Operation story: CF-2

Operation

Story

Previous CF-TR-1	Next CF-3
Characters
Felyne Artisan Felyne Scholar Noir Corne Yato Roka Village Headman (Ataru Takii) Yoshitaka Kashiwau Anxious Villager Honest Villager Kazuya Starving Villager Strict Villager (Hiroshi Ritou) Strong Villager Curious Child Infected Child Older Child
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5

Before operation

“

After getting a full grasp of the situation, the Felyne Scholar decides to help deal with the Rathalos. The Roka Village Headman does not take kindly to Yato's warnings. While treating the villagers, Yato and Noir Corne realize the village is hiding something, and decide to get to the bottom of things.

”

<Background 1>
[The Felyne Artisan and Scholar is checking out the locally-made armor.]
Felyne Scholar	How did they make this...? It has the toughness of Goss Harag Fur, but is as light as Nargacuga Scales... And that goes fur the other clothing too, the consistency in quality is meowtstanding! The strangest thing is pawssibly that... everyone has clothes with tailoring meowch better than what you can get from the best Smithies. There's simply no way this area has enough meownsters to provide this much material though...?
Felyne Artisan	New meowterials! I like them so meowch! And even more in the forest! We should lend that long-horned Hunter a paw with the Rathalos!
Felyne Scholar	Purr-haps you might want to rethink that, Smithy! This locale and the New World we were headed to are two completely diffurent places. The villagers here don't go into the forest to hunt, or craft weapons and armor with meownster materials... There's so meowch stuff in this village I've never seen befur, and I have no clue where they came from or how they work. Though based on what Yato said, some of them seem to be observing the endemic life here, like the members of the Elder Dragon Observation Team or the Ecological Research Center... But it's still so diffurent in so meowny aspects!
Felyne Artisan	Diffurent?
Felyne Scholar	Pawsitively! We must figure out a way back as soon as pawssible; I still have a chance to be the purr-ime Ecological Researcher of the New World!
Felyne Artisan	Isn't this a New World too...?
Felyne Scholar	Smithy! Are you saying... this is simply yet another undiscovered New World? More impurr-tantly, one that no other Commission has been to befur? No Hunters or Researchers! None of those Elder Dragon Observation Team louts! A totally diffurent, brand new world that only we know of! If I can make ampaw recordings of our observations and findings here... I'll be basking in the limelight as a star scholar when we get back! Those Wyverians buried in their books will be so stunned by my newfound gnawledge–I'm purr-ty clever if I do say so myself!
Felyne Artisan	Mrow?
Felyne Scholar	No, that's not it... I have to think this over carefully. We're not the sort to just follow the Hunters all day, and we've already helped them deal with the Rathalos once!
Felyne Artisan	Rathalos! Bang bang!
Felyne Scholar	I won't prevent mew from going if you really want to, Smithy. I'm just going to wait here and see...
Curious Child	Whoa! Look, guys! Are they Felines?
Older Child	How could they be Felines when they're this tiny? And so fluffy too... how cute!
Felyne Scholar	Hey! What are mew doing!
Curious Child	Whoa, it can speak too! That's so adorable! Can you play with us, little Feline? We can carry you and give you pretty clothes to wear. Or throw you in the air! And catch you! Just like that!
Felyne Scholar	Prepawsterous... you sharp-eared cravens, I hail from the Royal Pawleontology Scriveners and am not your plaything!
Older Child	Let's try giving it some headpats.
Felyne Scholar	Hey! Get your paws off me! I'm warning mew... Ah... it's so comfurtable... No, I can't! Smithy...come back...wait fur me! I've decided, yes! Since they've made such a sincere request to use my purrfound expurrtise to deal with the Rathalos... As a former Royal Pawleontology Scrivener, my purrfessionalism would never allow me to refuse to lend a paw! Let us be off, posthaste!
<Background 2>
[The Roka Village's headman talks with Noir Corne and Yato regarding the situation at hand.]
Roka Village Headman	Oh, so you're saying... you came upon a monster the size of a house in the forest near our village? And that it can fly and breathe fire in all directions, and even has venomous claws... Haha, the forest is truly a wonder.
Yato	I understand that you may find that hard to believe, but we saw it with our own eyes. We even fought it. While I can't confirm that this will escalate into some new kind of crisis, I suggest we immediately notify all the villagers and start evacuating as per standard Catastrophe measures.
Roka Village Headman	How unfortunate for you to come all this way, only to run into such a troubling matter. I am called Ataru Takii, the headman of this little Roka village. The peace we enjoy here stems not from me alone, but is thanks to all of our efforts.
