Chapter 9: Passing x The Exam Ends
The second venue of the Hunter Exam.
“The rice is too hard! Fail.”
“No, the fish wasn’t sliced along the grain. Fail!”
“The shape of the rice ball isn’t right. Fail.”
“Too slow! The warmth from your palm didn’t transfer to the fish. Fail!”
nchi’s critiques were relentless, rejecting sushi after sushi with no hesitation.
“nchi, you’re being too strict!” Buhara attempted to intervene.
“Be quiet!” nchi shouted, her anger bubbling over as she continued to criticize the candidates’ dishes.
“I knew this would happen!”
Buhara sighed heavily, exasperation etched on his face.
“Once nchi’s temper flares, there’s no stopping her. Hopefully, the chairman sends soone soon.”
“Examiner nchi, this is my dish,” Lorraine said, placing his plate before nchi. As an afterthought, he slid another portion toward Buhara.
“It’s you, huh?”
nchi glanced up at Lorraine. She rembered him from the first half of the cooking test and had a fairly strong impression of him.
Naturally, she’d already guessed most of his intentions.
But she didn’t mind. In fact, compared to brainless fools, nchi preferred clever individuals—especially those who could grasp the purpose of her tests.
“Let be clear: just because your dish was decent last ti doesn’t an I’ll pass you now!” nchi sniffed indignantly.
“Of course,” Lorraine replied, nodding.
He wasn’t surprised that she saw through him. He hadn’t tried to hide anything, after all.
The purpose of the test was to be understood. His approach was polite, respectful, and devoid of the condescension others had shown Gourt Hunters.
There was nothing wrong with that.
But what Lorraine truly aid to do wasn’t sothing anyone could discern with intellect alone.
“Oh?”
nchi lifted the lid of Lorraine’s dish, her eyebrows arching slightly in curiosity as she examined the contents.
“You didn’t follow that bald fool’s recipe?”
“This test isn’t about following a specific sushi recipe, is it?” Lorraine shrugged.
“Besides, I don’t believe soone as inexperienced in cooking as I am could create sushi that satisfies the palate of a Gourt Hunter.”
“Finally, soone who gets it!” nchi huffed lightly before picking up a piece of sushi from the plate and tasting it.
“Hmm… The knife skills are subpar, the shaping technique is lacking, the vinegar in the rice isn’t balanced, and the fish preparation is slightly off.” nchi rattled off a series of critiques without rcy.
Hearing this, many candidates, who had been watching Lorraine’s interaction with nchi nervously, imdiately burst into laughter.
“Heh, what good is sucking up? Still got a fail!”
“You can’t pass the Hunter Exam with petty tricks!”
The candidates whispered and sneered openly, unrestrained in their mockery.
“But…”
“I like your bold and innovative approach to cooking. It’s not bad. You pass!” nchi declared loudly, her words deliberate.
Her announcent left the previously mocking candidates frozen in shock, their faces darkening with frustration.
“Bold and innovative…” Kurapika murmured, his eyes widening as realization struck him.
“I get it now! That’s the real focus of this test!”
“The real focus?” Gon asked, tilting his head in confusion.
“Exactly. This test isn’t about cooking—it’s about bold innovation and, more importantly, the courage and ability to explore the unknown,” Kurapika explained excitedly in a low voice.
“Think about it: why would the examiner choose sushi, an obscure dish hardly anyone has heard of, and provide all the necessary materials as hints? The test is about our ability to observe and explore the unfamiliar.”
“As for the taste of the dish, it represents the result of that exploration. It’s a reflection of our abilities and naturally can’t be too poor.”
“Damn, why didn’t I realize this sooner?” Kurapika lanted.
His prior knowledge of sushi had misled him, causing him to focus on replicating the dish rather than grasping the test’s underlying purpose.
The sa realization dawned on other intelligent candidates, thanks to nchi’s hints. Energized, they began preparing their dishes anew, finally understanding the test’s true aim.
Onstage, nchi sighed in relief as she observed the shift in the candidates’ attitudes.
She couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusent and irritation.
Her test wasn’t difficult. With a bit of thought, anyone could have deduced her intent.
But first, they mocked Gourt Hunters. Then, a few troublemakers disrupted everything, throwing her carefully planned test into chaos.
At least now, things were back on track.
Of course, among the candidates, not everyone was sharp enough to catch on.
“I don’t accept this!”
One of the candidates who had ridiculed Lorraine earlier slamd his fist into a cooking station, shattering it.
“Why did he pass? You said his dish had so many flaws!” Candidate #255, Taku, shouted in anger.
“Because I’m the examiner! If I say he passes, he passes. If I say you fail, you fail,” nchi retorted coldly. As far as she was concerned, fools like him weren’t worth her ti.
“You’ve got to be kidding! I didn’t join the Hunter Exam to be judged by so Gourt Hunter. I want to be a Bounty Hunter!” Taku roared.
“Too bad for you. This year’s examiner happens to be a Gourt Hunter. Maybe next year you can find one you respect,” nchi said dismissively.
“Don’t joke with !”
Taku charged at nchi, his intent clear to attack.
But before he could reach her, Buhara moved.
Despite his large fra, Buhara was shockingly quick. In one swift motion, he slapped Taku with enough force to send him flying across the park, where he landed unconscious at the entrance.
“Mind your own business!” nchi snapped at Buhara, though she sheathed her knife.
“If you killed soone, things would get ssy,” Buhara said with a sheepish smile.
“Ugh, thanks to that idiot, I’ve completely lost my appetite.” nchi huffed, then raised her voice.
“I’m full. The test is over. The second phase of the Hunter Exam is complete. One person passes!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)