"A surprise?"
Gordon was momentarily stunned. Ted hadn't mentioned it, and he had truly forgotten. Before the hunt began, Ted had said that the so-called "supreme quality crab roe" was only one of the objectives for hunting the Daimyo Hermitaur.
The second objective was this "surprise."
"Quickly, let's skin this Daimyo Hermitaur together. I deliberately didn't damage its right claw; be careful to remove it intact. Also, try to collect as much of the shell and claws as possible.
Oh, right, don't forget the Dragon Skull either. Get some sturdy parts off it. I think that horn looks good, and the lower jaw. With these materials, it should be just about enough!"
Gordon, utterly confused, followed Ted's lead, unsure why the latter was collecting these materials. It looked like he was making armor? Or a weapon?
He already used Flying Wyvern armor sets and weapons, so he shouldn't need them, right?
Could it be...?
"Heh heh, you call This Daddy 'brother,' so This Daddy should prepare some gifts for you, right?" Carefully picking up the intact crab claw, which was almost as tall as a person, Ted chuckled, "This was told to This Daddy by a Great Sword User who started at the same time as us.
He said that using Daimyo Hermitaur materials, one can forge a rather excellent Great Sword, the kind that lets you walk sideways in front of Three-Star monsters.
With these materials, the components should be pretty complete. After we return to the city, you can go to the Workshop to have it forged. It should be much stronger than the Burst Blade you're currently using!"
It really was weapon materials prepared for him?
Gordon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. To be honest, he was quite touched.
His luck in the Hunting Field was truly not great, but when it came to meeting people, he often had good fortune.
After leaving his hometown and coming to Minagarde, whether it was the Guild Master, Oshura, Amos, the Workshop Owner, or Miles and Ted whom he met later, they all provided him with so much help.
He wondered when he would be able to repay these favors.
"Thank you so much, Brother Ted! Then I'll gladly accept it!"
"Hahaha, there's no need to be polite. A part of this was always meant for you. You go ahead and move these things back to the Hunting Camp. I'll continue looking for Shield Crabs!
Supreme quality crab roe, This Daddy is coming for you!"
Just a few minutes after returning to the Minagarde Hunter's Gathering Hall, Ted was dragged away by Miles, who had completed his mission and returned a day earlier than them.
This strict father, after a brief inquiry into what mission Ted had taken, could guess what his seemingly never-grown-up, simple-minded son had been doing in Metabe Forest.
Eating, drinking, and having fun as if on vacation in the Hunting Field? Heh heh, needs discipline.
Watching Ted, who was loudly defending himself, being dragged away, Gordon chuckled wryly and mentally lit a candle for him. It was best not to cross Miles when he was in strict instructor mode.
Oshura was the best example; the usually bold female hunter now resembled a junior apprentice driven mad by homework, lying motionless on the tavern table.
With no time to rescue or comfort these two older friends, Gordon himself had trouble to face—he wondered how Zhu Pa, who was staying with Tiki, was doing?
Actually, saying "staying" wasn't quite right. Zhu Pa was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He had the key to the hut and could freely use valuables. Tiki was merely asked by him to look after the little fellow.
At the time, Gordon thought Tiki, who liked Zhu Pa so much, would definitely take good care of him. But then, after a second thought, he suddenly realized that this choice of person seemed to be a big problem...
Gordon found them in the staff lounge.
It was currently lunchtime, and Tiki was resting, drinking a beverage, while Zhu Pa, inexplicably dressed in a comical set of pajamas, was held tightly in her arms like a doll.
Although the little fellow was sleek and shiny, and seemed to have gained some weight, clearly having been very well fed, his expression of utter despair suggested he wasn't doing so well mentally.
She had barely let go of him these past few days, and even the Guild Master couldn't do anything about her, claiming, "This is to fulfill my promise to Gordon."
Noticing Gordon walking towards them, Tiki's face was filled with disappointment.
"Eh~? Why are you back already?"
Gordon's face darkened at her words. What did she mean, "Why are you back already?" Was she expecting him to die in the Hunting Field so she could inherit his cat?
He had originally worried that Zhu Pa would be sulking because he went on "vacation" without him, but who knew that the little fellow, upon seeing him, was like he had seen a savior.
His four paws frantically scrambled, and his "Meow, meow, meow" cries for help were filled with both grievance and a hint of misery.
"How heartless." Noticing Zhu Pa struggling to escape her embrace, Tiki grumbled discontentedly, "Weren't you having a lot of fun at big sister's place these past few days?"
"No, I wasn't, meow!" Zhu Pa shrieked in protest, "You locked the door and wouldn't let me leave, meow!"
Gordon: "..."
Although the Receptionist expressed extreme reluctance and repeatedly offered to "take care" of Zhu Pa for a few more days, Gordon decisively took the little fellow away.
What Gordon didn't expect was that after all this trouble, Zhu Pa's affection for him didn't decrease but increased.
The days spent with Tiki showed Zhu Pa, who was determined to become a "tough Airou," what "a life of misery" was like. In comparison, the days of hunting with Master Gordon were like paradise.
I will always love hunting, meow!
He returned to his hut with Zhu Pa.
Although Zhu Pa wasn't angry with him, Gordon still took out the supreme quality crab roe from his satchel as an apology gift.
The supreme quality crab roe, boiled in animal fat and heavily salted, could be preserved for a period. Although its taste and texture weren't as sweet and fresh as when new, and it had a slight fishy smell peculiar to aquatic products, Zhu Pa still loved it very much.
He ate the dried fish dipped in crab roe paste until his mouth was red.
"There's a crab as big as a house, meow?" While eating the crab roe dried fish and listening to Gordon recount his experiences from this mission, Zhu Pa was astonished by the Daimyo Hermitaur's size.
"Eating such crab claws and legs must be very satisfying, meow!"
When Gordon heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
It wasn't that he thought Zhu Pa was greedy, but he had thought the same thing at the time. Unfortunately, facts had told him that bigger crabs weren't necessarily tastier.
The meat of the Daimyo Hermitaur was tough and tasteless; the fibers in one's mouth were like chewing rubber, truly not worth eating. In contrast, the meat of ordinary Shield Crabs was chewy and delicious, and there was a good amount too; one claw was almost enough for a pot.
He and Ted had eaten a lot by the sea, trying both roasted and boiled. They found that grilled crab shell, made with crab claw meat and crab roe, was the most delicious. Next time, he could take Zhu Pa to try it.
"What's that, meow?"
As they chatted, Zhu Pa suddenly noticed the large pile of luggage, bundled and packed in oilcloth, stacked by Gordon's bed, and asked curiously.
"Ah, that's it!" Gordon happily untied the luggage, revealing a giant crab claw nearly two meters tall inside. "This is the Daimyo Hermitaur's claw!"
"What a big crab claw, meow!" Zhu Pa excitedly went over and started examining it from the base of the claw.
Gordon immediately saw through Zhu Pa's thoughts and reminded him, "The meat has already been removed by us, otherwise it would rot."
"Oh, is that so, meow..."
Zhu Pa instantly looked a bit dejected, his ears drooping.
"The meat of this thing isn't tasty, it's too tough. Next time I'll take you to eat delicious Shield Crab!"
"Okay, meow!! So, does this big crab claw have any other use, meow?"
"Heh heh, this is my new weapon!"
"Making a sword out of a crab claw, meow?!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.