Chapter 27 – How to Tell Them Apart
"Do you think Osren might still be waiting for us back at the cabin?" Kurapika asked after a moment of thought, his analytical tone as calm as ever.
"That's… actually possible," Leorio admitted.
Gon and Leorio exchanged glances—clearly, they were thinking the same thing.
"Then let's go find him!" Gon said eagerly, already bouncing on his feet.
"We'll take you," said the Kiriko couple. Without another word, they each grabbed a candidate and took off toward the cabin.
"Hey! Fly lower—lower! I'm scared of heights!" Leorio yelled the instant they rose into the air, his voice cracking with panic.
"What happened to that courage of yours?" Kurapika teased, recalling how Leorio once bragged that bravery was his best quality back when they crossed the lake.
Leorio's face flushed. He shut his mouth and tried to console himself silently. It's fine. We'll be there soon. Just hang in there.
---
"Ssshhh—pop—pop—pop!"
The enormous pot over the campfire was already boiling, steam hissing and lifting the lid in rhythmic bursts that echoed through the quiet night.
Beside it, skewered wild chickens roasted over the flames, their golden skin dripping fat into the fire with a delicious sizzle. The air was thick with the rich aroma of roasted meat—there must have been a dozen chickens cooking at once, the smell carrying far into the forest.
Osren lay lazily on the soft grass, half reclining, occasionally turning a chicken over the fire. He looked completely relaxed, as if this were a picnic rather than a deadly exam.
When Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio arrived, they were greeted by the sight of Osren's impromptu feast. For a moment, they simply stood there, stunned—eyes darting between the rows of roasted chickens and the few still tied up nearby, waiting their turn.
"…What exactly are you doing?" the Kiriko son asked, his voice full of disbelief.
Osren replied without hesitation, perfectly calm, "Taking the Hunter Exam. And cooking a little something on the side."
The entire Kiriko family fell silent. Hunter Exam? They honestly didn't know how to respond. On Earth, people might call this situation "so full of plot holes, you don't even know where to start."
"So much food!" Gon's eyes sparkled as he threw himself down beside Osren. "Perfect timing—I'm starving!"
"Almost done," Osren replied with a small smile.
"Osren, why did you stay here the whole time?" Leorio asked curiously.
Not that he doubted Osren's ability to pass the test—quite the opposite. In his mind, Osren passing was the most natural thing in the world. After all, even I passed, he thought smugly… then paused. Wait, that didn't sound right.
"I was waiting for you guys to come get me. It's not like I have wings," Osren said matter-of-factly.
"Good thinking!" Gon nodded approvingly. "That's way more efficient."
"Then let's eat first and head out after," Osren said, gesturing to the food. "You all should join us too," he added, turning to the Kiriko family.
The invitation was all they needed. The group didn't wait for a second call—each picked their favorite piece and started eating with gusto.
"This is delicious," Leorio said through a mouthful, barely pausing to breathe.
Even the Kiriko family couldn't resist. The aroma had their stomachs growling; they didn't even bother changing back to human form. Grabbing whole roasted chickens in their clawed hands, they dug in enthusiastically—apparently forgetting all about their roles as examiners.
Between bites, Gon asked curiously, "Osren, what kind of people do you think we'll meet at the testing site? Will there be more tests like this?"
Leorio didn't answer—his full focus was on eating. After that exhausting cliff climb, he needed every calorie he could get. Still, his eyes kept drifting toward Osren, attentive even in the middle of his feast.
The Kiriko family ate quietly, but their keen senses easily caught every word of the conversation. Their instincts as magical beasts far exceeded human perception. They'd already recognized that Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio were all exceptional candidates. And for someone capable of earning their trust—Osren—his words naturally carried weight.
"Anyone who can pass the guide test and reach the Hunter Exam site," Osren said, turning the roasting spit lazily, "is already no ordinary person. Some might be professionals—hunters, mercenaries, scholars—or people from fields we've never even heard of. The challenges will only get tougher, but one thing's certain…"
He looked up, confidence glinting in his eyes. "We'll definitely pass."
"That sounds amazing! The harder it gets, the more exciting it'll be!" Gon grinned, barely able to contain his excitement.
Kurapika and Leorio didn't respond right away, but the calm certainty in Osren's words washed over them like a quiet reassurance. Somehow, hearing him say we'll make it made it feel true.
---
After a long while, both the group and the Kiriko family had eaten their fill, leaving behind only bare bones and ashes.
"Well then," said the Kiriko father, standing and brushing off his hands, "it's time. We'll take you to Zaban City for the next phase."
"Got it," Osren said, rising to his feet. He began directing Gon to pack up the leftover rare ingredients they'd found earlier, carefully placing them into the oversized travel bag slung across his back.
Gon carefully bundled up several kinds of fruits and green plants, wrapping them with utmost caution before tucking each one neatly into his backpack.
These were the rare ingredients Osren had entrusted him to safeguard—he had to make sure not a single one was damaged.
"Leorio," Osren began, pointing accurately at the male Kiriko, "you'll ride with this gentleman to Zaban City. Following that logic—based on weight and balance—Kurapika should go with this lovely lady. As for me and Gon, we can go with whoever's left."
He spoke so casually that everyone else froze for a second.
The female Kiriko widened her long, narrow eyes, staring at Osren as if he were some kind of mythical creature. "You… actually told us apart at a glance?"
Even though Gon had mentioned earlier that Osren could distinguish between them, the Kiriko couple hadn't believed it. After all, in the past ten years, only one human had ever been able to do that. The odds of two appearing in the same generation were astronomical.
What baffled them even more was that Osren hadn't spoken to them directly since arriving. Gon's reasoning about "voice pitch" made sense—but they hadn't even spoken a word yet. How could he possibly know?
"Young one," the female Kiriko said curiously, lowering her massive head until her golden eyes were inches from Osren's face. "Tell me—how did you know which of us is male and which is female? What if I were actually the male?"
It had been a decade since anyone could tell them apart—and now two humans in a row had done it? Impossible not to be intrigued.
As the vixen leaned closer, a heavy, musky scent wafted over. Osren subtly tilted his head away, his voice calm and certain.
"The scent."
He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
The male and female Kirikoes gave each other puzzled looks. Of course, even magical beasts had their differences—Kirikoes were still Kirikoes at their core. Their musk, their pheromones, their instincts—all distinct.
"The… scent?" The vixen sniffed herself, then her mate, but couldn't detect any difference. Still, one glance at Osren's composed expression told her he wasn't bluffing. In the end, she simply accepted it with a resigned flick of her tail.
Nearby, Leorio leaned toward Kurapika and whispered, "Can you tell which one's which?"
Kurapika shrugged lightly. "No idea." For all his talent at analysis, identifying the sex of magical beasts was well outside his field of study. I need to read more books, he thought. Everything Osren's read—I'll read. And everything he hasn't—I'll find and read too.
From that day onward, Kurapika's mind categorized books into two kinds: those Osren has read, and those Osren hasn't.
Leorio smirked, clearly not done teasing. "Hey, Osren, I don't mind riding with this big guy here, but maybe you should go with that cute young lady instead. You're shorter than Gon, after all."
He made a point of holding his hand out to show their height difference, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Osren's eye twitched. So that's how it's gonna be, huh?
Is it that I, Osren, can't wield a knife… or that you, Leorio, are getting cocky?
The air between them sparked with mock hostility, the kind that only close companions could share.
---
Note:
Osren is finally heading to the exam site!
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