"But if I act too cheerful, people around me will see through it."
"If I pretend to know nothing, then I'm the only one who can pass the exam without a hitch. That's the smart way! Ha? Ha?"
Hanzo turned his head slightly, glancing at Bokur, who was kneading rice balls beside him, and immediately turned back.
"Pfft."
This guy seems to know what to do...
Bokur was so angry that he squeezed the rice ball in his hand into a small ball.
But fortunately, Hanzo wasn't the only one shining here.
Later, under Leorio's careless big mouth, the "fish meat" clue obtained from Kurapika was leaked.
This led most people to rush out to find the river to catch fish.
The examinees dashed out in a group.
"Menchi, you're even more cunning than I am."
Buhara, who was picking his teeth after eating, said, "I remember sushi is supposed to be made with saltwater fish, right? River fish from the forest can't make authentic sushi."
"Isn't that interesting? I've long been tired of ordinary sushi!"
Menchi licked the corner of her mouth, "Seeing what innovative things they can come up with, that's what's exciting!"
"Now my identity as a chef has overshadowed my identity as an examiner!"
Her eyes were bright as she gazed at the two people who hadn't left the scene...
Morin and Killua.
"Why aren't you going to catch fish?"
Morin casually asked while taking out the [Gourmet Tablecloth].
Killua didn't speak, just stared at him with his cat-like eyes.
"Alright, in honor of our first transaction, I'll give you another free service."
Morin shrugged at him, "You go catch fish in the river, and when you come back, I'll tell you how to make sushi."
A question mark appeared on Killua's forehead.
"Isn't your... tablecloth capable of conjuring up all kinds of gourmet food?"
"Yes."
Morin nodded.
"Then can't it just conjure up sushi too?"
Killua pointed at the tablecloth, "So why do I need to go out and catch fish, and then have you teach me how to make it?"
Morin looked at him with a peculiar expression.
"What do you mean by looking at me like that?!"
Killua felt a bit uneasy under his gaze.
"Even though I'm giving you a free service, it's limited to the process. As for the actual item...?"
Morin patted Killua's shoulder with a friendly smile:
"Don't you know that free things are the most expensive?"
"Only by using your own hands to create delicious food that passes the examiner's approval can you feel a great sense of accomplishment, right?"
Killua: "..."
A sense of accomplishment? Are you trying to fool a three-year-old?
He twitched his eye, feeling speechless as he looked at Morin.
Killua really wanted to snatch the [Gourmet Tablecloth], but unfortunately, there's always a gap between dreams and reality. Unable to do anything to Morin, he could only reluctantly go out to catch fish.
However, compared to those examinees who didn't even know how to make sushi, Killua, with Morin's assurance, was at least one step ahead.
Menchi shared the same confusion.
"Aren't you going to give that silver-haired kid a finished product?"
Menchi coaxed, "Otherwise, my requirements are very strict, and he might not pass!"
Not just him, but others might not pass either.
Morin smiled on the surface, but in his heart, he thought.
No matter what Killua's result is, this test is destined to be redone.
So giving Killua a finished product, aside from satisfying Menchi's appetite and making her happy, what other effect does it have?
None.
So...
"It's better to let him do it himself."
Morin said, snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, a plate of seemingly exquisite sushi appeared on the [Gourmet Tablecloth]! Whether in terms of color, appearance, or the quality of the fish, it was definitely top-notch sushi.
"This is it!"
Menchi's eyes lit up:
"Give it to me, and you can pass this second round of testing!"
Her tone was urgent, clearly unable to hold back.
The taste she had been eagerly anticipating!
"Hehehe."
Morin just smiled at her.
Then...
In her somewhat dazed gaze, he picked up a piece of nigiri sushi and put it into his own mouth.
"Hmm?"
Morin shook his head slightly: "The taste is indeed quite good!!"
Menchi: "...??"
"Stop it right now! Is he trying to completely ruin this test? Don't you all want to know the real way to make nigiri sushi?"
After swallowing a piece of nigiri sushi, Morin wasn't finished.
"Give me another serving of nigiri sushi, aburi sushi, maki sushi, and one of every other kind of sushi!"
Swish!
Suddenly, the scene was filled to the brim with all sorts of sushi appearing on the tablecloth.
"Let's dig in!"
Morin mimicked the pose of Toriko from "Toriko," putting his hands together in a gesture of respect towards the food.
Of course, this didn't mean Morin had any deep respect or gratitude for the food. He mainly wanted to deliberately strike this pose to give the gourmet hunter beside him a good look.
Menchi's eyes widened as she stared blankly at the scene, her gaze somewhat vacant. She watched as Morin picked up each piece of sushi from the tablecloth and stuffed them into his mouth one by one. His stance clearly indicated he intended to eat them all himself, leaving none for her!
"What... what are you doing?!"
Finally, Menchi wasn't too slow to react. After realizing what was happening, she immediately shouted in anger:
"Stop eating!!"
However, by the time she yelled, Morin had already swallowed the last piece of sushi.
"You... you... don't you want to pass the Hunter Exam?"
She was so upset that she was almost incoherent. So many delicious sushi pieces, and she hadn't tasted a single one!
Menchi's heart was practically bleeding.
"Such good sushi, and you just gobble it down without even chewing. Can you even taste the flavor?"
Menchi looked heartbroken: "The taste of sushi comes from savoring the rice, fish, and the mix of soy sauce and vinegar. That's how you get the best flavor!"
"You're just eating recklessly!"
Menchi's resentment over not tasting the delicious sushi was immense.
"This kind of delicacy should be left to professionals to appreciate!"
Menchi's hair practically stood on end: "This is the final stage of the second round of the test that I set up!"
"If you want to pass, you should at least let me have one!"
"Sorry, dear examiner~"
Morin asked for a cup of tea, sipping it leisurely:
"I'll give you delicious nigiri sushi, but not now."
"What do you mean?!"
Menchi raised an eyebrow, feeling like Morin was toying with her.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Morin chuckled.
Seeing his demeanor, Menchi wanted to question him again. But for the sake of those so-called delicious sushi pieces, she held back.
"I'll see what you mean by delicious nigiri sushi."
Menchi raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms, and stood silently by.
From the moment Morin presented that whole roasted Gourmet Hog to Buhara, she had already determined that Morin was the candidate Chairman Netero had warned them about.
Originally, Hisoka's danger level was indeed high, but compared to Morin, it was nothing.
Although Morin didn't exude the constant aggressive and provocative aura like Hisoka, his formidable physical prowess, which they could only glimpse the tip of the iceberg, was something even seasoned veteran hunters didn't possess.
Moreover, his mysterious ability to conjure food was something both Menchi and Buhara understood well.
Morin was someone they couldn't afford to provoke.
So, with Menchi's capricious personality and fiery temper, if it were anyone else, she would have already taken action.
But when it came to Morin...
Well, at most, she could only put on a brave front.
Before long~
The candidates who had gone out to catch fish started returning one after another.
Various bizarre fish were presented on their cutting boards.
"Truly a variety, do they want every kind of aquatic product?"