Ataru Takii	Please, have a taste of this tea. It's a local specialty of ours, and not only is it refreshing, it can also help speed up recovery.
Noir Corne	Don't mind if I do.
Yato	Takii, we don't have the luxury of time here.
Noir Corne	...I'll take a sip later.
Yato	Did you not understand what I said? Only by swiftly evacuating the villagers can we ensure their safety and handle the crisis without any worries.
Ataru Takii	Ah, youth are always in such a rush, but that's not a bad thing. As the saying goes, the early fowlbeast gets the worm. Please have a seat, you two. We still have time to discuss this in more detail.
Noir Corne	Yato, why not hear him out first?
Yato	I hope you will carefully consider our proposal and, if conditions permit, fortify the village defenses to ensure everyone is safe during the evacuation.
Ataru Takii	You mentioned this before, but from where did you come from again? Rho-something...
Yato	Rhodes Island.
Ataru Takii	Ah, yes. Rhodes Island. You must be Operators Yato and Noir Corne, yes? If memory serves me right. Let me try to recall why I contacted you people back then... Oh yes, you claim to be able to treat Oripathy? Recently, several families in Roka seem to have gotten infected. The Shimanaga, Watazawa, Senno, and Ishidori households... the last one in particular has an especially young child who's contracted Oripathy, and it is heartbreaking to see.
Yato	We are well versed in handling everything related to Oripathy, so you can leave that matter to us.
Ataru Takii	Of course, and thank you very much for coming, but there remains another small issue nagging at me.
Yato	What are you talking about?
Ataru Takii	I just can't wrap my head around it, why are you so concerned with the monsters in the forest? Are you not a pharmaceutical company?
Yato	......
Noir Corne	Let me explain. Regional outbreaks of Oripathy often have an underlying cause, and the best way to effectively deal with it is to eliminate the source of Originium dust. To be honest, we investigated the mountains earlier and found some clues linking the outbreak to that creature. Although we can't conclusively prove it yet, prevention is always better than cure.
Ataru Takii	I see, I see. How meticulous; I'd expect no less of Rhodes Island. I do hope the village youths can learn a thing or two from you.
Yato	I must still insist that you heed our advice to ensure the safety of everyone in the village.
Ataru Takii	Ah, yes. I still have one more question for the both of you though.
Yato	Please, go ahead.
Ataru Takii	...How did you find the tea?
Yato	Please don't try to change the subject–
Noir Corne	It's pretty good, tasty and invigorating. Way better than the mass-produced bottled stuff you find in bars.
Ataru Takii	Oh yes, those Mitsumoto bigshots also like it very much.
Yato	So you do business with the Mitsumotos...
Ataru Takii	We use a very expensive herb called Suzuka to make this blend of tea. It grows near the Soubo mountain range and nowhere else. All the Suzuka tea produced in all of Higashi comes from this tiny region you find yourselves in. Besides that, we also specialize in handcrafted ironwork and ornamental woodcrafts, thanks to the high quality ores and variety of trees we have around here.
Yato	What are you getting at?
Ataru Takii	To put it bluntly, only a few years back we were but a tiny hunting village, and our livelihood depended on how well the hunt went. We would sing and dance around the campfire when the woods were bountiful, but there were also times when we could count the days our rations would last on one hand, not to mention the ever-present worry of being attacked by beasts at night. But these last few years, we've been able to replace our thatched rooves with wood, light up our streets at night, and our children are able to enjoy hot baths every day. Now, nobody has to go hunting in the mountains, nor worry about tomorrow. So to leave our homes over some vague hunch you have... the villagers won't readily accept it.
Yato	I have no intention of making this permanent. Once the situation has been taken care of, you should be able to return.
Ataru Takii	And how many days would that take? One? Two? Maybe a month? A year? Can you ensure the village stays intact? That we will be able to return to the lives we have now? Can Rhodes Island guarantee that?
Yato	As of right now... I'm afraid not. We can't predict the exact scale of the situation, but–
Ataru Takii	Of course you can't, which is why we won't leave.
Yato	How is the villagers' safety not your top priority?! I can guarantee you that this thing exists, so how can we simply ignore the threat of such a large and dangerous creature?
Ataru Takii	Are you absolutely sure?
Yato	Of what?
Ataru Takii	We have a saying here: when you see butterflies fluttering in fall, in truth they are but falling leaves. We are all too familiar with this forest, Ms. Yato, so perhaps what you think you saw was simply that.
Yato	What are you–
Noir Corne	Alright!
Yato	Corne...
Noir Corne	We'll go do checkups on the village's Infected, and then arrange a treatment plan based on our findings.
Ataru Takii	Thank you both, really. But now that you bring up treatment plans... I do have one more small favor to ask of you.
