Chương 62: A Temporary Parting

After a short round of teasing, Aren and Chrollo stood at almost the same time. The others followed.

"Then we'll part here for now," Aren said, looking over the Troupe one last time.

"When we meet again, I hope every one of you has gained something worth showing." There was no sorrow in their eyes. Only resolve. The Phantom Troupe had existed for barely more than a dozen days, yet Aren could feel how strongly every member already belonged to it. That feeling had only grown after they left Meteor City. For people born in that place, the Troupe was not just an organization. It was home. The world had abandoned them. Most of them had no family in any ordinary sense.

The people in their group filled that absence. In a place where humans devoured humans, only companions from the same team could be trusted without reservation. People were social creatures in the end. Emotions spread. So did resolve, warmth, and ambition. Uvogin and the others' sense of belonging had reached Aren too. That was why he could share the same feeling.

"Hahaha! Deputy leader, don't slack off!" Uvogin grinned and thrust out a fist.

"Next time we meet, I might be stronger than you." A dangerous glint passed through Aren's eyes.

"You really dare to say that, Uvogin. Fine. Next time we meet, let's spar." He bumped fists with him. Sparring among Troupe members was allowed. The reason Hisoka was watched so closely in the future had nothing to do with ordinary sparring. Anyone with eyes could see that his perversion and killing intent were not pointed toward a clean match. Nobunaga and Franklin had nearly fought on the roadside in the future Aren remembered. The Troupe did not forbid clashes between members.

What it truly forbade was using violence to settle a real internal split. Uvogin's eyes burned with fighting spirit.

'Breaking through Limitless Technique?' Aren could already imagine him lying on the ground again, surrounded by gloom. He did not want to crush the child's confidence, so he patted Uvogin's shoulder.

"Then do your best." If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. After that, he looked at Feitan, Nobunaga, and Franklin. Their eyes were filled with the same ambition.

'Don't tell me all three of them are dreaming the same thing as Uvogin.' There was nothing else to say. He gave each of them the same encouragement.

"Machi." At last, Aren looked at her.

"What?" She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Let me say this first. I really have no interest in helping you take care of a child..." Before she could finish, Aren placed his hand on her head and rubbed it gently.

"Stay safe." He smiled softly as he said it. Aren held a special feeling for Machi, but he had never truly wanted to tie her to his side. Caging her would only turn her into something that was no longer Machi. She would only become another kind of bird in a pretty cage. Besides, with Uvogin beside her, he could feel at least a little at ease. As long as they did not run into genuine top-class Nen users, they should be able to protect themselves. Machi taking Uvogin to Heavens Arena was probably for the best.

If Uvogin had gone alone, Aren honestly doubted whether he would even reach the place without getting lost or starting a dozen fights on the road. This parting also helped Aren decide what ability he should develop next. Once the others left, he could begin researching it properly. With the experience he had gained from The Hand, the next ability should not be too difficult if its spatial nature was compatible. Machi did not look unhappy when she realized Aren had no intention of asking her to stay.

Instead, she smiled.

"I know." This time, she did not slap away the hand messing with her hair. The members of the Troupe exchanged smiles, then turned and walked toward their own destinations. Aren watched their backs as they left. It should have been a separation, but he felt no sadness. Only heat. Only the fierce excitement of finally being unleashed into the wider world.

"All right," he murmured.

"I should handle my own work too." Then he turned and walked deeper into the villa. There was a pile of things waiting for him: training Neon, developing Nen abilities, taking full control of the Nostrade Family, and the Perfect Mimicry research he had been putting off. Over the next few days, Aren first discussed turning the Nostrade Family into a subordinate organization of the Phantom Troupe with Light. The content could be summarized in one sentence.

When the Troupe told Nostrade to do something, Nostrade would do it. When the Troupe had no explicit orders, Nostrade would decide how to make itself useful. In exchange, the Troupe would provide a certain degree of armed support. As for what degree, that depended on the Troupe's mood. The terms looked unequal, but Light Nostrade accepted them eagerly. When he learned Aren truly intended to cooperate with the Nostrades long term, he was almost ecstatic.

He came dangerously close to kneeling and kissing Aren's shoes. The Fanobi Family had looked enormous in Light's eyes, yet it had not survived a single afternoon against the Troupe. If that kind of power could support him, acting like a dog did not matter. With this force behind him, reaching the top of the underworld no longer felt impossible. It was like running a company. Before investment, one might own one hundred percent of a company worth one million.

After investment, one might own only one percent of a company worth one hundred billion. At that point, even going from owner to employee was not necessarily a loss. That was why Light agreed without hesitation. Later, Aren also told the other Troupe members through their phones. If anyone wanted to stretch their muscles, they could choose a Nostrade problem and play with it. Only after formally cooperating with the Nostrades did Aren realize how weak the family currently was.

There was almost no one under Light worth using. Most of them were drinkers, gamblers, addicts, and professional deadbeats. Bart was the only one who barely passed. No wonder Light had taken the risk of buying recruits from Meteor City. Developing the family this far with that kind of manpower was enough to prove he had some ability. If not for Neon, and if Light were not so good at making himself useful, Aren might have considered finding another organization.

To keep Light from bothering him every time something happened, Aren eventually decided to open Bart's aura nodes. With Bart as a Nen user, the Nostrades should at least be able to handle ordinary trouble for now. After awakening Bart's Nen, Aren did not babysit him. He simply threw him some information about Nen and let him train on his own.