Chapter 35: I, Haru, Never Lie
That night, the group of hired amateur hunters gathered at the residence of Ochema's bald-headed representative, Sloane.
Sloane asked in surprise, "Are you saying there really are ghosts?"
Haru replied, "We're hunters. We wouldn't lie to our employer."
"Of course not. I'm not doubting your professional integrity," Sloane nodded, rubbing his half-bald head.
Bodyguard Kanzai furrowed his brows. Ghosts? It was probably some form of Nen, he thought.
Although Kanzai wasn't the brightest and was practically illiterate, he still had a sense of professional decorum. When ordinary people—non-Nen users—were around, he refrained from mentioning anything related to Nen.
Exchanging a glance with Haru and the others, Kanzai realized they shared a similar suspicion.
However, unlike Haru and his group, Dago and the other amateur hunters strongly suspected that the so-called ghostly apparition was some kind of trickery conjured by Haru. Perhaps he was trying to create an illusion to fool them and secure his payout before the mission deadline.
Shizuku, ever direct, asked Sloane, "Does this count as a significant discovery?"
Dago and the others shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Even if Haru was bluffing to secure the reward, they'd still benefit from it.
Sloane, however, hesitated. "The staff from the Blanchett Corporation who accompanied you claim they neither saw any ghosts nor heard any strange sounds. It'll be difficult to count this as a reportable discovery. I'm afraid I'll need more tangible proof from you all to justify doubling the reward—and so I have something solid to report back with."
With that, the matter was settled.
Dago and the others nodded silently, unwilling but accepting the situation.
Shizuku left with Haru and Menchi. Under the cover of night, the hunters exchanged knowing looks, each silently resolving to head back into the forest. The Blanchett Corporation staff sighed, rotated shifts, and followed them reluctantly.
Haru looked around, noting that on his left and right were two beautiful women.
"Ghost hunting at night—doesn't it feel more atmospheric?" he quipped, waving his hand. "Let's head out!"
Shizuku immediately followed, and Menchi, shaking her head with a smirk, trailed after them.
From the shadows of the forest emerged the man with the "cauliflower" hairstyle—Babimyna. Watching Haru and his group walk away, Babimyna considered for a moment, called his subordinates, and began following them from a distance.
---
"They said the Kakin Kingdom..."
"If you've been wronged..."
"If you hate Kakin..."
As Haru's group strolled through the forest under the moonlight, familiar echoes of shouting came from nearby.
"It's Dago and the others," Menchi remarked.
"They're copying you," Shizuku observed.
Haru chuckled. "Well, my method did work, after all."
"But it can't work twice," Menchi said. "That child-like apparition vanished after you called out. Even if they shout again, it probably won't reappear. It's pitch dark out here—finding anything is going to be tough."
Menchi crossed her arms. "You're the one who wanted to do this at night, though."
"Well," Shizuku interjected, "none of us can use En."
Haru fell silent, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the Blanchett staff following them from a distance. Beyond them, Babimyna and his men were quietly tailing the group.
"But some people can," Haru said.
---
"En?"
Babimyna's expression didn't change. "And why are you so certain I know this technique?"
"You look like a skilled fighter," Haru said. "When I used that Nen bullet to threaten Dago earlier, you didn't even flinch. A normal person would've reacted like Sloane did—scared out of their wits. So, are you going to admit it or not?"
Babimyna replied calmly, "Even if I did use En and detected your so-called ghost, I couldn't guarantee that it would react to my aura."
Menchi interjected, "Do you Kakin people really know nothing about this island's true nature?"
Babimyna clarified, "This place has been here for almost 25 years now."
In other words, whatever the Kakin Kingdom might have known about this land belonged to the past.
"So, you're willing to help us, then," Shizuku concluded.
Babimyna didn't reply immediately. His gaze briefly swept over the two women before settling on Haru.
Haru smirked. "I'm not asking you to find the ghost."
"If not the ghost, then what?" Babimyna asked.
Haru responded, "Nen inscriptions."
Babimyna raised an eyebrow. "The Hunter Association is the world's foremost authority on Nen research."
Haru caught the implication: Babimyna wasn't familiar with Nen inscriptions.
"Nen inscriptions are symbols imbued with Nen," Haru explained. "I'm not a professional Nen researcher, so my understanding is limited."
Haru half-jokingly recounted his experiences: "I've seen inscriptions a few times. Once, they were on a rope that would snap when exposed to a certain level of Ten. Another time, a wooden box covered in inscriptions became indestructible. And on one island, I saw inscriptions on a fighting ring that enhanced a fighter's Nen abilities..."
As Babimyna listened, he seemed to process the idea, nodding thoughtfully.
Menchi, meanwhile, muttered to herself, wondering if Haru's stories were really true. Maybe he was 20 years old after all...
Haru continued with a grin. "The most recent instance was over there."
He pointed toward the northern part of East Town, where the amusement park was located. Glancing at the nearby Blanchett staff, who were busy keeping an eye out for predators, Haru added, "Shizuku and I found some inscriptions in the Fairy Amusement Park."
He didn't need to elaborate further; Babimyna was already making the connection.
The founder of the Blanchett Corporation was a professional Hunter.
If his amusement park had Nen inscriptions, and his company had managed this island for the past four years, there was a possibility they had used similar techniques elsewhere.
Babimyna asked, "What do these inscriptions look like?"
Menchi shrugged. "Don't ask me—I haven't seen them."
Shizuku admitted, "I forgot."
"They're cryptic symbols," Haru said with a smirk. "Don't tell me you've been investigating this island for over two weeks with no leads whatsoever."
Babimyna's expression remained neutral.
Haru pressed on. "Wherever you suspect something important might be, it's likely the Blanchett Corporation has left inscriptions there..."
---
The night was dark, the moon nearly full, and the air deathly still.
Haru's group wandered through the core area of the reserve, their footsteps crunching softly against the frost-like moonlight covering the ground.
Ahead, scattered through sparse woods and grassy clearings, clusters of luminous jade-like lights moved silently. Moonlit Tigers prowled or lay sprawled, their glowing stripes and eerie eyes reflecting the moonlight.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, dozens of tiger eyes turned toward them, gleaming like fireflies in the darkness.
Babimyna stopped to observe the tigers, his gaze sharp and steady.
The other staff members raised their weapons—tranquilizer guns and pistols alike.
Menchi nudged Haru and pointed toward another part of the clearing. There stood Toru, accompanied by another Moonlit Tiger—the one Haru had rescued from poachers.
Haru waved a hand toward Toru, signaling it to stay back.
The tiger tilted its head in confusion but obediently remained at a distance, circling with its companion.
"I've found it," Babimyna suddenly announced, striding forward.
The cluster of Moonlit Tigers scattered like stardust, retreating into the shadows.
(End of Chapter)