"You did well."
Botobai, whose cheekbones were dusted with white powder and around his eyes and lips painted with red, said, "Do you need me to send some people to escort the prisoners for you?"
"No need, thank you." Kurapika replied. "The three of us are enough. There's no need to waste manpower here."
Botobai nodded. "Then I'll trouble you again this afternoon… But first, go have lunch. I'll ask Buhara to prepare a special meal for you."
Kurapika didn't like getting special treatment. That was a mindset every disciple of Germain should have.
Just as he was about to refuse, a phone rang and interrupted him.
Ding-ling-ling—
"Sorry."
Botobai nodded slightly at Kurapika and didn't ask Kurapika, Illumi, or Melody to move away before answering the call. "This is Botobai. Please go ahead."
He listened quietly to the voice on the other end, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Then he glanced at Kurapika.
Kurapika noticed the strange look.
Meanwhile, Melody could sense the excitement in Botobai's heartbeat, though Botobai's face hid it well.
"I understand."
Botobai hung up and said to Kurapika, "I think you have the right to know this news."
"What news?" Kurapika already had a feeling by now.
He calculated the time. With his teacher's decisive style, he should be back around now.
"The Germain group has returned."
Sure enough, Botobai brought good news. "Their ship just docked. We can go greet them."
"Also…" Botobai added before Kurapika could speak, "You might be able to go with them this afternoon. They brought back a group of prisoners as well."
—
Half an hour later, the Hunter Association branch cafeteria at the BW1 wreckage base was bustling with noise.
The return of Germain, Bisky, Morel, and Shizuku clearly stirred the excitement of the hunters stationed here.
Anyone without urgent duties, especially familiar faces, basically came to the cafeteria to greet Germain and the others.
"I've already informed the Coastal Fortress about your return," Botobai told Germain, who was enjoying Buhara's cooked meal.
"Chairman Netero said he's ready for tonight's celebration banquet and is waiting for you."
Germain shrugged indifferently.
He scooped up a piece of steamed egg made from some unknown animal's egg with a spoon and put it in his mouth.
It felt smooth and soft.
During these past few months of sailing, although they had brought plenty of food, without Menchi and Buhara's hot dishes, it still felt a bit bland.
At the dining table, Germain, Bisky, and Shizuku behaved quite politely.
But Morel didn't care about manners and started eating heartily.
Even Knuckle and Shoot beside him could hardly watch.
At another table, the prisoners were also eating hot meals, but most of them found the food tasteless and dull.
Under the watchful eyes of hunters like Botobai and Saccho from the Hunter Association, the former members of the Twelve Zodiacs Saiyu and mercenaries like Muherr felt a lot of pressure.
Only Pariston ate calmly, his expression unchanged.
His composed demeanor was as if he wasn't a prisoner at all, but just a random passerby sitting there by chance.
Germain and his group had already briefly recounted the journey to the Dark Continent.
The transit base island, the Boundary Gate, the courtyard of the Sphinx, the deep-sea gate guarded by the gatekeeper, the ferryman's ghost ship, the Siren Gorge, the Dragon Volcano…
Of course, some parts were partially concealed, especially details about the lantern teleport point.
Among all, the most important were of course the Gatekeeper's trial, the Ferryman's passage, the death of Beyond, and obtaining the "Greedy Dragon Crystals."
The "Greedy Dragon Crystals" were crystals they had taken from the lava, surpassing even the "Seven Great Beauties of the Six Continents" in brilliance.
The name was given by Bisky, who knew she couldn't possess all of these crystals but at least wanted the naming rights.
When several pieces of the "Greedy Dragon Crystals" were displayed, they immediately caught everyone's attention.
Most had rarely seen something so beautiful and looked at them in awe.
Gel and Ginta, wanting to touch and feel their weight, reached out but Bisky swiftly slapped their hands away protectively, like guarding food.
Bisky's reason was that Gel's hands often carried traces of various medicines, and Ginta was too rough—both might accidentally damage the crystals.
Gel, Ginta, and the others could only give up and accept Bisky's rule of "look but don't touch."
With that, Germain and his group could say their journey was a huge success.
Kurapika, who possessed the "Scarlet Eyes of the Kuruta Clan," one of the Seven Great Beauties, had little interest in the "Greedy Crystals."
What fascinated him more was the experience of Germain's journey—it made his heart itch with longing.
The transit base island, the Boundary Gate, the Ferryman's ghost ship, the Dark Continent… The scenes Germain described continuously drew him to imagine what it must have been like.
Without the shackles of revenge, perhaps he too could, like Germain, walk upon the Dark Continent and live an extraordinary life.
It wasn't just Kurapika. Almost everyone present who had yet to visit the Dark Continent couldn't help but feel eager and hopeful about the world Germain and others had painted.
Even Knov thought he would go to the Dark Continent sooner or later.
Of course, it would be safer if Germain accompanied him.
That chaotic night helped Knov conquer his inner demons. Not only did he regain courage and confidence, but he also regained his hair.
Knov's previously bald head had now grown short black hair.
In another month or two, he would have his old hairstyle back again.
Among the group before him, only Illumi showed little reaction.
He was curious about the Dark Continent, but that was all.
He didn't have much motivation to actually explore the Dark Continent.
The "Greedy Dragon Crystal" did catch his eye, but not enough to make him want to go there.
He took money, previously working for clients, now working for the Hunter Association.
It wasn't greed, but part of his professional assassin's code: he took jobs for payment.
He never thought there was anything wrong with this, and he intended to keep it that way.
After a period of rest following their meal, the Germain Exploration Team and Kurapika's squad departed from the BW1 wreckage base.
They were escorting their respective prisoners to the coastal fortress.
With Germain stationed there, the prisoner transfer would surely go smoothly.
When news came that Germain was about to arrive, the gates of the coastal fortress unusually opened wide.
Chairman Netero, Ging, Cheadle, and Mizaistom personally came to greet them.
This level of reception stirred up a crowd inside the coastal fortress.
The residents of the New Continent initially thought reinforcements from the Six Continents had arrived.
But when they saw the unfamiliar Germain and others, they grew both curious and surprised.
Who exactly were these people to deserve the core members of the coastal fortress to welcome them personally?
Inside the coastal fortress, all factions began secretly investigating Germain' backgrounds to avoid misjudging the situation.
*******
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