But all of this has nothing to do with the Zoldyck family. Saiki Kusuo's mission only lasts until Chrollo's Nen removal is completely finished.
The Phantom Troupe leaves as a group to avoid their identities being found out.
There won't be many people taking part in the trade then either, with Milluki and Illumi acting as the young master and butler for the negotiations.
It's almost eleven o'clock, and there are still two hours until the trade begins. Illumi makes a hand gesture to Saiki Kusuo, one with his thumb, index finger, and middle finger extended.
Illumi: [Let's have a private conversation between brothers.]
No one knows that's what you mean without mind-reading.
The conversation is in the restaurant, where the family booked two private rooms.
Saiki Kusuo follows Illumi into the room. As soon as the door closes, Illumi gets straight to the point: "Kusuo, who do you think is more reliable, friends or family?"
[Family, who you spend day and night with.] A very simple answer.
Illumi is very satisfied.
"Then, what if you get a mission to kill a friend?"
[I won't kill.]
Illumi: ...
I see. Illumi holds his chin and thinks.
"Then, what if I get a mission to kill your friend?"
[Who specifically?]
"Let's take Chrollo as an example."
[That's his fate. If big brother can kill him safely, then big brother is amazing.]
"Oh, really?"
[Really.]
Of course Saiki Kusuo already heard his thoughts.
Actually thinking of Chrollo as his friend? How could that be? If he were a friend, at the very least Saiki Kusuo would tell him to quit being a thief.
Saiki Kusuo's straightforwardness makes Illumi's full stomach of educational words disappear all at once.
He narrows his eyes, thinking that he should give more examples.
He's too strong. His brother doesn't dare and won't resist. He wants to test how important Chrollo is in his brother's heart.
"If he gets hurt, will you help?"
[I will if it concerns me. I won't if it doesn't.]
"What counts as concerning you?"
[Missions, or accidents I caused.]
"For example, if you do something to him that makes it difficult for him to move, and then he can't finish what he needs to do, will you work for free to help him finish it?"
Saiki Kusuo remembers his power going out of control during the Hunter Exam. The only kind of inconvenience he could cause to others would be that kind of accident.
It's too rude to others. He doesn't like owing favors or causing trouble, and he'll do things to make up for it.
So the answer is: [Yes.]
Illumi's heart flashes with "as expected," and then he becomes even more serious: "I understand."
Saiki Kusuo: No, you don't understand.
You're completely misunderstanding, aren't you? Illumi's thoughts are thinking strange things. Why is there a picture of Chrollo pushing open the Zoldyck family's gate? And what's with the picture of him holding a shovel and digging a hole to put up a tombstone next to it?
Illumi: [I should plant a row of man-eating flowers inside the house gate and have all the non-Zoldyck people who enter the house eaten, including that frog.]
That frog is Gon.
Good grief, I need to make Illumi realize something. Saiki Kusuo feels that there's nothing wrong with his relationship with Chrollo. Besides the trade, there's only the trade. Plus, Chrollo isn't a good person in the first place. After the mission is over, even if he knew that Chrollo was going to accidentally fall and die in front of him, he wouldn't go over to help him up as long as the fact wasn't indirectly caused by him.
Compared to that, Illumi clearly has someone he favors.
Saiki Kusuo takes the initiative: [Big brother, what if you knew someone was going to kill Hisoka?]
"Hisoka won't die easily. He has brains."
Hey, just now Chrollo could be brainless, could die in the hypothetical situation. Normal humans have the possibility of being hit and killed by a meteorite somehow!
[Then, let's say Dad gets a mission to kill Hisoka.]
"Dad would refuse it, just like he refused the Phantom Troupe's mission."
...Why?
"Well, he's on the family's list of people we won't kill. Didn't you see the list, Kusuo? Even if you don't take part in assassination missions, you should at least know about it."
Saiki Kusuo: Is everything already at this stage and now there is still no problem, Illumi.
"What does Kusuo want to ask? Want to know my relationship with Hisoka? Ah, Milluki misunderstood before. I thought you were smarter than Milluki—brother and Hisoka have a very clear trading relationship."
[Why is he on the family's list of people we won't kill?]
"Because he's already a high-level customer. Not only does he have a lot of money, but he's strong and has good potential. It's clear that the benefits of working with him are much greater than the benefits of killing him."
