A/N: Okay it seems some people actually took my threat of not dropping anymore chapters of the fanfic if people didn't read my other original novel "My Grand Adventure"
I just want to clarify it was just a joke. A promotion tactic. I'm not going to drop this fan fiction just because you don't find my other novel interesting. So don't force yourselves. One guy even reviewed my book by typing a bunch of gibberish. I assure you that does more harm than good for my novel.
What I want are genuine readers who are interested in my novel. Thank you and enjoy the chapter. We are about to end the Meteor City Arc
Plus I've dropped a brand new Tensura (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime) Fan Fiction that I have big plans for. It's my favorite animanga/novel of all time, just above One Piece. So you know I'm going to put my all into this one 😁
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"Butler?" Yuzuki repeated, his voice calm but clearly confused.
Zeno nodded, leaning back slightly in his chair, his tone casual yet deliberate. "Yes. The Zoldyck family employs a large number of butlers who serve the household. But among them, there are a few who are… special. Those personally selected to serve individual family members — not just as attendants, but as protectors, mentors, and, in some cases, their closest confidants."
Yuzuki remained silent, listening intently.
Zeno continued, "I want to make you one of those select few. Specifically, the butler of my grandson. Not immediately, of course — perhaps two or three years from now, when he begins learning Nen."
The room went quiet for a moment.
Yuzuki's mind started racing. The grandson of Zeno Zoldyck? He didn't need much time to start connecting the dots.
The Zoldycks only hire personal butlers when their family members begin Nen training.
So, by process of elimination… Illumi was already a grown man and most likely had his own arrangements. Milluki — from what Yuzuki remembered — had little interest in Nen and preferred focusing on his inventions and money. Kalluto, however… that was a bit tricky.
He frowned behind his mask. Kalluto… do I call him/her him or her? He tilted his head slightly. This is so confusing. Let's go with "him" for now.
Still, Yuzuki was sure that by this time, Kalluto was already proficient in Nen with his exceptional tracking ability. Meaning… he already had a butler.
Which left only one possibility.
Killua Zoldyck.
If he was right, the offer on the table was no small thing. Becoming Killua Zoldyck's personal butler meant direct access to one of the most dangerous families in the world — and to one of the extremely few people with the potential to rival Gon and the Fourth Prince of Kakin Empire in terms of talent. Fascinating in theory… but not something Yuzuki found practical.
He shook his head slightly.
"Lord Zeno," Yuzuki said respectfully, "thank you for your offer. But I'm going to have to decline."
Zeno's expression darkened just a bit — not in anger, but in mild disappointment. "Yuzuki," he said evenly, "declining my offer before I've even laid out my terms… that's not very nice."
Yuzuki immediately tensed, his composure cracking slightly. "I assure you, Lord Zeno, I don't mean you any disrespect," he said quickly, hands slightly raised as if to calm the situation.
Elder Hiroshi jumped in to support him. "Yes, Lord Zeno, I can assure you Yuzuki would never mean disrespect. I've known him for some time now — he's a polite boy."
Zeno's gaze softened slightly. "Then," he said, his tone calm but probing, "please explain these reasons to me."
Yuzuki nodded once, collecting his thoughts. "Firstly," he began, "I have a goal I need to complete. And unfortunately, it would be impossible to achieve it while serving as a butler to the Zoldyck family."
Zeno tilted his head, already knowing where this was going. "Is this goal… killing the man who put that bounty on your head?"
Yuzuki blinked in surprise. The Elder looked equally shocked.
Zeno smiled faintly. "Depending on the circumstances, the Zoldyck family could assist you with that. I'm sure you understand the kind of leeway I'm offering you right now."
Both Yuzuki and Elder Hiroshi were visibly thrown off. The Elder's thoughts raced — What kind of favorability is this? Did Zeno Zoldyck have a soft spot for white-haired ten-year-olds now?
Yuzuki, still processing it, finally spoke. "That's… an incredibly generous offer, Lord Zeno. Truly. But my second reason is the same reason I turned down the Phantom Troupe."
That got Zeno's full attention. His eyes sharpened slightly, the air in the room shifting again. "The Phantom Troupe, you say?"
