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Chapter 4 will be up soon as well!

-Hunter Exam Round 2-

The door opened to reveal a girl and an enormous pig of a man. The pig's stomach was rumbling like crazy.

"So, you hungry?" the girl asked the pig.

"You bet! I'm starving!"

"Therefore the theme of the second trial will be... COOKING!" the girl announced. "I'm Menchi. This is Buhara. We are both fine gourmet cooks! Thus your mission will be to satisfy our appetites by cooking us a meal!"

Cooking, huh? That wouldn't be a problem for me. The others looked surprised, though. Most had probably never cooked before. Poor guys.

"You'll start by cooking the plates I ask you for..." said Buhara.

"Then, those who qualified will have to satisfy me!" Menchi continued. "You will qualify for the third round if you hear 'It's good'. The test will be over when we're no longer hungry."

"They can't be serious! I've never cooked!" Leorio exclaimed.

"I never thought there'd be such an exam..." Kurapika said.

"For me it'll be... roast pork! That's what I like best!" said Buhara. "I don't care what pork it is, as long as you chase it in Biska Woods."

"Okay. Let the second round begin!"

Everyone dashed off into the woods in search of pork.

I wandered off on my own. I didn't need any help. I spotted some pigs in a clearing nearby. I settled down on a hill to observe. They were big with giant noses. Those giant noses appeared to work as a shield. Then perhaps there was a weak spot they were trying to protect? Somewhere in or around the face, perhaps. The forehead area seemed to be the most protected, so I was gonna go with that. I wasn't entirely sure, but it was worth the try anyway. I pulled a lollipop with a colourful plastic wrap out of my bag. Strawberry flavour. I chose the closest pig as my target. I carefully aimed for it's forehead and threw my lollipop.

I had often used lollipops as weapons. Nobody ever expected lollipops to be used as projectiles. And a girl attacking you with a lollipop didn't seem very threatening, now did it? But they were wrong if they thought I was just a sweet little girl. I could throw those lollipops hard enough to shatter someone's skull.

The lollipop hit the pig on his forehead. The animal toppled over. It was dead. The other pigs didn't seem bothered by the death of their comrade. They just continued doing whatever it was pigs did. I slowly made my way down so I wouldn't disturb the other pigs. I picked up my lollipop and stuffed it back into my bag. Then I carefully dragged the pig away from the herd. I didn't feel like angering those pigs and having to kill all of them. When there was enough distance, I made a fire and started to roast the pork. When it was done, I took it back to Buhara.

"Here you go!" I handed him the roast pork.

Buhara gobbled it up. "It's good."

Which meant I passed the first half of the second test. I would have felt extremely good about it too if only Buhara didn't pass every single pig he ate, even if they were only half-cooked or burned.

When time was up he had consumed 70 pigs... How on Earth had he done that?!

"Those hunters are incredible people! In a way..." Gon was clearly impressed.

"It doesn't make me want to be like him..." Killua said.

"No, me neither... Gosh, I hope he doesn't explode or anything..." I imagined him bursting and the entire content of his stomach flowing out in a tsunami-like wave. That was gross. Why do I keep visualizing stuff like that? I shook my head and looked to my right. I had to stop myself from laughing. Kurapika's expression was absolutely hilarious.

"This is impossible... He consumed a quantity larger than his own body!"

"Yeah, I'm baffled as well," I told him, still trying to suppress a chuckle.

"It's no use worrying about that..." Leorio told us.

"All you ate was good?" Menchi asked. "This way it's not a test anymore!"

"So what?" Buhara said. "We still eliminated a lot of participants! Anyway, we're not here to judge the taste today."

"You're too nice. Remember that gourmet hunters must respect the sense of taste. Alright. What's done is done. ROAST PORK TEST! 70 QUALIFY FOR THE NEXT ROUND! I'm warning you. It won't be as easy with me! I'm very cautious when it comes to taste! Second round, phase two... Here's my order... I WANT SUSHI!"

Everybody got this stupid look on their face. I overheard some of their whispers. Seemed like nobody knew what sushi was. How could they not know? It wasn't a local dish, no, but sushi was quite well-known. Why were these people so ignorant?!

