"Boss Nicole said that if you asked, I should tell you she went to downtown New Eridu to buy supplies. But actually, Nicole took the newly recruited person with her to the city to do commissions and earn some extra cash."
Although Nicole had exhorted Anby a thousand times before leaving not to leak her whereabouts, in front of Andrew, Anby still decisively spilled everything.
Without even a shred of hesitation.
"Newly recruited person? Does Nicole's Gentle House still have surplus food to support a rookie? Wasn't she complaining every day recently that there wasn't a single drop left in her wallet?"
Andrew was stunned upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that with Nicole's financial situation, she could actually recruit someone.
He really didn't know which unlucky fool had been hoodwinked, or what kind of person would enter a thieves' den just like that.
Hopefully, they wouldn't run away in two days because they couldn't get a meal.
Probably.
However, after hearing Andrew's roast, Anby reminded him in a low voice:
"Andrew, Nicole didn't recruit a human this time. Instead, she specifically chose to recruit an Intelligent Construct..."
"An Intelligent Construct? Isn't that the same?"
Seeing that Andrew didn't understand her meaning, Anby continued to explain:
"Because Billy Kid said himself that Intelligent Constructs don't need to eat, so there won't be any consumption of food."
After thinking for a moment and feeling that her logic was absolutely problem-free, Anby nodded and affirmed:
"So even if there is no surplus food, Nicole's Gentle House can still afford to support the newly joined Billy Kid."
Hearing Anby's explanation, Andrew, who originally thought Nicole had relied on her unique methods to swindle someone out of a sum of money again and thus wasn't lacking money, couldn't help but cover his face.
He realized he had still somewhat overestimated the amount of common sense Anby currently possessed.
The education during this period meant that Anby's understanding of common sense could only be described with one sentence...
She had made progress, but not much.
However, this way, Andrew wasn't too surprised by the reason Nicole specifically ran out to do commissions even though meals were provided in Silver City.
After all, even if they didn't eat or get paid wages, the maintenance and upkeep of an Autonomous Construct was a considerable expense.
If it was a special Autonomous Construct, the cost of this method would only be more expensive.
He just didn't know what price range this recruit of hers belonged to, but for her to specifically take him out to do commissions to maintain him even while paying the wages herself...
Presumably, he was definitely not some simple goods.
For some reason, although Nicole's monthly finances had always been a deficit that was barely maintained—without a single dime to spare, and she even occasionally had to borrow a bit from others—
Even if her expenses leaped forward several times, by the end of the month, Nicole could always keep her finances barely maintained, just like the previous month.
It was as if she went fifty-fifty with everyone.
It could only be said that although Nicole was indeed a genius in business, with her usual investment methods, Andrew felt that no matter how much money she had on hand, it wouldn't be enough for her to spend.
Coupled with her lavish generosity when donating money to the orphanage.
If not for being able to mooch meals in Silver City every day, Andrew felt that Nicole's Gentle House would probably remain in its current state of starving nine meals every three days forever.
Shaking his head, he stopped paying attention to the suffering day of Nicole's wallet and Nicole's unique struggle.
Andrew rubbed Anby's head once again and said:
"When Nicole comes back, remember to notify me. I have some matters I need to find her for."
Anby nodded upon hearing this, preparing to go back and continue watching movies with her sisters with satisfaction.
But immediately, as if she had remembered something, Anby turned her head and added to Andrew:
"Andrew, since Billy Kid joined, Nicole discovered that the people from whom we... friendly collected interest during this period gave us a nickname called 'Cunning Hares'."
"As a result, after thinking about it carefully, Nicole found that this name was actually more suitable. So now, the name of Gentle House has already become Cunning Hares."
After hesitating slightly, Anby still used Nicole's unique euphemism to describe their 'dog-eat-dog' activities.
However, hearing this new name Nicole changed to, Andrew couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.
"Cunning Hares? To be honest, this fits Nicole perfectly. Maybe people have been secretly spreading it in private for a long time."
He hadn't expected that Nicole seemed to quite enjoy this nickname.
When those people discovered Nicole's reaction was actually this, they would probably be even more exasperated.
Watching Anby return to the movie screen in the living room, Andrew also took Meow-Da and started wandering around Silver City.
