Very quickly, members of the Ecological Research Center took up the quest. Bringing the batch of Fire Wyvern eggs along with the Grimalkyne who knew the situation, they went together to the Ecological Research Center in the Trade Yard to inquire.
Little did they know, at this very moment, two hidden figures also crept outside the Research Center, ears pricked, secretly eavesdropping on what was happening inside.
".…That's the situation, meow. The Fire Wyvern boss discovered all the nutrient fluids inside the eggs had been absorbed, yet the hatchlings within still hadn't finished developing, so he guessed it was the lack of nutrients inside the eggs that caused it."
The Director of the Ecological Research Center pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, pondered for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"There's such a possibility, but we still need to carry out further research to be certain."
The Director glanced at the batch of Fire Wyvern eggs laid on the cushions. Looking at those slightly gray-white shells, he understood that what lay ahead would be research enough to shock the world. His heart, tempered by centuries, actually began to stir once more.
Outside the door, having also listened to the Grimalkyne's account, the Chameleos for once activated her super brain. After only a brief thought, she already had an idea.
With a cry of "Gwa!", she appeared together with the hazy little Chameleos before the Grimalkyne Quest Board on the Celestial Pursuit.
For some reason, when the little Chameleos looked at his mother's enormous head, he felt as if he were about to be tricked again.
Sure enough, once brought before the Quest Board, the little Chameleos saw his mother sneakily steal the red ink pigment that the quest desk girl kept on the counter for mixing ink pads.
Sensing disaster, the little Chameleos turned and ran at once, but how could his four short legs ever outrun the already-prepared Chameleos?
Stretching out her forepaw, she pinned down the little Chameleos. In his despairing gaze, she upended the pouch of red pigment over him.
The little Chameleos's camouflage was instantly broken by the external force. Under the astonished stares of the gathered hunters, he was hoisted up by the Chameleos, pressed hard against the Quest Board, and left behind a life-sized red imprint of a little Chameleos!
"This quest, I accept, Gwa!!"
Tearing down the freshly posted quest sheet, she tossed it together with the reddened little Chameleos onto the counter.
As the crowd watched the little Chameleos sprawled out, limbs dragging like something being yanked around, how could they not now realize that Chameleos was here?
Looking at the little Chameleos sprawled lifelessly on the counter, the quest desk girl swallowed hard, then glanced toward the empty space beyond the counter. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke: "You—no, you wish to accept this quest?"
"Gwa!"
At the Chameleos's voice, gasps of cold air rose all around.
"An Elder Dragon—that's the voice of an Elder Dragon!!"
"There really is an adult Elder Dragon! Th-this!!"
The hunters' eyes burned with heat, but out of reverence for an Elder Dragon, no hotheaded fool dared rush forward.
Having received the Chameleos's reply, the desk girl carefully pulled out her large notebook from beneath the little Chameleos, then moved to the side to register the quest.
When it came time to fill in "Quest Taker," she hesitated, unsure what to write, yet worried the Chameleos might grow impatient.
Suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her—she remembered the message the Admiral had once brought back.
Her brush moved like a dragon as she boldly wrote several large characters.
"Quest Taker (crossed out) Dragon: First Fleet Chameleos!"
"Would this be acceptable?"
Chameleos's large eyes crossed like a rooster's, focusing on the words in the desk girl's notebook. After reading clearly, she nodded with satisfaction.
Her tongue flicked out, rolling up the little Chameleos onto her back. Without the slightest attempt to hide, she whipped up a blast of wind pressure, soared high, and flew straight toward the Ancient Tree.
In the gale, the desk girl's little cap was blown off, her hair scattered in disarray, yet she paid it no mind at all.
Muttering under her breath: "I—I actually registered a quest for an Elder Dragon, heh, hehehe!!"
Needless to say, a place in history +1.
