Sitting and awaiting for the buyer, on the table ahead of him sat the shells wrapped in cloth. Appearing as a heavy jacket.
Roman waited the whole day, though no one showed he felt a presence watching him throughout the day.
Roman made sure it wasn't a concerned customer or employee, and indeed a Nen user or the buyer of interest.
Though the person of interest never made their presence known. Roman was now supposed to go home, but how could he with a possible threat following him.
Sighing Roman also didn't want to play a cat and mouse game, trying to find the threat. So he simply found a hotel and booked a night, using his soul mark suggestion power to avoid problems.
Roman laid in wait for the person to make themselves known, though an hour later they disappeared from Roman's senses.
But Roman didn't put his guard down, waiting out the night until the person truly didn't show.
So Roman had to wait for the next week, at the same cafe.
This time a youthful teenage girl approached him with a large purse.
Full of personality and smiles, acting like a big sister she spoke. "Little brother? Do you have my sea shells?"
"Uh yes but do you have my money?" Roman asked with a tilt of his head.
"Ofcourse I sent that a little while ago. You can go check." The girl pointed to the computers open in the cafes
This was the reason he chose this cafe, they also had computers.
Standing up he grabbed the shells covered in cloth and walked over to the computers.
It seemed the girl doubted he was a hunter, but believed he was a stand in.
Truthfully the girl was very displeased that someone was having a little boy get involved with Hunter business.
Thinking this boy was lucky, she was a nice person and wouldn't cause trouble. Knowing other hunters weren't the same, believing some no doubt would slash the kid and steal the shells outright.
But to her surprise Roman pulled out a hunter license and summoned Nen to enter the hunter tavern.
Seeing his balance with the bartender, Roman exited and logged out.
Handing the shells over to the young girl, Roman spoke going along with her earlier demeanor. "Sister, do you know what these shells do?"
"Little brother if you want to know these things you have to become a one star hunter, or you can pay me this once?" She spoke to him with a kind smile.
"Sister I'll pay, but are you a one star hunter?" Roman asked, looking up.
"Good, I am a one star music hunter." She said with passion in her eyes.
"Quick go send the money and I'll tell you little brother." She spoke again.
Promoting Roman to go back into the hunter tavern to pay her, with the teenage girl following soon after, sitting at a computer beside him.
Smiling at the transaction. Roman looked at her expectantly.
"Little brother in the one star encyclopedia these shells are said to have unique properties. The red shell has properties of stability, the yellow shell has properties of repulsion and theirs even a green shell. But a green shell is much harder to obtain, requiring a one star ocean hunter to obtain. But I already have one, and just needed the yellow and red shells. Though the properties of a green shell is spirit." She paused.
"These properties can be used mainly with a Nen script formula. There are other methods, but I have a Nen script friend so I'm gonna have her help me craft some instruments with these shells and their properties." The girl finished her explanation.
Though this clarified a number of things he was interested in. Specifically the shells and the water of the underground lake.
From the sound of it these shells were the perpetrators of the water's properties. With the yellow shell repulsing him from entering the water, the red shells keeping the water stable. Specifically for Nen, but their properties were probably actually for the green shell.
If the green shell's property was spirit, it meant the clams after they died kept a mind of their own within the shell.
But the yellow and red shells, which were already dead but still had Nen properties, probably suppressed the green shell and removed their spirit.
But why? The water always carried the green mist or the clams spirit out of the underwater lake and far away into the sky. Where were they sending the green mist? To heaven? Or somewhere interesting?
Not to mention none of this explained the strange rocks.
Roman bet there was something he was missing.
He was now speculating what could be going on. Guessing something existed below the underwater lake, something that controlled the green clams.
But when they died, they broke free and tried to rebel? But again why did the yellow and red shells restrict and send the green shell's spirit away.
And why did the rocks let it happen, even aiding the process?
Roman concluded he needed to revisit the location in the future.
Breaking out of his thoughts, seeing the girl still standing in front of him smiling.
Roman spoke. "Sister, how do I get these Nen scripts?"
He was interested.
"Little brother, do you have more shells?" She smiled.
But Roman quickly denied. "No, I'm just interested in Nen script and divine inscriptions."
"Oh you even know of divine inscriptions that's rare. Little brother you need to become a one star hunter to learn these things." She replied with a pause.
"Little brother, I could share this information with you. But sharing knowledge of the encyclopedia is restricted. I've already said too much—" She couldn't finish before Roman interrupted her.
"I understand I can pay you." Roman spoke, causing the girl to smile even wider.
"Little brother, money can't solve everything, I don't want your money." She paused and Roman frowned, waiting for her to say something.
"But little brother, if you can get a green shell to prove your strength, and you come to help me on a mission next month for materials for my instruments. I don't mind the risk." The girl spoke, truthfully not minding the risk.
But felt that Roman was young and talented. She wanted to form a positive relationship for the future.
Though to Roman this was a perfect opportunity, he was already planning to leave home to explore.
With a guide presented to him, even willing to give him exclusive hunter knowledge, Roman wouldn't decline.
"Okay, give me two days to meet me here." Roman replied, glancing at the girl's ever present smile before beginning to run off.
But the girl spoke one more time. "Little brother! How rude! At least tell me your name."
Her words made Roman pause. "But you didn't even tell me yours."
"Little brother, can't you see my name written on my clothes?" the girl spoke as if Roman was in the wrong.
Glancing at her shirt, he noted the word 'Note.' Not really a name.
"Note?" He asked.
Earning a nod and a question. "Yes and yours?"
"Roman." He spoke, turning around and running home.
As always greeted by Menchi, who brought him some food. Always cooking.
Sitting beside him, expecting to hear about the interaction, seeing he didn't bring the shells back.
Roman first stuffed his mouth full of food, before explaining every little detail from start to finish.
Except for the invitation, he held back to finish his meal and let Menchi question everything and make sense of him not getting money. But instead getting information.
After her energy wore down he spoke again, gaining her attention. "Theres one more thing."
"Note offered more information in exchange to join an adventure of hers to find more materials for her instruments." Roman spoke, watching Menchi's reaction.
"Are you going to leave me?" Menchi spoke, slightly concerned.
"Uh, well I want you to join us." Roman answered.
"Can I!?" Menchi asked, more than willing to go on an adventure.
"Of course, I wanted you to come. You just need to know it will be dangerous more so than the hunter exam. Not to mention we won't be home often, it will be a long term adventure years long. Do you still want to come?" Roman explained and asked.
Though this time Menchi hesitated, not because of danger but because she would be leaving home.
She had already done so once when joining the hunter exam, and even then she struggled with home sickness.
It was something she didn't want to go through again. Roman had heard a lot about it from her. So he made sure to reassure her that it was something you grew out of.
In a way trying to manipulate her, by saying things like he was her home, and that he would be with her during the journey.
But this was something she had to emotionally come to terms with even if he tried to mitigate the weight of it.
Though as the rest of the day past and with it night, Menchi couldn't sleep.
She couldn't come to terms with losing Roman nor parting with home. All the friends she made, all the chefs she helped and learned from.
She couldn't leave or lose anything, it was a pivotal point in her life, and she was too young to go through it.
She wasn't like Killua and Gon who anticipated this day for their whole life.
She dreamed of such things, but never fully believed in all of them. That was why she made so many friends and connections at home.