"Judging by the confused looks on your faces, it's no surprise you don't know what this is. After all, it's a traditional dish from a certain island nation."
Menchi was young and a bit mischievous by nature. Seeing most of the examinees scratching their heads in anxiety, she wasn't in any hurry at all—in fact, she felt a strong sense of satisfaction.
"Alright, I'll give you a hint. Go take a look inside."
After enjoying the spectacle long enough, Menchi finally spoke up and directed the examinees to check the inside.
Only then did everyone notice that there was a large door beside Buhara. With his massive body sitting there, he had completely blocked it from view.
The examinees were already at a loss over what to do. Upon hearing Menchi's words, they immediately began heading inside.
Lu ou and his group had been standing close to Menchi from the start, so they were among the first to enter.
Inside were rows of cooking stations, each equipped with knives, cutting boards, sinks, and various seasonings. Everything necessary was there—it was fully stocked, though clearly several levels below the professional kitchens Menchi normally used.
Since Lu ou already knew what the next task would be, he led Gon and the others to the front row and claimed several workstations. That way, no matter what they needed to do, it would be more convenient.
Seeing Lu ou's actions, the others quickly followed suit. None of them were fools, and soon each examinee stood in front of a workstation of their choosing.
Everything was ready. All that remained was for the show to begin.
"This is where you'll be making the dish. The most basic tools and ingredients are already laid out before you. I've also prepared the indispensable ingredient for sushi—rice. And here's the biggest hint of all: among sushi, I will only accept nigiri sushi as the finished product."
Menchi stood with one hand on her hip, her face lit up with excitement. Whenever she talked about cooking, she seemed to glow. Her already decent looks instantly jumped from a seven to a nine, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, we're starting now. When I feel full, the exam will be over. Until then, you can make as many pieces of sushi as you want."
After giving all the hints she intended to give, Menchi officially announced the start of the test and ignored the noisy reactions from the examinees.
In a great mood after saying her piece, Menchi returned to the sofa at the front and sat down elegantly, crossing her long, straight legs. Paired with her fair skin, she gave off a distinctly alluring air.
Just imagining the variety of nigiri sushi the examinees might produce made it impossible for her excitement to settle.
"Make… nigiri sushi?"
Pokkle's expression was just as confused as before—a complete mess, with no idea what to do.
"Make nigiri sushi?"
Even Tonpa, the self-proclaimed perpetual exam failure, looked utterly distressed. After so many Hunter Exams, he had never encountered anything like this before. His experience was completely useless.
Most of the examinees unconsciously poked at the rice or handled their knives, looking utterly lost, with no idea where to even begin.
But from Lu's perspective, Hanzo stood out immediately.
Hanzo's expression was caught between a smile and a frown. The muscles in his face were tense, his hands clenched tightly into fists, and his entire body was rigid—clearly suppressing something.
"I've got this exam in the bag," Hanzo muttered under his breath.
To be safe, he casually turned around once, confirming that most people hadn't started yet. Especially those strange guys—Lu and his group—who were huddled together without doing anything. That was when Hanzo felt his opportunity had arrived.
"I'm incredibly lucky. Who would've thought my hometown's traditional food would become an exam question?"
"But I can't get cocky—if others notice, it'll be trouble. I should pretend I don't know anything and quietly pass on my own. That's the smart way."
Hanzo half-covered his mouth with his hand, repeatedly glancing around as if afraid of being discovered. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.
Especially when he saw Pokkle beside him forming a rice ball the size of a tennis ball, he completely lost control. He turned away and covered his mouth, laughing silently. Holding it in was just too painful.
"That guy definitely knows something,"
Pokkle noticed Hanzo's behavior and immediately sensed something was off. Annoyed, he flattened the rice ball in his hand.
Hanzo was still celebrating the fact that he thought he was the only one who knew the proper way to make nigiri sushi—completely unaware that Lu ou had already decided to reveal the method publicly, sparing Hanzo the effort of sneaking around.
"Is rice alone enough?"
Gon scooped up a spoonful of steaming hot rice and pointed at it while asking Lu ou and the others, clearly clueless.
"Hmm, they prepared tools too, so it probably requires other ingredients,"
Killua guessed while twirling a kitchen knife in his hand. If rice alone were enough, preparing so many knives would be a complete waste.
"Since it's shaped by hand, I can roughly imagine the form… but the most important ingredient—I can't picture it at all,"
Leorio said, resting his chin on his hand as he thought hard, coming up empty.
"Ou, what do you think? How are we supposed to do this?" Gon asked.
If anyone knew how to make nigiri sushi, Gon felt it had to be Lu ou. In his mind, Lu seemed to know everything.
"Did you forget the fish I told you to catch earlier?" Lu ou said, wagging his finger as a hint.
"Nigiri sushi is made with fish?!"
Leorio's shout was nearly loudspeaker-level, instantly drawing every examinee's attention.
"Ou's right. I think I've read about it in old texts as well,"
Kurapika suddenly recalled something. "It should be a dish that combines vinegared rice with fresh fish."
"That's right—mix sushi vinegar with rice, then top it with fresh fish," Lu ou confirmed.
"I once had the honor of eating sushi made by the God of Sushi himself."
The God of Sushi?!
Gon and Leorio both wore expressions of pure awe.
"Time to catch fish!"
After hearing Leorio's shout, the examinees were already tempted. With Kurapika—who looked reliable—confirming it, and Lu's explanation on top of that, they immediately bolted outside toward the river to catch fish.
"I can't believe there are others who know besides me. What an annoying bunch,"
Hanzo muttered as he watched the crowd rush out. He quickly followed—if he was too slow, he'd lose his advantage.
In the blink of an eye, the bustling cooking area was left with only Lu's group of five, making them stand out conspicuously.
"You're not going to catch fish?"
Menchi asked, her expectations for Lu ou extremely high. His beggar-style roasted pig dish earlier had given her an unforgettable culinary experience, and she was certain he wouldn't disappoint her this time either.
Sure enough,Lu ou even knew this island nation's unique cuisine—impressive indeed.
In the Hunter world, abilities came in endless varieties, but in the culinary field, knowledge was far more limited. There was no systematic classification, and written records were scarce.
So at times like this, knowing more truly was an advantage.
Menchi grew even more satisfied with Lu.
But then—why was he just standing there without moving?
That left her genuinely puzzled.