Auren stares at Nicolas, now slumped and dazed, his eyes drained of life, dull and vacant.
One stab… and his life is essentially over. This is the price of involving the Troupe. He won't survive this mission. Even if he escapes Shalnark's control if he removes the antenna, they won't let him live. He knows too much. It's cruel… but despite his circumstances, he probably killed and robbed other Hunters. He should have been ready for the consequences. If you are ready to commit a crime, you should also be ready to suffer the consequences.
"This was rather surprising," Auren comments. "His ability sounds useful, but in the end, it failed to save him. A ring like that sounds useful."
"Should I check the woman as well?" Pakunoda asks.
"I'd recommend it," Shalnark says, pulling out another Antenna. "She's a liability either way."
"Don't," Auren says firmly. "If she's not involved, I don't want her gone. One dead Hunter is already enough trouble."
"He isn't dead," Shalnark replies smoothly. "Not yet, anyway. Once this is over, he'll be taken care of with a simple accident."
"Good… still, I want you to keep Laura out of it if we can. The operation starts tomorrow, so we need a plan. With this guy under your control, we can lure them out. We may need the second needle to pierce through their anonymity. We caught their spy—now we'll use him to reach the real culprits."
"I see your point and I agree, it's like a human chain," Shalnark says with interest. "Quite fascinating. The person they send next will probably be another low-ranking member at best. I'll use the second needle on him, and afterwards, free up the one buried in Nicolas, so we can control the next person higher up the ladder. Sooner or later, we'll arrive at the top and take them for all they've got. We'll keep playing this game of cat and mouse until we finally reach our prize. I have to say, these people are smarter than I expected. Once we catch them, there's plenty of money to be made."
"You're more than fine to take your share of the spoils," Auren says, cracking his knuckles. "At this point, I say we bleed them dry. I want everything, the licenses, their money, property, valuables, even their 'customer data!'"
"I'll control him for a while and check his phone every once in a while. I need to maintain appearances if they contact him," Shalnark says, snatching Nicolas's phone.
Auren nods and leaves the room, entering the one where Machi is still watching over a visibly shaken Laura.
"Sorry about that, Laura," Auren says as he walks in. "Please untie her."
Machi does so without a word, and Laura exhales in relief, rubbing her wrists.
"Please, sit down," Auren offers, gesturing to the couch. "Orto has confessed… for security reasons, I need your phone. And I can't let you leave just yet—not until the plan is underway. Can you trust me on this? I promise we'll catch the thieves, and Pariston will be pleased with our results."
He extends his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Laura hands over her phone.
"Don't contact anyone. We're being watched. Laura, if you screw this up, I'll make sure Pariston knows it was your fault. Do you want to disappoint him?"
"I—no! Of course not! …Okay. But what do you mean? Orto confessed?! Orto, did you betray us?!" she shouts, glaring at him.
Shalnark quickly types a message, and the controlled Nicolas responds flatly: "I'm sorry, Laura. I was blackmailed. The only way out is to catch them now. I need your support."
Pakunoda places her hand on Laura's shoulder. "Did you ever suspect him of wrongdoing?"
Laura stares at her nervously. "Who… who even are you people? I… I…"
"People I hired," Auren cuts in. "Don't question my methods. You've failed so far—it's my turn to take charge. Pariston told me to handle this however I please, so answer her questions. Do you want this mission to fail? Did you ever suspect Orto of wrongdoing was her question!"
"I… I'm okay," Laura says, swallowing hard. "No, I didn't know anything. But… there were times he acted on his own. I regretted not questioning him then… but I never doubted his loyalty."
These temp Hunters are useless. Maybe Pariston deliberately used them to make the thieves feel secure, to lower their guard. I wouldn't put it past him to plan something like that.
The questioning continues for some time. Shalnark keeps Nicolas under subtle Auto mode control, letting him act almost naturally—just a little less aggressive and confident, fitting for the situation.
Auren asks any questions, able to expose Laura that come to mind, although avoiding certain limits.
"What are you hiding?"
"What are Pariston's true motives behind this mission?"
"Do you have your own agenda?"
"…No…"
"…No…"
"Your Nen ability?!"
"I don't have one… only the basics…"
I am about to give up… okay this is enough! No… one more question.
"Your affinity?"
"Transmutation…"
"What Hatsu are you planning on creating?" Auren asks.
