HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

A week later, the airship was still flying above the vast ocean.

Cyr leaned over, peering through the transparent glass floor at the shimmering, jade-like waters below. Then, with a flick of his hand, he toppled the card tower he had been meticulously building.

"How much longer until we get there?"

He asked without looking up, his gaze fixed on the scattered cards now strewn across the floor.

Although life aboard the airship was relaxing, with plenty of food and entertainment, Cyr could not stand staying idle in one place for too long.

He wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed locking himself indoors. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been flying all over the place, competing in various tournaments at home and abroad, attending conventions, and even posting videos online.

"About another week until we reach the area where the first target is located…" Maro calculated the time and distance before answering.

A week, huh…

"The airship is so slow…" Cyr sighed, his voice filled with discontent.

Two days later, Maro received a call.

"Sir…" After hanging up, he looked at the white-haired youth, his tone somewhat peculiar.

"The Crystal Feather Bones have been found."

"Apparently, a few mafia families have volunteered to gift them to you." Maro's expression shifted from confusion to awe.

They must have been so moved by Sir Cyr's charisma! Surely, they wanted to forge a good relationship with him!

Maro didn't even consider that perhaps they were simply trying to avoid a visit from the reaper.

"They said as long as you provide an address, they'll have someone deliver it immediately," Maro added, his tone full of excitement.

Cyr was finally getting what he wanted, and Maro couldn't help but feel happy for him.

However, the white-haired youth remained calm, his expression tinged with thought.

Mafia members… were they really this nice?

"Do they also have Liquid Ore, White Fire, or Rainbow Eggs?" Cyr asked eagerly.

It would be great if these generous mafia families could help him collect all seven treasures at once.

"…Liquid Ore might be possible, but White Fire and Rainbow Eggs are living organisms. The chances of them having those…" Maro trailed off, his tone implying the likelihood was close to zero.

Cyr understood the unspoken words.

Because mafia collectors almost exclusively deal with inanimate objects, White Fire is only valuable when alive.

As for Rainbow Eggs, hardly anyone has ever seen one.

"Let's think about the address then…" Cyr crossed his legs, lazily tapping his fingers on the armrest of the sofa.

Their original destination was no longer necessary since those people were far too reasonable. So reasonable, in fact, that Cyr didn't even feel like bothering with them.

They had no grudges or enmity, and with his goal already achieved, there was no need to kill them.

"Next is Liquid Ore. It's said that it was once mined near the Rokario Republic's mountains… but the specifics are unclear, and the exact location isn't known," Cyr said, scrolling through his phone and tapping the screen a few times.

"Rokario is also known as the Kingdom of Gems. It accounts for 65% of the world's gemstone production, and many of its residents make a living from mining," Maro explained, recalling details about the region.

"It's said that the first Liquid Ore ever discovered was found in Rokario."

"The mafia sent people to search for it too, but Rokario… well, the locals are rather traditional," Maro said, his tone carrying a hint of awkwardness.

Rokario had no restrictions on firearms, so nearly every household owned guns. Because of the gem mines, the residents were fiercely protective of their interests, making them tough and unyielding. The local armed groups were numerous and dominant, leaving outside mafia groups unable to compete.

After losing some manpower, the rest of the mafia gave up.

"It's the complete opposite of NGL, even though they're on the same continent," Maro added.

Then again, NGL didn't even allow outside mafia groups to set foot in their territory. Their strict border control deterred anyone from seriously attempting entry.

"…Now I'm curious to see just how fierce they really are," Cyr said, raising an intrigued eyebrow.

The airship adjusted its course, setting a new destination.

---

Some time later.

In a tavern located in Dolley City, near the Los Mountains within the Rokario Republic:

The white-haired youth sat at the bar, a glass of rainbow-colored liquor before him. It was said to contain 1% juice from the rare Rainbow Fruit, which gave it its natural, vibrant hue.

Naturally, it was quite expensive.

The striking appearance of the drink had already drawn many curious glances toward the boy.

"Sir, the item has arrived."

A blond-haired young man kicked open the tavern door, carrying a box as he strode in, covered in dust from travel.

"That was fast," Cyr said, taking the box and opening it without hesitation.

Inside was another box, tightly packed for protection.

After finally unwrapping everything, a bird skeleton encased in glass was revealed.

Its entire structure was jet black, gleaming with a translucent crystalline sheen. It was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to draw admiration from anyone who saw it.

But that was all. Most ordinary people hadn't even heard of such a thing.

To the locals of Rokario, who were accustomed to all kinds of gemstones, even this black-crystal skeleton only warranted a couple of glances before their attention shifted elsewhere.

However, in a corner of the tavern, a girl with golden braids and wide blue eyes stared intently at the skeleton in Cyr's hands.

The Seven Treasures! That must be one of the Seven Treasures—the Crystal Feather Bones!

It might not be a gemstone, but it was still one of the Seven Treasures!

And that boy… he was someone familiar. Perhaps…

The blonde-haired girl thought about this as she lifted the hem of her skirt and approached the boy with an incredibly adorable demeanor.

A cute girl never has bad luck.

With her level of cuteness, today's luck would surely be on her side.

Cyr glanced at the skeleton a few times but couldn't see the so-called beauty in it. So, he casually handed it over to the system.

A small hand silently reached toward the transparent box containing the skeleton. Before it could even touch it, the skeleton and box vanished into thin air.

[Crystal Feather Bones acquired.] The system chimed in.

The energy progress bar in the corner ticked up slightly.

"Ah—" The blonde girl, who had been sneaking closer only to find nothing there, fell to the ground. She looked pitifully at… the blonde-haired young man nearby with her dewy, tearful eyes.

A blond, blue-eyed, handsome youth—perfect. She liked him too.

Although the white-haired boy was nice, he was still too young.

But the blond youth? While still somewhat fresh-faced, his physique had clearly reached adulthood. A perfect blend of maturity and youthful charm. Excellent. He fit her aesthetic. Bonus points!

Surely, he wouldn't be unable to appreciate the charm of a lovely young lady like her.

And he definitely wouldn't do something like cutting off half of a beautiful girl's hair, right? Right?

"Ah… I twisted my ankle. I can't stand. Please carry me," the blonde-haired girl said softly in a weak and delicate tone.

The blonde youth frowned, staring at her with a conflicted expression but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Cyr turned his head to the side, covering his lower face as he stifled a laugh.

It was exactly the same! This familiar routine! Back in the desert, she had pulled the same act on him.

And now, pretending not to know him, she was re-enacting the same scene right in front of him, huh?

Although the current version of her looked like an ordinary little girl, Cyr couldn't forget the image he had seen through his tarot cards—a hulking, muscle-bound Amazon.

If Maro fell for her tricks…

Well, Cyr would have a lifetime's worth of material to mock him with.

Under the blonde-haired girl's pitiful and longing gaze, the blond youth furrowed his brows and coldly said: "Move. You're in the way."

Blocking the path between him and Cyr? Was she trying to get Cyr's attention? Falling down had to be deliberate, right? Ha, he'd seen this kind of tactic plenty of times.

The blonde-haired girl's expression froze, her face stiffening as if she had been dealt a severe blow. She turned to stone, her entire figure transforming into a gray statue.

How could this be? Another man completely unmoved and lacking any gentlemanly behavior?

Meanwhile, in a more hidden corner of the tavern, a man with blond hair and triangular sunglasses lowered his glass of liquor. His drifting gaze occasionally landed on Cyr before quickly pulling back with restraint.

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