Beans nodded and smiled.
"Indeed... we don't need them anymore, right, Chairman?"
"Yes. For now, we don't need them."
The secretary, Beans, was startled.
"Huh?! For now? Why only for now? Is there something else?"
"Ha ha ha, I'm joking with you. Look at you, taking me so seriously. Go on, make some tea, and bring some snacks like cakes or cookies while you're at it."
Completely confused, Beans was quickly dismissed by Netero with just a few words.
Netero turned around and saw everyone still standing, staring at him.
Only Germain had walked over to the display cabinet, gazing at the treasures behind the glass.
"Sit down, everyone. Go ahead and take a seat."
However, no one moved until Netero casually plopped down in his swivel chair. Only then did the others finally start sitting down one by one.
Germain was still at the display cabinet, inspecting the collection with great interest.
At this moment, Netero tapped on the table to draw everyone's attention before speaking.
"Cheadle, Mizaistom, tell me, have there been any 'new developments' since you arrived at the Hunter Association?"
Cheadle and Mizaistom exchanged a glance, then looked briefly at the others, but remained silent.
Netero waved his hand.
"Don't worry about this or that. They're involved too, so there's no need to hide anything. Just speak."
Cheadle and Mizaistom exchanged another glance.
Mizaistom gestured for Cheadle to go first.
Cheadle cleared her throat.
"After the decisive battle against the Chimera Ants in the early hours of the 23rd, I first arranged for the support airships. Then, I rushed to the Hunter Association headquarters without a break."
"I arrived at the headquarters later that morning. After meeting with Secretary Beans, I prepared to handle the Hunter Association's affairs."
"But then..."
Cheadle showed a strange expression.
"Pariston and Saiyu each submitted written resignation letters to Secretary Beans and left the Hunter Association. Their whereabouts are currently unknown."
Upon hearing this, Morel, Knov, and Knuckle were shocked. They exchanged surprised glances with each other.
Germain finally sat down on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the potted plant nearby, lost in thought.
At this moment, the Bean-faced Man walked in, carrying tea and desserts.
Sensing the strange atmosphere in the office, he couldn't help but ask what was going on.
When he learned about Pariston and Saiyu resigning from the Zodiacs and other positions within the Hunter Association, he immediately brought over the two resignation letters.
The letters were placed on Netero's desk. Netero glanced at them briefly before setting them aside and stroking his beard.
"They acted pretty quickly, didn't they…"
"Actually," Mizaistom interjected, "they weren't the only ones to resign."
"I arrived at the Hunter Association headquarters on the afternoon of the 23rd, but even on the way, I had already started investigating the Review Board and the Special Hunters affiliated with the Association."
"There are many suspicious points tied to the Chimera Ant extermination, and most of them involve the Review Board and the Special Hunters."
"However, when I attempted to investigate certain individuals among them, they had already left their posts ahead of time."
"Their resignation letters came later via email, and after that, they completely disappeared."
"The Review Board was left with a lot of vacancies, almost paralyzed. Fortunately, we managed to fill those positions quickly."
Mizaistom adjusted the brim of his hat.
"As everyone knows, the Review Board and the Special Hunters belong to Pariston's faction. Their collective resignation can't be a coincidence."
"Additionally, I've always had doubts about the Vice Chairman's methods."
"Since he took office, several professional hunters have gone missing—a number far greater than in previous years combined."
He looked directly at Netero.
"Chairman, do you have any insight into the strange actions of Pariston, Saiyu, and the others from the Review Board?"
Mizaistom's tone wasn't really a question, but more of a statement.
After talking with Cheadle, he felt that this mission to deal with the Chimera Ants was much deeper than expected, and Chairman Netero definitely knew more than he was letting on.
However, Netero just cheerfully took a sip of hot tea and didn't rush to respond.
Seeing that Netero was about to dodge the question again, Cheadle stood up.
"Chairman, shouldn't you explain the situation to us? We came to the Hunter Association headquarters immediately without question after receiving your orders."
Netero glanced at the two of them, then looked at the intentionally silent Morel, Knov, and Knuckle, before finally focusing on the absent-minded Germain.
He squinted slightly before answering the two members of the "Zodiac Twelve."
"Well… how should I put this? Just treat it like a failure of Pariston's power struggle, and that all the factions collectively resigned."
Cheadle was anxious.
"Chairman! What do you mean by 'just treat it like Pariston's power struggle failed'? This situation is definitely not that simple!"
Netero just shrugged it off and continued to dig in his ear with his little finger.
When Cheadle and Mizaistom saw Netero acting this way, they understood that he wasn't going to explain any further.
There was nothing they could do, so they gave up.
Their respect for Netero was genuine, but it was also true that he often left them feeling helpless and frustrated.
Afterward, everyone briefly discussed the Chimera Ant extermination mission and its aftermath. The short meeting ended.
Germain, Morel, Knov, and Knuckle were assigned to stay with Palm and Meleoron.
The victory banquet would officially be held on December 1st.
One reason was to allow Shoot's injuries to heal a bit more so that he could attend, and the other was to wait for the other members of the "Zodiac Twelve."
With Cheadle, a skilled healer, involved in the recovery plan, Shoot would be able to move around easily within a week without any problems.
Among Morel, Knov, Knuckle, and the others, Ikalgo's injuries were the most serious, followed by Welfin and Bloster.
This was because the three of them had fought against Chimera Ants and were seriously wounded.
However, they wouldn't be attending the victory celebration, and there was no need to think too much about it.
As for the other members of the "Zodiac," they had been specially summoned by Netero.
Even though Netero had said on the phone, "You can come if you want, it's voluntary," none of the "Zodiac" members believed their chairman's words.
They all wanted to attend the celebration, so after finishing the tasks assigned by Chairman Netero, they arrived one by one.
The third "Zodiac" member to arrive was "Dragon" Botobai Gigante.
This tall man, with his face painted in red and white, first went to meet Chairman Netero, then immediately headed for Germain.
He didn't say anything unnecessary. Just like Cheadle and Mizaistom, he simply shook Germain's hand.
"You did well. Thank you."
This wasn't the end, but rather the beginning.
"Tiger" Kanzai, "Sheep" Ginta, "Chicken" Cluck, "Rabbit" Pyon, "Snake" Gel, and "Horse" Saccho all arrived one after another.
They had the same behavior: they met Germain, exchanged a few words, kept a certain distance, and didn't act overly enthusiastic.
However, these actions were enough to attract attention.
Especially after the news about Pariston and Saiyu resigning broke, everyone started wondering what was going on and who would fill the vacant positions in the "Zodiac."
All of the "Zodiac" members, except for Ging who was always missing, had come to meet Germain, which was quite intriguing.
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