Side: Meena
Today, Yamato, Prim, Flam, Athena, and I, a group of five, visited Olden Island.
This island is being considered as the prime candidate for the Fraydlancia Baronetcy, and although I know about it from my studies, I’ve never actually been here.
That’s why we came today to survey the island.
Since the Tree-made Multi-functional Beast Carriage is currently undergoing modifications, Athena, in her fully dragonized form, carried the Fraydlancia Heavenly Noble House’s Multi-functional Beast Carriage for us this time.
“I had heard about it, but there really are a lot of G-rank monsters,” Flam commented.
“For me, they’re manageable, but it would be tough for a regular Hunter,” Prim added.
“Honestly, I question the idea of G-rank monsters for rehabilitation,” Flam mused.
As they spoke, Flam and Prim took down monsters one after another.
This inspection, being their first hunt since childbirth and acting as rehabilitation for both of them, was intense, with no mercy shown despite their long break from hunting.
Though, Prim didn’t seem to be using her signature high-speed combat much, suggesting that the break had indeed taken its toll.
“Big Fang Turtles, Jewel Bulls, Earthfoot Hoppers, and even Magma Crocodiles. It’s truly a G-rank nest,” Flam observed.
“Over there, there’s a Canal Rhinoceros too! To have so many rare species, it really has been left untouched,” Prim pointed out.
Olden Island is inhabited by many C-rank and B-rank monsters, but it truly has an abundance of G-rank ones as well.
I hadn’t expected not only high-ranking species but also multiple rare species to be living here.
There are also many aquatic species, some of which are frequently hunted in the Nadal Sea, but judging by this, it seems Olden Island was their origin.
There are hardly any sightings on the Amister side, but it’s likely because the Br Mountains have been preventing the monsters from migrating.
“Today is just a survey, but we should probably clear them all out soon,” Flam stated.
“That’s true. Lately, there have been many sightings of Anomalous Species and Catastrophe Species, so we can’t say for sure there aren’t any here,” Prim replied.
“Or rather, there’s one right there,” Flam said.
“Huh? Where? Oh, you’re right.”
At the spot Prim indicated stood a giant Battle Hopper species, easily ten meters in length.
Earlier, Flam had defeated a G-rank Monster, a Landshake Hopper, which was about three meters long, so this one was more than three times its size.
“A Grasshopper? A Catastrophe Species? It looks like the kind that would make Mako faint again,” Flam muttered.
Ah, I can see how someone who dislikes insects like Mako might want to run rather than faint. I’m not sure if it’s a Grasshopper, but it looks like a Battle Hopper similar to those found on Earth.
“Questing. Devouring Locust? Another rare one has appeared,” Prim exclaimed.
“Prim, you know it?” Flam asked.
“Only by name. It’s a Catastrophe Species that has only been sighted in labyrinths. I believe its rank is M-C,” Prim replied.
An M-C rank monster, huh.
Olden Island has been isolated for a long time, but I’ve heard that some curious Hunters did land here. Before the proliferation of Alloy, Hunters who landed would have been lucky to defeat a few monsters, but it seems they made quite a profit due to the presence of many rare monsters. However, there were no reports of Catastrophe Species, let alone Anomalous Species. This Devouring Locust before us might have evolved through the Divine Emperor’s magic.
“A Catastrophe Species, and one that was previously only found in labyrinths,” Yamato said.
“As far as I know, it was only defeated once, and its Magic Stone was presented to the Valentia Royal Family at the time. Ah!” Prim exclaimed.
“Talk later! Not now!” Yamato interrupted.
“Right! Then, for old times’ sake!” Prim responded.
Without further ado, Prim donned her Fiery Wings and unleashed her Unique Magic, Seraphim Tornado, towards the Devouring Locust. Caught in a vortex of flames that roared like thunder, the Devouring Locust was tossed into the air. It spread its wings to escape, but they were quickly consumed by flames. It was exposed to the fire with no means of escape. Arriving directly above the Seraphim Tornado, Prim then donned Seraphim Penetrator and pierced the Devouring Locust.
It’s been almost a year since her last proper battle, and she’s not fully recovered yet, but she defeated an M-C rank monster in an instant. It’s impressive, but I have a feeling she’ll be scolded later.
“Prim! What are you doing?!” Yamato exclaimed.
“I wanted to go all out for the first time in a while, sorry,” Prim replied.
“I understand how you feel, but please don’t overdo it,” Yamato said.
“Yes, I’ll focus on rear support from now on.”
Yamato looked worried, but fortunately, Prim’s condition seems stable. After childbirth, she occasionally suffered from illness and even fever, which is understandable. However, Prim seems to be refraining from further combat today. She will provide magical support from the rear, which I believe should be fine. Still, I’ll play it safe and stay close to Prim and Flam, not venturing too far forward.
Side: Flam
Not long after Prim defeated the Devouring Locust, we annihilated all the monsters that appeared. Although no Catastrophe Species showed up, there were two Anomalous Species: a Dark Breath Bull and a Fortress Turtle. Both are M-I rank. Yamato dealt with the Dark Breath Bull, and Athena took care of the Fortress Turtle.