A seemingly perfect logic. Saiki Kusuo goes blank: [In the event that Hisoka is about to die, and you knew in advance.]
"Sell information."
[He knows the information, but he doesn't believe it and still has to go.]
Illumi clenches his fist and thinks by his mouth.
Right, that situation would happen. He knows he's going to die, but Hisoka is still crazy enough to take on the challenge. That's the kind of person he is.
Illumi's brain does some confusing addition and subtraction, and slams his hand into his palm.
"Oh, you're hinting at Chrollo and Hisoka's duel."
Who is talking about that?! Is that something that will definitely happen?!
"Yeah, I've thought about it. Their duel will definitely be a death match. If possible, I plan to make a vow with Hisoka to collect the last bit of profit from the big customer. But unfortunately, Hisoka refused." [Refused my engagement vow.]
Something familiar has appeared. Engagement vow? It was in a doomsday timeline that appeared by accident earlier. It seemed like it was something where you could inherit the other person's property if they died.
But…
There's suddenly a bit of noise at the door. Illumi looks back alertly.
Saiki Kusuo uses his x-ray vision to see what's behind the door, and covers it up by saying: [Is it time for the food to be served?]
"No, I said to serve the food on the next table. We'll go back after we're done talking."
The noise outside stops. Illumi continues: "Where were we? Ahh, the engagement was turned down."
"Engagement!!"
"Ah, you idiot! Run!"
"Crackling #￥%...&*"
"Thud!" The sound of the next door closing.
Saiki Kusuo notices a slight curve at the corner of Illumi's mouth.
Illumi, you completely knew your younger brothers were listening in, right?
"Curious kittens," Illumi says.
You're a big cat with a bad sense of humor.
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"An engagement vow is a Nen skill, and not an engagement in the true sense of the word. Kusuo, any relationship that happens between me and Hisoka will only be a business relationship."
"I myself will not do anything that harms the family. Rest assured, the Zoldyck family is the family I will maintain and achieve in my lifetime."
"The family has very little control over the younger generation. According to Dad's rules, I shouldn't be here today asking about your relationship with Chrollo. But, I said I will maintain everything about the Zoldyck family, including my younger brothers who may have accidents."
"I want you to tell me what you think of Chrollo, but it's a pity that you don't understand it yourself. Go back and think about it carefully, and tell me after Chrollo finishes removing his Nen and pays the money, what relationship is left between you and Chrollo besides the trade?"
[The relationship between a normal person and a thief.]
Illumi: "When did Kusuo become a thief too?!"
[I'm saying that I'm a normal person.]
Illumi: ?
Kusuo can be funny sometimes. Why do all the younger brothers like being normal? Killua too. He wants to make friends like a normal kid. Does he really know that he was born special?
Saiki Kusuo: Stop insulting people.
"Well, it's good that you aren't a thief. It's best not to join the Phantom Troupe, Kusuo." If there's a chance somehow, it should be someone from Meteor City marrying into the family.
Saiki Kusuo: So you've really misunderstood, Illumi.
"This answer is too childish. Don't fool your older brother. Kusuo can think about it carefully later. Assuming any situation, Chrollo is already someone with whom you have no mission relationship. How would you act?"
"Okay, let's go eat next door." Illumi completely believes that continuing to talk won't have any results. His younger brother has already been harmed by seeing friends in his brain.
Saiki Kusuo sighs, and in the end is still unable to correct Illumi's stubborn thoughts.
At the dinner table, big brother doesn't speak while eating. Everyone finishes their meal in an orderly manner. Milluki finds Illumi to make a deal. The content of the deal involves hiring Illumi as a "bodyguard" during the negotiations.
He thought it through well. He needs to have big brother act as his bodyguard in order to show that he is noble enough to be able to pay a lot of money, which would increase the other party's belief in him and also protect his safety.
Even though it was a cover story, he was old enough and planned to plan this trade himself.
Illumi is very satisfied with Milluki's choice. In order to play the role that Milluki wants, he needs to change his clothes.
Saiki Kusuo plans to go back, but Alluka comes to Saiki Kusuo's side and tugs on his arm.
"Brother, there's a place you have to go."
Huh?
Saiki Kusuo immediately knows "that place" from Alluka's thoughts.
A familiar question bum.
Is this something that every city has, a question bum?
"That's right! If second brother goes, I bet he can answer everything correctly again and get rare cards!" Kalluto says.
