A Clever Woman

A Clever Woman

A few minutes later, Oboro wiped his hands with a handkerchief and walked out of the hall.

Charles, someone who had been forgotten, was slung over his shoulder.

His injuries were severe, but fortunately not fatal... A few months of recuperation should be enough.

The man was lucky not to have been killed.

Oboro was not afraid of trouble... but he hated being pestered.

Just as he kept as far away as possible from people like Hisoka and Illumi...

He wanted to understand and grow familiar with this world in a purer way, climbing toward the heights he envisioned... In his previous life, he had been full of curiosity about Hunter World, with many secrets he wanted to learn and experiences he wanted to have...

But wanting to move forward alone and without distractions was truly difficult.

Even someone like Netero could not avoid it.

That included Ging Freecss, who had gotten tangled up with Pariston after the Chairman's death.

Let this be... the beginning of fitting into this world.

With that thought, Oboro left the manor carrying the unconscious Charles.

Oboro had no interest in power... In truth, dealing with one of the Ten Dons was easy, but after hearing Bort out, Oboro understood... the underground power structure was complicated. It was not as if killing one of the Ten Dons would make that person disappear forever... New leaders would always emerge, and new Ten Dons would appear... Unless he became one of them, hidden dangers would always remain. The Mafia's structure and framework had already been firmly established.

For one thing, simply being wanted by the Mafia would be troublesome.

A swarm of flies buzzing around you every day... who would not get annoyed?

And in the original story, Illumi had assassinated the Ten Dons all by himself, making the Mafia seem utterly incompetent... But now, it seemed reality was not so simple! The underground forces had businesses spread across several continents, involving every imaginable field... Besides, when Illumi killed the Ten Dons, their manpower had been tied down by the Phantom Troupe, and the Shadow Beasts had not been present... Especially the Shadow Beasts. Although every last one of them had been wiped out by the Spiders, as the Ten Dons' private armed force, they undeniably had some real skill.

At the very least, if Oboro had to face all the Shadow Beasts alone right now, his odds of winning would be close to zero.

Still, dealing with one of the Ten Dons would not be a problem.

The underworld had its own rules. As long as he rose to power smoothly and gained authority equal to a Ten Don's, that would be enough.

Annoying as it was, the Fills Family incident had also made Oboro realize that the underground forces were rather interesting. Compared to the people at Heavens Arena, these hired Nen users were far more well-rounded... He could treat them as upgraded "little mice." Maybe he could learn something from them.

Furthermore, if he truly rose to become one of the Ten Dons, he would control more assets... They could fully support his future Hunter career, while the Mafia's intelligence network and connections would also make it easier for him to understand this world.

Some information and records... were difficult for ordinary people to learn, held only in the hands of a select few.

There was also V5.

Oboro was quite interested in that government organization, something like the United Nations... But as merely a Hunter, it would be difficult for him to reach that level. The Mafia, on the other hand, would make a good stepping stone.

Oboro remembered clearly that in the original story, even someone as respected as Netero could only obey when taking a call from a high-ranking V5 official... Of course, that had much to do with the old man's sense of responsibility toward all Hunters and his own "greater good," but it had to be admitted that, setting aside the Dark Continent, the human world here still displayed clear symbols of power.

The more trump cards he had, the less interference he would face in the future.

Leaving external factors aside, people who talked about roaming the world freely... were basically just talking big.

To have absolute freedom, one needed absolute "ability."

Oboro knew very well what kind of world Hunter World truly was...

After that, he boarded an airship for Koke, a prosperous major city in the Republic of Padokea.

The Fills Family's headquarters was located there, not far from Heavens Arena.

He left Charles at a hospital... As long as he lived, that was enough. Once he woke up, it would not take long for him to understand what had happened.

"Should I look for him..."

On the airship, Oboro sat by the window, sipping fruit juice as he muttered to himself.

The person he meant was Illumi.

He could have the Zoldyck family kill one of the Ten Dons and save himself the trouble.

But after thinking it over, Oboro abandoned the idea.

For one thing, Illumi had surely already met and become acquainted with Hisoka by now. After all, Oboro himself had been the one to introduce them.

Second, the price for a Ten Don would definitely not be low.

Lastly... why spend money to hire someone else for something he could do himself?

Besides, letting Illumi know about his plans would be anything but good.

Just as he had analyzed earlier, even if Illumi killed the Ten Don controlling the local forces now, it would be useless... Oboro still would not be able to take that position. It might even benefit someone else instead. The Mafia valued legitimacy and seniority, and it had to be one of their own... The Fills Family was merely a mid-level force. It would take time.

Oboro had also considered a series of methods, such as using forceful tactics or violence to seize control, but they were unrealistic... There were countless Mafia members. Even if the Zoldyck family wanted to control the Mafia, assuming Illumi did not use his ability, it would still take a long time to make everyone submit wholeheartedly... Those who refused could be killed, but there were simply too many to kill... One year? Two years?

Most importantly, it involved many aspects of management. All those trivial details would be far too troublesome.

