Chapter 8: Settlement and Initial Operations
The city was overwhelming.
I'd read about York New City in the books Father had provided, but no description could have adequately prepared me for the reality. The noise alone was staggeringâ€"thousands of people moving through crowded streets, vendors calling out their wares, vehicles powered by some form of compressed air technology that I didn't fully understand.
The buildings towered above us, some reaching ten stories or more. The sky between them was a patchwork of blue and shadow. Everything smelled of exhaust, cooking food, and humanity in density that the forest had never prepared me for.
Rai stood beside me on the street, his eyes wide. "This is a lot of people."
"Yes," I agreed, maintaining a perfect Ten shield around both of us. To casual observers, we were just two teenage boys. To Nen users, we would appear completely normalâ€"no aura leakage, no obvious power.
"Where do we even start?" Rai asked.
That was the question. I'd planned the general strategy, but the specific execution required on-the-ground intelligence.
"First, we need accommodation," I said. "Somewhere safe where we can plan properly. Then we scout the city, understand how it works, identify opportunities."
I pulled out a map I'd memorized. York New City had several districts: the Downtown commercial district, the Harbor district where ships docked, the Residential district where wealthy people lived, the Slums where criminals and desperate people congregated, and the Hunter Association headquarters building in the center.
"We should avoid the Downtown commercial district initially," I said, thinking aloud. "Too many eyes, too much competition. And we should avoid the Slumsâ€"too dangerous until we have power and resources."
"The Residential district?" Rai suggested.
I considered it. "Maybe eventually. For now, let's try the Harbor district. Ports are always places of opportunity. There's trade, shipping, connections to the wider world. And harbor districts are often more lax about who they let operate there."
Finding accommodation proved easier than expected. In the Harbor district, we found a small hotel that catered to travelers and merchants. The proprietor, an old man with a scarred face, didn't ask many questions when I paid for a month in advance using Jenny I'd brought from the village.
Our room was small but cleanâ€"two beds, a small table, and a window overlooking the harbor. Through that window, I could see ships of various sizes, cargo being loaded and unloaded, the constant bustle of commerce.
"This is good," Rai said, dropping onto one of the beds. "We're really doing this."
"We're really doing this," I confirmed.
My first week in York New City was dedicated to reconnaissance. I spent most of my time in Zetsu or light Ren, moving through the city, observing, learning, understanding how it functioned.
I visited the Hunter Association branch and observed from outside. The building was massive, clearly organized. I watched Hunters coming and going, noted the security measures, understood that this would be an important institution to form relationships with.
I visited the commercial district and observed the various businesses. Import-export companies, auction houses, restaurants, hotels. I began to understand the economic structure of the cityâ€"who was wealthy, who was desperate, where the opportunities existed.
I visited the docks and observed the shipping operations. This was where I found my first lead.
There was a company called "Corsair Trading" that specialized in rare materials. They imported rare minerals, herbs, and exotic goods from remote regions. I watched them negotiate with suppliers, saw how they operated, understood their business model.
That evening, I shared my observations with Rai.
"I think rare materials trading is our best option," I said. "The market is clearly established, there's demand, and our access to Kurta forest resources gives us a natural supplier advantage."
"But we need capital first, right?" Rai asked. "To establish the business and buy initial inventory?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "That's the next phase."
Acquiring capital without drawing attention was the challenge. I couldn't simply steal large sumsâ€"that would trigger investigations. Instead, I needed to be strategic.
Over the next two weeks, I used my Error Pathway abilities to identify opportunities.
I encountered a jewel merchant in the downtown district who was conducting an illegal transactionâ€"selling stolen jewelry to a crime boss. I followed him to his home and used my Error Pathway to steal the catalog of his sales, his supplier information, and critically, his knowledge of where he'd hidden his cash reserves.
Fifty million Jenny. Hidden in a basement safe behind a wall.
I stole the key to that safeâ€"not the physical key, but the knowledge of the safe's combination. The merchant's certainty that only he knew the combination was something I could steal and claim for myself.
I entered the safe through his basement window while he was asleep (using Zetsu to remain undetected) and stole the currency. He would wake to find his safe emptied, but by then I'd be long gone, and he wouldn't dare report it to authorities given the criminal nature of his business.
Fifty million Jenny.
The slums had an underground fighting circuit where Nen users fought each other for money and prestige. I used this as both an intelligence gathering operation and a capital acquisition opportunity.
I entered the circuit under a false name, claiming to be an unregistered Hunter looking for work. Rai became my "manager," helping establish credibility.
I fought in five matches against various Nen users. In each match, I won decisively without revealing the full extent of my power. I used just enough Ren and Hatsu to be convincing while holding back my true abilities.
Each win came with a payoutâ€"betting money I'd secretly arranged through intermediaries, using my Zetsu ability to remain undetected as I placed bets on my own victories.
Seventy million Jenny. More capital.
This was the most delicate operation. I identified a wealthy businessman who was conducting corporate espionageâ€"paying for confidential information from his competitors.
I approached him through intermediaries, claiming to be an information broker willing to steal corporate secrets for payment.
He contracted me to steal R&D documents from a competing company.
Using my Error Pathway abilities, I infiltrated the target company's headquarters while in Zetsu state. I used my Hatsu to steal the documents directlyâ€"not physical documents, but the information contained within them. I essentially stole the knowledge itself, leaving the physical documents untouched.
