Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

Bisky knew Chairman Netero was giving them some leeway, but she still felt enormous pressure.

After all, there were likely less than three months left until the deadline Netero had set in his mind.

The previously exciting "Dark Continent Exploration" had suddenly become a task with clear objectives and complications, shifting her mindset entirely.

Shizuku, sensing Bisky's tension, gently patted Bisky's golden hair to comfort her.

Germain, who had been silent and listening all along, finally shook his head and spoke up.

"My only encounter with Chairman Netero was after the 'Pro Hunter Exam.' He may have suspected me from that moment and began a secret investigation."

"He found out about my connection with Bisky, so it makes sense he followed that lead and uncovered some clues."

"As for the 'final deadline' set by Netero, I think we shouldn't stress too much. I had already planned to conquer the 'Ancient Labyrinthine City' by early next year."

Everyone looked at him, surprised by his calm determination. He seemed to be using the pressure from Netero as fuel for motivation.

Even Kite, who was intently focused on driving, couldn't resist glancing back at him.

Bisky nearly forgot—this guy was different from her and Shizuku. From the start, his goal had always been to explore the Dark Continent, and that had never changed.

For him, finding a "glimmer of hope" would naturally aid his future explorations. As long as the benefits outweighed the risks, he'd act decisively.

But now, even with Ging joining them, would conquering the "Ancient Labyrinthine City" really be that easy?

The car fell into silence, with no one responding.

Ging's gaze drifted from the rearview mirror as he rubbed his stubbled chin, considering whether it was time for a shave.

After a moment, he finally broke the silence.

"So, the first target you all chose is the 'Ancient Labyrinthine City'... Well, that works out. It's an 'ancient ruin,' which happens to be my specialty."

"In any case, after I received that notebook, I handed over my work on the ancient ruins on the isolated island to my team, then took a boat to the nearby town to rest for a while."

"After that, as I headed toward the Kakin Empire, I started gathering information about you. Having been isolated for so long, I only recently learned a lot about you."

"Including your 'Legend of the Fastest One-Star Hunter,' and your clashes with the 'Phantom Troupe,' the 'Ten Dons,' and the 'Shadow Beasts…'"

"Then I remembered Kite was in the Kakin Empire, so I got in touch with him and had him join me."

Kite, who was driving, kept his eyes on the road, even though there wasn't a single car around.

"After receiving a message from Ging, I met up with him at the Kakin Empire port."

"I also informed Ging that your last known location was on a train, where you fought the 'Phantom Troupe,' and then you vanished."

"Despite this, Ging was determined to find you, so we began searching for traces of you within the Kakin Empire, up until now."

Ging nodded.

"We looked everywhere for you for quite some time, but we found very few clues."

"Then we heard that the Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire had an incident. I had a gut feeling something was wrong, so I headed to the scene, not expecting to run into you on the way."

Shira, who had been rubbing her head for a while, raised her hand with a slight pout.

"This might be due to my 'Nen ability'—'Accumulated Luck.' It's like 'misfortune' drew Beyond and his people here, while 'good fortune' brought you all together."

Ging nodded again.

"That makes sense. All the clues connect—it seems like our meeting isn't just a simple coincidence."

"Since we're already talking about this and we've agreed to work together, there's a good chance Chairman Netero has given us a deadline for this mission. Time is tight, so I'd like to make a request now."

Germain blinked, glancing at Ging in the passenger seat.

"A request?"

Ging held up two fingers toward the people in the back.

"I want to be the 'second-in-command' of this team, taking Bisky's current role. But, in return, I'm willing to offer a fair exchange."

Germain and Bisky exchanged a glance.

Bisky was currently the "second-in-command," while "first-in-command" was, of course, Germain.

This setup was logical, given they were the founding members of the "Stagecoach Group," and Germain held the means to reach the "Dark Continent."

They were undoubtedly the ones in charge and making the decisions.

Bisky shrugged indifferently, but then she suddenly thought of something and flashed a sly smile, licking her lips.

The pressure that Chairman Netero had put on her earlier vanished in an instant. Her greed made her mind work clearer and faster than ever.

"Ging, I've been working with Germain for more than half a year. We have a good, close relationship and work well together. The others in the team also trust me—I even brought a lot of them in."

"You can't just replace me because you feel like it… So, why don't you tell me what your 'fair offer' is?"

Bisky put her hands on her hips, trying to look like she wouldn't give in easily, but Shizuku pulled her into a hug, ruining her attempt to look tough.

Ging knew Bisky was exaggerating, but he didn't mind.

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