Chapter 129: Maha Defends His Grandson x Kanzai Appears
"What's the date today?"
At the Zoldyck family estate on Kukuroo Mountain, in the dimly lit small room near the garden, Maha rocked in his chair, enjoying a massage. Zeno was away, so the "technician" had been swapped out for Tsubone. Silva had offered to come personally a few days ago, but the old man had shut him down with a "Go take care of your wife." Kikyo's belly was growing by the day; if anything happened to her, she'd go mad. So, Tsubone had taken his place.
"The 23rd." The old butler's technique wasn't as precise as Zeno's, but she had endurance. It seemed... with the Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master both away from home, there was a lot more free time.
'It's been almost a month...' Maha grunted. The blanket slid off his knees, but Tsubone's quick hands caught it and placed it back.
"Yes, almost a month. The Master called to say he'll be back in a few days, likely around the same time as the Young Master." Tsubone knew who Maha was talking about. She continued making small talk to amuse him. "I hear this year's Hunter Exam will end quickly. The Association intends to tighten restrictions and doesn't plan on passing anyone from the start."
"Too much water, add more flour. Too much flour, add more water. It's always the same..." The old man scoffed. "People get muddled when they're old. He waits until the exam is flooded with worthless candidates before remembering to tighten up. Too late."
It was, indeed, a bit much. Relaxing the restrictions made people think the Hunter Exam was easy, lowering the value of the license. Then, remembering they needed to raise its "value," they'd pass no one, which only discouraged talented people from applying.
The Hunter Association had Netero, the "Strongest Human," as its figurehead, and plenty of grunts, but it lacked a "middle management" to coordinate the organization. At least, from Tsubone's perspective, having managed the Zoldyck estate for nearly forty years, the Association's current structure was unhealthy. This was likely one of the reasons Netero would later conceive of the "Zodiacs."
But in that case... 'What a pity for Young Master Roy and Young Master Illumi.'
Tsubone frowned. "I heard from the Master that, besides Netero's favored Botobai Gigante, the examiner for this stage will be fronted by the 'Pigmen' copied from Master Zzigg's memories."
"Those C-Rank magical beasts?"
"Yes." Tsubone clasped her hands, gently tapping Maha's shoulders, her two pink pigtails resting on her back. "An ordinary Nen user would have trouble breaking their defense, and the Association is requiring all candidates to survive for ten seconds to pass."
"I'm afraid Botobai Gigante won't even need to lift a finger. The Pigmen alone will be enough to wipe them all out."
Hmm... Maha, eyes closed, tapped his fingers on the armrest, saying nothing. After a long pause, he said softly, "Nothing is absolute. You, Silva, Zeno... you all love to judge the younger generation based on your own experiences. You're even more set in your ways than this old man."
Tap... tap... tap... His fingers drummed a steady rhythm. The curtain was lifted by a cold breeze, letting in a sliver of sunlight. He gazed out the window. Silva was in the garden, helping Kikyo on her post-breakfast walk. Maha's mind flashed back to the boy's stubborn, determined face.
He snorted. "Ten seconds won't stop a Zoldyck."
"Netero says no one passes, so no one passes? You call Zeno. Ask him if his surname is Zoldyck or Isaac. And who gave him permission to copy those memories?"
"If he can't answer..." Maha paused. "He doesn't need to come home."
He likes to make things hard for his grandson, does he? Fine. This old man's hands have been itching to make things hard for him, too.
It seemed the little room wouldn't be peaceful today.
Tsubone cautiously replied, "Yes, sir," and dialed Zeno's number.
On the other end... Zaban City. The official exam site.
In the simulated illusion, created by combining the "memory film," the "Bewitching Cypress Tree scent," and the "Illusion" Divine Script, Botobai had already gone back and forth seven times. It had been a long time since he'd had such a satisfying fight.
The "Pigmen," natural-born Enhancers, not only used the Four Major Principles and other advanced techniques as skillfully as humans, but, more surprisingly, the five of them had distinct "classes." There was a "Berserker" with a hand axe, a "Scout" who threw daggers and observed the enemy, a "Rogue" who flanked and looked for openings, and, standing at the back, a "Pig General" who was a full head taller than the others.
