Chapter 123: The Great Tonpa × Q&A Town
After disembarking at Dolley Island, Roy and his two companions walked into the sunlight.
The boy's gaze drifted toward the distant peak, found the tall cedar tree, and his nose twitched. Faint sounds of magical beasts reached his ears.
Probably the Kiriko.
Gotoh followed behind Roy, scanning left and right, always guarding the young master's safety.
Rika clearly lacked his professionalism. Her pretty eyes darted everywhere.
When she saw Roy pass right by the bus stop and plunge into the woods beside it, she hurried to stop him. "Young Master, I think you are going the wrong way."
"The road to Zaban City is over there."
"We should take the bus."
Rika pointed at the bus stop. The bandaged man, the snake handler, the bow-backed boy, and others stood below, quietly waiting for the bus. A man dressed like a tour guide stood beside them, holding a little flag, face honest and plain, explaining the route to everyone.
Roy glanced at him. Something about the man felt familiar. After a moment's thought, he placed him, and his mouth curved up.
Without turning back, he said, "Take it if you want."
"Gotoh, we are going."
Rika stood there, awkward and unsure what to do.
Fortunately, the "tour guide" looked over and jogged a few steps to block Roy's path. "She is right, you know."
"The bus to Zaban City is about to leave. The express bus stop is right over there."
"Who are you?" Gotoh stopped at Roy's side, adjusted his glasses, and studied the man coldly.
The man put on a big smile and said warmly, "My name is Tonpa. Just like you, I am a candidate for the Hunter Exam."
"Nice to meet you."
He extended a "friendly" hand.
Roy watched him with interest. The legendary Rookie Crusher himself. Counting Gon and Killua's year in the future, he had taken the Hunter Exam thirty-five consecutive times, specializing in misleading rookies for fun. Who knew how many candidates he had ruined?
The fact that he was still alive and well was nothing short of a miracle.
Roy activated Gyo and saw at a glance that he was just an ordinary man. For some reason, Tonpa suddenly shivered. When he looked up—
The boy ignored him completely, brushed past his shoulder, and kept walking.
Tonpa stood frozen.
A vein popped on his forehead. He squinted at Roy and Gotoh as they left. Rika bit her lip, nodded at him, and hurried after them.
"Forget about them. I will go take the bus with you," the bald ninja Yusuke said, slinging an arm around Tonpa's shoulder. He thought the guy seemed decent. Even though they were all competitors, he was still willing to help others. A real stand-up guy.
"Idiot. Who the hell wants to ride with you? Once I send you all packing, I will settle up with that brat," Tonpa muttered under his breath.
He watched Roy, Gotoh, and Rika disappear into the forest, took a deep breath, plastered a smile back on his face, and walked toward the bus stop with Yusuke's arm still draped over him.
Creak, creak. A strange figure brushed past him. Then Kite, tipping his hat brim low. When he noticed Roy's movements, he did not hesitate. He grabbed his katana and followed.
"Hey, there are lots of dangerous beasts in the mountains. You could run into trouble if you are not careful. Why take the long way around? Just take the bus," Tonpa called after them.
The strange figure and Kite did not even turn around, as if he were talking to the wind. They vanished in a blink.
"One after another, none of them take me seriously, huh? And that idiot who can't even use idioms right… Just wait until I get my chance," Tonpa muttered, mentally adding Illumi and Kite to his little black book as he watched them go.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sky was blue, the clouds white, the trees green. Rika followed Roy through the forest until a small town came into view.
As they drew closer and stood at the entrance, she looked up and noticed something strange. The entire town was deserted.
"Young Master, something is wrong with this place."
The dilapidated town was empty as far as the eye could see.
Crumbling walls. Stone paths overgrown with weeds. Broken windows that creaked in the wind and looked ready to fall off at any moment.
Eerie and unsettling.
A chill crept up from the soles of Rika's feet to the top of her head. Ignoring Gotoh's glare, she quietly edged closer to Roy.
Several thick veins visibly bulged on Gotoh's forehead. He shoved her aside, leaned close to Roy, and whispered, "Young Master, there is someone here."
Roy stood expressionless, leaning on his cane-sword.
He glanced casually toward a corner.
Aboard the airship bearing the giant Hunter Association logo, Isaac Netero was being served chocolate cake by Beans. He watched the monitor, noticed a gaze land on the screen from one angle, chuckled softly, and turned to Zeno, who stood at the window with his hands clasped behind his back. "Your grandson just arrived. Do you not want to take a look?"
Zeno did not move. His eyes seemed fixed only on the scenery outside.
Netero scooped a spoonful of chocolate into his mouth and said casually, "Looks like he brought a little girlfriend with him."
Whoosh.
A gust of wind. Zeno flashed to the monitor and studied Rika up and down. Netero snorted with laughter.
"Learning to chase girls at such a young age. Zeno, your grandson's self-control could use some work."
Zeno opened his mouth and managed two words. "Beyon—"
He never got to finish.
Netero's face soured, and he shut his mouth at once.
The strongest human alive pouted like a child and stared sulkily at the screen.
In the deserted town, rustling sounds suddenly crept in from every direction, murmuring something in a chant-like rhythm.
"Give… give…"
"Iron and cotton both weigh one ton. Which is heavier?"
"Iron."
"Wrong. They are the same. Both are one ton."
"Between an older brother and a younger brother, who is older?"
"The correct answer is: we do not know. Because they are twins."
A cold wind blew past.
Rika jumped at the sudden voices. She forgot all about Gotoh's murderous glare and threw her arms around Roy's, apparently having forgotten how he had pushed her away earlier.
"You overstep," the young butler said, on the verge of snapping.
Then Roy thumped his cane-sword on the ground. "Come out."
In the shadows, an old woman with nearly all her teeth gone, only two remaining, met the boy's gaze and frowned. She had used Zetsu, and yet he had still pinpointed her location in a single glance. Her cloudy, yellowed eyes lingered on the cane-sword in the boy's grip as she recalled what that brat Mark Seam had told her: let him through.
She tapped her cane and stepped out with the "children."
"Give, give…"
Suddenly, the street filled with the sound of countless footsteps. At first scattered and chaotic, they grew dense and numerous. Rika's eyes widened.
Fifty or sixty children dressed in white lab coats, wearing masks, their hair dyed in garish shades of every color, filed out and formed a line, blocking their path.
They did not look like normal humans.
They looked more like something that detestable butler had lectured her about over the past few days: Nen beasts.