Upon hearing Auren declare that he might have a solution, Zamra perks up.
"You have?" she asks, in a surprised tone.
Auren pauses briefly before answering, "Yes... but I'll need privacy to do it. Whoever you were planning to have on standby should wait outside the room and only step in if my method fails."
Zamra takes a moment to think, then asks, "What are your chances of success?"
"I'd say... eighty percent," Auren replies. "Of course, there's also the possibility that your initial assessment is right and the entity simply disappears on its own."
"True," Zamra nods. "I like those odds. I'll keep you informed."
"Thanks. By the way, how's the child doing? Has the exorcism had any side effects on her?" Auren asks.
"The child's stable," Zamra answers. "Though we're currently force-feeding her. Since the entity has given up, it's not actively doing anything anymore—but it's also not letting her take care of herself. It's completely restrained, which could become dangerous if this continues too long. But for now, the girl's going to be fine—as long as we finish this soon."
"Good... In that case, if you'll excuse me, I've got a meeting to get to. Thank you for all your hard work."
Just a few minutes after entering, Auren exits Zamra's office, feeling satisfied with what he's learned.
Without hesitation, he heads back to the elevator and rides it all the way up to one of the top floors. Stepping out, he walks the now-familiar corridor leading to Pariston's office.
Stopping in front of the door, he lets out a small sigh, raising his hand.
Before he can even knock, a voice calls from inside, "You may enter!"
Auren steps in and sees Pariston already waiting, wearing a sharp silver-red suit. The ever-present smile plays on his face as he waves Auren in.
He sure likes to keep up his game... this is so annoying. The worst thing you can do is give in and show distress. He derives pure bliss from annoying people, so the best thing to do is simply ignore him or even play his own game.
"Nice suit," Auren comments. "If your goal is to stand out, that is."
"This is just my casual work suit," Pariston replies smoothly. "My formal ones are quite the spectacle—you'd be amazed." He gestures to a seat. "Please, have a seat."
Auren takes a spot on one of the couches as Pariston rises from behind his desk and sits across from him.
"I heard Cluck's been ranting about you," Pariston says with amusement. "Apparently, you used the Hunter Exam to acquire a decent quantity of a newly discovered rare herb. Then you patented a hastily developed medicine using it, made a fortune, and dumped the company just before Cheadle's team was set to release a vastly superior version, forcing them to eventually buy out that company for a large sum."
"Well," Auren says with a smirk, "that sounds a bit one-sided. Something along those lines may have happened."
"I really can't thank you enough," Pariston chuckles, clearly happy. "Watching the Chicken and the Dog argue with the old man over that incident was absolutely hilarious. It made my entire day."
Now he's showing hints of his true self. I guess he trusts me a little, or at least realizes that he doesn't have to keep up his full act in front of me.
Pariston leans back with a grin. "Speaking of the Chairman—he's been praising you. He says he likes your confident attitude, your students, your accomplishments in Heaven's Arena, and he's been keeping an eye on your missions. Apparently, the chairman did pay attention to the last exams, and he was involved in a small role in the last one. I have to admit, I didn't expect you to perform that well myself. Sure, most of your recent missions were H and G rank, but you also completed a somewhat challenging F-rank assignment for the Glam Clan... and you took down several wanted criminals. Most notably, a serial killer and Nen user who was targeting young children."
"Well, that was the point," Auren says plainly. "I trained my students and completed missions at the same time. I told you I was taking this seriously—and we did catch quite a few criminals and wrapped up a decent number of assignments. That should count as a proper start, right?"
"More than just a start," Pariston smirks. "At this point, you actually qualify as a respectable Temp Hunter. And thanks to that Witch you so kindly disposed of, you're already being recognized as a skilled and famous Blacklist Hunter as well. Your students passed the hidden Hunter Exam, and it looks like you've formed a small team of capable individuals."
He leans forward slightly. "I've also heard your money's being spent wisely. The people I asked to send reports—those arrived, I hope? Your collection's already becoming quite impressive."
