Moreover, Morin had never intended to hide the Phantom Troupe's identity from Gon and his friends.
After all, it was only a matter of time before they found out. Trying to cover it up would just seem petty.
"Then why haven't we heard you mention it before?" Gon, still in a daze, asked this question.
"Do you think a criminal would go around boasting about their identity to others?" Morin glanced at the naive kid. "I'm not like that blabbermouth ninja."
Achoo! Hanzo, who was devouring a 'Memory Bread,' sneezed.
Gon scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, realizing he had asked a foolish question.
"But still..." He sighed, "Morin, you know Chairman Netero, and your apprentice is a formidable Hunter in the Association, yet you're a criminal yourself... It's unbelievable."
Morin just smiled indifferently, "What's so unbelievable about it? Chairman Netero not only has a good relationship with me, but he's also even closer to Killua's grandfather, the head of the Zoldyck family, the world's top assassins."
"In my view, the world is like a game. The identity you bear and the profession you choose are no different. The difference lies in who has the higher level, better gear, stronger skills, and superior techniques."
Morin said softly, "In this world, only strength grants you the right to speak and do things others can't."
"What about Kurapika's clan..." Gon finally brought up the topic, asking seriously, "Was it your group?"
"We're not interested in human organs," Morin replied leisurely. "But our leader does have an affinity for beautiful things."
"Unfortunately, he's had his own goal for a long time and has been working towards it."
Morin smiled at Gon, "We don't have the time or energy to trouble the Kurta Clan."
"So, you're saying it wasn't your group that killed Kurapika's people?" Gon's eyes lit up, and he let out a sigh of relief, "That's great!"
Gon didn't think Morin was deceiving him. Morin had no reason or need to lie to him—or rather, Gon wasn't even qualified or valuable enough to be lied to.
Ever since Gon learned Morin was a member of the Phantom Troupe, he had been anxious, fearing that Morin was involved in the Kurta Clan massacre.
Especially with Kurapika's clear determination for revenge, if Morin were involved, it would inevitably lead to a rift between Kurapika and Morin.
Gon didn't want to see people he knew and cared about go down such a path. He was also worried about Kurapika. Knowing how strong Morin was, if Kurapika insisted on seeking revenge relentlessly, there could only be one outcome...
Fortunately, the Phantom Troupe wasn't responsible for the Kurta Clan's destruction. This allowed Gon to breathe a sigh of relief and reignite his curiosity.
"Though people have different identities in the world, Aunt Mito told me that being a criminal is the hardest job. Why is that?"
"Perhaps it's due to upbringing and beliefs," Morin gazed at the distant sunrise. "Hisoka and I both hail from Meteor City, and our views differ from those outside."
"You might not know what Meteor City is. You can look it up or ask others about it later."
"Meteor City?" Gon nodded, half-understanding.
Then, blinking, he asked, "Morin, you're so strong, yet you're only the vice leader of the Phantom Troupe. Just how strong is your leader?!"
"Don't try to coax information out of me," Morin knocked on Gon's head. "The Troupe doesn't rank its members by strength."
"If you want to know more about the Phantom Troupe, you'll have to find out yourself."
Sometimes sly, Gon rubbed the spot where he was knocked, stuck out his tongue, and laughed sheepishly. Regardless, knowing part of the truth eased the burden on Gon's mind these past few days. Just then~~~
"Cough, cough, the interview with the Chairman will now begin."
The broadcast chimed in at the right moment, "Candidates hearing their number, please proceed to the first meeting room on the second floor."
"Candidate number 406, please go to the meeting room!"
The first person Netero wanted to talk to was Morin. After hearing the broadcast, Morin informed Gon and then headed to the meeting room.
At this moment, Netero was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, with a "heart" character hanging on the wall behind him.
"Please, have a seat." Netero gestured to Morin, indicating a cushion in front of the table, while his other hand prepared a cup of fragrant tea.
"Is this the final test?" Morin joked.
