Chương 26: Born Thief

Meteor City, northern district. District Thirteen. Inside a worn-down residence, a handsome black-haired boy sat on the stairs with a book in his hands. He lowered it and glanced at the sky beyond the window.

"He didn't come today either."

"Hey, Chrollo." A short, pale young man with dark blue hair stood below, his narrow golden eyes full of irritation.

"Is this Aren really that important? Important enough for us to sit here doing nothing while waiting for one guy?" It was already the third day. Feitan was running out of patience.

"I admit Uvogin and Nobunaga have some skill," he continued.

"If this Aren got them to acknowledge him and follow him, he shouldn't be weak. But is he worth waiting this long?" Chrollo did not mind the attitude. He closed the book and stood. Though he looked even younger than Feitan, he was taller by more than ten centimeters. His smile remained gentle.

"Feitan, Aren's strength is beyond doubt. When I contacted Uvogin and the others, all three had clearly awakened Nen. The person who did that could only be Aren." He walked down the stairs slowly.

"And you've heard about the changes around their base. All of it happened after Aren joined them." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"His ability is something our team needs." It was difficult to imagine that such confidence and calm leadership came from a thirteen-year-old boy. With every step Chrollo took, the air around him seemed to deepen. A leader's charisma gathered naturally, almost like a young cult founder learning how to smile. At the bottom of the stairs, he looked at the three people present.

"Franklin, Pakunoda, Feitan. If you don't want to wait, that's fine. I can remain here alone. You may return to the base and we'll meet later." Feitan glanced at Pakunoda and Franklin. Neither moved. He clicked his tongue.

"Fine. I'll personally confirm what kind of man this Aren is." Chrollo's logic was hard to refute. Aren was already a Nen user and could awaken others. Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi had become too strong too quickly. Whatever Aren's own ability was, it had transformed an entire base. If they brought Aren in, they might also bring the other three with him. There was no better bargain. Chrollo stepped outside for air. Moonlight hung above Meteor City.

He had spent months maneuvering around the Second Elder to obtain Nen and the promise of an exit permit. In that short time, the people he had chosen first had been taken by someone he had never heard of. When he returned and learned the situation, Chrollo's first thought had been to kill Aren. Take what you want. That was the creed of the Phantom Troupe, and naturally the creed of the person creating it. But the thought vanished the moment he met Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi again. The reason was simple.

Any one of the three, as they were now, was no longer someone Chrollo could easily handle. He was not foolish enough to ignore the gap between himself and an enemy. Their calm aura concealed frightening power. They had been taught systematically, while Chrollo had only recently opened Nen through a rougher path. If the students were already like that, then what about the person who taught them? Seizing them by force was impossible. That left only two roads. The first was to give up. Chrollo disliked that option.

He had wanted a team of thirteen. Across Meteor City, there were only so many people who met his standards. Losing three at once was unacceptable. The second road was recruitment. Chrollo's nature had always been thorough. If force worked, he used force. If a low posture worked better, he would lower himself without hesitation. Pride was irrelevant. He was not a mafia boss protecting reputation. He was a thief. A thief cared about what was taken, not what people said about him afterward.

Yorknew would one day prove that kind of logic. The mafia could keep its appearance of victory, while the Troupe took what actually mattered.

"I hope this goes smoothly," Chrollo murmured to the moon.