Chapter 44: Silva Zoldyck!

"...!"

Zebro's eyebrows shot up in surprise. It wasn't every day that someone managed to crack open all those gates.

He cast a quick but wary glance at both Raymond and Sakujiro with his mind racing with caution.

Normally, if they had just popped a couple of gates, he'd have immediately gone to his post to report to the family butler that some people were coming to cause trouble.

But seeing Sakujiro bust through all the way to the seventh gate?

Zebro figured the family must already know what was up by now.

"I've done it, Master," Sakujiro announced.

His voice was calm as ever as he gave a slight bow.

Raymond nodded as he stepped forward with Sakujiro at his side.

"Do me a favor and stay where you are for now," Raymond instructed Gon and the rest, who were visibly shaken with sweat beading on their brows as they nodded in agreement.

Raymond's tone was different this time, more like he was giving an order. Everyone sensed the seriousness in his voice.

"Do you think he's really asking for trouble?"

Leorio's voice was nervous, and all eyes were on Raymond's back.

Kurapika shook his head, "I'm not sure, but maybe it's best if we stay out of it for now."

"..."

Gon stayed quiet, clenching his fists tightly.

He was eager to see Killua soon, but Raymond showing up had messed up his plans to meet him today.

Though he was a bit mad at Raymond, Gon knew it wasn't really his fault.

He blamed himself for being weak. He was upset with himself, he wished he had the strength to do something about it.

"If only I were stronger," Gon thought quietly, his eyes burning with determination to improve.

Meanwhile, Raymond sensed a group rapidly approaching as they continued forward.

"..."

A smirk formed on his lips as he stopped, with Sakujiro following suit.

They all looked ahead and noticed a bunch of servants in black suits, led by a tall man in his thirties.

The man, well-dressed in a black suit, slicked-back hair, and a trimmed beard, wore pointed glasses.

"Hmm?"

He seemed a bit taken aback at the sight of Sakujiro but greeted Raymond with a nod as he silently pressed a button under his suit.

"Welcome to the Zoldyck Family Estate," Gotoh greeted with a bow, his colleagues following suit.

Standing tall again, he introduced himself, "I'm Gotoh, responsible for managing the family's external affairs. Apologies for the delay in greeting you."

After the gate opened, Gotoh quickly stepped forward to personally greet the guests.

He knew that an apprentice butler wouldn't be able to stop someone who could open all the gates in the Testing Gates if they came to create trouble.

However, Gotoh couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled when he recognized the person standing behind the young man who appeared to be the leader.

"It's a good thing we brought backup," Gotoh mused silently before addressing their guest.

"We haven't had someone make a request in person for quite a while. Would our esteemed guest mind stating their business through us?" Gotoh inquired politely.

Raymond watched with curiosity as he sensed the approach of several others, their presence hidden, unlike Gotoh and his crew.

His attention returned to Gotoh, realizing those people in the shadows were intentionally revealing their presence as a display of strength.

"Quite cute, aren't they?"

This only widened Raymond's smirk.

Although Gotoh tried to phrase it politely, Raymond could read between the lines...

They wanted him to leave the family estate!

"..."

Raymond simply chuckled at the implication.

This reaction made Gotoh's associate visibly tense up, and Gotoh himself frowned as Raymond glanced around.

Without missing a beat, Raymond spoke up, "Looks like Zoldyck has more butlers than I thought..."

Those words sent a ripple through the servants lurking in the shadows, who then emerged, surrounding Raymond and Sakujiro.

"Please, esteemed guests, let's not make this more complicated than it needs to be," Gotoh pleaded, though his voice was emotionless as if it didn't matter if Raymond did make things difficult for them.

Still, it was clear to Gotoh that Raymond and Sakujiro weren't taking the situation seriously.

"Oh?"

Without uttering a word, Raymond sensed a sudden shift in the air.

In a flash, Sakujiro vanished from sight before reappearing right in front of Raymond.

In Sakujiro's hand gleamed a dagger infused with his Nen.

Reacting swiftly, Sakujiro swung his arm to intercept the incoming threat aimed at Raymond.

A metallic clang resonated through the air, followed by the sight of needles scattering to the ground after the clash.

"What a warm welcome, Illumi..."

Raymond remarked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

In response, Illumi emerged from the woods while holding needles in each hand.

His expression was unreadable.

"Sorry for the trouble, young master. We'll handle this," Gotoh interjected, his frown deepening as he bowed respectfully to Illumi.

Illumi approached Gotoh, bringing them face-to-face with Raymond and Sakujiro as a tense atmosphere slowly permeated the scene.

"You'll get yourself killed if you try," Illumi warned, causing Gotoh's eyes to widen in realization of the gravity of the situation.

"I noticed you're in top form today, quite convenient," Raymond remarked, drawing everyone's attention.

He chuckled before suggesting, "Why not chop off an arm to pacify my late subordinate?"

"..."

A heavy silence hung over them, each person trying to decipher the meaning behind the words.

Their faces hardened as they realized the guest might be up to no good.

They quietly readied themselves, channeling their Nen and were prepared to attack when necessary.

A tense atmosphere settled around them, causing Sakujiro to furrow his brow as he carefully spun his dagger in his hand, preparing for the worst.

"..."

Illumi remained silent, his emotionless gaze fixed on Raymond. Though internally he was taken aback by Raymond's bold arrival at their estate.

"Step aside, Sakujiro," Raymond commanded.

"But..."

Sakujiro started to protest.

Raymond shook his head, a silent indication that his decision was final.

Understanding it was final, Sakujiro bowed obediently before returning to his position beside Raymond.

"I'm not expecting this to turn into a family gathering. Guess I'm doing you all a favor, considering these gatherings are rare in Zoldyck, right?"

Raymond's voice cut through the air, echoing around them as he addressed the new arrivals.

As a few figures approached, the servants around them bowed respectfully.

"Was it you who broke Illumi's arm?"

Silva's tone was devoid of emotion, yet his imposing presence sent a chill down everyone's spine despite his seemingly unaffected demeanor.

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