Kaizen leaned closer to Wendy's ear.
"Kalluto is my cousin."
Wendy blushed and quickly apologized.
"S-Sorry, sorry!"
"Hello," Kalluto greeted calmly, clearly unbothered by the mistake.
Kikyo, as if she hadn't heard a thing, warmly invited Kaizen and Wendy to sit down.
"Come, sit. The food is already served."
"It'll get cold if you wait too long."
The dining hall was massive, and the table was just as grand, almost overflowing with dishes. Yet, with only four people seated, it felt strangely empty.
Wendy, however, was used to such scenes.
Back in the Kingdom of Fiora, meals were often served in similar settings. Whether it was the Zoldyck family or the Fiora royal family, those who stood at the pinnacle of power and resources lived in ways that seemed extravagant, even wasteful, to outsiders. But for them, it was simply a matter of wealth and influence.
After dinner, Kaizen took Wendy out of the hilltop mansion and into the back mountain.
Shinji and Sanghis stood guard at the entrance.
"Kaizen-sama."
Kaizen gave them a nod.
"Did you pack for the holidays?"
"Yes. It's all ready. Room 17 is next to yours."
"Good."
Kaizen led Wendy upstairs. Meanwhile, Kikyo made a quick phone call, informing Zeno about the events of the evening.
"Mother, can I go play with cousin Kaizen tomorrow?" Kalluto asked, looking up at her expectantly.
"No," Kikyo replied firmly. "You still have training tomorrow, and your cousin has guests to entertain. It wouldn't be proper for you to interrupt."
Not far away, Dominica watched Kaizen and Wendy together, an idea forming in her mind. A potential union between the Zoldyck family and the Fiora royal family wouldn't be a bad thing. On the Zoldyck side, there was likely a similar line of thought.
Zeno ended his call and looked out into the night sky.
"I didn't expect Kaizen to form such a close bond with the heir of the Fiora royal family."
Through his own intelligence network, he had gathered information on Wendy.
The current heir of the Fiora royal family—one of the three most talented individuals of the younger generation. If nothing went wrong, he had a strong chance of becoming a member of Fiora's Royal Roundtable in the future.
Those who sat on the Royal Roundtable held positions second only to the king himself.
"But Kaizen isn't bad either," Zeno mused. "After all, he was chosen by my grandfather and personally trained."
More importantly, Kaizen's talent surpassed Wendy's.
The events in the Taris Kingdom had already proven it. Despite being the same age, Kaizen had spent less time training in Nen than Wendy, yet he was stronger. That alone was a testament to his talent.
Kaizen led Wendy to the guest room.
"Is this okay?"
Wendy took a quick look around and nodded. "It's very nice. Kaizen, thank you for your hospitality."
"No need to be polite. We're friends. Besides, you invited me to the Kingdom of Fiora before, remember? When that time comes, I definitely won't hold back either."
Wendy laughed. "Good."
As night deepened, Kaizen returned to his room.
One peaceful night passed.
The next morning, Kaizen woke up early.
He always slept more soundly at Zoldyck Manor. Somehow, his energy recovered faster here, even with less sleep.
Half a month later, Kaizen and Wendy left Zoldyck Manor, making their way down the mountain to the nearby town before boarding a bus to the neighboring city.
A middle-aged woman drove up to meet them. She was a member of the Fiora royal family—one of Wendy's elders. She happened to be returning to the Fiora Kingdom and had arranged to pick Wendy up on her way.
"Goodbye, Kaizen."
"Goodbye, Wendy."
Kaizen waved as the airship ascended into the sky.
Wendy had invited him to visit the royal family in Fiora, and Kaizen was certainly interested. But first, he had to make a stop at Heavens Arena.
He had already forfeited two matches. If he kept skipping, he might lose his chance to challenge the Floor Master he had set his sights on.
Using Heavens Arena as a base made sense. Floor Masters had far more privileges than regular fighters—access to an entire floor, better accommodations, and, most importantly, no mandatory fights every three months. A Floor Master could even dictate the timing of their battles, with a maximum limit of six months between matches.
For Kaizen, this flexibility was crucial.
The other fighters at Heavens Arena weren't idiots. They would research their potential opponents, seeking out the weakest Floor Masters to challenge first. And right now, Kaizen was by no means weak. Among the Floor Masters, he ranked at least in the middle tier—perhaps even above average.
Officially, his Nen level was classified as C. But in reality, his strength rivaled many B-rank Nen users.
The synergy of his multiple aura beasts compensated for any gaps in raw power. And his Beast ability was a game-changer, capable of turning the tide of battle before his opponent even realized what was happening.
In terms of intelligence, Kaizen outclassed most Nen users.
In terms of potential, few could compare to him.
On the airship, the middle-aged woman glanced at Wendy.
"Wendy, is that your new friend?"
"Uh-huh." Wendy nodded enthusiastically. "Kaizen is amazing. He's a great friend, and he's incredibly strong. At the same age, I don't stand a chance against him."
"When I get back, I'm going to train even harder."
A flicker of curiosity crossed the woman's face. "Really? He's that powerful?"
"Dominica-sama knows," Wendy replied. "Even the other two strongest members of our royal family wouldn't be able to defeat Kaizen."
She hesitated before asking, "Auntie, have you ever had dealings with the Zoldyck family before? Are they all this strong? Are they all this talented?"
The woman was silent for a moment before answering.
"I haven't had much contact with them. But their numbers are few."
She looked out at the clouds drifting by.
"Even with so few members, they have remained the world's number one assassin family. That alone speaks volumes about their strength."
After a brief pause, she turned back to Wendy.
"Tell me, Wendy. How many of you do you think it would take to defeat Kaizen?"
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