After telling Law that Buhara would arrive that evening, Sabro watched Law's silent, somber expression, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing and went back to studying the treasures from the Dark Continent.
Law leaned back in his office chair, tilting his head slightly and closing his eyes, trying to clear away the lingering anger in his heart.
After experiencing all sorts of bizarre and extraordinary things in the Dark Continent, even in life-or-death situations, he could remain as calm as a machine. That was the change those years had brought him.
Yet, after reading that report, a stubborn anger had taken root.
"Hah."
Law slowly opened his eyes, staring at the light on the ceiling, and let out a soft sigh.
He took out his phone and fiddled with it, considering whether to call Machi now and ask about the Kurta Clan.
He only wanted to know whether Machi, Uvogin, and Nobunaga had tried to stop or intervene when the Phantom Troupe attacked the Kurta Clan.
'If they had…'
Law's eyelids drooped slightly, concealing a flicker of coldness.
Long ago, he had realized that some things were unchangeable.
Despite repeated attempts to persuade them, he could only turn a blind eye to the Troupe's atrocities.
The Troupe's members, including Machi and the others, shared the same values and way of life… a common trait among those from Meteor City.
People like the Troupe were everywhere in this world. Even in the Hunter Association, if a serial killer didn't harm fellow members, they could still roam free.
This was a norm in this world that ordinary people often overlooked.
Law remained silent for a long time before finally stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
The next time he encountered the Troupe, he wouldn't hold back for Machi's sake.
By evening, Buhara returned earlier than expected. He rushed into the company and threw himself at Law, sobbing uncontrollably with emotion.
After years apart, Buhara had grown into a bear-like mountain of a man. His tackle felt like a literal mountain crashing down on Law.
"Alright, alright."
Law couldn't handle Buhara's emotional outburst and pushed him away.
Buhara wiped the tears from his face and said softly, "Boss, I thought you were… Hm?"
His honest face suddenly turned sharp, his gaze fixed on Law's left arm.
Again. Unavoidable.
Seeing Buhara's reaction, Law felt deeply resigned, 'It seemed I have to explain everything all over again.'
Half an hour later, the group sat around a table laden with delicious food.
Buhara ate heartily, his eyes squinted in satisfaction.
Salin and Sabro also quietly enjoyed the local specialties Law had brought back from the Dark Continent.
Law didn't eat but quietly watched the three.
He planned to visit Linne next, then head to Kukuroo Mountain to see Killua.
There were many people he needed to meet one by one. As for Gon, Ging had asked him not to interfere, so he wouldn't go.
After the meal, Salin and Sabro leaned back in their chairs, satisfied, while Buhara rubbed his stomach, clearly still hungry.
The food Law brought back had been selected based on strict criteria, so there wasn't much.
As for ingredients, he had only brought one portion, which is a gift for Linne.
Seeing that Buhara was still hungry, Law could only helplessly shrug.
"Boss, are you going back to the Dark Continent?" Buhara asked.
Hearing this, Sabro immediately kicked Buhara under the table. Buhara looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he'd been kicked.
Law noticed Sabro's subtle action but didn't address it. He had no intention of hiding anything and directly replied, "Yes."
At Law's words, Salin and Sabro's expressions shifted slightly, while Buhara happily said, "Then you have to take me with you next time!"
Law just smiled without committing.
Going to the Dark Continent wasn't just about being strong.
The most important thing was having special skills to handle various harsh environments, like Tonpa's Nen Ability.
Law could tell Buhara had grown much stronger, but he still didn't meet his expectations. However, he kept that to himself.
Later, the group chatted casually.
Buhara was now a Single-Star Gourmet Hunter, somewhat famous in his field, though a young prodigy named Menchi still overshadowed him.
When the topic turned to the Hunter Exam, Law mentioned he would take the exam in a month. Buhara exclaimed that he was the examiner for the second phase.
Law already knew this but didn't interrupt Buhara's excitement, smiling as he let him chatter away.
"Since the boss is taking the exam, hehehe."
Buhara rubbed his hands together, his anticipation evident.
As the examiner for this year's exam, he had originally been too lazy to think of a test question and just wanting to eat a full meal, but now that Law was participating, he immediately changed his mind.
'I had to come up with a unique question to get the boss to cook something amazing.'
In the original work, Buhara's test was undoubtedly the easiest phase… just hunting a pig and roasting it. But with Law's presence as a butterfly effect, the future test questions were likely to change.
Law didn't mind much.
In his view, getting the license would be effortless. If Hisoka also participated in this year's exam, he would take him out before the exam even officially began.
The night deepened.
Law left the company and took the elevator to the top floor.
Even after nightfall, many rooms in the Hunter Association's Headquarters were still brightly lit.
Law arrived at the spacious rooftop.
At this height, the night wind whistled past, tousling his hair and making his robes flutter.
Walking against the strong night wind, he reached the edge of the rooftop.
A full moon hung high in the sky, dotted with only a few stars and no clouds in sight.
Below the night sky, the city lights began to glow, painting a vibrant nightscape.
Gazing at the bustling night view, Law took out his phone, turned it on, and patiently waited for the messages to finish loading before dialing Machi's number.
The dial tone rang for over twenty seconds before the call connected.
Before Machi could speak, Law said directly, "It's me."
The breathing on the other end noticeably quickened.
The wind noise was picked up by the microphone, overshadowing the breathing, becoming the only sound.
Machi fell silent, and Law also said nothing.
After a moment, Machi's voice came through, carrying a mix of emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, all condensed into one sentence: "Where are you?"
No further questions, just a short inquiry about his location.
"The rooftop of the Hunter Association's Headquarters," Law replied truthfully.
"I'll come find you. Wait for me." Machi's tone brooked no argument.
"You're an A-Class criminal," Law reminded her.
Machi fell silent for a moment before calmly saying, "So what?"
Law paused, then said, "Never mind. There's no hurry to come find me. There's something I want to ask you."
Machi was sharp and quick to react, immediately guessing what Law wanted to ask.
"The Kurta Clan?"
"Yes," Law said calmly.
Machi heard a trace of coldness in his voice that even the howling wind couldn't cover.
But she wasn't nervous at all because she hadn't been involved.