"First of all, I'd like to continue providing a haven for my people, whom I consider my family," Rakshala says gently.
Really? I doubt that.
"You seem doubtful," Rakshala immediately notes, causing Auren to blink in surprise. "I can read your Aura, your behavior, your expression. You're difficult to see through, but this much I'll always be able to tell. Tell me, Auren, have you noticed a certain criterion for the people of Hollow Blade? What makes them unique? Why did I specifically choose these people to join me?"
Auren shakes his head. "No. As far as I can tell, it's just a bunch of random people who got recruited by chance—mostly by elders or perhaps those working outside. I know you got informants who provide you updates about what's going on in the world."
"You're only partially correct. We only allow people in if they're vouched for by someone we trust. On top of that, we have strict standards, and we don't allow just anyone to join. Only smart, independent, and fair-minded individuals are welcome. Corrupt people, those who hurt their own, individuals who demand more than they deserve, schemers, backstabbers—they're like cancer cells infecting our entire world. They're especially prevalent in governments, most notably in the V5. Though it doesn't affect you, our members must swear certain oaths upon joining. Did you know nearly a third of our residents can use Nen? I suppose you didn't notice—or did you?"
Really? So I am the exception. Guess I'm a VIP.
"I guess… I didn't," Auren admits honestly. "You can call me selfish, but I've been entirely focused on my own goals. I'm used to living alone and only for myself. The fact that I now have acquaintances and friends is already a significant change for me. Outside of them, I admit I haven't paid much attention," Auren says thoughtfully, reflecting on her words. "So, you're building an army or something?"
"You could call it an army or perhaps just comprehensive education for my people. Anyone with the right mindset who's capable of learning Nen is taught. We have several Nen users capable of forcefully awakening individuals, though we prefer the slower approach as it's more secure than the forceful approach. Also, people who have opened their Aura Nodes on their own are usually more sensitive to Aura, which is actually a huge upside in the long run. Nen isn't limited to combat—it offers infinite possibilities, enabling humans to perform feats impossible by ordinary means. You can apply Nen to virtually every aspect of daily life."
"Those interested specifically in combat are required and welcomed, though that's actually fewer than half our Nen users. Of course, everyone learns some basic form of combat for self-defense."
"More importantly, we've established strict rules to prevent outsiders from discovering this fact. Almost everyone—with a few exceptions like you—is required to make a Nen Oath through one of our Elders' hatsus, ensuring it's impossible for them to leak our secrets or betray us. We currently have around a thousand people living here, and about half that number working externally for us. Every external worker knows Nen, so effectively, our small community consists of nearly 800 Nen users. Do you know how many official Hunters the Association has?"
"Only about 600 or so, right?" Auren answers carefully. "Of course, there are many times that number in amateur Hunters."
"Very true. Thanks to the Hunter Association and the V5's strict ban on teaching Nen openly, we're now technically the largest organized community of Nen users. This achievement is possible solely due to careful planning, the Nen Oath I mentioned, and dedicated training," Rakshala explains calmly. "We must be careful, or we risk getting exterminated by the V5 and the association. Solely the fact that we exist is enough to get us all killed.
"I guess… that's true. Okay, I admit… even I didn't notice. I did sense quite a few Nen users here, but I never thought deeply about it," Auren says honestly. "But what exactly do you want to achieve with all this? You're clearly wealthy… You live peacefully here and maintain countless external contacts. I'm guessing most aren't actual members, but rather... external helpers or informants."
Rakshala smiles faintly, seemingly pleased by Auren's insight. "Yes, we have connections within many governments. We have insiders within the corrupt V5 and know precisely what they're up to. Like I initially said, Hollow Blade primarily serves as a secure haven. However, you've already correctly guessed that this isn't our only objective. Nearly everyone here harbors disdain for the outside world and has given up finding purpose or hope there. We aim to forge our own destiny, and we view both the V5 and the Association—which acts like their obedient lapdog—as our enemies."
Don't tell me I've joined a group of terrorists?
Rakshala stares at Auren, slightly amused by his concern. "You look worried. Don't misunderstand—we aren't fanatics intending to cause senseless violence. We've merely abandoned any hope placed in the V5. Our true goal is to build up our community. My ambition is to eventually have tens of thousands of Nen users united under our name. Fighters are essential, of course, but unique abilities like yours, Auren, are what I'm truly after. Once we reach a certain critical mass, we can truly establish ourselves and change this world. With a vast amount of Nen abilities, we can establish the perfect society!"
"I suppose that makes sense," Auren says slowly, "but it still doesn't feel like an actual goal—more like a means to an end."
"True… what I'm truly after is…the outside world! I want to leave this rotten, corrupted hell behind. To do that, we need to firmly establish ourselves, gather an immense amount of resources, and only then can we seriously aim to leave this island prison behind," Rakshala says passionately.