When the businessman received the information, he was pleased enough to pay three hundred million Jenny for the job.
Three hundred million Jenny. Major progress.
But this operation had consequences. The businessman wasn't careful about his sources, and when the stolen information reached his competitors, there were investigations. Security was enhanced. Authorities were involved.
I'd drawn attention, and I hadn't anticipated how quickly that would happen.
Two days after the successful information brokerage job, there was a knock on our hotel room door.
Rai looked at me, nervous. I maintained absolute calm, placing myself between him and the door while activating a perfect Ten shield on both of us.
"Who is it?" I called out, my voice steady.
"Hunter Association," came the reply. "We'd like to ask you some questions."
I exchanged a glance with Rai, then opened the door.
Two Hunters stood in the hallwayâ€"a man in his forties with sharp eyes and a woman in her thirties with a data tablet. The man showed his Hunter license.
"Ben Kurta?" the man asked.
"Yes," I confirmed. "What's this about?"
"We're investigating corporate espionage in the city," the woman said. "Your name came up in our investigation. Can we ask you some questions?"
This was dangerous. If I refused, they'd become more suspicious. If I agreed and they pressed too hard, I'd have to do something I'd prefer to avoidâ€"use my Hatsu to steal their memories of this encounter.
"Of course," I said, opening the door wider. "Come in."
They entered, and I closed the door behind them.
"We have records of suspicious activity related to your presence in the city," the man said. "You arrived two weeks ago, you've been involved in underground fighting circuits, and people have noticed you moving through areas with high criminal activity."
"I'm looking for work," I said honestly. "I'm a Nen user, and I'm new to the city. I've been exploring opportunities."
"Underground fighting is illegal," the woman said flatly.
"It's a gray area," I replied. "The fights happen, authorities tolerate them, people earn money. I needed capital to start a legitimate business."
The man studied me carefully. "What kind of business?"
"Rare materials trading," I said. "I have access to rare resources from my home region. I wanted to establish a trading company here."
This seemed to interest him. "Your home region is the Kurta territory?"
I nodded carefully. "Yes. We have access to materials that are valuable on the market."
The two Hunters exchanged a look. "The Kurta clan," the woman said. "That's an ethnic group we have limited information on. What can you tell us?"
This was my opportunity. I could use this encounter to establish a legitimate relationship with the Hunter Association, which was part of my long-term plan.
"The Kurta are a peaceful people living in isolation," I said. "We have strong Nen abilities and access to rare materials from our region. I'm here to establish legitimate business connections that would benefit both my clan and this city."
"Have you registered as a Hunter?" the man asked.
"Not yet," I admitted. "I wanted to establish my business first, then consider formal registration."
"You should register," the woman said. "It would legitimize your activities and give you legal protection."
"I'll consider it," I said.
The man handed me a card. "My name is Director Morse. I oversee the Hunter Association's economic development and integration programs. What you're describingâ€"bringing remote communities into legitimate commerceâ€"that's something we support. When you're ready to register or if you need guidance navigating legitimate business channels, contact me."
After they left, Rai let out a long breath. "That was close."
"It was," I agreed. "But it was also an opportunity. That Director Morseâ€"he's someone I need to develop a relationship with. If the Hunter Association officially endorses our integration efforts, it changes everything."
I'd stolen nothing during that encounter. I hadn't needed to. I'd simply been honest enough to be believable while vague enough to avoid direct incrimination.
With three hundred fifty million Jenny in capital, plus the additional money from my fighting wins (which totaled roughly twenty million Jenny), I had enough to establish a legitimate business presence.
I rented a small warehouse in the Harbor district and registered a business: Kurta Materials Trading Company.
The registration process was more complex than I'd anticipated. I needed legal documentation, proof of business legitimacy, tax identification, and various other bureaucratic requirements. Fortunately, the city had businesses that handled this process for a fee.
I hired a local business consultantâ€"a woman named Maya who'd been in the city for fifteen years and knew how to navigate regulations. She wasn't inexpensive, but her knowledge was invaluable.
"You need to look legitimate," she explained, helping me prepare the paperwork. "You need to establish a track record. I'd recommend your first shipment of rare materials should come from your home region. Once you've established a successful trade, banks will be willing to provide credit for expansion."
That meant contacting the village. I sent a letter through the Hunter Association's courier systemâ€"a trusted network I'd verifiedâ€"asking that the elders send an initial shipment of rare herbs and materials to York New City.
Two weeks later, a shipment arrived: packaged herbs, rare minerals, medicinal compounds. All sourced from the Kurta forest. All documented with proper export papers that I'd arranged through Maya.
The value of the initial shipment was approximately twenty million Jenny. I took it to Corsair Trading and negotiated a sale.
The negotiation was complex. Corsair wanted the materials, but at a price that would have been unsustainably low. I used my knowledge of the marketâ€"information I'd "acquired" through my Error Pathway investigation of their operationsâ€"to push back.
"Your competitor, North Star Trading, would pay thirty percent more," I stated confidently. "And I have better quality materials."
It was a bluff, but I'd learned their weakness: they were desperate to expand their rare materials division.
They counter-offered at twenty-five percent more. I accepted.
The deal was completed. I'd made approximately five million Jenny profit on the first transaction.
Rai watched the money transfer into my business account and whistled. "That actually worked."
"It's just the beginning," I said. "But yes, it worked."
Over the next month, I established the basic framework for the business: