"If according to what you said, everything was because of the Phantom Troupe..."
Suspicion appeared on Arlens Wood's face. He frowned, and killing intent toward Kisho surfaced in his eyes.
"Then why are you still alive?"
"...I was taken to Meteor City."
Seeing that Arlens was still doubting him, Kisho said slowly:
"The fact that I'm standing here is the best proof."
"In Meteor City, in order to survive, I sought protection from an elder."
Kisho said seriously:
"But because I was too outstanding, that elder treated me as goods to trade with the mafia and sent me here."
What kind of lies are the easiest to believe?
Naturally, it's when falsehoods are crushed up and mixed into the truth, then thrown together at the listener.
But speaking of it, what he said wasn't exactly a lie.
Even if he hadn't managed to kill this man's great-grandfather that day, once the great-grandfather was "full and satisfied" and left the underground concert hall, he would still have been killed by the Troupe packing up their spoils on the second floor.
Kisho looked at the thoughtful Arlens Wood, who clearly believed more than half of it, shrugged, and said:
"It's true I didn't die from the piece your great-grandfather played. And it's precisely because I didn't die that those damn people from the Troupe became interested in me."
Arlens Wood: "..."
He said slowly:
"Alright."
Then he turned around.
"I already know everything I wanted to know. If there's nothing else, I'll go back to tutor the young miss."
"Wait."
Kisho spoke up:
"I still have a question—I want to know where you obtained the score of the Sonata of Darkness."
Arlens Wood smiled.
"...Why should I tell you?"
"...It's fine. If you don't want to say it, then forget it."
Kisho spoke indifferently:
"But whether I tell others about the information that you appeared here… well, that's another matter."
Arlens Wood suddenly turned around.
"...What did you say?"
"What do I mean—don't you understand?"
Kisho smiled.
"Besides Whale Manor, you must have other estates. But why did you appear here specifically? I believe you know better than I do."
"Your great-grandfather was preparing for a concert, so he must have recalled all the trusted subordinates, right?"
Kisho continued:
"Unfortunately, those people were wiped out clean by the Troupe. Now you not only have no manpower protecting you, you also have no source of income, and you're carrying the hatred of more than twenty people behind those musicians."
"If I accidentally told someone... that I saw you at Lashan Mountain..."
Dangerous light condensed in Kisho's eyes as he smiled.
"What do you think would happen?"
Arlens: "..."
Truly... an annoying little brat.
"Fine."
He slowly spat out the words.
"I'll tell you."
...
"Here."
Arlens handed Kisho a note.
"The Sonata of Darkness: Piano Version was obtained by my grandfather in the museum of this city, but..."
"I later went to that museum as well. There was almost nothing of value left inside—there wasn't even an administrator to be found."
Kisho took the note with the address written on it and fell silent.
"Even if you find nothing in the future, there's nothing I can do."
Arlens Wood spread his hands.
"You can only choose to believe it or not."
"...Besides the Piano Solo Piece, do you know of any other scores?"
Arlens Wood looked at him with an expression of "you're daydreaming." He glared at Kisho irritably.
"Do you think a piece called the Demon King Solo Piece is some trash tune you can find everywhere?"
Kisho: "I was just asking casually."
He stared at the note for a while, memorized the address, then Nen fire ignited in his palm, burning the paper into ashes.
"There's nothing else I want to know."
Kisho raised his head and met Arlens Wood's gaze, then smiled at him innocently.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, Mr. Wood. Hello."
Arlens Wood: "..."
...
The two returned to the piano classroom.
"Miss Anida, you're slacking off again!"
Arlens Wood saw Anida, who at some point had already sat on the floor flipping through manga, and looked helpless.
"If the master finds out, he will—"
"Ah, then just don't tell him."
Anida snapped the book shut with a "thud".
"Anyway, today's already Friday. What's the difference between having tomorrow off and having this afternoon off?"
Kisho: "..."
Arlens Wood: "..."
Anida had no intention of practicing the piano and only wanted to loaf around. She stared at Kisho.
"Hey, Noah Barton, I'll go tell Dad later—this afternoon we'll go play in the city!"
Kisho neither confirmed nor responded, only looked at her helplessly.
"This isn't something I can decide. If sir agrees, then I'll follow your arrangements."
"Yay~"
Anida stood up and walked to Kisho's side, leaning in to look at him.
"Mm, come to think of it, you haven't been there before, right? There are so many good things there—you definitely haven't seen them."
Kisho: "...Not necessarily."
What he meant was "not necessarily that I haven't been there."
But Anida didn't pay attention to his meaning at all. Instead, she boldly patted his shoulder.
"It's fine, I won't look down on you for having seen nothing."
"Whatever you want, this young lady will buy it for you!"
Kisho: "...?"
So this is what rich people are like?
Speaking of it, he was starting to develop a bit of persecution paranoia.
If he didn't know that this young miss truly knew nothing about the business her family was involved in, he would have thought that the "buy it for you" she mentioned referred to those addictive "good things."
...
Afternoon, Lashan City.
Kisho was being dragged along at the very front by Anida, who had an unhappy expression. Jitt followed behind the two of them, while a group of seven or eight bodyguards trailed far behind the trio.
The three walking in front had empty hands, but the pitiful bodyguards each carried shopping bags piled like small mountains.
—It seemed that Anida was venting her anger at being forced to be followed by bodyguards through shopping sprees, then dumping it all onto those innocent guards.
Kisho glanced back with lingering fear. Seeing those burly men forced to carry heaps of things, sympathy flowed from his eyes.
"So annoying!"
Anida angrily kicked away a small stone by her foot.
"I told them not to bring so many bodyguards! They always agree nicely, but when it's time to set off, they still send a whole van of people to follow us."
Kisho: "..."
He awkwardly offered a straight-man consolation.
"Uh, well, he's just worried about your safety?"
"What's there to worry about!"
Anida was puzzled.
"Look, there are so many people on the street. Aren't they all out on their own?"
She pointed at an adult walking with a small boy.
"And besides, my dad never comes with me... sob, that kid even has family coming out together..."
Kisho looked in that direction.
However, his expression instantly turned cold.
At the end of the sidewalk, in a branching road, a speeding sedan charged straight toward the adult and child without any attempt to avoid them—crashing straight into them—
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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