Noir Corne	We're listening.
Ataru Takii	Could you possibly provide us with some Oripathy-suppressing drugs right now?
Noir Corne	What for...?
Ataru Takii	This situation really worries me to no end, even with the two of you here. So just in case a similar outbreak occurs again in the future, I would like us to at least have some medication ready. Please rest assured, I intend to pay in full for everything.
Yato	There's no need for that, we'll just handle the source of the–
Noir Corne	Yato.
Ataru Takii	Will it be a bother?
Noir Corne	No... there's no problem, we can give you some right away. Oh yeah, Headman Takii. I still have a question... You said the village used to make a living through hunting, so are there any hunters still around?
Ataru Takii	With no need to hunt, naturally we have no hunters.
Noir Corne	'Cause I met someone earlier, when we just got here, who looked an awful lot like a hunter. I think he said his name was Kashiwau, do you know who that is?
Ataru Takii	A hunter? Ha, in truth even I could call myself a hunter. He's pretty old, so he tends to run his mouth. He likes to go to the mountains and swing sticks at trees. But... his eccentric personality might cause you some trouble in future, so I think it would be best to stay away from him.
Noir Corne	He doesn't seem to have any family around either, did he get into some kinda trouble?
Ataru Takii	You ask interesting questions. He's just the reclusive sort. Every village has one or two of them, it's nothing unusual. It's getting late, so why not call it a day here? I wish you both a pleasant stay in our humble abode.
Noir Corne	Sorry to bother you.
Ataru Takii	Ah...right. Just a piece of friendly advice. Seasoned hunters all know this: the more curious the forest beast, the more easily it falls into a trap. Do keep that in mind.
<Background 1>
Yato	I can only blame myself for underestimating the village's reluctance to evacuate. It was unwise to try to get them to leave with only the suspicion of danger and no hard evidence.
Noir Corne	I think... even if we brought evidence, he still wouldn't believe us that easily.
Yato	He's been refusing to hear us out, and even wants us to stay away from the Rathalos. Did you stop me earlier because of the way he was acting?
Noir Corne	Well, his reason for wanting the drugs was sort of unusual and more than a little fishy, so I figured it'd be faster to just agree and then see what he does. As for his parting words... It's hard to see them as anything but a warning.
Yato	I don’t care. Regardless of the attitude of the people here, we have only one duty: to protect them from any threat. Needless to say, I will find a solution.
Noir Corne	Hm...
Yato	As for you, you care too much.
Noir Corne	I just... I just thought Kashiwau was acting a bit too oddly.
Yato	I understand your concern, but it has nothing to do with our mission. Don't waste your energy on irrelevant things.
<Background black>
Ice-cold, on an autumn night in the mountains. The wind blew through the still-warm body. It had been bitten, torn apart, chewed on. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so bad...
???	Kill them!
<Background 3>
[Yoshitaka wakes up.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Aaaagh– Kusso... Just a dream. I saw you again in it...
[Someone knocks the door.]
Kazuya	Mr. Kashiwau, are you there?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Come in...
[Kazuya opens the door.]
Kazuya	I brought some onigiri and boiled bamboo shoots, I'll just leave them on the table, okay? I also got some bento boxes from the city, so you can just warm them up and–oh, are you heading out?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Yes, I'm going up the mountain.
Kazuya	Are, are you going to deal with that... oversized flying monster those two operators were talking about?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I'm just going on a regular hunt.
Kazuya	Then... can I just say... I've been preparing for this day, and now that a super powerful monster has appeared, it's time I finally became a proper hunter. Look, I have a bow, leather hiking boots, and a knife. I'm healthy and pretty strong. So... can I come hunting with you?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	No.
Kazuya	What... can't you at least think it over? I can help you with a lot of things, like carrying your hunting spear, setting up traps, carrying pelts down the mountain...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You're too young for that, kid. With no experience, you'll only slow me down.
Kazuya	I'm not a kid anymore! Back in the day, children my age would already be out hunting, there's no way you don't know that. I'll be good and stay out of trouble!
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	That's enough from you.
[Kazuya starts to cry.]
Kazuya	Everyone says... there are no more hunters in the village....*sob* Hunters defeat the beasts in the forest, and are the strongest heroes of the village, like you. It's obvious that you've been protecting everyone the whole time, so why do they talk about you like that? They even say you're not a real hunter, just a doddering old man who goes up the mountain to get his bones chewed on by beasts...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	They said...*sigh* The forest... becomes more dangerous by the day. It's no longer safe for anyone to set foot in.