"You all seem bothered, but even if you've never seen them, you can still make them," said Menchi. "It's a small island's traditional meal. I'll give you a hand!" She showed us to a place where cookware was set up for us. "Look over here! You'll be cooking here! Everything is all set up. There's also the rice, essential in making sushi. One last thing! I'll only accept handmade sushi! Alright! It's up to you now! You can make as many as you'd like, but don't forget that when I'm full, the trial is over!"

"Do you think we only use rice?" Gon asked.

Killua inspected a knife. "Judging by the cooking ware, I doubt it."

I was pretty sure we were supposed to make nigirizushi. I normally used freshwater eel, but I didn't think I would be able to find that here. This place and it's animal life were rather exotic after all. I should go outside and see what kinds of fish I could find. I wanted to go, but I saw the guys were having a bad time.

Leorio was thinking pretty hard. "Handmade sushi... I can imagine the shape but... I don't see what ingredients we have to use..."

"I've never seen them either, but I've read books which spoke about them," Kurapika whispered so the other candidates wouldn't hear. "You add white vinegar and dressing to the rice which you mix up with raw fish. That's the theory."

"FISH?!" Leorio yelled. "Where can we find that in the middle of the forest?!"

Kurapika threw a rice paddle at his head. "Why don't you speak louder, moron! There must be pools or rivers around here!"

"Fish!" "Fish!" The other candidates had overheard them and ran out in search of fish. Well done, Leorio... I facepalmed.

"Damn! They were all spying on us!" He yelled. Kurapika and he dashed out as well.

I went out as well. It wasn't hard to find a body of water. I settled for a small lake. I put my bag under a tree so it wouldn't get wet and took my shoes and socks off. I was wearing a black hooded sleeveless sweater dress that reached to my knees. I didn't want it to get soaked, so I pulled that off as well. I walked to the lakeside in my black shorts and blue tank top. I took a deep breath and dove into the lake. There were all kinds of weird fish I had never seen before. I didn't know how any of these fish tasted, so I chose one that looked slightly normal. I chased after a green fish. I wasn't as fast in water as I was on land, so it took me some time to catch it. In the end I managed to get my hands on him and swam back to the lakeshore. I was drenched. Boy, was I glad I'd brought a towel with me! I got the towel out of my bag and dried myself. My shorts and top were still drenched, though. Oh well. They would dry soon enough. I put my sweater, socks and shoes back on.

"Ren-chan?" I turned around to see Killua, who had casually been strolling through the woods with a recently caught fish in his hand.

"Yo," I greeted him with a small wave. "Wanna walk back together?"

"Sure."

I looked to see what kind of fish he'd gotten. It was blue and puffy. It didn't look very edible. "That doesn't look very tasty," I remarked.

"Neither does yours. It's face looks like Leorio's." He pointed.

I studied my fish. "Oh, so it does!" I agreed with a smile.

Killua laughed. "So, do you have any idea how sushi is made?"

"You don't know? Hmm... Fine, I'll explain it to you. It's easy, really." I thoroughly explained to him how nigirizushi was made.

"That is easy. You know a lot about cooking, don't you?" He flashed a smile.

"I guess... But I've never cooked with these kinds of fish before. I've never even seen them. I just hope I don't end up poisoning the examiner or anything. It's likely to happen, knowing my luck..."

"No, they probably know what fish is edible and what isn't."

"I surely hope so."

"Where are you from anyway?" He suddenly changed the subject.

"Eh? I'm from the country of Sevidia. It's well known for it's colourful wildlife, especially our giant eagle-parrots. Tourists come to our country to take flights on them all the time."

"Aah! That must be cool, flying on a bird like that!" He had a boyish look on his face.

I chuckled. "It is cool! We have our own eagle-parrot! He's called Phoenix, because he has fiery red and orange feathers!"

"Really? That is great! So you can fly on him every day, huh?"

"Not really. I have to share him with my brothers, so we have to take turns. But he is awesome!"

"Can I fly him sometime?"

"Of course!"

"You know, you're really easy to talk to. I like that about you."

"Thanks!"

Meanwhile, we had already arrived at the warehouse. I went back to my spot to start making sushi, but first I checked on the other guys to see how they were doing. The first thing I noticed was that Leorio was making his sushi all wrong... He just put an entire fish into a ball of rice! He didn't even bother to slice it up or anything. He seriously needed help.

"Alright!" He appeared to be proud of his creation.

"Leorio," I began. "You're not doing it ri-"

"I'm ready!" he interrupted me. He hadn't even heard me! "I'm the first one to finish it! I call it Leorio's Special! Come on! Taste it!" He showed Menchi his dish. Menchi examined it, was momentarily stunned, and then violently threw it away.

