Moro's genuine gratitude toward Maha stemmed mainly from the fact that Maha, in a way, granted Kurt the freedom to break free from his bindings.
This allowed Moro to confidently take Kurt away under the guise of a "commission."
With Kurt's abilities assisting him, whether it was hunting prey to level up or later launching a surprise attack on Feitan, his help would be irreplaceable.
As for the commission fee...
Moro never really cared about that kind of thing.
But as it stood now, he truly didn't have enough in his account to cover the cost of a long-term contract.
Currently, the Golden Globe and Selma Scepter had not yet been auctioned off.
If he wanted the money in advance, he would have to accept the buyout price offered by the Nampis Auction House.
That price would definitely be far lower than what the items could fetch in an actual auction.
After all, what makes an auction special is the competition, which pushes prices higher for valuable items.
Though Moro thought about the state of his wallet, he didn't see it as a problem.
Meanwhile, Kurt turned to approach Silva and the others at the heavy stone gate, ready to inform them about the long-term commission and get their approval.
Unbeknownst to him, Silva and the rest had heard every word of the previous conversation.
Naturally, they also knew that the youngest, usually obedient and well-behaved child in the family had long since chosen to side with an outsider.
"Kurt, come with me."
Zeno was a little impatient. Without waiting for Kurt to bring up the matter of the long-term commission, he grabbed him by the collar and headed toward the Testing Gate.
Zzebon, who had remained silent the whole time, sensibly pushed open the first stone gate to let Zeno pass through.
Kurt hesitated, instinctively looking at Silva.
"Go ahead."
Silva only said it gently.
He knew that at this point, no matter how much Zeno objected, he would have to accept the reality.
Calling Kurt over now wasn't about control anymore.
Though he just said "go ahead," Silva's calm and reassuring tone instantly put Kurt at ease.
Then, Kurt ran through the Testing Gate to catch up to Zeno.
At the same time—
Outside the Testing Gate were Silva, Zzebon, Moro, and Kikyo hiding in the security booth like an ostrich.
As for Illumi, during the conversation between Moro and Kurt, he had already entered through the Testing Gate by using Milluki, who had willingly leaned in to be hit as a diversion.
Silva and Moro looked at each other in silence, neither seeming eager to speak further.
Silva thought back to what Maha had said—it was clearly an endorsement of Moro.
That alone was enough for Silva to entrust Kurt to Moro, even though Kurt wasn't of age for external training.
Moro, on the other hand, recalled Silva's assault on the Phantom Troupe last year.
That fearless act in front of most of the Troupe had left a deep impression on Moro.
Thanks to Silva's involvement, Moro had been able to gain important experience from confronting the Troupe.
While Silva and Moro silently sized each other up, inside the gate, Zeno stopped and turned to face Kurt.
Despite the confidence instilled by Maha and Silva, Kurt still looked like a child caught doing something wrong—head bowed, afraid to meet Zeno's eyes.
Though Zeno was clearly upset, as the matriarch, she wouldn't let personal feelings override important matters.
Ever since Maha stepped in and acknowledged Moro, the matter was settled.
"Kurt, remember what I'm about to say."
"Yes, Mom."
Kurt suddenly felt a heavy pressure.
He was used to it, but this time it felt especially intense.
So he braced himself.
Zeno looked down at Kurt's bowed head and said seriously:
"Remember, you're a 'girl,' so when you're alone with that guy, you must maintain proper boundaries and distance. Even if you have to stay at an inn, absolutely no sharing a room—double beds don't count either! Absolutely not! Got it!?"
"M-Mom…"
Despite being ready for anything, this was the first time Kurt felt speechless in front of his mother. His longing for friendship with Moro now clashed with the overwhelming weight of her twisted affection.
Zeno didn't care what Kurt thought, and pressed on with her list of demands.
Her nagging voice echoed through the cold, dark forest.
Outside the Testing Gate—
Moro had no idea what Kurt was going through, only wondering why it was taking so long.
Still, he wasn't worried that Zeno would go back on her word.
From what he understood about the Zoldyck family, Maha never involved himself in family affairs, but once he did, his word was final.
That was the weight of the eldest in the family.
Half an hour passed.
An hour passed.
Two hours passed…
And still, Kurt didn't come out.
Moro frowned slightly, starting to question his judgment.
Outside the gate, Silva also furrowed his brows slightly.
Good thing none of them were normal people—their self-control was unmatched.
If he had known it would take this long, Silva would have invited Moro in for tea.
Zzebon, on the other hand, remained unbothered.
She wasn't like Silva or Zeno—she wasn't bound by "parental" obligations.
Finally, after nearly three hours, the Testing Gate opened.
But it was Rain, dressed in a butler's uniform, who opened the door and let Zeno and Kurt through.
Rain then quietly shut the door and glanced at Moro, who had waited outside the whole time.
Before coming, she had seen the bruised Milluki and a disheveled Illumi, and she already had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
"To think someone could get the better of Illumi…"
Rain thought to herself.
Silva, Zzebon, and Moro immediately turned to look at Zeno and Kurt.
Then they noticed all the bags Kurt was carrying...
No wonder it took so long.
Silva and Moro both sighed silently, but showed no outward impatience.
"Hey."
Zeno pointed her lace fan at Moro and coldly hinted: "Do I have to spell everything out for you?"
"…Alright."
Moro understood, and promptly walked over to help Kurt carry the bags.
Kurt looked down shyly, wanting to say it wasn't necessary, but afraid to go against his mother's will.
