Among the Zodiac, the only people Kanzai openly hated were Ging and Pariston. Ging wasn't here, so Pariston had to take the heat.
Oddly enough, even Ginta, who usually defended Ging and tried to calm Kanzai down, kept his mouth shut this time. No one was willing to speak up for Pariston. That said everything.
The Zodiac weren't chosen just for their strength. They were drawn to Chairman Netero's charisma and vision. Many of them even went as far as changing their names and appearances to match the code names of the zodiac. They admired Netero that much.
So it was only natural that they all disliked Pariston, who always went against him.
Still smiling like nothing was wrong, Pariston took a seat. But in everyone else's eyes, that smile looked more fake than ever. There was something dark flickering behind his cheerful expression, like he was already plotting his next round of fun.
"Is the chairman not here yet?" asked Mizaistom Nana, the stern-looking man with ox-like features. He turned to the bean-faced secretary nearby.
"He should be arriving any minute now," the secretary replied softly. His job was to monitor and document the meeting, and he did it with the same neutral expression as always.
Right on cue, a loud, familiar laugh rang through the room.
"Ho ho ho, sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. Let's get this meeting started." Chairman Netero had finally arrived. He took his seat beside Pariston and gave the bean-faced man a signal.
"Let's begin by discussing the main topic today, whether or not Mr. Larry should be appointed a Three-Star Hunter," Netero announced.
"Please give us a detailed report on Mr. Larry's background and accomplishments."
The bean-faced man nodded and began to recite Larry's feats, one after another, each more unbelievable than the last.
As the list went on, the expressions of the Zodiac gradually shifted. Surprise gave way to disbelief, and then to outright shock. "…and that concludes the report," the secretary finished calmly.
Silence fell over the room.
It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. "…Is this for real?" someone finally muttered. "How can one person do so much?"
Cluck couldn't believe what she had just heard. She leaned forward and immediately voiced her doubts. "This can't all be true, right?"
"It is," Pyonn replied, her tone calm but firm. Her fingers paused over her phone screen as she looked up. "A few of those incidents, I was there."
Cluck narrowed her eyes but said no more, though her silence clearly held skepticism. "If it's information verified by the Association itself, then I trust its accuracy."
That was Mizaistom, the ever-stoic Ox, speaking up. His deep voice echoed slightly in the meeting room.
Though he, too, had been stunned by the long list of feats, he believed in the Association's credibility. Rarely, if ever, did they get things wrong. To him, that meant Larry's accomplishments were real.
'Larry...' Pariston's smile grew wider at the thought. He clearly found something amusing.
'A monster like that… can't be allowed to rise too fast, or he'll burn out, or worse, implode.'
As the Vice Chairman, Pariston had access to more information than the others. He'd been keeping tabs on Larry from the beginning, and even knew confidential details, like the fact that Larry had once defeated Chairman Netero in a private sparring match.
With the room settling into acceptance of Larry's qualifications, Netero finally stroked his beard and spoke up. "Let's move to a vote," he said. "Anyone against promoting Larry to Three-Star Hunter, please raise your hand."
The room went quiet again. One by one, the Zodiac glanced at each other, waiting.
Only one hand rose. It was Pariston's.
Netero looked at him evenly. "You have a reason?"
Pariston's tone remained polite, as always. "Mr. Larry's accomplishments speak for themselves. Truly, I find myself humbled by them."
He paused before continuing, his voice now tinged with that familiar manipulative lilt.
"But... isn't it a little early? He hasn't even been with the Association for a full year yet. Isn't it unfair to elevate someone that fast?"
It sounded rational enough, and Pariston had a way of saying things that made rebutting them feel... awkward.
Normally, the one who could go toe-to-toe with him in these verbal matches was Cheadle, the Dog, known for her wisdom and strategic thinking. But before she could even speak, another voice cut in.
It was Gel, the Snake.
Her sharp, slit-pupil eyes locked onto Pariston, her face unreadable but voice icy.
"Larry's done more than what's required of a Three-Star Hunter. In fact, he's exceeded it by miles," she said coldly. "To bring up the issue of timing now just feels like you're nitpicking."
Her tone dropped even lower, the edge in it unmistakable. "You're just trying to stir things up again, aren't you?"
A pulse of aura surged around her, dark, cold, and hissing. It twisted around her like venomous snakes, fangs bared, hissing and coiling in midair. The threat was clear.
Pariston's smile faltered for the briefest second. Then, with a slight twitch of his lips, he curved his mouth into an even wider grin, one that looked more forced than relaxed.
Instead of backing down, he met her gaze, as if daring her to strike. Tension crackled through the air like a taut wire. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the two.
Cheadle frowned, pushing up her glasses. She was already analyzing the situation, trying to predict Pariston's true motive. 'He's turning this whole thing in his favor again...'
Just as the pressure began to rise, Netero coughed once, loud and deliberate. It was like hitting a reset button.
Gel's menacing aura snapped back into her body, vanishing like smoke in the wind. The snakes disappeared, the chill in the room faded, and everything returned to a tense silence.
Pyon, still dressed in her rabbit hoodie, looked over at Gel with a curious glint in her eyes. Something about Gel's reaction didn't sit right with her.
Most of the Zodiac likely thought Gel was just defending Netero's decision, angry that Pariston would oppose him again. But Pyon wasn't convinced.
She had a feeling it had something to do with Larry. 'Could it be... does she like him?'
She couldn't explain why she felt that way, maybe it was just instinct, a woman's sixth sense. Or maybe she was overthinking it.
Still, Pyon couldn't shake the suspicion. Gel's outburst had felt a little too personal. And Larry… he definitely wasn't the type to return those kinds of feelings.
They were friends, sure, met during that whole Gourmet Paradise mess. But nothing romantic.
If anything, Gel's protective anger came more from loyalty. She couldn't stand the way Pariston twisted things.
That smug, fake smile of his, Gel had had enough of it. And for her, that was reason enough to lose her cool.
As the meeting quieted down again, the final question was asked aloud.
"So... Pariston's the only one who voted no?"
Netero looked around the room, his tone casual as he spoke. He didn't seem fazed at all by Pariston's decision to vote against the motion.