The ship that came to pick them up was the Zoldyck family's private airship. The moment the door opened, Saiki Kusuo saw Gotoh.
"Kusuo-sama! It's been so long!" Gotoh greeted happily when he saw him.
Yare yare, you're already thirty-four. Can't you act a little calmer?
Well, when Gotoh first started looking after Saiki Kusuo, he was just a teenager himself.
After boarding the ship, Saiki Kusuo handed Alluka to Gotoh, then lay back on a luxury chair, thinking he could finally rest. But Illumi appeared right beside him.
"Kusuo, I realized we haven't talked in a long time," Illumi said.
…Illumi's brotherly love was really something else.
After teaching two younger siblings, he still thought Kusuo couldn't be left out.
[What do you want to know, big brother?] Saiki Kusuo sat up with a sigh, not even having time to warm up the chair.
"Come to the front cabin." Illumi walked out first.
Something Alluka and Gotoh can't hear? Probably about Alluka.
Yare yare, such a hassle.
Saiki Kusuo followed him into the front cabin.
The front cabin was separate from the cockpit. Since the Zoldyck family often dealt with secret matters, the soundproofing was top-level. Meaning, whatever they said here wouldn't be heard by anyone.
"Kusuo, during the Hunter Exam, who was that guy called Nobunaga?" [If Hisoka hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known he was from the Phantom Troupe. I actually knew him from before the exam.]
Saiki Kusuo: Thank you, Hisoka.
[He's someone I met in Meteor City when I was nine. He was the one who recognized me first.]
"I see. And you even gave him a 30% discount card?"
[That was during a chance meeting at the Small World Tree. He helped me out.]
"Discount cards should be for valuable guests. You knew he was from the Phantom Troupe, right?"
If he said yes, Illumi would think he wasn't avoiding danger. So Saiki Kusuo replied: [No.]
"Was he fun to hang out with?"
[Not really. It was just a normal exchange. Oh, and I had a mission, so I helped him.]
Pretty much just business. Saiki Kusuo thought back on the exam and answered firmly.
"I thought my younger brothers only cared about making friends, but as the big brother, I have to worry." Illumi patted Saiki Kusuo's shoulder, his lightless pupils staring into Kusuo's eyes. "Even though you're already eighteen, there are some things you can't decide on your own…"
…Yare yare.
From his thoughts, Saiki Kusuo knew he still had many questions to face.
"Why are you extra protective of Alluka? Is it because of a wish?" Illumi asked.
Thinking about the day he might leave, which wasn't far away, Saiki Kusuo didn't hide it: [Yes.]
"What kind of wish? Is it related to strength?"
[Not about power. It's something I want to make happen.]
"I see…" Illumi tapped his chin, his hum filled with doubt. He didn't press for the details. "But Kusuo, you're not the type to dump the cost on someone else. So how? Even if you treat Alluka better beforehand, the price for granting a wish won't be small."
Saiki Kusuo stayed silent. This was the part he never figured out—if possible, he wanted to use his psychic powers after crossing worlds to go back and forth once, to fulfill Alluka's condition.
Even though there's a rule that the same person can't make a wish twice, which means the same person can't face the next request, Killua can make wishes without any conditions. That means Killua can use a command to make a wish once, and then he can fulfill the request himself.
They haven't tested if this really works, since Alluka's power isn't something you can experiment with too much.
Illumi was pleased with Saiki Kusuo's careful thinking. Kindness was Kusuo's weakness, but here it could also serve as balance.
Alluka's ability was very dangerous. Their family didn't want the kids to make wishes to Alluka. "It's good you understand, Kusuo. You're not stupid. Any decision must be made after thinking deeply, making sure it won't affect the family. If you find a cost that I agree with, I'll support you."
Like bait with sugar, Illumi encouraged him. He wouldn't completely go against his brother's wishes, at least not with Kusuo.
"What powers do you have now? You told the family before it was teleportation and object swapping. What else?" Illumi asked.
Of course he'd ask that. Report to big brother: my powers are too many to count.
Chrollo once misunderstood… maybe letting Illumi misunderstand too is fine. Hisoka had already told him about what happened at the Small World Tree.
[This thing, I got it at the Small World Tree.] Saiki Kusuo showed his wristband. Illumi had already noticed it—ever since the black cloth came off, it gave off a faint glow. Clearly, it wasn't normal.
[It's an item filled with nen. It boosts strength, but only a little. It's consumable.]
[Now my teleportation has no distance limit. As long as I've been to the place, I can teleport there. I can also bring people and objects I've touched. I could even take a whole ship back home without trouble.]
[As for swapping, it's actually equivalent exchange. No distance limit either. As long as the price difference is within 10%, it works.]
Saiki Kusuo pulled out a book from his bag to show.
It was a small booklet. Saiki swapped it many times in a row, and the book grew thicker before their eyes.
Soon, Kusuo stopped. If he went further, it'd only make Gotoh's job of tidying the bookshelf harder.
"So that's how it works," Illumi said, watching Kusuo's demo.
Nen users usually trained two or three abilities and pushed them to the limit, not piling up too many skills. Since Kusuo hadn't lied so far, Illumi didn't press further.
Then Illumi suddenly covered his mouth: [Within 10%? So you could turn 1 billion into 1.1 billion, then 1.1 billion into 1.21 billion, and then…]
Illumi, wake up.
Kusuo reminded him: [It can only be one item. Money has to be a single bill too.]
Illumi covered his mouth, stuck his tongue out slightly. Yeah, better to earn money the normal way as an assassin.
"What about strength? You caught my nen needles barehanded. You've gotten much stronger, right, Kusuo?"
[Big brother wasn't going all out either, since it was about Alluka. But yeah, I'm stronger than before.]
"Then when we get home, you open the door," Illumi said.
Saiki Kusuo: …
What if my hand slips and I open it completely? No, that shouldn't happen… How much should I open it then? If I only open two tons, would Illumi lose face?
"One last question, Kusuo." Illumi stood up and walked to the window. The ship was moving fast, and in the distance, the outline of Kukuroo Mountain could already be seen.
"What's your goal in life?"
It sounded like a casual question to wrap things up, but for Kusuo, it was the one question he couldn't answer.
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