Chapter 147: Silva's Three Whips x Illumi's Baffling Confidence
So real!
Was that arm a "conjured" Nen construct, or something else entirely?
Gotoh swallowed hard, bent down to pick up the fallen phone, and stammered, "Young Master, the Master called to say..."
"He's waiting for you in the training room!"
"Three whips?"
"Yes... three whips."
"He said, 'If I want to whip him, I'll whip him'... couldn't wait, huh?"
Gotoh lowered his head, not daring to respond. This was between the Master and the Young Master... Gotoh knew this wasn't something a lowly butler like him could get involved in.
Swish! Roy retracted his arms, his expression blank. "Go prepare dinner."
"Yes, sir."
"Remember to prepare extra meat. Goldie loves it."
"Yes, sir."
Gotoh bowed and retreated.
By now, the red sun had leaped over the horizon, painting half the sky crimson.
Roy stood there, watching the sunrise through the window. He washed up, enjoyed a hearty breakfast, and at 8 AM sharp, boarded the airship home with Gotoh and Kurapika.
Vroom~ The propellers churned the air, and soon, they left Zaban City, heading straight for the Padokea Republic.
Hunter Calendar Year 1987, Spring.
Winter came slowly and left slowly in the Padokea Republic.
Nearing March, patches of snow could still be seen on the peaks of Kukuroo Mountain, the Zoldyck family's domain, adding a touch of white to the budding green of early spring.
Nine o'clock in the morning. The sun was bright.
Silva, having finished breakfast with Kikyo, was strolling with her in the garden as usual.
Kikyo held her swollen belly, giggling foolishly.
Since she started showing, her desire for the child's arrival had reached a point of obsession.
"This one will definitely have silver hair!"
This was the phrase she had repeated to Silva most often over the past few months.
Perhaps because the two eldest children had been away for so long... Silva, who had always been focused on training and killing, never knowing what "loneliness" was, had recently begun to feel it more and more.
When not accompanying Kikyo, he often chose to stay alone in the training room or study, lighting a stick of incense and sitting for the whole day. He didn't train, and even took fewer missions... just sitting alone in a daze. occasionally going to the old man to massage his shoulders...
And occasionally getting scolded and mocked by Maha.
"Do you know what this is called, Silva?" One day, the old man, listening to cartoons and comfortably lying in his rocking chair enjoying Silva's massage, grunted. "This is called 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'..."
"When the child isn't around, you miss him, always wondering if he's eating well, drinking well, if he's being bullied..."
"When he's close, seeing him every day is annoying, and you wish he'd 'die' far away..."
The old man paused, glancing sideways at Silva. "You... you miss the kids..."
Which kid?
Silva recalled his conversation with Maha. Seeing Luke approaching, he stopped, his face expressionless. He glanced at Kikyo... Surely not the one in her belly...
"Master, Young Master Illumi has returned," Luke bowed slightly. "He pushed open the fourth 'Testing Gate'!"
One gate is four tons. Two gates are eight tons. Three are sixteen. Four is... thirty-two tons.
For Young Master Illumi to push open four gates at such a young age was astonishing enough!
Luke stole a glance at Silva out of the corner of his eye, expecting at least a word of praise for the Young Master. Instead...
Silva just gave a noncommittal "Mm," then asked Luke, "Where is Roy?"
Uh... Luke swallowed. "Cooper called. He said he's already picked up the Young Master at the airport. They should be arriving soon."
"Tell him to hurry."
Cooper's driving speed could only be described as "flying." Any faster... he'd be treating the car like an airplane, flying close to the ground... Luke wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."
He immediately made the call.
Then, with a slam of the accelerator and a roar of the engine, the car shot forward violently...
Kurapika, sitting in the back seat, nearly vomited from the shaking!
The girl, who hadn't gotten seasick on the ship, almost got carsick. This was Kurapika's introduction to what "Zoldyck" meant!
Even a driver was this fierce; it was hard to imagine what the others were like.
Kurapika looked at Roy in the passenger seat with a mix of apprehension and admiration. The boy sat with his eyes closed, his cane sword leaning against his knee. He seemed strangely "fused" with the car, giving the girl the illusion that... "he" was the "car," and the "car" was "him."
No matter how fast, how shaky, how bumpy the ride was—even "flying close to the ground"—he sat like a meditating monk, moving with the vehicle yet relatively still.
"My apologies, Young Master. You heard it, this was the Master's order."
Screech—
With a beautiful drift, the black sedan stopped steadily in front of the mountain gate.
Cooper, gripping the steering wheel, smiled apologetically at Roy. The boy patted his shoulder. Without waiting for Gotoh to open the door, he got out first. Before him... he saw the gatekeeper, Zebro, removing his hat and bowing. "Young Master, welcome home!"
Gotoh and Kurapika got out one after another. The latter stared dumbfounded at the towering mountain gate of the Zoldyck family. As clever as she was, she couldn't help but swallow nervously.
The world's number one family of assassins... I... Kurapika... am here...
She followed Roy towards the "Testing Gate." As they got closer... she saw a boy with vacant eyes and long, straight black hair, standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the gate, as if waiting for someone.
Noticing her gaze, he glanced over... Kurapika stopped dead in her tracks, alarms blaring in her mind. Beep—!
A woman's intuition told her... if she dared take another step forward, she would absolutely be pierced by a hand-blade!
"You shouldn't bring just anyone home," Illumi said expressionlessly, looking at Roy. "I can tolerate a Kastro, but I can't tolerate a second one. Especially..."
The boy looked coldly at Kurapika. "She's a woman!"
"So?" Roy reached out and slammed Illumi against the gate with a thud. "I told you not to meddle... You never seem to remember..."
"Or do you think you're qualified to negotiate with me now?"
Illumi looked at Roy quietly, hands still in his pockets, not resisting. He just stuck his neck out stubbornly. "I think I am."
A glimmer of confidence appeared in the boy's empty eyes. "I caught up to you... I can also push open the fourth 'Testing Gate' now."
So that's it... that's your confidence?
Roy released Illumi. Then... he placed his palm next to Illumi's cheek and pressed lightly against the "Testing Gate"!
BOOM!
With a loud rumble...
Five "Testing Gates," weighing a total of sixty-four tons, swung wide open!
☆☆☆
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