Machi nodded and silently ate her dessert. After a few seconds of quiet, she said,
"If we sold this food, how much do you think we could get?"
"I don't think we'd get a single cent," Orion said, taking a bite. "As soon as we took it out, the starving people around us would tear us apart."
Machi fell silent. She knew how valuable food was in Meteor City, and the danger involved in selling it was too great. This was something she wanted to avoid. But she kept staring at her dessert, her eyes flickering, making Orion uneasy.
She wouldn't be calculating how much it could actually sell for, would she? That's right, Machi seems to value money, otherwise she wouldn't have stayed in the Heaven's Arena and done mending. Even for someone nominally an ally like Illumi, she charged 50 million for one hand and 20 million for the other. 70 million easily earned; that's faster than robbing a bank. It seems that many beautiful female characters in manga love money: Machi, Nami from One Piece, Android 18 from Dragon Ball.
Machi pondered the value of her dessert while Orion's thoughts wandered.
Soon, they finished the dessert. Orion placed the glass of spring water with leaves in front of him.
"Now, let's see what type of Nen ability I have."
Machi watched as Orion held his hands over the glass. This was the Water Divination method, a way to identify Nen type, developed by Shingen-ryu. A leaf is placed on a glass of water, and Nen is used to surround it. Each Nen type has a different effect:
1. Enhancement: The water level increases and decreases, inside the glass.
2. Transmutation: The water's taste changes, varying by individual.
3. Emitter: The water's color changes.
4. Manipulator: The leaf on the water moves.
5. Conjurer: Crystalline substances appear in the water.
6. Specialist: Phenomena different from the other five types. For example, Neferpitou's Water Divination showed the leaf withering.
Orion suspected his was Conjurer. The Four-Dimensional Pocket conjures gadgets, after all.
He activated his Nen, surrounding the glass. Machi watched quietly. This was only their second day together, and he had already surprised her many times. She found him quite mysterious.
Crystalline substances quickly appeared in the water.
"Conjurer, then?" It made sense, given the gadgets.
Orion was about to retract his Nen when…
"Hmm?!"
To his surprise, the crystallization didn't stop. Instead, under his Nen, more and larger crystals appeared! Finally…
BANG!!
The glass shattered under the pressure of the crystals.
"What just happened?"
Orion was baffled. The Conjurer type he knew wasn't this dramatic. Kurapika's Water Divination produced small particles, not large crystals like this.
"The initial crystallization is Conjurer, but the increasing size and quantity that shattered the glass is different from the other five types."
"It could be Specialization, but…" Orion scratched his head. "I have both Conjurer and Specialization phenomena. What does that mean? Am I Conjurer or Specialist?"
While Orion struggled with his Nen type, Machi felt her worldview shaken. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? Why did Orion's touch on the glass cause so many large crystals to appear? Her worldview had already been shattered when he produced the Gourmet Table Cloth; this was just another blow.
She looked at Orion with a complex expression. He was just a boy she'd found in the garbage, yet he seemed to be from a different world.
"What's wrong?"
Orion, having given up on the Nen type question, noticed Machi's expression and asked with a smile.
"Were you startled by the commotion?"
He began cleaning the table, then smiled. "Want to know why that happened?" He held up the Gourmet Cloth.
Machi remained silent, but the flicker in her eyes betrayed her curiosity.
"It's simple," Orion said, putting away the Gourmet Table Cloth, demonstrating another quick transformation. Machi was almost immune to his transformations by now.
"It's because of Nen," Orion explained.
"Nen?" Machi repeated the word.
"That's right," Orion nodded.
Knowledge of Nen is kept secret, but Machi will eventually learn about it and develop her own Nen ability, "Nen-type mending." Machi will eventually learn about Nen and develop her own abilities. The use of his gadgets would eventually be understood as Nen.
Orion planned to stay with Machi for now. Without sufficient strength or superior gadgets, he'd stay with her; it was safer than being alone, especially in Meteor City. He needed her help understanding the rules and navigating life here. He wouldn't go through the trouble of finding another place to live, especially as a newcomer. And most importantly…
Would Orion leave Machi after recognizing her? Absolutely not!
Therefore, staying with her meant daily gadget draws, possibly leading to useful new gadgets. This meant more interactions with Machi. It was better to be upfront than to risk misunderstandings. This was why he hadn't hidden the Gourmet Table Cloth.
"Nen is…"
Just as Orion was about to explain Nen, a loud banging came from the door.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Machi's expression turned cold. She quickly produced a thin, glowing thread—her weapon, which she wielded expertly. Orion also tensed, ready to act.
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