Blackmail

The Dentora region experienced cold, misty weather at this time of year. Although it occasionally rained, there was always a lingering chill.

The home of Zoldyck.

Hiruma chose not to run back.

He gently returned from the misty timberland and soon reached the tall, strong testing gate.

"Young master, Hiruma."

A bald, potbellied man was waiting for him at the door as soon as he passed.

Zebro was there.

The janitor who always cleaned up after Mike, the guard dog, whenever people haughtily ascended the mountain.

Those who chose an incorrect door.

In the past, plenty of people weren't good listeners, and many hadn't yet encountered the dark side of life. Due to the enormous amount of tourism in the estate area, there would still be. Feeding province guides and their families was an entire industry. Mike could never run out of snacks in between meals if vengeful neighbors and bounty hunters arrived at each trip up the mountain.

Since the locals were too smart to try to enter, he could not feed on them. Or, even worse, use the key to open the tiny door and enter. When Mike didn't eat every day, his health was better. His wolf-like animal species weren't meant to.

Speaking of which, Zebro and the dog had a humorous relationship.

"Hey, old man Zebro,"

Hiruma replied.

Hiruma inquired.

Prior, this elderly man, in silence, watched as his predecessor left the mansion. Naturally, the latter required credentials to lecture or restrain Hiruma. Hiruma was still determining his physical prowess, but he was certainly lower in status than the butlers.

The only thing he had going for him, which set him apart from those waiting at the gates like he was, was the decades he had spent working for the Zoldycks. Even older than Silva, he was an elderly man. He might have seen him develop.

If Hiruma could discover his father's dirty laundry, he would be okay with becoming good friends with this Zebro.

If Zebro dared to mention it at all.

"How was your outdoor stroll?"

Zebro inquired while smiling sagely.

"Excellent,"

Hiruma responded with a smile. Then he offered,

"How about joining me the next time?"

Zebro laughed like a grandfather trying to contain a mischievous grandchild.

"That's nice of you to invite me, young master,"

He retorted with respect and a little wit.

"However, I've been cleaning so much lately that my lower back is in terrible shape. I won't have the strength to swipe my broom anytime soon, let alone go on some trip with you. Mike has gained a lot of fat lately. People inside are worried."

"It may be wise to save some of my old bones' strength... There isn't much left, as you can see."

Hiruma, however, didn't buy into his nonsense. However, he got along well with the staff and refrained from being overly critical of Zebro.

Zebro laughed awkwardly when Hiruma inquired,

"Who are the people* you're referring to?"

Zebro didn't dare to accuse the canine-obsessed Silva of overworking him.

The matter was trivial. However, Zebro could not discuss Silva's free time activities with his dogs. Since he had a hard shell and had been hanging out here for a while, Zebro put on a show of discomfort and pretended to stammer. In addition to tapping his lower back, the old man made a swilling noise. He spoke with a crotchety voice.

As Hiruma watched the man who appeared to be pleading for an X-rated massage, he grinned and entertained negative thoughts.

He wasn't sure what kind of pervert the man was, but it went without saying that he was a drinker when he wasn't working.

He appeared to be a heavy drinker who also liked to smoke heavily. Hiruma wasn't particularly interested in him, despite his comedic suspicion.

Hiruma was more drawn to people of the opposite sex. So, after a bit more small talk, he gave him a deserved breather as he left.

Ugly bastard or not, Zebro played a minor role in this world and house.

Zebro was an old dog without a maiden.

Despite this, he looked full of vitality. He knew Nen, which was more than Hiruma could deal with soon. Not something Hiruma could handle if he was provoked.

Hiruma was clear about this. The old male was civil with him because he was born with a golden spoon.

He entered after pushing 4 tons through the testing gate.

Hiruma could push 4 tons more, which would be his physical limit.

His body would suffer a long penalty because of that limit, though.

What awaited him after his self-appointed leave was unknown to him.

Unlike the old soul, he wasn't naive enough to believe that his brief foray into the unknown without a watchman by his side had gone unnoticed. It was probably the peace before a new trial.

The only acceptable form of payment in the manor at the base of the mountain was talent.

--

--

A boyish kid with white hair was playing with some contemporary and colored figurines in a large and ancient castle at the back of the Zoldyck mansion when a fat man with skin similar to his ran at him and shouted, "Take your septic hands off those, fuckhead!"

"They're precious!"

The face of the fat man was distorted. He was obviously furious.

He ran at the white-haired jackass he called little brother, visibly enraged, feeling guilty about leaving the black whip idle for too long.

It was now in the other side's possession.

With the same boredom in his eyes, Killua dodged the slow charge directed at his upper body. He threw the limited-edition item that his Neet of a sibling had treasured in his heart onto the obsidian floor after giving it one last look and remarking,

"What makes this thing so great?"

"Milluki, I'll never understand you or your stupid dolls... Isn't it acceptable for boys to keep their Mechas? Stop being so tight-fisted; why don't you let me use your brand-new gaming console?"

"Killu, act with some fucking respect, dammit, my precious doll!"

Especially after seeing how his belongings were thrown, Milluki was intoxicated with his craziness.

It finally dawned on him.

Milluki turned his head to look at Killua in terror as soon as his senses returned.

He looked at Killua with more shock and confusion than hatred after running around the room for a minute during the entire chase as he asked,

"Who told you about the console?"

Milluki glared. He had purchased VR-PXXXR-18-ASMR-RED via a special dark channel. No traces were left on his machines.

Even more covert was the method he used to retrieve the shipment.

How did the cunning little shit know?

No, instead...

Children his age couldn't get their heads and hands around that console.

"Why is it important?"

Killua was grinning a little devilishly.

"Little jerk! Speak!"

Milluki was about to erupt once more.

But right then, a door was slammed and destroyed by a foot, making a deafening noise.

"Who?!!"

Milluki gasped aloud as the reinforced black door flew inside the space, revealing a black-haired boy dressed in a hi-neck, long-sleeved shirt.

The latter was coming inside, hands in the pockets of his knee-length pants, grinning provocatively.

He laughed as he observed the shambles already created in the room before his latest provocative addition.

He sighed and chuckled as he said,

"This was my doing. But after I tell granddad and dad what you're playing on it, you won't need that console, right? Don't call me a snitch before you say anything; your job is providing information."

Milluki listened.

In fear, he slightly widened his eyes.

He asked, immediately horrified by a picture that flashed through his mind.

"What?!"

"What do you know, Hiruma?"

Hiruma said to the brother he was actually more eager to speak with after giving Milluki a brief sneer,

"Shouldn't you be asking us what we want? Isn't that right, Killua?"

His predecessor had gotten some inside information about Milluki's activities through cunning means. However, he needed to see graphic images to learn what games were playing on the console...

Thank goodness he didn't; he only recently learned that his brother had purchased a fascinating console.

This was also why Killua, who had no interest in things involving the other gender, was still intrigued.

It was all about kids being sweetly trusting and having positive outlooks.

But how could the new Hiruma not know the kind of treasure his pig of a big brother had ordered online after reading the console's name in his head?

He was aware. He would also feel jealous if he didn't try to extract a little money from Milluki now that he needed valuables for his Golem and himself.

Hiruma was somewhat taken aback. He was unaware of how far this world had come.

Nothing, however, was particularly astonishing after remembering Greed Island and Nen.