While familiarizing himself with the environment, he also began to take him to understand the various modern facilities in Silver City.
Don't look down on Silver City just because it's a place in the Outer Ring; although the living conditions couldn't compare to the conveniences in the downtown area of New Eridu.
But no matter what, it was still a modern city. Under the offensive of Dennies, there was no lack of home appliances.
And in the world of Monster Hunter, whether it was the human strongholds in the New World or the human strongholds in the Forbidden Lands...
The living conditions, while not savage, could be described as backward ancient villages without a problem.
Unlike Andrew, whose original identity was a modern person and was used to it, for Meow-Da who grew up in a village since childhood, these things could completely be described as eye-opening.
Like how humans became so small yet could still move inside a screen, and lights that would turn on with just the press of a button.
A platform that had fire as soon as you pressed it.
Although Andrew had described these things to Meow-Da before, seeing them in reality still made Meow-Da's feline curiosity—which he had been trying to keep steady—agitate crazily.
He couldn't help touching here and looking there, and it took quite a while before he gradually recovered his original calm state.
Resisting the urge to swipe the transparent glass cups and pen holders on the table onto the ground, Meow-Da looked at Andrew excitedly and said:
"Boss, all these things look so amazing, meow!"
"Don't worry, don't worry, there's a share for you too."
He didn't have them before because the external hard conditions didn't allow it. Now that they had arrived in New Eridu, naturally, there wouldn't be a lack of Meow-Da's share.
Bringing Meow-Da to the room that had actually been prepared long ago, he then took him to the most important place in the entire Silver City besides the people.
That was the planting greenhouse in the rear.
After all, even though he had found Meow-Da, Andrew hadn't forgotten the Blazing Light Tachi on his back.
His own Tachi was a partner that every Tachi user couldn't do without.
Moreover, when he had stood it up a few days ago, he had already agreed that he would bring it to this place filled with energy later.
Although quite some time had passed, Andrew hadn't forgotten this matter.
It was also a good opportunity to show Meow-Da the land he farmed.
Compared to a few days ago when he came here to check, the other ordinary crops had already grown very impressively under the care of the Silver Squad.
And judging by the planting area, it was obvious that the planting quantity had been expanded by a round.
Every type had a planting area nearly one-third larger than before.
What made Andrew breathe a sigh of relief was that facts proved that with sufficient Dragon Attribute energy in the air, simply planting plants—even seeds that hadn't sprouted—didn't require him to watch over them constantly.
Of course, the premise was that he had to plant a batch of plants first as the one who reclaimed the land at the very beginning.
But even so, that indicated that if they wanted to continue expanding the scale of planting later, it was completely feasible.
And after finishing looking at the ordinary plants, it was time for the most important Ancient Tree seed in this field.
As the Ancient Tree seed planted right in the center, its condition could be said to be very stable.
Nourished by the flesh and blood of an entire Odogaron, it was already more than half full, and it wouldn't take too long to reach the degree of sprouting.
Seeing that the Ancient Tree's condition was very good, Andrew picked out the parts from the Diablos flesh in the material bag that could neither be made into materials nor eaten.
After digging open the place next to where the Odogaron was originally buried, Andrew filled all these parts in as newly supplemented fertilizer.
Don't ask why he didn't directly dig open the spot where the half-decomposed Odogaron was buried to fill it in, but dug another pit instead.
I can only say, digging open fertilizer while it is fermenting and decomposing underground...
The smell would be exactly the same as surströmming added to fermented bean curd juice, stirred evenly, and then fermented for another week.
I can say that whoever digs it open will know.
When the time comes, the stench emitted could serve as a biochemical weapon, and it would linger in place for days without dissipating.
It wouldn't even work to fill it back up.
"Boss, wait a moment, meow!"
Halfway through filling the dug pit, Meow-Da, who had been watching Andrew's movements, suddenly remembered that before he came to this world, he had brought quite a lot of good stuff in his backpack.
He dumped the contents of his backpack onto the side in one go.
Various gathered items, sundries, and some toys Andrew had made for Meow-Da before were piled together, including several carefully collected Felvines.
But among them, a specifically extra-large sealed package that looked familiar to Andrew was so conspicuous compared to the other things.
As Meow-Da carefully and slowly opened it...