Kazuya	They... They were lying, right Mr. Kashiwau? You're a real hunter, right?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I... I'll take care of that monster and return. Believe me. Alright, enough crying. Though it may be too early for you now, I still believe that one day you'll be a real hunter. This is a promise between the two of us, alright?
Kazuya	Yeah... promise.
<Background 1>
[While Yoshitaka walks through the village...]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Huh? Why are all the villagers coming out?
Yato	Raise your hands, yes, like that. Don't be afraid, I'm just taking a quick look.
[Yato is checking the woman.]
Yato	Alright, good girl. Next please.
The old hunter lingered for a moment, and was about to turn away. Then the young operator happened to glance sideways, and they met eyes for an instant.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Hmph...
<Background fades out and in>
Honest Villager	Can I ask... how's my health? I've been getting a lot of headaches lately.
Yato	Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Here are some painkillers. No need to take one daily, just whenever you feel severe pain.
Honest Villager	Thank you.
Noir Corne	Yato, you should come check out the angiography results.
Yato	Alright... please wait a moment, I'll be back right away for the rest of the consultation.
[Yato walks toward Noir Corne.]
Noir Corne	Do you see this?
Yato	How could this be...?
[Yato is surprised to see the results.]
Yato	...Alright. Sorry to have kept you waiting, but I have a question to ask. Actually, there have been some slight changes detected in your condition. Have you encountered anything unusual lately? Or visited any places you don't normally go?
Honest Villager	Ah! Is... Is it serious?
Yato	Not for now, but if you continue to be exposed to active Originium and develop Oripathy, dealing with the consequences won't be easy. It doesn't even have to be recently, but please try and recall if you've had any unusual encounters, especially with Originium.
Honest Villager	Active Originium...? But how? They said I was properly protected when I went in.
Yato	Went in? Where?
Strict Villager	Narumatsu! Don't say things that will make the doctor misunderstand.
Honest Villager	–! I, I'm just a blacksmith... how could I possibly have been exposed to Originium, there must be some sort of mistake.
Strict Villager	Indeed, our village is fairly disciplined, so there shouldn't be any cause for concern here, Doctor.
Yato	...I understand. Please be careful to stay away from areas that might be contaminated with active Originium, and not to touch any suspicious objects in the future.
<Background fades out and in>
Yato	That was the last one.
Noir Corne	Find out anything new?
Yato	They've all been saying the same things, either that they never leave the village or nothing at all. Using the possibility of contracting Oripathy as a scare tactic hasn't been effective. The moment you ask about anything other than their condition, or ask where they've been, they immediately put up their guard. Although only a few individuals were diagnosed with acute Oripathy and were instructed on how to properly deal with it, we cannot underestimate the extent to which Oripathy has affected the village as a whole. The results you showed me earlier... Were the rest of them similar?
Noir Corne	Yep.
Yato	...... If they haven't been in contact with Originium recently, then where did the outbreak come from?
Noir Corne	According to the angiogram results, the villagers have been exposed to active Originium for at least a few years. Only in trace amounts, though, resulting in vague symptoms and only a few that have actually contracted Oripathy. It's due to limited exposure to an extremely low concentration of Originium particles, I think.
Yato	Was it at the same level we detected in the Rathalos's scratch marks?
Noir Corne	No... that was high enough to induce Oripathy outright and is probably related to the few villagers who did contract the disease. They also mentioned they went into the forest.
Yato	(Breathes deeply) Let's see. If this area has been under continuous exposure to Originium, and then one day it suddenly spiked, could it be that... Both sources of Originium... come from the same place?
Noir Corne	Very likely.
[The strict villager walks toward Yato and Noir Corne.]
Strict Villager	Hello there.
Yato	You're from earlier.
Strict Villager	Excuse me, I should have introduced myself. I am called Hiroshi Ritou, and my family has lived here for many generations.
Yato	Hello. Do you need something from us?
Hiroshi Ritou	I hope the two of you can forgive me for interrupting your inquiry earlier, I was simply worried that he had misspoken in public, which could have consequences.
Yato	Consequences? What do you mean?
Hiroshi Ritou	Ah, because of a certain matter in this village... many people have dirty laundry they'd rather not air.
[A woman runs toward Yato and Noir Corne.]
Anxious Villager	Y-You two! Are you the visiting doctors?
Yato	Um... we can only examine for Oripathy.
Hiroshi Ritou	What's got you in such a hurry? Ah, could it be...?
Anxious Villager	Please! You have to save the Ishidoris' boy! I'm his neighbor, and he's really sick... He keeps on vomiting blood.
Yato	Vomiting blood? That sounds serious, we'd better get going.
Hiroshi Ritou	I'll come with you.
<Background 2>
Yato	Pass the drainage tube.