He leaned forward just a little, intrigued. "My son Silva had a run-in with them a few months ago. Tell me… did they try to recruit you?"
"They showed up here wanting to recruit my roommate, Shizuku, into their ranks," Yuzuki began, his tone calm and straightforward. "But then they found out about me. Chrollo said he wouldn't mind me joining them as an honorary member."
Zeno nodded slowly, as if piecing things together. "And you declined their offer," he said. "And your reason… is the same reason you won't accept mine, isn't it?"
Yuzuki nodded. "Yes."
Zeno's eyes narrowed slightly. "Which is?"
"The Phantom Troupe kill and steal indiscriminately," Yuzuki said. "They don't care who gets caught in the crossfire — even if it's innocent civilians. The Zoldycks, on the other hand, will kill anyone, as long as the price is right."
He looked Zeno directly in the eye. "Both go against my morals and beliefs."
For a moment, Zeno just stared at him, expression unreadable. Then, with a faint hum, he said, "Strange words… from a boy with twenty-nine confirmed kills at only ten years old." His tone wasn't accusatory — it was curious. "That doesn't make you all that different from a monster, does it?"
Yuzuki didn't flinch. "I won't justify my actions as good," he said quietly. "But the people I've killed are the worst of the worst — scum who've taken lives without remorse. And of all those twenty-nine kills, not a single civilian was harmed in the process."
Zeno stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "I see."
A faint smile crossed his face. "It seems I cannot convince you, then."
He started to rise, but Yuzuki spoke again, voice light, carrying a teasing edge. "Well, there's one more reason, Lord Zeno."
Zeno paused, looking back at him. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"You wouldn't want your grandson to have a butler more talented than him, would you?" Yuzuki said with a small grin.
The Elder immediately broke into a cold sweat, muttering under his breath, What in the world is he doing, antagonizing Zeno even more?
But instead of taking offense, Zeno suddenly laughed. A deep, amused laugh that filled the room. "I like you," he said between chuckles. "And you really are talented. I'd put you and my grandson in the same bracket, talent-wise — one in ten million."
The Elder exhaled in relief, visibly relaxing.
Yuzuki smiled faintly. "Then I'll be treating your grandson as a rival from now on, Lord Zeno."
Zeno's grin didn't fade. "That's fine by me. But…" he said, his tone softening, "to let such a rare talent go is too much of a pain for me."
He folded his arms. "How about I sell you a favor instead? That way, we can keep in contact. And don't worry — when I decide to cash it in, it won't be anything that goes against your morals or beliefs."
Yuzuki tilted his head slightly. "A favor from a Zoldyck… That's quite the offer."
Zeno smiled knowingly. "Is there anything you'd need from me?"
Yuzuki thought for a moment before answering. "Finding assassination targets can't be easy — especially when they're high-ranking people. So I imagine the Zoldyck family must have an incredible tracker."
Zeno chuckled. "Of course we do. Let's exchange contact information. When you need help finding your target, I'll send you our best."
Yuzuki nodded, and the two exchanged their details.
"Oh — and Lord Zeno," Yuzuki added, "I've been planning to start hunting down bounty-listed criminals. I'll need a reliable information source. I was wondering if you might know someone who could handle that kind of logistics for me. Nothing too complicated — just day-to-day intel gathering."
Zeno smiled. "I'll send you my grandson Milluki's contact information. He excels at that kind of work. But be warned — he's not cheap."
Yuzuki nodded. "That's fine. I already have a way to make money, and the bounty rewards will more than cover the cost."
Zeno seemed satisfied with that answer. He rose to his feet, brushing a bit of lint off his sleeve. "Good. Then that settles that."
He reached out and shook the Elder's hand. "I'll take this one," he said, picking a random file from the table. "They're all similar in talent anyway. None of them compare to Yuzuki, though."
He laughed softly.
The Elder chuckled awkwardly, replying, "Well, he's a special one."
"I can see that," Zeno said, still smiling. "I'll have the talent ready right away," the Elder added.
Zeno nodded once, then turned and walked out the door, his presence fading down the hall.
The Elder waited until the room fell quiet again before slumping back into his chair with a long sigh.
Then he looked at Yuzuki.
"Well then, Yuzuki," he said, his tone calm but curious. "Shall we talk?"