Chapter 14

"We are assassins. If we fail to kill, we'll be killed ourselves. Therefore, once we evaluate our opponent, we must determine if we have a one hundred percent chance of success."

"If we don't, then we shouldn't strike. We should abandon the mission."

"If it's a fight that isn't mission-related, then just walk away."

Ron recalled seeing these two rules in the original storyline. The first rule was fundamental, and nearly all Zoldyck family members adhered to it. Most other Nen users, aside from a few reckless ones, also gathered intel on their opponent's strength before engaging in battle—they didn't fight unless they were confident in victory.

The second rule, however, was more unique. Ron remembered that Illumi, in his rule-bound approach to combat, followed this rule strictly: if he wasn't certain of a one hundred percent chance of victory, he wouldn't engage. It sounded like a highly cautious measure, but reality was rarely so accommodating.

In real situations, you couldn't always choose whether or not to fight; sometimes, circumstances forced combat without the luxury of absolute confidence. Ron and Silva held different views on this. While securing an advantage in battle was certainly ideal, Ron believed it was also essential to prepare for times when victory was uncertain. Only this mindset would prevent losing one's will to fight when facing formidable enemies.

Still, Ron understood that Silva shared these words out of genuine concern, so he had no intention of contradicting him.

"Uncle Silva, may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"How are Nen users classified by level?"

When watching the original story, Ron hadn't gotten a clear answer to this. There was no fixed ranking for Nen users—only outcomes of battles. But victory or defeat alone didn't provide a clear measure of strength, as factors like time, location, and compatibility between abilities also influenced the result.

"Nen user rankings?" Silva paused thoughtfully.

"There isn't a precise ranking system for Nen users. However, we can make a rough classification based on certain aspects. While rankings aren't everything, they can give us a sense of a person's capabilities."

"First, there's aura capacity."

"The more aura one has, the more they can use their abilities, and the longer they can fight."

"Second is Nen ability itself."

"Different abilities have completely different effects. A high aura capacity but weak abilities is less threatening than a lower aura capacity with powerful abilities."

"Third, there's the importance of fundamental skills."

"This includes basic and advanced techniques of Nen. It's impossible to rely solely on one's unique ability, and it won't necessarily suit every situation. Often, in the intervals between using abilities, basic Nen skills are essential for attacking."

This point made sense to Ron. Nen abilities were like special moves, while fundamental skills were akin to regular attacks. Combining both led to the greatest overall power, especially for masters. Just like in arcade games, while special moves were flashy, they could be dodged or blocked. Basic attacks, though weaker individually, could form a deadly combo that might finish the opponent.

"Fourth," Silva said, tapping his head, "is intelligence."

"A calm mind and sharp wit are extremely useful in battle. This includes experience, sudden flashes of inspiration—like that move you surprised me with earlier—analysis of your opponent's abilities, and an understanding of timing and environment."

"…"

"In summary, these are the four key points."

"As for things like access to intelligence, compatibility between abilities… these are highly complex variables that we don't generally consider in rankings because they're difficult to quantify. There are simply too many types of Nen abilities."

Nen users were broadly divided into six categories, but within these categories, the types of abilities were nearly endless. Even users of the same category could have completely different abilities. Consider Phantom Troupe members Uvogin and Nobunaga. Both were Enhancers, but their combat styles varied significantly—one fought with raw, crushing punches, while the other used sword-drawing techniques.

"Currently, most people agree on general ranking levels, which can be broken down as follows…"

"S-Rank, A-Rank, B-Rank, C-Rank, D-Rank, E-Rank."

"E-Rank refers to Nen users who are just beginners."

"D-Rank refers to those who have fully mastered the basics of Nen."

"C-Rank is for elite Nen users."

"B-Rank refers to the top-tier Nen users."

"A-Rank is very rare, generally reserved for those with exceptional achievements."

"And S-Rank… there are only a handful of these in the entire world."

Ron couldn't help but ask, "Then Uncle Silva, what about you?"

"Me? I'd probably be classified as A-Rank," Silva replied after a brief pause. "Ron, although you haven't fully developed your Hatsu yet, your aura capacity, basic skills, and intelligence are all quite strong."

"Moreover, you can already combine Ten with the Zoldyck family's assassination techniques."

"In an actual fight, you're close to D-Rank."

"Once you fully develop your Hatsu, reaching D-Rank should be no problem at all."

Ron nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Uncle Silva."

"No problem." Silva glanced at the time, stood up, and said, "Let's have dinner together tonight. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me during dinner. By the way, you visited the butler's training grounds earlier, right?"

Ron nodded.

"There are ten new apprentice butlers there, brought back by your grandfather, Zeno. What's your impression of them?"

Ron hesitated for a moment. "I remember one in particular."

"Which one?"

"A young man with dead-fish eyes."

The one who had caught Ron's attention was the boy who bore an uncanny resemblance to Nobunaga.

"These individuals are candidates to be your personal butler. If he passes the evaluation, you could choose him as your exclusive butler. Once you leave the Zoldyck estate, he could help manage the grounds in your absence."

Typically, when a Zoldyck family member left the estate, the butlers did not follow. They stayed behind at the estate. The reason was simple: when a Zoldyck went out, it was usually either to complete a mission or to engage in combat. In such situations, having another person along was often more of a burden than a benefit—especially a butler.

The Zoldyck family butlers were by no means weak. They were highly trained and selected for their talent, but compared to the Zoldyck family members themselves, they didn't measure up. Bringing a butler along was essentially bringing someone weaker, who was far more likely to slow you down than to help.

Still, having a personal butler stationed at the estate could offer Ron certain advantages. In situations that weren't dangerous, the butler could assist with gathering information or acquiring certain types of data that Ron might not be able to access directly.

The two of them made their way to the dining room.

Zeno wasn't present.

"Let's start preparing dinner," Silva said, turning to one of the maids.

"Yes, Master Silva."

The maids glanced curiously at Ron before they began setting the table. Shortly after, two figures entered from outside.

One was Kikyo, and the other was Kalluto.

Kikyo paused briefly upon seeing Ron, then gave him a smile.

"Good evening, Ron."

"Good evening, Aunt Kikyo."

Ron rose and greeted her.

Kikyo then introduced Ron to Kalluto.

"Kalluto, this is Ron, your cousin."

Kalluto looked at Ron with curiosity, then greeted him politely.

"Hello, Brother Ron."