Roy: "..."
He almost forgot that his wife had an almost paranoid obsession with money and treasure.
And a Hunter License brought enormous wealth, so No. 18's attitude was both unexpected and perfectly reasonable.
"Okay, then I'll help you register your name too—"
"No need." No. 18 gave Roy a sideways glance.
"I've already signed up. Including yours."
Roy: "..."
Well, now everything was settled.
And so, their participation in the Hunter Exam was decided just like that.
As for Old Luke and Shōnen Magazine…
"What did you say?! You're going to take the Hunter Exam!!!"
Old Luke looked absolutely stunned, as if Roy were joking with him.
Roy shrugged. He expected this reaction.
"Hey! What are you thinking?! You're now the brightest rising star in the manga industry—money, fame, privileges—you have everything! Why risk your life in that dangerous exam?! Are you not satisfied?!"
Old Luke was furious, noticing Roy wasn't joking.
"The Hunter Exam is truly dangerous! One small mistake and your life is gone! What is going through your head?! Isn't your dream to become a great mangaka? Why go be a hunter of all things?!"
"Yes, I know the exam is dangerous. And my dream hasn't changed. But I'm totally out of inspiration right now. When drawing Dragon Ball, I already felt signs of depletion. Inspiration comes from life—and beyond life. That's why I'm taking the exam."
Roy said this nonsense with a completely serious face.
"The rest of Dragon Ball is already drawn. Look—so even if something happens to me, the story won't be interrupted. Of course, nothing will happen."
Roy took out the rest of the Dragon Ball manuscript and placed it in front of Old Luke.
Over the past few days, to ensure that he could still obtain items through Nen ability during the exam, Roy rushed the manuscript and drew a large portion ahead of time.
But Old Luke still frowned deeply.
Regardless of Dragon Ball, he truly cared about Roy and didn't want him to lose his life in the Hunter Exam at such a young age.
Old Luke lit a cigarette and said in a deep voice, "I still think—"
Bang!
The office door burst open violently.
Old Luke raised his head, ready to curse—
—but when he saw who opened the door, he swallowed the words.
"Why are you here?" Roy shot a look at No. 18 standing in the doorway.
"Ah, I've prepared everything. When are we leaving?"
"You go wait outside for me. I'll be done soon."
Bang!
No. 18 closed the door rudely.
After the door shut, Old Luke finally spoke, his tone unconsciously softer:
"So… your wife is going with you?"
"Yes. You know her strength, sir. With her coming along, there's absolutely no problem."
Old Luke fell into silence. He knew No. 18's strength far too well.
He remembered that one afternoon—a suicidal underground assassin tried to kidnap Roy. Old Luke had come that day to drink with him…
And No. 18's instant, overwhelming takedown was burned into Luke's memory forever.
"Well… since you want to go, I can't stop you. I can only say—be careful."
Roy nodded, relieved.
After all, Old Luke was his benefactor and mentor. Without him, Roy wouldn't have the platform to use his Nen ability at all.
When No. 18 appeared, it was Old Luke who arranged their wedding, handled their marriage certificate, and even registered No. 18's identity paperwork.
Old Luke's kindness weighed heavily in Roy's heart.
And with Old Luke's approval, there were no more obstacles.
Hunter Exam, here we come!
...
The sky was clear and the breeze gentle.
At the pier of Old Silver Island, Roy said farewell to Old Luke and the others aboard the Poseidon.
When the time came, the Poseidon let out a long horn blast and slowly sailed away from the port.
Old Luke watched the ship fade into the distance and sighed softly.
"I hope Little Roy returns safely this time. As for Dragon Ball…"
He rubbed his temples.
"I'll check how many chapters are left in reserve. If it's low, we'll publish every two weeks. If it's enough, we keep the schedule. Seriously… are geniuses born with strange specialist quirks? If the old guys in the manga industry find out Little Roy went to take the Hunter Exam, I can't imagine their reaction~"