A derelict near his village was always fun for him to explore, and it led him to a calling.
Jaune now learned of the striders, a salvage group that scavenges from ransacked villages for materials give others a fighting chance.
Inspired, he went on t...
"Everything is in order, though your Pillbug Turrets are being used incorrectly. They're meant to shoot Grimm on the ship or get within 100 meters, not that you having them shoot at the broken parts of their bone armor is wrong, but they have a nasty habit of overheating easily." The lead inspector informed the crew of one.
"That's what their called? Rusty and Tor said they threw out the excess armor and made them single shot self loading rather than full auto." One of the inspectors slapped themselves and muttered about how they missed that.
"Either way," she drawled. "The Wainwright's has passed all tests and may enter Vale proper. Hunter Port, per your request your car has been moved to the Patch docks. Alright everyone, let's haul out." The group sans Peter left up the ladder, idly chatting about it was one of the more interesting land vehicles they searched and surprised the only crew, a preteen no less, had the paperwork to expedite screening.
Port looked at Jaune as he patted his shoulder. "Well now that that's settled I can give you a tour of Vale as you hunt for dwellings. Now according to the cockpit's map, you're looking for an open area that's also above the abandoned metro tunnels. Considering the size of your mech and the relatively soft concrete for our roads..." He snapped his fingers. "I know three places in the city still outside the agricultural district."
"Why does Vale have districts? The Trine only made the villages like that to prevent the materials each village makes from damaging each other, you don't want jewelry covered in fertilizer after all." He asked, quoting Pagoro at the end.
Port chortled. "Vale had a similar problem during its founding, but thanks to more efficient methods, each district now only has about half of their related services. I actually frequented a gunsmith in the agricultural district to shoot crop destroying pests to train my accuracy." They left the Wainwright as it rested near the docks. "Now, this is a casual secret for Patch locals. I'm taking you to Vale with a hidden path that leads to our first potential spot. Would you like to drive while I handle the paperwork?"
"Sure, just make sure I'm going in the right direction." Catching the tossed keys he pressed the unlock button he looked at the car and whistled. "Nice color, we have that same car but all the mud ruins fancy paints."
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———————————————————— Canopy Bay, 20 minutes later ————————————————————
Port stared at the map as they left the secret tunnel, the exit being a hidden cave on the largest island. "Our first spot is Canopy Bay, named for the many rooftop gardens when a flood made farmers abandon their plots and move inland. It also has the Restful Mist Buffet, one of many hunter bequeathed businesses." He flicked the sunroof closed before they got to the water and the Hummer began floating along the surface.
"How does a retired hunter know how to run a bistro, let alone decide to buy one?"
"They're usually a personal haunt between hunts, giving a share after every job as a courtesy. After a while, they decide to observe and help out, once they get enough experience as well as learn the needed funds—Right turn 30° and aim for the beach." Jaune turned as Port pressed a button, engaging the hidden propellers. "Anyway, they buy the place, add a retreat to the building and voila! They have a home, steady income when something goes wrong, and a place to train an apprentice if Beacon doesn't take 'em." With a splash they drive back on land as the propellers retracted. "Take a left at the road, we should see the first spot in a second."