"I've come across a few interesting pieces myself recently," Auren says. "So when I visit that collectors' organization in Yorknew you mentioned, I won't be going there with just cash. I'll bring several valuable items along for the ride."
"As you should," Pariston nods. "The gathering is happening soon—less than two months from now. I'll let you know the exact date and location once I receive them. It seems you're making genuine progress in multiple areas. Honestly, it's almost a shame... I can feel it—you're planning to leave again soon, aren't you? The exorcism seems to have almost finished, as well."
He chuckles. "It's been so entertaining to toy with you. I'll really miss that."
"At least now you'll have more time to torment the Dog," Auren jokes, not taking his bait. "You seem to have a special fondness for her."
I almost feel sorry for her... almost.
"I'll be sure to do exactly that," Pariston replies, clearly not denying the accusation.
"Before I leave, I'm planning to meet the Chairman," Auren says. "He made me an offer before I went to Glam Gas Land—and I intend to accept it."
"Oh, the Chairman?" Pariston says, his grin widening. "I like him so much. He's fun to mess with, and I think he enjoys it too. I challenge him whenever I get the chance, and he always laughs and sees me as a game and a challenge to overcome. It makes me want to provoke him even more. I respect him for trying the impossible... to beat me in a game of wits."
Fucking arrogant nihilist. I am not sure which side of him I hate more. This guy doesn't know the word moderation.
"I'm not interested in playing mind games, unlike you, Pariston," Auren states firmly. "You should know that by now."
"So a spar, then?" Pariston suggests with a knowing smile.
"Yes, what else? I could use a warm-up. How about you spar with me first? You wouldn't deny your junior's request, right?" Auren asks, now grinning.
Feels good to finally turn the tables on him. Let's see how he wriggles out of this one.
"Sure," Pariston says without hesitation, clapping his hands. "I've been working so hard lately—I haven't sparred in ages. Since we've been collaborating so closely, it would be a pleasure to face off against my junior and someone as accomplished as you."
...Is he serious? That's the last thing I expected. Why the hell would he agree to this so easily?
"When you start saying things like that, you honestly creep me out," Auren admits. "I never took you for a fighter, but maybe I was wrong. Alright then—let's do it. You're full of surprises, Pariston."
"Let's head to the top-floor training room," Pariston suggests. "Normally, only the Chairman uses it, but it should be available. Though first, there's something very important I have to do."
"Which is...?" Auren asks, raising his eyebrow.
What is he planning?
"I need to change clothes," Pariston says seriously. "You said you liked this suit, didn't you? I can't risk damaging it then."
He gently brushes off his shoulder pads, looking visibly concerned.
"..."
I would've loved to shred that thing to pieces.
"I'll be right back!" Pariston says cheerfully, disappearing into the back room of his office and closing the door behind him.
Fifteen minutes pass. Auren starts to get annoyed.
Did he jump out the damn window just to ditch me? I should've known he'd pull something. This annoying rat. En!
As soon as Auren activates En, the office door swings open—and Pariston steps out, now dressed in a set of elegant, high-end training clothes.
"I apologize for the wait, Auren," he says, looking sincerely regretful. "I just couldn't decide what to wear. Why are you using your En? Shouldn't you be conserving your Aura for our fight?"
Auren immediately cuts off his En and narrows his eyes at him.
He's messing with me. Every word out of his mouth is a carefully crafted lie. He just wanted to get under my skin—and now he's trying to make me second-guess myself for using up Aura before a spar. He's acting like this is some kind of life-or-death match... But there's one thing that's definitely not fake....
Auren's eyes narrow further as he gets a good look at Pariston.
Beneath the sharp suits and playful grin, Pariston is more muscular than he appears—lean, athletic, and clearly trained. His usual attire effectively conceals his physique, making it difficult to judge his level of fitness.
He's not untrained. Not even close.... Is he wearing the suits for that reason? Is everything a calculated decision with this guy?
Smiling wildly, Pariston leads Auren up a set of stairs until they reach the floor above Pariston's office. To his surprise, a large segment of the floor is completely empty, the ground having wooden flooring.
As they enter the room, an old man is sitting in front of the large windows, meditating.
Netero....
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