According to the schedule provided by Kakin and the office, the official departure would take place on September 1st, giving about a month for final preparations.
Once they set sail, the journey from the Six Continents to the so-called "New World" would take about two months.
Adding in the time needed for the return trip and the actual expedition into the Dark Continent, the full endeavor could take as little as seven to eight months—or as long as one to two years.
For now, Mizaistom Nana could afford to wait.
After the positions of Kurapika and the current candidate were confirmed, there was still one seat left for the Zodiac's "Rat."
Cheadle planned to assign the newcomer to the Dark Continent expedition. That meant the person chosen had to be extremely talented in at least two key areas—and more importantly, strong enough to survive the journey.
The requirements were strict. Cheadle had looked into several well-known Hunters, but none seemed to meet the mark.
Then, Saccho offered a suggestion.
"Why don't we let Ronnel join the Zodiacs? His strength is more than enough."
Cheadle took the suggestion seriously. After some careful discussion with the others, they reached a conclusion:
No.
On one hand, it was due to the opposition from Gel, who were present at the meeting.
She was the only ones who raised objections. Kanzai didn't seem to care either way.
"I lost fair and square," he admitted, "No complaints from me."
The bigger issue was the intelligence they'd gathered. Ronnel's ties to the notorious Phantom Troupe were vague but troubling.
Multiple incidents in Yorknew City suggested a link—possibly even membership.
Still, this wasn't exactly a deal-breaker. Things weren't always so black and white in their world.
Wasn't Kurapika, whom they were now recruiting, also the No. 2 of the Nostrade Family?
That wasn't what tipped the scales. The real concern was Ronnel's suspected involvement with Ging and Beyond. The data showed that he had traveled to the Kakin Empire—likely to Beyond's base of operations.
And after the Jed incident, Beyond and Ronnel were spotted at a café near Heavens Arena, deep in conversation. They looked like they'd reached an agreement.
...
With the Beyond connection, Saccho had to back down from his proposal, albeit reluctantly.
Still, the mention of Ronnel gave Cheadle a new idea.
As the saying goes: birds of a feather flock together.
If Ronnel had contacts at his level, maybe one of them would be a better fit for the Zodiac.
So, Cheadle investigated Ronnel's personal circle.
Several names stood out: Bisky, Wing, Kurapika, and Leorio.
The latter two had been his companions during the Hunter Exam.
Cheadle was already familiar with Bisky.
An elite in Shingen-ryu, with excellent aura control and versatile abilities. On paper, she seemed like a perfect candidate.
But after reviewing her personality and hobbies, Cheadle ruled her out immediately—without even reaching out.
Yeah, she was that decisive.
As for Wing, Cheadle did consider talking to him. But it turned out Wing had no interest in the Dark Continent.
He was fully focused on mentoring his student Zushi and carrying on the legacy of Shingen-ryu.
"Chairman Netero is gone. The Shingen-ryu name is at risk. Zushi, we must honor everything the Chairman built with our training!"
"Ossu!!"
Cheadle could only shake her head at the passionate devotion of that teacher and student pair.
...
Next, she looked into Leorio.
Hardworking, reliable, eager to learn. A top student at the Republic of Padokea's University of Medical Sciences, recipient of multiple scholarships, praised by renowned professors.
He was definitely talented. If he agreed to join the expedition, he could be a key part of the medical team.
But as far as the Zodiacs were concerned... he wasn't ready yet.
He also hadn't done anything particularly impressive—like beating up Ging—to win the crowd's approval.
Which left only Kurapika.
Initially, Cheadle didn't have high expectations. But after reading Kurapika's file, she was genuinely surprised.
He was powerful enough to take down members of the Phantom Troupe and Jed's organization. And he possessed unique abilities. According to his mentor, he was of the Kurta Clan and could transform his aura into specialist abilities when his eyes turned scarlet.
Anyone knowledgeable in aura theory would know what that implied.
Kurapika himself had shared the truth about his lineage during the first phase of the Hunter Exam.
So his mentor's comments weren't exactly revealing classified intel.
But more importantly—Kurapika was intelligent, meticulous, and carried himself with discipline and class.
Once the rest of the Zodiacs reviewed his profile, no one objected.
Still, reading was one thing—seeing was believing.
So Mizaistom went to the Nostrade Family in person to meet him.
He came away impressed.
Kurapika's professionalism was exactly what the Hunter Association needed.
And so, Mizaistom offered him a spot.
...
Kurapika hadn't intended to get involved. He was only focused on reclaiming the eyes of his people. The Zodiacs and the Dark Continent meant nothing to him.
Until Mizaistom told him this:
"The Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou, is a collector of human remains. He has your elder's scarlet eyes in his possession."
"If you join us, the Hunter Association will provide everything in its power to help you. Believe me—no other organization can uncover the secrets of Kakin the way we can."
"Especially now that Kakin has joined the V5. The Association has greater freedom than ever before."
Kurapika didn't respond right away.
But Mizaistom's words had struck a chord.
They were genuine.
And they were true.
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)