Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

The sudden silence in the air was palpable.

Tonpa had plenty more to say, intending to paint the Amaromi Forest as a nightmarish deathtrap to convince Law and Buhara of the necessity of having an experienced guide like him.

However, before he could launch into his spiel, Buhara's unexpected question cut him off mercilessly.

Tonpa stood stiffly, looking at Buhara, whose expression made it clear he wasn't joking, with a hint of embarrassment.

Speechcraft was one of Tonpa's trusted weapons, but who would have thought that he would encounter such a weirdo?

'Just hearing the names of those creatures should've killed anyone's appetite, right?'

"If they're not poisonous, I guess they're edible. But whether they taste good or not depends on trying them." Law glanced at Tonpa with a smile and helped him answer Buhara's question.

"Spider land crabs, huh? I wonder if they're more spider or crab." Buhara smacked his lips, swallowed his saliva, and said, "I think crabs would taste better."

Law looked calmly at Tonpa, who didn't know how to respond, and said lightly: "I think Mr. Tonpa should know it very well."

Hearing Law's words, Buhara immediately looked at Tonpa, who forced a strained smile and nodded, "I indeed know a little bit. Spider land crabs are actually land crabs. They just look a lot like spiders, hence the name."

Tonpa tactfully left out the fact that these creatures are considered to be a relatively dangerous animal in the Amaromi Forest. Because their body is taller than the bamboo forest and their eight legs are very similar to bamboo, it is easy to be stabbed into a human skewer if someone doesn't observe carefully.

"They're crabs." Buhara felt his mouth watering.

Seeing that Buhara's appetite was about to explode, Law shook his head with a wry smile. Not wanting to waste any more time, he immediately said, "Okay, let's go check out the village first."

After saying this, Law turned and bid Tonpa a brisk goodbye.

Although Tonpa seemed to be very familiar with the environment of the Amaromi Forest, Law knew full well who Tonpa was and what his intentions likely were. He had no interest in getting too involved with Tonpa.

"Wait."

Seeing Law and Buhara turn around and leave so abruptly, Tonpa was stunned at first, then suddenly became anxious and hurriedly spoke to try to keep them.

Hearing this, Law and Buhara paused, then looked back at him.

"Don't you think the Amaromi Forest is dangerous? One more person will make it less dangerous, and I'm quite familiar with the Amaromi Forest. How about we team up?"

Tonpa jogged a few steps to close the distance, putting on his friendliest face. Inside, however, he was growing increasingly exasperated, thinking that these two weren't playing by the usual rules at all.

Buhara turned to Law. He felt that Tonpa really seemed to have some understanding of the Amaromi Forest. If they teamed up with Tonpa, he could ask Tonpa to point out the edible creatures on the way.

In Buhara's opinion, it seemed like a harmless and even advantageous choice. But if Law disagreed, he'd follow his lead.

"Mr. Tonpa, are you serious?"

Facing Tonpa's kind gaze, Law suddenly showed a warm smile.

To be honest, Tonpa was a memorable character in Law's mind. After all, he was able to participate in more than 30 Hunter Exams without losing any limbs and remained perfectly lively, which showed that Tonpa was very good at seeking profit and avoiding risk.

To put it kindly, Tonpa had an unparalleled sense of self-preservation, a skill that couldn't be underestimated. If Tonpa were allowed to learn Nen, he might become a capable Nen User, and the Nen Ability he develops might be very unique.

While he thought so, Law's existing impression of Tonpa was hard to shake, so no matter how useful he might seem, Law had no intention of including Tonpa even if there was a need for a team in the future.

Now, as Tonpa continued pestering him, Law briefly considered whether it might be better to just 'remove' this annoyance entirely.

For some reason, despite Law's outwardly pleasant smile, a chill crept up Tonpa's spine.

He almost shivered but managed to stop himself, and he was bewildered by his own reaction.

'Even if it were a threatening smile, it shouldn't feel like this. So what on earth...'

Fortunately, Tonpa had a strong mental fortitude. Keeping his expression calm, he quickly nodded and said, "Of course I am serious. With more people, we can look out for each other."

"Hmm..."

Law hummed, then shrugged and said, "Seeing how enthusiastic you are, I'd feel bad turning you down. Okay, I'll take you with us."

"Thank you, thank you." Seeing Law agreed, Tonpa reflexively expressed his gratitude several times in a row. His reaction was perfectly in line with someone relieved to have their request granted.

But the moment the words left his mouth, something felt… off.

'Wait a second. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!'

'According to the expected development, wasn't I supposed to boast a little, letting the two newcomers realize my importance, and then have them proactively cling to me, begging to rely on me?'

'How did it end up with me shamelessly sticking to them instead, and then the young man reluctantly agreeing out of politeness?'

'And that warm smile from the boy, which sent chills down my spine… it felt like something was very off.'

Suddenly, Tonpa vaguely felt that he might have made the worst decision of his life.

"Mr. Tonpa, we're leaving now."

Law and Buhara walked a few dozen meters and saw Tonpa was still standing there stupidly, so they immediately reminded him.

"Coming, coming."

Tonpa suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and adjusted his satchel before following them.

'They're just two rookies, and they're young. Can't I handle them?'

With over twenty Hunter Exams attempts under his belt, Tonpa forced himself to be confident, extinguishing the unsettling feeling Law's presence stirred in him.

The three of them wandered through the village.

The name of this place was Amaromi Village.

The names of the residents in the village all seem to start with the word 'Ama', though their surnames remained a mystery.

Every time they came across a bamboo house filled with dried goods, Law would boldly knock on the door, mainly drawn by the enticing goods.

After several rounds of humble inquiries, Law managed to exchange some pearls he had brought with him for wild boar jerky and two types of processed spices unique to the area.

Tonpa simply followed along obediently and went around the entire village without daring to urge them.

"We're good now, let's go."

After the harvest, Law was very satisfied. While the wild boar jerky was secondary, the acquisition of two local spices made the trip worthwhile.

Since getting his hands on the jerky, Buhara hadn't stopped munching.

He gnawed at it nonstop, savoring the distinctive flavor. Though the texture was rough, dry, and hard to chew, he found it immensely satisfying.

Just as the three were about to reach the entrance of the village, a young, attractive woman chewing gum approached them.

"Wanna team up?"

The woman asked bluntly.

Law and Buhara instinctively turned to Tonpa, who quickly shook his head, signaling it had nothing to do with him.

"Are you teaming up or not? How many of you are there?"

Seeing that the three people did not respond immediately, the woman frowned and the tone of her voice is sharp, devoid of the gentleness one might expect.

While Law and his two companions were wandering around the village, two or three groups of examinees arrived one after another, and this woman was one of them.

Buhara and Tonpa both looked at Law, and this action caused the woman to focus her attention on him.

Law studied the woman in front of him. She had a pretty face, especially her expressive eyes, which were pleasant to look at. However, the way she chewed gum and her curt tone gave off a faint delinquent vibe.

The woman seemed to be wearing the clothes suitable for archaeologists, and she was also wearing an oddly out-of-place dirt-colored safety helmet.

"No."

Law didn't think about it for too long and refused directly.

"Oh."

Seeing Law's refusal, the woman left without hesitation and went to find another team walking towards the village entrance.

Her straightforwardness and lack of insistence surprised Law a little.

He glanced back at the woman, then withdrew his gaze and walked out of the village, while Buhara and Tonpa followed behind him.

"That woman is probably after the Golden City." Tonpa said once they left the village.

"Golden City?"