Someone like you, who habitually wears that kind of smile when talking to people, must care about your reputation. You even remembered to mention Mr. Mizaistom while being modest. They must be very important companions to you-
Pariston speculated darkly.
If he did as he had just said, the rumor that "Dio switched allegiances, abandoning Cheadle for Mizaistom" would spread through the rank and file of the Hunter Association headquarters in an instant.
It might even spread to other branches afterward, or into the circles of professional Hunters.
Once such a rumor spread, Dio would instantly be seen as a turncoat, while Cheadle would be subtly branded as incompetent.
Even Mizaistom would have a bad reputation forced on him for stealing a colleague's student.
Although Hunters like them might not take any of this to heart, one thing was certain.
The three of them would undoubtedly loathe Pariston, the source of the rumor.
At that thought, the amusement in Pariston's eyes deepened, and a sense of happiness began to grow within him.
Dio gave Pariston, who was starting to show faint signs of going off the rails, a strange look. "That's impossible."
"?"
Pariston froze for a moment, not knowing what Dio meant.
"I know every staff member at the Hunter Association headquarters very well. They wouldn't gossip about me behind my back."
Dio calmly exposed Pariston's nonsense, and in passing, killed his idea of spreading rumors outright.
This was thanks to the several consecutive months he had spent living and training at the Hunter Association headquarters before the Pati City incident began, when he had made a habit of eating and drinking with the staff. (See chapter 55 for details.)
Coupled with the publicity from the young women drawn to his appetite (presumably), there wasn't a single staff member