HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

"It's December 30th now. I need to catch transportation to the Azian Continent before January 1st. The official exam is on January 7th, and I'll need time to find the venue once I'm there…," Cyr muttered to himself. "So the journey itself can't take more than five days. Between ships and airships in this world, which one's faster?"

The white-haired, blue-eyed boy strolled to the central fountain plaza, sitting by the edge of the fountain pool. Tilting his head back slightly, he watched seagulls soar across the sky.

The gray-and-white birds streaked across the heavens like trails left by scattered clouds.

"They seem pretty fast," Cyr mused.

He had never traveled by either ship or airship in this world. Ships weren't particularly special, but airships…

Back when he read the original anime, he'd always wanted to try flying in one. He even attempted building one himself at the time. The result was a decent airship model—something like a remote-controlled plane.

Unfortunately, there had been no follow-up. Constructing a full-sized airship was prohibitively expensive. It wasn't a practical market item, and every component required custom manufacturing, which significantly increased the cost.

Even though he never lacked money as a kid, he couldn't afford something like that.

In the end, his prototype model sat in his display cabinet collecting dust, never flying again.

"Probably airships," Cyr concluded, tossing the empty skewer stick into a nearby bin.

However, his attention was drawn to the red swelling on his arm. The affected area had grown larger over time.

"Pharmacy," he muttered to himself. "Come to think of it, I think I saw one earlier…"

With a calm demeanor and an expressionless face, he stood and started toward the store he'd noticed.

"What would allergy medicine in this world even be called? Surely they have something similar to ebastine, loratadine, or avastin, right?" he wondered aloud, scratching his chin as he walked.

---

The pharmacy was tucked away in a corner at the far edge of the street. The storefront was narrow, the interior dimly lit, and the door small and low enough that it was easy to overlook.

It resembled a shop run by dwarves. And not the tiny ones—more like the ones from Snow White, who were all around 1.6 meters tall.

But what caught Cyr's attention was the small insignia on the door: a faint mark resembling a diamond framed by two Xs.

It was incredibly familiar to him—the emblem on Hunter Licenses.

Six Eyes also detected a presence inside the shop—a being with life energy far stronger than an ordinary person.

Without hesitation, Cyr pushed open the door and stepped inside.

---

The first thing he saw was a figure dressed in an unusual manner. Draped in a black, hooded cloak, the person stood before a cauldron, their hands gesturing in a ritualistic manner.

Inside the cauldron was a viscous black-purple liquid, emitting dense black smoke. As Cyr watched, the concoction bubbled ominously.

The whole scene looked like something straight out of a dark corner—a sorcerer crafting poison or cursing someone.

"…Voldemort?" Cyr stopped in his tracks, suspicion dripping from his tone.

Were there sorcerers in the Hunter world?

"What's that? A new type of nen beast?" the cloaked figure replied in a slow, deliberate voice. They turned as they spoke, revealing a face mostly obscured by the oversized hood.

What little was visible was starkly pale—skin ashen, lips nearly gray.

Perfect, Cyr thought. All he's missing is the lack of a nose and hair.

But then he spotted the long black hair tied in a single braid trailing from under the hood. It was just enough to cause brief confusion about the figure's gender.

"Something like that," Cyr replied, answering the question about Voldemort as a nen beast.

"Never seen it before. I wonder if it has any rare parts that could be used in medicine," the shadowy figure murmured gloomily, his voice tinged with weakness, as if lacking vitality.

"Welcome, customer. What kind of medicine are you looking for?" It seemed he'd just remembered to greet the visitor, his tone as somber as his appearance.

"I'm allergic to seafood. Do you have anything for that?" Cyr asked, his curiosity toward both the shop and its eerie owner—who resembled Voldemort—sparking faintly.

It was like encountering an oddly dressed, mysterious NPC in a game. Every player knows such NPCs are bound to hold some hidden storyline or quest.

"Food allergies, you say? That's a minor issue…" The shadowy "dark wizard" extinguished the flame under the cauldron, leaving the black-purple liquid to cool on its own. He then approached Cyr.

Grabbing Cyr's arm, the shopkeeper lifted it while lowering his own head, observing intently for three seconds before releasing his grip.

Cyr, visibly uncomfortable, patted the spot where he'd been touched. He almost reflexively unleashed a Ren technique to dispel the contact but managed to hold himself back.

"That'll be 10,000 Jenny," the cloaked shopkeeper said, turning around to rummage through various containers.

In this world, Jenny had a value comparable to Japanese yen. Ten thousand Jenny was roughly equivalent to 60 USD. That seemed unusual for some allergy medication.

Sensing potential skepticism, the somber shopkeeper added in a slow, deliberate tone, "All the ingredients come from magical plants. Genuine and high-quality."

"You're no ordinary customer. You should understand the value of such things," he said calmly, having clearly sensed Cyr's aura the moment he stepped into the store. Cyr hadn't made any effort to conceal his power, his nonchalant display making it obvious to the shopkeeper that this seemingly youthful boy was far stronger than he appeared.

"One dose, please," Cyr replied with a brief nod, neither confirming nor denying his understanding of the price.

As he handed over the money, his gaze wandered to the various peculiar items displayed in the shop.

Shelves crafted from aged wood were packed with strange and unusual objects: animal horns, dark sandy soil, gelatinous white solids, faintly glowing red powders, and items that looked suspiciously like fruits or vegetables.

"All from nen plants and beasts, huh?" Cyr gestured toward a red strawberry in the cabinet.

It looked like an ordinary strawberry—plump, vibrant, and undoubtedly delicious.

"That's a strawberry that grows on the backs of strawberry tortoises in the Milsy Wetlands. Sweet in taste and mild in medicinal properties, it strengthens the body and is often added to medicines to improve flavor," the somber shopkeeper explained seriously, answering Cyr's question without hesitation.

Cyr smirked. So, adding it to medicine makes it strawberry-flavored.

"And what about this?" He pointed to the glowing red powder.

Its soft radiance in the dim light gave it a mesmerizing beauty.

"Scales from the wings of blood-sucking butterflies. They're effective for replenishing depleted energy and can also be used to make certain medicines…"

"Certain medicines?" The white-haired, blue-eyed boy raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Meds occasionally used by adults during their nighttime activities. They can also be used for more… nefarious purposes. Blood-sucking butterfly scales are a key ingredient in some sedatives," the shopkeeper replied with unsettling calmness.

"Interesting." Cyr nodded thoughtfully.

Considering how much blood he'd lost through nosebleeds, he figured something to replenish his energy might be a good idea.

°°°

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