Gelman remembered that there had indeed been such a thing.
At the 1999 Hunter Exam, the candidates arrived at an unremarkable restaurant. Only after the Guide gave them the password were they allowed to enter the exam venue.
"So, you need me to personally take you to the exam site?"
"I'd like to be your Guide..." Biscuit sounded a little embarrassed.
"But I've really been busy lately and can't spare the time. Don't worry, though. I've asked someone else to be your Guide."
"Who?"
"My disciple, Wing. He's currently the acting master of the Heart Source Flow Fist." Biscuit briefly explained their relationship, then slipped back into her girlish voice.
"Gelman, just give him the gemstone you gave me. You can trust him completely. He's a good kid."
"Got it." Gelman was about to hang up.
Biscuit seemed to realize what he was thinking and hurriedly pressed him:
"Wait, wait, don't hang up yet! First tell me what this gemstone is, where it came from, and how to get one!"
Gelman replied, "I'll tell you when I get the chance."
"Huh? This is your chance! Wait, wait, don't hang up yet..."
Gelman ended the call, switched his phone to silent, and set it on the bedside table to charge before heading to the bathroom.
After several days of proper rest, time had quietly turned the page from late 1997 to early 1998.
Gelman didn't set out until the morning of January 7. He carried a travel backpack and took a bus to Anisha City.
His current location wasn't far from Anisha City, so there was no need to take an airship. Besides, the stones in his backpack probably wouldn't pass an airship's security screening so easily.
After a two-hour ride, Anisha City's iconic pointed-roof castle and church came into view.
Gelman gazed out at the city streets, the dazzling shop windows, the shimmering lake, and the birds wheeling through the sky, lost in his own world.
Traveling alone after the Hunter Exam might not be a bad idea.
But this was a noisy bus, not his own world.
A sharp click came from beside him. Gelman turned and saw two girls across the aisle, both flushed and hastily putting away their phones.
"Darn it, I forgot to turn off the camera sound..."
"He's looking over here. He really is handsome. What do we do?"
"Why don't we just ask him for a photo? We could chat with him, too."
"Then you go ask him."
"Why don't you go first?"
Just then, the bus creaked to a stop.
Both doors hissed open. The passengers rose from their seats and gathered in the narrow aisle, filing off in an orderly stream.
Not giving the indecisive girls time to make up their minds, Gelman put on his tricorne hat, slung his travel backpack over his shoulder, and got off.
"Ah, he's gone..." A regretful sigh drifted faintly from behind him.
Gelman left the crowded bus station. People with bewildered or anxious expressions hurried past him in every direction.
They were all just passersby.
He soon noticed a polite-looking young man in glasses and a shirt standing at the station entrance.
He habitually kept his eyes narrowed, making it look as though they were barely open, and wore a constant smile.
For some reason, the right side of his shirt was untucked, hanging loose over his trousers.
→
The bespectacled young man spotted Gelman and hurried over. He stopped in front of him, bowed slightly, and held out his hand.
"You must be Mr. Gelman, the one Teacher Biscuit mentioned. I'm her disciple, Wing."
"I'm Gelman."
Gelman instinctively glanced at Wing's palm before reaching out to shake his hand. Then he let go.
Wing hadn't expected Gelman to be so wary, but he didn't take it to heart. He adjusted his glasses.
"Mr. Gelman, you've been on the road for quite a while. Would you like to rest first? There's a nice restaurant nearby..."
"No need." Gelman cut him off with a wave. "Mr. Wing, take me to the Hunter Exam venue."
"But the exam doesn't start for another three hours."
"That's fine. I'd rather arrive early than be late."
Wing nodded. "That's a good habit. All right, I'll lead the way. Follow me."
Chikyū wasn't with him. It was unclear whether he hadn't become Wing's disciple yet, or whether Wing had simply decided not to bring him along to meet the dangerous person in front of them.
Gelman and Wing left the bustling Anisha City station.
They passed through a lively park and crossed an old-fashioned arch bridge. The river below was as still as a mirror.
A gray-white church with a pointed roof came into view in the distance.
Countless white pigeons had settled in the square, pecking at the crumbs scattered on the ground.
Wing held one hand behind his back and pointed toward the solemn church with the index finger of his other hand.
"Mr. Gelman, that's the Hunter Exam venue."
Gelman gently lifted the brim of his hat. He wasn't surprised; the Hunter Exam venue always liked to hide behind appearances.
Wing walked a few steps forward and was about to lead Gelman into the church when a harsh screech suddenly rang out.
He turned his head, his eyes widening in surprise.
A black Volkswagen Beetle was swerving wildly toward them. It startled the pigeons into flight, filling the sky with a flurry of white wings.
"Something's wrong with the car? No... it's deliberate!" Wing quickly assessed the situation.
The driver yanked the steering wheel from side to side as if drunk, then stamped on the gas and brakes. After every wide turn, the Beetle looked ready to topple over.
"This is..." Wing adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing.
While he was distracted, Gelman set down his travel backpack and calmly walked toward the car.
"Mr. Gelman?!" Wing cried out in alarm.
Gelman stood where he was and looked back at him. "Most likely an assassin here for me. There's almost one every day, though there've been fewer and fewer lately..."
"This isn't about whether there are fewer, Mr. Gelman. Watch out behind you!" Wing warned him at once.
The Beetle charged around like an angry bull, finally revealing its true purpose. While Gelman was looking back at Wing, it sped straight toward him!
But Gelman dodged lightly, as graceful as a bullfighter, prompting the Beetle to screech to a halt.
The driver was about to turn the car around or reverse when he glanced at the rearview mirror and was stunned to find his target gone.
He blinked—and found that his target had somehow appeared in the front passenger seat. His hair stood on end!
Before you continue