The Mafia might not be respectable, but their sense of identity was actually quite strong.

Of course, if Illumi used his ability, then forget he said anything.

Furthermore, in the eyes of people like Fills Garu, the identities of Hunters or Nen users were not especially prestigious or noble. At most, they were like the Zoldycks—people to be feared.

But most of them were merely seen as assassins or hired help that could be bought with money.

Oboro had neither the time nor the patience to waste on such matters.

Therefore, all things considered, using the Fills Family's identity to rise quickly was the best and most effective option.

It would save time as well.

"Ah..."

At that thought, Oboro rubbed his temples.

Sometimes, he thought things were relatively simple... Nen was like that, and so was the Mafia.

"The preconceived notions of a transmigrator have their pros and cons... They are not all benefits."

With a slurp, he bit down on the straw and drained the fruit juice from his cup, sighing.

A few days later.

In Koke City, a nearly hundred-meter-tall building stood under tight security. Even the guards at the entrance carried guns.

Everyone entering and leaving wore suits and had cold expressions.

The place exuded an unmistakable air of keeping strangers away.

This was the Fills Family's core group headquarters and residence.

Everything above the fiftieth floor of the building was closed to outsiders, and taking the elevator required a special access card.

On the top floor, inside a room spanning several hundred square meters, everything was pitch-black.

A woman in a white dress sat in a wheelchair, one hand touching the glass as she stared blankly at the bustling traffic beneath the city's nightscape.

Her features somewhat resembled Fills Garu's, and she was only in her twenties.

She was Fills Garu's only younger sister, Fills Lily.

Oboro stood several meters behind her, studying her.

The woman had not noticed him at all.

"Paralyzed from the waist down, and blind..." Oboro noticed something was wrong.

Bort had mentioned Fills Garu's sister to him before.

He deliberately made the sound of footsteps.

"Is someone there?"

The sudden noise did not alarm Lily. She merely turned her head slightly and asked in a calm voice.

Her brown eyes possessed no spirit or light.

"Fills Garu is dead..."

Oboro spoke.

"..."

Silence followed.

"I know." The woman showed no grief or emotional reaction as she continued softly.

Oboro raised a brow. A stranger had suddenly appeared, yet this woman was remarkably calm... Everything above the fiftieth floor belonged exclusively to the Fills Family and served as their living area.

He was clearly an intruder...

"Are you here to kill me?"

Her next words caught Oboro off guard.

"No."

Oboro smiled.

"Did you kill him?"

"Yes."

Oboro answered calmly.

The woman did not ask why. She did not cry for help or scream. She merely fell silent for a moment.

"What do you want?"

"I want to become the new head of the Fills Family..."

"What if I refuse?"

Lily turned her head back and continued "looking" at the scenery beyond the window.

"I will find another way, but the consequences may be rather severe," Oboro said slowly.

"The previous head of the Fills Family, your father... he died only a few years ago, right? Your Fills Family built its fortune through casinos and gambling... That business is highly profitable, and plenty of people have their eyes on it, both openly and secretly... Your father's death and your injuries were also because someone wanted to take a slice of your family's cake."

"Your brother did a decent job. Although some of the assets were carved up by others, he at least managed to stabilize the situation over several years... Yet things were still far worse than before! Whether you agree or not, I intend to clean out some of the Fills Family's upper ranks. If news of your brother's death gets out as well, can just you and the butler fend off the pack of Garou outside?"

Oboro walked to her side and stood before the window as well.

"You... aren't Mafia, are you..."

After quietly listening, the woman spoke with a trace of certainty in her voice.

"No."

Oboro narrowed his eyes... This woman was much smarter than her brother, Fills Garu!

"Oboro."

Suddenly, the woman called his name. "You were the one who won money from our casino."

Oboro was not surprised. After all, Fills Garu had gone to Tandon to meet him.

But looking at it now... Oboro felt that although Fills Garu had been the head of the family, the true mastermind behind everything was likely this unremarkable, disabled woman before him.

He had met Fills Garu... He could only say that the man had been rather ordinary.

But Lily, with only a few brief sentences, had already earned the label of "smart person" in Oboro's mind.

"Are they all dead?"

"Mm."

"Not a single survivor?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Then it seems... I truly cannot refuse you."

The woman raised her blind eyes and smiled softly. "May I ask... why do you want to become a Mafia boss? Someone like you should have no need to do something like this..."

"Mm... The reason..."

The two spoke as though they were friends.

Oboro rubbed his chin and said, "I have no interest in your family. I merely want to borrow its influence to gain some 'things'..."

"Use it, then..."

The woman seemed to understand, yet not fully.

"You do not mind?"

"No."

Lily shook her head.

Oboro.

Oboro glanced at her, then suddenly asked, "You do not hate me?"

"I am only a little sad... It was all destined..."

After Fills Lily spoke, she suddenly said, "Could I trouble you... to describe the view outside the window for me? Just as you see it... I can only hear some sounds..."

"No problem."

Oboro nodded.

"Thank you."