That evening, Gelman and the others gathered around a long table for dinner. The lavish spread had naturally been prepared by the Gourmet Hunters Menchi and Buhara.
Many of the dishes featured "spoils" brought back from the Dark Continent. With better cooking facilities in the mansion, Menchi and Buhara had turned them into even more delicious meals.
This was the first time Kurapika and Chikyū had met Shubika. When Wing told them she had been at the research facility behind the mansion for some time, both of them looked astonished.
They hadn't noticed Shubika's presence at all. They weren't sure whether she was simply that good at hiding, or whether she had such a faint presence.
This time, Shubika didn't hide in her room as she had before. Gathering her courage, she took the seat beside Biscuit, removed her mask, and revealed a small, delicate face.
She ate her dinner in quiet, tiny bites, keeping her head bowed the whole time. She seemed worried about meeting anyone's gaze, as if doing so might infect her with some incurable disease.
Shubika answered most of the attention and questions directed her way with nods and shakes of her head. When she could no longer get by that way, she managed only a few delicate "Mm-hmms" and "Yeses."
Several people, Gelman among them, heard her voice for the first time that day. They felt that the evening's dinner had gotten off to a good start.
The group began chatting animatedly. Most of their stories were amusing incidents from completing various commissions, along with their opinions on the V5 and the Kakin Empire.
Taking the opportunity to listen closely, Kurapika gained a deeper understanding of professional Hunters.
There were many different kinds of professional Hunters: Beast Hunters, Jewel Hunters, Gourmet Hunters, Virus Hunters, and