Menchi and the other two were talking.
Buhara suddenly sniffed the air and couldn't help but speak.
"It smells like something delicious is being cooked in the kitchen."
Even though he had just eaten, he was hungry again!
Menchi's expression became a bit more serious.
Although Buhara didn't have as keen a perception as she did, his sense of smell was far more sensitive.
So, even though she hadn't smelled anything, she didn't doubt Buhara's statement.
Buhara didn't have very high standards when it came to food, but if something managed to attract him, it was definitely far better than ordinary cuisine.
"Let's go take a look."
Menchi stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
As a Gourmet Hunter, when she encountered delicious food, she had to taste it.
Of course, Buhara wouldn't refuse such an opportunity.
However, Satotz had no intention of going. He wasn't a Gourmet Hunter.
Although he liked delicious food, he was already full.
Seeing that Satotz wasn't interested, Menchi and Buhara didn't say much.
When the two arrived in the kitchen, they saw Ryusei, Leorio, and Kurapika serving dishes on the table.
Several chefs were gathered around, excitedly surrounding Ryusei.
The noise Menchi and Buhara made upon entering startled everyone.
But upon seeing who it was, Ryusei, Leorio, and Kurapika quickly greeted them.
"Examiner Menchi, Examiner Buhara!" (x3)
"It's you!" Buhara and Menchi looked at Ryusei and the others, nodding.
They still had some memory of them.
"I wonder what brings you here, examiners?" Ryusei looked at them and asked.
Of course, he already had a vague idea of why they had come.
Unlike Ryusei, Leorio was seriously considering whether he should retake the third Hunter Exam on the airship.
As for Kurapika, he was also a bit confused at that moment.
"I smelled a very enticing aroma."
"So I was drawn here." Buhara spoke very directly.
At the same time, his eyes were fixed on the food on the table.
Although Menchi didn't say anything, she also looked at the dishes with interest.
Hearing Buhara, a smile appeared on Ryusei's face.
He enthusiastically extended an invitation to the two.
"Then, Examiner Menchi, Examiner Buhara, would you like to try the food I prepared?"
"As for the taste, it should be quite acceptable." Earlier, he had been a bit confused about how to learn Nen.
Even with a Hunter License, if he wanted to learn Nen, he would have to wait for an instructor assigned by the Hunter Association.
The waiting time was uncertain, but what was clear was that he wouldn't be able to learn it within a few days.
So, if he really had to wait for the Association's assignment, he wouldn't have a chance to learn Nen during this journey in the Hunter x Hunter world.
But Menchi and Buhara were real Hunters.
If he managed to get along with them, after obtaining his Hunter License, could he ask them to teach him Nen directly?
"Then I won't hold back." Buhara sat down without hesitation.
When it came to delicious food, he had no intention of restraining himself.
"Thank you very much." Menchi also took a seat.
Then, Ryusei invited Leorio and Kurapika to sit down.
Naturally, the two wouldn't refuse.
"This twice-cooked pork is one of my best dishes."
"I hope Examiner Menchi can give me her opinion." Ryusei pointed at the twice-cooked pork and recommended it to the group.
He had developed this dish based on the cooking techniques of the chef in The Cooking Master Boy.
Since he had tasted it many times, it became one of his specialties.
Before, he used regular pork to prepare it, and it was already delicious.
This time, however, he had used Great Stomp meat.
The taste would undoubtedly be even better.
"Then I'll give it a try." Menchi picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of pork and some vegetables, put them in her mouth, and chewed lightly.
Then, without hesitation, she took a second bite, then a third…
Seeing this, Buhara stopped waiting for Menchi's evaluation.
He immediately grabbed a piece with his chopsticks and began eating.
After tasting the twice-cooked pork, Buhara couldn't help but compete with Menchi for more portions.
Seeing this, Ryusei also tasted a bit.
Then, he nodded in satisfaction.
It was spicy with a hint of sweetness.
Since the meat was fully cooked before being stir-fried, it didn't have the rough texture of raw fried meat.
Each piece was juicy and tender.
Moreover, the superior quality of the pork enhanced its flavor even more.
The crisp texture of the vegetables added more layers to the dish.
It could be said that the exquisiteness of this dish far exceeded his current level of cooking.
Ryusei knew very well that this was largely due to the high quality of the Great Stomp meat.
However, he wasn't too concerned about this.
After all, he had sought out high-quality ingredients precisely to make his dishes more delicious.
And while this didn't fully reflect his cooking skills, obtaining good ingredients was also a skill in itself.
Soon, all the food on the table was devoured.
Although the other dishes weren't as exquisite as the twice-cooked pork, they had also been carefully prepared by Ryusei.
So, they didn't disappoint at all.
At this point, Leorio and Kurapika were completely convinced that Ryusei had passed the first test of the second round.
There was no doubt. Ryusei had a completely professional level.
He deserved to pass the test.
So, after finishing their meal, they said their goodbyes and went to rest.
Menchi and Buhara were also preparing to leave.
However, Ryusei stopped them.
"Tell me what you want, kid."
"If it's within my power, I won't refuse." Menchi looked at him directly.
She was very satisfied with the twice-cooked pork.
So, she was also interested in befriending Ryusei.
As a Gourmet Hunter, when she met a chef with great potential, she didn't want to let them slip away.
"If I manage to pass this Hunter Exam…"
"I'd like you to help me open my aura, Menchi."
"After that, I'll be going to a place with very few people."
"So, even if I pass the Hunter Exam, I won't have time to wait for the Hunter Association to assign me a Nen instructor." Ryusei looked at her seriously as he spoke.
Next, he had to continue with the Hunter Exam.
But there wouldn't be more opportunities to strengthen his relationship with Menchi and Buhara.
So, he could only bring up Then now.
Upon hearing Ryusei's request, Menchi and Buhara's expressions became more serious.
"You know quite a bit about Nen users!" Menchi looked at Ryusei in surprise.
Originally, she had thought that he might already be a Nen user.
But now that he was asking for help to open his aura…
That meant he hadn't awakened that ability yet.
However, he seemed quite knowledgeable about Nen users.
He even knew that, after passing the exam, the Hunter Association assigned Nen instructors.