Chapter 80: Pariston’s Problems—Scarlet Devil

“Wonderful,” Pariston says, clapping his hands together, his lips curling into a devious smile. His mask slips for just a moment—just enough to show a glimpse of his true self—before he slips right back into his overly friendly persona.“I need information… surely you can assist me? At least some clues?” Auren asks.

“Haha, there’s no need for vague things like clues. I’ve already formulated a plan to catch them with ease. The only thing I was missing was a competent Hunter with the strength to deal with them.” Pariston smiles. “Can I be honest with you, Auren?”

“That would be a first and a nice surprise,” Auren says, smirking. “Go ahead.”

“Hahahaha, Auren, you’re such a joker,” Pariston laughs. “To tell you the truth—those people have stolen licenses, killed Hunters, and committed all sorts of crimes. Frankly… I want them gone. I don’t want them arrested… I want them dealt with.”

“You want them silenced. Obviously. No problem if it’s scum like that—I won’t hesitate. But if I find out these people were framed, or something shady’s going on, I won’t be happy,” Auren replies.

“No need to worry. These are the worst of the worst. I’ll take full responsibility. I’ve already laid out a plan to draw them out. Three of your students passed the exam this year, right? Sadly, their performance and apparent Nen knowledge are a large deterrent. Hunters like them won’t be targeted. It’s clear they have strong backing and at least some skills—the risk would be too high for people aiming for easy licenses. Thankfully, however, this year’s exam was almost laughably easy. Thirteen others passed. I’ve already recruited seven of them to my side—two just recently. I’ve kept that fact hidden. As far as anyone else knows, those two are perfect marks—they haven’t even started learning Nen.”

Auren nods. “So you want to use them as bait. Got it. So, really, you just need me as hired muscle? I thought we were being honest now, Pariston. Look, I can judge people. From your Aura alone, how could I hope to measure up to you?”

He narrows his eyes.

“Don’t think your act works. I will surpass you—don’t think I won’t—but right now, I know how capable you are. You’re clearly a very strong Nen user. Even if you pretend to be a manipulator hiding in the background, while presenting a friendly face, you’re a cut above most Zodiacs in terms of sheer Aura output. And Nen battles are more about planning and strategy than brute force. You’re telling me you couldn’t handle these people yourself? If you can’t handle them, I can only think of a couple of people who actually can.”

Pariston’s smile fades. He slowly claps his fingers together.

“I’ve never been seen through like that… well, maybe aside from the old man. You’re clearly an exception. Even Ging only sees me as a smug, annoying bureaucrat he can look down on. I want to stay in the shadows. I want to be seen as someone who is merely capable of doing that. That makes me predictable, even harmless. My place is behind the desk. That’s why I’d rather have you deal with these pests.”

“Got it,” Auren replies.

“I’ll send you all the details tomorrow. You can stay in one of the Association’s guest rooms. A subordinate of mine will pick you up. Wait in front of the elevator. She’s a real gem—honest, dutiful, kind, responsible.”

“So, the opposite of you…” Auren mutters.

“Still joking, Auren? Anyway, I’m quite busy. There are many important issues on my desk,” Pariston says, looking just a bit weary.

“I may seem simple, but I don’t only care about simple things. What other problems are you facing?” Auren asks, now intrigued.

“Never said otherwise, my young friend. Right now, the stock market’s being manipulated. We’ve got cases of corporate espionage happening on such a massive scale that the party responsible is making trillions. Several major companies involved in vital services have collapsed already. It’s frightening. And the worst part is—they don’t care about the consequences. They are ripping apart any company they can, ruthlessly buying and selling stock. They are insiders, but even an investigation with Nen revealed that not one of those companies leaked information. It’s quite a mystery.”

“Maybe a hacker?” Auren asks.

“Possibly. But my instincts tell me it’s something else. This is serious—so much so that even I can’t joke about it. If this continues, we’re looking at a global recession. Maybe even a full-blown financial crisis. Governments are blocking our investigations, which increases the danger and makes it even more difficult to find out what’s going on. It’s obvious key officials are being bribed… or threatened. And this all came out of nowhere. Even I haven’t seen someone act this brazenly and decisively before.”

“Surely you can trace the money?” Auren asks.

“We’re trying. But the perpetrators are using shell companies and converting assets into precious metals. It’s hard to track. They appear to be operating from the Kakin Empire, which refuses to cooperate with most investigations by principle.”

“So it’s a large, international criminal group,” Auren concludes. “Maybe It’a a government-run group by the Empire?”

“It is possible… I will find out. Sooner or later.” Pariston replies.

“Well… it sounds interesting. But it also sounds like a huge hassle,” Auren admits. “Not exactly something I want to get tangled up in right now.”

“If it weren’t so important, I wouldn’t care either. But if I solve this—doors will open for me, if you catch my drift,” Pariston says, his smile stretching wider.

“I see…” Auren says. “I’ll talk to you again soon. For now, I’ll focus on the job in front of me—something we can actually do something about.”

“Perfect,” Pariston replies. “A commendable attitude.”

Auren leaves the room. As the door closes behind him, a few beads of sweat immediately form on his brow.

