"So that's exactly why specialists exist for a reason. There's no way the Hunter Association would come up with some bizarre, excessive final test just to make things difficult for people. If it were a written exam, then it'd be just as meaningless as the second round's sushi test, where victory was judged by flavor alone~"
In another room, Menchi sneezed.
"So a written exam definitely won't be the final test. The last test should probably be an extension of Zevil Island. After all, what matters most for a Hunter is overall personal ability. Your capacity to fight on your own also has to be exceptional, otherwise how would you complete certain high-difficulty missions?" Roy analyzed carefully.
"And everyone should understand this too: every phase of the exam is decided independently by the examiner. The first phase, the long-distance run that tested physical strength and endurance, was designed by Mr. Satotz, the Ruins Hunter. Its core idea matches the patience needed to investigate ruins, while crossing the Milsy Wetlands represented the unknown dangers one might encounter during such exploration."
"As for the second phase, the cooking test, the examiner was a Gourmet Hunter, so there's no need to say more about that. Then there were the Trick Tower and Zevil Island tests. That pompadour-headed examiner is the warden of Trick Tower, and everyone has seen what he's like, so you should all have a rough idea of him by now. The two tests he designed also fit his personality perfectly."
"That actually sounds pretty convincing." Hanzo rubbed his bald head. Roy's analysis was obviously much clearer than Bodoro's, and at the very least, it made him feel that the final test really might not involve a written exam.
"But even if that's true, and the final test is decided by this round's chief examiner, we still don't know who the chief examiner for the last phase will be!"
Bodoro raised an objection. He had finally managed to show off a bit of deduction, so naturally he wasn't willing to be overshadowed just like that.
"No, the chief examiner for the final phase has already been decided." Having figured out the full chain of cause and effect, Kurapika immediately reacted and said with a smile.
"Huh?" Leorio and the others froze.
"Think about it. On this airship right now, among everyone from the Hunter Association, who has the highest status and the greatest strength?"
"...Chairman Netero!"
Clearly, no one present was stupid. They all caught on at once.
"Exactly." Roy snapped his fingers. "Since Chairman Netero is here, then this year's final examiner is Chairman Netero. And given Chairman Netero's personality and his identity as a martial artist, there is absolutely no way he would set a written test!"
Everyone thought it over carefully, and the more they did, the more logical it seemed. Their eyes gradually lit up.
"Whew! You scared me to death. I really thought it was going to be a written exam!"
Hanzo and Pokkle wiped the cold sweat from their faces, looking deeply relieved.
Still, even after ruling out a written exam, no one knew what the final phase would actually be. But one thing was certain: they needed to rest well and keep their bodies in the best possible condition.
Gon and the others also had complete faith in Roy's deduction, so they were taking advantage of the time to recover their stamina and focus.
Hisoka, meanwhile, resumed building his tower of playing cards.
For a while, the entire airship fell silent, and time passed bit by bit.
An hour later, a sudden announcement echoed throughout the ship.
"All examinees, please be advised. Beginning now, the examinees whose numbers are called will proceed one by one to the interview room for questioning." A crisp female voice suddenly broke the silence aboard the airship.
"Please be advised, examinees who hear their number should report to Reception Room One on the second floor. Repeating…"
While the announcement was playing, everyone had been resting with their eyes closed, but they had all been keeping track of the outside situation at every moment.
"First, Examinee No. 406, please come to the reception room."
At the sound of the announcement, all the examinees straightened up.
"I'm first?"
Thinking that, Roy headed straight for the reception room.
His companions opened their eyes and looked at him.
"It's fine. It's just an interview. It probably isn't the final test." Roy waved his hand, signaling that there was no problem, then stood up and headed for the interview room.
Click.
Roy pushed open the door and entered. He saw the Chairman sitting cross-legged alone in the middle of the room. In front of him was a table, and opposite him was an empty cushion.
"Come, have a seat first." Chairman Netero calmly invited Roy to sit down.
"Alright." Roy nodded and sat cross-legged without any ceremony.
"For the sake of the final test, I need to ask you a few questions," the Chairman continued.
"First, why do you want to take the Hunter Exam and become a Hunter?" Chairman Netero threw out the first question.
Even though he had already gotten the answer from Roy's file, Netero still wanted to ask it himself.
"Because becoming a Hunter lets me travel to many places, observe different customs and ways of life, gather story material, and draw even better manga," Roy said.
"Such as where?" Netero asked as he continued flipping through the documents in front of him.
"For example, you could visit the Dark Continent at certain times."
(End of Chapter)
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