Chapter 11: Hunting a Zoldyck!
Raymond stood atop a skyscraper, his gaze fixated on the city's nocturnal panorama spread out below.
The twinkling lights and bustling activity of the nightlife painted a mesmerizing scene.
A year had passed since then, and Raymond, now twenty-four, found himself reflecting on the lack of significant progress in the past year.
Despite this, he had diligently worked on consolidating his power.
The main obstacle in his path was the formidable Hunter Association, a force far greater than he had initially anticipated.
Recognizing the scale of his adversary, Raymond adjusted his tactics, dispatching his trusted men to infiltrate the association's ranks.
Beneath the dim illumination of the night sky, Raymond's eyes shimmered with a crimson hue, their intensity seeming to penetrate the distance between the skyscraper and the bustling city below.
Even from high above, observing the activities on the ground, he chuckled as if he had just witnessed an amusing interaction on this busy night.
Different from his previous life where he reincarnated as a baby, this time, he found himself in the body of a street beggar kid twelve years ago.
Twelve years had passed since he arrived in this world.
However, as soon as he sifted through the files on his desk, the door to his office swung open forcefully, and a middle-aged man in his thirties entered with a solemn expression.
Observing the middle-aged man's demeanor, Raymond furrowed his brow and asked, "Sakujiro, huh? Is something wrong?"
Sakujiro nodded.
"...Albert was killed."
"Do you know who did it?"
Raymond sighed upon hearing the report, massaging his temple slightly.
Albert was his representative in this city, which was essential for his plan to succeed.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Albert's existence was akin to a crucial support for navigating the city.
"We haven't found out who did it yet, but we've apprehended someone we believe is a scout for the person responsible for Albert's death..."
Sakujiro shook his head slightly while delivering the report.
Raymond stood and said, "...Let's see the scout."
Sakujiro nodded, and they left the room, making their way to the lift.
Entering the lift, Sakujiroi didn't simply press a button to select a floor. Instead, he expertly pressed a sequence of buttons, revealing it to be some sort of coded entry for their underground base.
Raymond stood by patiently, observing the intricate process.
With the completion of the coded sequence, the lift began its descent.
Ding!
The lift chimed as it reached the underground level, opening up to expose a dimly lit corridor with various rooms on either side.
They strolled through the corridor until reaching a room with glass partitions, witnessing one of their men confronting someone they suspected to be the scout.
"Have mercy, please!"
The scout pleaded desperately, his entire body battered and in a wretched state after enduring brutal torture.
"Spill it. Who's behind these needles?"
Their subordinate thrust the needles before the scout, causing his eyes to widen in terror. Despite this, he kept his lips sealed, prompting their subordinate to persist in the relentless beating.
"...What are those needles?"
Raymond inquired, detecting a hint of a familiar, lingering energy within the needles.
"Nen user, huh?"
However, Sakujiro nodded his head slightly.
"It's likely the murder weapon. Found on Albert's lifeless body..."
"I understand..." Raymond sighed, then entered the room.
Detecting an incoming presence, the subordinate furrowed his brows, turning to identify the newcomer. Recognizing his boss, he quickly softened his expression, offering a respectful bow before stepping away from the battered scout.
The sudden departure of the man who had been subjecting him to torture made the scout turn.
As Raymond approached, the scout couldn't help but plead once again, his voice filled with desperation, "...Please, spare me..."
The room felt heavy with tension, a mix of fear, confusion, and a desperate plea for mercy hanging in the air.
"..."
But Raymond just coldly glared down at the scout with his crimson eyes.
He kneeled down and grabbed the scout by the neck, causing him to groan in pain.
"Unfortunately, you're not saying what you're supposed to say..."
He whispered into the scout's ear, sending shivers down the scout's spine.
The scout realized he was in a tight spot, caught by someone ruthless, and his mind went blank.
The other guy in the room got what was going to happen and quietly closed the door.
Before long, the room echoed with the pained voice of the scout.
The sounds of desperation continued until the Sakujiro firmly shut the door, leaving an eerie silence behind.
"P-please... k-kill me..."
Raymond's lips curled into a sinister smile as the scout pleaded for an end.
He applauded mockingly, "Now, you're saying the correct words. Well done..."
The scout continued to beg like a broken doll, and Raymond turned to his subordinate, who watched in awe.
"...Get the information we needed," Raymond stated before he strolled out of the room, leaving behind a parting command, "And grant him the death he so desires afterward..."
Exiting the room, Raymond entered another space with gray walls featuring a substantial mahogany table encircled by plush leather chairs.
"Master, we've got some news about what you've asked..."
Sakujiro handed over a paper containing the information Raymond had requested long ago.
As Raymond perused the paper in his hand, his eyebrows lifted in response to what he discovered.
Meanwhile, Sakujiro was pretty puzzled about why his master wanted info from such a small island.
But he was used to his master's ways and didn't question it anymore.
After a while, the subordinate responsible for dealing with the scout entered, presenting the information extracted from their captive.
"...Looks like we've got a challenging one here," Raymond muttered, sifting through the details in his hand.
"Should we brace ourselves for a war?"
Sakujiro spoke coldly, displaying a fearlessness toward the one responsible for the assassination of their representative in the city.
However, the same couldn't be said for the subordinate who handed over the information; he visibly flinched at the mention of the word "war."
Luckily, Raymond shook his head, bringing a sense of relief to the subordinate.
"We've got enough strength to take them on, but they're assassins. It'd be a hassle if we can't wipe them out all at once..." he explained, evoking a serious expression from the middle-aged man who understood the frustration of dealing with assassins who vanish when cornered and strike only when it suits them.
"They're like a stubborn nest of rats," Raymond continued, emphasizing the persistent nature of assassins.
The subordinate gulped upon hearing Raymond likening the assassins to rats.
He couldn't conceal the admiration in his eyes, thinking, "The only person who could call them bunch rats is probably only our Master in the whole continent..."
Raymond dropped the info on the table, shifting his focus to the needle they found in Albert's body – the murder weapon.
"Well, I'll handle this myself. Lucky for us, I know where this little rat ran off to..." His face cracked into a smirk, making everyone else in the room flinch.
Sakujiro then nodded without saying anything. He understood it was time Raymond showed himself to the world since he had mastered his Hatsu.
The other guy looked surprised and asked, "How do you know where he went?"
Raymond didn't say a word.
Instead, he grabbed the paper the middle-aged man had just given him and tossed it over to the other guy.
The subordinate effortlessly caught the paper, unfolding it to read, "The Swamp Master on Whale Island got nabbed by a kid..."
This only deepened the subordinate's confusion.
Nevertheless, he shook his head, deciding it would be better if he didn't know anything.
Meanwhile, Raymond's smirk remained as he quietly muttered, "Interesting. Looks like I've got a hunt ahead of me before heading to that place..."
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