I hadn't expected that, by pure chance, the two little brats we'd captured would be such well-known figures in their own right.
"By the way, Ronnel, how did you know where these two kids were from?" Phinks asked, clearly curious. He'd overheard the silver-haired kid mention his family name—Zoldyck.
But that spiky-haired one, Gon, seemed different. He only knew his father's name and had entered the Hunter Exam just to find him.
Bound by Machi's threads, Gon looked over at Ronnel, curiosity clear in his gaze.
Surprisingly, he didn't seem worried about his safety at all. After hearing Ronnel's introduction, Gon was more eager to learn about his father.
"Oh, I've had a few run-ins with Netero, the chairman of the Hunter Association," Ronnel replied nonchalantly. "I heard bits and pieces from him."
During the second phase of the Hunter Exam, Netero himself had shown up, so it wasn't hard to connect the dots.
But Ronnel had his reasons for keeping Gon and Killua around, just as he'd hinted. If either of them died, the Zoldyck family and Gon's father, Ging, would definitely stir up trouble.
Regarding the Zoldycks, Ronnel wasn't afraid of a confrontation. Worst case, he could fight back, even take on Maha if necessary.
Killua's younger sibling, Alluka, had a mysterious power through Nanika—a being with rules-defying abilities from the Dark Continent. Killua had the closest bond with Alluka and Nanika in the family. Ronnel knew better than to dismiss such a power lightly. Nanika's capabilities were unlike any ordinary Nen technique.
As for Gon, well, Ging was a force of his own. His skills, showcased through the Greed Island game, proved that he and his friends wielded some of the most peculiar and powerful Nen abilities.
If Gon were killed, the combined wrath of the Zoldycks and Ging would be… daunting, to say the least. Not to mention that Gon had deep ancestral roots connected to hunters who roamed the Dark Continent.
When Nobunaga had hinted at killing the two, Ronnel had shut that down, encouraging the troupe to let go of any murderous intent for now. The others seemed to agree, leaving Machi to guard the boys while they returned to their own affairs.
The arena grew quiet.
Gon twisted around, glancing hesitantly at Ronnel. Despite knowing it wasn't the ideal time, he couldn't resist asking more about his father.
The rest of the troupe noticed Gon's expression but chose to ignore it. If the kids acted up, a quick knockout would suffice.
With Machi keeping watch, the others got back to their routines—Hisoka fiddling with his cards, Nobunaga resuming his watchful glare at Hisoka.
Meanwhile, Shalnark was informed of the situation by Pakunoda, who'd sent him a quick update on her phone. Chrollo was already in action elsewhere, and Shalnark advised, much like Ronnel, to keep an eye on Gon and Killua until further instructions came from their leader.
Suddenly, Gon spoke up.
"Ronnel, do you know anything about Ging?" he asked earnestly.
Even as a captive, Gon's mind was occupied with thoughts of his father, which left Killua, sitting next to him, a bit exasperated.
But he understood Gon's obsession. He, too, was curious about this mysterious figure.
Under Ronnel's introduction, Jin seemed like an incredible man—an elusive legend.
"I don't know much," Ronnel answered, reclining on the stone bench, "but I know what's commonly said in Hunter circles."
"Ging Freecss—a Double-Star Ruins Hunter who's discovered countless relics, admired by many. He could easily be a three-star Hunter, but he thinks it's a hassle."
He continued, "He's a genius, skilled in fields from biology to archaeology, linguistics, geology, even games. He's also known as the Boar of the Twelve Zodiacs in the Hunter Association. Many admire his skills, but his personality? Not so much."
That was putting it mildly. Ging's reputation in the association was rocky, to say the least. Only his fellow Ruins Hunters and close friends seemed to tolerate him.
"Is that so?" Gon looked pensive. He seemed impressed, but a bit confused—Ging sounded both incredible and distant.
Killua, processing the information, looked thoughtful. Before he could digest it all, Gon spoke again, "Ronnel, did you tell the Phantom Troupe about Kurapika?"
Hey! Is now the time for that?! Killua thought, shooting Gon a sharp look, cat-like eyes narrowing.
The other troupe members had been doing their own things, but at the mention of Kurapika, they shifted their attention back to Ronnel and Gon.
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