Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 30 (Patreon)

Chapter 30: The Elder

Departing from the church at the center of Meteor Street, they headed directly into the East District.

Chrollo led Luo through the main streets for a while before turning into an alley.

The main street was wide open, but the alley was shaded by a tangled web of cables and wires overhead, partially blocking the sunlight and casting the area into relative darkness.

Entering the alley, they saw rats and cockroaches scurrying away and encountered residents of Meteor Street, who stood or sat like statues, each concealing their faces and draped in worn cloaks made of old cloth.

It wasn't clear if there was a difference between the East and West Districts, but the alley's inhabitants almost universally hid their faces, suggesting a community shrouded in secrecy.

The arrival of Luo and Chrollo seemed to disturb none of them; everyone remained quiet and largely ignored the two visitors.

Luo glanced around briefly before averting his eyes, avoiding any unnecessary trouble.

As they navigated through the alley, the cramped space began to widen, and the number of rats, cockroaches, and people gradually decreased. The one constant was the dense network of wires and cables overhead.

By the time they reached their destination, about an hour and a half had passed since Luo met Chrollo, meaning the condition to steal Nen abilities had expired.

Luo wondered why Chrollo had forsaken the opportunity but decided not to dwell on it.

After walking for about ten more minutes, they arrived at a standalone house surrounded by taller buildings, making it stand out with its mere two stories and a large surrounding plot.

The house's exterior was unremarkable and predominantly white, encircled by a fence, with a rusty iron gate at the entrance.

Despite its size and the buffer zone created by distancing it from neighboring structures, it couldn't overcome the poor lighting of its environment, suggesting the owner might not prioritize natural light.

Approaching the iron gate, they were met by two men standing on either side, each cloaked in tattered garments but without hoods.

"Can I help you?"

The guards recognized Chrollo and inquired directly about his purpose.

Chrollo nodded, stating simply, "I've brought an antique for the elder."

With that, the iron gate creaked open without further questioning, and under the watchful eyes of the guards, Chrollo led Luo inside. The guards glanced at Luo, a new face, but made no move to stop them.

Luo thought the security seemed lax, suggesting those inside were either overly confident or unconcerned about potential threats.

Chrollo knocked thrice on the door, which soon opened to let them in. Inside, Luo silently retracted any criticisms about their defenses, as the house hosted around sixty people.

Compared to the scant exterior guard, the interior was densely populated, with individuals positioned strategically throughout the ground floor, staircases, and balconies.

If the balcony's crowded state was surprising, the vicinity of the sofa was even more so, with dozens standing in a queue-like formation.

These people, almost uniformly clad in tattered cloaks, were mostly standing, except for one short figure seated on the sofa, likely the East Street elder.

"This person...can use Nen, and he's not the only one."

Luo discreetly assessed the crowd, finally resting his gaze on the figure seated on the sofa.

Cloaked and shadowed, their features were obscured, save for the hands clasping a cane, suggesting a middle-aged individual.

While appearances were secondary, Luo noted twenty-one of the sixty present were Nen users, their abilities as evident as fireflies in the dark due to their constant cultivation of Ten, leaving a residual aura.

Of these, five stood out as particularly strong, with the elder being the most powerful. Whether his security measures stemmed from caution or his Nen abilities remained to be seen.

The second strongest was a man standing beside the elder.

Luo glanced at him, recognizing the resemblance to Cook's twin brother, despite some differences. Their triangular eyes were unmistakably similar.

"Chrollo never mentioned this."

Luo resisted the urge to confront Chrollo for omitting such crucial information, especially given the twin's close position to the elder.

In those few seconds, Luo grasped the room's dynamics and potential threats, maintaining his composure despite the internal alarm.

The elder, after studying Luo, rasped, "This must be Luo, yes?"

Luo tensed, not at the elder's words but at a chilling gaze that swept over him – not from the elder but from Cook's twin brother.

"Chrollo has set me up."

Luo considered his escape options, misinterpreting Chrollo's intentions. Despite Cook's twin, Kuli, being a favored lieutenant of the elder, the elder's decisions were unaffected by others. If he saw value in Luo, Kuli couldn't intervene.

"Yes," Chrollo responded calmly.

"There are two hours left," the elder noted, referencing the remaining timeframe agreed upon with Chrollo.

Even with Luo directly in front of him, the elder seemed inclined to wait out the agreed-upon time before taking any action.

"Indeed," Chrollo acknowledged. "Before then, I'd like to introduce Luo to you."

The absence of formalities hinted at a relationship between Chrollo and the elder that wasn't strictly hierarchical, a detail Luo picked up on.

"Proceed," the elder directed, his gaze shifting from the shadows to Luo, or more precisely, to the ominous hand Luo carried.

"He has a talent for appraising antiques, can determine the age and origin of artifacts, and has brought one with him," Chrollo succinctly summarized the introduction and their purpose.

The elder's attention remained fixed on the ominous hand, and after a moment of silent consideration, he simply stated, "Understood."

This interaction shed light on the dynamics within the room, highlighting the respect and autonomy Chrollo commanded, as well as the elder's interest in Luo's abilities and the artifact he brought. It set the stage for what was to come, hinting at complex relationships and power structures within the East Street hierarchy.

-------

Table of content - Next Chapter >>>

• Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.

• You can also check out the other Novels I'm currently translating by clicking HERE.