Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

After obtaining the information, Law left the tavern and walked into the streets.

Elba considered the Desert Forbidden Zone a taboo and was unwilling to talk about it, so he couldn't find a rough map of it.

'Back when Salin wanted to go to the Forbidden Zone, Elba should not have been so conservative. The change must have been triggered by 'some incident'.'

Asking Sabro about Salin would be the simplest and most direct approach, but Law couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, she was a departed loved one.

"Goro Oasis, huh…"

Walking through the lively streets, Law muttered to himself.

After returning to Sabro's house, he first went to check on Linne, who was still bedridden, then climbed up to the roof. He lay down on the scorching tiles, squinting at the blue sky and white clouds as he pondered the so-called Millennium Imperial Capital.

Three days later, after his usual daily training, Law headed back to Vulture Street.

It is said that there are antique markets similar to Vulture Street in the cities of the other two countries, and their scale is no less than that of Vulture Street.

Law had already absorbed the lingering Nen from sixty or seventy antiques in Vulture Street, which increased the average value by less than 1%, which is equivalent to a year of hard training. If he visited Wate and Goro, he might squeeze out another 2%.

However, he really planned to go, his main goal would be to investigate the Forbidden Zone. Scavenging antiques with Nen would just be a side benefit.

Law wandered among the countless stalls in Vulture Street. The stall owners who were somewhat familiar with him greeted him one after another, and he responded with a smile one by one.

After walking around for a long time, he came up empty-handed.

There are a lot of stalls here, and there are quite a few antiques updated every day, but there are not many antiques that are worth taking with him.

It had been several days since he last found anything worthwhile. Since he had already picked clean most of the genuine items, he saw no reason to linger here.

Turning away from Vulture Street, he slipped into an alleyway, avoiding most prying eyes.

The buildings were densely packed, leaving little room for sunlight, yet the narrow path was still stiflingly hot, offering no real shade.

But after walking only a short distance, Law suddenly stopped. His eyes flickered slightly as he assessed the alley's condition.

This was a route he often took. Usually, people would be scattered along the sides, hiding from the harsh sun, but today, he didn't see anyone, and it was so quiet that it was a bit eerie.

'No signs of an ambush.'

Law scanned the surroundings but didn't let his guard down. In fact, he went so far as to deploy En.

An invisible sphere of Aura rapidly expanded, penetrating walls and covering an 80-meter diameter around him. Every shape and movement within that range fed directly into his awareness.

Twenty meters ahead, around the corner to the right, a burly figure leaned against the wall. No one else was nearby.

Law's gaze shifted toward the hidden man's position. There was no need for him to remind him, as the hiding person sensed Law's En and came out on his own after a moment.

"Something you need?"

As the man emerged, Law immediately retracted his En and cloaked his body in a protective layer of Aura.

The reason why he is so cautious is because this man is also a Nen User.

Though Law doubted this stranger could pose a real threat, respecting every potential enemy was a habit that only brought benefits, never drawbacks.

The man appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and powerfully built, with a headband and a red cloth tied across his forehead. His features were sharp, but a scar ran from his right brow down to his cheek.

He wore the standard leather armor of the city guard, with a steel sword and an old-fashioned flintlock rifle at his waist.

Law didn't recognize him, but most of Elba's residents would… After all, this guy is the Third Prince, the current commander of the patrol garrison. A laughably modest position for royalty.

Seeing Law immediately shift into a combat stance, the Third Prince's expression turned slightly odd. He hadn't emitted any hostility or killing intent, yet Law's reaction was this cautious.

This showed that Law was a person who paid attention to even the smallest details and it would be difficult to have him as an opponent.

"If I wanted to harm you…"

The Third Prince first raised a finger upward, then lowered it to point at the ground and continued, "This place would already be surrounded by a hundred elite soldiers… not just me alone."

"I'm not telling you this to convince you to drop your guard. I just want you to relax a little, so the atmosphere doesn't make even a simple conversation feel suffocating."

Law glanced at the Third Prince's leather armor and slightly eased the pressure he was emitting, "Who are you?"

"The Third Prince of Alba, William."

"Oh?"

Law raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect this guy to be the very same Third Prince the bartender had mentioned… the only person in all of Elba who wanted to go to the Forbidden Zone.

"What do you want?"

After learning the man's identity, Law circled back to his original question.

"You're the one who dealt with Zeras and his men, aren't you?" William said expressionlessly.

Law's eyes narrowed slightly, and he answered bluntly, "No."

It's not that he is afraid of being held accountable, but that group of people were killed by Kuro on his own initiative. Although Kuro is his Nen Beast, he wasn't about to take the blame for him.

"You're sure?" William pressed, his eyes locked onto Law.

"Sure." Law replied without any psychological burden.

Based on his investigations, William was certain Law was the killer. Normally, someone who could deny a crime so calmly either had nerves of steel and an expert poker face… or was telling the truth.

Given the evidence, William should've leaned toward the former. Yet at this moment, he remained neutral. Because his purpose here wasn't about assigning blame.

The Zeras case had already been closed. To him, it was a trivial matter and not worth dwelling on.

William nodded and cut straight to the chase, "You… plan to go to the Forbidden Zone?"

"I have the plan." Law's eyes flickered with interest. He didn't bother hiding it.

From the moment William brought up Zeras, Law knew this prince had investigated him. The mention was likely deliberate… a way for William to signal that he already had information.

Hearing this, William's lips curled slightly, and said calmly: "Are you interested in partnering up?"

Law didn't answer directly, but instead said: "Before heading to the Forbidden Zone, I'll be going to Goro first. As the Third Prince of Elba, that might be… inconvenient for you."

"The three desert nations coexist peacefully. There's no hostility between us, and trade relations are stable, so your concerns are completely unfounded."

William understood the meaning behind Law's words, that a prince of Elba might face complications in another nation's city.

William paused for a moment and continued, "Survival is the desert's core principle. Only by avoiding disputes as much as possible can we survive for a long time."

"In that case, I overthought it. But why me?" Law asked.

"You are a Nen User." William replied simply.

…

Half an hour later, Law arrived at William's palace after accepting the invitation.

On an extended balcony, a wooden table and chairs sat beneath a large parasol, shielding them from the sun.

Law took a seat. From his position, he could see the buildings stretching far away under the balcony.

On the table sat a plate of chilled fruit and a glass of freshly squeezed juice with ice… luxuries most in the desert could only dream of.

William had escorted Law here but was pulled away by urgent matters, and it was unknown how long it would take before he returned.

Law picked up the juice and downed it in one go.

At this moment, cat-like footsteps were heard behind him.

Law looked back and saw a young woman draped in thin gauze walking toward the balcony.

Seeing Law turning his head to look at her, the woman suddenly said:

"Hey, marry me."

"…"