"Are you crazy?! Where were you taught to throw away food like that?!" Leorio yelled angrily.

"What? You failed. Listen! The shape is very important! A shapeless sushi can't be good!"

"Damn! I was sure I did it right!" Leorio said defeated as he walked back.

"Ok, my turn!" Gon's meal looked only slightly better than Leorio's.

"Gon!" I yelled, but he had already gone to the examiner.

Humph, if they weren't even gonna listen, I wouldn't help them either!

"It's as bad as #403!" Menchi yelled.

"As bad as Leorio...?" This upset Gon. I understood. I wouldn't want to be considered as bad as Leorio either.

"Don't take it too hard, Gon," Kurapika said to cheer him up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" muttered an angry Leorio.

A lot of other people tried, but Menchi never even took one bite. I supposed I should make a start on my sushi. I was molding the rice when I heard someone yell.

"That's it!" Kurapika seemed to have had an epiphany! I had high expectations from him. He was really knowledgeable! However, his so-called sushi looked exactly like Gon's...

"No better than #403!" Menchi threw his dish away.

I chuckled at Kurapika's painful expression.

"Hey, oh! Is that offending?" Leorio asked Kurapika.

"THIS CAN'T BE TRUE! YOU DON'T HAVE THE SMALLEST SENSE OF CULINARY ART?!" Menchi was starting to get mad.

"I believe it's my turn," Hanzo came forward with his sushi. "So? How about this?" Hanzo was supposed to be a ninja, so he should know about sushi. I took a peek. His sushi didn't look bad at all.

"Oh. Looks close enough to what I ordered," Menchi said. "Let's see." She ate it. "Nope. Not good!"

"Huh? WHAT?!" Hanzo was pissed. "Rolled rice shaped to be eaten in one bite with a layer of raeford... all of this covered by a fine slice of raw fish meat! It isn't more complicated than that! And you, you're telling me that there are great differences in taste depending on the person who makes it?!" Great. He blew the recipe. Now everyone knew how to make it. "Oops! Damn!" Hanzo said when he realised what he'd just done.

"You're saying it isn't more complicated than that? Great difference in taste?" Menchi was about to throw a fit. "ARE YOU KIDDING?! IT IS SAID TO BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD SUSHI, IT TAKES AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF PRACTICE! AND YOU, BUNCH OF IGNORANT FOOLS, EVEN IF YOU REPRODUCE THE SUSHI'S FORM, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD SUSHI!"

"Then why do you ask us to?!" Hanzo asked.

"SHUT UP BALDY OR I'LL KILL YOU! GOT ANYTHING TO SAY?!"

So she expected us to cook like a five-star cook? Even I wouldn't make it then. Man, was she unreasonable! She was starting to piss me off.

"That's what you get for making me angry! I'm even hungrier now! NEXT!"

Candidates rushed from all sides now that they knew the recipe, but she wouldn't pass a single one of them.

Killua was unfamiliar with cooking, but he had done quite well. Too bad she failed him as well.

I quickly finished my sushi. Finally it was my turn. She took a bite.

"BAD!"

Damn that woman! I was getting this close to throwing a lollipop in her face!

She took a sip of tea. "Sorry, I'm not hungry anymore. IT'S OVER!"

What? So nobody passed? That was ridiculous! The crowd was getting restless.

She received a phone call from, I suspected, the Hunter Confederation. She was arguing over whether her judgement was just or not. She made it clear she wouldn't go back on her word, hung up and removed her cellphone's battery.

"QUALIFIED: ZERO!"

"Seriously...?" Leorio muttered.

People started to protest. This wasn't fair!

A candidate close to me smashed a table. "It won't stop here. If she thinks I'm going to go home saying 'Yes, of course'... I CAME HERE NOT TO BECOME A GOURMET, BUT A HUNTER! A HUNTER FROM THE BLACK, I MAY ADD!"

"Too bad," Menchi said.

"What?!"

"Tell yourself that you weren't lucky to be tested by us. Maybe you'll be luckier next year."

"What...? ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!" He charged at her, but he was slammed right out the double doors of the warehouse by Buhara.

"Buhara," Menchi said. "I don't recall asking for your help."

"Maybe," Buhara replied. "But if I didn't, you'd have killed him, wouldn't you?"