[Yato takes the tube.]
Yato	Pliers! Quickly! Gauze!
[Yato takes the pliers and gauze, and treats the Infected child.]
Infected Child	*cough*... *cough* *cough*–
Yato	Phew–we succeeded. Luckily, we've dealt with a similar situation before.
Noir Corne	Yeah, I remember that. Back then, you were doing it to yourself...
Yato	I take it your idle chatter means you need more to do? Go give him a suppressant shot.
Anxious Villager	Doctor... will he be okay?
Yato	He's out of danger. There was bleeding in his lungs, and being in the wrong posture caused a blood clot to clog up his airways... Make sure he sits up properly and gets ample rest.
Anxious Villager	Thank goodness.
Yato	It's too early to breathe easy, things aren't looking very well for him. His infection has been the most severe we've seen so far here, though fortunately he got a suppressant shot just in time. But that will only slow the symptoms, and will have to be followed up with more shots. He might even need to be brought back to Rhodes Island. But to be in this condition... what exactly did he come into contact with?
Anxious Villager	I don't know, there shouldn't have been anything...
Yato	That doesn't make sense. What about his family?
Anxious Villager	I don't know either...
Yato	What exactly are you all hiding?
Infected Child	*sleep talking* Papa... *sleep talking* Papa, would... never lie... *sleep talking* Monster... Giant monster...
Yato	–! A monster?
Anxious Villager	You can't say that!
Noir Corne	Ahhh! Miss, please don't get any closer!
Yato	Corne, keep her in check.
Infected Child	My throat... water...
Yato	Here you go–careful, drink it slowly.
Infected Child	*gulping*
Yato	I'm here to help, so don't be afraid. Where's your family?
Infected Child	Papa, he... got taken away by the village headman soon after he came back from the cave.
Yato	What cave?
Anxious Villager	Child! You mustn't speak of that to outsiders! This only concerns–
Yato	Shut up! Can it be any more important than a child's life?
Infected Child	*cough*... Papa... He would go into the cave every morning, and come back late at night. But yesterday... *cough*... there was a loud noise from the cave. The village headman said... he needed people to take a look... So Papa went in, and got a fever when he came back... and had rocks growing on him.
Yato	Oripathy worsens rapidly.
Noir Corne	Sounds like he might have come into direct contact with active Originium and gotten some of it on his body, causing the boy's condition to deteriorate too.
Infected Child	Papa said, there are big monsters in the cave and it's not safe... but the village headman said he was lying, so nobody believed him... and then he got taken away. He would never lie... never...
Yato	There, there. He wasn't lying. We... saw a monster with our own eyes.
Infected Child	Really...?
Yato	Yes, but don't worry. We're very strong, and won't let the monster harm the village.
Infected Child	Can you defeat it, lady...? And protect the village... Papa didn't lie...
Yato	Mm... I give you my word. As captain of Rhodes Island Op Team A4, I, Operator Yato, accept your commission. And I never break my promises.
Infected Child	Thank you.
Yato	Now that's enough talking, you need to get some more rest, okay?
[Yato lies the child down.]
Yato	Step aside, Corne.
Anxious Villager	–!
Yato	You... You should have seen that kid's condition earlier, right? Many of the villagers have been infected, and if the source of the Originium dust isn't taken care of, you will all contract Oripathy, and things will only get worse from there. The next person to end up like this will be you! Am I clear? So tell me what exactly it is you're all hiding!
Anxious Villager	Sorry, I can't...
Yato	......
Hiroshi Ritou	Let her go, she had no choice. Perhaps it's better that I explain. Please leave, I'll talk to them.
Anxious Villager	Thank you.
[The anxious villager leaves.]
Yato	Finally talking?
Hiroshi Ritou	The cave the boy mentioned... It's in the mountain behind the village. Many villagers work down there under the village headman.
Yato	What's inside?
Hiroshi Ritou	I don't work there, so I don't know. And even if I did know, I wouldn't be able to talk about it, just like she couldn't.
Yato	So the village headman is the one making sure everyone keeps their mouths shut?
Hiroshi Ritou	Well, I didn't say that.
Yato	...Please take care of the child. In the meantime, I'll go clarify matters with the headman.
Hiroshi Ritou	Wait, are you sure about that?
Yato	If the situation isn't resolved, the village will only be in more danger!
Hiroshi Ritou	And do you really think he'll tell you the truth? You'll only get ambiguous answers and end up even further from a solution.
Noir Corne	He's right, Yato.
Hiroshi Ritou	I... I know where it is.
