Walking to Michael, the old man with one arm looks quite surprised. He didn't expect that Michael could hunt the monster in such a short time. What he expect was that Michael would come close to hunting a monster or in the tracking process. Not to hunt the monster!
Gurara took out a white candle with a brown candle plate and place it down on the ground. He uses the Crackling and lights up the candle.
FOOo
Dancing on the candle like it is alive. The candle made a charming sound and the flame ignites. The place got a little more chilly and food start to form around the monster's corpse. A light green smoke seeps out of the lizard's body and starts to gather around the fire.
Fooo...
With another charming sound, the fire starts to change its color to green. the flame gives off a chilling yet claiming feeling when looking at it. It also felt alive when Michael peers into it. However, that feeling only lasts for a second.
"What is this?"
"...." Gurara look at him and remember something "This is called a soul candle, you use it when the monster is killed to capture their soul. It's used for forging a soul weapon"
Michael still looks confused. They didn't teach him this in the normal tribesman class
"What is a soul weapon?"
"Well... you'll see if you pass the trial."
Gurara packs the Alma lizard into the wagon and leads Michael back to the village. Passing through the gate he could see some decorative totems and many colors of the festival flags. The trial serves as a celebration for young hunters who succeed as well as a test of honor for the warrior.
On the following day, they will be a food stall, a dancing competition, and a music competition in the tribe for 7 days, and the winner will get to play to honor the winner of the trial. It is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation, It considers quite sacred in the tribe.
People in the tribe is dressing up with skimpy cloth and leave to honor nature and pray to the Apex. Walking past the village, Michael's eyes gleamed with excitement. This is not the first time he's been to the Trial festival but, Michael always has a good impression of it, so he's pretty excited for this year's event.
One of the main reasons that the stories and the tale of a monster hunter will be told through song in the festival competition, he really wants to be in one of those!
Arriving back at Gurara's house, Michael has been instructed to wash his body. the blood and sweat had been pilling up from three days' hunt. Michael didn't dare to take off his armor to shower in the wood so he have to wash up at home.
Entering the shower Michael turns the valve to let the water from the wooden shower flow down. washing his boy away with a Flower smelled soap.
Gurara then told him to wait in the dining room. When entering the house the dining room could be seen near a big window with the kitchen to the right of it. Michael walks to the brown chair and sits down.
After a while, Michael noticed a pleasant aroma emanating from the kitchen. Gurara then appears carrying a dish of grilled Alma lizard meat. At Michael's table, it arrives sizzling. The meat is subsequently dressed with alma juice by Gurara. the process makes Michael very hungry.
"Dig in."
Without another word, Michael grab a fork and knife and start to cut the grilled meat. the meat spits open with a little pink in the middle. The alma lizard could be eaten at medium rare, most of the tribe prefer it cooked this way. Michael fork picks the meat up and shoves it in his mouth.
"H..hoT! AHAAA"
"HAHAHA"
It's not a good idea for him to eat the entire piece without blowing it first. The meat is sizzling hot because it just came off the grill. Gurara laughs at Michael's painful expression when eating the hot alma meat.
Despite the heat, the meat is still absolutely delicious, it's so juicy because the alma lizard meal largely consists of alma fruit. Michael feels so great after eating his own catch that he wants to keep eating it forever!
Eating more Michael would feel something in his body.
"You should be feeling it by now..." Gurara "What you just eat contains some of the alma lizard soul."
"...?"
"The candle that I bought earlier is a soul candle, when they absorb a soul and combined with the food can make soul food. This type of food can nourish one soul and strengthen it However it needs to be consumed by those who hunt the monster to have the most effect. They often had one of these after a successful hunt."
After Gurara finish his word Michael could feel a surge of power in his body. He felt like he just had the most refreshing shower when he ate the food.
"Then what about soul weapon?"
"It process is a little different but the idea is the same." Gurara nods to confirm Michael's question. "The quality of food that you get directly relates to how good the chef is. That's why people often have a feast at Youla's rest."
Michael listens to Gurara attentively and puts another piece of meat inside his mouth. He looks down at the alma lizard meat he's eating and looks up at Gurara.
"Thank you, old man."
"Don't thank me, kid. I'm just giving you a reward for your hard work." Gurara said with a big smile on his face. Michael continues to eat the food in a delightful mood.
Ah while later Layla also came back home from her hunt. The special training that she has gone through just finished before the trial.
"Dad, I'm home! I just hunted a Futal dragonfly!"
"Good job Layla!" The old man greets Laula with a smile.
"Did you hunt an alma lizard? Can I eat it?" Seeing the lizard's body downstairs Layla asks the old man about it.
"I'm not the one who hunts it, It's Michael's hunt."
"Really?" Layla felt surprised by the fact. and turn to Michael with gleaming eyes. Michael doesn't know how to react. "Can I eat it?"
"Y...yea sure."
"Alright!"
"Go shower first!"
"....."
After Layal take a shower they had more alma lizards in the dining room. They chat about tomorrow's trial and how Layla hunts the Futal dragonfly. Belong to an insect-type monster the Futal doesn't have much meat. So, the useful part of the monster could only be sold or made into a weapon so Layla chose to sell it. Layla likes to talk about her hunt and made it more epic than they seem. She boasts to Gurara about her achievement. Michael sit there and occasionally add to the conversation, he didn't really speak much.
Seeing that they have talked for a long time and the sun is already down. Gurara spoke.
"Ok kids, time to sleep. A good rest can make a good hunter. And tomorrow we hunt!"
The trial will begin tomorrow!