Chapter 71: You Don't Have Permission to Leave!
At last, Haze calmed the old woman's fury with the price of a single diamond.
The other two newcomers returned to the hall to listen to Biscuit's lecture, who smiled sweetly as she spoke.
Haze, however, ignored Pariston's call completely.
That man wasn't even vice-chairman of the Association yet, and the story wouldn't start for years… Even without checking, Haze knew he was trouble.
The Association was chaos incarnate, and Pariston was without a doubt one of its thorniest members.
His personality was… twisted.
After a while, Biscuit finished speaking, and Haze stopped to think.
"So, Haze… what kind of career would you like to pursue?" Biscuit asked warmly from the stage.
She knew Haze was one of the Ten Mafia Dons. The gems collected by such a powerful figure had to be extraordinarily rare and valuable… but she could at least "buy" a day of friendship.
"I haven't decided yet…" Haze murmured lazily, ruffling his hair. "Pick whatever sounds interesting. I don't really care."
"All right."
Biscuit wasn't angry she believed that after all this time, Haze had already found his path.
But… he was so nonchalant.
Haze already had a clear idea, but he wasn't going to tell Pariston directly…
After a few more instructions, everyone dispersed.
Meanwhile, Bisky grabbed Haze by the sleeve, trying to drag him away clearly to prevent him from interacting with Pariston. She didn't trust that man either.
"He's very unpopular…" Haze thought as they left.
Pariston's smile remained unchanged from start to finish.
"He's got his eyes on you," Bisky said sternly in the corridor. "During the Hunter Exam, the Chairman personally flew to Bungie City for your sake. That's not something everyone gets… It's hard to escape his attention. He may have even discovered your inner circle by now. Stay away from him."
"Is he dangerous?" Haze asked with a grin.
"Not exactly dangerous… but definitely not safe," Bisky replied. "Despite his friendly face, he's full of dirty tricks. No one can predict his true intentions."
"It's fine. I can handle him," Haze said lightly. "Pariston, right? Just got picked by the Chairman to be one of the Twelve Zodiac Branches… A year younger than me, and already a Two-Star Hunter. Impressive."
Bisky, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned sharply to face him. Her tone deepened. "Haze, I know you're far more intelligent than most people, but listen to me! His way of thinking, his strategies they're beyond your control. Stay away from him!"
"Afraid he'll corrupt me?" Haze smiled faintly.
"…"
Seeing Bisky's unwavering stare, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, alright. I get it."
Then the two took the elevator to the Chairman's office on the top floor.
The interior of the Association looked much like a corporate headquarters, with many non-Hunter employees working across departments. It gave Haze the feeling of being a newcomer.
Moments later, they arrived at Netero's door. The old woman knocked.
"Come in!"
A clear voice echoed from within.
When the door opened, Haze saw Netero and Bean Face sitting on cushions, playing shogi.
Seeing him, the old man chuckled, "Ah, you're here… have a seat."
Haze had come to demand that the Chairman fulfill his promise to rescue Aldama…
But his gaze lingered on Bean Face the small creature didn't look human at all.
"Hello, Haze. Allow me to introduce myself I'm the Chairman's secretary, Bean Face."
"Hey." Haze nodded curtly.
The two continued their game, and Haze and Biscuit didn't interrupt.
Haze wandered about the office, noticing nothing unusual. The room was sparsely decorated; the only notable thing was a hanging scroll on the wall.
"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Netero asked from behind him.
Haze turned just as the match ended naturally, the old man had won.
"Your specialization should align with your interests… You've already made up your mind, haven't you?" The old man took a sip of tea Bean Face had poured, looking relaxed.
"Ancient texts… I want to become a Hunter of Ancient Writings," Haze said calmly.
"Oh? Not ruins, but texts…"
Netero stroked his beard, unsurprised. "Before you came, I figured as much. With your personality, you've surely learned a lot about the Association already."
"I really can't hide anything from you, huh…" Haze raised an eyebrow.
