Netero held his hot tea, looking completely at ease.
Beans stood to the side, smiling wryly without a word.
Law hadn't expected Netero to refuse to give him a Hunter License.
Surprised, he scratched his cheek and then picked up his hot tea, downing it in one gulp.
"Stingy."
After finishing the tea, he responded to Netero's 'not giving' with that single word.
Netero's right eyelid twitched, but he remained exceptionally calm.
A moment later, Law continued, "Really not giving?"
"The Hunter Exam has always been fair and rigorous. As the person in charge of the Hunter Examination Committee, how could I engage in such underhanded behavior that undermines fairness?" Netero set down his teacup, his expression solemn, putting on the act of a righteous official.
Hearing this, Law gave him a dead-fish stare, 'Keep pretending.'
Beans, standing nearby, instinctively lowered his head, thinking, 'Weren't you the one who always insisted on giving Law special treatment before?'
"Hey, old man, you're not thinking of making me use my 'request' to trade for a Hunter License, are you?" Law leaned his elbow on the table, propping his cheek on his hand.
Netero grinned, retorting, "Brat, if you want to trade, that's fine by me."
"You're the one who wants to trade, not me. A Hunter License is just a license… this deal isn't worth it." Law slowly stood up, looking at Netero with a smile, "I haven't figured out how to use that 'request' yet. It might be fun, though."
Netero, however, adopted a 'suit yourself' expression and waved at Beans, signaling him to bring the teapot over for a refill.
Seeing that Netero was serious, Law took out an exquisitely packaged gift box from Kuro's space and placed it on the low table, "Fine, if you won't give it to me, I'm leaving."
Netero glanced at the gift box and chuckled a few times but still didn't react.
Law shook his head slightly and gently patted the gift box, "It's a local specialty."
With that, he turned around, put on his shoes, and left the meditation room, heading toward the Lawlin Museum's office.
Beans watched Law leave the room, then refilled Netero's teacup, "Chairman, haven't you always wanted Law to join the Association? Now that he's asking for a license, why not give it to him?"
Netero reached out and pulled the gift box over from a distance, "It's precisely because he wants it now that I won't give it to him."
If he handed over the Hunter License so easily and casually, would he still be Netero?
"Uh…" Beans opened his mouth but swallowed the words he was about to say.
'Chairman's... peculiar sense of humor, I suppose.'
Netero opened the gift box and found neatly arranged strips of dried meat inside. He remembered what Dafifi had said before.
"A local specialty, huh…"
Netero's eyes narrowed slightly. He naturally knew where this specialty had come from.
Silently, he picked up a strip of meat and chewed on it.
"Mmm."
His narrowed eyes slowly widened as he savored the explosive flavors bursting on his tongue, 'No wonder Gorilla had spoken so highly of it.'
He swallowed the meat, handed a strip to Beans, and then fell silent, staring at the door.
There were many questions he wanted to ask, and he also wanted to see how much Law had grown. But he wasn't in a hurry.
Law had come to ask for a Hunter License and had specifically inquired about the current state of the Zodiacs.
This should be considered... a good thing, right?
The corridor was simple yet luxurious, wide and straight, with almost no trash visible on the floor.
Law walked toward the elevator, muttering to himself, "He won't give it to me precisely because I want it, and he's sure I won't waste my 'request' on it. He's really confident, isn't he? Guess I'll have to take the Hunter Exam after all."
"And given the situation, even if there's a vacancy among the Zodiacs, that old man probably won't let me take the spot easily. What a hassle."
His need for the white book pages wasn't as urgent anymore, so he didn't particularly need to increase the number of pages.
He had thought he could just ask Netero directly for the license, but plans never keep up with changes.
Law stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor where the Lawlin Museum was located.
A moment later, with a ding, the elevator doors opened.
Law's eyes shifted to the right, "Something wrong?"
"My, what a coincidence."
Pariston poked his head out from the right, a sunny smile on his face.
He had done his best to hide his presence and even his breathing, yet he was discovered instantly.
Law didn't respond and walked out of the elevator.
A faint flicker of surprise appeared deep in Pariston's eyes, but he naturally fell into step beside Law.
After they had taken a few steps, Law suddenly stopped, turned sideways, and then took a step toward Pariston.
It was just one step… the sound of his sole lifting and touching the ground was light, but it carried an incredibly heavy sense of impact.
Pariston, however, sensitively retreated ten steps back, a flash of astonishment crossing his face, making his habitual smile slightly stiff.
The moment Law took that sudden step, Pariston felt a threat so close it was as if his life had suddenly been hung over a blazing fire.
At that moment, before he could even think of how to respond, his body had already reacted automatically.
'Half a second, or maybe 0.3 seconds. If I had just a little more time, I might not have lost my composure.'
Pariston thought grimly to himself. He quickly lowered his head, then instantly raised it to look at Law. The stiffness in his smile had vanished, returning to its original state, as if nothing had happened at all.
Law looked calmly at Pariston, extended his index finger, bent it downward, and pointed at his right foot, "There's a bug."
Even if it was a double entendre, it was an insignificant matter. After all, being underestimated was often a good thing.
Pariston's eyes deepened like the night. He shook his head slightly, regretfully saying, "In that case, it seems the Association's pest control work is quite lacking…"
Law interrupted him, "This floor is the office building of the Lawlin Museum."
With that, Law moved his right foot away and left without looking back.
On the ground, a small black bug scurried around flusteredly like a headless fly, unfortunately running in Pariston's direction.
That seemingly incredibly heavy step had exuded a fierce and imposing presence, yet it hadn't harmed the bug in the slightest.
Pariston's gaze slowly shifted from Law's retreating back to the black bug running toward him.
His expression was as calm as water, his eyes dark and unfocused, like an abyss with no bottom in sight.
"I just wanted to have a pleasant chat. How cold. So, was that a warning or a show of force?" Having had his attempt at conversation directly shut down by Law, Pariston shrugged and turned to enter the elevator.
The small black bug actually followed him into the elevator.
Pariston ignored the bug's presence.
A moment later, the elevator descended to the floor where the Association's offices were located. He stepped out of the elevator and, whether intentionally or not, crushed the bug under his foot as he walked.
Perhaps it was because he was back at the Association.
But there was no denying that, for a moment, Law had exerted tremendous pressure on him.
Elsewhere, Law entered the messy office area of the Lawlin Museum.
Sabro saw Law and was momentarily stunned.
Salin threw down the book in her hands, flashed in front of Law, and pressed both hands against his cheeks, slightly angry, "How dare you not answer my calls!"