"You've all done very well," Potbelly said. He had white powder smeared over his cheekbones, with red powder around his eyes and on his lips. "Would you like me to send a few people to help escort the prisoners?"
"No need, thank you," Kurapika replied. "The three of us are enough. There's no need to waste manpower here."
Potbelly nodded. "Then I'll have to ask you to make another trip this afternoon... Go have lunch first. I'll have Buhara prepare a special meal for you."
Kurapika disliked being given special treatment. It was only right for a student of Gelman to have that kind of awareness.
He was just about to refuse when the ringing of a phone interrupted him.
Ring, ring—
"Excuse me." Potbelly nodded to Kurapika. He didn't ask Kurapika, Illumi, or Melody to step aside before answering. "This is Potbelly. Go ahead."
He listened quietly for a while, then raised his eyebrows in surprise and glanced at Kurapika.
Kurapika noticed the strange look.
Melody, meanwhile, heard the delight in Potbelly's heartbeat, though Potbelly had hidden it very well.
"I understand." Potbelly hung up, then said to Kurapika, "I think you have a right to know this news."
"What news?" By then, Kurapika already had a feeling.
He calculated the time. Given how swiftly his teacher acted, it was about time he returned.
"Gelman and the others are back." Sure enough, Potbelly had good news. "Their ship just docked. We can go welcome them."
"And..." Before Kurapika could respond, Potbelly added, "You might be traveling together this afternoon. They've brought back a group of prisoners too."
Half an hour later, the Hunter Association branch cafeteria at the BW1 wreckage outpost was bustling with activity.
Gelman, Biscuit, Morel, and Shizuku had returned, and their arrival had clearly excited