Hours later, Noontime,
At the entranceway of the Zoldyck mansion,
"Young master Hiruma, are you finally ready? Where's your luggage?"
The imposing Tsubone, who was patiently waiting for Hiruma, asked, perplexed, as he had no bags for the trip.
The trip was the "clean up" type of journey, but the little Zoldyck and the old butler would need to stay at their destination for a few days until the day of the heist. The day it was expected.
Enrich's side had acquired a valuable leak from one of the dead staff.
In the documents Hiruma read, the day prognosticated was not so much of a boding but a fact—the thieves seemed to have planted a mole at Enrich's side for a few years.
The escort and night guard who provided the info was murdered in cold blood; before he could share more of the crucial hints that he overheard someone speaking.
As a result, Enrich grew hurried and mistrustful. It was justified. After all, he didn't just lose crucial assets; it turned out that even his security was unreliable. The culprit of the homicide seemed to be working at his house. Not even at the companies he owned.
The disguised, sunglass and scarf-wearing boy replied.
"I have everything I need; I'm ready. Don't worry about me."
He was wearing a sized, black buttoned, red shirt with black flower stripes, almost as if he were going on vacation. He definitely wasn't...
This was all part of the job.
Tsubone raised her eyebrows; then she suddenly asked, smirking a bit, as if she thought of something,
"Conjuration? Young master Hiruma, is that it? Aren't you an Enhancer?"
Hiruma swore inside; now he fully understood why Tsubone, the old Conjurer, was tasked to stay next to him.
His dad was not killing two birds with one stone; he was killing four birds with one stone.
He was having her monitor Hiruma's activities and his talents and letting Tsubone guide him... And there was also the Nanika scenario...
Well...
Hiruma had long thought of an excuse; being unconventional wasn't a crime. Hiruma could be an irregular Zoldyck if he showed an early understanding and grasp of his powers.
He wouldn't be the first in some of the long Zoldyck history he cared to browse before walking out of the castle. Since he couldn't continue to tell the same lie he told his mother and deceive her, he responded in a reasonably pestered tone,
"I'm a little exhausted of pretending. You got me. Want to know the truth?"
There was some infantile arrogance in his voice. He was showing some of the impression on purpose.
Hearing him, Tsubone chuckled. Looking entertained and snoopy, she observed,
"You're right, Young master Hiruma; lying to your seniors isn't good. Speak your heart, speak, the old me is listening..."
She and her stare at the boy showed no sign of moving. Not an inch.
She was creepily smiling, looking the likes of the Little-Red-Riding-Hood's wolf and Frankenstein, when Hiruma expressed, having an internal sigh,
He dreaded the old woman a bit more than he thought he would,
"I'm definitely an enhancer, though there's something I feel like I should share now... Don't tell my mother, but I already knew Nen the day she awakened me."
"I've known it for a year."
Tsubone chuckled again and responded curiously,
"As expected... You're not a specialist, then, young master?"
She didn't seem to care about the lie he mentioned.
'Is she fully buying it?'
'I practiced enough Ten these two days, if so...'
'My Everyday Mastery should be more powerful than I thought; I should have controlled the fluctuations of my heart now.'
Hiruma thought, temporarily and only half relieved before he replied,
"Of course not; I have 0% compatibility with Specialization. Did something make you think otherwise?"
Tsubone didn't reply. She just chuckled again and uttered,
"Interesting..."
As soon as her word ended, she took something out of thin air and said,
"You won't mind doing the test again if so, Young Master Hiruma?"
Seeing what appeared in the woman's hand, Hiruma wasn't surprised, knowing her affinity. He shook his head and replied, bored,
"Why not? Let's do it if that can help you clear some doubt."
Though he said so, recalling one skill he got recently, he gulped.
Being a freak wouldn't be too much risk in the house. But being a lying one could be troublesome.
...
A moment later,
"The water volume increased..."
Hiruma was finally entirely relieved. Going through Water Divination a second time, he saw no change.
He was 100% an enhancer, even with a Steal* skill.
A little self-satisfied, proud in his heart for being as deceitful as a transmuter, he looked at his new and exclusive butler.
Then he asked with inappropriate cheek,
"What am I, then?"
He didn't think.
It was too late to change his words when they were spoken.
The moment the sound was heard, he immediately regretted being disrespectful.