Aside from those two troublemakers, Gon answered honestly, "I'm doing it because my dad does this for a living, so I want to know what kind of job it is."
"Don't butt in so casually. Can't you see we're talking business with this ojisan?" Leorio snapped, his tone sharp.
The Red-Nose Captain's question tugged at Leorio's nerves, dragging up some extremely unpleasant memories from the past.
"I'm just saying my reason. What does it matter?" Gon asked, puzzled.
"I don't want to say it, and I'm absolutely not going to say it—because if it's something I don't want to do, then even if you make it a duel, I still won't do it!" Leorio roared.
The horrific death of his old friend, Pietro, and his obsession with becoming a doctor flashed through his mind.
"Leorio, I agree with you." Kurapika's face was equally serious. "And my reason for becoming a Hunter is extremely personal. Why should I tell a stranger I just met? I have the right not to say."
That question made him think of the blood-soaked grudge he carried, and for a moment he lost his calm.
At that instant, Leorio and Kurapika reached an understanding.
"Seriously… you still don't get it?" Roy pressed a hand to his forehead. "The Hunter Exam started the moment you boarded this ship. The ojisan in front of you is a member of the Hunter Association."
Roy continued, "This Captain only called the five of us into the captain's room to ask a bunch of privacy-heavy questions that have nothing to do with him on the surface—questions that are very likely to piss people off. For a captain who's weathered countless storms and supposedly has 'the wisdom of a lifetime,' doing something this thankless makes it pretty obvious he's one of the Hunter Association's people."
The Red-Nose Captain found that "wisdom of a lifetime" line very pleasing—until Roy immediately followed up with something that made him choke.
"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that the Captain-ojisan suddenly had his brain short-circuit. Biologically speaking, people who get up there in age tend to do confused things—"
"Ahem." The captain coughed at just the right moment, cutting Roy off.
"Roy is correct." The Red-Nose Captain spoke plainly. "You must answer. Kurapika, Leorio—otherwise, you're getting off this ship. The Hunter Exam really did begin the moment you boarded."
From inside his coat, the Red-Nose Captain produced a card that represented the Hunter Association and continued, "Every year, the number of applicants is as countless as the stars. If we handled them one by one, how much manpower and resources would that waste? So the committee entrusts people like us to help screen candidates. Anyone unqualified, I've already reported to the committee."
"As for whether you get to take the Hunter Exam," the Red-Nose Captain said bluntly, "that depends on my mood."
His expression didn't change much, but his nose somehow looked even redder than before—clearly, Leorio and Kurapika had managed to irritate him.
"What a pain…" Leorio muttered. "Fine. If that's how it is, I'll tell you."
"I want to be a Hunter because of money. Once you're a Hunter, you can earn a ton. With money, you can buy anything—big houses, nice cars, fine liquor, even women…" As Leorio spoke, a dreamy look floated onto his face, making him look ridiculously funny.
"Leorio, money can't buy a person's humanity," Kurapika said, unconvinced.
"Brat, how old are you? Call me Leorio-san," Leorio barked.
"Oh my, I think the same way as Leorio-san." Android 18 suddenly spoke up, brushing back her blonde hair with a smile. "I want to be a Hunter for money too."
Clearly, she'd found someone with the same tastes.
"Right? See? I told you money is great. It can buy everyth—"
Having someone agree with him made Leorio visibly excited.
"However," Android 18 cut in after glancing at Roy, completely unbothered as she pulled the rug out from under Leorio, "I don't believe money can buy everything. At the very least, it can't buy women—or love."
Leorio froze for a moment, then realized Android 18 was a woman, and that some of what he'd just said was… not exactly appropriate. He coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness.
"Is that so. Leorio, Android 18," Kurapika said. "Maybe you like money a lot, but in my view, money isn't omnipotent. There are many things money can't buy."
A hint of viciousness rose in Kurapika's eyes as if he'd remembered something. Even facing an enraged Leorio, Kurapika didn't react at all—he was completely submerged in memories of the past.
"I'm a survivor of the Kurta Clan. I want to become a Hunter—specifically, a bounty hunter who brings criminals to justice," Kurapika said.
"Your reason?" the Red-Nose Captain asked.
"Four years ago, all my people were slaughtered. The culprits were the Phantom Troupe. I want to become a Hunter to capture them," Kurapika said.
"The Phantom Troupe are A-Class wanted criminals." The Red-Nose Captain exhaled a ring of smoke. "Even seasoned veteran Hunters don't move against them lightly. If you do this, you're only throwing your life away."
"I'm not afraid of death," Kurapika said, word by word. "The only thing I'm afraid of is forgetting this anger—this hatred."
"What a selfish guy." Leorio sounded indifferent. "If you want revenge, it's not like you have to become a Hunter to do it."
(End of Chapter)
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