Chương 9: Strawberry Cake for Machi

Aren had chosen to tell them about his ability after thinking it through. First, he was not someone who enjoyed hardship. Machi had clearly done her best to keep her house clean, but the place itself was still bare. No amount of tidying could turn a hard mattress and a rough little table into the standard of living Aren wanted. The previous night had proven that well enough. By morning, his back ached from the mattress. That was normal for Meteor City.

No matter how much they traded or stole, the living conditions here would never reach what he considered acceptable. If he wanted to improve that life with his ability, he could not hide it for long. Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi were not fools. Modern furniture and clean supplies could not simply appear in this place without raising questions. The only way to hide everything would be to leave the team and live alone. That was not realistic either. Aren knew what Machi, Uvogin, and Nobunaga would become.

Walking away from people who would become core members of the Phantom Troupe would be foolish. More importantly, he was not confident he could protect himself yet. According to the body's memories, its original owner had survived through tricks, ambushes, and a bit of reputation. In a direct fight, Aren might not even beat Machi, much less Uvogin or Nobunaga. His regeneration could keep him alive, but that did not mean he could win. Someone could still capture him.

If enemies discovered his healing ability, he might become a living source of spare parts. The thought made him cold. In that situation, regeneration would be a curse. So leaving alone was out. If he could not leave and could not tolerate the current conditions, honesty was the only path. On the other hand, Aren had read enough about these three to understand them. After spending a day with them, he trusted that impression even more. Once they accepted someone as a companion, they did not sell that person out.

Uvogin had endured torture from Kurapika in the future Aren remembered without betraying the Troupe. Nobunaga was similar, even confronting Feitan for Gon's sake after deciding he liked the boy. Machi valued the Troupe more than her own life. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. They were violent, dangerous, and not remotely good in a normal sense. But as companions, they could be trusted.

As for whether they had already started to see Aren that way, he trusted his professional judgment. Over the next few days, the entire base changed. Under Aren's ability, modern conveniences appeared one after another. Through repeated tests, he also learned more about object creation. It was hard to say whether the ability followed material rules or mental ones. Anything he had personally touched before, he could recreate. He did not need to understand its mechanism.

As long as he had contact with it in memory and could create enough desire for it, the object would appear. If it were purely mental, real contact should not matter. If it were purely physical, understanding the structure should. It was strange either way. For now, the rules remained maddeningly unclear. Their quality of life had finally reached a level Aren could accept. The only pity was that he no longer had an excuse to share Machi's room.

"Ahh. That's good!" Uvogin pulled a cold can of beer from the refrigerator, dropped onto the soft sofa, and emptied it in one breath. He could not read the strange writing on the can, but the taste was excellent.

"Uvogin, move your foot!" He had accidentally bumped Nobunaga, who was cleaning the katana Aren had created for him. Across from them, Aren and Machi sat on another sofa. He had just produced a slice of strawberry cake and offered it to her. He had not expected someone as cool as Machi to like sweets this much. She accepted the plate naturally, which showed this was no longer the first time.

"Aren," Uvogin said, tossing the empty can into a trash bin behind him, "Allen's group has been getting restless. I heard they're planning to join up with Cullen and hit our base. What do you think?" A cruel light flickered in his eyes. As Aren created more and more supplies, his influence in the team had grown. People who ate his food and used his things naturally began listening to him, whether they meant to or not.

Besides, Machi had been the one making most decisions before because Uvogin and Nobunaga were not suited to leadership. Machi herself did not seem attached to the role. If anything, the girl who had grown up without security seemed more willing than anyone to let someone reliable shoulder that pressure. When Uvogin asked, Nobunaga stopped wiping his sword. Machi set down her spoon. All three looked at Aren. The message was obvious: you decide. Aren's mouth curved.

"If Allen's people can't behave, bury them. Let's see how restless they are underground." Their base had changed too much to hide. The nearby teams had watched it become something like a paradise. Even fear of Uvogin and Nobunaga could not suppress greed forever. Allen led the largest of those groups, with thirty or forty hyenas under him. None had awakened Nen. Against Uvogin and Nobunaga, they were not a serious threat.

"If Cullen's people get ideas afterward, bury them too." Uvogin trembled with excitement. The bloodthirst in his eyes deepened. He sprang up from the sofa and rushed for the door. He had clearly been holding himself back for too long. Aren sighed and looked at Nobunaga, who was staring at him like a man watching someone else leave for a banquet.

"Go on. Test your new sword." Nobunaga brightened at once.

"Good. I'm going now." Ever since receiving the katana Aren had created, he had wanted to cut someone with it.

"Uvogin! Wait for me. Don't take all of them yourself!" Once Aren had arranged things, Machi picked up her spoon again and returned to her cake. Aren leaned back, watching the guarded girl quietly enjoy the sweetness as if it had become part of everyday life.