A subtle reaction stirred in Ron's mind. He still retained some memories of the Yorknew arc—how the Underworld Mafia had commissioned the Zoldyck family to assassinate members of the Phantom Troupe, while at the same time, the Phantom Troupe had also commissioned the Zoldycks to assassinate the Ten Dons. In the end, the Zoldyck family chose to fulfill the Troupe's commission and eliminate the Ten Dons instead.
As for the reasons behind that decision, Ron had his own speculations. But speculation was still only speculation. What he hadn't expected was that the Phantom Troupe had already issued a commission to the Zoldycks this early.
"Cousin Illumi, can I ask—was it the Phantom Troupe who contacted you directly for the commission, or did they go through another channel to approach the Zoldyck family?"
"It was through another channel, but I've already met with their leader."
Ron recalled a certain scene. During the Yorknew arc, Hisoka had once commissioned Illumi to impersonate him and attend a Troupe meeting in his place, while the real Hisoka remained elsewhere. Illumi was eventually discovered and dropped the disguise, revealing his true identity. That alone confirmed Illumi had accepted the Phantom Troupe's commission—and at the same time, had accepted Hisoka's.
Throughout the Yorknew storyline, the Zoldyck family had taken on commissions from three sides and eventually chose the path that yielded the greatest benefit. It was a matter of maximizing profits.
"In other words, even if the Underworld Mafia hadn't deliberately targeted the Phantom Troupe—even if they hadn't placed bounties on the Troupe members—even if Uvogin's death had never happened—the Phantom Troupe would have still moved to kill the Ten Dons."
"The real source of enmity between them must lie in the trafficking of people from Meteor City."
"Meteor City's population has been heavily exploited in the trafficking trade."
"And the Underworld Mafia is the largest buyer."
Ron nodded. "Got it. As for the investigation, Cousin Illumi, just go ahead and handle the planning. Let me know once you've settled the details."
"I will. Once I've finalized it, I'll report back."
Illumi paused for a moment. "By the way, Ron, how is Killua doing?"
Since the Hunter Exam, Illumi hadn't seen Killua. His plans for Killua had been disrupted by Silva's intervention, which had left him frustrated. But Silva was his father—he was the one who truly had the authority to decide how Killua would be educated, not Illumi. Even Illumi had to follow Silva's orders. Part of the reason he hadn't returned to the Zoldyck estate in a long time was precisely because of this.
But that didn't mean Illumi didn't care about Killua—he still paid attention.
"Killua should be at Gon's hometown now."
"Father actually allowed them to become friends?"
Illumi's expression showed disbelief.
Ron just nodded.
"Did Gon go to the Zoldyck estate alone?"
"No. Kurapika and Leorio went with him," Ron said. "Since you're curious, Cousin Illumi, I'll give you the whole story."
"After Gon and the others arrived at the estate, they had to undergo a few trials before they could meet Killua."
"The first was the Testing Gate."
Illumi frowned. "How many doors did they manage to open?"
"The first and second."
"That's too weak. I could open the first gate by the time I was six."
Ron continued, "It seems the butlers of the estate also put the three of them through a test, but I don't know the details—I hadn't returned to the estate at that time."
"Afterward, Killua and Gon accompanied me to the Heavens Arena. That's where the Hunter Association assigned a Nen instructor to them. As of now, Killua and Gon have both completed their Nen initiation."
Illumi's frown deepened. "So Father has no plans for Killua? He's just letting him act freely?"
"If this continues, how is Killua supposed to grow stronger? How can he make meaningful progress?"
"If his talent and this time are wasted, it will be nearly impossible for Killua to recover the lost ground in the future."
"Ron, what do you think?"
Ron hesitated slightly before answering. "I actually understand Uncle Silva's decision."
"You do?"
Ron nodded. "Among the Zoldyck heirs, Killua has the strongest potential. That's what Uncle Silva told me personally. But in the Zoldyck heir lineage, as long as one individual reaches the level necessary to inherit, that's enough."
"You, Cousin Illumi, have already reached that level."
"In that case, if Killua were to be trained in the same way you were, then at best, he'd just become another version of you."
"The Zoldyck family has a long history. Great-grandfather once talked to me about this."
"To continue clinging to tradition isn't necessarily a mistake for the Zoldyck family. But if there's a chance for a breakthrough, and the current situation is already stable, then why not take the risk?"
"My own training is an example of that."
"My path is different from that of the other members of the family. And Killua, with you already having taken your place as heir, can afford to explore a different route."
"He could take the path of the Shingen-ryu style, using the talents of the Zoldyck family."
"Speaking of which, Cousin Illumi, you're aware of Gon's true identity, aren't you?"
Illumi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I do. But my insistence that Killua does not make friends with him isn't just because of who he is related to—I wouldn't approve of anyone."
"I understand what you mean," Ron replied. "But the Shingen-ryu style is undeniably powerful."
"There's no need to even mention the strength of Chairman Netero."
"Biscuit, and Netero's son Beyond, are both extremely powerful figures."
"And Gon..."
"There's no denying that the Freecss family is stronger than the Zoldyck family."
"Ging Freecss reached the same level as Great-grandfather when he was only in his twenties. Even if Gon's talent falls short of Ging's, the gap wouldn't be that wide."
"Ging raised Gon using a hands-off, free-range approach."
"So letting Killua grow the same way might not be such a bad idea."
"Like I said—Cousin Illumi, you've already filled the role of the Zoldyck heir perfectly. I believe that's the reasoning behind Uncle Silva's decision to give Killua the freedom to try another path."
This time, Illumi remained silent for much longer.
"But a Killua raised like that—can he still be called an assassin?"
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