Aside from changes to the buildings, the other biggest change was that, at present, the Research Commission and the Ancient Tree had entered a state of even higher binding.
To complete Ahtal-Ka's thirty metal pillars more quickly, the Research Commission had no choice but to dispatch more personnel to mine.
This caused the Research Commission, which had originally been made slightly more ample in manpower thanks to the arrival of the Third Fleet, to immediately fall into a manpower shortage once again.
Normal ecological surveys needed people, construction needed people, mining needed people, transport needed people, and there were all sorts of other matters, to the point that some robust scholars of the Third Fleet had to come lend a hand.
This not only caused ecological investigation to fall into delay; even the plantations that should have been expanding likewise came to a halt.
With so many people at Astera, the daily consumption of food was enormous. Although breeding was going well, they could not eat only meat at every meal.
What was more, because the Hunters had to guard the mining and also survey ore veins, they often got into fights with monsters, and these big eaters' daily food intake was also a major item.
Therefore, in order to escape this stagnant predicament, the Commander made a decision, which was to hand over part of the food sources to the Fire Wyvern clan at the Ancient Tree and list it under trade items.
Afterward, as time passed, in order to complete the reconstruction of Astera and the renovation and upgrade of the forge more quickly, the majority of the Research Commission's energy was put into these projects.
Gradually, as the cats atop the Ancient Tree—relying on the Ancient Tree's exaggerated, natural plant-cultivation capability, with the strong military might of the Fire Wyvern group as security—after spreading soil on the trunks in the middle layers of the Ancient Tree to open up planting zones, by sheer effort, within a mere half year, using seeds provided by the Research Commission, supplemented with special fertilizer, they successfully cultivated large quantities of food.
It had to be said that, in this regard, the life energy filtered by the Ancient Tree truly was an extremely exaggerated thing.
From then on, the cats successfully took over the vast majority of the Research Commission's primary food and basic medicinal-herb sources.
The two sides, from the former relationship of helping and being helped, became truly deeply bound allied partners.
...
Up in the sky, Logan flew in front, and after passing through a layer of cloud, the Ancient Tree's luxuriant verdant expanse, brimming with vitality, finally revealed its full form completely in his field of vision.
This return journey was not as calm as the trip out. Perhaps because the agitation triggered earlier in the Elder's Recess by the Bioenergy Crystal had not yet completely faded, all sorts of monsters seemed extremely active. In addition, Logan did not release his pressure and let the Tempered Azure Rathalos, which had been stifled by the harsh environment of the Elder's Recess for over a year, vent as it pleased.
Therefore, the time used to return to the Ancient Tree was a bit longer.
Among the party, Aki still maintained a cold and aloof posture; it was unknown whether this was the unfamiliarity that came with successfully completing her final metamorphosis and becoming a higher-order lifeform or something else.
And as for the Scorching Heat Rathian, which was leaving the volcanic region for the first time and coming to a forest it had never set foot in in the past, it appeared somewhat unaccustomed, always feeling that, without that sulfurous smell and high temperatures, something was strangely off.
...
At the construction site of the newly built cat village on the Ancient Tree.
After the cableway routes of the Grimalkynes on the Ancient Tree were completely restored, they chose a place on the Ancient Tree where the difference in height between branches was not very large and began carrying out the "Fire Wyvern clan villagization" plan.
At present, the Fire Wyvern clan Grimalkynes, who were still under a tribal system, were already somewhat unable to adapt to the present efficient life.
At present, the upper layers of the Ancient Tree had basically had their main locations opened up by the cableways. With a more convenient means of movement and faster communications, the original management method based on units of tribes began to fall behind.
For the sake of better reproducing offspring and building a better living environment together with the Fire Wyvern lords, this villagization plan came into being. It had to be said, this was once again a step forward for civilization, even if it was still only a fledgling form.
A group of Grimalkyne cubs clustered around the Wyverian girl, jumping up and down as they tried to grab the flower tuft at the tip of the stick in the Wyverian girl's hand.
And the Wyverian girl, like teasing cats, kept shaking the "cat teaser" in her hand. This was one of her few means of entertainment on the Ancient Tree.
In a year's time, this Wyverian girl, who had once been extremely vigilant and held a pessimistic mindset, finally, under the Grimalkynes' terrifying social ability, completely adapted to life on the Ancient Tree.
If not for still being concerned about those clansmen deep within the forest, the Wyverian girl would have had no intention of leaving this place at all.
As for the claim that she could not leave the Ancient Tree and therefore lacked freedom—
Heh.
This was a primeval forest teeming with monsters—seeking freedom in such a forest?
Was the wilderness survival of the Monster Hunter world too safe? Or was a stable and peaceful life not attractive enough?
Besides, putting aside the fact that there were also her own kind—those elderly scholars—living atop the Ancient Tree, other than being unable to leave the Ancient Tree, the cats did not restrict the Wyverian girl from doing anything else.
If not for being uncertain of the attitude of that still-unreturned "Fire Wyvern boss," she would have even wanted to discuss with the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne leader whether she could move all of her clansmen here.
Although the location of that hollow giant tree was very hidden, the usable space was always limited. In terms of safety and comfort, it was not even as good as the Ancient Tree.
"Doo~~ Doo~~"
Just as the Wyverian girl was engrossed in teasing cats, she suddenly heard a long horn sound coming from afar.
From what she had learned over this year or more, this horn should be sounded only when summoning the Fire Wyvern clan Grimalkyne chieftains of the Ancient Tree, the last time being when they discussed the villagization plan.
Originally indifferent and ready to bow her head to continue teasing those soft, mewing Grimalkyne cubs, she suddenly heard some voices.
"Good news, meow! The Fire Wyvern boss is back, meow! And they say he's already successfully completed his metamorphosis, meow!"
"Lord Flame Rathalos has also found a mate—he's no longer a single wyvern, meow!"
"Lady Aki has become even prettier, meow! Her scales are shining, glittering just like gold, meow!"
"Really!! Then the points I've been saving up for so long—I can exchange them for Lady Aki's new molted scales right away, meow!"
"So jealous, meow!"
Hearing the cats who came down from the cableway chatting like that, the Wyverian girl's hand stiffened, and one of the cat cubs successfully grabbed the flower tuft at the end of her stick.
She slowly let out a breath, rubbed the furry little heads of several cubs, then stood up and walked toward the residence the cats had arranged for her.
She was going to put on her equipment and prepare to fulfill her "mission."
Under the sunlight, the red-and-white scales on her forehead reflected a bright metallic luster.
...
Back at the nest once more, too lazy to pay attention to the Flame Rathalos, who couldn't wait to show off his wife, Logan descended slowly with Aki.
To be honest, it had been just over a single year, and yet the Ancient Tree had undergone such huge changes—this was something Logan had not expected.
Setting aside those "farmlands" on several large tree branches that were very conspicuous when viewed from the sky, there were also cable cars that had become more orderly and more numerous, as well as a suspension bridge linking the Ancient Tree to the Cat canteen and Windmill Cliff.
Speaking of the branches that had originally been used to provide shade above each Fire Wyvern family, not only had the surplus branchlets been pruned away, but it seemed they had even used Ahtal-Ka silk to weave rainproof membranes, which could, to a great extent, ensure that rainwater would not pour into the nests when it rained, while also not affecting the normal entry and exit of the Fire Wyverns.
In addition, in that opened-up area that was under construction, between the branches, what was being laid down was not some vine mesh, but planks of wood, which gave Logan the feeling that the cats were preparing to build some kind of building complex there.
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