8 Chapter 7

That day.

I was pleased with the progress, but I was once again perplexed by the tiers… Not about how they worked, but about how long it took to get to higher levels.

I was more perplexed than Severus, who approached me and asked again. [Gon, what's the matter, have you given up?]

I responded with a chuckle right away. "No, I haven't given up, Severus. I was just looking at our progress."

[Progress? What exactly do you mean? Do you mean the journey from the rocky coastal cape to here?] The perplexed snake inquired.

His expressions were snake-like, so only I could see the changes in his face.

Those changes looked human too human to me after months…

Which was both great and strange because I wouldn't have understood a snake's facial expressions before I got the crowning deal skill.

The ability to make willing bargains with all kinds of beings and existences, on the other hand, meant that the ability to communicate with animals was both normal and necessary.

Regarding my new skills, nothing was particularly surprising.

I found that animals resembled humans much more than I had previously believed.

Many of them led more stress-free, upright, and humane lives than we did daily. Many of them were also simple and followed their dreams and ideas.

Animals weren't as callous as people might believe, and they frequently behaved badly toward humans simply because those people didn't understand or respect their rules or other important values.

Conflicts with animals that didn't eat humans were mostly, if not always, brought on by people's inability to communicate with those animals. Unless the subject was a meddlesome intrusive who engaged in activities they had no business engaging in. Unless, once more, they made a mistake or had poor timing.

There were not many animals that committed cruel acts for amusement or because they were psychopaths. However, some did exist.

There were seldom, if ever, rules without exceptions.

Humans simply had more of those exceptions… Most likely as a result of excessive human exposure and dysfunctional social structures.

One example of such an exception would be the Chimera ants, which consumed humans and incorporated them into their genes. They resembled people more than animals…

Although I didn't have a special affection for animals, and I wasn't an animal rights activist, to me, they were now on par with people. They were both equal in my eyes, neither better than the other.

Some of them.

Although I had a soft spot for my kind… Something that was natural and could not be avoided.

Animals, like humans, would naturally protect their own first. Before they thought about liking humans, dogs liked dogs, cats liked cats, and frogs liked frogs… Unless one was the master and best friend of a dog or other pet, for example, this cold fact could not be judged or changed.

Just as some pet owners prioritize their dogs over other humans. Friendship was possibly the only thing that broke this natural bridge, this moat between species.

… Severus, for example, was significant to me in this regard… In my mind, he was simply "Severus, my best friend," not a member of any species.

… With my lengthy inner monologue about animals, I was attempting to convey the idea that, if I ever had some, I was no longer prejudiced against them. I couldn't be prejudiced when I could communicate with them and understand and observe their pain.

There were animals that were better, gentler, and more upright than humans, just as there were humans who were better, kinder than animals.

I did, however, prefer my way of life as a human and would oppose any attempt by animals to subjugate us and impose their societies and cultures on us. Even though animals led honest, compassionate, etc. lives, they also had uninteresting lives.

Computers, technologically sophisticated minds and appetites, and other great, though occasionally superfluous, conveniences that we created, bought, and used weren't available to them.

The majority of them would not respect or regard any of the intricate human lives or sensitive human assets that we humans value and would never be prepared to give up.

In my experience, the answer frequently lay in the peaceful coexistence of different species. That is what I would always want and strive for, if it were possible to discuss it.

I wasn't in any position to do that, though. Or not that I was all that interested in the topic. I mean… Yesterday, I crushed a cockroach and swatted a fly, and I didn't feel bad about it. Severus ate both of them after I gave them to him.

Shōnen Gon liked insects. Not me… Speaking generally, I found pests to be equally repulsive and annoying. I suppose that most of the time, I was acting hypocritically, like everyone else.

Everything in life was purely circumstantial. Nothing was truly unchangeable. Nothing could be wholly trusted, not even ideas and principles.

People like me were more concerned with love, peace, and fun than with rules and tedious righteousness.

I was more of a mess enjoying freedom, fun, and everything in between.

… For instance, even though I didn't like all insects, I liked ants and cats. And anything that might be a hybrid of the two species.

"I'm not certain how to explain this to you… I don't think I ever could, but simply put, our long training paid off… Just… let's return home before it gets dark, we traveled quite a distance today."

I looked down at Severus and said with a smile, my body holding the tree branch that kept me hanging in the air.

Because he was concerned that I would abruptly end the race, he was crawling in the grass in my direction as he asked me the questions.

He stopped crawling and looked at me with a bewildered expression. I laughed and took the initiative, exclaiming, "Why are you looking at me like that? Hey, I took the lead now! If you want to avoid losing today again, move quickly, baby Sev!"

The scammed snake hissed angrily, believing that I had duped him to gain the advantage. [What? Gon you cheater! I'm not a baby!]

… But in our races, I never needed him to hold a handicap. He wasn't as quick as I was, and he probably wouldn't be for some time…

I was hoping to continue being the faster of the two of us.

I wasn't particularly bad at agility before the memories and the system came, but it wasn't exactly a strength either.

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Time was like a burning candle; it was soothing to watch, but it didn't give a damn about how you felt about it coming to an end.

Throughout the four years… Gon enjoyed his time on the island with his family and his snake. But it was time for the two of them to move on to the next stage of their journey.

Noko, a 9-year-old who didn't understand how time worked, held Gon's arm tightly as she sobbed at Whale Island's busiest port…

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Gon POV:

"Gon, will you come back? Will you forget about us after you go?"

She questioned me, her head now resting just below my chest.

Even though I had many differences from the original Gon, I was the same height.

"Of course, who told you I was leaving forever?"

In the days leading up to my departure and today, I couldn't even begin to count how many times I felt compelled to tell Noko this.

When Ging left Whale Island, I don't know what he said or how he felt about the things he said to his family and friends, but I knew I wasn't lying.

Technically speaking, Ging actually returned to Whale island. At that time, he "abandoned" his son to Mito by dropping him off… Me…

There have likely been worse instances of abandoning children than handing them over to your kinder and more considerate relatives throughout the history of the world.

Ging was just a shōnen dad; he wasn't a monster…

At least I liked to think so… I could only see him as a sluggish uncle with my unbiased eye.

People in the port were wishing me goodbye, those included men and women from all ages, with most being the people helped with fish.

When Mito finally decided to stand by my side, I was even getting love letters from married women, with their husbands simply laughing and shaking their heads at their absurd behavior.

My aunt said as she cast a worried look in my direction. "Remember to eat all three of your daily meals, Gon. Avoid sleeping at odd hours as well. Understood? You had better be a hunter when you return. Like Ging… You cannot allow him to believe that his son is inferior to him."

I reassured her while nodding. Again. Even if I was lying… Not by my choice, but due to her unreasonable demands… How could test takers for the hunter exam have healthy meals and restful sleep?

… A long time ago, Mito was still concerned for my security, but she had seen too much by this point.

She was my very first supporter in the port.

Since walking long distances was difficult for Grandma Abe, she said goodbye to me at home.

"Little Sev, would you please keep an eye on Gon for me?" After a moment of thought, Mito asked the hissing, nodding serpent around my neck that only I could understand. Then she asked me. "Gon, by the way, can this guy also become a hunter? Is there a law that says animals can't obtain hunters' licenses?"