His small hands tucked into his sleeves, Kurapika silently clenched them into fists.
At this point, there was nothing left to do but get off the bus and face it head-on.
Click… click…
By the bus doors, some of the tourists were already holding up their phones, while others had hauled out long-lens cameras and were wildly snapping photos of the "Gate of Hades."
For ordinary people, the phrase "the mysterious Zoldycks…" combined with the title "the world's number one assassin family" had an irresistible pull. Just being able to say they'd come here gave plenty of people a new story to brag about for the rest of their lives.
Kurapika had been cornered into this by Netero's few casual words. Keeping his face stiff, he stepped off the bus.
In a way, he was lucky—he hadn't run into any arrogant bounty hunters dumb enough to try claiming Zoldyck money.
But in the boy's eyes, the hateful old man trailing behind him and that strange green creature with its bean-like eyes were even scarier than criminals.
Still, now that he was here, Kurapika pulled himself together. Rising onto his toes, he lifted his face and looked toward the Testing Gate.
That towering, weathered gate looked like a gigantic barrier shutting out the outside world. It stood there like some monstrous beast ready to devour anyone who approached, massive and imposing, radiating pressure without even needing to move.
Kurapika's steps faltered.
His breathing became tight all on its own.
Creak—
The red bus doors shut behind him. Netero and Beans were the last to get off. With a casual sweep of his sleeve, the old man strolled to Kurapika's side and gave him a sidelong glance.
This time, he didn't tease him any further. He only let out a soft laugh and said,
"Well then, young man, the old fellow is going on ahead."
Just that one word—young man—quietly punctured Kurapika's lie.
Kurapika lowered his eyes in embarrassment, and then heard the old man's voice drift into his head again:
"It's a good thing for young people to know how to protect themselves. Quick wits are admirable. But learning to lie… that's not a very good trait."
Kurapika's face heated at once.
He quickly glanced around and found that only he had heard those words. The ticket lady and the tourists with their giant cameras were all busy taking photos, not paying him the slightest attention.
Biting his lip, Kurapika stepped forward and stubbornly followed after Netero.
"I wasn't lying. My family really is in there."
He insisted on it.
Then, with Netero's long, amused chuckle in his ears, he marched right up to the towering Testing Gate.
Only then did the ticket lady and the nearby tourists finally notice what the three of them were doing.
"Hey! What are you doing over there? Come back! You can't go near that gate!"
"Good grief—so reckless! And there's a little kid too! Where are this child's parents? Are they trying to get him killed?!"
The ticket lady and a few kind-hearted tourists called after them anxiously.
Netero never slowed.
Kurapika kept his lip clenched and didn't look back.
Fifty meters…
Thirty…
Twenty…
The old man, the boy, and Beans ignored the shouting completely and kept walking toward the Testing Gate step by step.
At one point, as his white beard fluttered, Netero flicked Kurapika a curious glance from the corner of his eye.
For the first time, surprise showed on his face.
This kid was clearly sharp and calculating, not stupid. And yet even now, he was still gritting his teeth and stubbornly sticking close.
Could it be… he really did have family inside?
With that thought rising in him, the last fifty meters disappeared in a blink.
They had reached the Testing Gate.
Netero stopped and glanced sideways at Kurapika.
"Young man, do you know where this is?"
Kurapika lowered his eyes, facing the gate, and took a deep breath.
"I know. It's the home of the world's number one assassin family… the Zoldycks."
"You know that, and you're still not afraid?" Netero raised a brow.
Kurapika tightened his fists.
"I told you. My family is inside."
Right then, footsteps came from the guard booth by the gate.
Every day, Zebro sat there drinking tea and reading newspapers, his head getting balder and balder until there was practically nothing left around the edges. Hearing voices outside, he set down his paper, opened the little booth door, and stepped out.
The first thing he saw was Netero standing in front of the gate with Beans behind him.
Zebro's face changed instantly.
In a flash, his memory went back to his childhood. It had been right here, in this exact spot, at nearly this exact hour, that he'd seen these two before.
He recognized Netero immediately.
Keeping proper manners, he removed his cap and bowed.
"Zebro greets the Chairman."
They know each other?
Kurapika froze.
That man in the security uniform was obviously the gate guard. And yet he was bowing to the hateful old man beside him.
