Chương 28: Taking Over as Host

"Hello. I'm Chrollo Lucilfer." Since Chrollo took the initiative to offer a handshake, Aren smiled and accepted it. He had not come here to make trouble.

"Aren Voss." Chrollo's heart settled slightly. First impressions mattered. If the first impression was good, the following conversation became far easier. Aren had come in person and showed no hostility. That meant he probably had some interest in the invitation. Chrollo turned and introduced the others.

"This is Pakunoda, this is Franklin, and this is Feitan. They are members of my team."

"Nice to meet you." Aren nodded with a polite smile. Pakunoda and Franklin returned the gesture. They trusted Chrollo, so the person Chrollo valued naturally made them curious rather than hostile. Feitan's earlier irritation vanished after seeing Aren. The reason was simple. Aren was strong. People who survived Meteor City learned to sense danger. Feitan, small and bad-tempered as he was, had an especially sharp instinct for it. The moment he saw Aren, the hair on his body stood up.

To Feitan, Aren felt like a low-growling beast. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He still wore a stiff expression, but even he gave a short nod. Aren's interest in the three focused mostly on Pakunoda. Feitan and Franklin were useful, but not essential to him. One was a ranged-firepower type, the other an agile assassin with a dangerous trump card. Good pieces. Replaceable pieces. Pakunoda was different. Not because she had big, pale curves. Of course not.

It was because of her future ability. Still, Aren's gaze could not help drifting for half a second. Pakunoda was around fourteen now, yet she was already developed far beyond what her age suggested. Her clothes were nowhere near as bold as they would be in the future, but Aren had enough experience from his previous life to make an educated guess. Several times more than Machi, at least. A pity about the nose. If Pakunoda's hooked nose were a little softer, she would be far more dangerous.

Aren looked at her nose with visible regret. Pakunoda touched it quietly, wondering if something dirty had stuck there. Only Machi sensed something. Her gaze sharpened behind Aren, cold air seeming to seep from her body. Aren's back went stiff.

"Speaking of which, Chrollo," he said quickly, "why did you want to meet me?" Chrollo looked around.

"Aren, this isn't a good place to talk. Shall we go inside first?" Aren glanced at the sky. Meteor City's sun was harsher than usual today. The glare annoyed him more than the heat.

"Fine. Let's talk inside. And just call me Aren. I'm not that old."

"All right, Aren. After you." Chrollo stepped aside and let him enter first. Pakunoda and Franklin frowned slightly at the gesture, but said nothing because they trusted Chrollo. Feitan did not object at all. The strong went first. Simple. Aren could not quite understand how a born thief like Chrollo thought, but with his own strength as insurance, he followed the invitation. Chrollo walked beside him, half a step behind, yielding the lead in both manner and position. Inside, Aren scanned the room.

Classic Meteor City refugee-style decoration. There were even fresh bloodstains, probably a legacy left by the original occupants when Chrollo's group took the place. Several old wooden chairs sat inside, darkened by age and filth. Aren frowned. Going from poverty to luxury was easy. Going back was hard. The current Aren had no intention of making himself suffer if he had the power not to. He opened one hand. A long sofa appeared and shoved the broken chairs aside. Then he created another across from it.

"You don't mind if I add some furniture, do you?" He sat before Chrollo could answer. Then he smiled and gestured for Chrollo to sit, as naturally as if the house belonged to him. In a single moment, the guest had become the host.

'If I don't know what Chrollo is planning, I'll test where his bottom line is.'