"Don't worry, Blazewood doesn't have anything valuable to offer as a reward, but building you the best motorcycle is absolutely no problem."
The motorcycle Andrew was planning to buy and modify was made free of charge after Big Boss slapped his own chest and insisted, refusing to take Andrew's Dennies no matter what.
And as for the subsequent modification plans, Big Boss, who had already seen them beforehand, said he would do his best to make it exactly like the blueprints.
Andrew, thinking Big Boss was only talking about the bike's appearance, had no idea that what Big Boss was actually considering was a piece of lost technology in the Sons of Calydon's warehouse.
He wondered if it could be installed on the motorcycle to help Andrew reach the 420 km/h speed marked on the blueprints. Even if it couldn't quite get there, he had to at least try.
"Don't worry about the monster's corpse. I'll bring a bunch of the boys to help you haul it back."
Waving his hand, Big Boss indicated he was done speaking and that Andrew was free to do as he pleased.
After bidding farewell to Big Boss, Andrew took a quick count of what he had mined and then stopped, heading towards the nearby square where the Vicious Claw Wyvern's body lay.
Although Caesar usually seemed carefree, the dejected way she had left earlier still had Andrew a little worried.
He decided to go find out where Caesar had gone.
People stood around in small groups, looking at the marks left by the battle between Andrew and the Vicious Claw Wyvern. A close look at the long claw marks was enough to make them shudder involuntarily.
Looking at the scorch marks from exploding Ether Crystals and the cracks hammered out by the monster's tail, a few young men who had just come of age gathered together and exclaimed in awe:
"Were all these marks made by that monster?! That guy, Andrew, is insane! He actually killed a monster that terrifying!"
Another young man rubbed his chin and said doubtfully:
"Can a monster that terrifying really be killed by a person? Who the heck is he? And what's his relationship with our big sis?"
The Vicious Claw Wyvern's body was still lying nearby, surrounded by onlookers, so that part was obvious.
But when it came to his relationship with their big sis, one of the guys perked up.
With a face that screamed 'I'll tell you, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone else,' he was just about to speak when he saw Andrew standing nearby, looking at him with amusement.
Holding to the principle of 'sharing the gossip,' the group immediately beckoned for Andrew to join them.
Andrew was about to refuse, but the two guys who had just been talking slung their arms over his shoulders and pulled him down to sit in the front row of the gossip circle.
"This is a secret, I'm only telling you guys. You absolutely cannot tell anyone else!"
Seeing everyone nod, he continued.
"You guys know our big sis reads romance manga every day, right?"
"Of course we do."
"Our big sis, who usually treats everyone like one of the bros, was totally staring dumbfounded at that guy inside the Hollow this time!"
"And besides, this guy is a real big shot himself!"
"What kind of big shot?"
"You remember Susanna from the Limes family here in town, right? She saw it with her own eyes! You know that ghost-like Ethereal, Pompey? This guy sliced it in half with a single slash!"
"You bet! And that monster lying over there is even more proof! I heard he flew into a rage for the fair lady's sake. The moment he saw his opponent make a move, he charged in with his blade and finished it off. No one could stop him!"
"As expected of the man our big sis has her eyes on!"
Back and forth they went, the straight man and the funny man playing off each other perfectly. All they were missing was a stage.
Looking at the young man who was staring at him with a 'So? How's the tea?' expression, Andrew couldn't help but cover his face. While the events were technically true, hearing them retold like this made everything sound so weird!
His earlier premonition was right after all. He hadn't been out of the Hollow for long, and the rumors were already about to spread through the whole crowd.
Just as Andrew was about to try and offer a word of explanation, he suddenly spotted Caesar walking past nearby with a group of little kids.
Her earlier dejection was gone, replaced by a happy smile.
Having found Caesar, Andrew stopped caring about what kind of image was being painted of him and immediately ran toward her, leaving the group of guys behind to exchange glances.
Seeing Andrew greet Caesar and watching her usually carefree demeanor change as a blush suddenly crept onto her face, one of them exclaimed:
"Holy crap, don't tell me he's that Andrew? The one who flew into a rage for our big sis?! We were just talking about him right to his face, is he going to be pissed?!"
"Better you die than me, friend. I was just the straight man; you were the one doing all the talking! Don't let the blood splash on me later!"
'Let's bounce, let's bounce!'
Seeing Andrew from a distance, Caesar waved happily. When he got closer, she asked curiously,
"Andrew, what were you talking to them about?"
After a moment's hesitation, Andrew decided to cover for them. He shrugged his shoulders and said,
"Oh, nothing much. Just discussing some things... about the Vicious Claw Wyvern. Anyway, according to Big Boss, my motorcycle should be free."
Looking at Caesar's beaming smile, Andrew still couldn't help but ask:
"Are you okay?"
'Of course I'm okay.'
Caesar nodded, her expression no longer dejected like before. She said:
"I was pretty down at first, but I quickly realized that what Big Boss said to me was for my own good!"
Caesar was the type to humbly accept advice from anyone, as long as it made sense.
This was especially true in this case, since Big Boss's words were filled with genuine concern for her safety.
"Anyway, let's not talk about that. Do you have any plans?"
"Plans? Not at the moment."
Andrew thought for a moment. He really didn't have anything urgent to do.
"Really? That's great! Blazewood is planning to throw a party to celebrate, so you can properly experience the warmth of the Outer Ring!"
Looking at the radiant smile on Caesar's face, Andrew couldn't help but smile back and nod.
"Oh? You're saying my contact group leader has been changed?"
A young woman with long red hair was dressed in a style consistent with the other people of the Outer Ring, her tight leather outfit accentuating her perky and full chest.
Leaning in a deserted corner, the mouse-like Thiren held a shiny mirror with her nimble tail, as if checking her makeup. However, the girl's constantly scanning eyes indicated the mirror served a greater purpose.
As the reflection in the mirror showed two gang grunts walking out of a building, the girl's expression didn't change at all, but the content of her phone call switched to casual small talk.
When the two grunts came out and saw the girl, they waved without any suspicion and said:
"Big Sis Kaelie! Talking to your sister in the city again? If you ask me, you should bring her out here. The future's way brighter and easier here than running a shop in the city, right?"
The girl's posture didn't change. She just moved the phone away from her ear slightly, chuckled, and replied:
"Of course I know following the boss offers a much better future, but my sister's health is delicate, you know? It wouldn't be good if she came here and accidentally got hurt.
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