Chapter 101: Angry Chicken—Friendly Spar

As Pariston showers Auren’s students with praise, calling the three new Hunters full of potential, each of them looks visibly confused.They need to get used to the Pariston treatment. They look so silly right now.

“Thank you, sir,” Konrad says, clearly unsure how to respond.

“Thank you...” Eren echoes, a beat behind him.

“Hehe, you’ll be surprised at what I’ll achieve!” Vanessa chimes in, brimming with confidence.

Where is that confidence coming from? She was just a normal young woman before I taught her Nen in Yorknew. It hasn’t even been that long! Well, ambition is good, but she’s taking this way too lightly. At least she has the talent to back it up.

As the three reluctantly accept the compliments, Neffi looks utterly bewildered. Without even realizing it, she grabs onto Auren’s arm while staring at him.

Pariston notices and, without missing a beat, keeps smiling. “Ah, you must be Neffi! What a tragic accident you had to endure. It’s wonderful that the little misunderstanding was cleared up. I’ve been informed your charges have been officially dropped, so congratulations on your newfound freedom.”

Neffi blinks in surprise, then gives him a small nod.

Auren, on the other hand, looks impressed. “You and your contact actually pulled through! Thank you.”

Forget his awful acting—if he keeps delivering results like this, he can bullshit all he wants. I don’t know anyone else who could have achieved this so easily. It’s a good thing, and it looks like my decision to ally myself with Pariston is already paying dividends!

“Absolutely no problem, my friend,” Pariston says cheerfully, before turning his gaze toward Goreinu. “And I see you’ve recruited Goreinu! You two know each other from your exam, don’t you? It’s always heartwarming to see genuine friendships blossom from those trials. The moment I saw you, I knew you both would pass.”

He then folds his hands on the desk and tilts his head slightly. “I must admit, I’m surprised you decided to visit with all of your students and acquaintances.”

Auren raises an eyebrow. “Huh? Didn’t you tell me you wanted to meet them? Anyway, we’re here because we’re interested in taking on some missions. And I repeat... simple missions.”

Pariston bursts out laughing. “Haha, Auren, are you still upset about the last one? You did wonderfully! Don’t worry, I’ll give you a special address for a secret site where you can select your missions yourself. Normally, we assign missions to newcomers, but in your case, you’ll have the privilege of picking and choosing. This is usually reserved for veterans. Of course, there are mandatory missions from time to time, which even veterans can’t refuse, but if you and your group could help clear some of our backlog, it would be greatly appreciated. Every bit of help counts.”

“Sounds good,” Auren replies casually.

“There’s one more thing,” Pariston adds smoothly. “That exclusive group I mentioned will be holding a meeting in Yorknew in a few months. I’ll send you the details. Many members expressed interest in offering you items. From what I hear, they want to unload their more antique or ‘outdated’ pieces in order to free up funds for purchases they deem more ‘worthy.’ I’ve also asked a few of my subordinates to look out for promising items. They’ve already found a handful. If you want them—and future finds—I’ll require some funds.”

“It’s fine... I’ll wire you a few billion right now,” Auren says as he pulls out his phone.

Using his Hunter license and resources, Auren instantly transfers 5 billion Jenny into Pariston’s account.

“If the funds run out and you need more, tell me. I’d appreciate some updates now and then,” Auren adds.

Pariston’s grin widens as he claps his hands softly a couple of times. “You don’t hesitate, do you? Young people like us should be bold. I truly admire your attitude! I’ll have my contacts get to work right away. Your enthusiasm deserves nothing but applause.”

“Auren... are you sure you want to spend that much?!” Goreinu blurts out, looking completely shocked.

Konrad also looks uneasy. “Are you certain those items are worth it? Maybe a smaller down payment would be wiser...”

“It’s fine,” Auren says calmly, interrupting him. “Pariston knows what he’s doing, right?”

“Of course, your items will, without a doubt, be exactly what you are looking for,” Pariston replies in his usual calm and friendly tone. “You can trust me and my team. It will be a great investment for your collection, I’ll personally guarantee it.”

Konrad studies him for a moment, then sighs. “I see... your judgment seems correct, Auren, so I’ll keep my mouth shut. I didn’t know Pariston had this much influence.”

So he is telling the truth. Not that I ever doubted him when it comes to business.

Auren nods as the group before speaking, “Anyway, thanks for your help. We’ll focus on training and doing a few missions on the side. I’ll come by before leaving Swardani City for good, once the exorcism is finished.”

