Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

There was no second exhibition match held that day. Everyone rested on the airship.

The airship belonged to the Zoldyck family, and it had only one servant on board—an elderly butler named Tsubone.

Tsubone wore two thick, heavy braids and had a monocle over her right eye.

She was a senior butler of the Zoldyck family and took direct orders from Silva.

This was also the reason Silva hadn't dismissed Canary. He could see that Canary had the potential to become Killua's personal butler in the future.

For example, Tsubone following Zeno's orders is good.

But if Tsubone disobeyed Zeno's orders for Silva's sake, that would be even better.

Of course, if Tsubone did this, she would definitely be punished afterward.

However, she would earn deeper trust from Silva.

This is the difference between a regular butler and a direct butler.

Regular butlers can never be fast enough when it matters.

Canary would give her life for Killua without hesitation. That's what Silva wants.

After serving dinner to everyone, Tsubone left the dining hall of the airship.

Unless someone rang the bell, she would not appear again.

At the dinner table, only Netero, Zeno, and Silva were talking.

Germain focused entirely on enjoying his meal, speaking very little.

After a while, the sound of a phone ringing suddenly came from Netero's pocket.

He put down his knife and fork, took out his phone, and answered it.

Netero listened quietly for a moment.

Then, with a serious expression, he asked a few questions, agreed, and hung up.

Both Zeno and Silva instinctively looked at him.

Only Germain remained focused on cutting his steak.

"It was a call from Morel," Netero said proactively.

"Although I don't really need them, he reports the current situation to me every now and then."

Netero picked up his fork, stabbed a piece of rare steak, and put it into his mouth, chewing carefully.

"Hmm… delicious… If I see Tsubone later, I'll have to compliment her. She's a very good cook—I liked everything on this table."

Zeno let out a dry chuckle.

"I'm sure she'd be honored to receive praise from the Chairman of the Hunter Association… But let's get back to Morel's call. What's the situation over there?"

Netero gazed at the steak remaining on his plate, pressing his lips together thoughtfully.

"How should I put it… Hmm…"

"Morel is working with Knov as one team, while Knuckle and Shoot are working as another. They've split up and are operating in the Republic of East Gorteau.

Every day, they're reporting victories over the Chimera Ants."

"Additionally, two more Chimera Ants have defected to our side. They are now in contact with Knuckle and Shoot and have decided to help humanity deal with the Ant King and the Royal Guards."

Zeno raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

"If I recall correctly, the previous Chimera Ants who sided with the humans did so because their loyalty to the Queen ended when she was killed. After all, it was the Ant King who killed the Queen and some of their companions."

"They couldn't stay loyal to such a King. Some chose to join the humans, while others broke off to form their own factions."

"The Chimera Ants who formed their own factions have likely left this area and expanded their activities to the nearby Yorbian Continent."

"As for those still remaining in the Republic of East Gorteau, they should all be loyal to the Ant King. So why are some of them surrendering now?"

Netero smirked.

"It's simple. The Chimera Ants were born because of the Queen's consumption and breeding, and most of them carry human genes. You know how humans are."

"Even if some of them were initially loyal to the Queen or the King, that loyalty starts to waver over time. They begin to recall memories of their lives as humans—friends, family, and loved ones."

"And for many of them, those loved ones were killed by the Ant King or the Royal Guards. The desire for revenge can overpower even their fear of the King and the Royal Guards."

Zeno nodded in understanding.

"I see. In that case, Morel, Knov, Knuckle, and Shoot have done well. At least they've lived up to the reputation of the 'Chimera Ant Extermination Team.'"

In reality, the ones contributing to the Chimera Ant battle were not just the official squad members like Morel.

Many professional Hunters were now secretly active within the Republic of East Gorteau, acting as Netero's "ears," gathering and relaying the latest intel.

Sometimes, even if Morel or Knov didn't report their positions or actions, Netero could still receive accurate updates quickly through these "ears."

Additionally, to prevent the Chimera Ant threat from spreading further, professional Hunters were carrying out extermination missions in areas where Chimera Ants were appearing.

It was thanks to these professional Hunters' outstanding efforts that many Chimera Ants, who had originally left NGL and East Gorteau, were forced to turn back.

After the Queen's death, those Chimera Ants had planned to go their separate ways and build their own kingdoms.

It wasn't until they faced repeated setbacks in the human world that the Chimera Ants realized this wouldn't be as easy as they thought.

Humans outside their nests weren't all weaklings.

So, they sought out the Ant King and pledged their loyalty.

Whether their loyalty was sincere was another matter, but as long as they expressed allegiance, they could evolve their Nen abilities through the Three Royal Guards. Why wouldn't they take advantage of that?

Chimera Ants grew extremely fast and possessed extraordinary natural talent.

For them, mastering Nen was as simple as a newborn colt learning to stand.

At the same time, it was also a reflection of instincts and talents once inherent to beasts—instincts that humanity had gradually abandoned as civilization developed.

The hunters who weren't part of the official Chimera Ant Extermination Team were the unsung heroes.

They were the ones who forced the prideful Chimera Ants to face reality.

But these hunters were destined not to shine as brightly as the Extermination Squad.

The reason wasn't just because Morel, Knov, and the others carried the title of squad members.

It was because they dared to face the strongest, most terrifying Chimera Ants head-on.

That courage alone set them apart.

Netero put down his fork and knife, picked up his napkin, and casually wiped the corner of his mouth.

"To be honest, whether it's Morel, Knov, Knuckle, Shoot, or even the others like Colt, it doesn't really matter."

Hearing this, Germain couldn't help but look up.

At that moment, he noticed something indescribably dark in Netero's eyes—a cold, distant expression.

"It doesn't matter how many Chimera Ants they've eliminated or which ones they've allied with. What matters most is how much they can contribute to the final battle."

The dinner ended quickly.

The next time Netero met Tsubone, he had already returned to his usual smiling, kind demeanor.

He warmly praised Tsubone, his expression so friendly that it was as if the man from the dinner had never existed.

Tsubone responded politely, then glanced at Germain, who walked by.

She had noticed the result of the informal battle while aboard the airship.

Even though the rules limited it, Lord Silva didn't use his full strength, but that didn't matter for Germain.

A win is a win.

This man, Germain, really did defeat Lord Silva.

Tsubone fell silent.

This direct butler of Lord Silva showed no sign of hostility toward Germain.

On the contrary, she had always treated Germain with respect.

Such unprofessional behavior was something this experienced butler would never show.

Only when Lord Silva needed her to hate Germain or express anger, would she do so.

Similarly, as long as it was Lord Silva's wish, she would maintain her role as the butler of the Zoldyck family in front of Germain, fulfilling the task she had come for.

The next day, the second martial arts competition began.

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