Menchi swung around her knives. "Maybe... Hunter of the black list, you're kidding, right? The type of hunter you want to be has nothing to do with this. Whatever type of hunter you are, you need to have a perfect knowledge of the art of fighting... In our quest for new food it isn't rare that we need to get into the nests of violent monsters and other kinds of beasts. And if we come face to face with poachers, we take action and stop them! You'll need to fight no matter what type of hunter you want to be! What I want to know is if you're able to take on a challenge in a domain you do not know?"

"That's one explanation, but does it justify such severity?" A voice was heard from up above us. Everyone rushed out of the warehouse to see what was going on. Up in the air we saw an airship. The logo of the Hunter Confederation was printed on the side. Was it the examination committee?

An old man dropped down from the airship. And from such height! But he landed without even slightly injuring himself. Who was this old man?

"Netero-san, president of the committee. The man responsible for the trials," Menchi explained.

"Responsible, yes, but I'm only an executor. And I'm here to solve this kind of problem... Menchi."

"Yes!" Menchi was suddenly very disciplined. I could tell she had her guard up. That Netero-san was quite something.

"Concerning their ability to take on a challenge in a domain they do not know... Do you believe the attitude they had in front of this trial justified such severity?"

"...No. Many facts troubled me. Mainly the lack of respect the participants had for cooking. Add to that the incident which permitted them to know the recipe of the order. It got my blood boiling and I lost my temper."

"Do you understand why you failed the mission which was ordered to you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry! When it's a question about cooking, I tend to forget my role. I failed as a jury member, didn't I? I quit my function. I'm asking you to declare this test to never have happened."

"You could easily continue, but the menu you chose was rather difficult. Alright! I know! You're going to go on! But as a compensation, you'll have to take the test also! How about it? This way it'll be easier for the contestants to accept your decision."

"Yes, certainly."

"Very well!"

"A boiled egg!" Menchi said. "President, could you give us a ride to that mountain?" She pointed at a mountain in the distance.

"I see. No problem!" said the old man.

We took a lift on the airship and were dropped off on the flat top of the mountain. In the middle of the mountain top, there was a deep ravine. I looked down, but I couldn't see the bottom.

"Here it is," Menchi pointed down.

"But... What's down there?" One of the contestants asked.

"Don't worry! There's a very deep river." She took off her shoes. "The current is very strong, so you'd better not fall in, unless you want to be washed ashore a dozen miles from here. Alright! Here I go!" She jumped off the cliff into the ravine.

"HUH?!" "BUT...?" The contestants stared in shock.

"It's here, on Mount Mafutatsu, that live the tarantula-eagles," Netero-san explained. "She went to get one of their eggs. Tarantula-eagles tighten strong lines between both rock faces and suspend their eggs to protect them from the attacks of land creatures."

Menchi grabbed hold of one of the lines. "You have to grab the line," she said. "Take one egg." She grabbed one. "And come back up climbing the rock face." She clambered up. "And finally, you have to boil the egg!"

"That looks like fun!" We finally got to do something interesting! I couldn't wait to jump!

"Cool!" Killua said.

"Yeah! I was expecting something more like that!" said Gon.

"That's more like it!" Leorio yelled in enthusiasm. "It's easier to take action than to do some traditional cooking! Let's go for it!"

We all leapt down into the ravine. "YEAH!"

I grabbed hold of one of the bouncy lines and reached down for one of the eggs. It was easy, really. I took one of the eggs and slipped it into the hood of my sweater dress. It should be safe there. I made my way back up the cliff. I climbed up over the edge. I checked on the egg. Yep, still safe. I put it in the big pot of boiling water that had been set up for us. Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika put their eggs in too. We waited for them to boil. When they were done, Menchi got one of the eggs out. In the other hand she held a chicken egg.

"Here's an egg like the ones you can buy... And here's a tarantula-eagle's egg. See the difference!"

I tasted both of the eggs. The tarantula-eagle's egg was delicious! It was very different from a normal egg.

"Maybe I made you better understand the joy of discovering exquisite new food? We risk our lives for it" Menchi smiled.

Thus ended the second round of the hunter exam. 42 People passed. I was very happy to know Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika had made it as well. They were growing on me. I was already used to having them around.

The candidates who passed all had to board the airship again. The ship was going to take us to the site of the next round. We gathered for a short announcement.