Out of courtesy, Germain almost had to speak to every member of the Zoldyck family present.
Shizuku, Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio quietly stayed in the back.
The first person to speak with Germain, of course, was Maha, who was around the same age as Chairman Netero.
He was much shorter and frailer than Chairman Netero, with a head like a chestnut, giving him a very kind and gentle appearance.
Smiling, he asked Germain about his relationship with Chairman Netero and gave him some encouraging words like, "The future is yours."
Afterward, Maha patted Germain's hand like a normal elderly person and let him go.
However, Germain knew that Maha wasn't just any "normal elderly person." He was still working as an assassin, though his missions had become fewer.
In comparison, his grandson, Killua, was far more "diligent" in his work, with his "one kill a day" routine.
If it weren't for Germain's arrival, disrupting the original future, Maha would have teamed up with Illumi and Kalluto to accept a mission from Chrollo to assassinate the "Ten Dons."
No, it would have been more accurate to say a direct confrontation, to forcefully kill the "Ten Dons." The Zoldyck family simply liked to use the term "assassination."
It was similar to how the Phantom Troupe liked to call themselves "the Thieves' Troupe," when, in fact, their actions were often straightforward heists.
Next came Zeno and Silva. After the Chimera Ant battle, they invited Germain to visit the Zoldyck family when he had time.
Unexpectedly, after several months of silence, Germain suddenly showed up. Both Zeno and Silva smiled, though they were secretly pondering Germain's intentions.
Father and son exchanged a look, both thinking about Killua and another person.
Then came Kikyo. Her attitude toward Germain was clearly indifferent. It was likely that Silva had reminded her to at least be polite, as she reluctantly showed some courtesy and asked a few questions.
Finally, it was Illumi.
"I heard the war in Meteor City ended because of you."
Illumi stood with his hands on his slim waist, his black hair flowing loosely. His eyes were dark and deep, like they held no trace of life.
He knew that the situation with "Meteor City" wasn't surprising. The Zoldyck family had intricate connections with "Meteor City" and definitely had channels for information.
But typically, the Zoldyck family ignored the situation in "Meteor City."
Even Kikyo, who was born there, didn't take action when the forces of Gyro invaded and took control of "Meteor City." So it was even less likely that anyone else would intervene.
Illumi almost immediately knew the details of what happened the day after Gyro and Zazan were killed by Germain.
"In fact, I can't say 'the war ended in my hands,'" Germain explained. "We only made it so they were left leaderless."
"For the next long while, 'Meteor City' and the 'Hunter Association' will need to deal with the remaining 'demons' in that area."
"The war will truly end only after the last of these 'demons' is destroyed or controlled."
Illumi nodded, seemingly agreeing with Germain's more careful phrasing. He then said, "Aside from that, I also know that Chrollo died at your hands."
His expression remained indifferent, showing no emotional reaction to Chrollo's death.
"I have to correct you again," Germain said. "Chrollo committed suicide."
"The people who were pierced by my 'Nen needles' also 'committed suicide,'" Illumi made a dark joke, though no one laughed at the scene.
"The connection is that, like them, Chrollo had no choice, didn't he?"
"When I heard that Chrollo died, I guessed you'd be coming after the Zoldyck family. You didn't come just for a visit, did you? You came looking for Killua, right?"
"Once I thought about that, I rushed back immediately. And sure enough, here you are today, knocking on my door."
However, the truth was that after Illumi learned about Chrollo's forced suicide, his assasin instincts told him that his situation was about to get much worse.
After receiving "education" from Zeno and Silva, he roughly understood the strength gap between himself and Germain.
Given his personality, he certainly didn't want to attract someone like that to chase him, so during the Hunter Exam, he never made a move against Kurapika.
Now, the situation is that the leader of the Phantom Troupe and most of its members have already been killed by Germain, with a few dying at Hisoka's hands. Only three members are left alive.
He had briefly joined the Phantom Troupe before and had even planned to make a move against Germain and others, but in the end, Hisoka had ruined his plan.
Although the possibility of Germain seeking revenge on him isn't very high, it's still safer to stay with the Zoldyck family.
Of course, in this situation, he wouldn't admit he was being cowardly, but he truly believed that Germain was after Killua.
Almost a year ago, after Germain met with Killua, Killua suddenly injured his mother and ran away from the Zoldyck family, disappearing without a trace.
Afterward, Killua went off the radar for a long time, until Illumi finally caught him during the Hunter Exam.
At this point, Germain's disciple Kurapika was publicly working with Killua, while the Hunters from the Hunter Association were secretly watching them.
This made Illumi even more confident in his judgment.
It must have been Germain, now a "New Zodiac Rat," who had ordered Kurapika and the Hunters to protect Killua.
As a result, Illumi, ever suspicious, never made a move against Killua during the entire Hunter Exam and instead waited for a brief opportunity after the exam.
He had to admire Germain's meticulous thinking; he protected Killua so well throughout the entire Hunter Exam. However, unfortunately, Illumi still found an opportunity.
The Hunters from the Association let their guard down at the last moment.
Of course, Illumi didn't know that those Hunters were mainly focused on Kurapika and, noticing the extraordinarily gifted Killua, couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
After the Hunter Exam, Kurapika had successfully obtained his Hunter's license, and naturally, the other Hunters no longer needed to stick around.
Anyway, Illumi had a private "battle in the void" with Germain, which ended with him winning.
However, he believed Germain wouldn't let it go so easily.
Sure enough, Germain came knocking today.
After thinking for a moment about Illumi's question, Germain straightforwardly admitted, "Yes, one of my goals was indeed to find Killua."
Whether it's Killua's own natural talent, or his relationships with Alluka and Nanika, it would be beneficial for Germain to get close to Killua.
If he could also take Killua with him, and possibly meet Alluka and Nanika in the future to understand their abilities, it would be a good opportunity.
Upon hearing Germain's words, everyone had different reactions.
Maha still smiled gently, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Zeno and Silva exchanged glances.
Kikyo's mechanical red eyes fluttered with excitement.
Illumi showed a "figured as much" expression, hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "I oppose."
However, Germain thought their conversation had already ended. While Illumi was still hesitant, he ignored him and turned toward the last remaining Zoldyck family member present.
Kalluto was Silva's fifth child and the youngest son, but he was dressed like a little girl, with a beauty mark on his chin that made him even more adorable.
Whether it was the fourth child, Alluka, or the fifth child, Kalluto, both represented the unique meaning of "having children."
Let's put Kalluto aside for now. Aluka is clearly aware of her gender identity as female, and Killua is happy to refer to her as "sister."
In most families, the youngest child is the most spoiled, but the Zoldyck family is definitely not an ordinary family.
Because of this, Kalluto doesn't receive the same level of attention as Killua, whose talent and bloodline are extraordinary.
However, Kalluto isn't jealous of Killua. Instead, he quietly watches him and wants to do something for his older brother, especially considering his current situation of being grounded.
There's a saying that the entire Zoldyck family is "Killua's fans," and it's not without reason.
But even among the "Killua fans," there are factions: the extreme yandere faction, led by Kikyo and Illumi; the hands-off growth faction, led by Zeno and Silva; and lastly, the neutral protection faction, led by Kalluto.
Kalluto will decide his stance based on the situation. He'll lean toward whichever side he believes is better for Killua.
Now, it's time for him to judge the situation.
He wants to see what changes Germain, who has been away for almost a year, will bring to the current state of the Zoldyck family.
Wearing a kimono, Kalluto covered the lower half of his face with a small fan, nodded to Germain, and then blinked his big eyes, observing him.
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