Roy: "…"
He'd almost forgotten—his own wife had an almost obsessive love for money and treasure.
And a Hunter License just happened to bring enormous wealth. So Android 18 having this attitude was both unexpected and completely reasonable.
"Alright then. Later I'll help you register too—"
"No need." Android 18 shot Roy a sideways glance.
"I already registered. I registered you too."
Roy: "…"
Alright. That settled it completely.
So the matter of taking the Hunter Exam was happily decided just like that.
As for Luke and the Shonen Magazine side…
"What did you say?! You're going to take the Hunter Exam?!!!"
Luke wore a look that clearly said: Are you messing with me right now?
Roy shrugged. He'd known Luke would react like this. It was exactly what he expected.
"Hey, hey, hey!!! What the hell are you thinking?! Do you realize who you are right now? You're the brightest new star in the manga industry—money, fame, even plenty of privileges. Why would you go take something as dangerous as the Hunter Exam?! What, are you still not satisfied?!"
Once Luke saw that Roy didn't look like he was joking, he immediately flew into a rage.
"The Hunter Exam is truly dangerous. One slip and you're dead. What are you even thinking?! And wasn't your dream to become a great manga artist? Why would you go be some kind of Hunter?!"
"Yes, I know. The Hunter Exam is dangerous, and my dream has never changed. But right now I've completely run out of inspiration. Even when I was drawing Dragon Ball, I already felt the early signs of creative burnout. Inspiration often comes from life, yet rises above life—that's why I'm taking the exam."
Roy delivered his nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
"I've already finished drawing the remaining Dragon Ball chapters. Please take a look. That way, even if something happens to me, it won't disrupt the plot's progress and development. Of course, there's no way anything will happen."
Roy took out the remaining Dragon Ball pages and placed them on the desk in front of Luke.
Over the last few days, to make sure he could still obtain things through Nen even while taking the Hunter Exam, Roy had deliberately rushed his drafts and produced a large backlog of Dragon Ball pages.
Luke's brow stayed tightly knitted.
This had nothing to do with Dragon Ball. He genuinely cared about Roy, and he didn't want him to die young with nothing left but a Hunter License as a legacy.
Luke lit a cigarette and said in a low voice, "I still don't—"
"Bam!"
The office door was shoved open violently.
Luke snapped his head up, ready to bark a curse—
But when he saw who it was, he swallowed the words back down.
"You're here?" Roy blinked at Android 18 at the doorway.
"Yeah. I've already packed everything. When are we leaving?"
"Go wait outside for a second. I'll be right there."
"Bam!"
Android 18 slammed the door shut again, just as roughly.
"Um… your wife is going with you too?" Only after the door closed did Luke speak again, his tone unconsciously softening.
"Yeah. Sir, you know my wife's strength. With her going with me, safety won't be a problem."
Luke fell silent. He knew Android 18's strength far too well.
Roy still remembered that afternoon—some suicidal underground assassin had tried to kidnap him. Luke had happened to come by that day to drink with Roy.
And so, Android 18's heroic "catching the thief" scene had been burned deep into Luke's memory.
"Fine. If you're determined, I can't say anything else. Just be careful."
Roy nodded, and privately let out a breath of relief.
Luke was both his benefactor and the one who'd guided him. Without Luke, Roy wouldn't even have had a stage to make use of Nen.
After Android 18 appeared at Roy's side, it had been Luke who handled both their wedding and their marriage registration, and Luke had also taken care of Android 18's household registration.
Roy owed Luke a great deal.
And Roy sincerely hoped Luke would support his decision.
With Luke handled, there were no obstacles left on the road to the Hunter Exam.
Hunter Exam—here I come!
…
The skies were clear, the air fresh, and a pleasant breeze drifted through.
At the dock on Old Silver Island, Roy said goodbye to Luke and the others aboard the Sea God.
When the time came, the Sea God let out a long horn blast and slowly pulled away from the harbor.
Luke watched the departing ship and couldn't help letting out a sigh.
"I just hope little Roy comes back safe this time. As for Dragon Ball…"
Luke rubbed his temples.
"When I get back, I'll check how many pages are left. If it's short, then we'll switch to one chapter every two weeks. If it's enough, we'll keep it the same as always. Seriously… are geniuses all just born with some weird quirks? Heh. If those old geezers in the manga world find out little Roy went to take the Hunter Exam, who knows what kind of uproar it'll cause~"
(End of Chapter)
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