Moro gave Kurt a reassuring look.
Zeno, seeing this, scoffed loudly.
Moro pretended not to hear, nodded slightly to Silva and Zzebon, then turned and left with the bags.
"Dad, Mom, I'm heading out."
Kurt bid Silva and Zeno farewell.
This commission would take a while—he wouldn't be home anytime soon.
"Mm."
Silva gave a calm reply.
"Kurt! Don't forget what I told you earlier!"
Zeno sternly reminded him one last time.
Kurt nodded obediently, "Okay, Mom."
Then ran after Moro.
Silva and Zeno watched Kurt's back and easily noticed the bounce in his step.
Rumble—
The Testing Gate opened again.
This time it was Illumi, now neat and clean in a fresh outfit.
His Big-Eyed Frog hat and kiddie watch were already tossed into a corner of his room.
He didn't like them, but since they were a gift from his great-grandfather, he wouldn't throw them in the trash.
Illumi looked at the pair walking away together.
He had come out specifically to see Kurt off.
And he cast a cold, sharp glance at Moro's back.
Moro noticed it, turned around, and stared at Illumi expressionlessly.
Their eyes locked.
Then Kurt tugged Moro's sleeve.
Moro instantly understood and looked away, ignoring Illumi.
"Is Killua not home?" Moro asked casually.
Kurt nodded, "Mm, he's on a mission."
"Then be sure to let him know later."
Moro reminded him.
It was clear the Zoldyck family valued "family" very deeply.
If Killua didn't know about this, Kurt should tell him personally.
"Mm."
Kurt smiled.
As Moro walked down the mountain, he looked back at the Testing Gate.
He hadn't gotten the chance to test his progress on it.
But given the situation, there was no way he could've just walked up and pushed it open in front of the whole Zoldyck family.
Though it didn't go as planned, the fight with Illumi was a good enough test.
"By the way, was your great-grandfather someone you paid to help?" Moro asked, referring to Maha.
Earlier, Kurt had mentioned that family members could be "hired" through a bidding system, so he wondered.
"I didn't pay him. And great-grandfather doesn't usually involve himself in family matters. He hadn't even left the house for a long time."
Kurt shook his head.
Moro raised an eyebrow, "So why did he step in for you this time?"
"Because of Big-Eyed Frog."
Kurt gently touched the handle of his fan.
"Huh?"
Moro was confused.
Kurt smiled and said, "At a family dinner once, great-grandfather saw the custom Big-Eyed Frog fan you made for me. Since then, he often asks me to watch the cartoon with him."
"…"
Moro was speechless.
Kurt added, "I also told great-grandfather that you really liked Big-Eyed Frog."
"?"
Moro was stunned. "So your great-grandfather helped just because of that fan?"
"Yep."
Kurt nodded.
A tricky situation had been smoothed over thanks to a shared love for a cartoon frog.
"Moro, Big-Eyed Frog really is cute."
"Who said it wasn't?"
Moro glanced at Kurt's new frog-themed headband.
It was obvious Kurt had started liking it too, probably from watching the show with Maha.
In the past, Kurt would've resisted such a flashy accessory.
But now, even if he didn't love it, he respected it—because Maha had put it on him.
That was Kurt's way.
"But I do regret not going to great-grandfather sooner. Then Illumi wouldn't have done that to you…"
Kurt still hadn't forgiven himself for Moro getting hurt.
Moro saw the guilt in his eyes and thought, even if he had gone to Maha earlier, the fight with Illumi was unavoidable.
In fact, Maha had even accepted that Moro might die.
In the end, fists speak the loudest. Strength determines everything.
Moro wouldn't say all that to Kurt.
Instead, he smiled and said, "Then think of a way to make it up to me."
Comforting him with words wouldn't help—this was better.
"You name it!"
Kurt looked up seriously, ready to do whatever it took.
That showed just how guilty he still felt.
Moro said, "Let's hold off on the deposit for now. I'll pay you after I sell my tournament prize."
"That's it?"
Kurt blinked.
"Of course. You've already helped a lot."
"Okay."
Kurt smiled again—then remembered something.
"Moro, about the fee…"
"What?"
Kurt hesitated.
He mumbled, "Mom said the commission is 50 billion. And she wants it sent to her account…"
"WHAT!?"
Even someone like Moro, who rarely cared about money, was wide-eyed at Zeno's outrageous demand.
"Your mom is really…"
He barely stopped himself from saying something worse.
Kurt quickly said, "I didn't agree! But I'm not the one who decides. I have 30 billion saved up—"
"Kurt."
Moro patted his head and cut him off.
"You're underestimating your mom."
"Huh?"
Kurt looked confused.
Moro sighed, "Your money's already gone. Or it's been locked away."
"Ah?"
Kurt hurriedly checked his phone—and froze.
Moro shook his head slightly, then changed the subject.
"Didn't I tell you to message Killua? Here, I'll send you a picture."
"…Okay."
——
Somewhere in a mansion—
Killua stepped over corpses and blood-splattered weapons.
His face showed nothing but fatigue.
He left without a second glance at the blood on his shoes.
Outside, he looked up at the gloomy, cloud-covered sky.
His eyes mirrored it.
Buzz.
Killua pulled out his phone.
A photo appeared.
His eyes widened instantly.
Then—
"Heh… hahaha!"
Under the dark sky, sudden laughter rang out.
But it lasted only a moment.
"So jealous…"
Killua murmured.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen