Chapter 209: The Hunter Bylaws
Regarding the bounties placed on them, Ronin and Kurapika remained vigilant but were not overly concerned.
The reason was simple: anyone capable of accepting a high-tier hit on the Hunter Website wouldn't be a world-class professional. Most top-tier talent knew better than to take an open contract against a known Nen user without heavy backing. The people likely to bite were amateur bounty hunters—the kind Ronin could handle in his sleep.
Nen users among the freelance crowd were a rarity. If someone was talented enough to master aura, they usually had the common sense to pass the Hunter Exam and get a real license.
To an ordinary person, hunting Ronin was a suicide mission.
"The objective is to capture the Fourth Prince alive," Kurapika confirmed one last time before the operation began.
"I've got it," Ronin replied. He handed four specialized Sealing Scrolls to Kurapika.
The manpower Kurapika had mobilized within Kakin consisted of trusted underworld operatives, men he managed directly through his Mafia connections.
Capturing Tserriednich rather than killing him was a two-fold necessity. First, they needed to interrogate him to find the exact location of the Scarlet Eyes. Second, after the incident with the Third Prince, they couldn't be certain that a kill-strike wouldn't trigger another "Life-for-a-Life" soul transfer.
Even though they understood the basic mechanics of the Kakin safety net, the Empire likely had "Plan B" contingencies hidden in the shadows.
If they captured him, Ronin could use the Mind Reading Jutsu to bypass Tserriednich's conscious defenses and rip the secrets directly from his brain.
Once the tactical targets were finalized, Kurapika distributed the scrolls to the four operatives who had moved into position.
Meanwhile, Saiyu was having a headache.
He wanted to move against Ronin. That was his mission from Beyond. But some idiot had posted a public bounty on Ronin's head on the Hunter Association's private boards.
Whoever posted it clearly didn't realize that Ronin was now an official Pro Hunter.
If they had known, they never would have made the contract public.
By posting it on the Association boards, they had triggered Rule 4 of the Hunter Bylaws: Hunters shall not target their fellow Hunters as prey, except for those who have committed atrocious crimes.
If Saiyu accepted the job or even approached Ronin while that contract was active, he would be in direct violation of the Association's core laws.
Did I get exposed? Saiyu wondered, his brow furrowing.
He couldn't find a logical reason for his identity to be compromised, but the timing was too perfect.
"Change the roster," Saiyu said, calling Beyond Netero. "I can't do the job. The legal heat is too high."
"No one else has a Hatsu as suited for neutralizing those eyes as you do," Beyond replied. He hadn't expected the Association's bureaucracy to become an obstacle this early.
Saiyu was a man sensitive to the rules. He wasn't the type to "look the other way" unless the price was right. And right now, the risk to his status as a Zodiac exceeded Beyond's current budget.
"Then I'm out," Saiyu said, leaning into his "摆烂" (let it rot/slacker) attitude.
He wasn't a patient man. He had given Beyond "face" by coming to Kakin. If the mission was no longer professionally viable, he wasn't going to waste his time in a hotel room.
"Wait," Beyond said. "Give me until tomorrow morning. I'll clear the board for you."
Saiyu went silent for a moment. "Fine."
Shalnark received an anonymous email.
The message contained two pieces of data.
A full dossier on Ronin, including a detail the Spiders had missed: Ronin was a licensed Pro Hunter.
The name of a hotel and a room number currently occupied by Saiyu.
Since the Yorknew heist, the Troupe had been blind. They knew Ronin had gone to the Kingdom of Aitli to investigate the ruins, but everything after that was a black hole.
Now, it seemed the brat had taken the time to get a license. That explained why Shalnark's plan to use Association bounties to lure Ronin into a trap had failed—the legal protections of a Hunter had rendered the contract void for professionals.
But looking at the email, Shalnark felt a nagging sense of dissonance.
"Something is wrong with this," Shalnark said, showing the screen to Chrollo.
"Saiyu's presence here is not an accident," Chrollo noted, his eyes narrowing as he read the room number.
"What's the play?" Shalnark asked, rubbing his temples.
Was someone leaking Chrollo's ability to the enemy? Why would they hand them a Zodiac on a silver platter?
If he followed this lead, Saiyu was effectively a "test" for Chrollo. A chance to see if Skill Hunter could overcome a member of the Association's inner circle.
But if they moved on Saiyu, were they just playing into Ronin's hands? Would Ronin be the fisherman waiting while the two tigers fought?
The situation was a Gordian knot of variables.
Chrollo stood up, grabbing his coat. "Let's go. It's time to meet the Monkey."
He was certain the email didn't come from Ronin. He didn't believe Ronin could track a Zodiac's movements.
He suspected a third party—someone playing a deeper game.
But the temptation was too great. Chrollo had been looking for a way to blind Ronin. Saiyu possessed that power. If he could take it, his victory against the Kurta was guaranteed.
"It's about time," Nobunaga said, gripping the hilt of his sword.
Chrollo alone might struggle against a Zodiac, but the entire remaining team of seven Spiders was moving together.
Seven against one. The odds were in the Spider's favor.
Unless Saiyu possessed a "Get Out of Jail Free" card like Ronin, Nobunaga only had one concern: Could they take him alive?
Chrollo needed Saiyu breathing to steal the ability. If the Zodiac died, the Hatsu died with him.
Chrollo wasn't worried about the 10% chance of Post-Mortem Nen. That was a statistical outlier he was prepared to gamble on.
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