Buno's expression changes at the mere mention of Battle OIympia.
"Battle Olympia... why would you participate?" Buno finally asks, his expression tense with concern. "You have nothing to gain, and the truly powerful fighters will not show up. By now, you should know—becoming a Floor Master or even winning Battle Olympia is just a way to show off. You also risk exposing your Hatsus. Do you really want to take that chance? Any fight involving Nen is inherently dangerous. I do not think this is a good idea, Auren."
That's strange... Did he participate once and have a bad experience?
"Some of my Hatsus are already known," Auren responds. "I will try to win using only Limitless Waters. Even if people are aware of it, its applications are endless. Gaining experience is more valuable than keeping a Hatsu secret—especially one already exposed to anyone who analyzes my past fights. This is a great opportunity to improve further while achieving something memorable. Even if the strongest fighters do not show up, I still want to win the title at least once."
"He is right," Bunu says. "Battle Olympia is the pinnacle of the Martial Arts world. It will certainly be a valuable experience. Do not discourage him from achieving something we never even dreamed of attempting."
"Any particular reason you dislike Battle Olympia that much? Surely there is more to the story, I can see it in your eyes," Auren asks, turning to Buno.
"An... acquaintance of mine died during the tournament," Buno says quietly. "It is an old story. A fight he should have been able to win against an unknown opponent who never used his Hatsu. That person is still a floor master...."
"I will take it seriously, and I do not intend to underestimate my opponents. I promise you—if things go south, I will retreat," Auren says. "While I'm there I might as well avenge your friend and take down that guy who killed him."
"Fine..." Buno says, shrugging, pretending not to care. "Do as you wish... when it's time I have some advice...."
Auren stands up. "I should get settled in. I won't be a stranger. Once I have finished arranging my collection, why don't you both come take a look?"
"We will take a good look once you are finished," Bunu says looking satisfied.
Using the direct passage between his instructors' house and his own, Auren crosses over into his residence.
He hears several voices coming from the large living room as he approaches and steps inside. Immediately, he sees his maids and the others gathered there—including Goreinu and Konrad, who appear to have completed the unloading.
"Welcome back, Master Auren," Natsuko and Catherine say in unison, bowing politely.
"I already told you—I do not need the show like Buno and Bunu. Nobody really enjoys it. It just feels awkward," Auren replies, before glancing at Goreinu. "Well... maybe there are a few exceptions."
"We enjoy it, though," Catherine says, smiling brightly.
"You should let them do as they please, Auren," Goreinu says. "Remember what you told me? They are just employees—so they should be allowed to wear what they like."
"..."
Not bothering with a reply, Auren simply ignores him.
"Is everyone doing well?" he asks. "Any problems?"
"No, everyone has been very kind to us," Marsha replies, seated beside her husband, sipping tea.
"The shops here are adequate," Jean replies, while Joanne seems bothered by her sisters attitude. "We'll be fine though," Jean adds, looking slightly embarrassed.
"You can order anything from the outside. Money isn't an issue," Auren states.
"Stop spoiling them!" Marsha immediately interjects, causing her materialistic twin daughter to stare daggers at her.
"We are doing fine as well," Eren says. "They told me that my siblings can start attending the local school together with Killi and Ella once we've settled in. It should only take a day or two."
"We'll stay here for a while," Killi says. "Ella doesn't want to be separated from the others just yet, but I heard there is someone who wants to train us."
"Take your time," Auren says. "No need to rush, you can stay here as long as you want, I have the space."
"It is a little dark here," Vanessa comments loudly, chewing on a few sweets. "But I like it. This house is quite interesting. Although, I do not understand the training area. Is it some kind of oversized foot bath? A large part of it can be filled with water."
"It's for training—my Hatsus and specialized practice," Auren explains. "There's enough dry space too, plus several sparring rings, so you will be fine. I also have far more training equipment here than we had on the airship."
"I see," she says. "It's a bit overwhelming. It feels like an entirely different world."
"You'll be fine," Auren says, placing his right hand on her shoulder. "You'll get used to it, and you can leave at any time. Why don't you use the time and finally work on your Hatsu without distraction?"
After a brief round of small talk with the others, Auren makes his way toward the newly constructed and upgraded treasury within his home, right at the back of his training hall, the centre of his home. At its entrance stands a large, reinforced door equipped with a specialised lock—though it remains open for now.
