This was a useless item Morin had drawn from an earlier check-in. He had originally planned to toss it into the Four-Dimensional Pocket and let it gather dust.
But taking it out occasionally as a gift for someone was fine, right?
He just did not know whether Kanzai would like it. Hopefully, he had not screwed himself over.
After all, tigers were felines, and cats were the animals most likely to be killed by curiosity~~?
Carried along by the Anywhere Cannon's targeting function, Morin flew purposefully through the air inside the underground tunnel. Along the way, he saw quite a few examinees who had noticed him, their faces filled with astonishment.
But Morin ignored them all.
None of them seemed particularly impressive. Not a single familiar face among them.
Even if they became Hunters later, they would probably be the sort who earned only ten or twenty points from Hisoka.
There was no need to get acquainted with them.
The underground tunnel was neither particularly long nor particularly short.
But following the shortest route fired by the Anywhere Cannon, Morin flew for less than two hours before slowing down near an upward shaft after circling around. Then he slowly rose into the air and floated up.
When he emerged from underground, he saw the sign that read: Welcome to the Albamor Mountains.
And someone standing beside it.
"So fast?"
Botobai walked over, somewhat surprised. "I am the examiner for the third round. Rest by the side for now until the other examinees arrive."
He had thick brows and large eyes, his face painted with bold white and red Peking opera makeup. Two upright braids stuck out from either side of his head.
His square face was imposing, and his sharp, gleaming eyes seemed capable of seeing through all the evil in the world.
He had the air of an upright, incorruptible man overflowing with righteousness.
The Eldest Brother among the future Zodiacs, he possessed an immense sense of justice. Both his strength and achievements made him one of the pillars of the Hunter Association.
"No wonder he represents the Dragon."
Morin silently observed Botobai as he approached, his every stride carrying the forceful bearing of a dragon and tiger.
A Hunter Exam that normally took seventy-two hours to produce results would not have its examiner arrive here until the very last second.
Yet Botobai had already been waiting here so early. That showed just how strong his sense of responsibility was.
Matching that responsibility and sense of justice was the astonishing pressure faintly emanating from him.
After studying under Biscuit for so long, Morin's strength still fell short of the very top tier.
But his eyesight, experience, and such had gradually been trained by Biscuit.
Though he had not yet reached his peak, Botobai was already a Two-Star Hunter and a seasoned Nen user.
Without a doubt, he was the strongest person Morin had seen since setting out into the world. There was no second place!
Biscuit did not count. When she taught Morin, she had never returned to her monstrous form as a violent muscle woman.
"No wonder he was later hailed as the person in the Hunter Association closest to Chairman Netero in both strength and reputation."
While Morin assessed Botobai, Botobai seemed to notice something as well and gave Morin a few extra looks.
"You are the newcomer Kruke mentioned, the one even she found troublesome?"
Mm, straightforward Botobai spoke even more bluntly than Kanzai.
"Your presence and eyes are indeed impressive."
He gave his own assessment and nodded in praise.
There was no condescension born of age, nor any high-handed critique based on status.
He simply spoke honestly and gave his heartfelt evaluation.
Morin knew what kind of person Botobai was, and he also knew there was no malice in those words.
He merely took out a bottle of good liquor, along with a table and chairs.
"Want to chat?"
He waved the bottle in his hand at Botobai.
"No."
Though rather surprised by Morin's ability to retrieve things at will, Botobai still chose to decline the invitation.
"There's no poison in the liquor. Drink without worry."
"I know."
Botobai said in a deep voice, "But as an examiner, to prevent all sorts of incidents during the exam, I must remain clear-headed at all times."
"I see?"
Morin nodded. He was not surprised; rather, he had expected it.
Without changing expression, he put the liquor away and took out a kettle of water and a dish of peanuts instead.
"If you will not drink liquor, there should be no problem with having some water, right?"
Morin placed the peanuts on the table, filled both cups with water, and handed one to Botobai.
"Proper spring water. It has a very high nutritional value."
Botobai maintained Gyo and detected nothing unusual. Since Morin had already handed him the water,
he sat down, accepted the cup, and took a small sip.
Mm, it was indeed water.
Only after tasting it did he swallow.
"To be honest, there is something I have always wanted to ask you."
