Chapter 443

Chapter 443

Killua hung suspended by chains, his arms locked into two separate cuffs attached to the wall behind him. His body was raised off the ground, already covered in wounds—marks left by the whipping. The person swinging the whip was Milluki. As he got older, Milluki’s figure had begun to grow wider, making him stand out among the otherwise lean members of the Zoldyck family. Whether it was Illumi, Killua, Alluka, Kalluto, or even Ron, they all had physiques that far surpassed the norm. Only Milluki indulged himself, downing cola, chips, spicy snacks—anything junky was fair game. And since Milluki never lacked for money, he could afford any indulgence he wanted.

Before mastering Nen, he had already set up his own network of online contacts, profiting handsomely from selling intelligence. Later, after partnering with Ron, he learned about Nen from Silva. By combining Nen with his expertise in machines and technology, Milluki developed his own methods of assassination—like using fly-sized bombs. Although he couldn’t take out powerful Nen users, he had no trouble dispatching ordinary targets. The bounties for those smaller jobs weren’t large, but over time they added up.

Because Milluki’s approach increased the family’s volume of assassination contracts, both Zeno and Silva considered it beneficial. Even if they felt Milluki was heading down the wrong path, they remained tolerant of him.

Illumi was Silva’s eldest son. Killua, the white-haired heir, was the future of the Zoldyck family. Ron had been trained personally by Maha Zoldyck. Alluka hosted a creature from the Dark Continent. For these individuals, the family had higher standards; if they went astray, the elders would step in and correct them. But Milluki and Kalluto were different. The family expected no special duties or obligations from them—letting them grow as they pleased.

Because of that, Milluki’s development was entirely free-form. The same went for Kalluto—Zeno and Silva rarely forced anything on him; mostly Kikyo took charge of Kalluto’s upbringing.

Crack!  

The whip struck Killua’s body again.

Tap… tap… tap…  

Footsteps sounded, but Milluki was too focused on whipping Killua to notice at first.

“That’s enough,” came Zeno’s voice.

“Grandfather?”

Milluki snapped out of his trance and looked back at Zeno.

“Killua,” Zeno said, “head to the main hall. Silva is waiting for you.”

“Yes Grandpa”

With a single push, Killua freed himself from the manacles, landing lightly on the ground.

“Brother, you’re right. I wasn’t really reflecting on what I did. That’s why I let you whip me without fighting back. But this is for today only.”

With that, Killua walked out of the passage. Zeno and Milluki watched until he disappeared from view before following him outside.

“Grandfather,” Milluki ventured.

“Hm?”

“Does Killua still not know about Nen?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“When do you plan on teaching him?”

“You seem very interested in that,” Zeno remarked.

Milluki nodded. “Once I learned Nen, I realized there was a whole other dimension to this world. Since you and Father value Killua so much, what heights do you think he could reach once he learns Nen? Could he surpass Illumi and Ron?”

Zeno fell silent for a moment. “In our branch of the family, Killua’s potential is the highest—even more than mine or Silva’s. Given time, he could certainly surpass Illumi. But Ron… that’s harder to say.”

Milluki hesitated. “Killua does have tremendous talent, but, Grandfather, I can’t shake the feeling that none of you are trying to raise him as a pure assassin.”

Zeno glanced at him. “And what do you consider a ‘pure assassin’ to be?”

“Someone like my big brother,” Milluki said. “Or like you and Father.”

Zeno shook his head. “There’s no such thing as a ‘pure assassin’ in this world, Milluki. Don’t worry yourself with Killua’s path—just focus on your own.

Whatever road you choose, do it well.”

Milluki nodded. “Understood, Grandfather.”

By then, Killua had reached the main hall, where Silva sat on a couch.

“Father.”

Upon entering, Killua saw Silva gesture to the seat beside him. Killua sat, feeling some nervousness. He wasn’t truly afraid of Milluki or Kikyo, but Illumi frightened him, and Silva inspired a deep sense of awe. The moment he walked in, he became noticeably more subdued.

“Killua, I hear you’ve made some friends.”

Killua lowered his head, giving a slight nod.

“Yes.”

“What are they like?”

Killua paused. “I’m not sure how to describe them exactly, but…I’m happy when I’m with them.”

“That so? And how was the Hunter Exam?”

“The exam itself was pretty simple, but…”

“But what?”

“Well, Cousin Ron and Illumi both showed up, and that made everything more complicated. That wasn’t how the exam was supposed to go at all. Father, may I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

“Did you already know about Cousin Ron from the start?”

“Yes.”

“Then, back when you sent me to Heaven’s Arena, was it because Cousin Ron was there?”

“No.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me who he really was?”

“Because you never asked.”

.....Killua went silent. “So everyone else but me knew about Cousin Ron’s existence?”

“Yes.”

“Big Brother, Second Brother, you, Grandfather, Mother, Kalluto, Alluka, and even the butlers—everyone knew?”

“All except Alluka,” Silva clarified. “And it wasn’t that we deliberately hid it from you. They all know Ron simply because they’ve dealt with him before—just like you did in the Hunter Exam. You met Ron, so now you know who he is.”