Indeed, Roy could sense the presence of Nen on Illumi.
The Nen felt "damp" and "chilly," making him deeply uncomfortable. It was like a venomous snake lurking in a ditch, flicking its tongue and ready to strike at the prey it had been watching.
"Congratulations." Roy kept moving, tossing the words over his shoulder as he ran back up the mountain.
Illumi watched him silently...
His body was hidden in the darkness, with only an edge illuminated by the guardhouse's dim yellow light, casting a long, slanted shadow.
He didn't say a word. Only after Roy had disappeared from sight did he expressionlessly lift his foot and follow.
As for... congratulations?
He hadn't sensed the slightest hint of congratulations in Roy's aura.
The "aura" emitted by Nen users wasn't always the same "milky white." It constantly changed according to their current emotions.
"Anger" was red...
"Evil Nen," shown when someone felt hostility toward another, was black...
Calm and balanced emotions appeared green...
When someone was neither happy nor sad, neither cared nor disliked, and habitually maintained a faint sense of distance, their aura would show... a refined shade of "gray"...
What Illumi saw in Roy was "gray"...
That meant Roy regarded him as a familiar stranger—someone he needed to keep at a certain distance.
Just as Illumi had judged... opening the Aura Nodes really could bring about a qualitative change.
Roy wasn't happy or sad, didn't care, and certainly wasn't surprised. Hearing the news was like hearing someone talk about the weather. It stirred nothing in him.
However, Illumi had managed to draw his aura back into his body in such a short time. That meant he, like Roy, had learned and mastered [Ten] within the few minutes after opening his Aura Nodes...
[Ten]: A technique for keeping the aura emitted outside the body within it. Specifically, it involves controlling the opening and closing of the Aura Nodes to determine whether aura is released or retained.
For instance, the "Water Walking" technique recorded in Jager's notes involved closing the Aura Nodes throughout the body and opening only those on the soles of the feet, allowing aura to escape through that one outlet.
In the original story, it took Zushi three months to learn [Ten]. He was an ordinary genius.
Gon and Killua learned it in a few minutes. They were geniuses among a million.
Fourth Prince Tserriednich of the Kakin Empire learned it in one second. He was a genius among a hundred million.
As for Roy and Illumi, thanks to the Zoldyck family's innate talent, mastering [Ten] within a few minutes of opening their Aura Nodes wasn't anything unusual.
"Clang..." At four thirty in the morning...
After finishing his run and taking a quick shower, Roy sat down at the dining table right on time.
Gotoh pushed in the breakfast cart and knocked on the door as usual, revealing the day's meal.
A beef burger, vegetable salad, and a large glass of milk had become the "standard." The only dish that caught Roy's eye was a stir-fry: minced pork with eggplant.
"The chef saw Young Master working in the kitchen last time and tried to copy what you did. He made this dish for you to judge."
Noticing Roy's gaze, Gotoh took the opportunity to explain, "If Young Master thinks it tastes bad, I'll fire him afterward."
The Zoldycks never had to worry about money. Firing a chef was as easy as snapping one's fingers. Roy had grown numb to hearing things like that.
He picked up his chopsticks, intending to take a bite and offer some casual praise to save the chef's job... but neither Roy nor Gotoh expected the familiar "old wind" to sweep in...
Someone had beaten Roy to it, grabbing a bite with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth to taste.
"Hmm... It's a little too salty, and a bit too sweet. The eggplant isn't soft enough. He still has a lot to learn..."
Maha smacked his lips with his eyes closed, then opened them again, tossed aside his chopsticks, and vanished in a flash...
Roy and Gotoh looked at each other, dumbfounded... Anyone who didn't know better would think the old man had been unable to hold in his nighttime urge to pee and had come out for a stroll. He was unbelievably fast...
"You heard him... There's too much salt and sugar, and the eggplant wasn't salted to draw out the water. The heat was too high at the end. He should simmer it over low heat for a few minutes until it's tender, then thicken the sauce and reduce it..."
"Understood. I'll fire him as soon as I get back."
"..."
"Is firing people all you know how to do?" Roy shot him an annoyed look. "There's no guarantee the next chef will cook as well as this one. I'll write him a recipe later. You can have the servants buy an iron wok. That's settled."
"Yes..." Gotoh nodded and served Roy his meal, telling him about what had happened at home over the past few days...
Apparently...
"Madam had been vomiting nonstop a few days ago and thought she was pregnant. But when she checked with Nen, it turned out to be food poisoning. That same day, she had the butler responsible for buying the vegetables strung up and beaten, then sent him to Meteor City..."
Roy knew Kikyo had been born in Meteor City. He took a bite of his beef burger and made no comment. He just thought... his mother was so desperate to have Killua that she'd lost her mind. Even if she was in a hurry, she should wait another three or four years...
"Also... Young Master Illumi... His eighty-win streak has been ended."
Gotoh pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and spoke slowly. "His opponent was an Emission-type Nen user. After watching Young Master Illumi's matches, he came down specifically to challenge him."
"After nearly an hour of fighting, he finally knocked Young Master Illumi out of the ring with one accurate Nen Bullet."
"Chew... chew..." The beef in the burger was a little undercooked, probably medium-rare. It was chewy, and Roy had to wash it down with milk to get it down. His expression didn't change at all...
Gotoh cautiously stole a glance at him, then continued, "Young Master, you haven't been to Heavens Arena for a while."
"Young Master Illumi probably took that loss because he was trying to break your eighty-one-win streak..."
"I also heard yesterday that he asked the Master to open his Aura Nodes. He'll probably go after that Nen user for revenge soon!"
Was that revenge? It was murder!
Roy finished his burger, took out a napkin, and unhurriedly wiped his mouth. "Enough talk. Tell me today's training schedule."
Snow Walk, which had been washed all night by Moonlight while resting on the sword rack, seemed unable to wait to be drawn. Roy felt the same way, wishing night would come already so he could enter his dream and seek out Urokodaki Sakonji.
He pushed away from the table and rose to his feet, leaving the mess for Gotoh to clean up. The young butler reported, "Young Master, you won't need to train this morning."
"The Master sent word that he wants to test the Nen Ability types of you and Young Master Illumi."
"After that, he'll arrange your future training according to your types."
So he finally remembered he had another son?
Roy picked up Snow Walk and, without looking back, tossed Gotoh a line...
"I'm not going to be tested. If Father asks, tell him—"
"No assassin would be foolish enough to reveal his trump cards to anyone else..."
"He taught me that."
Before you continue