Netero shook his wide sleeves and stood up. "It was my arrangement."
Mr. Beans exclaimed, "President!!"
President, can we stop messing around? Can we not add more worries to our daily work? Mr. Beans felt utterly exhausted, to the point of tears streaming down his face.
Yes, the President arranged for someone to propose candidates, and the Vice President supported it. It's rare for you two to reach a consensus and work together!!
But this is just about causing trouble for entertainment!!
Can you two focus on serious matters together and stop undermining each other? I'm really tired...
Feeling sorry for Mr. Beans for a few minutes???
"In my original thoughts, during the second round of testing, Menchi's bad habits would explode, choosing to judge victory based on taste."
Netero put on his particularly high wooden clogs and walked out of the room.
"She indeed did that, but the result wasn't quite what I imagined."
"Originally, I thought it would cause some conflicts because she didn't let all the candidates pass."
"But I didn't expect her to fall into the 'deliciousness' she longed for."
"Rather than saying I overestimated Menchi's level as a Gourmet Hunter, it's more like I underestimated the powerful effects of the tools Morin possesses."
"Even having tools for 'deliciousness,' I really can't fathom how many powerful tools he holds that have effects in various aspects."
"Forget it, things have come to this point, just talking won't help. To be safe, I should go take a look..."
At this point, Netero suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"President?"
Mr. Beans, who was following closely behind Netero, looked at him with confusion.
Then?
"President, where are you planning to go?"
Pariston, with his warm smile and golden hair, raised a hand in greeting, standing firmly in the middle.
"I'm planning to go to the Hunter Exam venue."
Netero, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, replied plainly.
Under normal circumstances, he would just walk past Pariston.
But now...
Netero glanced at Pariston and the other ten people standing densely behind him.
"What? Did you all come here for something?"
All the Zodiac members, except for Ging, had come here, blocking Netero's path somewhat.
"We just happened to hear some related news, so we came to check out the situation."
Cheadle Yorkshire explained.
The number plates issued during the Hunter Exam have a positioning function, and each stage of the Hunter Exam has black-suited, sunglasses-wearing committee staff monitoring it to some extent.
When Satotz called the President's office, the Zodiac members also received intelligence from the staff.
Even knowing what happened over there, none of them showed any unusual expressions.
It seemed... they all thought it was natural for unexpected events to occur?
"Since you all know, just go about your business."
Netero waved his hand, intending to disperse the group.
"We want to go with you to take a look."
The somewhat simple-minded Kanzai, scratching his head, grinned.
"What's so interesting about the candidates' test?"
Netero glanced at them sideways. "It's not like you haven't been through that stage or haven't been a Hunter Exam examiner?"
"Just do your own job properly..."
With that, he continued walking forward.
Immediately, the Zodiac members parted to both sides, making way for Netero, the person they respected the most.
"Um..."
Reaching the end of the line, Netero stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Botobai, you come with me."
"Huh?"
Botobai, who was named, was slightly stunned, then quickly reacted and followed behind Netero.
The other Zodiac members watched the three figures leave in silence.
The reason Netero brought Botobai was simple.
In case things didn't go well with Morin, Botobai could mediate and minimize the impact of the incident.
The three quickly boarded an airship and soon disappeared into the vast sky.
At this moment.
At the exam site...
"Excuse me?"
Buhara slowly stood up. "As the examiner for this Hunter Exam, I have the authority to determine that your actions pose a threat to the examiner."
---
"According to the rules set by the Hunter Exam Review Committee, in such cases, I have the authority to demand you cease your actions, otherwise..."
Buhara spoke in a deep voice, "If necessary, I can take some measures."
He stood up, his massive body like a mountain of flesh, exuding an overwhelming presence that caused the candidates who were about to bring their sushi for "delicious processing" to scatter instantly.
"You think there's conduct harmful to the examiner? Where exactly? Is there any specific evidence?"
Morin smiled and retorted, "Surely, the examiners can't just exercise excessive power over candidates based on a mere 'I think' or 'I feel,' right?"
"Like that capricious female examiner? Or are you saying you're the same type of person as her?"
After Morin finished speaking, the other candidates looked at Buhara with peculiar, flickering eyes.
"Well..."
Buhara's stance faltered, as he began to feel the candidates' growing wariness and distrust.
"I don't want to resort to violence."
Buhara explained with a stiff smile, handling such matters was not his forte.
"I just want to get some of that powder from you for identification."
It was the powder Morin had sprinkled in front of everyone that turned Menchi into her current state. The issue lay with that; if the powder was problematic, they could accuse Morin of framing the examiner and expel him from the candidates.
But if there was no issue... the situation would become even more delicate.
However.
"Why should I hand it over to you?"
Morin, showing no courtesy, directly put away the [Essence of Taste].
"To be blunt, without meaning offense: you really aren't qualified to inspect my belongings."
Morin stated calmly.
Not even someone like Buhara, let alone Netero from the Hunter Association or Maha from the Zoldyck family, had that qualification.
"This..."
Seeing Morin's unwillingness to cooperate, Buhara was visibly troubled.
In truth, he was extremely reluctant to engage in conflict.
After all, this was a mess Menchi had caused, and he was unwilling to risk antagonizing Morin just to clean up after her.
Moreover, he wasn't a match for Morin.
If it came to a fight, despite his large build, he might be taken down by Morin in just a few moves.
If that happened, and he was defeated, the dignity of them as examiners would be completely lost, and it would be a total defeat.
Thus, Buhara found himself in a dilemma.
Inside the exam site, an eerie silence settled in.
As time passed, with Buhara remaining silent, the candidates' eyes flickered with increasing suspicion.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh?"
Suddenly, the sound of engines and propellers came from the sky.
"Yo, yo, yo, seems like I'm not too late."
A familiar, clear, and energetic voice echoed from above.
"Give the President some face! I just mastered a new technique, so please, President, help me test it out."
"That voice... is it coming from the sky?!"
"Look, what is that?!"
"Hey? That's... the Hunter Association's emblem!"
"On that airship, it's the review committee members!"
The venue erupted into commotion.
The candidates were very curious about who this high-profile person from the Hunter Association was.
Satotz, upon hearing the voice, knew who had arrived at the venue and stood quietly aside, waiting to pay his respects. Buhara finally breathed a sigh of relief, his back drenched in sweat.
Finally, someone capable of holding the fort had arrived, allowing him to take a breather.
"Whoosh!"
From the sky, a figure leaped down from the airship.
"Bang!"
Two sounds rang out almost simultaneously, with a wave of air spreading from where the second sound originated.
"I just saw someone jump down from that airship."
"No way, from such a height? How is that possible?"
"Look at the center of the field, there's really someone there!"
As the airwave dissipated, the candidates could finally see the figure clearly.
Wearing towering wooden clogs, with hair tied in a flowing bundle, and a wide martial arts robe flapping in the wind, he presented the image of a sage-like figure from the world beyond.
Indeed, Netero's entrance alone made a significant impression, showcasing a strong sense of presence.
Not only was his entrance impressive, but it also successfully caused a sensation among the candidates.
"Who is this old man?!"