Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

Along the way, the only green things they could see were the Dancing Cactus. Now that they've arrived at the Elba Oasis, we can finally see trees reaching straight into the sky.

Law had assumed that since the Kandhia Desert's living conditions were so harsh, the country's population and economy would be extremely backward.

Yet, upon arriving here, what greeted him was a bustling marketplace teeming with people.

The buildings in the Elba Oasis were primarily painted in yellow, each one constructed with thick, rough mud walls that were uneven and pockmarked. The windows were few and small… clearly, practicality had been prioritized over aesthetics.

This type of architecture was best suited for the desert. During the day, it minimized the influx of solar heat, while at night, it prevented the stored warmth from dissipating too quickly.

The yellow buildings on the outskirts of the oasis were scattered, gradually becoming more compact as they neared the center.

The further inward one went, the taller and denser the structures became. And right at the heart of the oasis stood a palace, towering above all else like a crane among chickens.

The Elba Oasis had designated areas for travelers and merchants to stable their Armored Bulls, though a daily fee was required.

Law left his Armored Bull at a merchant's stable, paid a considerable deposit, and then followed Linne and the others into the lively marketplace.

"Where are we going next?" Law asked, glancing at the passing crowd.

Linne replied: "Go meet an old friend."

Law nodded and didn't ask further.

The deeper they ventured, the narrower the streets between buildings became, and the denser the crowd grew. Nearly every shop lining the streets sold all sorts of goods, each with a canopy stretched overhead to block the scorching sun.

"Come take a look! Fresh, juicy red monkey-butt fruits, perfect for beating the heat!"

"Freshly stir-fried insect platter! Scorpions, sandworms, ants, and sesame snakes… mixed and ready to go! Just 998 Jenny per serving, only 998!"

"Heat-relieving and detoxifying rock turtle eggs… just 10,000 Jenny each!"

The shouts of the shopkeepers echoed endlessly, weaving together the prosperous street scene.

Every shop had people stopping by… some were locals, others were outsiders. Among these outsiders, most were either adventurers seeking fortune or merchants here for trade. Pure travelers like Law were a rare minority.

Even in the desert, there were all kinds of unique foods and snacks, though some were so unusual they bordered on extreme. Many were made from insects.

Whenever they passed a food stall, the enticing aroma would waft over, a result of the local spices, which immediately stirred Buhara's appetite. He kept craning his neck toward the shops and stalls, eyeing the food eagerly.

After walking through several streets, the group finally stopped in front of a shop with very few customers. The shopkeeper was an old man in his sixties or seventies, with his Aura steadily covering his body.

The shop sold hotpots made from scorpions and other similar ingredients.

Dark red scorpions, plump sandworms, colorful beetles, finger-length snakes...

These local delicacies all looked roughly the same, likely prepared in similar ways. But what set the old man's hotpots apart from the others was their aroma.

While other shops' hotpots had strong, heavy fragrances, the old man's were much milder… though their presentation was far superior.

The old man sat on a low stool by the entrance, clutching a leaf fan, his head drooping as if dozing off. He didn't seem worried about anyone stealing his hotpots.

Linne walked up to him, raised her cane, and tapped it against the ground. The dull thud made the old man's body jerk slightly.

"Which damn brat's disturbing your grandpa's nap? Are you tired of living?"

The old man woke groggily, and before he could even see who was making the sound, he started cursing.

Law and Buhara were speechless while watching on the sidelines.

'With an attitude like that, no wonder this shop had so few customers.'

Linne listened to the old man's cursing with the usual blank expression on her face.

The old man finally raised his head and saw Linne standing before him. Then, his angry face froze in shock.

"You…?"

The old man's eyes widened as if he'd seen something unbelievable.

"It's me." Linne said calmly.

The old man seemed to confirm something in an instant. His mouth opened and closed, his face cycling through a myriad of emotions… like a mix of bitterness, shock, and joy.

Then, remembering the curses he'd just spat out, his expression twisted as if he'd eaten shit.

"Sister Linne, I… just now, that was an accident, definitely an accident!"