<Background 1>
Noir Corne	This is the place he mentioned, and I already scouted out the area. There aren't many houses on this side of the village, and the terrain is pretty wack, so that doesn't seem suspicious at first glance. Over there, there are two villagers chatting like they're just taking a break out behind the mountain. But it's obvious that they keep glancing at that one house over there.
Yato	I'll take them down, and you go take a look inside.
Noir Corne	Wait, what if we mess this up? Knock out two innocent villagers and they'll definitely kick us out of the village.
Felyne Scholar	Smithy here has an idea fur mew!
Noir Corne	–! Whoa, where did you guys come from?
Felyne Scholar	We've decided to come help mew two with the Rathalos, so you should be on your hindpaws thanking us fur the assistance!
Noir Corne	So you think you can lure them away?
Felyne Scholar	I don't think anything, Smithy's the one with the idea.
Noir Corne	Yato, let's leave it to them, and the both of us can sneak in from the back.
<Background fades out and in>
Felyne Scholar	Smithy... Is this idea of yours really going to work? And where did all these ingredients come from?
Felyne Artisan	Chop! Stir! No stopping meow!
Felyne Scholar	Ahhh, how appawlling! I, a furmer Royal Pawleontology Scrivener, destined to be the most amazing researcher of the New World... Am not some ordinary canteen chef!
Felyne Artisan	Turn it over! It's done! Well done!
<Background fades out and in>
Starving Villager	Is it time for dinner yet?
Strong Villager	What are you talking about? The sun hasn't even set yet.
Starving Villager	I didn't have breakfast or lunch today, not even a snack... Ever since those two outsiders arrived, the headman stationed me here to keep an eye out, so I haven't had the chance to get a bite. I'm so hungry...
Strong Villager	Can you keep a lid on it? You're not the only one who's hungry here.
Starving Villager	Hey, do you think those two will really come looking? Haven't they been busy treating the villagers?
Strong Villager	Just follow the headman's orders and stay put. Do you want what happened with that girl to happen again? She turned the village upside down back then.
Starving Villager	Fine, fine, I'll hold it in. Wait, what's that smell?
Strong Villager	Smell? What smell–Ah!
Starving Villager	Perfectly roasted meat, melted grease bubbling over the vegetables, and the sweet scent of roasted fruit... I've never smelled anything like it before!
Strong Villager	(*salivating*) Just stop talking, I can smell it too, you know...
Starving Villager	C'mon, let's take a look, maybe someone's brought us food.
Strong Villager	You go. I'll wait here.
Starving Villager	Are you sure? Didn't you say you were hungry too?
Strong Villager	...Just a quick look.
Felyne Scholar	Mrrow! A nutritious and energizing meal pawmade by Felynes, purrfect fur dinner! A table fur two, purrhaps?
Strong Villager	You're...
Starving Villager	Ah, they're–
Felyne Scholar	Smithy! We have customeows!
[As the guarding villagers approach the Scholar, the Artisan knocks them out with his hammer.]
<Background 4>
Noir Corne	Okay! I'm... I'm standing still, right here. Be gentler when you step on m–ouch!
[Noir Corne catches Yato as she drops into the cave...]
Yato	Is this the cave the kid was talking about?
[...before letting her go.]
Noir Corne	It doesn't seem natural. There are signs of excavation work all along the walls.
Yato	They even laid tracks on the ground... These prints look pretty fresh too, so they must have used it recently.
Noir Corne	The entrance to the cave was sealed when we came in, and it didn't look like they closed it for us... but to keep something in. Given what the Ishidori kid said, there was probably an accident here recently... Do you think the tracks might lead us closer to the Rathalos?
Yato	We'll know once we go deeper in.
<Background fades out and in>
[As Noir Corne and Yato walks through the cave...]
Noir Corne	What's that up ahead?
Yato	Wait, don't move!
Noir Corne	I'll go take a looksee.
Yato	Slow down, you... Be careful.
[Noir Corne scouts ahead, finding a charred carcass.]
Noir Corne	No problemo, it doesn't seem to be alive. Burnt clothing... Looks like it was taken off before it caught fire.
Yato	There's more over there.
Noir Corne	A helmet and portable flashlight... Maybe that kid's dad left it here.
Yato	There's a ventilation shaft just up ahead. He probably left his things here and tried to escape through the shaft but failed.
Noir Corne	So he was running away, and probably really nervous.
Yato	This hole is big enough to house a Rathalos, so most likely... Corne, go test the burnt clothes.
[Noir Corne tests the burnt clothes.]
Noir Corne	I've got the results. There's traces of active Originium, in a similar concentration to the sample we got from the scratch marks in the forest, but slightly higher. ...Do you smell anything strange, Yato?
Yato	Blood, from up ahead.
