Chapter 10: Retest x Conditions x Identity
“I’m full. The test is over. The second stage of the Hunter Exam—one person passes!”
nchi’s impulsive declaration echoed loudly.
“What?”
“How is that fair?”
“My dish is almost ready!”
The candidates erupted into chaos, many panicking at the sudden announcent.
Having achieved his objective, Lorraine had returned to the audience, quietly watching the drama unfold with amusent.
The most flustered group, however, were those who had understood the test’s true intent but hadn’t had enough ti to prepare their dishes.
Compared to the others who were obliviously disqualified, they felt an even greater sense of injustice.
“When I say the test is over, it’s over. Are you dissatisfied?” nchi snapped, glaring at the frustrated candidates.
“You lot mocked the examiners from the start, then proved too dense to understand the test’s intent. You didn’t even take the cooking seriously. Now that you’re disqualified, you have the nerve to complain?”
“Well, isn’t that a bit too harsh?”
A voice filled with gentle humor suddenly ca from above.
Everyone froze and looked up to see an airship hovering overhead, its speakers broadcasting the voice.
“That’s… the Hunter Association emblem!”
“It must be soone from the Hunter Examination Committee!”
Excitent spread among the candidates, many believing that the committee had arrived to ensure fairness.
“Buhara, you ddled, didn’t you…” nchi turned to her partner, visibly displeased.
Although the Hunter Association’s airship was nearby, its arrival so quickly could only an it had set out in advance.
“Heh, things were getting out of hand. We needed a way to de-escalate,” Buhara chuckled sheepishly, lowering his voice.
“Hmph,” nchi snorted but refrained from arguing further.
At that mont, the airship’s hatch, still dozens of ters above the ground, opened.
A figure leapt out, plumting toward the candidates below.
With a loud boom, the figure landed in their midst, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Who’s that old man?”
“Jumping from that height without a scratch?!”
The candidates were stunned, glancing between the airship above and the unscathed man before them.
Jumping from such a height without a parachute was beyond belief.
“That’s Netero, Chairman of the Hunter Examination Committee and the ultimate authority on the Hunter Exam,” nchi explained to the candidates.
“Ultimate authority, huh? Truthfully, I’m just here to handle situations like this,” Netero said with a hearty laugh.
“Now, nchi, if I recall correctly, your report stated that this test was ant to evaluate the candidates’ courage to challenge the unknown. Your conclusion was that everyone except one person failed. Is that right?”
Netero maintained a serious deanor… while sneakily admiring nchi’s figure.
“No, that’s not it.”
Feeling both ashad and guilty, nchi lowered her head and admitted, “I got angry when so candidates mocked Gourt Hunters at the start. Then, when soone revealed the cooking thod, I got frustrated. Later, I overreacted to their complaints and handled things poorly.”
Hearing this exchange, many candidates froze.
Courage to challenge the unknown?
Wasn’t this test about cooking?
Realization dawned upon them. Netero had made the test’s purpose so clear that only a fool wouldn’t understand.
One by one, their faces turned red with embarrassnt.
“Oh ho ho!”
“So, you admit your judgnt was unfair,” Netero said, still laughing.
“Yes. The mont cooking was involved, I lost sight of everything else. I’m unfit to be an examiner,” nchi said solemnly.
“I voluntarily resign from my position as a Hunter Exam examiner. Please nullify the results of this test,” she added.
Then, as if rembering sothing, she turned to Netero.
“Chairman Netero, there is one candidate who passed. Could their result remain valid?”
“The one who passed, huh?”
Netero’s eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Lorraine. He flashed a wide smile.
“No.”
nchi blinked, stunned that Netero denied even this small request.
“But what I ant was, you’re not allowed to resign,” Netero clarified with a chuckle. “You’ll stay on as an examiner and create a new test. However, this ti, you’ll participate as a candidate as well. That way, the candidates will respect the results.”
“Do you agree?” Netero asked, his smile unwavering.
“No problem!” nchi agreed without hesitation.
“Hold on, Chairman Netero!” Lorraine suddenly raised his hand, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Oh? You disagree?” Netero turned to him, still smiling.
“Of course. If there’s no retest, I’d be the only one to pass and would automatically earn my Hunter License. A retest puts at a disadvantage,” Lorraine said, shrugging nonchalantly despite the glares of other candidates.
“Ah, I see your point… You deserve so compensation,” Netero mused, stroking his beard with a thoughtful expression.
“How about this: I’ll grant you special eligibility to officially join the Hunter Exam,” Netero offered.
“Special eligibility… to join the exam?”
Lorraine paused, then realization hit him.
He hadn’t officially registered for the Hunter Exam!
Indeed, Lorraine had never signed up for the exam. From the mont he appeared in the elevator, he’d been swept into the events without any formal registration—or even a docunted identity in this world.
His system, it seed, wasn’t the type to babysit its user by handling such formalities.
Netero’s offer confird Lorraine’s suspicion.
But now, it also validated his participation.
“Well, thanks, old man!” Lorraine said with a grin.
“Oh ho ho! Then it’s settled. nchi, give them the next test!” Netero said cheerfully.
nchi, still processing the exchange, snapped to attention and nodded quickly.
“R-right!”
“Chairman Netero, may I borrow the airship to transport the candidates to that mountain?” nchi pointed to a distant, do-shaped peak.
“Of course,” Netero said, glancing at the mountain and smiling knowingly.
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