Monster Hunter: This Dragon's Built Different

"Rrrah~!"

As Rathian's group approached the Ancient Tree, Aki suddenly let out an urgent roar, circling around Logan with increasing impatience, clearly wanting him to return to the nest at once.

Though Logan didn't really think it was necessary, he still beat his wings in compliance, stirring up a gust of wind as he prepared to head back.

Just then, a delighted and affectionate cry echoed from nearby.

A Rathian with a standard wingspan of 17 meters and striking, near-flawless scales flew excitedly toward Aki, chattering and brushing up against her with enthusiasm.

The Rathalos had fairly good memory, and after just a couple of glances, Logan identified the female's identity.

Wasn't that his sister-in-law?

Right—Aki had just come of age this year, so it made sense that the Rathian from the same clutch would have matured as well.

Aki was gifted by nature, but even if her younger sister didn't share the same exceptional talent, her strength was solid enough to survive to adulthood without issue.

Logan gave them only a glance before another urgent cry from Aki prompted him to beat his wings and fly back to the nest.

What he didn't notice was that the younger sister flying alongside Aki stared at his retreating back with a faint glow in her eyes.

The grand 'courtship gathering' continued into the night before finally settling down.

The Rathians who already had mates stayed cozily inside the nests with them, ignoring the glares from the 'main wives'. Even if it meant crowding a little, they refused to leave.

The unmated ones found resting spots around the cliff edges connected to the Ancient Tree.

Aki's younger sister had initially wanted to follow her into the nest, but under the intense, almost murderous glare Aki gave her, she ultimately backed off.

That meek appearance, however, left one wondering what exactly she was plotting.

That night, Aki lay sprawled at the entrance of the nest and didn't sleep at all. No matter how many times Logan called her, she showed no intention of moving.

Logan felt a little helpless. Sure, his wingspan had reached 17 meters, but in truth, he was still a juvenile! His heart might be willing, but his body wasn't quite there yet, okay?

Was it really necessary to be on guard to this degree?

But Aki's unwavering resolve left him no choice. In the end, Logan could only go along with her.

The next morning, even before daylight had fully broken, Logan was woken by the noise outside.

No need to guess—the eager Rathalos and Rathian had already begun showing off to one another, each looking for a suitable mate.

Logan felt absolutely nothing about it. In fact, he almost wanted to laugh.

He got up, stretched a little, and prepared to head out.

With so many Rathian flooding into the area, prey around the Ancient Tree would soon become scarce again.

Since this whole 'courtship gathering' had nothing to do with him, rather than sit in the nest and endure all the ruckus, he might as well head out early and grab a bite.

As for those Rathian looking for a mate—

Were any of them better-looking than Aki? Or stronger in battle than his Aki?

What? Not a single one?

If they couldn't even meet those basic standards, why would he bother sparing them a glance?

That was exactly how Logan felt right now.

"Rrrah!"

Just as Logan was about to move, Aki—who had been on guard the entire night—suddenly sprang up and roared fiercely at him.

"Roaar!?" (What are you trying to do!?)

Startled by the sudden roar, Logan froze for a moment, then looked at Aki with clear irritation, her reaction clearly over the top. He began patiently explaining.

He was just hungry, that's all. He didn't have any of those weird intentions she was worried about. She needed to calm down.

After some gentle coaxing, Aki's mood finally began to settle, though she still stubbornly stayed planted at the mouth of the cave, showing no intention of moving.

"Rrrah!" (I'm going hunting. You stay in the nest. Don't go anywhere! And no other Rathian is allowed in!)

After a good round of negotiation, Aki finally relented—but only after grounding Logan entirely. If he didn't agree, she'd just stay there and keep watch, refusing to budge an inch.

Aki had never been this firm before. In fact, there was even a trace of unease in her demeanor.

So Logan had no choice but to comply. Under Aki's watchful gaze, he crawled back to the depths of the nest and lay down, lifting his head slightly.

"Roar?" (Is this good enough for you?)

Only then did Aki finally breathe a sigh of relief. She swayed her body and walked out of the nest, carefully scanning the surroundings with clear vigilance. After confirming there were no other female Fire Wyverns nearby, she stirred up a gust of wind and quickly flew off toward the nearest hunting ground.

Logan sprawled idly in the nest, listening to the chorus of wyvern roars rising and falling outside. He had a feeling that, given how sensitive Aki was feeling lately, he probably wouldn't be allowed to spectate the female Fire Wyvern brawl scheduled for three days from now.

That was one of the few annual entertainments!

And it's just… gone like that?

Fortunately, Logan wasn't bored for long. It was time for the daily intelligence report from the Grimalkynes, and the latest message from their leader actually piqued his interest.

"Boss, nya! Just before sunset yesterday, a Grimalkyne from the forest outskirts brought along a Lynian called a Felyne and found one of our scouts out on patrol. That Felyne requested that whenever we see a very obvious red signal flare, we rush to that location to assist a creature called a 'Hunter.'"

"If the rescue is successful, we'll be rewarded accordingly."