"Haven't thought about it yet, maybe something related to office work to make my job easier. That would help out Pariston, I hope."
Pakunoda nods towards Auren.
She is useless….
Despite the relentless questioning, Laura proves not only perfectly innocent but also remarkably stupid and incompetent.
Under the strict watch of Auren and the Troupe—except for Shalnark, who remains focused on Nicolas and his phone—Laura eventually calms down. She accepts her new situation reluctantly and follows his lead without further resistance.
They settle in, sleeping a little and keeping quiet. Luckily, Laura and Orto had stocked up on supplies beforehand, so they don't need to leave the apartment for a while.
Later, Shalnark, still controlling Nicolas, slips out for about an hour to buy more essentials, making their stay more comfortable.
The next morning, at exactly 8 AM, a knock sounds at the door. Auren peers through to see a young man, accompanied by a woman of the same age, both carrying bags and dragging a suitcase. Their expressions are nervous, almost stiff. Auren also notices a car pulling away from the curb, suggesting these two brought all their things with them.
This is the new Hunter and his girlfriend.
Auren opens the door and studies them carefully. They look like a normal couple, maybe around twenty-five. The man is fairly muscular, which might explain how he passed the exam.
"Nilo… right?" Auren asks. "And this is your girlfriend?"
"Yes," Nilo replies, still a little baffled.
"I'm Auren. I'm in charge of this operation. Please, come in."
"You're in charge…?" the woman says, frowning. "Sorry, but you look like a typical kid to me. Your clothes are weird… all black. Also are you carrying a Sword? Those things are dangerous…." She continues to babble until Auren gazes at her, shutting her up immediately.
"I passed the exam a year before your boyfriend," Auren answers calmly. "That makes me his senior, regardless of age. For Hunters, skill is what matters, not age. Please don't annoy me."
Nilo's eyes suddenly widen in recognition. "Wait… I know you. Auren—you're a Floor Master in Heaven's Arena. I saw your fight against that challenger just recently. It went viral… you killed him with your sword."
His girlfriend's face turns pale as ice. "I remember…" she whispers.
"You see, there's nothing to worry about with me in charge," Auren says with a small, innocent smile. "I don't know what promises you were given, but this will be the easiest job you've ever taken on. I assure you if you follow my advice, this will be a great start for your career. Should you act out, it will be the end of your career… You better not fuck this up!"
He points toward one of the rooms. "We've prepared a bedroom for you. These here are colleagues I hired to assist me. Laura here is still new, so she'll mostly observe."
"Hi!" Laura says awkwardly.
"Get settled in." Auren orders. "We'll start the operation in a couple of hours. For now, hand over your license. We'll use the computer and card reader to prepare. After that, you can rest for a couple of days. We'll provide food, and if you need entertainment, we have some books."
"I… don't have to do anything?" Nilo asks, his tone sulky, seemingly offended. "I'm a Hunter too! I can help catch them!"
Auren briefly activates his Ren, unleashing his Aura. The oppressive wave freezes both Nilo and his girlfriend where they stand, both shuddering.
"You'll learn about this ability soon enough," Auren says coolly. "Until then, you won't be of any help. This isn't about talent or intelligence—you simply lack the basics required to be a real Hunter. Maybe in a few months that will change."
Resigned, Nilo nods stiffly and hands over his license. He and his girlfriend retreat into the prepared bedroom without another word.
"You really have a way with words, Auren," Laura mutters. "You don't act like a cute kid at all…. You scare me a little."
How did she even pass the Hunter Exam? Why did Pariston hire her? She's suspicious… but Pakunoda already checked her. We questioned her thoroughly, and she's clean….
"We've got the license. Let's get to work. All according to plan, right?" Auren says, glancing at Shalnark.
"Right," Shalnark replies with a bright nod. "But don't think it's over yet. They might send a few hired helpers to test us. Though, judging by how things have gone before, they probably won't. Orto always delivered faithfully, sabotaging others, even helping the thieves directly. Hopefully, they won't be as cautious this time."
Time passes. As planned, Auren and Shalnark make liberal use of Nilo's license—accessing the Hunter website, buying items with discounts, applying for visas, exploiting every convenience the license provides.
"This is fun," Shalnark says lightly.
No… it really isn't. However, it's time to make our move!
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