had been using to secure an arm, she grabbed a measuring tape and hopped onto a stool, beginning the measurements with great enthusiasm.
Isis hunched her shoulders and lowered her head, trying to make herself shorter.
However, under the old smith's scolding, "Chest out! Shoulders back! Do you want your new weapon to be a poor fit?" she could only obediently comply.
"One hundred ninety-three point five centimeters! Same as last time!" Balina quickly announced the result.
Isis visibly relaxed, patting her chest with a look of irrepressible joy. "Thank goodness, thank goodness, I didn't get any taller. Has my growth finally stopped? Yes!"
Altaïr said with a smile, "I told you before, you've pretty much reached your limit. There wouldn't be any obvious changes in just two short months."
Meanwhile, me! I measured myself secretly yesterday, I've grown point-four centimeters in two months!
Beside them, Sajji hugged his hammer. "Maybe it's because you measured at a different time, meow? I remember that height in the morning is more than a centimeter taller than in the evening, meow."
Isis's heart leaped into her throat once again.
"No, last time was in the morning just like now. There won't be any difference."
Altaïr's words allowed Isis to fully relax. She threw her arms up in a cheer. "I'm going to write to my mother! I have to tell her the good news!"
"You didn't even write to your mother when you were promoted to a 4★ Hunter."
"That's different!"
Altaïr smirked. This girl was unusually obsessed with her height issues...
Though, it seemed he was much the same.
Over the next few days.
Nymera bid a temporary farewell to her companions and, together with Hibiki, boarded an Airship to leave Metapetatto, heading for the largest port city in the northwest of the Old World: Minegarde. Altaïr and Isis were in no hurry to enter the Jungle to Hunt, opting instead to spend their time in the Training Area, repeatedly practicing their newly mastered techniques.
Isis's "Rising-Falling Vortex Full Burst Wyrmstake Wyvern's Fire Chain Full Burst Wyrmstake" was met with Altaïr's relentless disdain, not for the move itself, of course, but for its name.
"Go on, say that name yourself," Altaïr said, staring at Isis.
"Er, Rising-Falling Vortex, Full Burst, Wyrmstake, Wyvern's Fire, Chain Full Burst, Wyrmstake! I think I got it right!"
"No pausing. Say it again, fast."
"Rising-Falling Vortex Full Burst Wyvern's Fire–"
"Wrong." Altaïr interrupted mercilessly. "You missed a Wyrmstake before the Wyvern's Fire. See? Even you can't say it properly."
"Ugh..."
Isis rubbed her face hard. "I feel like I really should rename it, but the problem is, this isn't exactly a real 'move.' To put it simply, it's just a combo string pieced together from various basic moves. How am I supposed to name that?"
"Just call it 'Explosion Kill' meow!" Clawdia squeezed her little paws tight. "A move name has to be something you can shout meow! Charging in while yelling 'Explosion Kill!' and unleashing a fierce assault, it'll definitely have presence meow!"
"Well, following your logic meow, and considering Isis's habits, this combo should be called 'Hyaaahhhhh!' meow," Sajji said, stroking his whiskers.
Isis: "..."
Amidst the nonsensical bickering of the two cats, Altaïr rubbed the corners of his eyes.
"While shouting a move's name during an attack can effectively raise your Spirit and let your companions know your movements, which isn't a bad habit...
It doesn't seem necessary to specifically revise your 'lines.' Since everyone knows you like to go 'Hyaaah' when launching a heavy assault, we might as well keep it that way.
It saves you from getting distracted during combat by having to think about 'what should I shout.'"
"But what about the move's name..."
"Since you don't have to shout it out, it doesn't matter if it's a tongue-twister. Just stick with your original one, or change it to Clawdia's suggested 'Explosion Kill.' Either is fine." Altaïr couldn't be bothered to waste more brainpower on this and decided to give up thinking.
Back then, his "Crimson Blade Slash" had only been named under Isis's nagging; this girl seemed obsessed with naming techniques.
"How about calling it Gymnastics meow?" Sajji tilted his head. "You've been in the Training Area for days, going over this combo again and again against the target. It looks just like you're doing gymnastics with a Gunlance meow."
"No way! That sounds terrible!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)