Indeed, the family of four standing before Luke was the Fox family, the ones who served as guides to lead applicants to the correct exam venue.
The hunter exam, in order to filter through the millions of applicants, conducted preliminary screenings before reaching the main venue.
One of those tests required applicants to find a guide who knew the exam venue's location, someone like this fox family.
Usually, such guides would present a variety of questions or trials to assess whether the applicants possessed the necessary qualities and problem-solving ability.
But from the aura the fox father sensed from Luke, that pressure was no weaker than that of a true professional hunter, perhaps even stronger.
Clearly, Luke already possessed the qualities of a professional hunter.
Thus, the fox father didn't mind chatting a bit more with him.
Besides, given that this person had already noticed their daughter's nature, they might as well have considered that he was aware of their identities.
"If you don't mind."
The fox father said politely, "Why don't you come along with us?"
"I imagine your destination is the same as where we live."
At this point in time, the fox family wasn't yet in the state they would be in more than a decade later.
Both parents were still energetic and maintained their human forms well.
Perhaps as they grew older, it would become harder to maintain such appearances, forcing them to revert to their original beast forms.
As for the two little ones, the future brother and sister who would one day test Kurapika and Leorio, for now, they were still just a pair of mischievous little kids.
"We live up in the mountains most of the time."
The fox father said as they walked along the road toward the Lone Pine Tree.
"But after staying too long, we sometimes like to come down and stretch our legs."
"Getting a bit of contact with human society and civilization isn't a bad thing for us at all."
"Otherwise, if we stay cooped up in the deep mountains all the time, it's easy to get left behind by the times."
After saying this, the fox father couldn't help but chuckle.
"I heard that in the other part of the world, there's already a new technology called the internet that's become popular. If it weren't for the fact that there's no signal up in these mountains, I would want to try playing around with it too."
Indeed, he truly had the appearance of a beast but the heart of a human.
After all, with habits like snacking and drinking tea, there was hardly any difference between them and humans anymore.
And the fact that they were even recognized by the Hunter Association, hired specifically to serve as guides, spoke volumes.
In that sense, the only thing separating them from humans was their skin.
In some aspects, they even surpassed humans.
"You folks are surprisingly trendy."
Luke walked alongside the fox father, while behind them trailed his wife and their two little ones.
The boy, upon reaching the mountain, had immediately begun chattering excitedly while running around nonstop.
If his mother weren't watching him, he'd have already dashed into the nearby forest to roll around in the dirt.
The little girl, however, had puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
Because Luke had seen through her disguise earlier, she wasn't allowed to go out and play anymore and now had to follow them home.
She was truly sulking, both thoughtless and unhappy.
But under the fox mother's strict watch, neither of the two children dared make trouble.
Even the most mischievous little boy…
Smack! Smack!
After two slaps from his mother, he immediately became quiet and obedient.
A truly capable wife.
"There aren't many people living on this mountain."
The fox father explained: "Aside from us, there's only the Quizzing Lady, and a few homeless children she has taken in."
He said this as though it were nothing new.
As they followed the mountain path, a small cluster of houses came into view ahead.
"When those children grow up."
He continued: "The Quizzing Lady sends them to other branches of the Hunter Association to work. Then she adopts new ones to stay with her here, and the cycle repeats."
"Ever since I came here to serve as a guide, that Quizzing Lady has always lived here."
As the fox father spoke, Luke saw an old woman standing at the entrance ahead.
Compared to how she had looked more than a decade later, she hadn't changed much, perhaps a few fewer wrinkles, and her teeth hadn't yet fallen out to just two remaining.
Around her were the same group of children, draped in white sheets with their faces hidden.
"Good morning, Granny."
The fox father greeted her politely.
By age, seniority, and her devotion to raising children, the Quizzing Lady was someone deeply worthy of respect.
"You've returned."
The Quizzing Lady nodded at the fox father first.
Her gaze softened slightly when she looked at the two small fox children behind him.
But when her eyes turned to Luke…
"This is the applicant for this year's hunter exam, I presume?"
Her tone flattened again.
"Yes, I'm taking him to the Lone Pine Tree."
The fox father replied with a smile.
"Of course, I understand the rules."
After saying that, he turned to Luke apologetically, then led his wife and children to wait by the path leading to the Lone Pine Tree.
"Before the official hunter exam begins, each pre-examiner along the way must conduct their own evaluation."
The Quizzing Lady explained in a calm voice on behalf of the fox family.
"Even if you've earned their approval, you must still answer my question correctly."
"Otherwise, you cannot pass here."
"I understand."
Luke nodded without complaint.
It was the standard procedure; he would simply follow the rules.
The Hunter Association was, after all, quite fair.
As long as one met the conditions, they would pass.
It wasn't like some of the bureaucratic departments Luke had dealt with before, where even with all the paperwork in order, things were still endlessly complicated.
Moreover, while the Quizzing Lady outwardly appeared stern and unfeeling,
There was a hidden meaning in her words: If you can't pass here… if one was capable enough, they could simply find another path to the Lone Pine Tree.
Luke smiled faintly at the Quizzing Lady's expressionless face.
"So, playing word games started even this early, huh?"
That fits the Quizzing Lady's style perfectly.
Even in the future, her famously unsolvable questions followed this same approach.
And sure enough, what came next didn't surprise Luke at all.
