Chapter 45
Seeing that Haruto, Kurapika, and Leorio had apparently taken his warning seriously, Tonpa’s smile grew even brighter.
He waved cheerfully and said, "Do your best, all three of you!"
With that, he turned and strolled toward the other end of the corridor.
The moment his back was to them, however, his friendly smile vanished, replaced by a sinister smirk filled with smug satisfaction.
’It was all a lie.’
’Go ahead and spend the entire night searching the airship. Wear yourselves out until you’re too exhausted to keep fighting.’
Tonpa could already picture the three of them arriving at the Third Phase the next morning with dark circles beneath their eyes, barely able to stand.
The thought put an extra spring in his step.
Once Tonpa had left, Haruto smiled and turned to Kurapika and Leorio.
"Come on. Let’s head to the dining hall first. It’s already getting late."
The three followed the corridor and soon arrived outside the dining hall.
The aroma of food drifted through the doorway. Quite a few applicants were already seated inside, hungrily devouring their meals.
Leorio and Kurapika chose a table beside the window, while Haruto headed straight toward the kitchen at the back of the room.
The door had been left slightly ajar. Haruto knocked on the frame and addressed the staff inside.
"Excuse me. Would it be all right if I borrowed the kitchen? I’d like to make something to eat."
The workers paused in surprise.
A round-faced, middle-aged chef quickly recovered and waved him in.
"Sure! We’ve got everything you need, and you’re welcome to use whatever’s in the cold room. Just clean up after yourself when you’re finished."
He pointed toward a door at the rear of the kitchen marked Cold Storage.
"Fresh ingredients, dried goods—it’s all in there. Take whatever you need!"
"Thanks, sir!"
Haruto expressed his gratitude and entered the kitchen.
...
The kitchen was spacious and spotless.
The stainless-steel stoves, ovens, and worktops had been polished until they reflected his image, while ladles, spatulas, and other utensils hung in neat rows along the walls.
Haruto nodded in satisfaction before opening the cold-room door.
A rush of frigid air greeted him, carrying the fresh aromas of countless ingredients.
The shelves were packed with meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and other supplies, all neatly separated and arranged.
After inspecting the selection, Haruto took several heads of cabbage, along with scallions, ginger, and a few other seasonings.
He then retrieved several Landmine Mushrooms and one Great Stamp from Gourmet Restaurant.
The kitchen staff were briefly startled, but quickly returned to their work.
They had been employed by the Hunter Association for years and had witnessed all kinds of unusual Nen abilities.
...
While Haruto busied himself in the kitchen, Satotz, Menchi, and Buhara were seated together in a private dining room deeper inside the airship.
The occasional clink of cutlery against porcelain accompanied their meal.
As Menchi ate, she glanced toward Buhara with interest.
"How many applicants do you think will make it through this year?"
Buhara paused with his knife and fork in hand.
"You mean how many will pass the entire exam?"
Menchi nodded.
"That’s right."
"This year’s group is unusually talented."
A hint of guilt crossed her face.
"I really shouldn’t have come so close to eliminating all of them earlier."
Buhara considered the question for a moment.
"That depends on what the remaining examiners decide to test them on."
The contents of the Hunter Exam were determined by the Hunters serving as examiners that year, so the final number of successful applicants varied greatly.
...
While the three examiners discussed the candidates, Haruto placed the Great Stamp onto a worktable and drew a sharp boning knife.
His wrist moved in quick, practiced strokes as he separated meat from bone.
First, he removed the tenderloin and sliced it into evenly sized cutlets about one centimeter thick.
He seasoned them with salt and white pepper, then added a little rice wine and freshly pressed apple juice.
His fingers gently worked the marinade into every fiber before he arranged the cutlets on a plate and left them to rest.
Next, he chopped the Great Stamp’s ribs into short sections and placed them in a pot of cold water alongside chunks of pork belly.
He added several slices of ginger and a few lengths of scallion, then brought the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
While the pot bubbled, Haruto soaked the Landmine Mushrooms in lightly salted water.
Foam gradually gathered across the surface of the broth. Haruto skimmed it away and let the meat blanch a little longer before turning off the heat.
He removed the ribs and pork belly, then rinsed away the remaining blood and impurities with warm water.
The pork belly was set aside on a ceramic plate.
The ribs went directly into a clay pot.
Haruto filled it with fresh water, added several more slices of ginger, and brought it to a boil.
He then lowered the flame to its smallest setting and added the Landmine Mushrooms.
Before long, the rich aroma of meat and the fresh fragrance of mushrooms began seeping through the lid, winding through the air and stirring the appetite.
The rib-and-mushroom soup needed time to simmer, so Haruto glanced at the gently bubbling clay pot before turning back to the marinated tenderloin.
He mixed a spoonful of starch with a small amount of water to make a thin batter, then coated each cutlet evenly.
After heating a frying pan, he lowered the flame and placed the cutlets inside one by one.
A loud sizzle erupted as the smell of seared pork filled the kitchen.
Golden fat slowly rendered from the meat, while the edges of the cutlets crisped and their color changed from pale pink to an appetizing golden brown.
Once both sides were perfectly seared, Haruto transferred them onto a plate lined with absorbent paper.
The golden pork cutlets gave off curls of steam and looked tempting enough to make anyone swallow.
Haruto checked the clay pot.
The aroma escaping from beneath the lid had grown even richer, though the soup still needed a little more time.
That left him with enough time to prepare another dish.
He set an iron wok over the stove and turned the flame as high as it would go. The base soon grew faintly red from the heat.
Haruto picked up the pork belly.
A flash of the knife later, paper-thin slices fell neatly onto the board.
Once the pork was ready, he prepared the cabbage and the rest of the accompanying ingredients.
By then, the wok was scorching hot.
Haruto tossed in the cabbage and sliced pork belly together.
Sssshhh—!
A fierce hiss erupted along with a burst of steam.
Haruto rapidly worked the spatula, his wrist moving without pause as the heat rendered the fat from the pork and softened the cabbage just enough to keep some of its bite.
He added salt, light soy sauce, and fermented chili bean paste, then tossed everything together until evenly coated.
Less than a minute later, the wok-fired twice-cooked pork was finished and transferred onto a plate.
At that moment, the rib-and-mushroom soup was ready as well.
Haruto lifted the lid, releasing a powerful wave of meaty richness mingled with the savory fragrance of mushrooms.
He scattered in a handful of cilantro and chopped scallions.
The rib-and-mushroom soup was complete!
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