Watching this scene, Andrew couldn't help but sigh again in his heart, calling him an old fox.
That old geezer, The Mayor, had clearly already guessed seventy to eighty percent of this matter through his previous explanation and the intelligence he had gathered on hand.
It was just that, knowing his own scheming and deeply calculating nature couldn't be hidden from Andrew, the old fox—clearly aware that he couldn't gain complete trust from Andrew—chose to let Von Lycaon act as the intermediary bridge. And he himself actually hadn't hidden this point at all.
Rather, it was precisely because of this frankness—laying all his calculations bare out in the open—that made Andrew choose to continue cooperating with him in certain aspects. Just like this time.
As Von Lycaon explained the entire situation to The Mayor with the fastest speaking speed and utmost conciseness, although The Mayor's complexion was still incredibly solemn, the trace of subconscious tension that had constantly lingered in his expression finally eased back down.
As long as he could confirm that Andrew wasn't an enemy of New Eridu, that was enough. Although the current situation in New Eridu was very tricky, things actually hadn't reached the absolute worst-case scenario. Rather, Andrew had actually already taken the initiative to place a method to solve the crisis right in front of him.
In fact, although the true situation Andrew explained was somewhat fantastical, it actually didn't completely exceed The Mayor's expectations. After all, The Mayor believed it was impossible for him to be completely unaware of someone possessing such formidable strength. At the very least, he wouldn't be unable to find even a single trace.
Even in the areas outside of New Eridu, he had found absolutely no traces of Andrew whatsoever. Not even traces of his movements existed. He had appeared in New Eridu completely without any warning. And from the moment Andrew arrived in New Eridu, he had never once thought about hiding this point from beginning to end.
And for Andrew to choose to pierce through this layer of tacit understanding now and lay this matter out in the open was almost explicitly telling him: As long as they waited for him to return from that world, he could bring back a method to solve this problem.
But during this period—when Andrew left here and returned to his original world to seek a new vaccine capable of curing the virus for the sake of New Eridu's safety—he, as The Mayor, had to protect the people around Andrew no matter what.
But hidden within this was also an underlying threat. That was: if he failed to protect them well, then he shouldn't blame Andrew for choosing not to bring this vaccine out.
Everyone knew Andrew was a good person. But as long as one was a normal leader, they wouldn't touch the other party's bottom line on a matter concerning life and death just to gamble on the other party's goodwill.
As long as he protected the citizens who originally needed protecting anyway, it could be perfectly resolved. Only a complete idiot would choose to screw it up. Very clearly, The Mayor was not this kind of idiot.
Moreover, with a powerful combatant like Meow-Da explicitly present, there was no need to worry about dangers in battle. He himself was actually nothing more than a safeguard Andrew had set up for the other aspects. That is to say, to guard against all internal threats within New Eridu from affecting them.
So when Andrew proposed this exchange... For The Mayor, whose everything was for the safety of New Eridu, it was simply impossible to refuse.
After listening to Von Lycaon's recounting, The Mayor, who had long since figured all this out in his heart, didn't offer any meaningless pleasantries. Instead, right after listening, he nodded without the slightest hesitation and said:
"I understand."
In his eyes, there was utmost seriousness.
"Before Mr. Andrew returns, I will give my absolute all to fulfill the two items you requested no matter what. Please rest assured."
At this moment, no superfluous words were needed; Andrew and The Mayor had already reached a brand new agreement and tacit understanding. And both of them were incredibly satisfied with this agreement.
It was just that after The Mayor agreed, his words did not end there. Instead, the topic shifted as he continued to speak:
"However, before Mr. Andrew leaves, I still have an unreasonable request. I hope Mr. Andrew can satisfy this tiny wish of mine."
Hearing this, Andrew froze slightly for a moment before saying with some confusion:
"What exactly is it? Tell me first."
Hearing that Andrew didn't refuse, The Mayor's eyes were incredibly serious. He said without the slightest hesitation:
"Could I please ask if you have any surplus materials, to hand over a copy of the original vaccine and a virus sample to me?"
And upon hearing these words, Andrew also immediately understood The Mayor's meaning. As a deeply meticulous old fox, and also as the Mayor of New Eridu. It was impossible for him to choose to pin all his hopes solely on one person.