Morin drank some water as he asked,
"In your eyes, what is good, and what is evil?"
"What is good is good. What is bad is evil."
Botobai replied in a deep voice.
"Very straightforward, and very fitting."
Morin nodded. "But if someone had an ugly heart, yet pretended to be a good person for their entire life,
"how would you know that person's heart was ugly?"
Botobai really was rather curious about Morin.
"Then are they good, or bad?"
Botobai countered, "If they have been a good person their entire life and never displayed any bad behavior, how would you know their heart was ugly?"
"Yes, that makes sense."
Morin clinked cups with Botobai. "That is called judging deeds, not hearts."
"But suppose there were two people. One had done good deeds all his life and was called a great good man, while the other had committed countless evils and was a scoundrel."
"But one day, the good man inadvertently did something bad, while the scoundrel acted on a whim and did one trivial good deed."
"The former would be cursed viciously and called a hypocrite, while the latter would be praised as someone who had turned over a new leaf. Uh, meaning he had abandoned evil and become good."
"What would you think?"
Botobai said solemnly,
"I would stay far away from the people doing the cursing."
"It is dangerous to be around people whose minds are not clear."
"Hahaha, just as expected of someone so straightforward!"
Morin laughed heartily and gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive."
"But you should also know that most people in this world are the ones doing the cursing. That is human nature."
"If a bandit studies, people will call him inspiring. If a student steals, people will call him depraved. If a monk drinks, people will say he has broken his vows. If a drunk worships Buddha, people will say he is sincere and kind-hearted."
"A good person must endure eighty-one hardships before attaining enlightenment, while a bad person only needs to lay down his butcher's knife to become a Buddha on the spot."
"If you, Botobai, were chasing a criminal in the future and accidentally damaged someone's car or house, or were framed or falsely accused, leading the public to misunderstand and curse you, what would you think?"
Morin threw out another question.
Botobai raised his head and looked directly at him.
"That would mean I have not done well enough!"
His face became even redder than the rouge painted on his cheeks.
"If I damaged the public's houses or cars while pursuing criminals, that would be my fault."
"And if I were misunderstood or framed by others, that would mean my reputation was not enough to give the public absolute confidence in me."
"If I cannot achieve that, what right do I have to call myself an outstanding Hunter?!"
His answer rang out with conviction, filled with the unwavering determination and will to press forward even against the world.
It was precisely because of that will that he would become one of the most popular figures among the Zodiacs and throughout the Hunter Association.
"You are holding yourself to the standards of a saint."
Morin sighed.
"I also intend to use my own insignificant influence to try to change the world."
Botobai said.
"Admirable."
Morin praised him again and raised his cup. "I toast you with this. At least, I could never do it."
"Saints must live far too tiring a life."
"So you wish to embrace darkness?"
Botobai's face grew even redder. The moment Morin brought up this subject, he had already guessed something.
"It is not quite embracing darkness. But if the sunlight is unwilling to embrace me, I would not mind hiding in a dark corner."
"Mm?"
Botobai waited for him to continue.
The Hunter Exam Ends, Netero's Attention! It Was Time to Begin His Journey. Please Subscribe!
"You know, I used to live in a place isolated from the rest of the world. It has been less than a year since I came out."
Morin said leisurely, "And even during that year, I spent most of my time training."
"Still,"
he smiled, "training all over the world has allowed me to see many people and strange sights."
"There were towering trees that reached the clouds, enormous land turtles with strawberries growing across their backs, and earth frogs like chameleons."
"Waterfalls suspended high in midair, flying dragons soaring freely through the sky, dinosaur overlords from the Cretaceous era... and so on. I believe there are still far too many wondrous sights and things I have yet to see."
"Ever-changing climates give birth to different natural landscapes, and different natural conditions nurture different animals and plants."
"Humans living in different environments form different customs and cultures, while culture and natural scenery in turn create all kinds of interesting people."
Morin swirled the cup in his hand and spoke softly.
"I once played in a forest with ugly-looking Magical Beasts."
"I also heard a village song sung by a young girl seeing off her beloved in a peaceful little village."
"In the fields, brothers and sisters played together, while adults were busy farming, their happiness overflowing."
"In an unnamed country, an ordinary cook made local delicacies with distinctive local ingredients. Once tasted, their flavor could be remembered forever."
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