To avoid disrupting Komugi's work, everyone left her current residence and found an open stretch of wilderness surrounded by red earth and rocks.
Kurapika recounted everything that had happened over the past six months to Gelman, who listened in near silence.
Killua and Gon chimed in from the side, adding all sorts of details. Many of them were unimportant, but Gelman didn't mind learning more.
At last, Kurapika cautiously brought up his desire to join the Hunter Association's exploration team.
By now, everyone knew about the colonial expedition and that the Hunter Association would be sending an elite exploration team. There was no need to keep it from Killua and Gon.
They were boys, yes, but they weren't naive.
They could find information about it just by checking the news websites, and the Hunter exclusive website offered even more details.
Gelman gave Kurapika the same answer he'd given Morel earlier: the decision to go was Kurapika's to make.
"I'm your teacher, and I'm glad you came to ask for my opinion," Gelman said. "I believe you can shine in the Hunter Association's exploration team now."
Kurapika breathed a sigh of relief at Gelman's support.
His application to the Hunter Association had been put on hold. It had neither been approved nor rejected, and he'd known then that the Hunter Association was waiting for Gelman's opinion.
As long as Gelman didn't stop him, the Hunter Association had no reason to turn down someone ready for immediate deployment.
Then Killua and Gon joined in, saying they wanted to take part in the grand colonial expedition too.
They'd submitted applications just like Kurapika, but unlike his, theirs had been rejected almost immediately.
The reason was obvious.
It reminded Killua and Gon of a player's taunt they'd seen everywhere on Greed Island: "You're not