"If both your mother and your girlfriend were captured by bad people, and you could only save one, who would you choose? 1. Mother, or 2. Girlfriend."
This time, there was no noisy distraction from the children, no shouting of heartbeat two-choice! Answer immediately!
Instead, the Quizzing Lady simply posed the problem directly.
It was, in fact, a great courtesy to the fox family.
"You have only five seconds to think. If you answer incorrectly, you fail."
She said slowly, clarifying the rule.
"You may only respond with one of the given options. Any other answer is considered wrong."
Luke: "..."
The Quizzing Lady fixed her gaze on Luke's eyes.
"What is your answer?!!"
"Such a question..."
Luke smiled and shook his head after hearing this familiar question.
"This is a very difficult moral dilemma. There's no absolutely correct answer, as it involves multiple factors, including personal values, emotional commitment, and cultural background."
He looked at the Quizzing Lady: "From a legal perspective, in many cultures, children have an obligation to support their parents, while they do not have a legal relationship with their girlfriend."
"From a moral perspective, a mother gives you life and raises you, and she holds a deep debt of gratitude; a girlfriend is your future partner, bound by an emotional commitment."
"This is a difficult decision."
"It's also a very personal choice, with no standard answer."
"It depends on your inner values, emotional connection, and long-term goals."
"No matter which side you choose, there may be guilt or regret."
"But the important thing is to learn to accept and face the consequences after making a decision."
Luke paused before saying, "This is just a hypothetical question, so the correct answer to this question is..."
Then Luke looked at the silent Quizzing Lady: "There shouldn't be one."
"So my best response is to remain silent, just like you are now, Granny."
"However, after hearing the question, I can't help but want to say a few more words."
"After all, in reality, none of us ever wishes to encounter such a dilemma."
"I suppose that's the main reason you asked this question, isn't it?"
"... That's right."
After Luke finished, the Quizzing Lady was silent for quite some time before slowly nodding.
"When such a painful, unavoidable choice comes one day... What should one do?"
Her tone carried a trace of melancholy.
"Try to imagine every cruel possibility in advance, because misfortune always strikes suddenly..."
"So do everything you can to avoid that misfortune."
Luke gave a carefree smile. "Or, if it truly can't be avoided..."
"Then give it your all, pay any price, and leave behind no regrets."
"If you can be at peace with your conscience, that's the best choice."
"A person's abilities are limited, after all."
Luke walked past the Quizzing Lady as he continued.
"Even Netero, the so-called strongest Hunter in the world, surely had things beyond his reach."
"As long as I give my best, I can accept any outcome, because all of them are parts of my life."
"Life itself is a one-way journey; regrets are the milestones, and a clear conscience is the companion."
"Only by not being trapped by the past, nor burdened by choices, can one live with true clarity..."
Before the fox family, Luke stopped and turned to the Quizzing Lady with a smile.
"What do you think, granny?"
...
"I feel like Granny's quite fond of you."
Walking along the dark corridor leading to the Lone Pine Tree, the Fox Father said sentimentally, "Although she didn't say a word, I could sense she was already a bit moved."
After Luke's reply, the Quizzing Lady said nothing.
She simply tapped her cane lightly, and the children opened the large door of the passage for them.
"Actually, I'd heard some rumors before."
The Fox Father's ears perked up, almost taking on a fox's shape again.
"It seems the Quizzing Lady once had her own family, and her husband was also a professional hunter."
"He seemed to be a Blacklist Hunter, and he earned a good reputation by catching criminals."
"But later, during one of his missions, her husband accidentally let one unremarkable criminal escape."
"And then..."
The Fox Father didn't finish his sentence, but Luke understood what he meant.
Now the Quizzing Lady lived alone, having adopted so many children.
"People who suffer great tragedy or misfortune, some manage to survive and move on, but others become twisted inside and seek revenge on society..."
The Fox Father mentioned a recent scandal.
"Like that, Chairman of the Mom's Help Foundation."
"Who would've thought he was a demon wearing human skin, doing things more beastly than us magical beasts."
"You know about that, too?"
Luke asked in surprise.
"Don't think that just because we live on this island... we would be left behind in the news."
The Fox Father smiled. "Our information network is actually quite sharp."
"The most important thing is that we can't become disconnected from the world."
"You know, the Hunter Association's staff standards are very strict."
"If we can't keep up with the times and fail to meet the requirements to be guides, I might lose this great job."
He shook the huge backpack on his back and laughed.
"I've got a wife and two kids to feed, after all."
Still young at heart, the Fox Father was talkative and had a bit of humor.
Which made sense, if he didn't have that sense of humor, he wouldn't have faked an ambush later on to test Gon and Kurapika.
Soon, the group passed through the corridor and arrived beneath the giant pine tree.
There stood a small wooden cabin built simply under the tree.
"This is where we live."
The Fox Father welcomed Luke inside. His wife and children went ahead to put their things away in the inner room.
"Come in. It's simple, but cozy. Sit down, I'll make you some tea."
When it came to hospitality, the Fox Father was warm and polite, no different from a human host.
After sitting down, Luke looked around and found that the entire cabin was built purely from wood, forming a living room, dining area, and inner bedrooms.
"These... You built them yourselves?"
Luke tapped the table in front of him; it was solid wood, too.
"That's right. Since we're at the top of the mountain, it's not easy to get craftsmen to come build for us."