The outside… I guess you can call it a Prison. I would call it a paradise as it's quite secure, at least compared to the Dark Continent.
"You know about the outside world, right? Humanity's greatest secret," Rakshala adds, recalling Lidor's diary that Auren had given her.
"Yes…well…you certainly could've skipped a lot of your earlier explanations, then," Auren responds, slightly exasperated. "In any case, I'm planning to fully commit. Although I don't intend to wait several decades for you to fully establish yourselves, and I won't sacrifice my freedom. Still, I'll fully support you in any way that's within my power. My goal is also the outside world—that's the entire reason I'm earning money. I know it'll take more than just skilled fighters. In fact, I've already made contact with someone else who shares the same goal," Auren explains.
"That genuinely surprises me," Rakshala says, looking somewhat baffled. "Tell me, Auren, why are you so determined to aim for the outside world?"
"I'm a greedy person. My desire to reach the Dark Continent isn't purely driven by curiosity. I want the resources and wonders it has to offer—especially Nitro Rice! I want to become the strongest Nen user in the world!" Auren says, his voice now loud and determined. Rakshala watches him, clearly amused.
"I'll gladly support you as much as I can, and I'm pleased you're willing to support us in return!" she responds warmly, seemingly happy with his enthusiasm.
This is a little embarrassing. Whatever! I'll actually succeed so she can think whatever she wants.
After their meal and a little bit of rest, Auren resumes his treatment and successfully restores Rakshala's other eye. Without previously exhausting himself, his second attempt concludes smoothly without him collapsing.
With Rakshala's eyes now restored, Auren settles into a regular routine. After a thorough discussion, they decide to restore the eyes' scarlet ability simultaneously, not focusing on just a single eye.
Every other day, he visits Rakshala, carefully using Azure Restoration while always keeping enough Aura in reserve for his own training.
In his free time, Auren trains diligently with Grunah, Buno, Bunu, and Neffi. He spends most of his time in the gym, frequently using Azure Restoration to greatly accelerate his progress, his body now muscular and radiating vitality.
Time steadily passes. Auren spends his vast fortune acquiring various weapons, trinkets, and, of course, his favorite knives, including ten additional Ben's Knives, for which he overpays by more than five times, averaging around 40 million Jenny each.
Despite these extravagant purchases, ten knives barely make a dent in Auren's vast wealth.
Eventually, the company he co-owned with Konrad is sold for 10 billion Jenny, earning Auren an additional 5 billion. This pushes his total wealth beyond 100 billion Jenny, with another 360 billion due to be paid out over the coming years. He also receives several hundred million more from selling Lidor's notes to the other Hollow Blade members.
Finally, a year has passed since Auren left Lidor's mansion.
One day, while Auren sits in his gym recovering from two intense sessions of Azure Restoration to remove his fatigue, he remembers it's already the end of December. He quickly texts Konrad, wishing him and his sister good luck for the upcoming Hunter Exam.
Konrad replies promptly: "Thank you! Eren is also joining us. With the three of us together, we figure our chances are pretty good."
Not bad. Three Nen users stand a solid chance of passing.
After recovering his Aura from his training session, Auren heads towards Rakshala's chambers for another restoration session.
"Hello, Auren," she greets him warmly, smiling gently as she strokes his head and gazes at him affectionately with her blue eyes.
"Rakshala, I'm not a kid anymore. Drop the act," Auren complains lightly. "Besides, I'm in a bad mood since we haven't made any visible progress. I sense no difference."
"Auren, you're still thirteen—still very much a kid. Besides, I enjoy these sessions. Your ability feels wonderful, and I like spending time with you. Should I be grateful you haven't succeeded yet? If you did, I'd miss your company and your hatsu," she teases him playfully.
Ignoring her comment, Auren activates Azure Restoration, carefully guiding his Aura into Rakshala's eyes.
Ten minutes later, with less than half of his Aura remaining, he's about to stop when suddenly, the drain on his Aura reserves abruptly disappears.
"What?!" Auren yells in shock.
"Is something wrong, Auren?" Rakshala asks curiously.
"The…drain from my ability suddenly stopped. Usually, that means…"
"You succeeded?!" she asks, equally astonished.
"I…think so," Auren replies hesitantly.
"Let me try," Rakshala says, her hands trembling slightly in anticipation.
She closes her eyes for a few seconds, and her body begins to tremble lightly. Then, her eyes snap open, revealing a pair of brilliantly scarlet-red eyes. Immediately, her En intensifies dramatically.
Auren feels her En become significantly more intense, even momentarily overwhelming him.
Rakshala steadies her breathing, closing her eyes once more. When she opens them again, her eyes are back to their normal, serene blue.
"Congratulations," Auren says softly, smiling genuinely at her.
Rakshala returns the smile, but tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
I guess she's feeling overwhelmed. Interesting… I never expected her to show this much emotion. I wonder… what ability did she gain? Emperor time?
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