Noir Corne	I'll go take a looksee.
[Noir Corne scouts ahead, finding a chunk of meat.]
Noir Corne	This is... a piece of meat?
Yato	Huge chunks of meatbeast, and fresh too. Probably left here shortly before we came in. Seems like they dragged it down here, but why?
Noir Corne	Maybe to attract some kind of carnivore? Ah...
Yato	Attract... the Rathalos!
Felyne Artisan	Mraaa!
Noir Corne	Mwaagh!
Felyne Scholar	Mraaaahh! Stupid long-horned Hunter! What are mew shouting for!
Noir Corne	Because you guys just jumped out without any warning! Ah... that particular smell again...
Felyne Scholar	We purrfectly distracted those guards and there was so meowch left over!
Felyne Artisan	We knocked them out cold!
Noir Corne	So it ended up like the original plan anyway... Wait, leftover what?
Felyne Scholar	Don't mew mind it... just keep going!
Noir Corne	We'll be here for a bit, there's a lot of investigating to do.
Felyne Artisan	They're going to catch up with mew.
Noir Corne	Huh... what's going to catch up?
Felyne Artisan	People.
Noir Corne	Why would there be people down here?
Felyne Scholar	Is it not purrfectly normal for people to try and catch mew if you sneak into their place?! Even if Smithy didn't pilfur their kitchens, mew would have been discovered eventually.
Noir Corne	What on Terra is going on here?
Yato	Everyone, shut up. Listen.
[A rumble is felt.]
Felyne Scholar	The sound is apurr-oaching! They're going to catch up with us!
Noir Corne	No... that sound is... Coming from within the cave.
Yato	Infected creatures!

After operation

“

Yato and Noir Corne encounter infected creatures in the mountain cave, and after using explosives to make their escape, they decide to track down the Rathalos. In the village, the headman argues with a certain villager while the old hunter heads deep into the forest.

”

<Background 4>
[Noir Corne and Yato engages the Infected creatures.]
Noir Corne	Incoming–Three 'o clock!
[Yato slashes down one of the creatures...]
Yato	Hyah! Watch out, above you!
[...before slashing down another trying to attack Noir Corne from above.]
Noir Corne	–! That was close... There's too many of them! Why are there infected creatures down here?
Yato	All these years and you still haven't broken that habit of asking pointless questions. None of these pests should be allowed to go any further. I can't imagine what would happen to the village if they broke free.
Noir Corne	There's more coming! On your right!
[Yato strikes the creatures, but her attacks are becoming less effective.]
Yato	–Gah, my blade! Curses, it's becoming even more dull from the sheer numbers we're dealing with.
Noir Corne	We have to stop them from coming... If I'm not wrong, there are still some pretty powerful Originium bombs in my bag from our last mission; they can be remotely detonated. Just gotta think of a way to trigger one without blowing up us too...
Yato	That ventilation shaft. It opens up into the inner walls of the cave, so we can use a bomb to blow open the covering and give us an escape route. After we're out, we can then quickly detonate the bombs below and cause a cave-in to trap them in... It's definitely feasible. But the explosion will also weaken the cave's structure, so we'll have limited time to escape. We'll have to be fast. I'll go plant the explosives, but I'll need someone to block the infected creatures, can you handle that?
Noir Corne	Why even ask? I'll hold them off, go set them up.
Yato	Be careful.
[Yato runs off while Noir Corne draws the creatures' attention.]
Noir Corne	Hey, I'm right here! Don't even think of looking anywhere else!
[Yato slashes down creatures in her way.]
Yato	Quickly now... Alright! Set up complete! Top bomb ready for detonation!
[The bomb detonates, opening a hole in the wall.]
Yato	It opened up... Damage within expectations.
Noir Corne	You head up first! I'll keep them at bay here!
Yato	No, too dangerous. You'd probably end up getting buried alive.
Noir Corne	Just listen to me for once, or one of them might slip past.
Yato	...Fine, then you follow my instructions.
[Yato climbs up.]
Yato	I'm up! Corne, evacuate immediately!
Noir Corne	I'm coming, hup– Ah!
Yato	What's the matter?
Noir Corne	The ladder broke...
Yato	What? How?! Chikushou!
Noir Corne	Calm down, Yato! I'm fine!
Yato	Stay calm, stay calm, let me think... Right! I have an idea! Position your shield between yourself and the bomb, then detonate it and use the force of the shockwave to launch yourself up! I'll definitely catch you.
Noir Corne	Got it.
Yato	Get ready! Jump!
[Noir Corne detonates the bomb as he uses his shield to launch himself up by the blast.]
<Background 5>
Yato	Alright–I've got you! Get–up–here–
[Yato helps Noir Corne up.]
