The old Wyverian was muttering to himself. Noticing the skeptical looks from Kayne and Ethan, he suddenly started stamping his foot.
"What kind of looks are those! I have been a blacksmith for so many years! Every single weapon I forge is thoroughly checked before delivery, and there will absolutely be no quality issues! Do you think I would be perfunctory with a job that concerns a Hunter's life and safety?!"
Ethan gave a dry laugh and shook his head. Kayne also quickly laughed it off, pulling Ethan closer:
"We certainly trust you! It's just that this kid is too eager and doesn't want to wait long."
Ethan secretly rolled his eyes. Ugh, cursed, they're taking advantage of the fact that I don't speak the Hunter language! It looks like, in addition to Hunter training, I need to urgently solve this language problem!
The old Wyverian harrumphed, accepting the explanation, and then stretched out his hand, asking for payment.
"That will be 3,800z. That includes 3,300z for the Bone Glaive, 250z for the forging fee of the Yukumo set, and 250z for the materials."
When playing the game before, unless he found he was suddenly short of cash when forging, Ethan generally didn't pay attention to the forging costs and had no real concept of their value. Only now did he realize that the cost of forging a weapon was so much higher than that of armor.
Kayne looked at Ethan's expression and thought he felt guilty for spending so much money. He clapped Ethan on the back again.
"Hahahaha, kid, don't worry about it. That amount of money is nothing. I can earn far more than that from any random quest!"
After handing the money to the old Wyverian Smithy to count, Kayne led Ethan cheerfully toward the upper part of the village, clearly in a good mood.
Seeing how moved the kid looked, accepting him as an apprentice shouldn't be a problem now, hehe… I'll stay a bit longer, train him up, and then when I take him back to Dundorma, I can really show off in front of those old geezers. So what if I'm single? A single guy can have a successor too!
After following Kayne for just a few minutes and ascending the final step of the staircase in front of them, Ethan's eyes suddenly lit up.
Ahead was a rather spacious plaza. Orange-red maple leaves danced in the wind. Some drifted into the hot spring stone pool on the right, floating downstream with the water. More fell onto the ground, adding a warm touch of color to the village.
Further ahead, near a stone staircase leading up to the Gathering Hall on the mountaintop, a Wyverian woman in a violet robe and a grass-green sash was sitting on a wooden bench covered with deep red silk. She was holding a gentle smile, reaching out to catch a red leaf carried by the wind, and then watched as the light breeze wrapped it and carried it toward a Hunter and an unfamiliar villager walking toward her.
Hmm? A villager she didn't recognize?
The Wyverian woman looked at the young man wearing the Yukumo clothing with curiosity, then turned to the Hunter leading him over:
"Haiyi~ Mr. Kayne, you look well. Has your holiday life in Yukumo been pleasant?"
Kayne was not as casual with the Village Elder as he had been with the Smithy owner. He scratched his head and laughed:
"Thank you for your concern, Village Elder. Yukumo Village really is a very peaceful village. If I weren't a Hunter, I'd truly want to live here permanently!"
The Village Elder covered her mouth and chuckled lightly at his words. "That's wonderful. I am honored that you give Yukumo Village such praise!"
"And this is…?"
"This is… uh…" Kayne suddenly stalled. He realized that he didn't even know the person's name, yet he was already planning on taking him on as an apprentice.
"Ethan." Ethan pointed to himself and spoke helplessly. He didn't know how his name would be pronounced in the Hunter language, so he just used the original pronunciation.
"Kirin (Qilin)?!"
Kayne's expression changed, seeming to connect it to some legends, and he looked somewhat shocked.
"Not Kirin, it's… never mind."
Ethan gave up on the explanation because he suddenly realized that in the Hunter language, the pronunciation of "Kirin" was the same as his name.
Kayne was a thick-skinned Hunter. The shock only lasted for a short time before he immediately tossed it aside, continuing his previous topic.
"Anyway, I found him alone in the Stream area, so I brought him back. I was hoping you could help him settle in, as he will be staying temporarily in the village."
The Village Elder looked at Ethan with surprise. No wonder his hair was a mess and his unshaven stubble made his otherwise handsome face look rather scruffy. So, he had been living alone in the wilderness…
"No problem at all. We are all people. Of course, we should help when someone is in need. Welcome to Yukumo Village~"
The Elder spoke in her uniquely gentle tone and bowed slightly to Ethan.
Ethan opened his mouth. The urge to learn the Hunter language became even more pressing.
Kayne scratched his head and added:
"Oh, right. He doesn't seem to speak the common tongue…"
"Eh?!"
…
Through the Village Elder's coordination and communication, a temporary host was finally selected for Ethan: the Iwata family, who managed a large farm.
That's right, the family of Iwata, the person who called himself the "Gatekeeper" when Ethan first entered the village. It was likely due either to the genuine kindness of his parents or a sense of guilt from Iwata Hirokazu for having interrogated a "mute."
Of course, he wasn't allowed to stay, eat, and drink for free. In return, he would work as a farmhand to pay for his lodging and meals.
Before parting, Kayne patted Ethan on the shoulder again, saying earnestly:
"I'll be staying in the Hunter's Lodge near the mountaintop for this period, and I'm quite free. You can come to me anytime to learn from your senior's experience. Once your Charge Blade is forged, I'll be happy to teach you a few moves."
"Keep up the effort! Pass the Hunter Exam soon, become a Hunter, and you won't have to depend on others; you can rent the Hunter's Lodge provided by the Guild!"
With that, Kayne turned and walked away, leaving Ethan with a dashing figure.
'We just met by chance, yet he's willing to help so much. People in the Monster Hunter world are truly simple and kind. It's so touching…'
'I owe such a huge debt of gratitude. How will I ever repay it?'
With his mind swirling, Ethan followed Iwata back to his large family house. He completely submerged himself in the hot spring water that was steaming with white mist. The fatigue accumulated from his long time living in the wilderness completely dissipated at that moment. In just a few breaths, Ethan had sunk into a warm, humid dream.
Iwata's mother, a middle-aged woman named Kaori, came in carrying a tray, intending for the guest to sample the local Yukumo delicacy, Onsen Tamago (hot spring egg). Seeing Ethan asleep, she gently placed the tray on the warm ground beside him and quietly backed out, closing the door softly. She then spoke in a low voice to the man beside her.
"The child looks younger than Iwata, and he seems very tired. He must have endured a lot of hardship in the wilderness."
The man, Iwata Kouhei (Iwata Hirokazu's father), also lowered his voice upon hearing this.
"In that case, we won't disturb him for now. Let the child rest well."