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Illumi and his companion, ignoring the astonished gazes of passersby, strolled along the street, their eyes scanning left and right, searching for a clothing store on the street.
Ten minutes later...
Passing by a large shopping mall, they looked up and then stepped inside.
The interior of the mall had a total of four floors, with more than a dozen shops on each floor. At the elevator, there was an arc-shaped sign indicating the main consumption categories for each floor.
After a long while, amidst the astonished gazes of many passersby, Illumi and his companion entered a clothing store called [Stasha Fashion].
"Ding~"
Illumi and his companion stepped through the sensor door and entered the clothing store.
"Welcome, you two..."
The two saleswomen at the front desk, dressed in suits, heard the sound of the sensor door and immediately walked over. When they saw the two, their steps couldn't help but falter.
Especially when she saw King Bradley's crimson pupils, her voice even trembled.
But despite this, she still very politely welcomed the two in. Perhaps she just thought King Bradley had conjunctivitis.
"Sir, we are a very famous clothing brand throughout the entire Mingbo Republic."
"May I ask what kind of clothing you would like to purchase?"
The saleswoman asked warmly and politely.
Her meticulous service attitude, shoulder-length bob, neat and tidy, gave an impression of astuteness and competence.
Most of her attention was focused on King Bradley; she subconsciously thought he was the decision-maker.
"One children's suit, one adult suit."
King Bradley spoke calmly. The saleswoman smiled and nodded.
"Alright, sir. Please come over here first to have your measurements taken."
The saleswoman led the two aside, took out a measuring tape, and began to take their measurements.
While their measurements were being taken, people continuously came in and out; business was good.
"Sir, every suit style in our Stasha Fashion is designed by Mr. Stasha, a famous fashion designer in the Mingbo Republic."
"Elegant, yet not lacking in simplicity and plainness."
After taking their measurements, the saleswoman introduced with a hint of pride.
Illumi couldn't be bothered to listen to her nonsense. He went and chose a black children's suit for himself. King Bradley also chose a style at the same time.
Entering the fitting room, they changed their clothes and directly threw the dirty clothes, which were almost turning into strips of cloth, into the trash can.
As for the other clothes in his backpack, never mind the clothes, he even threw away the backpack itself. After crossing mountains and ridges, the backpack was as black as a rock.
Apart from the necessary mobile phone and bank card, everything else was discarded.
Afterwards, Illumi also bought a monocle for King Bradley to cover his conspicuous red pupil.
Looking at King Bradley's current appearance – dressed in a suit and tie, wearing a monocle – he had even more of the imposing aura of the Führer from his memories.
...
Time: January 1st, 1982, 08:20 AM.
On this day, people from all over the world wanting to become Hunters by passing the test gathered at the docks of every coastal city and boarded a three-masted sailing ship.
The sun was shining brightly, the sky was cloudless, and seagulls flew freely in the sky.
"A three-masted sailing ship."
Even knowing the reason, Illumi couldn't help but want to complain.
Looking at the three-masted sailing ship moored at the dock, hired by the Hunter Association to pick up and transport examinees. Those who didn't know might think it was an old antique that had escaped from some museum.
"Hey, those who want to board, hurry up! We're setting off soon!"
On the deck of the three-masted sailing ship, a burly man with a Tophus nose and a thick beard looked at the stream of people gathering on the dock.
"Let's go."
Illumi put his hands in his pockets, and the two of them stepped onto the deck of this three-masted sailing ship together.
After boarding, Illumi scanned the deck. It was crowded with people, roughly about a hundred by his estimation. And what they had in common was that they all wore a weather-beaten look.
"A bunch of small fry."
Illumi labeled them as such in his mind. The two turned and walked towards an empty space, simultaneously making way for the people below.
"Set sail!"
Three minutes later, the middle-aged burly man with the Tophus nose roared. Two muscular sailors gripped the ropes, shouting a chant, and strenuously pulled the anchor up from the seawater.
"Ugh~"
Less than ten minutes after setting sail, people successively leaned over the ship's railing, vomiting incessantly.
"You can't even handle such small waves. I think you guys might as well just jump off the ship."
"Hahahaha..."
Someone on deck taunted them, and a group of people joined in with loud laughter.
And those who were vomiting subconsciously wanted to retort, but because of seasickness, they couldn't even speak normally.
Illumi and Bradley, in order to have a little peace and quiet, had specially come to the bow of the ship, enjoying the sea breeze and looking at the boundless sea ahead.
"Swish!"
Suddenly, a dagger flew from behind the two, grazed Bradley's ear, and with a "thump," embedded itself in the ship's railing, its end still trembling slightly.
"Hey, I say, Uncle."
A young man wearing a green bandana looked at their backs and said arrogantly.
"You couldn't possibly be bringing your own kid to take the Hunter Exam, could you?"
"I say, you're underestimating the Hunter Exam too much, aren't you?"
Illumi and Bradley slowly turned sideways, looking at the green-bandanaed man holding a dagger, their expressions calm.
"This is a grand feast where millions of experts from all over the world gather. There's no room for three-year-old kids to survive here."
The green-bandanaed man grinned, the dagger in his hand twirling non-stop with "shua, shua" sounds. He suddenly stopped, pointed the dagger at Bradley, and provoked.
"Let me see just how capable you are, to be confident enough to bring a kid through the test."
After speaking, the green-bandanaed man once again took out a dagger from behind his back. Holding a dagger in each hand, he spun them rapidly at his fingertips, looking as if he had some skill.
"Hey, hey, someone's fighting!"
On deck, someone immediately noticed the situation at the bow, shouted loudly, and dozens of people gathered on the bow deck, forming a semicircle.
"What's wrong?"
"Hurry up and make a move! Don't you have confidence in yourself?"
That green-bandanaed man was still vigorously provoking. Illumi glanced at him with a cold expression, then turned back, his back to Bradley, and said.
"No need to kill him. Just make him get off the ship."
King Bradley nodded lightly, indicating he understood.
"Tap..."
He slowly took a step forward, stood still, and looked at the green-bandanaed man, his expression cold.
"Bastard, it turns out looking down on me."
The green-bandanaed man, seeing the other's posture, naturally understood that the other party despised him from the bottom of his heart, and couldn't help but grit his teeth.
"Swish!"
A dagger shot towards Bradley.
"Shua!"
Bradley's right arm flashed, and the dagger was already caught between his index and middle fingers.
"Not bad, you've got some skills."
The green-bandanaed man's eyelid twitched. He once again took out a dagger from behind his back, held a dagger in each hand, and rushed towards Bradley.
"Ahhhh..."
"Thump!"
While the green-bandanaed man was still shouting and charging, Bradley's body suddenly appeared in front of him. His right leg delivered a front kick, hitting him on the chin with a "thump."
"Ugh..."
The green-bandanaed man spat out blood, his eyes rolled back, and his body flew over the heads of the crowd on deck, some blood splattering on the faces or bodies of the onlookers.
With a "plop," he fell into the sea.