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Chapter 559
🕑 Added 2025-05-20 15:00:13 +0000 UTCChapter 559
Ron's pupils contracted sharply.
“Great-Grandma, wouldn’t this be too much trouble...?”
“It is a bit troublesome, yes,” Linne replied, “but since you're calling me Great-Grandma now, I won’t mention this to anyone else. No one will know that I’m pushing this forward for your sake.”
She added, “Now go on—tell me more about yourself.”
“Yes.”
Ron carefully selected certain experiences from his past and began recounting them. Linne listened intently, all the way until the light outside had turned a dusky amber.
“Ron, it’s been hard on you, spending the whole afternoon keeping an old woman company. I’m a bit tired now. You should get some rest too. If you need anything, let me know at once.”
“Yes, Great-Grandma.”
Ron exited the building and made his way toward the garden where Menchi and Buhara were staying.
Not long after Ron left, a nearby side door opened. A figure stepped out.
“Great-Grandma.”
Linne looked up. A short-haired girl with white hair that just reached her shoulders stood there. Her eyebrows were also white, and her cheeks still held a trace of baby fat, giving her a mischievous and playful look. She wore a white chef’s uniform.
“Alice, how was it?”
“Very strong,” Alice replied seriously. “His strength is far above mine.”
“We’re both ranked A, but I’m clearly not his opponent at all.”
Linne chuckled. “That’s not what I was asking. You know what I meant.”
Images of Ron surfaced in Alice’s mind, and her face flushed slightly.
“I’ll leave it to your judgment, Great-Grandma.”
The smile on Linne’s face grew wider.
“Alright, then I’ll go make the arrangements.”
“This time, for the Elite Ten challenge—you’ll participate.”
“Understood.”
Back at the garden where Menchi and Buhara resided, Shizuku and the others were already waiting at the entrance, having stood by for a long time.
“Captain.”
“Big brother, are you alright?”
Ron shook his head and said, “Just spoke a little longer with an elder. It’s nothing.”
As far as Ron was concerned, the matter with the Fallen One was over.
He returned to his normal rhythm of life. He rested at night, occasionally spending time with Shizuku as they had agreed. When night came, she would quietly enter and perform her duties as a maid. During the day, Ron would go to the World Zone, tasting the cuisine from various restaurants while reflecting on his battle with the Fallen One.
First and foremost, there was no doubt about the Fallen One’s strength.
In its complete form, it had already surpassed the A-rank threshold. Whether it had reached S-rank, Ron wasn’t sure. But based on what the Fallen One had said, it was probably still just short of that level. Its plan had not been fully realized. Linne’s cursed reverse-contract silver coin had inflicted immense restrictions and damage, forcing the Fallen One to split into two parts. After the division, it was essentially two top-tier A-rank Nen users.
Under those circumstances, Ron had no problem handling one of them. In a war of attrition, Ron had the upper hand, though he couldn’t quickly finish the fight. But to take on both at the same time—that was still beyond his current reach. Their foundations and power were indeed formidable.
However, once the young Fallen One was struck by the cursed coin, everything changed. It became significantly weaker, and Ron had little trouble subduing it.
“This is the gap between Nen users of the same rank—just as Grandpa Zeno said.”
The group of four entered a restaurant. This place was a little different from the others. There were only three people—one girl, one boy, and a woman working in the kitchen. It was obvious the girl and boy were the woman’s children. The restaurant had a slight Sichuan-style flair.
“Hello, guests. May I take your order?” the girl asked, carrying a menu.
“I’ll have the mapo tofu, and this one too...”
Ron, as usual, ordered a lot.
The girl paused for a moment.
The boy beside her leaned in to take a look.
“Big sis, what’s wrong?”
“These guests ordered a lot. Think they’ll even finish it all? Isn’t that wasting money?”
The boy glanced at Ron’s group.
“They might be Freelance Gourmet Hunters.”
“Really? You can tell?”
“Of course. Your little brother here is about to enter the Moon Institute.”
The girl flicked her finger and knocked on the boy’s head.
“You haven’t even taken the exam yet. Don’t get cocky. You better prepare properly—if you miss this chance, you’ll have to wait until next year. Mom’s health is getting worse.”
She lowered her voice as she spoke.
The boy’s expression turned serious as he patted his chest.
“I promise, I’ll make it.”
He took the menu to the kitchen.
“Mom, can I give it a try?”
“No. Your skills still aren’t ready. We have to take responsibility for the customers.”
“But I’m ready! I’m about to enter the Moon Institute! You just don’t trust me—let me try. If it’s not good enough, you can take over. Okay?”
The woman hesitated.
“Go prep over there. Once it’s done, I’ll taste it first. If it’s acceptable, then we’ll serve it.”
“Alright! Thanks, Mom!”
The boy excitedly headed to a side stove.
Ron glanced toward the kitchen.
The girl seemed ordinary. The boy, on the other hand, was lively and confident. From the conversation Ron overheard, he gathered that the boy hoped to enter the Moon Institute and probably had decent talent—otherwise, the woman wouldn’t have allowed him to try.
That woman, however, clearly had the aura of a Nen user. But the aura was faint. It didn’t feel like the kind of faintness that came from being newly initiated. It felt more like someone who had suffered a serious injury.
Before long, the food was brought out. The aroma of the dishes spread through the room. Both the woman and the boy in the kitchen looked toward their table. The woman was slightly tense. She had tasted the boy’s dish herself before agreeing to serve it. But this was still his first attempt with real customers.
Only when she saw Ron and the others eating and seeming to enjoy it did she finally relax.
“I told you, it’d be fine.”
The boy puffed out his chest.
“Mom, once I enter the Moon Institute and study for another two years, I’ll be able to take over the restaurant. Then you won’t have to work so hard anymore.”
“You can really rest then. You need it.”
The boy knew something about his mother’s condition. Though he didn’t understand the details, he knew she fatigued easily and lacked stamina.
“Alright. When that time comes, I’ll rest. The restaurant will be yours.”
“Don’t worry—leave it all to me.”
The boy patted his chest with confidence.