Beside her, the quest desk girl in charge of the Arena cast an envious glance at her colleague, already beginning to wonder if she should take some time to discuss with the Commander about letting her serve as a quest desk girl for a while too.
Astera had only so many people, and with the Chameleos causing such a great commotion, it did not take long for word of it to spread everywhere.
By the time the Commander rushed to the Celestial Pursuit with the Huntsman in tow, already nine-tenths of Astera's personnel had gathered there, making the normally spacious Celestial Pursuit suddenly feel a bit crowded.
"Make way, make way!"
Relying on the Huntsman's powerful physique, he forcibly squeezed his way to the quest counter, at once seeing the Grimalkyne quest board with a small piece torn out of it, and beside it the Quest Lass clutching her notebook tightly, refusing to open it no matter how others tried to persuade her.
"Oh! To actually think of using the pattern imprinted from the little Chameleos's body to prove its identity—so it has finally and completely acknowledged the Research Commission." Arms crossed, the Huntsman stood beneath the quest board, studying the red pattern on it, and his battle-obsessed mind first wondered how much of a chance he would have at driving back a Chameleos if he ever faced one.
The Commander did not say much. After gazing at it somewhat entranced for a moment, he immediately ordered people to take down the quest board and store it in the warehouse for safekeeping, to be sent back to the Old World on the very next transport ship.
For nothing else but to flaunt it before the Hunter's Guild and the Dragon Academy!
As for whether sending it away like this might feel a little unwilling—after all, this was an "Elder Dragon relic," something unique across all of history?
Yes, there was indeed some of that, but the Commander saw very clearly: since the Chameleos had acknowledged the Research Commission and made its existence known, then such things would absolutely not be a one-time occurrence.
With this first time, there would surely be a next! So in the future, similar things would certainly not be scarce.
Thus, considering this was the very first appearance of an "Elder Dragon relic," preserving it safely in the Old World's Hunter's Guild was the best choice.
Having made his decision, the Commander went to the Quest Lass. After a round of persuasion, she finally agreed to hand over the quest slip torn off by the Chameleos, but the other registration record she absolutely insisted on keeping.
This was her career's crowning achievement, a family heirloom–level treasure—no one could touch it!
Everyone aboard the Celestial Pursuit watched as two Felynes swiftly dismantled the quest board, sealed it in animal hide, each person feeling a little regretful.
That day, the helper Cats aboard the Celestial Pursuit nearly worked themselves to exhaustion.
Beer, drinks, and roast meat kept coming up nonstop from the third floor's Smithy and the Felyne's Tavern, while a whole crowd in the Celestial Pursuit's Gathering Hub drank and bragged. The Cats knew hunters could eat, but they hadn't known they could eat this much. One by one, they seemed to transform into human-shaped Deviljhos, eating from sunrise to sunset, then from sunset to sunrise again, until the Commander finally gave the word, and only then did they reluctantly end the feast and go rest.
"These fellows really went overboard this time, didn't they."
Though the Commander spoke reproachfully, the smile tugging at his lips could not be suppressed.
After all, this time the Chameleos had personally made its stance known, and only now had it truly integrated into Astera.
Last time, even though it had sent over the little Chameleos, the members of the Research Commission had never been able to determine whether such a shameless Chameleos that could hand over its own hatchling truly wanted its offspring to join the Research Commission—or whether it simply wanted the Commission to act as a free "babysitter," the kind that even provided food and lodging for the employer.
Once the little Chameleos grew a bit larger, it would leave together with the Chameleos.
Of course, even with such suspicions, the Research Commission still had to dutifully accept this freeloading arrangement, for this was the closest they had come to an Elder Dragon in so many years.
And now, the Commander felt that at last he could get a good night's sleep—their being taken advantage of was worth it! Still, should they now apply to the Guild for more aid?
The New World Research Commission had accomplished such a great achievement—would it really be excessive to request a few more crates of Secret Potions, crates of assorted materials, and dozens of military supplies?
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