For some reason, the old man first laughed awkwardly, then suddenly teared up, and finally broke into a happy smile. His expressions shifted so rapidly within seconds, it was as if fifty years of emotions had flashed across his face.

"Where's Salin?" Looking at the old man fumble like a child, a look of nostalgia emerged in Linne's cloudy old eyes.

"Her?"

The old man's eyelids drooped, and he said in a tone filled with unresolved feelings: "She's long gone."

"I see…" Linne murmured, "So she went 'there' in the end."

"Yeah. I couldn't stop her. Just couldn't." The old man pressed his hands to his forehead, tears squeezed out of his dry old eyes. It was unclear whether it was because he was happy about Linne's arrival, or sad about the person named Salin.

Linne fell silent for a moment, then abruptly changed the subject and said, "I've brought two juniors with me. We'll be staying here for a while. Do you have enough spare rooms?"

"Enough, definitely enough!" The old man jumped up from his stool, then asked urgently, "Sister Linne, how long will you stay?"

Linne glanced back at Law and Buhara before answering flatly, "Quite a while."

As soon as she finished speaking, walked past him and strode into the shop as if she owned the place.

The old man stared blankly as Linne entered with such familiarity, feeling extremely complicated. Decades had passed, but he could still recognize Linne at a glance, and Linne could also recognize him at a glance. But both of them had truly changed.

"Old man, we're heading in too." Law said after looking inside the store.

"Old man? Who're you calling old man? Call me Sabro!" The old man wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and glared, his presence suddenly quite imposing. (T/N: He's calling himself Brother Sa, so I changed it to Sabro.)

Law's mouth twitched slightly, and he said again: "Brother Sa, can we go in?"

"Follow me." Sa nodded in satisfaction and walked into the shop.

"Sabro, can I eat these?" Buhara stayed where he was and pointed at the various hotpots on the stall.

Sabro glanced back at him and said, "Today, I'm in a good mood. Eat as much as you want. And while you're at it, watch the stall for me."

"Okay!" Buhara nodded vigorously.

Law's heart skipped a beat and he said, "Is that really okay?"

"My place, my rules."

With that, Sabro strode inside without another glance. He still had to clean up a room for Linne. As for Law and the others, they could handle their own.

Law watched Sabro ascend the stairs before turning back to Buhara, and said, "Take it easy."

After saying that, he followed Sabro up the stairs.

At first, Buhara only intended to sample a few things, so he casually picked up a dark red scorpion and tossed it into his mouth. But after that first bite, he couldn't stop.

Sabro's house wasn't large, but it had three floors. The ground floor was the shop, while the second and third floors were living quarters. He busied himself preparing a room for Linne while instructing Law to clean his own room on the third floor.

Law wasn't sure about the relationship between Sabro and Linne, but judging by Sabro's reaction, Linne must have been someone very important to him.

Having to clean his own room didn't bother Law. When he stepped into the third-floor room, which is cluttered with miscellaneous items, the White Smoke Font suddenly reacted.

'Huh?'

Law suddenly looked at the miscellaneous items on the stone bed, 'Was there something valuable hidden inside?'

After a pause, he began to move the miscellaneous items that had piled up on the bed without any hesitation.

Half an hour later, a rough female voice was heard from outside the house.

"Old Man Sa! Your shop's been robbed!"

Hearing the shout, Sabro excused himself from Linne and hurried downstairs. When he saw the completely empty hotpots stall, his jaw dropped.

Buhara was sitting on the ground with a look of satisfaction on his face, while outside the shop stood an auntie who was as big as Buhara.

Sabro looked at Buhara, who was sitting on the ground, and asked, "Didn't I ask you to watch the stall?"

"I'm watching it." Buhara replied, looking confused.

Sabro pointed at the empty stalls and asked, "Then where'd everything go? Sold out?"

Buhara shook his head and said, "I ate it all."

"You ate it all?!" Sabro shrieked.

Up on the third floor, Law stuck his head out of a small window and yelled down at Buhara, "I told you to take it easy, and you actually ate everything?!"

When Buhara heard Law's voice, he looked up, and said aggrievedly: "But Sabro said I could eat as much as I wanted."

Sabro: "…"