These arms felt way too real.
Were they "conjured" nen arms, or something else entirely?
Gotoh swallowed, bent down, picked up the phone from the floor, and said, "Young master, sir just called and said…"
"He'll be waiting for you in the training room."
"Three lashes?"
"Y-yes… three lashes."
"He said, 'If he wants me to whip him, I'll whip him'… and now he can't hold back anymore?"
Gotoh dropped his gaze and didn't answer.
When it came to the master and the young master, he knew full well this was far above what a little butler like him had any right to meddle in.
Roy shff retracted his extra arms, face blank. "Go get my meal ready."
"Yes."
"And make sure there's plenty of meat. Goldie-chan likes it."
"Yes."
Gotoh bowed and backed out.
Outside, the red sun cleared the horizon, staining half the sky.
Roy stood there for a moment, watching the dawn flare through the window. Then he turned, washed up, and enjoyed a heavy breakfast.
At eight sharp, he boarded the return airship with Gotoh and Kuraging.
The rotors screamed and chewed up the air.
In no time they left Zaban City behind, streaking straight toward the Republic of Padokea.
…
Hunter Calendar 1987, spring.
Winter came late and left late in Padokea.
Near March, the Zoldyck estate on Kukuroo Mountain still held streaks of snow along the ridges, adding white to early spring's new green.
At nine in the morning, the sun sat just right overhead.
Silva walked with Kikyo through the garden after breakfast, as usual.
Kikyo held her hands over her swollen belly, giggling in a daze.
Since she'd started to show, her desire for the child to hurry up and be born had gone past "impatient" into "borderline deranged."
"This one will be white-haired."
It was easily the phrase she'd repeated most the past months.
For some reason—maybe because both the big and the middle child had been gone too long—Silva, who'd once only cared about training and killing and had never truly understood "loneliness," had started to feel it more and more these days.
When he wasn't with Kikyo, he usually went alone to the training room or study, lit an incense stick, and sat there all day. Not training, barely taking contracts… just zoning out. Sometimes he'd wander over to the old man's room and knead Maha's shoulders…
And inevitably get scolded and mocked for the trouble.
"You know what this is called, Silva?"
One day, Maha lay in his rocker listening to cartoons, humming as Silva worked his shoulders. "This is what they call 'far away smells sweet, up close it stinks'…"
"When the kid isn't around, you miss him. You keep worrying if he's eating, if he's warm, if someone's bullying him…"
"When he is around and you see him every day, you get sick of him and want him to 'get lost and die somewhere else'…"
The old man paused and gave Silva a sideways look.
"You… you're homesick for your kid."
Which kid?
Silva was still turning over that conversation when Luke came hurrying up. He stopped with his usual blank face, glanced at Kikyo, and said, "Sir, young master Illumi has returned. He has opened the fourth Trial Gate."
One leaf is four tons. Two leaves, eight. Three, sixteen.
Four leaves—thirty-two tons.
For Illumi to push four leaves at his age was already terrifying.
Luke flicked his eyes toward Silva. He expected at least some praise for the young master. Instead…
Silva just grunted and asked, "What about Roy?"
Luke: "…"
He swallowed. "Cooper called. He's already picked the young master up from the airport. He should arrive shortly."
"Tell him to hurry."
Cooper's usual driving speed could only be described as "flying." Any faster and he'd be using the sedan as a jet and skimming the ground like a missile. Luke wiped the sweat off his forehead and bowed. "Yes, sir."
Then he made the call.
And then—
A foot hit the accelerator. The engine roared and the car shot forward like a launched arrow.
Kuraging nearly lost her lunch.
She'd survived an ocean voyage just fine; but this car ride nearly did her in. For the first time, she got to feel what it meant to be "Zoldyck."
If even the driver was this insane, she could hardly imagine what the others were like.
Heart pounding with dread and hope, she stole glances at Roy in the passenger seat. The boy sat with his staff-sword by his knee, eyes closed, resting. Somehow, man and car blended into one; it gave her the illusion that he was the car and the car was him.
No matter how fast Cooper took the corners, no matter how hard the chassis shook, Roy was like a meditating monk—moving with the vehicle, yet perfectly still.
"Sorry, young master. You heard him—that was the master's order."
Screeeech—
The black sedan finished with a gorgeous drift and came to a dead-straight stop before the mountain gate.
Cooper kept his hands on the wheel, offering a sheepish apology. Roy patted his shoulder, opened his own door without waiting for Gotoh, and stepped out.
At once, gatekeeper Zebro pulled off his cap and bowed. "Welcome home, young master."
Gotoh and Kuraging followed him out. The girl stared, dazed, at the towering stone gate of the Zoldyck estate; sharp as she was, she couldn't help swallowing.
World's number one assassin family… I, Kuraging, actually made it here…
She hurried to keep up with Roy as he headed toward the Trial Gate. Up ahead, she saw a lanky young man with empty, fish-like eyes, long straight black hair, hands shoved in pockets, leaning against the gate as if he'd been waiting a while.
He felt her gaze and flicked his eyes over.
Kuraging froze mid-step. In her heart, a siren wailed—if she took one more step, she'd absolutely end up with a hole punched in her by a single hand strike.
"You shouldn't bring just anyone home," Illumi said flatly to Roy. "I can tolerate one Kastro. I will not tolerate a second. Especially…"
He skimmed a cold look over the girl. "Especially a woman."
"So what?" Roy grabbed Illumi and slammed him against the gate with a dull thump. "Have I not told you to mind your own business? You never seem to learn…"
"Or do you really think you're in any position to bargain with me?"
Illumi stared back in silence, hands still in his pockets, not resisting, just stiff-necked. "I think I am."
Those empty eyes held a flicker of pride.
"I caught up to you. I can open the fourth Trial Gate now too."
…So that's your confidence?
Roy let go, then casually pressed one palm to Illumi's face and then to the Trial Gate.
Boom.
All five leaves—sixty-four tons of stone—swung open in one go.
~~~
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