Kisho followed behind Chrollo and boarded the airship that he had no idea where it was heading.
More than ten minutes later, the airship slowly lifted into the sky.
Even after takeoff, Chrollo still hadn't said where they were going.
Annoying riddle-speaker. Annoying Chrollo.
While grumbling inwardly, Kisho looked past the huge glass window of the airship, gazing at the sea of clouds and the city beneath it.
As he watched, he puffed his cheeks in annoyance and took several big gulps of the cola on the table—incidentally, Chrollo had paid for it.
Across from him, Chrollo finished flipping through a book and set it down. He looked toward Kisho, and after a moment asked:
"How long will your nen ability be sealed?"
Chrollo's voice sounded calm, but Kisho still keenly sensed that this boss of his wasn't very happy.
"...Sixty days."
Kisho answered quietly, then secretly stole a glance at Chrollo.
Only after seeing that he didn't show an even more displeased expression at that answer did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief, even daring to bargain a little.
"I don't have nen ability anymore, so I can't do missions, right? —Then why not just not bring me along?"
Hearing that, Chrollo cast him a faint glance.
Kisho immediately fell silent, shrugging and making a "fine, I'll stop talking" expression.
Chrollo continued asking:
"Is there no special method to fix it?"
He examined Kisho with the gaze of someone researching advanced mathematics, then raised a hand to cover his mouth and sank into thought for a moment.
"Would an exorcism method not work either?"
Kisho froze.
"...Exorcism?"
"A type of nen ability that, through a certain price, can remove the 'nen' placed on a target by someone else."
Chrollo kindly explained it to the illiterate little spider.
This time it was Kisho's turn to fall into thought.
Come to think of it, he had already encountered "exorcism" a long time ago.
After being altered by his nen ability, the piano section of the Sonata of Darkness could create the Calamity's Mouth. That thing could devour "nen."
But he had only used it that one time in the underground music hall of the manor.
As for the further restrictions and limitations of the Calamity's Mouth, he still wasn't clear about them and could only make guesses for now.
If the reason his nen was sealed right now came from the backlash of the sheet music, then there was a high probability that this "backlash" shared the same origin as the "nen" within the original Sonata of Darkness.
Then...
Was there a possibility—just a possibility—that next time he could try using the exorcism effect of the Calamity's Mouth to immunize himself against the backlash of Shadow of Zero Hour?
Although logically speaking, it was unlikely he would get such a good bargain.
But still, trying didn't cost anything, and it would also help him understand it better.
Just as Kisho was happily thinking about it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his forehead.
He covered his forehead and rubbed his reddened brow in extreme displeasure, then glared fiercely at the annoying guy who dared interrupt his thoughts.
Apparently, he had been thinking for just a bit too long, making someone unhappy.
That someone sat there with elegant composure as if he had done nothing at all, calmly picking up the coffee in front of him and taking a sip.
Kisho: "..."
Oh. The one who interrupted his thinking was Chrollo.
Then that's fine.
"Is there no way to shorten the sealing period?"
Chrollo repeated his question.
Kisho froze again.
Then he lowered his head and said:
"No."
Actually there was.
But Kisho had no intention of saying it himself.
He lowered his head because he didn't want Chrollo to see his eyes—who knew if this guy had the ability to tell whether someone was lying just by looking into their eyes?
"Hm."
Chrollo stared at Kisho's lowered head and the fluffy swirl of hair on the crown of his head, letting out a light laugh.
Kisho trembled from the sound of that laugh.
Chrollo recalled the scene he had seen in the comic drawn by that little friend named Mire Eros while they were in the observation room.
"'Time Stop,' huh."
All nen abilities had their restrictions.
After using that ability, the little spider paying the price of an unavoidable "sixty days of nen sealing" did make sense.
Chrollo decided not to pursue the matter further and instead changed the topic.
"Whether you have nen ability or not, there are still missions you can do."
He smiled lightly.
"So don't think about slacking off."
Kisho: "..."
Kisho sighed.
"So what exactly is the mission?"
"Before giving you the mission, take out your Hunter license."
As Chrollo spoke, he extended his hand toward Kisho and opened his palm.
Kisho immediately became alert.
"What are you trying to do?!"
"Even if I'm helping you repay your debt, you should at least put something up as collateral."
Chrollo showed a "kind" smile.
"Don't worry. I'll return it after the mission is completed."
"Collateral?"
Kisho raised an eyebrow.
"A Hunter license can be used as collateral? At a bank? How much could it be worth?"
Seeing Kisho's eyes suddenly brighten by a whole level, Chrollo smiled slightly. After a brief thought, he answered casually:
"Depending on the price levels of different countries, it can probably be mortgaged for about ninety million to one hundred million Jenny."
Clearly, the head of the troupe was also thoroughly familiar with the current international economic situation.
Kisho exclaimed:
"One hundred million?!"
"Then why would I do missions with you! I could just mortgage it myself and pay off my debt!"
Chrollo smiled.
"Of course you could. But have you thought about how you'd redeem it afterward? Or would you simply give up your Hunter license after mortgaging it for one hundred million Jenny?"
After saying that, he even shook his head and sighed, as if despairing over his troupe member's economic thinking.
Kisho: "..."
Chrollo continued his "patient guidance."
"If you mortgage it to me, I'll return it to you after your mission ends, and your debt will also be paid off."
After carefully analyzing the situation, Kisho was somewhat tempted, but still hesitated.
"Really? You'd be that kind-hearted? You wouldn't make me repay your money afterward before returning my Hunter license, right?"
Chrollo smiled with an innocent face.
"How could I? Am I such an unpleasant person?"
Kisho: "...You'd better not smile like that. It's kind of scary."
Also, you really are exactly that kind of unpleasant person!
While complaining inwardly, Kisho pulled out the Hunter license he had barely had time to warm up in his pocket and reluctantly handed it over to Chrollo.
After taking it, Chrollo flicked the card between his fingers and it vanished, the movement so practiced that it immediately reminded Kisho of another annoying pervert who was also extremely good at playing with cards.
But the next moment he no longer had the mood to recall that pervert, because the annoying troupe leader in front of him slowly said:
"But if you fail to complete it, I'll throw this card into a garbage mountain. Then you can go find it yourself."
Kisho: "—?!"
Kisho: "Give it back to me!!!"
...
Of course, even until they got off the airship, Kisho still hadn't managed to snatch his Hunter license back.
Even when facing that face of C·L, the moment he remembered that beneath the skin was Chrollo, he became a little cowardly.
And even if he weren't scared, he still couldn't beat him anyway...
So, damn annoying Chrollo!