"According to what that Grimalkyne said, just one successful rescue mission earns enough rations to feed five Grimalkyne warriors for a full week—or gear of equivalent value, tailored for Grimalkyne use."

As he spoke, the Grimalkyne leader unrolled a small illustration.

Clearly made to fit a Grimalkyne's size, even Logan had to lean in closer to make out the details with his vision.

"This here is a sketch showing what a Hunter looks like, nya. If you see someone matching these features, chances are they're in need of rescue."

The drawing depicted a faceless human figure dressed in basic leather armor—an extremely simple outline.

Seeing that Logan made no comment after examining the sketch, the Grimalkyne leader promptly rolled it back up.

As Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes, Logan's will was their guiding star. Since he didn't express an opinion, they wouldn't act on it either. They'd treat it as if it had never happened.

"Rooar~"

Logan let out a low growl. The Grimalkyne leader immediately understood—Logan was leaving the decision up to them.

Logan hadn't expected the first expedition group to have already ventured so far, even starting to investigate the inner depths of the Ancient Forest. That didn't quite match his memories.

The First Expedition Fleet of the Elder Dragon Research Commission only had one ship and around thirty members in total—only half of whom were actual Hunters.

Due to limited personnel and logistical constraints, their operations were supposed to remain near Astera at most. Only a few top-tier Hunters had the strength to venture deeper into the New World on their own for solo investigations.

The Ancient Tree region was far from the coastline of the Ancient Forest. Even now, Logan would need at least three days to fly there—and that's only by cutting down his rest time.

So how had the expedition team already started probing into the depths of the Ancient Forest?

In truth, Logan's memory wasn't wrong. After the failed Kulve Taroth expedition four years ago, the First Fleet had abandoned many of their overambitious plans. Instead of charging blindly into the New World, they had focused on organizing the surrounding environment and laying the groundwork for those who would come after them.

One of their key priorities was to establish relations early with the native Lynians of the Ancient Forest and Wildspire Waste. That way, when future logistics allowed for deeper investigations, they wouldn't be caught in awkward situations—like a Hunter in distress with not even a Felyne transport cart to fall back on.

Besides, forging good relations with the Grimalkynes allowed the Commission to gather vital intelligence—such as monster territory boundaries—without needing to risk deep-field expeditions themselves. This helped lay the foundation for future investigations, giving later Hunters a chance to prepare in advance.

To ensure the base could complete these groundwork tasks smoothly, even formidable loners like the Admiral had obediently stayed put in Astera for four full years.

As for interacting with Hunters? Logan didn't particularly care either way. He was already a Rathalos—there was no point overthinking it. If the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes were interested in contact, they could go ahead. He wouldn't stop them.

After finishing his report, the Grimalkyne leader left the nest, leaving behind two warrior Grimalkynes to remain on guard.

At the entrance to the lair, a Rathian crept up the slope, slinking along stealthily.

Cautiously, she crouched beside the cave opening and sniffed the air. When she caught only the faintest trace of Aki's scent, her eyes lit up. She poked her head inside and peered into the nest.

There lay Logan, eyes closed, resting in the massive bedding pit. Nearby, two tiny figures stood guard—clearly trying their best to look intimidating despite their small size.

The moment they noticed her presence, the two Grimalkynes immediately raised their little bone clubs and hissed at her fiercely, sounding adorably threatening.

Alerted by the Grimalkyne warning, Logan's eyes snapped open. Instinct kicked in as his massive body surged upward, wings spreading wide in a display of dominance—his posture automatically shifting into one of threat and deterrence.

And there she was—Aki's younger sister—peeking her head in, body crouched low as she stared straight at him.

Realizing the approaching wyvern wasn't an enemy, Logan let out a quiet sigh of relief. He retracted his wings and called out to the two Grimalkynes, signaling them to stand down, then settled back into his resting position.

He felt no particular sense of welcome at her arrival. It wasn't that he had any prejudice against her—it was just that Aki clearly didn't want her sister getting too close to him.

Among Rathalos, bonds of kinship outside of mating pairs were already weak to begin with. And besides, this sister-in-law was someone he'd only met twice. Ignoring her wouldn't cause any issues; Aki wouldn't be offended either.

Besides, as far as Logan was concerned, she was probably just here to find Aki.

They'd encountered each other before, and she clearly knew Logan hadn't reached full maturity yet, so there was no reason she'd be seeking him out specifically.

As for Aki's final words before leaving—"no other Rathian are allowed in the nest"—well, surely that didn't apply to her own sister… right?

With that reasoning in mind, Logan decided to pretend he hadn't seen her. What puzzled him, though, was why she was here looking for Aki instead of seeking out a suitable mate of her own.

But ultimately, that was none of his business.

What Logan didn't notice was that, from the moment he'd instinctively spread his wings—those perfectly proportioned, elegantly patterned wings—and adopted that imposing stance, the Rathian at the entrance had been mesmerized.

Her eyes sparkled.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

She had never seen such a magnificent and handsome Rathalos before!

Compared to Logan, those other males outside weren't even in the same league.

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