Conrad spent the next hour searching through the Hunter Association database.
As expected, the results were disappointing.
Meteor City itself had a file.
The city was known as a place that accepted people discarded by the rest of the world. Millions lived there, and despite its reputation, it maintained its own internal structure and rules.
Various reports described its history, several incidents connected to criminal organisations, and encounters between hunters and Meteor City residents.
There was also a section regarding the Elders.
Unfortunately, the information was extremely limited.
The database acknowledged their existence and their influence over Meteor City's affairs, but beyond basic statements, there was little that could actually help him.
Conrad leant back in his chair.
"So that's all."
"Either the association genuinely knows very little, or somebody has spent a lot of effort making sure information stays hidden."
Neither possibility seemed impossible.
Meteor City had existed for a long time.
Many powerful individuals, criminal organisations, and even governments had interacted with it over the years.
Yet the amount of reliable information available remained surprisingly small.
Conrad closed several windows and rested his chin on his hand.
The mention of the Elders reminded him of something else.
"Sun and Moon..."
The ability Chrollo had used during his fight against Hisoka.
Conrad still remembered the details.
Sun and Moon had originally belonged to one of Meteor City's elders.
The ability itself was already unusual, but what made it even more noteworthy was the fact that it remained inside Skill Hunter even after the Elder's death.
That alone suggested the original owner had been far from ordinary.
Conrad narrowed his eyes.
The more he thought about it, the more interesting the situation became.
The Elder had not created the ability for personal combat or self-defence.
Its purpose had been much simpler.
Meteor City had enemies.
People who treated its citizens as if they had no value.
Eventually, one of the Elders had developed an answer.
Sun and Moon.
A Nen ability capable of turning living people into bombs.
Conrad remembered Chrollo's own explanation to Hisoka.
The ability had been used as a warning to those who sought to harm Meteor City and its people.
Meteor City might have been poor.
It might have lacked the military power of major nations.
But harming its people came with consequences.
Conrad took another sip of whisky.
"Brutal."
"But effective."
History had proven that many times.
A few public examples could influence thousands of people.
If enough enemies disappeared or died in spectacular ways, others would think twice before repeating the same mistake.
Conrad did not necessarily agree with that line of thinking.
At the same time, he understood why it existed.
Meteor City was not a normal city.
Its people had survived because they relied on methods that other societies considered unacceptable.
The Elder's ability reflected that reality.
Conrad turned his attention back towards the information regarding Lamor Angenia.
If Lamor truly possessed connections to the Elders, then understanding them was probably more important than understanding Lamor himself.
Powerful people rarely acted alone.
Especially inside a place like Meteor City.
The Blue Flower Elder Palace was beginning to stand out more and more.
An ordinary criminal would not be connected to an organisation carrying that kind of name.
An ordinary Nen user would not attract the attention of Netero, the Zodiacs, and the Hunter Association at the same time.
Conrad slowly closed the final database window.
"So the association doesn't have what I need."
"That means I'll have to find the answers somewhere else."
The conclusion was simple.
If he wanted information about Lamor Angenia, he would probably have to go directly to the source.
And that source was waiting inside Meteor City.
----------
Conrad had known from the beginning that the situation would eventually lead in this direction, but at least he had managed to gather a small amount of useful information.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to every member of his group.
The message was simple.
He informed them that he had personal business to take care of and that it would likely occupy him for some time. Until he contacted them again, they should not be concerned if they failed to hear from him.
After sending the messages, Conrad placed the phone back onto the desk.
"Alright."
"Then the destination is Meteor City."
Conrad was fully aware that this mission was different from the ones he had handled before.
Unlike previous assignments, he was not targeting a criminal organisation, a mafia family, or an isolated Nen user.
This time, he was moving against something far larger.
Meteor City was not officially recognised as a nation, but in practical terms, it possessed influence comparable to one.
Its population was enormous.
Its internal structure remained largely unknown.
Its connections extended into countless criminal networks throughout the world.
Most importantly, it had existed for a very long time.
That alone made it dangerous.
Of course, Matilda could be considered a similar case in some respects.
However, Matilda had never carried the same weight.
Meteor City had always occupied an important position within the world's balance of power.
Even many governments preferred avoiding direct confrontation with it whenever possible.
Conrad leant back slightly and continued thinking.
"If the Elders are intelligent enough..."
"And if they've managed their affairs properly..."
"They could easily have hundreds or even thousands of Nen users under their influence."
The possibility was far from impossible.
Meteor City possessed millions of residents.
Even if only a tiny fraction had awakened Nen, the resulting number would still be significant.
Conrad did not intend to underestimate them.
Underestimating opponents was one of the easiest ways to die.
Especially in a world where Nen existed.
"Even if it's natural that they don't want to take direct action against Hunters..."
"The fact that Lamor is being hunted is already known."