Kurapika stared wide-eyed and looked up at Netero.
What he got in return was Netero blinking at him with a smile that was far too pleased with itself.
"Well, well… decades have passed in a blink. The little brat who used to follow Zigg around has gotten this big now, huh…"
"You remember well, Chairman." Zebro put his cap back on and straightened up, neither humble nor arrogant. "Did you notify the master before coming, or would you like me to call ahead and ask?"
In his whole life, Zebro had only seen Netero three times.
Not counting today, the first time, Netero had walked into the mountain standing tall.
The second time, though, had been far less glorious—he'd been kicked out in disgrace.
So Zebro knew perfectly well that this so-called strongest human alive, the Hunter Association Chairman with both fame and real power, was absolutely not some honored guest to the Zoldycks.
And he definitely wasn't on especially good terms with them either.
Netero didn't answer.
Instead, the old man smiled and shifted his eyes toward Kurapika, clearly curious what expression the boy would be wearing right now.
But before Netero could enjoy it, Zebro followed his line of sight. He'd been so focused on Netero's sudden appearance that he hadn't even noticed the child standing beside him.
Then his eyes lit up.
That outfit was almost identical to the one Kuraging had worn when she first came up the mountain.
At once, Zebro's face broke into a warm, kindly smile. He hurried two steps forward, brushed past Netero, went straight to Kurapika's side, and took the boy's little hand in his large, warm one.
"There you are at last. The young master gave instructions—once you arrived, you were to go see him right away."
Netero: "..."
Beans: "..."
Both froze.
Then, recovering, they turned and looked at each other in utter disbelief.
At the same time, Kurapika's body stiffened as Zebro took his hand so suddenly. He was clearly tense for a moment.
But when he looked up and met Zebro's warm, gentle smile, he instinctively turned and glanced at Netero again.
Still half in a daze, he let Zebro lead him forward.
Step by step, he followed the old guard as Zebro personally pushed open the Testing Gate for him and led him inside.
Boom—
The massive gate rose, then fell shut again.
The ticket lady and the tourists watching from the fifty-meter safety line all gaped in astonishment.
Then someone blurted out,
"That kid… he isn't some young master from the Zoldyck family, is he?"
The moment those words landed, it was like a boulder had been thrown into a still lake.
The whole crowd exploded into chatter.
One person smacked his thigh in regret.
"Damn it, if I'd known who he was, I should've asked for an autograph! A direct signature from a bloodline member of the world's number one assassin family—if I sold it, I could've made a fortune!"
"Hm, probably at least a few tens of thousands of Jenny… Too bad we missed the chance."
"Seriously… who would've imagined a kid from a family like that would ride the same bus as us?"
Regret. Frustration. Missed opportunity. It spread like wildfire.
And before the now-closed Testing Gate, only Netero and Beans were left standing there—
like a pair of posts.
At that point, Beans finally seemed to drag himself back from the shock of what he'd just seen.
He cautiously looked at Netero.
"Chairman… what do we do now?"
Netero was silent for a long moment.
He truly hadn't expected to run into some random kid halfway through the trip and discover that the boy actually had such a deep connection to the Zoldycks.
Lifting his head, he looked at the seven Testing Gates blocking the way before him, cutting him off from the Zoldycks like they belonged to two entirely different worlds.
In the end, the old man said quietly,
"Call Zeno."
Beans visibly relaxed.
He hurriedly pulled out his phone, almost as though he were afraid Netero might change his mind and decide to force his way in.
After all, as long as you could push open the Testing Gate, anyone could enter the mountain without getting eaten by Mike—also known as the beast Three-Hair.
But was Mike really the issue?
No.
The issue was the one standing behind all the Zoldycks.
Beans remembered the scene from years ago—watching Netero get kicked and battered all the way down the mountain by that person.
A shiver ran down his spine.
He swallowed hard and dialed Zeno's number.
A few minutes passed.
Then Zebro returned from inside, opened the Testing Gate again, and, clearly acting on instructions, glanced at Netero and said,
"Chairman, the master invites you in."
Netero gave his sleeve a light flick.
"Beans, let's go."
Then he stepped forward.
And just like Kurapika before him, his entrance caused another burst of commotion from the ticket lady and the surrounding tourists.
As the Testing Gate slammed shut behind him, he entered the mountain and came to stand beside Zebro.
"This way, Chairman." Zebro extended one hand.
There was only a single mountain path upward.
Netero began climbing the steps, one level at a time, walking with his back to the gate.
Before long, he reached the checkpoint where the mountain watchers stood and stopped.
He remembered well that there used to be another butler guarding this place too.
Back then, it had been a scar-faced boy, always tagging along behind Zigg just like Zebro did.
But now, time had passed, and everything had changed…
Zigg was gone without a trace.
And the mountain watcher seemed to be gone too.
Filled with emotion, Netero glanced at Zebro and asked,
"So there's no one guarding the mountain now?"
The Testing Gate was heavy, yes—but the world contained strange and powerful people. There would always be those capable of opening it.
At that point, someone needed to be there to deal with them.
"There is," Zebro replied with a smile. "Little Ging's younger brother came, so the young master specially granted her a week off to take Pika around the mountain."
"Little Ging… her younger brother?"
Netero paused, then understood.
"So that child is…?"
"He's Little Ging's younger brother. Little Ging is the young master's butler. She serves him together with Gotoh, and right now she's in charge of guarding the mountain."
So that was it.
The fog cleared. The riddle was solved.
Netero stroked the white beard on his chin and said mildly,
"Then it seems this Little Ging is quite highly regarded by your young master."
Zebro chuckled.
"That's only natural. The young master always treats his own people like family. It's like that for Little Ging, and that boy Gotoh has had his life completely changed for the better."
Netero nodded.
Digging through the corners of his memory, he finally found an image.
A young butler with a bit of a beard on his chin, an air of quiet melancholy about him, and gold-rimmed glasses resting on his nose year-round…
During the Hunter Exam, that man had always stood close to Roy, constantly on guard, prepared to block any danger or blade that might come his way.
Clearly…
He was a good butler. A loyal one.
Netero quietly lifted his foot again and resumed climbing, chatting idly with Zebro.
"What do you mean by 'his life changed for the better'?"
At that, Zebro's expression turned openly envious.
"I don't know the exact details. I only know that once he wakes up, that kid's going to soar. From then on, he won't be the same anymore…"
Zebro hadn't been there in person.
He'd never seen the scene of Gotoh receiving [First Embrace] and falling into slumber.
But every now and then, when his shifts ended and he returned to the butler villa at night, he would pass by and take a glance.
And every time, he saw the same thing—
Tsubone standing there, staring blankly at the blood cocoon wrapped around Gotoh.
And if even she—the undisputed queen of the butler world, the one who had followed Zigg since childhood—was silently watching over it…
Then there was no way this was ordinary.
Zebro was a smart, slippery man by nature.
Otherwise he never would've become, in the original story, both helper and guide to Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and the others.
The moment he saw it, he knew there was something extraordinary going on.
Tap… tap…
Their footsteps echoed quietly over the silent slopes of Kukuroo Mountain…
Talking all the while, they climbed one stair after another until the butler villa on the mountainside came into view, standing among the forest as grand as any luxury villa in the outside world.
Then, all at once, Netero said,
"Ask Roy if… I might take a look."
A look at whom?
From the direction of Netero's gaze, the answer was obvious.
Zebro hesitated.
"Chairman, the master is still waiting for you in the study."
"He knows I'm here," Netero said, his white beard stirring as he looked up the long staircase toward the ancient mansion on the peak, its walls steeped in age.
Before Zebro could answer, the phone in his pocket rang.
He picked it up.
Roy's familiar voice came through at once.
"If the Chairman wants to see it, let him. It's not as though it's some shameful secret."
And then—click—the call ended.
Zebro held the phone and bowed.
"Yes."
Then he straightened and gestured politely toward the butler villa.
"Chairman, this way."
Netero gave a slight nod toward the distant mountain summit, then turned and followed Zebro together with Beans.
They crossed through layers of forest until they reached the butler villa.
It was close now—
only a few hundred meters, no more than two or three minutes on foot.
And the moment Netero arrived at the front of the villa, he suddenly lifted his eyes toward the second floor—
to the northernmost room, the one facing the sunrise.
His expression tightened at once.
~~~
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