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271 HxH: The Strongest Assassin
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 06:01:00 +0000 UTC"Wendy."
Hearing the voice, Kaizen turned his head.
A woman in an elegant court dress stood before them. She had a refined, graceful appearance—full-figured but not overweight.
"Mother."
Wendy stepped forward with Kaizen beside her.
The woman studied Kaizen for a moment before speaking.
"You're Kaizen, correct?"
"A pleasure to meet you."
"You're welcome here. Wendy speaks highly of you, and any friend of hers is welcome in our home."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Just because someone says "welcome in our home" doesn't mean Kaizen would take it literally. He understood etiquette.
The woman smiled. "Wendy, I'll have the servants prepare dinner for tonight. Entertain your friend properly—don't just think of yourself."
"I know, Mother."
After a brief pause, Wendy continued, "I was planning to take Kaizen to Thirteen West Lane this evening."
"A restaurant outside?" Her mother frowned.
"Yes. On the way here, I promised Kaizen I'd show him what Fiora has to offer—its food, its sights."
"Go tomorrow instead. Today is your first day here. Running off to a restaurant doesn't look appropriate."
Wendy's expression didn't change.
"Kaizen and I aren't ordinary people. We're Nen users. The customs of ordinary folks don't really apply to us, and Kaizen doesn't mind."
Her mother fell silent for a moment before relenting. "Fine, do as you wish. Just don't rush."
"I won't."
With that, the woman turned and left.
She had already gathered information about Kaizen before he arrived. However, his identity didn't impress her much. The world's most infamous family of assassins? So what? To her, killers were just killers, no matter how skilled. Compared to royalty, they were insignificant—not even on par with nobles.
Still, when she heard of Kaizen's visit, she came to see him in person. Partly out of curiosity, partly to subtly gauge him. After all, there had been whispers—Dominica had hinted at something, and that didn't sit well with her.
She would see to it that any budding affection between Kaizen and Wendy was nipped in the bud.
Kaizen turned to Wendy. Something about their exchange felt off. Their relationship didn't seem particularly warm.
"Is she your stepmother?" he asked.
Wendy shook her head. "No, she's my biological mother. But I didn't grow up with her. Other people raised me."
Kaizen remained silent, sensing there was more to the story.
"My father died before I was born. After she gave birth to me, her health declined, so she handed me over to Fiora's royal family."
She looked away, her voice steady but distant.
"For years, I was practically an orphan. Until I turned six. That's when I showed potential and was chosen as the Son of the Dragon."
"Son of the Dragon?" Kaizen echoed.
"It's a title given to those with exceptional talent. With it comes privileges—this manor, for example, was one of my rewards."
Wendy folded her arms.
"She only came back when I was eight. Since then, she's lived here, but I'm away most of the time. So, in reality, she takes care of the manor more than she takes care of me."
Her lips curled slightly, but it wasn't quite a smile. "We call each other mother and daughter, but there's not much between us beyond that."
Kaizen frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Wendy's background to be like this. Her mother's "illness" was obviously just an excuse. In reality, she had abandoned Wendy—only to return once her daughter became someone important.
Still, Wendy had accepted her. She had no real reason to, except perhaps because deep down, she still wanted that connection. But given her past, there was no way she could ever truly feel close to her.
Kaizen understood. He had lost his own parents when he was young. But compared to Wendy, it was hard to say whose situation was worse.
"Forget it," Wendy said, shaking off the mood. "Let's talk about something else. It's rare to have this kind of free time."
She smiled at him. "Dominica arranged this break for me because of your visit. Normally, I wouldn't get so much time off."
"I see," Kaizen said.
"Let's go upstairs. I've prepared a room for you—right next to mine."
Kaizen nodded. "Alright."
He pushed open the door to find a well-furnished, luxurious room. Compared to the suites in Heavens Arena, this was on another level.
He set down his small bag—just a few changes of clothes. The truly important items, he either carried on him or stored in the Killer Queen's body space.
Wendy then led him to the backyard, where they admired the fish pond until the evening.
Later, they arrived at the restaurant Wendy had chosen.
"How's the food?" Wendy asked.
"Delicious," Kaizen said, nodding in approval. "I've never had this style of cuisine before."
Not only was the food excellent, but something else caught his attention—his crystal ball. The moment he stepped into the restaurant, its progress indicator increased by one percent.
That was an unexpected surprise.
The reason Kaizen had come to Fiora Kingdom was to absorb its unique characteristics and create spirit beasts. This meant that simply experiencing the country was contributing to his goal.
"If you like it, I'll take you to a few other places tomorrow."
"Sounds good."
Later that night, Kaizen locked his door, took a quick shower, and changed into pajamas. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, thinking.
"Fiora Royal City is even more prosperous than the city around Heavens Arena. Even Yorknew City doesn't compare."
But it made sense.
"Yorknew City is just a hub for the underworld. Heavens Arena's influence isn't nearly as powerful as Fiora's royal family."
His gaze shifted to the crystal ball.
"The absorption rate is progressing well."
"And it's only the first day—I'm already at three percent."
"This might be even faster than absorbing characteristics from Taris Kingdom."
He pondered this for a moment.
"Fiora Kingdom is unique. It's a single-core nation, with its identity concentrated in the royal city. Unlike other places where influence is spread out, here, everything revolves around this one place."
"As long as I stay in the Royal City, I'll be fine."