"Not entirely unrelated. I'm just asking a few questions for reference," Netero chuckled while stroking his beard. "In fact, if you wanted to apply for a Hunter license now, I could pass you unconditionally."
"Aren't you worried about other candidates accusing you of favoritism?" Morin asked.
"Yoyo, I think the other candidates would be relieved if you passed first; that way, they'd have one less formidable competitor," Netero replied with a laugh.
After some light banter, Netero got down to business. "Alright, enough small talk. There are some routine questions I must ask."
He picked up a calligraphy brush from the table. "First, why do you want to be a Hunter?"
"Actually, I don't particularly want to be one," Morin replied with a smile. "It's just that the interest struck me."
"I see," Netero nodded. "Besides yourself, who are you most concerned about among the other nine candidates?"
"Not really anyone, but if I had to choose, I'd say Gon," Morin answered casually. "After all, he's Ging's son, and I'm quite eager to see the day he finds his father."
"Yoyo, I'm looking forward to that too," Netero said, seemingly amused by some thought.
"Then, which candidate do you most want to face in combat?"
"Doesn't matter."
"And who do you least want to face?"
"Anyone is fine."
"Is this the confidence that comes with great strength?" Netero noted Morin's answers with his brush.
"Alright, we'll use your responses as a reference for the final round of testing. You can go now."
As Morin left the room, he spotted Hanzo and Leorio lurking in the corner, peeking around.
"Morin, did Chairman Netero mention anything about the direction of the written exam?" they asked, burping with crumbs at the corners of their mouths, the smell of bread lingering in the air.
"No, he just asked a few simple questions," Morin replied, realizing they were probably asking about the test direction because they had overindulged in bread.
"Nothing, huh..." Hanzo and Leorio looked slightly disappointed. They really couldn't eat any more!
Back in the meeting room, Netero reviewed Morin's answers, pondered for a moment, then made a few strokes with his brush before calling in the next candidate.
Each candidate was called in for an interview, asked the same questions, and then released.
Next was Hisoka: "The person I'm most concerned about is number 406, and the one I least want to face is also him because he might actually kill me. By the way, the person I most want to fight now is you, Chairman Netero! Kikikiki!"
Then came Gitarakuru: "Most concerned about number 99, least want to face number 406."
Hanzo: "Most concerned about number 406. It feels like his methods and so-called tools surpass even those of a ninja like me. He's a terrifyingly impressive guy.
It's hard to imagine someone like him didn't pass the Hunter test before... Sorry, I'm talking too much. Least want to face is definitely number 406."
Botobai: "Most concerned about number 406, least want to face numbers 99 and 405. As a martial artist, I don't want to fight children, but if I had to choose, I'd want to challenge the strong, like number 406."
Leorio: "Most concerned about Morin and Gon. Morin is really strong, and Gon has helped me. I want him to pass, so I don't want to face either of them."
Kurapika: "On the positive side, number 405; on the negative, number 44. If there's a reason, I'll fight anyone. If there's no reason, I don't want to fight anyone. If I have to choose, I least want to face numbers 405 and 406."
Gon: "For various reasons, I now most want to fight number 44. Hmm... I don't want to face numbers 99, 404, 405, or 406."
Killua: "Most concerned about Gon because he's my age. Least want to face... number 53 because he's too weak. Fighting him wouldn't be interesting at all."
Finally, it was the turn of the veteran, Tonpa. When he walked in, even Netero showed a bit of interest.
"What made you decide to take part in the final round of testing this year?"
"Maybe I found something I want," Tonpa replied after a long pause, giving a vague answer.
"Something you want, huh... Yoyo, that's what being a Hunter is all about—pursuing your goals with relentless effort!"
TN: Hey Guys it's me again, we are reaching the Dark Continent Arc on P132treon so if you wanna read till there you can check:
P@treon.com/NenMaster
There are so many names in the exam arc I might forget/don't find the name on the wiki so don't mind my slips if you find a mistake point it out in the comments I'll try my best to fix them. (you guys post 100s of comments per week so I'll just try)
AND have a great day :D