No matter how many agreements were reached, and no matter how trustworthy Andrew was, this matter ultimately concerned the entirety of New Eridu. As The Mayor, he didn't dare to gamble, nor could he afford to.
And after obtaining a vaccine and a sample, The Mayor would immediately organize professional researchers to launch the research and development work for the Frenzy Virus vaccine. This way, if Andrew failed to return due to some accident, the entirety of New Eridu wouldn't be left completely without hope.
When the disaster erupted, even if the vaccine research wasn't completely finished by the time the disaster arrived, it would still be enough to leave behind a final spark of hope for humanity. If scholars were made to research it from scratch, then there would truly be no hope.
And after The Mayor actively brought it up, Andrew, who had similarly realized this point, instantly understood the meaning The Mayor was expressing.
At the end of the day, this was nothing more than an insurance policy. For such a request, he also had no need to refuse.
Under the circumstance of ensuring that the samples and vaccines he kept for himself were absolutely sufficient, Andrew—aside from the one vial of each that The Mayor had requested—extracted an additional vial of both the sample and the vaccine, and handed them all together into Von Lycaon's hands.
At the same time, still feeling somewhat uneasy, Andrew spoke up to caution him:
"Take note, this scale dust will vanish in just a few short seconds after being taken out of the container. Also, when researching it, be careful not to inhale it into the body."
Following that, Andrew recounted all the intelligence regarding the nature and ecology of the Frenzy Virus that he had previously learned through the bestiary and the vaccine experiments. Including the ecological habits of the Gore Magala after it had fully matured.
And this seemingly inconspicuous intelligence was the truly priceless treasure to The Mayor. It was just that Andrew didn't have the slightest intention of using this to extort a fortune; on the contrary, one could say he shared all the intelligence completely without any reservations.
No matter what hidden little thoughts or plans that old fox, The Mayor, had in his heart. At least right now, with the Sword of Damocles that was the Frenzy Virus hanging over their heads, Andrew's objective was exactly the same as his. That was to properly protect New Eridu beneath their feet.
And with this crucial intelligence, it would inevitably help the scholars The Mayor found avoid many detours during their research, and it could also vastly improve the safety of those researchers participating in the study.
After recording all this intelligence at the fastest possible speed, The Mayor genuinely and sincerely bowed his head slightly toward Andrew, simultaneously saying with earnestness:
"Please allow me, on behalf of all the citizens of New Eridu, to sincerely thank you for the help you have provided, Mr. Andrew."
However, regarding The Mayor's gratitude, Andrew merely waved his hand casually and brushed it off. After all, Andrew simply didn't care about the gratitude of an old fox like The Mayor. His purpose for doing all this, from beginning to end, was due to his duties as a Hunter, as well as to protect the kind-hearted people in this city and the living environment of the people he cared about around him.
In response to Andrew's casual attitude, The Mayor remained constantly smiling, without the slightest hint of anger. Rather, the fact that Andrew was willing to help was in itself already enough. As long as it could allow New Eridu to survive this crisis once again, things like Andrew's attitude toward him were simply inconsequential to The Mayor. He was never a person who heavily valued status and position to begin with.
After pondering slightly for a moment, The Mayor still spoke up to ask once more:
"Although it is a bit presumptuous, may I ask Mr. Andrew roughly how much time your operation this time will take? And what are the specific dangers involved?"
Hearing this, Andrew, who knew what The Mayor was worried about, evaluated it in his mind for a moment before saying:
"According to my estimation, I should be able to return in half a month. Even at the absolute longest, I will definitely return within a month's time."
Saying it would take half a month in total, the time Andrew actually estimated from the start of the research to its conclusion was only three days. Don't underestimate those three days. To be honest, this was already a conservative result that Andrew had estimated to be as long as possible, based on the vaccine research capabilities of the scholars he knew.
As for the remaining twelve days, that was actually the travel time Andrew accounted for in case he accidentally appeared in a peripheral region. And the extra half a month of buffer time was actually reserved by Andrew for finding the Hunter's Guild and making the round trip, out of concern that the other side of the rift might actually be some barren wilderness.
"As for the danger..."
Speaking of this, Andrew was even less worried. According to his current strength, monsters at the level of ordinary regional Apexes were simply not an issue for him at all.
Even if his luck was truly so bad that he encountered an Elder Dragon at the dining table, Andrew felt that the one who should be worried about danger was actually the other side.
