Chương 25: Pleasure

Among those three, Pakunoda was probably already with Chrollo. Shizuku's past was vague, but Aren remembered that she was from Meteor City and later joined the Troupe to replace a member killed by Silva Zoldyck. Maybe Franklin recommended her. Maybe Chrollo found her directly. Either way, searching for Shizuku among nearly ten million people in Meteor City was unrealistic. Shalnark was similar. Without joining the Troupe, Aren would likely lose the chance to use their strength. So what would he lose by joining?

After thinking carefully, the answer seemed to be reputation. And reputation was one of the funniest things in the Hunter x Hunter world. The Zoldyck Family was the greatest assassin family in the world, yet Kukuroo Mountain had been turned into a tourist attraction. Neither the Hunter Association nor V5 seemed eager to wipe them out. People who went after the Zoldycks did so for fame, profit, or revenge. Almost no one did it for justice. Justice and evil were thin words here.

Or perhaps this world simply stripped morality of its pretty clothing. Good and evil were concepts humans created, then placed above themselves and called morality. The more Aren studied psychology, the more he felt humanity was full of perversion. Then he would turn around two days later and realize he was no cleaner. There were no truly normal people. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

When he first studied psychology, there had been a book about geniuses and madmen that every student seemed to read. The more he read it, the more the so-called madmen sounded disturbingly reasonable. And if he thought they sounded reasonable, what exactly did that make him? Eventually, Aren understood something. Good and evil did not exist as absolute things. What most people called good was what most people found acceptable, useful, or emotionally rewarding.

What most people called evil was what threatened those same interests. Money, resources, satisfaction, achievement, comfort, self-image, the joy of being right. People doing good deeds were not always chasing material reward. Sometimes they were chasing a spiritual one.

'Today I helped someone, and I feel good.'

'Today I hurt someone, and I feel good.'

'Today I made money, and I feel good.' In the end, humanity's final pursuit was pleasure. Every action pointed toward some form of satisfaction. Eating, sleeping, working, making money, smiling for people one disliked, drinking with people one hated. Even things done unwillingly often served a later pleasure. Ancient societies had been impressive in that regard. They connected helping others and doing good deeds with personal satisfaction, slowly guiding people toward order. That was how morality became useful.

So the question was simple. Would joining the Phantom Troupe bring Aren pleasure? Without a doubt. The corner of his mouth curled.

"Then let's meet him." Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi accepted the decision without argument.

"Chrollo said if you wanted to meet him, you could go to District Thirteen," Machi said.

"Or we could send someone to tell him to come here. He'll wait there for now." Aren raised an eyebrow. Chrollo's posture was lower than expected.

'Is there something I don't know?' After a moment, Aren said, "We'll go there. No need to make anyone run back and forth."

"Fine. Your decision." The sun was already going down. Aren had woken in the afternoon, sparred with Uvogin and Nobunaga, and spent too long thinking.

"Not today," he said.

"We'll go tomorrow. Let's eat first." Uvogin came alive immediately.

"Then let's eat that thing! The fire... pot thing!"

"Hotpot," Aren corrected.

"Idiot." During his seclusion, he had left food in the refrigerator, but it was not fresh. After being fed by Aren for so long, the three had become picky without noticing.

"Fine. I haven't eaten in five days either. Hotpot it is."

"Aren is the best!" Uvogin shouted. Machi walked behind them, watching the scene with quiet warmth. She had once planned to leave Meteor City the first chance she got. Now, staying here did not seem impossible. As long as she was with him. She glanced at Aren's back. Machi knew exactly what Chrollo wanted. He had invited them before Aren appeared, claiming he could obtain permission to leave Meteor City. Back then, she had been tempted. Then Aren arrived.

If meeting Chrollo was Aren's decision, she would support it.

'Just don't interfere with my happiness, Chrollo.' Her eyes cooled like ancient ice.

'Otherwise...'