"Yes, master."
Zi Ponian responded calmly, her eyes lingering on Roy's back before silently falling in behind him. The towering Kukulu Mountain loomed above, its peak half-shrouded in mist, but the narrow winding trail they followed was well-known to every Zoldyck servant… and feared by outsiders.
This was the only proper path down the mountain—everything else was a death sentence.
Those who dared veer off the trail, ignorant of the Zoldyck estate's silent rules, ended up in one of two places: inside the belly of a beast… or under the claws of the three-headed guardian known as "Three Hairs." And for those truly unlucky? They might stumble into the den of the family's pet dragon—none of them ever screamed long.
Roy walked the narrow path with calm certainty, each step echoing in the silent morning mist. His white cane gently tapped the stone path with an elegant rhythm, not as a guide, but as if declaring: I don't need to see… the world will bend for me regardless.
Soon, the path opened into the courtyard—there, a small figure was already waiting.
Kanaria.
She stiffened the moment she caught sight of him. The girl's tiny hands clenched around the handle of her broom, knuckles pale, her head bowed low.
"Good morning, Master Roy," she said quickly, voice tight with nervousness.
Roy's lips curved into a knowing smile.
So, the rumors had already spread.
He said nothing, brushing past her without a word.
It seemed defeating Wutong with a single palm had changed everything. The servants who once treated him as a blind, odd younger brother now looked at him like they would a loaded gun—unpredictable and dangerous.
That's the price of power, Roy thought bitterly. Once you break their sense of hierarchy, you also break the bond.
Even the air felt colder.
"This is what they mean by 'the circle can't be hard-wired,' huh?" he muttered under his breath.
No wonder Killua hated this place.
A faint sneer played on Roy's lips as he quickened his pace, the cane clicking faster on the stones, echoing his unease.
CLINK—
Suddenly, Kanaria spoke up.
"Young master… do you know where Master Killua has gone?"
Roy halted mid-step.
The question felt like a breeze through a locked window—unexpected and oddly refreshing. The gloom that had been wrapping around his heart seemed to lift slightly.
He turned his head, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"Don't worry," he said with a wink, voice light. "He's not dead. Probably just went out to avoid debt."
"…Huh?" Kanaria blinked. "Avoid… debt?"
Master Killua? Owing someone?
That thought alone short-circuited her brain. Who would dare send Killua a bill?
Roy chuckled, walking away without elaborating. He could practically see the cartoonish question mark forming above her head.
Behind him, Zi Ponian's expression twitched at the exchange, but she said nothing as she trailed after him.
Together, they reached the ancient black-iron gates at the foot of Kukulu Mountain. There, an elderly man sat sipping tea—Jie Bujie, the old gatekeeper.
"Master Roy!" Jie Bujie waved warmly, setting down his cup and emerging from the guard post. "Heading out again? Doing a bit of shopping this time?"
But the moment he saw Zi Ponian following behind, the smile vanished.
He immediately bowed with respect, stepping aside without another word.
Roy noted this reaction too, his blind eyes gazing ahead with understanding.
So even a veteran like Jie Bujie gets quiet now.
He nodded in acknowledgment and stood silently, waiting at the bus stop. The wind tugged at his coat.
Behind him, Zi Ponian suddenly spoke.
"Master, there's really no need to wait for a bus. I could… take you down myself."
She paused, glancing at Jie Bujie, then back to Roy. "I'm… faster."
Roy didn't even turn.
"Faster isn't the point," he muttered under his breath. "If the airplane is a granny in disguise, why would I get on board?"
Zi Ponian blinked.
An… airplane transformed from an old woman?
Was that his metaphor? Or some kind of trauma?
Before she could ponder more, a loud whistle broke the silence.
"WHOOOOO—!!"
The sightseeing bus, that connected Kukulu Mountain to the capital city of Daviya, had arrived.
Through the engine's roar, a bubbly voice echoed from the intercom:
"Everyone, we are now approaching Kukulu Mountain—the legendary home of the world's number one assassin family: the Zoldycks! Please remember: unauthorized entry equals death~ Teehee!"
A playful giggle followed. "Yes, if you try to sneak in, you might just become dog food! Cocoa Sauce, right?"
Roy turned his head slightly, already smiling.
Right on cue.
From the door of the bus, a woman in towering red heels burst out like a cyclone of perfume and pink silk.
"Roy-chaaaan!!" she squealed, flinging herself toward him.
THUMP!
Roy caught her mid-air—Cocoa Sauce's ample figure practically knocking him off balance. The scent of flowers and sugar surrounded him.
"Hnnngh—soft…" he thought shamelessly, half buried in her hug. "She's been eating well lately."
"You've gotten… stronger, Cocoa Sauce," he teased.
"Stronger?! You calling me fat?!"
She pulled back and smacked him playfully on the chest.
"Talk again, I'll knock your teeth out!"
"Yes, yes, my bad~" Roy laughed, adjusting his stick blade and climbing aboard.
Behind him, Zi Ponian followed in silence. Her gaze flicked between the giggling girl and her young master.
Something shifted in her eyes.
He's nothing like the other Zoldycks…
Nothing at all.