“It’s always a pleasure,” Pariston replies, still smiling.

The group leaves his office and rides the elevator down, ready to head out of the Hunter Association Headquarters.

As they pass the reception, Auren suddenly comes to a halt. Blocking his path stands an Angry Cluck.

“There they are!” Cluck screeches. “Pyon, those are the two scumbags I told you about! Disgusting, vile, treacherous, evil!”

Auren and Konrad exchange a glance, both wearing guilty looks.

Damn, it’s that chicken! I took the excess Copperleaves and we used them to earn a few billion... looks like she’s furious. How did she find out it was us?!

Behind Cluck stands Pyon, the petite Zodiac representing the Rabbit. She looks like she’s still in her teens—maybe early twenties—and is well-known as a Paleograph Hunter, an expert in ancient texts. She’s wearing a pair of bunny ears and a skimpy outfit: a short miniskirt, a cottontail, a collar, and long arm warmers, giving her the full bunny girl look.

But Auren’s eyes quickly move past her to the two figures behind.

Cheadle and... Netero.

“Will you answer me already?! I want to rip your heads off, you two vile, backstabbing villains!” Cluck shrieks.

“Looks like you two are in trouble,” Pyon says, clearly enjoying the drama.

“Excuse me, who are you?” Auren asks calmly. “I think you’re talking to the wrong person.”

“Huh?!” Cluck explodes, glaring at him. “Are you joking now? You little...!”

“Now, now, we are in public. Stop causing a scene,” Cheadle says firmly.

Auren sizes her up. She has green hair, wears a headdress with dog-like ears, and a long white dress.

Finally, his gaze falls on Netero—the old monster himself. A kind-looking elderly man with a long beard, dressed in a kimono and wooden flip-flops.

“Hoho, so much energy. It’s good to see you, young Hunters. I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” Netero says, his eyes twinkling as he glances over the group.

“Nice to meet you, Chairman,” Auren replies, calmly holding the old man’s gaze.

“They’re the ones, Chairman!” Cluck snaps. “They secretly took my Copperleaves and turned them into a cheap anti-inflammatory medicine! They ruined my plans! I had to buy their shitty company to get it back under control! I wasted billions!”

“Ho, certainly the mindset of a Hunter,” Netero chuckles, clearly amused by the chaos.

Cheadle shakes her head. “Hunters do not sabotage each other. The medicine I’m developing with Cluck’s discovery will save many lives. What you made was a quick and dirty product—barely superior to the drugs already on the market—developed exclusively for profit.”

“Cheadle, those things are in the past now, aren’t they?” Netero says with an amused look. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant. I’ve heard you’ve been doing great work with Pariston. Recovering stolen licenses, exposing corrupt Hunters who preyed on rookies... Good job, Auren. It seems the rumors I’ve heard from my old friend are true. You’re quite talented indeed.”

Auren shrugs. “If what you heard impresses you, then your standards are a tad lower than I expected. I haven’t revealed anything of note yet.”

“I like your confidence! Youth is a wonderful thing!” Netero responds, grinning.

“Arrogance is a fatal weakness for a Hunter,” Cheadle says sharply. “Learn to control your emotions, or you won’t make it far.”

“I’ll be fine,” Auren replies. “I mean, I’m standing before three Zodiacs, and honestly, I’m not that impressed. I respect your achievements in your fields, but I’d have no trouble fighting you. As for the Copperleaves issue—I wasn’t aware I wasn’t allowed to take a few with me. We released affordable medicine, and when you wanted to buy us out, we accepted. We didn’t even know you were behind the company that purchased ours. Now that you own it, the problem’s already solved, isn’t it?”

As Auren finishes, the others—especially Konrad—look shocked. Even the Zodiacs stare at him, confused by his boldness.

“Very true,” Netero says with a chuckle. “There’s no problem anymore. If you get bored one of these days, come visit me in my office. I’d like to spar with you, my young friend. Just ask for my assistant, Beans, he’ll set it up.”

Really?

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. It would be an honor. I’ll contact Beans when I can spare the time. For now, I’m busy training the new Hunters and planning to take on a few missions.”

“Doesn’t surprise me you’re working with Pariston!” Cluck snaps, still fuming. “Typical rats! Disgusting, weak, nasty!”

“The rats' helpers, how boring,” Pyon comments.

“I’ll see you soon, chairman,” Auren says before walking past them, followed by the others.

Can’t wait to test myself against that old monster!