I’ve done well hiding my emotions. I’ve come a long way. Global stock manipulation? Corporate espionage? Ruthless, decisive tactics? Finding weaknesses in people… There’s only one person who comes to mind. If he knew I was largely responsible for this crisis… even he might be stumped for once.

He stands in front of the elevator and pulls out his phone, staring at the dozens of unanswered messages.

I have many people to talk to… So many things to do, so little time.

Just a few seconds later, a tall woman—about the same height as Pariston—with brown hair and grey eyes, seemingly in her early thirties and dressed in a black suit typically worn by men, steps in front of him.

“Auren?” she asks, extending her hand.

“Yes,” Auren replies, shaking it. “Nice to meet you, Miss…?”

“I’m Laura Dasso. Currently acting as Pariston’s head secretary—but in reality, I’m more like his personal assistant. He takes care of his own desk. He is really sensitive about it. He told me you’d be able to help us with our little problem. We need to recover these licenses to protect the future of many promising young Hunters,” she says.

“Hahaha, yes, of course,” Auren replies, smirking.

Promising, huh?

“Why are you laughing? Have you perhaps misunderstood our mission?” she asks, visibly confused.

“You made it sound like Pariston is doing this out of noble intentions and not for his own gain. You were almost too convincing there. Excuse me,” Auren says.

“Of course he’s doing it for noble reasons! What are you even suggesting?” she shoots back, now visibly annoyed.

Is she for real…? The opposite of Pariston… that’s what I joked about earlier… meaning dumb and naive? He totally seems like the type to keep someone like her around. I just hope she’s competent enough for this mission.

“Please, just take me to my room. Let’s go over the plan when you’re ready,” Auren replies.

“Oh… of course. I’m making a few preparations. We’ll be operating from the outskirts of Swardani City. I’ll explain everything tomorrow,” Laura says.

Auren sighs as Laura leads him to an empty room. It reminds him of a decent 4-star hotel room—clean, decently sized, more than enough to be comfortable, but ultimately forgettable.

Once inside, he begins writing messages to explain his situation. First to Neffi, then to Buno and Bunu, followed by Konrad, Vanessa, Eren, and finally his ‘maids.’ After that, he sends an update to Chrollo.

At last, after some thought, he writes to Pakunoda:

“I might need some help tomorrow… your ability is quite useful. Maybe Shalnark as well. Machi won’t be required, but if she’s bored, she could come along as a mascot. She’s always fun to be around.”

I’m not just going to recover a few stolen licenses… Time to play this game by my own rules.

Skimming through some of the replies, Auren makes another decision. He jumps out of the window and climbs to the top of the massive Association building. As he reaches the rooftop, a fresh breeze greets him. Sitting atop the structure, he makes a call.

I'd better call her… Rakshala… what are you doing? She really went through with what they told me after regaining her scarlet eyes.

“Hello, Auren. What a pleasant surprise,” Rakshala answers, sounding pleased.

“I’m sure you’re busy… maybe too busy. From what I’m hearing, you’re the biggest ‘problem’ the Association is dealing with right now. For now, they think you are a group operating out of Kakin. Just wanted to let you know—they’re actively hunting for you. They haven’t traced the money yet, but Pariston’s focusing his attention on figuring things out,” Auren explains.

“Don’t worry, my child,” Rakshala replies calmly. “This is just the beginning…”

Auren briefly explains his current situation before ending with, “That’s all. I hope to see you soon.”

“Thank you for the warning. It wasn’t necessary, but it never hurts to be informed. I wish you the best of luck. When this is over, bring the girls to their new home. They’ll be well taken care of. If I can’t find someone suitable, I’ll raise them as my own daughters. My assistants will help raise and train them as well. Goodbye, Auren, stay strong.”

“Let’s talk about that later… goodbye,” Auren says, ending the call.

After returning to his room, he trains for a few hours. He uses En to ‘spy’ a little around the Association, without seeing anything too interesting, then finally goes to sleep.

The next morning, just as predicted, Laura picks him up. Together, they make their way toward the parking lot and get into a black, unassuming car—one Laura drives herself. They speed off toward the outskirts of Swardani City.

“Where are we going?” Auren asks. “I’ve invited a couple of friends. You can help set up the trap—but I’m doing this my way. I appreciate the assistance, but stay out of my way later on.”

She looks surprised, about to protest, but then sighs and gives in. “We’re heading to the Drull Ward. We’ve been planning this operation for weeks and made a number of preparations.”

Auren nods and immediately texts Pakunoda:

“Head toward the Drull Ward!”

She responds instantly:

“What a coincidence. We rented a small hotel in the adjacent ward, which is a small industrial zone. Are you sure about the Drull ward? There is nothing of interest located anywhere close. Anyway, we can be there in minutes. Text me the exact location later.”

As the car slows down, Auren can hardly believe his eyes. The Drull Ward is a stereotypical suburban neighborhood. Medium-sized houses, nearly identical layouts, small gardens. Everything is neat, orderly, and boring.

A typical suburban residential area.

“What is this?” Auren asks. “Tell me the plan. Now!”

Laura parks in front of a quiet building and beams. “Let me tell you the boss’s brilliant plan! It’s going to blow your mind!”