“Let’s call it a day,” Flam said.
“Yes. Today was just a preliminary look; it’s better to conduct a full-scale hunt once development is decided,” Prim replied.
“Still, two Anomalous Species and one Catastrophe Species appeared. We might need to check on the area occasionally,” Meena pointed out.
As Meena said, regular check-ins are essential. After all, the current Philia Continent, due to the Divine Emperor’s arrival, is giving rise to not only Anomalous and Catastrophe Species but even Demise Species. While there don’t seem to be any Demise Species on Olden Island, we can’t be certain as we haven’t investigated everything. It’s undeniable that individuals evolving into Anomalous and Catastrophe Species are increasing. Therefore, as Yamato and Prim suggested, if we don’t conduct a thorough hunt right before starting development, we might end up repeating hunts over and over.
“Let’s see today’s haul… There are many G-ranks, but also many S-ranks and B-ranks too,” Athena said, opening her Questing log to check the day’s results.
I also took a look, and indeed, there are many B-ranks and S-ranks. Of course, there are C-rank and lower monsters too, but in terms of numbers, B-ranks, no, S-ranks seem to be more numerous. Most of the G-ranks are also high-ranking or rare species, so if left unchecked, they will likely evolve further. Fortunately, there aren’t too many terrestrial species, and the aquatic ones are all creatures that cannot survive without land. With the Br Mountains blocking their migration, the possibility of them causing damage to populated areas seems low.
However, this makes me wonder about the feasibility of managing this as a territory. Even if we establish regular transport, the only route from the Amister side is via Feel. In fact, Alegria and Acquario would be easier for trade and travel than Amister. But the Fraydlancia Baronetcy is a territory belonging to the Amister Heavenly Empire, which would create its own set of problems. Honestly, it would be easier to redevelop the Bridge City Ruins, which were already taken into consideration for these issues.
“Seriously, if we don’t build tunnels, managing this territory will be more than just difficult. What are you going to do, Yamato?” Prim asked.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this bad. However, considering the terrain and location, Olden Island is ideally suited for the Fraydlancia Baronetcy. The question is whether to dig tunnels or blast through the mountains. I’ll decide after assessing the situation in the Br Mountains,” Yamato replied.
Prim, being a former Duchess, was no stranger to territory management, and she concluded that Olden Island is unsuitable as a territory unless at least a tunnel is built through the Br Mountains. Even I, while still learning, felt the same, and it seems Yamato agrees. However, he’s undecided whether to dig tunnels or excavate the mountains. There are monsters that burrow and those that live underground, and if they were to appear inside a tunnel, it could lead to a major disaster. Therefore, Yamato is not keen on tunnels. On the other hand, blasting through mountains to create new roads would disrupt the surrounding ecosystem, and it’s difficult to predict what might happen afterward. Nevertheless, a choice must be made, as it will significantly impact not only the development of Olden Island but also the subsequent management of the Fraydlancia Baronetcy. Yamato has decided to choose after observing the Br Mountains.
“Then, to the Br Mountains… Oh, wait. Athena brought us here, so it might be difficult to go to the Br Mountains next,” Prim realized.
“If we don’t have to fight, I can manage,” Athena replied.
“Then I’ll ask you for a favor. I could call Eos, but I believe she’s on a Float trip today?” Yamato asked.
“Okay, just a moment,” Athena said.
Full dragonization is a last resort for Dragonians and consumes a massive amount of magic power. While they can fight after evolving into Hydragonians, ordinary Dragonians consider fighting in this state a matter of life and death. This remains true even for Ancient Dragonians; full dragonization is limited to once a day, or twice at most, even with ample magic power. We rode in the beast carriage, carried by Athena in her fully dragonized form, to Olden Island. Athena has since reverted to her human form and even participated in monster hunting. Asking her to fully dragonize again, even as an Ancient Dragonian, must be incredibly taxing.
“Sorry about this. We’ll just do a simple survey this time,” Yamato said.
“Thanks to you, my level has increased, so it’s not that much of a concern. Oh, but if you feel that way, will you go on a date with me next time?” Athena asked.
“Ah, understood,” Yamato replied.
Athena is certainly not one to miss an opportunity. However, we ourselves have only been on a few dates alone with Yamato. The women involved with Yamato aren’t just his wives and fiancées; including concubines and those hoping to be single mothers, the number reaches nineteen. In the Helios Orb, where polygamy is the norm, the average number of wives is three. Men who have concubines are typically wealthy, and those hoping to be single mothers require the man to possess exceptional abilities. Even including all these categories, it would likely be around five or six people. Therefore, nineteen is, without exaggeration, an excessive number. Consequently, time for one-on-one dates is hard to come by. Yamato is considerate and makes time for us a few times a month. For my part, I’ve also had dates alone with him after Mizuki’s birth, and of course, Mana, Rika, and Prim have had theirs as well.
Be that as it may, even if the full investigation of the Br Mountains is postponed to another day, a preliminary survey is necessary. At the very least, confirming the terrain is essential, and if possible, finding a suitable location would be ideal.
