Due to the exam's timing, Ronnel left without much conversation.
He had only poured himself a cup of tea when he arrived, sat briefly, and then left, not even having time to take a sip.
He truly came and went in a hurry.
Watching Ronnel's figure disappear around the corner, Netero suddenly remembered there was still a "sick" examiner left unaccounted for.
"Beans, stop writing and come here... Beans~!"
"Eh?"
Beans lifted his head from the sea of documents, looking dazed.
Netero couldn't help but chuckle at that expression. It was clear Beans had been working so diligently he hadn't even heard the earlier commotion.
To serve as the secretary of the Hunter Association Chairman required extraordinary skill, and Beans' focus alone was enough to shame most people.
"Am I pushing him too hard?"
Netero mused briefly but quickly abandoned the thought when another staff member entered, dropping an armful of documents onto the table with a loud thud.
The sheer weight and volume of the papers made Netero's eye twitch, and any trace of guilt vanished.
"Chairman, did you call me?" Beans asked, his hands already moving to process the new stack of documents with practiced efficiency.
"Ahem, it's like this, Beans~," Netero said, raising a fist to his mouth as if to suppress a cough. "Tell Pyon he doesn't need to participate in the first round of the Hunter Exam."
"Eh?!"
"I recruited him because most of the Association's Hunters were away on business, and we were short on examiners. But since he didn't want to take part in the first place, it's best not to force him"
"But... but..." Beans stammered. "Pyon's exam questions have already been submitted and approved."
Though Beans was familiar with Netero's whimsical decisions, this sudden change—just an hour before the exam—left him stunned.
"That's fine~," Netero said with a wave of his hand. "I reviewed his questions, and they were solid. But knowing his personality, I doubt he'd follow them strictly. How many examinees are currently at the venue?"
"At present, 1,421 examinees have arrived," Beans replied promptly.
"Over a thousand? That's more than three times the number from the last exam! Excellent, excellent. A larger pool increases the odds of finding exceptional talent," Netero said, stroking his beard, clearly pleased.
"But such a large number is also a burden for the examiners. They'll focus on thinning the herd early on with simpler, more efficient methods."
"If my guess is right, Pyon would've likely changed his exam on the spot to something like 'knock out five people' or 'collect three number plates.' Crude, but effective for eliminating candidates while still testing their strength."
"Hahaha~! This is shaping up to be an interesting exam," Netero chuckled.
Beans, still sweating nervously, picked up the phone and followed Netero's instructions.
...
Elsewhere
"Achoo!"
In a distant location, a certain Hunter with sultry pink glasses, a flamboyant hip-hop style, and a sun tattoo on his chest sneezed.
"Who's talking about me? Tch, being this handsome and popular really is a burden," he muttered, running a hand through his hair as he strutted toward the elevator with exaggerated flair.
Inside, he found himself facing a young man in a black trench coat, who gave him an odd look.
"A young Hunter, huh?" he mused, assessing the man.
Not bad physique, decent strength, and good looks... but definitely not as fashionable as me.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
"Hello? Beans? Yeah, I'm on my way to the venue... Wait, what? I'm not needed anymore?"
The flamboyant man stood frozen in the elevator, visibly stunned.
Meanwhile, the man in the trench coat smirked slightly and stepped out as the elevator doors opened, muttering, "This reminds me of my PE teachers who always seemed sickly..."
At that moment, Ronnel recognized the flamboyant man as the first-round examiner from the original Hunter Exam. He shook his head in amusement.
'Typical Netero, always unpredictable,' he thought.
As Ronnel approached the association's main entrance, his steps faltered. A familiar golden-haired figure stood by the door, a gentle smile on his face.
"Pariston..." Ronnel's eyelid twitched.
The Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association stood there, a stack of papers in his arms, radiating politeness.
"Mr. Ronnel, I am Pariston Hill," he said with a warm, disarming smile.
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