Biscuit, beside him, pinched her chin playfully. "Ancient texts, huh? Didn't think that was your thing. You almost fooled me I thought you'd pick something like Crime or Wanted Criminals."
He'd just mentioned Pariston's name so naturally, as if he already knew him. Biscuit realized Haze had done his homework… not that it surprised her. During his early years in the Sky Arena, despite the brutal fights, Haze was always calculating, cautious, and steady.
Still, the information he could gather was mostly surface-level he didn't truly understand people.
That was what worried her. That was why she didn't want Haze involved with Pariston.
"It's not just about professionalism…" Netero sighed. "You've already set your sights on your ultimate goal, haven't you? The information access that comes with being one of the Ten Dons is not to be underestimated."
The old man knew Haze's character too well.
"Ten Dons?" Bean Face blurted out in surprise. Hearing those words, he looked at Haze in disbelief it was hard to associate him with a mafia boss.
"Alright, I know you see through everything," Haze said, straight to the point. "You said before you had a way to make me stronger… Tell me."
"Now, now… stay calm, young man," Netero chuckled. "Can't you spare a moment to chat with an old man?"
"…"
"What do you think of the Association so far?"
"Pretty normal," Haze replied, sitting down lazily.
"Didn't meet your expectations?" Netero smiled.
"No, it's exactly what I imagined… so, no surprises," Haze said flatly.
"Oh?" The old man's expression changed slightly. "Anyone in particular you're interested in?"
"A few… not many."
"Then I suppose… you're most curious about Linneodpool and me. After all, we're the only ones who've been there."
At those words, both Haze and Biscuit's expressions changed instantly.
The Gourmet Hunter, Linneodpool the oldest Hunter in the Association.
"Ah," Netero sighed at their reaction, setting down his cup. "Just as I thought… you do know her."
Since Biscuit had mentioned Haze to him, he'd been secretly observing the young man not nearly as detached as he appeared.
Haze wanted to use the Association, and him as its Chairman, as a stepping stone toward his own ambitions perfectly natural.
But… to become stronger was too common a goal. Everyone sought that path.
The question was why. For what purpose did he seek strength? And what would he do once he had it?
Power?
From how he'd treated the Firth Family, it was clear he didn't care about power. Even his position among the Ten Dons meant little to him.
Their talk back in Bungie City convinced Netero… Haze wanted to reach the pinnacle.
And that pinnacle wasn't just being the strongest Nen user he wanted to surpass everyone, even himself, achieving something unprecedented in history.
Only then could he prove his worth and the "view" he wished to see from the top would belong solely to his will.
And so… when one looked across the entire human world, there was only one place that could fulfill that ambition the Dark Continent.
The Association could accelerate Haze's growth but that was only the surface.
This young man had joined the Association for his own purposes.
Netero understood that clearly.
He could even deduce that Haze's main reason for becoming one of the Ten Dons was to connect with V5.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to scheme so precisely.
Everything Haze did had a purpose.
He was using both the underworld and official institutions to pave his own path a terrifying thought.
Only twenty years old, and already planning his future step by step, entirely on his own… Few people possessed such focus, foresight, and raw ability.
Even the mafia, with all its intelligence networks, might not have known about Linneodpool.
From Haze's reaction, Netero suspected he'd learned something from V5 implying the Fields Family might have already infiltrated parts of their structure. That was far beyond expectation. Their speed and efficiency were astonishing.
Of course, what Netero didn't know was that the Fields Family hadn't infiltrated V5 not yet.
Everything came from the young man's own memories.
"You're not allowed to leave!"
Crack!
Netero's teacup split in two.
The old man, usually cheerful and kind, suddenly became cold and serious, his eyes locked on Haze.
That gaze that invisible, crushing pressure.
Instantly… Haze stopped breathing.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
He instinctively tried to resist but even moving a finger was difficult.
Bean Face and Biscuit stood frozen, unable to move or speak.
The old man… was finally being serious.
(End of Chapter)
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