Sure enough, twenty portions of neatly sealed and packaged monster dung were meticulously divided within this large package.
One couldn't blame Meow-Da for bringing so much and packaging this stuff so carefully.
After all, living alone in the jungle, besides finding a sufficiently hidden camping spot, the dung of powerful monsters was also a treasure that could avoid a lot of trouble.
And Dung Pods, which could be made at any time, were a sharp weapon for driving away monsters.
So Meow-Da had always maintained the good habit of filling his backpack with monster dung, highlighting the principle of bringing as much as he could.
And to prevent leaks in the backpack, the packaging was extremely careful.
Hearing that Andrew needed to heap fertilizer, Meow-Da immediately thought of the last function of this thing that wasn't usually used.
There was no doubt. As the dung of wyverns, using it as fertilizer was naturally even less of a problem.
Andrew, for whom this was completely a pleasant surprise, hugged Meow-Da up again. After spinning around happily amidst Meow-Da's laughter, Andrew continued his care for the Ancient Tree seed.
As the dung and the discarded parts of the Diablos were buried underground together, the effect of the ready-made fertilizer was simply immediate.
Although the energy generated didn't increase much, energy was energy, and fertilizer was fertilizer.
Visibly to the naked eye, the surrounding crops all became more vibrant and full of vigorous vitality because of it.
And as the closest one, the Ancient Tree seed's speed of absorbing energy increased by a notch along with it.
Calculating the time now, it would even only take a short few days to grow.
At this time, Andrew then carefully placed Icebrink in a corner of the greenhouse that had been specially cleared out.
Under Andrew's exhortation, Icebrink began to obediently absorb the excess overflowing energy in the greenhouse from the corner. Its cautious manner was just like a puppy not long after birth, tentatively contacting the strange surrounding environment.
With this, the arrangement for the two most important treasures currently in Andrew's hands was completed.
However, reminded by this event, Andrew and Meow-Da also immediately began to organize the materials brought over in its backpack.
And Meow-Da indeed lived up to Andrew's expectations.
Apart from common and essential duplicate medicines Andrew had brought himself like Herbs, Seeds, and Antidote Herbs...
There were several materials that Andrew hadn't carried at all before.
Besides Hot Peppers that could increase temperature resistance and Chillshrooms, there were still several portions of Honey in Meow-Da's backpack, which Andrew had finished eating before due to hunger.
Among them, the Thunderbug electrical fluid for making traps was something impossible to obtain here.
Although these materials couldn't be multiplied right now, as long as they waited for the Ancient Tree to sprout, the Honey and Thunderbug electrical fluid would also become materials that could be duplicated.
When the time came, whether it was blending potions or materials for making traps and Thunder Ammo, there would no longer be a shortage.
Following closely behind was the next surprise.
In the backpack, the Blastnuts that Meow-Da had specially prepared and carried for his Palico Flashfly Cage were simply a savior for Andrew.
Perhaps speaking of Blastnuts alone, you might not be clear. But regarding what it can blend, any Hunter who has been a 'Sticky Ammo Buddha' presumably won't forget.
That is the most indispensable thing for Heavy Bowgun 'Sticky Ammo Buddhas'—Sticky Ammo.
With this ammo type, plus Thunder Ammo as support, Andrew suddenly discovered that the Bowgun, which he hadn't considered before due to suffering from a lack of ammo replenishment, seemed usable again all of a sudden.
And the final surprise was the two brothers inseparable from explosions and fire: Fire Herb and Nitroshroom.
The efficacy of these two for making explosives need not be said.
Besides being used to make Large Barrel Bombs, the Nitroshroom was also a good thing for making the Energy Drink that Andrew had been longing for previously.
This was a good thing that could truly achieve 'one bottle to refresh the mind, two bottles for eternal non-fatigue'.
Although reality wasn't like a game.
With the stacking of usage times, the effect of the Energy Drink would get worse and worse, until a complete rest was taken to restore the original state.
But such an effect could already be called invincible.
In actual use, this could completely be said to be a good thing that kept pace with Potions.
And the Flaming Ammo that could be made with Fire Herbs was also like Thunder Ammo; it could serve as auxiliary ammo for the Bowgun to increase different elemental damage.
_____
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