Botobai felt refreshed. He stepped out of the "illusion" for the last time and glanced at his right shoulder. Good thing it's just a memory. That last "Pig General's" axe swing had been so powerful it would have taken his arm clean off.
'That thing is stronger than C-Rank.' Botobai rotated his shoulder, snorting two jets of air from his nose.
Beside him, Geru closed her Pharmacology book, covering the "Illusion" character. She gave him a strange look. She'd rarely seen her colleague get so worked up. 'Only the Dark Continent could get this old brute so excited.'
Unlike Geru, Botobai, as Netero's favored subordinate, knew more. He had often heard Netero speak of the Dark Continent, a place teeming with uncivilized magical beasts. But... "That Pigman squad was well-trained, with a General commanding them. They didn't seem 'uncivilized' at all. They were more like a proper army from some tribe or nation."
Botobai, who aspired to be a "Three-Star Terrorist Hunter" and simultaneously serve as a "Prosecutor" and "Military Analyst," had a sharp eye. He rolled his shoulder, wondering why the Chairman would lie about the Dark Continent. He faintly suspected it was related to the "Calamities" Netero had brought back from his own journey, and that he kept quiet, fearing they would endanger the human world. He had even made a Vow to stop Beyond from exploring it. Of course, Botobai himself didn't know that part yet. The face under the opera mask was pensive.
Snapping out of it, the man crossed his arms. His towering figure stood like a sentinel at the tunnel entrance, waiting for the candidates.
At that moment, he and Geru both looked up.
Klang!
The elevator at the entrance to the basement opened. Candidates, all wearing number plates, began to file out. Among them were many familiar faces: the bald ninja Yusuke, the man in bandages (likely from the Jiuduo Tribe), the snake charmer, the boy with the bow, and... Kite and Illumi.
The latter two immediately scanned the hall for someone, but, realizing they were in the first group, they each found a corner to wait.
The elevator opened again, and another group came in. Among them was a guy with spiky yellow hair, who seemed to be in a bad mood, complaining that the exam site was too remote. He kept trying to use idioms but kept getting them backward, making people laugh.
"Hey! What's so funny! Watch it, or I'll slug ya!" He'd threaten, but never act. When he couldn't take it anymore, he'd yank his hair and punch the wall, leaving a crater, which shut everyone up.
"Kanzai." Someone recognized him, having apparently seen him during his bodyguarding days.
The hall grew more crowded as candidates arrived. Occasional frictions broke out, but most remained highly vigilant and vaguely hostile. This was a competition, after all. A friend one second could be an enemy the next. It was always wise to be cautious.
"100... 200... 300... 400..." As 2 PM approached, the hall was packed. Geru was in charge of the headcount. According to the regional quotas, 408 candidates had passed the preliminary tests, and 405 were present. Three were missing.
1:56... 1:57... 1:58... Less than two minutes to go.
Klang!
The last elevator opened, and three figures—and a bird—slowly emerged, appearing before everyone.
All eyes focused on them. Kurapika's throat tightened, and she subconsciously moved closer to Roy. Gotoh stood half a step behind him, pushing up his glasses, too busy to glare at her. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, many hostile, were fixed on them. The pressure was immense.
"Caw!" Goldie, linked to Roy's mind, sensed it even more keenly. It immediately put its wings on its hips and glared back, as if to say, 'What are you looking at? I'll kill every last one of you!' It looked even more ferocious than Gotoh!
"Relax." Roy patted its little head. Leaning on his cane sword, he walked slowly, with Gotoh and Kurapika in tow, and found an empty corner to stand. His gaze swept the room, pausing for a moment in a few spots, before finally settling on the man in front of him—the one with the impossibly broad build, wearing an opera mask. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing him.
The Three-Star Terrorist Hunter, the man rumored to be the closest in power to Netero... Botobai Gigante!
Hmm?
Botobai, sensing the gaze, looked over. The boy gave him a slight nod. His face... it looked just like the man he'd had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions, Silva Zoldyck.
The thick eyebrows under the mask twitched. He recognized Roy as well. The current eldest son of the Zoldyck family. The kid the Chairman specifically said not to hold back on.
What was his name again?
Roy Zoldyck!
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