Chương 33: A Human Disaster

"Deputy leader?" Aren stared at Chrollo.

"There are only eight of us. Do we really need a deputy leader?" He could not understand why Chrollo wanted a deputy for such a small group.

"We may be small, but the nature of the Troupe means our actions will inevitably involve danger," Chrollo said.

"I trust my own abilities, but I am not incapable of making mistakes."

"Unexpected situations will arise in the future. If I am ever unable to fulfill the captain's duties, the Troupe will need someone who can take my place." Chrollo's gaze settled on Aren.

"The others heard our conversation. Your proposal and your reasoning were both excellent. You are capable of doing the captain's work."

"More importantly, the captain is never what matters most. The Troupe itself is what matters. If something happens to me, you will inherit my position." He looked around the room.

"What do the rest of you think?" Uvogin was the first to jump in.

"Aren as deputy leader? I agree!"

"So do we," Machi and Nobunaga said. The suggestion had clearly raised their opinion of Chrollo.

"If it's him, I approve," Feitan said. Franklin glanced at him in surprise. Approval rarely came easily from Feitan.

"I don't mind," Franklin said. Aren had spoken clearly from the beginning, and his reasoning was convincing. Pakunoda looked at Chrollo before answering.

"If Chrollo approves, I have no objection." Her position could not have been clearer. Like Machi and Nobunaga with Aren, she already stood firmly on Chrollo's side. Chrollo spread his hands in an imitation of Aren's earlier gesture. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"You see? Everyone recognizes you." Aren clicked his tongue.

'All you do is create more work for me.' He had come here to enjoy the thrill of living out a story he knew, not to take on an administrative position. And not everyone had approved of him. Pakunoda had plainly approved of Chrollo. Aren wanted to refuse, but Machi was watching him with quiet expectation. The words would not come.

"Fine," he said at last, scratching his head.

"But don't expect me to share your workload while you're alive and healthy. I'm lazy." Chrollo's smile deepened.

"That is enough." Aren rolled his eyes.

'You just want someone else available when the boring work piles up.' If the Phantom Troupe had been nothing more than the band of thieves he remembered, Aren would not have suspected Chrollo of trying to push work onto him. Ordinary thieves acted for their own profit. But the Troupe Chrollo had just described sounded almost like a charitable organization with an appetite for violence.

Its only real reward would be the pleasure of the action itself, and that pleasure came during the operation, not during the captain's preparations. In other words, the captain's position carried the most work and the least enjoyment. Money and resources meant little to Aren. With object creation, those were things he could obtain by raising a hand. Food was the one exception. The meals he recreated were delicious, but eating dishes from his former world forever would be a waste.

Once they left Meteor City, he wanted to find a young cook who could introduce him to this world's cuisine.

"I look forward to working with you, deputy leader." Chrollo stood and extended his right hand again.

"Likewise, captain." Aren rose with a helpless expression and shook it.

'That makes three handshakes, doesn't it?'

"Aren! Great!" Uvogin crowded closer, visibly excited.

"Since we're celebrating, let's have a banquet tonight!" Machi smacked the back of his head.

"Idiot. Call him deputy leader." The hit did nothing to Uvogin's expression, but he obediently tried again.

"Deputy leader, how about a banquet tonight?" Uvogin could be simple-minded, but the suggestion was sound. New companions deserved a proper welcome.

"I don't know what your current base looks like," Aren said, "but I'm confident in ours. Why don't all of you stay with us until we leave Meteor City?"

"That works," Chrollo said.

"I have already heard that your base has become unusually comfortable. I would like to see it." Living together would help the new team grow accustomed to one another. Aren and Chrollo exchanged knowing smiles. Over the next few days, all eight current members of the Phantom Troupe settled into Aren's base. With the population suddenly doubled, Aren had to expand it again. Fortunately, experience made the process much faster this time. Chrollo finally saw what Aren's object creation looked like at full force.

One unfamiliar piece of furniture after another appeared from his hands. Beds. Chairs. Tables. Cabinets. Appliances. Clean supplies. Aren showed no visible strain. The ability consumed little aura, produced enormous results, lasted for a long time, and had an absurd range of applications. If Chrollo had to summarize it in one word, that word would have been perfect. And these were only civilian uses. Aren had said that once the sphere touched something, he could recreate it without limit.

The first weapon that came to Chrollo's mind was the Poor Man's Rose. If Aren could reproduce one of those, his ability could destroy the world. When they first met, Chrollo had viewed object creation as the ultimate support ability. Now he understood that Aren could stand alone against an entire nation. He was a walking human disaster.