Chapter 105: The Gluttonous Compiler
As the investigation team was tallying up the spoils of their first exploration, Smoky Snow Weasel was inside a cave, ladling out preserved meat soup from a clay pot and savoring a hearty gulp.
The moment he returned, he had already been whisked away by the Ailu Cat chef, getting to enjoy the reward for the surveyors before anyone else.
After all, the materials from Large Monsters that were being discussed upstairs were all thanks to his efforts. Full of merit indeed.
Smoky Snow Weasel’s actions left the nearby investigator resting somewhat bewildered, worried that Jié Jié might accidentally drop the entire weasel into the soup and need help.
“Meow~”
By the time Cat Granny arrived with the Thief Dragon corpse, Jié Jié had already drunk the soup clean and was kicking stones around idly.
“Meow?”
The Ailu Cat looked puzzled at the spoon in the clay pot, casting a questioning glance toward the resting investigator.
“Not me, it used the spoon all on its own!”
The investigator immediately raised both hands in surrender, pointing at Jié Jié who was observing nearby.
“Meow?”
There wasn’t any soup scent on the investigator; the Ailu Cat’s gaze returned to Jié Jié, confused and surprised.
“Squeak squeak?”
Seeing the chef twirling the spoon in front of him, Jié Jié understood and took the spoon, stirring it a couple of times in the clay pot.
This time, the chef’s eyes held nothing but astonishment.
Is it strange that he knows how to use a spoon? He remembered seeing a rat once throw a cat into a pot when he was little—of course, it didn’t cook the cat.
Smoky Snow Weasel wore an expression of innocent entitlement.
“Meow~”
The Ailu Cat chef snapped out of her confusion, gently patting Jié Jié’s head—it wasn’t a big deal.
After the interlude following dinner, the Ailu Cat chef carefully presented a piece of Thief Dragon meat in front of him.
Smoky Snow Weasel shook his head disdainfully, and the Ailu Cat nodded knowingly, discarding the meat after further study, along with the Thief Dragon’s intestines.
Next came the tongue and claws. All parts of the Thief Dragon without value were thrown away.
The chef treated all ingredients without value equally and indifferently. In the end, only a piece of fur peeled off by Shān Máo remained in the basket.
After inspecting it carefully, she removed the scales from the fur and stepped outside to clean the clay pot Jié Jié had used.
Curious about what part of the Thief Dragon had any value, Jié Jié followed her out, just in time to see a capable woman pack her backpack and tidy up her equipment, ready to set off.
Grandma looked good in her youth.
Jié Jié watched her finish packing, waving his hands repeatedly to refuse the clay pot offered by the chef, then climbed down the mountain.
The strong Master Swordsmen and hunters now had new tasks besides mining minerals—they were tasked with carrying axes down the mountain to chop wood.
Though he wanted to follow them as a supervisor, he was still curious about how the Thief Dragon skin would be processed.
After being kneaded and weighed by the Ailu Cat chef, the Thief Dragon skin was soaked in the clay pot and boiled over flames.
She opened it a few times during the process to observe. The waiting ended with the trembling sound of the clay pot.
When the lid was opened, no golden light emerged.
Inside the pot was merely boiled Thief Dragon skin, indistinguishable from boiling cabbage in water, utterly unappealing.
But she tasted the soup, cut off a small piece of the thoroughly cooked skin, and nodded slightly.
So, the edible value of the Thief Dragon was found this way?
Boiling is indeed a great method to analyze the original flavor characteristics of ingredients.
Impressive! Grandma Cat!
Smoky Snow Weasel admired the Ailu Cat chef, while the Shān Máo beside him also looked forward to Grandma Cat’s secondary processing of the Thief Dragon skin.
“Hoohay!”
A call from the Team Leader outside made Jié Jié turn curiously, only to find it wasn’t for him.
The Shān Máo hearing the call quickly went out.
Even though curious about the Chef Cat Leader’s technique, following one’s partner is just as important!
“Meow meow meow~”
The Chef Cat Leader muttered a few words, either about the Shān Máo or perhaps hoping for something from the Thief Dragon skin in her hand.
How cute Grandma Cat is, placing such high hopes on the Thief Dragon!
Jié Jié waited eagerly, looking forward to what kind of creation would emerge from the Thief Dragon skin under her hands.
By evening, everyone in the investigation team gathered in the cave to receive their food shares, while the Ailu Cat continued researching how to prepare the Thief Dragon skin.
Assistant cats helped her marinate some cucumbers and carrots, which she added to the still-boiling clay pot.
Beside Smoky Snow Weasel, there was now a voracious compiler eating heartily, eagerly anticipating the Chef Cat Leader’s carefully prepared dishes.
“Meow meow!”
Finally, after a long process, the Ailu Cat looked at the two full of anticipation and handed them their portion.
“Meow~ (Unfortunately, we must conserve ingredients, so this is the best we can do. If only we had eggs and green onions to add, it would be perfect.)”
She said this while looking forward to the reactions of the two diners.
Smoky Snow Weasel was too busy eating to express anything but satisfaction.
And the other one, the glutton—
“Compared to other dishes, it falls short, but considering it’s a new dish with much room for improvement and made from such an unappetizing material…”
“Amazing, Chef Leader!”
The greedy compiler chewed on the Thief Dragon skin, like a Terror Tyrant chewing on a blood-filled pouch in its mouth.
For some reason, Jié Jié, looking up at him, had this thought.
“I also want to search for ingredients in the New Continent, but neither the Field Master nor the Team Leader will take me. It feels like compilers suddenly aren’t welcome anymore.”
Compilers are a job class established by the guild specifically for monsters. They don’t possess the hunting skills of hunters but excel at organizing and summarizing information, possessing considerable knowledge reserves, which can help hunters find clues and strategies.
Hunters are always happy to meet a compiler, obtaining intelligence from them, and ideally teaming up with them for missions.
However, the hunters in the investigation team are all experienced experts with extensive knowledge reserves, overlapping somewhat with compilers, making them less necessary.
The Field Master is a famous compiler and also the apprentice of that solitary Dragon Person adventurer, heavily influenced by him and quite the lone wolf.
That adventurer reached the New Continent ten years ago but unfortunately hasn’t sent back any news for a long time, likely having met with misfortune.
The greedy compiler sighed. Compilers’ most important trait is familiarity with various situations. Now, arriving at the New Continent without a wealth of intelligence always makes him feel very uncomfortable.
Unlike the Field Master, who has rich experience living alone in the wild, until the surrounding areas are fully investigated, the commander forbids him from outdoor activities.
This isn’t targeted at him; most investigators receive the same treatment for everyone’s safety.
“Meow~”
The Ailu Cat Chef Leader lightly patted the compiler’s shoulder in encouragement.
Chefs always love greedy eaters.
—
Chapter 106
