Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

The Phantom Troupe was expected to have twelve members, thirteen if Chrollo is included.

Currently, there were only seven, or eight if Law were to be counted. However, whether Law would join remained uncertain.

Chrollo acknowledged Law's capabilities and would welcome him into the Troupe if he decided to join. However, his perspective and attitude differed from those of Machi and the others.

First, Chrollo had long realized that Law was not the same type of person as them, which meant the likelihood of them walking the same path was slim.

Second, if Law chose not to join, Chrollo wouldn't insist. This stance sharply contrasted with that of Machi, Uvogin, and Nobunaga.

Acknowledging Law's strength was one thing, but there was no absolute need for him to join.

Nonetheless, despite their differing views, Chrollo hoped Law would become part of the Troupe. There was no denying that.

Without much conversation, Chrollo and Pakunoda sat down on the couch. Franklin and Feitan didn't stand around idly either and squeezed into the remaining space.

Machi sat next to Sanbica. Perhaps out of boredom, she managed to break Sanbica's silence and struck up a brief conversation her, with her mostly asking how Sanbica had met Law.

Sanbica answered Machi's questions succinctly, without withholding anything.

This question-and-answer exchange piqued the curiosity of Chrollo and the others, who listened in from the sidelines.

Uvogin's couch wasn't very large to begin with, and now six people were crammed onto it, there was not much space left.

Law noticed Uvogin and Nobunaga were on the verge of starting a fight, while the others pretended not to see, so he didn't care about it either, anyway, their attention had shifted elsewhere.

It would take more than two hours to prepare Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, so he simply didn't go into the kitchen. While Uvogin and Nobunaga were quarrelling, he grabbed the last seat on the couch.

He wedged himself next to Sanbica, just barely managing to fit.

"Move further away."

Just as Law sat down, Sanbica turned her head to look at him and said with a flat tone.

"Isn't three fingers' distance enough?" Law held up three fingers and measured the space between them under Sanbica's gaze.

"Not enough." Sanbica said.

Law's mouth twitched slightly. He shuffled further away and protested, "Now it's a whole palm. That's plenty!"

Sanbica thought for a moment and then gave a slight nod. Considering the limited space, she reluctantly accepted a one-palm distance. Even Machi, who is sitting on the other side, only maintained a gap of about seven or eight fingers.

Law glanced down and realized half of him was practically falling off the couch. Fortunately, Sanbica didn't push him to move further, otherwise, he might as well have given up on sitting altogether.

The rather strange exchange between the two drew a strange look from Machi.

Once Law settled in, Uvogin and Nobunaga noticed the couch was full, so they had no choice but to move the wooden chairs from the dining table.

After everyone sat down, they all stared at each other, and it suddenly felt as if they were holding a meeting.

"Law, has Machi mentioned anything about the Troupe to you?" In the quiet atmosphere, Nobunaga was the first to speak.

"She has." Law replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on him.

Nobunaga nodded and was about to extend an invitation, but before he could open his mouth, Machi spoke up first.

"He declined."

"What?" Nobunaga turned to Machi.

Machi said calmly, "Law refused to join the Troupe."

Nobunaga turned his gaze to Law, and asked with a frown: "Why?"

Like Machi and Uvogin, Nobunaga had assumed Law would join before even extending the offer. This assumption might be unfounded, but that was what they believed.

At this time, all the Troupe's members are staring at Law quietly, which put a lot of pressure on him invisibly.

"The world is vast, and I want to see it." Then, Law threw out what he had said to Machi before.

When Machi heard this, her eyelids twitched and she suppressed the urge to slap Law to death. On the other hand, the others were left speechless.

"What does that have to do with joining the Troupe?" The ever-straightforward Uvogin cut to the chase.

'That's right… what is the connection between the two?'

Because of Uvogin's questio, the questioning gazes directed at Law grew even more intense.

Upon hearing Uvogin's straightforward observation, Law paused to reflect, frowning slightly. Considering the freedom the Troupe offered, it seemed there truly wasn't a conflict.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem unrelated." Law spread his hands and admitted.

"…"

Nobunaga's face twitched and he really wanted to draw his sword to slash at Law.

"So, can I interpret your earlier answer as a perfunctory response?"

At this time, Chrollo spoke. He happened to be sitting opposite Law and could look at Law directly.

It was a look that seemed to want to unravel something.

Facing Chrollo's gaze, Law remained unmoved and replied earnestly: "Not at all. It genuinely reflects my intentions. Now..."

Locking eyes with Chrollo, Law asked, "Will the Troupe accompany me on my journey across the world?"

"No." Chrollo replied without hesitation. Then, with measured precision, he added: "However, the Troupe does not restrict your movements. There is no inherent conflict between the two."

Law chuckled lightly and countered, "But tell me this... if one of the spider's legs refuses to follow the others, would that be a good thing? No, let me put it another way: If one leg wishes to move in a different direction from the rest, would you truly accept its existence?"

There was a hint of surprise in Chrollo's eyes. Resting his chin thoughtfully on his interlaced fingers, he pondered for a while before giving a slight nod, "I understand."

At this point, Chrollo paused briefly and continued, "Although I cannot say what makes you so certain about the future, it's evident that the possibility of you joining the Troupe is zero."

Chrollo placed his hands on the armrest of the couch, then said with a steady tone, "Therefore, this invitation will not be extended a second time. However, if you wish to understand the purpose of the Troupe, I can answer that for you."

From Law's words, Chrollo came to the conclusion that it was impossible for Law to join the Troupe. He also vaguely saw the reason why Law was unwilling to join the Troupe, which was consistent with his initial opinion, so he wasn't surprised.

If there was anything surprising, it might be that Law used the word 'future'.

This word lingered momentarily in Chrollo's mind like a stray thought, before being dismissed as effortlessly as one might choose whether or not to pick up a discarded paper on the street.

Law's response, though posed as a question, carried a definitive viewpoint, albeit tinged with subtle contradictions.

It seemed Law believed that even before the spider was fully formed, one leg would already be out of coordination, and that leg was himself.

Chrollo had no interest in probing further. He only needed to confirm that Law would not join the Troupe, and that was sufficient for him. For him, extending an invitation once was enough and there would not be a second time.

Hearing Chrollo's words, Law's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of silence, he exhaled softly. He did not follow Chrollo's words to ask about the purpose of the Troupe's existence, as he already knew the answer.

"If you can convince the ones beside you, I'd appreciate it." Law said as he glanced at Machi and the others.

Uvogin and Nobunaga exchanged bewildered looks, clearly struggling to grasp the underlying nuances of Law and Chrollo's conversation. To them, wasn't this just a simple matter of inviting someone to join the Troupe?

"I can't help you there." Chrollo replied blandly.

Law showed a wry smile, then clapped his hands, and said, "Alright, enough about that. Before I treat you all to dinner, I have something to inform you of: tomorrow, Meteor City is likely to descend into chaos."