"Wait… breeding?"
The thought made Logan's eyes light up.
That's it!
At this stage, the number of available prey could still barely meet the hunters' needs. If the Fire Wyverns reined themselves in a little and avoided wasting food, then—relying on the Aptonoths' absurdly strong reproductive ability—perhaps they could start early-stage breeding before shortages arose, filling the gap in the Fire Wyverns' prey supply.
As for how to breed them, the Research Commission already had methods ready to use.
In the New World, the Commission's large-scale material transport relied on tamed Aptonoths.
With over a hundred people at Astera, plus the Felynes and the trained wingdrakes, their daily food consumption was mostly sustained by farmed vegetables and Aptonoth meat. There was no doubt they had the means to breed Aptonoths.
After all these days, the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group had already settled down. It was about time to make contact with the Commission and open up a supply route between them.
There was, however, one problem giving Logan a headache—right now, the Ancient Tree Fire Wyverns' territory was a fair distance from Astera. If they relied solely on the Commission and the cats to establish a route, who knew how long it would take?
Perhaps he would need to think of a way to get the Fire Wyverns involved as well.
With that in mind, Logan informed Aki and this time brought along the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne leader before spreading his wings and flying toward Astera.
...
Inside Astera, Tonkotsu—having finished the day's training and devoured a heaping basin of Meow Mix—was perched atop the cabin roof of the ship, clutching a fiery-red Fire Wyvern scale as he gazed toward the Wildspire Waste.
"Meow~ It's been nearly a whole moon now. Why hasn't there been any word from Boss, meow? Couldn't find a proper place to live, or did something happen, meow?"
Tonkotsu's tail twitched with worry. Ever since Logan flew off that day, even though the Commission had later sent people deep into the Wildspire Waste, there had been no news at all from the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan.
While the Commission continued preparing all sorts of supplies, over time, a few unpleasant murmurs had begun to surface.
Tonkotsu and the other Grimalkyne warriors still believed in the Fire Wyverns' strength and adaptability as a clan, but under the influence of those whispers, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Argh! Who was it that stole all the Max Potions again?!"
From the foot of the hill, in the newly built trade area, the supply unit's foreman's bellow rang out once more.
Lately, no one knew why, but things in Astera kept vanishing without warning.
Sometimes it was stored mushrooms. Sometimes it was environmental specimens collected by the research teams. Weapons and dried meats hanging outside the canteen would also disappear.
But the worst hit was the supply unit. All sorts of potions and pills were stolen every two or three days without fail.
Especially the precious Max Potions—no matter how carefully the foreman hid them, even when personally stashed away, they would mysteriously vanish sooner or later.
After so long, the foreman was on the verge of a mental breakdown, roaring loud enough to shake the whole outpost every now and then.
Tonkotsu had grown used to it by now.
Still, as someone who, for the moment, could barely count as one of the Commission's higher-ups, Tonkotsu knew that the leadership suspected something troublesome had infiltrated the outpost. The Admiral and the Huntsman had been quietly searching for it, even requisitioning Falcon's Canyne for the task.
Still, since the intruder had so far only been stealing supplies without causing any real harm, they didn't want to make a big scene and risk provoking it.
For now, most people simply assumed the New World had its own version of a thieving creature like the Melynx, and didn't give it much more thought.
...
On the cliffside where the ship's bow jutted out, a Chameleos gripped a strip of dried meat in its foreclaws, tearing at it with deliberate effort.
Suddenly, its big round eyes rolled, and in an instant it stuffed the meat under the ship's hull. The whole dragon faded into perfect invisibility, its large eyes fixed on the Wildspire Waste, watching a black speck grow larger and larger in the distance before lazily flopping back down.
Silently observing.
...
As Logan's silhouette drew nearer, Tonkotsu was the first to notice.
He immediately leapt to his feet, hopping in place and waving frantically.
When Logan spotted Tonkotsu, he couldn't help but feel puzzled—especially upon noticing the small platform behind him, pieced together from wooden planks. Logan's confusion reached its peak.