As he steps inside, he feels as though he has entered a mine. Narrow tunnels stretch into the rock, branching into rooms of varying size and depth.
In one chamber, he sees the familiar pieces he has collected thus far: his earlier-acquired Ben's Knives, the spear he obtained at Heaven's Arena, the treasures gifted by the Glam Clan, and all the other items he gathered over time. Beside these are the numerous boxes, crates, and acquisitions from his recent trip to Yorknew.
As Auren inspects the collection, more Hollow Blade workers begin to arrive, carrying in shelves, lighting equipment, and various cables.
"We are ready to set everything up as you wish, vice-leader," a young man steps forward, looking nervous.
"Thanks," Auren says.
Though the setup is far from the refined atmosphere of a professional museum or high-end collector's showroom, it is more than enough for Auren. He does not concern himself with appearances. What matters to him is the intrinsic value of each piece he collected—the work of brilliant craftsmen who succeeded in permanently imprinting their Aura into the objects they left behind, leaving behind a permanent legacy, their Aura carrying on where their bodies have long since turned into dust.
Every single item is a little part of their souls... I don't need to pretend and make them appear like treasures, they are treasures and anything besides them is just a damn empty distraction!
Auren claps his hands together. "Let's do this, then."
He spends the entire evening organising his collection. At exactly 8 PM, Rosa appears, accompanied by Mola. Rosa looks visibly irritated, her cheeks puffed and her arms crossed, her fingers clenched tightly into a fist.
Auren smirks at her.
"Hehe, I've decided to change your punishment. Instead of cleaning duty, you will help me finish my personal project! If we finish early, you'll be released early as well," Auren says, grinning at her.
"... Fine!" Rosa mutters, clearly annoyed, while Mola stands nearby, looking mildly entertained.
I will not overdo it. If Rakshala finds out her personal assistants are being overworked, she might not be happy. As far as I know, everyone is really busy.
"..."
A week passes in a flash.
Killi, Ella, Mio, and Kai settle into a steady rhythm, for now still living inside Auren's house. Marsha devotes most of her time to caring for them, helping establish structure in their new lives, acting like a kind godmother, while Jolt enjoys his free time, working on maintenance for the other airships in his spare time, receiving a lot of praise from the other workers who have even begun to call him master.
The others each begin pursuing their own goals.
Vanessa, Neffi, Eren, and even Konrad focus on their training, Vanessa and Eren working extra hard on their individual hatsus.
Jean and Joanne also seem focused; the only distraction is the large number of boxes that arrive every few days. Though to everyone's surprise, Jean also orders useful things for the others, like clothes, appliances, and various products required for daily life, with a touch of luxury.
Goreinu, while also making time to train, has fully embraced his new life as a billionaire. He hires not one, but two maids who attend to his needs around the clock, choosing to relax and enjoy the comforts of his success as a wealthy Hunter.
Meanwhile, Auren successfully arranges all of his items within the secure vault. Rosa continues serving her punishment, while Mola assists casually—seemingly enjoying the work, even using Auren's items for training, trying her best to get a feel for the different weapons. Neffi also helps out from time to time, but mostly spends the time playing around with Auren's vast collection of Ben's Knives.
In his spare time, Auren trains—sometimes alone, sometimes with the others—and occasionally visits Rakshala for private En lessons.
Eventually, a week after his arrival, Auren receives notification of the upcoming Elder Meeting.
He heads to the administrative building with Buno and Bunu, the three walking together up to the upper levels. They enter a large, mostly empty chamber. The walls and floors are entirely made of stone, and the room contains only a single low table, placed near ground level, surrounded by a series of floor cushions.
Upon entering, Auren sees that several elders have already arrived and taken their places at the table.
Elder Grunah, Elder Rein, and Rakshala are among those present, as well as a few individuals he recognises but does not yet know by name. In total, sixteen Elders are in attendance—symbolised by the sixteen cushions arranged around the table, eight on each side.
At the head of the table, two additional pillows are placed side by side.
As Buno and Bunu sit down, there is no seat left for him, aside from the one right next to Rakshala, who is sitting at the head of the table and is already smiling towards him, despite her covered-up eyes.
Great....
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