The two of them show expressions of anticipation at the same time.
Saiki Kusuo: I'm just answering questions like an encyclopedia.
But he can't stand other people's expectant looks the most.
Seeing that Illumi also wants to talk to Milluki alone, Saiki Kusuo points at Alluka and Kalluto and asks for permission, and gets Illumi's permission.
[Okay, let's go.]
Masadora, more like a game city than Antokiba.
The roadsides are more colorful and the buildings are more unique. Every street has magic shops and restaurants with fancy promotional signs outside. It seems like you can get a card after entering any store.
Here, there's a higher opportunity to get cards than in any other city.
"Come take a look, new year mission guide! Kids, would you like one? Only 100 Jenny!"
Kalluto looks up and reminds him: "It seems like it's a guide for missions."
Saiki Kusuo is never interested in these things and completely ignores them.
Alluka: "Brother, I want to buy one!"
[Go ahead. Kalluto, you follow Alluka. I'll go find the question bum.]
Saiki Kusuo takes back his telescope. He has already found the question bum wandering around the city, in a small alley nearby.
A small alley, two cold presences, very suitable for doing bad things. Saiki Kusuo walks in. For some reason, he vaguely sees red blood stains on the ground in the alley.
In a blink of an eye, everything disappears again, accompanied by a vague headache. Is it an illusion? If it's a premonition, it's a bit too short.
"Hey! Young man, are you interested in answering questions?"
[Kikyo, just start directly.]
The entire time, Saiki Kusuo answered while paying attention to his surroundings. No one came close to this small alley.
The premonition can't even see a face. Could it not be a premonition at all? Normal people have moments of distraction. Does this mean that someone with superpowers finally has one of those days too?
Alluka and Kalluto, who bought the mission guide, are led to the small alley by Saiki Kusuo's telepathy. They happen to see Saiki Kusuo finishing the last question when they arrive.
Question bum: "Ho ho ho, you are a smart young man, but I don't have any rarer cards. Please take any two of these 5 cards!"
First card: Skull Glasses B-27, can see through things.
Why are they called skull glasses? Are they actually glasses that let you see skulls? There's no need for something like that. My younger brothers definitely can't have it. I went through the pain of having x-ray vision. I can't let other people experience skeletal humans.
Second card: Super First-Class Pilot Egg B-30, can become a pilot after hatching.
What's the principle? But the kids in the Zoldyck family can all fly spaceships. In my case, I can fly myself, so there's no need.
Third card: Big President Egg B-23, can become a big president after hatching.
The job of president is too dangerous, let's forget it. More than half of the people who died in Naneka's case were presidents.
Three cards have been eliminated right away. Anything else I see now won't be worse than those first three cards.
Fourth card: Risk Dice. A 20-sided dice, 19 sides are good luck, 1 side is very bad luck, very bad luck will be very unlucky.
Isn't this that dice that can kill people?
Fifth card: Hormone Cookie S-13. Causes a change in gender within 24 hours after use.
I spoke too soon, they're all equally useless.
"Brother, what cards did you choose!" Alluka anticipates by his side.
Good grief, Saiki Kusuo looks at them all, and picks the fourth and fifth card.
For no other reason than they can be exchanged for money. One is an S card, and one is the popular risk dice. If I sell it, someone will buy it at a high price.
Wait, when did he become a money lover?
The cards are put in Alluka's book after he gets them.
Alluka takes out that new year's mission guide too, and starts to Nen read.
"Mission one, the new year beast has escaped, help catch it!"
"Mission two, climb the highest mountain outside Masadora, where there is a temple that only appears on the first day of the new year."
"Mission three, bring a blessed charm back to the city and give it to someone else."
"If you complete these three missions, this guide will randomly change into a card."
Kalluto takes out one too: "I bought one because of the last line. Brother, this seems to be very popular. A lot of players are buying it."
"It doesn't seem like a card. Everyone puts it in their pocket, or they hold it in their hands…"
Saiki Kusuo listens to the thoughts of the people nearby. Indeed, a lot of people are starting to pay attention to the new year.
Do people put so much emphasis on celebrating holidays in games too?
[I've finally waited for it, new year benefits!]
[The card you can get is theoretically random from all the cards. If I use the risk dice, I'll definitely get a rare card this year! It would be great if it was that SS-1 card. I wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of my life!]
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