Noir Corne	My body–I'm fine! That was perfect!
Yato	Corne... You should think about going on a diet.
Noir Corne	...Guess I'll ask Hibiscus for ideas when we get back.
Yato	So are we in the forest?
Felyne Scholar	Smithy, over here! The two long-horned people meownaged to escape!
Felyne Artisan	Mew escaped!
Noir Corne	How do you guys always just pop up out of nowhere?
Yato	...Those chunks of meat were deliberately placed to lure something out from the cave, and we were almost certainly the targets. But we managed to escape, so their plan should have failed.
Noir Corne	Could it have been the villager who gave us the cave's location?
Yato	It doesn't matter who did it. We managed to at least block the cave entrance for now, so it's going to be difficult for the headman to make any further moves against us, and I doubt he intends to destroy his own village. If the source of Oripathy and the Rathalos are both connected to the cave, then the most direct solution would be to... find out where the cave goes. Based on its trajectory, it probably ends somewhere within this mountain range, but the exact location will be hard to determine.
Noir Corne	What if we looked for the Rathalos instead? The cave's condition... implies it's been in there before, at the very least, and it might even be at the endpoint you're talking about.
Yato	Yes, that's very likely. Considering that returning to the village will only put us in a sticky situation, there's only one path left for us. We head deeper into the forest to find the Rathalos.
Felyne Scholar	Wait just a meowment! Mew just went through a thrilling crisis, and are about to embark on an exciting journey chasing a Rathalos. A Felyne's life truly never pawses! So furst! We have to fill up our stomachs! Come enjoy the uniqueness of Felyne cuisine!
Noir Corne	Ain't these just leftovers?!
Felyne Scholar	Mew know nothing, the taste has changed not one bit!
Noir Corne	Fine... I'm craving some meat, so give me a piece.
Yato	Me too.
Felyne Scholar	Ecological Research team! Onward!
Felyne Artisan	New meowterials! Furward!
Yato	(chewing) The Rathalos... will have to wait.
<Background 2>
Ataru Takii	Ritou, give me one good reason why you led them to the cave.
Hiroshi Ritou	It's simple. Didn't they tell you they were going to deal with that monster? I simply created the perfect conditions for them.
Ataru Takii	Do you understand what would happen if outsiders found out about our secret?
Hiroshi Ritou	Of course, of course. Even your niece who only comes back once in a blue moon made such a ruckus when she found out. If a company familiar with Originium like Rhodes Island found out, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Ataru Takii	So are you ready to handle said consequences?
Hiroshi Ritou	They will die down there. Think about it carefully, Headman. We're both former hunters. I've laid out the bait, and as we both know, beasts are most tempted by the scent of blood. They'll encounter that monster long before they discover our secret and– Bam! The battle begins. If they're weak, the monster will take care of them for us, and we won't have to worry about any consequences. And if by some chance they can take care of the monster, then wouldn't that also be a win for us? Threat successfully eliminated. I had some people wait for them to enter, and follow after a short while. Surely they'll be weak and injured after fighting the monster, so if we want to dispose of them, that would be our best opportunity. No matter how it ends up, we benefit.
Ataru Takii	You have clearly put a lot of thought into this.
Hiroshi Ritou	And of course, whichever way it goes... it'll be better than you sealing the cave off and stubbornly concealing everything.
Ataru Takii	Hmph...
Hiroshi Ritou	Oh, don't look so serious. I knew you might be concerned about it, so I just helped you out a little, that's all. After all, Akira is no longer with us, so I'm your right-hand man.
[The woman from before enters the room.]
Nervous Villager	Headman, it's a disaster! Someone blew up the cave at the back of the village! The entrance... has been blocked off by rubble.
Ataru Takii	I understand, bring some men with you to clean up the debris and re-open the cave. You can go now.
[The woman leaves.]
Ataru Takii	Ritou, was this also part of your brilliant plan?
Hiroshi Ritou	Oh? This was indeed outside my calculations. But since the cave was blown up, I can't imagine they survived the aftermath, so they probably died along with the monster. No matter.
Ataru Takii	What you've done today... I will weigh the pros and cons for the village and decide whether to hold you accountable for your actions later. However, for now I'll send a search party to make sure they stay silent.
Hiroshi Ritou	Works out nicely then, doesn't it? Well, I'll be heading back. There are still quite a few bills I need to go through.
Ataru Takii	See yourself out.
[Hiroshi leaves.]
Ataru Takii	*sigh* Akira, you were right...
<Background 5>
[An explosion is heard on the distance.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Hm? The leaves are falling. So autumn is already here... Let's go, Akira.