Watching everyone enjoy the fruits of their labor, Todo couldn't help feeling disappointed. No matter how misguided he had been, all he had really wanted was to pass the exam.
Todo was the perfect embodiment of the saying, "There is something detestable about every pitiful person."
Now, hearing that Gon was willing to share half with him, Todo felt that at least his efforts hadn't been entirely in vain.
He slowly stepped forward, took the egg from Gon's hand, and placed it in his mouth, savoring it carefully.
"Delicious… absolutely delicious. I never imagined such food existed in this world."
A rich fragrance spread from the tip of his tongue, and the wonderful taste instantly soothed the resentment in his heart. A tranquility he had never felt before washed over him.
"When we Gourmet Hunters discover a dish no one else has ever tasted," Menchi said, "it feels like a Bounty Hunter capturing the most wanted criminal, or an adventurer uncovering buried treasure. The joy and emotion can't be put into words. That's why we're willing to risk our lives for delicious cuisine."
Even though she was still angry at Todo's earlier behavior, she was an examiner after all. For examinees who misunderstood Gourmet Hunters, she still wanted to explain as clearly as possible. She hoped everyone could understand the thing she loved so deeply.
That kind of joy was irreplaceable.
"Next year… I'll come again."
After a long silence, Todo finally forced out those words.
Having finished the Spider Eagle egg, his heart had calmed. After hearing Menchi's explanation, he didn't react violently this time. Perhaps he had figured things out.
Since he couldn't pass, at least he could leave with dignity. He turned and walked away—this time, of his own will.
"That was so cool," Gon said, clearly impressed by Menchi's words.
"Don't forget—I'm also a proud and talented Gourmet Hunter. I have to show you what I'm capable of as an examiner," Menchi declared.
When she noticed Lu looking at her, she even gave him a playful wink.
"Is that alright, Chairman Netero?" she asked.
Chairman Netero nodded, indicating there was no problem.
The exam was over. The results were clear. Since Netero had no objections, it was time to announce them.
"There are four examinees who passed the second test. Menchi's examination is concluded!"
"That's great!" "This is amazing!" "We passed!"
Although the examinees had already expected it, they still erupted into cheers.
"Lu, how did you know when to take the eggs out?" Leorio asked after stuffing the last bite into his mouth.
"I know when fried eggs are done," Gon said thoughtfully. "Was it because the Spider Eagle eggs started bouncing in the water?"
Since he could make omelets, Gon at least had some experience with eggs.
Leorio's question happened to be what Menchi and the others were wondering as well. Because of their status as examiners, they hadn't felt comfortable asking directly. Now that someone had, they listened in.
"Didn't I weigh the egg in my hand earlier?" Lu said.
The quick-witted Kurapika immediately followed up, "So you determined it back then?"
Judging doneness by weighing an egg—it certainly sounded novel.
"No," Lu shook his head. "Weighing it is just a personal habit. It's for looking cool. It has absolutely no practical use."
"......" Kurapika. "......" Leorio.
Killua muttered inwardly, Weighing it looks cool?
"In this world, the density of all matter changes with temperature," Lu continued, entering full lecture mode. "The water we used to boil the Spider Eagle eggs has a density of 1 g/cm³."
"At four degrees Celsius, water reaches its maximum density. Of course, the temperature just now wasn't four degrees, so we won't go into that."
"We don't know the exact density of Spider Eagle eggs. But we do know one thing—their density is much greater than water's, even as the water temperature rises."
"So what happened next was obvious. After boiling for a while, the eggs began bouncing in the water. That means the internal structure changed, which altered their density."
"Therefore, we can easily conclude that the Spider Eagle eggs were cooked."
Lu spread his hands. "It's that simple."
Menchi: "......"
Buhara: "......"
Kurapika didn't know what to say. Leorio had already exploded.
"Density? How is that simple?! I don't even understand what you're saying!!"
"That makes a lot of sense," Gon nodded seriously, looking like he had learned something—though it was unclear what exactly.
Killua's eyes were unfocused. He had clearly zoned out to somewhere far away.
Lu added, as if it wasn't enough already, "Actually, the doneness of most ingredients can be judged by density."
"You can even do it that way…?" Menchi murmured softly.
It felt as though a new world had opened before her. Previously, determining the cooking time for Spider Eagle eggs had required repeated experimentation. This method seemed far more versatile—and most importantly, it could apply to other ingredients as well.
"As expected of a born Gourmet Hunter," Satotz couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Even Chairman Netero now understood why Menchi had been so certain that this boy possessed extraordinary culinary talent. Now even he thought so.
"Alright, it's time to return," Chairman Netero said with a wave of his hand, signaling the examinees to board the airship.
The Hunter Exam was still ongoing.
"Chitter chitter chitter—"
The sound of a monkey's cries rang out. Lu, who had been slightly worried, finally relaxed. He had thought something might have happened to the creature.
"Huh? This is pretty good."
Lu turned around and saw the face-ape. Even someone as composed as him couldn't help but praise it.
The face-ape was carrying two enormous eggs—each as large as a human head—cradled in both arms as it approached Lu.
With his sharp eyesight, Lu immediately noticed that the two eggs were joined together like twins—likely fraternal twins. Quite rare.
"Are those Spider Eagle eggs too?" Leorio asked uncertainly, staring at the giant gray eggs dotted with black spots.
"They should be, right?" Kurapika leaned closer to inspect them.
"Lu, are those the ones we saw earlier? There were actually two? I didn't even notice!" Gon recalled Lu asking him about it earlier. It must have been that particularly difficult egg to retrieve—except now there were two.
"Yes," Lu smiled. "Two of them. We're pretty lucky."