55 Chapter 52: To The Heaven's Arena!
After their brief reunion, Gon and the others were instructed to wait in the guest room, which resembled a miniature villa.
They couldn't help but feel a bit surprised that it wasn't the main house they were led to.
"I spent some time in Heaven's Arena since I have no money on me..."
Meanwhile, Killua found himself in his father's private room, accompanied by Silva and his grandfather.
He recounted his adventures from the moment he left home to escape up until the end of the Hunter Exam which he failed.
"..."
Silva observed with a small smile playing on his lips as Killua animatedly recounted his stories.
"Hmm..."
On the other hand, Zeno remained calm and composed, twirling his mustache thoughtfully as he listened intently.
After recounting his adventures, Killua concluded his story.
Silva gazed at his son with a hint of seriousness in his eyes, advising him to cherish his friends before instructing him to play the role of a gracious host for them.
"I know, Dad! Don't worry about that..."
Excitedly nodding in agreement, Killua hurried off to join his friends.
As Killua left, the atmosphere in the room shifted back to its usual nonchalance.
Zeno spoke up, breaking the silence, "Do you see now? Are you convinced?"
"...Yes," Silva remained silent for a moment before responding.
Recalling Killua's meeting with Raymond and seeing the guy's character through his son's story, Silva couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
Raymond's lack of hostility, aside from beating up Illumi, had caught Silva off guard.
"Given that he wasn't hostile, to begin with, I'll make an exception this time..." Silva muttered, contemplating his decision.
Despite agreeing to Zeno's order to cease any commissions related to Celestia Consortium earlier, Silva struggled with the decision, knowing it went against their assassin's code of conduct.
But now, he felt less reluctant than before.
"Now that the issue is resolved, I'll take my leave to rest," Zeno declared, rising from his seat and leaving Silva deep in thought.
With everything settled at the Zoldyck Estate and Killua back by his side, Gon made the decision to continue his adventure.
However, Kurapika and Leorio decided to go their separate ways, each pursuing their own goals.
While Gon felt a pang of sadness at their departure...
He understood and could only offer his support, wishing them success in their endeavors.
Together with Killua, both of them decided their next destination would be Heaven's Arena.
Why the Heaven's Arena, you ask?
Simple...
...they were broke!
Little did Gon know, the card Raymond had bestowed upon him granted him access to a lifetime of free enjoyment across the vast and diverse companies under the Celestia Consortium.
Money should be the last thing he should be worried about!
But Gon wasn't aware of the immense scale and variety of businesses owned by the Celestia Consortium.
He didn't have much knowledge about it, so he didn't realize the full extent of what the card could offer him.
Since Raymond's visit to the Zoldyck estate, a few weeks had passed, and he found himself seated in his office, his finger tapping against the armrest as usual.
However, there was a noticeable change from the usual silence he was accustomed to; now, the room was filled with the delightful sound of a baby's giggles.
Seated on the sofa, Luke wore a depressed expression.
He clenched his teeth in frustration as he watched his baby daughter, Ava, having the time of her life, clinging tightly to Raymond's head and playing with his hair, even though Raymond hadn't done anything to entertain her.
"Ray Ray!"
"..."
Luke's eyes narrowed at the sound, shooting Raymond a hateful glare.
Despite his efforts to be the funniest dad, Ava had never laughed so joyfully with him. Her delightful laughter and giggles now seemed reserved exclusively for Raymond.
"..."
Sakujiro remained silent, shaking his head in response to the scene before him.
"Are you absolutely sure about this?"
Raymond asked as he lightly glanced at the file containing confidential information on his desk and raised a hand above his head.
This immediately triggered adorable giggles from Ava as she started playing with his finger.
Sakujiro nodded in affirmation, "Yes, we've been keeping a close eye on them ever since you mentioned they could throw a wrench in our plans..."
"..."
Raymond fell into a pensive silence, closing his eyes momentarily before lowering his hand and returning to tapping his armrest.
Sakujiro bowed slightly as he stepped back, understanding that his Master was contemplating their next course of action.
They were discussing a notorious band of thieves with A-Class bounties on their heads, Phantom Troupe!
Raymond had carefully orchestrated his plan, using the now-deceased Albert as a decoy to gain influence in Yorknew City.
He anticipated that Phantom Troupe would disrupt the annual auction held in the city, which could jeopardize his interests if Albert succeeded in gaining power.
Unfortunately, Illumi's assassination of Albert threw a wrench into their plans, causing them to lose significant influence in the city's underworld power struggle.
To make matters worse, the annual auction got called off, causing the Phantom Troupe members to continue scattering across the continent, which seemed like a stroke of luck for them.
But the problem was that the auction cancellation was just a ruse.
It was still on but by invitation only.
"Ray Ray?"
But Ava interrupted, noticing that the hand she was playing with had been taken away.
"Baba!"
She shook Raymond's head as if asking him to return her playmate.
Raymond chuckled at the sight, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he quickly extended his hand back to Ava.
"Hehe..."
She giggled happily, resuming her playful antics.
"Hmm..."
However, the moment Ava reclaimed his hand, Raymond's eyes lit up with a cunning glint as if he had just figured something out.
He had been considering this option for a while now, especially since their efforts to gain more influence had hit a wall with the Ten Dons keeping a close eye on their activity in the city.
And their hands were tied since the Ten Donds knew very well that the Celestia Consortium wouldn't dare to show themselves to be the one behind the scene.
"...That's right! Ava, you're a genius! Considering we lost some influence there, why not even the odds? Right, Ava!"
Raymond's face lit up with a smirk as he lifted Ava onto his arm, his words accompanied by a playful gesture.
"Baba!"
Ava raised her tiny fist in agreement, sparking a chuckle from Raymond.
His eyes twinkled with cunning light as he silently pondered, "...Let's guide these mischievous thieves back to where they belong, shall we?"
Coincidentally, Raymond happened to have a clown indebted to him.
"I didn't originally plan to use it for this, but I suppose it's the perfect opportunity..."
"Ray Ray?"
He couldn't resist flashing a wide smirk, which looked rather funny in Ava's eyes, prompting her to giggle and mimic his expression.
Luke's expression turned pale at the sight, and he exclaimed, "No, Ava! Don't imitate that wicked expression!"
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