A gust of wind swept over as Logan descended. Tonkotsu clung tightly to the planks, watching him land on the platform with a questioning look. Only then did Tonkotsu spring up, greet him cheerfully, and turn with surprise and delight to look at his father.
Logan had only visited Astera twice, but both times he had landed on the ship's cabin roof.
So, to give Logan a better place to rest and recover on his next visit, Tonkotsu had suggested building this small platform.
The Research Commission, considering that their relationship with the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group might improve in the future—and that more Fire Wyverns might visit—decided it was worth building a dedicated resting spot for them.
It didn't take many materials anyway, so they treated it as a small gesture of goodwill.
Tonkotsu's suggestion had been put forward, and by the very next day, the craftsmen had finished building the small platform.
Sure enough, Logan found it much more comfortable.
At the platform's edge hung a small bell. Resisting the urge to immediately catch up with the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne leader, Tonkotsu picked up a hammer, hopped over, and gave it a solid strike.
[Clang!]
Hearing the sound, members of the Research Commission all looked up, instantly spotting Logan's arrival.
Before long, the Admiral was—as always—the first to come up, greeting him in his usual way.
The same familiar faces from the Weapons and the Canteen, the same roast meat welcome.
Truth be told, Logan still didn't understand why this was the image the Research Commission had of him.
He wasn't a glutton, and the world of Monster Hunter didn't have anything like a formal dining culture—yet every time he arrived, Head Chef Sita would light the fire, start grilling meat, and serve up a few heaping platters of his special roast before even getting to the point.
It really felt like the Commission had misunderstood something.
"I see—Aptonoth domestication, is it? That shouldn't be a problem. As long as there's a suitable site, we can send personnel to help you build a breeding ground. As for supplies, though… that won't be quick."
Carlos explained that establishing a supply route was no easy task—it required avoiding the territories of powerful monsters, clearing safe paths, and finding suitable locations along the way to set up hunter camps.
These were not things that could be completed overnight.
Logan neither agreed nor disagreed, but for now, the most important question was whether Aptonoth domestication could be achieved. The rest wasn't nearly as urgent.
All the more so because, when it came to getting the Fire Wyvern group involved, Logan still hadn't come up with any good ideas.
...
The key matters had already been settled, and with the rest of the discussion holding little interest for Logan, he left it to the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chief to handle as he saw fit.
Perhaps because he finally had the chance to speak face-to-face with the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chief, Carlos seemed in high spirits, dominating the conversation so much that no one else could get a word in.
Feeling a bit bored, the Huntsman happened to glance back and noticed the head of the Supplies Team jotting down numbers with his pen. Eventually, the man stopped, frowning deeply.
Without changing his expression, the Huntsman nudged the Admiral beside him and signaled with his eyes for him to look toward the Supplies Team leader.
"What's wrong?"
The Admiral walked over quietly and asked in a low voice.
The Supplies Team leader shook his head, then interrupted the lively discussion between Carlos and the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chief.
"Apologies, Commander, but I need to interrupt. I have a few questions I'd like to discuss with the Grimalkyne chief."
The Supplies Team leader was a man with a small moustache and a perpetually serious face.
He wasn't exactly a professional in supply logistics, but it was precisely because of his meticulous nature that the young Wyverian scholar who headed the Research Team had singled him out to serve as Supplies Team leader.
Carlos looked at him with mild surprise, but after seeing that stern expression, he nodded and ceded his place.
"Greetings, Chief of the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes. I am the leader of the Investigation Team's Supplies Division. Regarding the breeding plan we just discussed, I'd like to confirm a few more precise figures."
After Tonkotsu translated, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chief glanced briefly at Logan, who was still eating and showed no reaction, then turned back and nodded to the Supplies leader to begin their talk.
"First, regarding the breeding cycle of Aptonoths—have you considered this?"
Aptonoths grow quickly, much like domestic pigs in Logan's previous life. In areas with abundant fodder, they can reach subadult size in just over a year. Adult females can have multiple pregnancies within a single year, laying eggs two to three times annually, with 8 to 10 eggs per clutch.
It is precisely this extraordinary reproductive capacity that allows such a large supply of these herbivores to exist in the world, making them the staple prey for large carnivorous monsters.
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