Chương 31: Humanity's Malice

Chrollo's question left the room silent. There was no simple answer to where the waste from weapons like the Poor Man's Rose would go. Aren answered quietly.

"Meteor City." Chrollo nodded.

"Exactly." The Poor Man's Rose had not only terrified the world with its explosive power. Its poison and residual contamination had changed the way nations thought about weapons. Once one country proved that a cheap weapon could slaughter on that scale, every other country began chasing something equal or worse. And every weapon project produced waste. Toxic chemicals. Failed samples. Contaminated parts. Radioactive material that could not be admitted to the public. Meteor City was the perfect place to bury it.

Officially, the city did not exist. Its people had no records, no citizenship, no legal identity, and no voice on the international stage. If something was dumped there, no country had to explain where it had gone.

"There were agreements at first," Chrollo said.

"The elders refused large-scale infectious materials and highly contaminated waste. The outside countries accepted that because Meteor City was useful to them." Uvogin's fingers dug into the edge of the table.

"But that changed?"

"The Rose changed it," Chrollo said.

"Weapons research accelerated. The volume of waste increased. Then the outside governments began threatening the elders." No one asked what kind of threats. Meteor City's economy was primitive, but it was still an economy. Residents survived by scavenging through garbage, sorting out anything useful, repairing what could be repaired, and passing valuable items upward until the elders could trade them away. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The second pillar was even more important. Outside countries paid Meteor City to take their garbage. Food scraps, machines, industrial refuse, abandoned goods, old equipment. For Meteor City, those shipments were not merely trash. They were supplies, currency, and lifelines. If the outside countries stopped sending garbage, Meteor City would starve. If they stopped paying disposal fees, the elders would lose their only stable bargaining power.

"They told the elders to accept the contaminated materials," Chrollo said.

"If they refused, cooperation would end. No more garbage contracts. No more fees. No more valuable shipments. No more access to the few channels Meteor City still had."

"Bastards," Nobunaga muttered. Uvogin slammed a fist into the table. The old wood split down the middle. No one told him to calm down. Even Feitan, who had always hated the elders, did not sneer this time. For once, his killing intent was aimed outward. The elders were ugly, greedy, and controlling. But this was not only their ugliness. This was the malice of the human world. Machi's expression went cold. Pakunoda's lips pressed into a thin line. Franklin said nothing, but the aura around him sank heavily.

Aren leaned back and exhaled. He had always known Hunter x Hunter was not a kind world. The Chimera Ant arc had made that brutally clear. The Poor Man's Rose had been humanity's answer to a monster too powerful to defeat honestly. But knowing the weapon existed and realizing that Meteor City had been used as the world's landfill for that kind of sin were two different things.

"The Hunter Association does nothing?" Nobunaga asked. Chrollo's answer was calm.

"The Association has power, but it is still tied to the world's governments. Even Chairman Netero cannot ignore the V5 entirely." Aren's eyes narrowed.

"And the deal with the Second Elder?" Chrollo looked at him.

"He taught me Nen and issued our exit permits. In return, I agreed to leave Meteor City, gather resources, and look for a way to break the restrictions placed on us."

"Looting the outside world to feed Meteor City," Aren said.

"If necessary." For a moment, Aren remembered Yorknew. He remembered Chrollo's calm attitude toward treasures. He remembered Uvogin's line about Judas selling out for money and asking what was wrong with that. He remembered the Troupe returning to Meteor City during the Chimera Ant incident. Perhaps the Phantom Troupe had never been only a band of thieves. Perhaps, in their own twisted way, they had always been a violent charity organization. The thought was absurd. It also fit far too well.

"If we join you," Aren said, "does my team get dragged into your deal with the Second Elder?"

"No," Chrollo answered immediately.

"That deal is mine. If I gain resources, my share can go to him. The rest is up to each member." He paused, then added, "I do not want a team where the captain's word turns everyone into subordinates. The Troupe should move together only when one person's strength is not enough." Aren studied him for a long moment. Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi all looked toward Aren. Their meaning was simple. Whatever he chose, they would follow. Aren tapped one finger against the broken table. The room waited. At last, he smiled.

"I..."