"This..." Kurapika was stunned and stood frozen in place, unable to speak.
"Ho ho ho..." Zebro gently patted the boy's back, easing his breath and calming his startled emotions: "Its name is Mikai, or you can call it Sanmao. It's actually very gentle and usually handles those reckless intruders trying to enter the Zoldyck Family grounds. No need to be afraid."
"Awoo... Woof...." Mikai barked twice as if responding,
Kurapika quietly swallowed his saliva. Even though Zebro spoke lightly, the boy still perceived this beast, larger than a hill even lying down, as the kind of guard dog he saw in his tribe tethered in courtyards, tasked with guarding the home.
"Ho ho... Mikai, go play. I'll take him to find Kurajing..."
Seeing the child seemingly dazed, Zebro sent Mikai off, firmly holding Kurapika's arm and, gently pushing and pulling, led him toward the butler's villa on the mountainside.
"Tap... Tap...." Footsteps echoed in the quiet mountain forest....
Small to large shallow footprints dotted the moss-covered stone steps....
After what felt like a long time, Kurapika finally seemed to recover from the shock and began walking on his own. Silent for a while, he turned his head and tentatively glanced at Zebro, asking, "Uncle, what kind of person is the young master?"
The hellhound larger than a mountain had just obediently responded to the mere mention of "young master"... Kurapika, naturally intelligent, often showed extraordinary wisdom in the original work, began to believe Roy could lift the Gate of Trial with one hand... As soon as he spoke,
Zebro was momentarily taken aback....
What kind of person is the young master?
In the Zoldyck Family, those referred to only as "young master" without their name... there is only one, the eldest son and grandson of the Zoldyck Family, Roy Zoldyck!
Zebro halted in his steps, seriously contemplating this for the first time in his life.
Roy's astonishing feats came to mind immediately, such as pulling down a meteor with one sword and pushing open seven Gates of Trial in less than two years... not to mention Wutong, who now lies in the butler's villa, growing stronger by the day...
After pondering for a long time, Zebro fell silent.....
'Is this question hard to answer?'
'Or did I ask something I shouldn't have?'
Kurapika felt uneasy, not knowing what to do... Was it impolite to ask so many questions on the first day in the Zoldyck Family, possibly causing negative impacts on his sister...
His sensitive mind raced, growing wildly like weeds... Silent was the mountain path, where two figures, one large, one small, stood on the mottled stone steps, immersed in temporary silence.....
After a long time, a faint chuckle escaped from Zebro.....
"You've asked a really good question,"
Middle-aged, balding, with a growing belly, but thankfully still had the muscles he trained back then... Zebro rubbed his shiny forehead, cheerfully glancing at Kurapika: "As a servant, I shouldn't evaluate the master's family, but given the young master's nature, gentle as ever, even if I have thoughts, whatever I say won't bother him...."
"Uncle, it's my fault." Kurapika apologized nervously: "Don't say anything, just pretend I didn't ask."
Zebro waved his hand: "It's alright because... I don't know what kind of person the young master is either...."
Kurapika: "......."
"What? You don't believe?" Zebro lowered his head to meet Kurapika's questioning gaze, silently praising... The boy truly had beautiful big eyes, almost like Kurajing's. He smacked the boy lightly on the back of the head: "There's a difference between mortals and gods, boy."
"In my heart, the young master, along with the master, the great master, the ancestors, are all god-like figures,"
"How could someone like me, just waiting for meals, have the ability to evaluate them...."
Kurapika's head buzzed, unsure whether from Zebro's smack or the gatekeeper uncle's sigh... It took him a moment to recover.....
'God-like....'
'Perhaps it's true that only a god could move that door and make the hellhound bow and roll over....'
"Whoosh~" A gust of wind swept in, carrying the summer heat, making it unbearably sultry.....
After Zebro finished speaking, he lifted his hand to his forehead, glanced at the sun, and patted Kurapika's back: "Alright, let's go. Your sister is waiting for you."
Kurapika's bangs hung over his eyes; he softly replied with an "Hm," followed Zebro, resuming his steps until finally standing in front of a luxurious villa.
'So big!' A grand butler villa, lavish and noble in stature.
No less impressive than those tall buildings Kurapika saw along Mingbo and in Batorcia,
The boy's soft golden hair fluttered in the wind as he discreetly glanced at Zebro, deeply suspecting... Whether the uncle might directly bring him to see the young master... Lost in thought,
Then came a "creak~", the villa's door opened, and a girl rushed out excitedly,
Calling out eagerly, "Pika!"
She darted to Kurapika, hugging him tightly!
"Sister...." His eyes welled up slightly, and his eyes became uncontrollably red... As soon as Kurapika heard Kurajing's familiar call and saw her familiar face, just like before in the tribe, he embraced his sister in return... Awkwardly,
Kurapika hesitated briefly, realizing that his arms couldn't reach his sister's back!
Moreover, his sister felt incredibly hard!
Hard like stone, painfully jabbing him.....
Kurapika struggled to pull his neck from Kurajing's tight embrace, patting her back forcefully: "Sister... cough cough cough... You're squeezing the life out of me......"
Zebro beside him chuckled, timely saying: "Kurajing, easy now. Be careful not to choke him to death, after all... you're not quite the same as you used to be....."
Kurajing then realized,
She had lost control in her excitement....
Her face turned red,
Hastily released Kurapika, "Gomen~ Gomen~" beginning to apologize.
"Ho ho ho, you two siblings catch up, guests are still waiting for me at the door, I'll be off for now......"
"Thank you, uncle!"
"No need for thanks..." Zebro waved his hand, turned, and left.
Kurajing bowed to him in salute and, after another glance, lightly patted Kurapika's back, asking with concern: "Feeling better, Pika?"
Kurapika coughed several times, lifted his head to take deep breaths of the fresh mountain air, finally calming down, casting his eyes upon his sister... His sister, though still familiar, seemed like a stranger after some time apart......
She was not only taller,
But seemed sturdier,
Wearing a sharply tailored tuxedo that looked well-fitted but bulged from inside... Could it be muscles?\p>
And the sister who previously adored reading, always gentle and scholarly, without the strength to bind a chicken... How did she suddenly become so strong?
Previously, even in playful fights, when she pinned him down, he never ended up like today, almost passing out from a gentle squeeze....
"So, sister, are you trying to kill me?"
Thoughts whirling rapidly as Kurapika finally let down his guard seeing Kurajing, he grumbled with a hint of reproach.
Kurajing awkwardly adjusted her glasses on her nose, wisely staying away from that topic, resolutely pushed Kurapika to ascend the mountain....
"Pika,"
"Let's talk later,"
"First, come meet the young master."
Kurapika lowered his gaze, silent... being gently nudged by Kurajing... He could faintly see with his eyes a castle looming at the summit, larger than the butler's villa, marked by the patina of age,
His small heart began to race "thud thud~"....
Finally, reaching the summit,
A gentle voice wafted from within the bedroom.....
"Here?"
"Come in."