Shizuku held a piece of pastry in both hands, took a small bite, and chewed for a long time before realizing what was happening. She instinctively turned to look at Germain.
Her eyes seemed to ask: If you don't agree, can I still keep eating?
Germain nodded, meaning: Go ahead, it's fine.
He then turned his attention to Silva, who had suddenly spoken. At the same time, he noticed that both Silva and Zeno had gentle smiles on their faces.
"Alright. I'll do my best to take care of him."
Germain agreed without even bothering to come up with an excuse.
The reactions around the table varied.
Zeno and Silva's smiles deepened.
Kalluto quickly glanced at Germain before lowering his head again, trying to hide himself after blurting something out earlier. This habit had saved him from many scoldings.
He had always done this—unlike Killua, who shone so brightly, he was used to being a shadow.
Illumi stared straight at Germain, his wide eyes and emotionless expression resembling a ghost suddenly appearing in a mirror, a closet, or under the bed.
For a moment, it seemed like he would lunge forward, but in the end, he just gripped the armrests of his chair tightly and remained silent.
Kikyo, on the other hand, reacted like a startled opera performer. She dramatically lifted her skirt and turned around, her mechanical eye scanning Germain from head to toe in a frenzy.
She instinctively wanted to protest, but in the end, her lips, hidden beneath her bandages, only parted slightly before she weakly muttered:
"No, no! How can we entrust Killua to an outsider?"
She could only point this out because both she and Illumi realized something at this moment—Germain met many of the conditions to be Killua's guardian.
No matter how strict they were, they couldn't deny this fact.
Silva shifted his posture from sitting solemnly against the back of his chair to leaning forward, fingers interlocked in a more relaxed stance.
At the same time, he subtly reduced the distance between himself and Germain, using his body language to convey a sense of closeness.
"Chairman Netero is also an outsider to the Zoldyck family, but does that erase the decades-long friendship between him and our family?"
"And this friendship began when Great-Grandfather Maha and Chairman Netero first fought and recognized each other's strength. Later, even Grandfather Zigg traveled alongside Chairman Netero for some time."
"I believe our friendship with Germain can start with Father and me, and then continue with Killua. There's nothing wrong with that. Germain is a man worthy of trust."
Zeno let out a few hoarse chuckles, his expression turning nostalgic.
"Now that I think about it, not long after I was born, Chairman Netero held me in his arms. Then there was Silva after me. That means four generations of our family have known Chairman Netero."
"If Killua has children in the future, maybe this kind of deep connection can continue."
Kikyo gripped her ornate Western-style fan tightly. She leaned forward as well, but her posture carried aggression.
"How can that be the same?! Chairman Netero was the greatest Nen user across the Six Continents—"
She abruptly stopped.
Because she suddenly recalled something.
After Zeno and Silva returned from the Chimera Ant extermination mission, they had mentioned that the title of "Strongest Nen User of the Six Continents" had already changed hands.
And the successor…
Happened to be the man standing right in front of her—Germain.
She couldn't fully understand the situation, but she knew that Zeno and Silva wouldn't lie to her about something like this. Not to mention, even Maha silently acknowledged it.
So, Kikyo quickly changed her approach, trying to attack Germain from another angle.
"Netero is the chairman of the Hunter Association. The top-tier hunters he knows, the experience and resources he has—"
Suddenly, Kikyo fell silent again.
Even if she wasn't the most well-informed, as someone in the world of Nen users, she had still heard bits and pieces about Germain.
In fact, her cybernetic eye was connected to the internet. She could access intelligence websites in real time, making it incredibly advanced.
Germain was now one of the Zodiacs in the Hunter Association. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he had connections with Nen users across all six continents. His experience and resources were just as vast.
Thinking about it… wasn't Germain basically a young "Netero" at this point?
Maybe, in the future, he really could become the chairman of the Hunter Association. After all, he was still in his twenties, not even thirty yet...
The more she thought about it, the more tempting the idea became. But that only made her inner turmoil worse. In the end, she stubbornly turned away and looked at her eldest son.
"Illumi, say something!"
Illumi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't angry or resentful—his expression remained as calm as ever.
After hearing his mother's words, his black pupils finally moved slightly. He glanced downward for a moment before looking back up.
"I'm a rational person. I weigh reality and benefits carefully. Germain, if you're taking care of my brother, I don't actually have any complaints."
"However, you might influence him in ways you shouldn't… My brother is meant to become the Zoldyck family's number one assassin. His purpose is to complete missions with cold precision, without emotions. But you— you would introduce feelings he's not supposed to have."
"Exactly, exactly!"
Kikyo snapped her Western-style fan against her palm, nodding repeatedly in agreement with her eldest son.
In truth, there was another concern they couldn't openly discuss here—Alluka.
Illumi had already used his "Nen needles" to pierce Killua's forehead, making him forget about Alluka's existence.
However, as long as Killua masters Nen and continues to push his limits, one day, he might be able to force out the Nen needle within him, regaining all his memories.
When that happens, Killua definitely won't accept Alluka being locked away in a heavily guarded room—or rather, a cage—forever.
Of course, if their father doesn't allow it, Killua won't be able to see Alluka at all.
In that case, all the attention and hostility will be directed at Illumi alone.
Illumi firmly believes that the person Killua loves most is him, his eldest brother.
However, Killua might be willing to go against even the person he loves most—for the sake of Alluka, who ranks second in his heart.
To defeat and take revenge on Illumi, Killua might even seek help from Germain… and that would be a problem, because Germain could actually beat him.
At this moment, Killua is vaguely sensing that the atmosphere in the room is different from what he expected.
As for their father's suggestion that Germain should take care of him, Killua doesn't think that's necessary at all—he's not a child anymore (at least from his perspective).
But if he has to have a guardian, then out of everyone here, Germain really is the best choice.
Still, he figures that his mother and Illumi will immediately reject the idea.
Yet, to his surprise, he sees his mother starting to speak several times but stopping halfway, as if she's unsure. She even turns to Illumi for help.
Illumi stays silent for a long time, and when he finally speaks, he mostly agrees with Germain—offering only a single, weak reason to object.
Is this still the same chatterbox of a mother and the one who coldly mocks him with sarcastic remarks, laughing at his childishness—Illumi?
Why have they all fallen silent?
Kilua couldn't help but consider a possibility as he glanced in the direction of Germain.
Perhaps, for some reasons I still don't understand, Germain holds significant weight in the hearts of Grandpa, Dad, Mom, and Illumi.
I might have underestimated Germain.
Could it be that if things go well, not only will Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio be safe, but I could also leave with them and regain my freedom?
Kurapika has already sat back down, resting with his eyes closed, probably already predicting what will happen next.
Gon and Leorio exchanged looks, both a bit confused by the strange and rapidly changing situation in front of them.
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