As for the Forbidden Monsters... This kind of entity, which belonged purely in legends for ninety-nine point nine percent of Hunters, how could it be something you'd encounter just because you wanted to? Even after Andrew had been a Hunter for so many years in this life, and with the Sapphire Star as his master, he had only encountered three of them up to now.
So, Andrew merely said half-jokingly:
"If you want to talk about danger... The only danger is probably that without Meow-Da traveling with me and assisting, operating alone in the wild will mean no one stands guard when I rest, so it will be easy for danger to arise."
To be honest, this was still the first time Andrew was truly preparing to operate entirely alone in the Monster Hunter world.
Previously, when hunting outside, at the very beginning, it was with the Sapphire Star, and after he became well-trained, it switched to Meow-Da. Later, when he went to the Forbidden Lands, it wasn't even just one person and one cat, but rather he operated together with Evelyn, Alma, as well as Gemma and that indecisive brat Nata. It could be said to be extraordinarily lively.
It was worth mentioning, in the beginning, that indecisive brat was so fickle that Andrew really couldn't stand him. Although the others chose to be accommodating because they were women, Andrew wasn't going to coddle his bad habits.
So after Nata was forcibly educated with a round of 'Personality Correction Punches' by the intolerable Andrew, his indecisive personality had already improved a lot. He just didn't know why. Even though he had eaten a round of Personality Correction Punches, he instead became even more fond of tagging along right behind Andrew's butt.
But also because he had become very sensible after receiving the Personality Correction Punches, it resulted in Andrew finding it somewhat hard to refuse him, even if he felt it was a hassle. In the end, he could only choose to slip away immediately the moment he saw him.
Returning to the main topic.
Looking back at his Hunter career, Andrew realized. Ever since he became a Hunter, it seemed he truly hadn't survived alone in the wild before.
But even though he hadn't, that didn't mean Andrew would genuinely encounter any danger because of it. No matter what, he was still a veteran Hunter who had stayed in the wild for so many years; going into the wild was simply like returning home. Even if he was all alone, relying on his survival experience in the wild, Andrew could easily distinguish all sources of danger.
But the speaker had no particular intention, while the listener took it to heart. After hearing this sentence, The Mayor recorded it incredibly seriously.
After pondering slightly for a moment, he said earnestly:
"I understand. Regarding the difficulties you've raised, the City Administration will do its utmost to provide you with all the support it can offer. I will definitely help you solve this problem before you set off."
As his voice fell, the matter regarding the Frenzy Virus had concluded, and the giant boulder in The Mayor's heart had also dropped.
Facing Andrew on the phone, The Mayor then solemnly adjusted his clothes and said in a deep voice:
"I look forward to your triumphant return without a single scratch, Mr. Andrew. I will quietly await your return in New Eridu. As for now, while waiting, please thoroughly enjoy the gift from the Defense Force."
Andrew didn't really pay much attention to The Mayor's words of gratitude. Compared to this kind of verbal appreciation, Andrew actually preferred the other party to offer something practical.
Since the official business was done, Andrew merely waved his hand casually and directly hung up the phone. As for the support The Mayor promised, Andrew cared even less.
What support could the City Administration provide? It was nothing more than some supplies, and whether it was medicine or food, Andrew didn't think it could compare to what he made himself. He couldn't possibly just pull a Void Hunter over, right?
Andrew felt that instead of wasting time expecting this stuff, he might as well listen to The Mayor's final sentence. And see exactly what kind of stuff the Defense Force had given.
As for the old fox Mayor's blessing about quietly awaiting his return, Andrew directly curled his lips in disgust. Who in their right mind would enjoy being missed by an old fox? Being kept in the thoughts of this kind of person, he probably wouldn't even know when he got scammed.
So, the support from the City Administration he mentioned was directly and completely ignored by Andrew, tossed entirely to the back of his mind. Completely unaware of what exactly he had ignored.
And right now... Anyway, before Belle found the rift, getting anxious here would be useless. He might as well see what kind of stuff the Defense Force had given after the Nineveh interception battle.
After all, he had done such a massive thing this morning, and the Defense Force also acted as one of the three pillars standing in New Eridu. When handing things out, they at least shouldn't be stingier than the City Administration, right?
____
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