When it came to estimating the time when Kikyo might let her guard down, Illumi had a few tricks up his sleeve. Out of annoyance, Kikyo had ordered Milluki to go on a diet, but after three months, her enforcement had become half-hearted and ineffective. Milluki also seemed to possess a special talent for gaining weight, with fat bouncing back like a spring, making him even heavier than before he started dieting. No wonder they say, "Diet, diet, the more you diet, the fatter you get."
Furthermore, the one-year-old Killua could already run and jump, venturing everywhere and bothering the beasts that the Zoldyck family kept. This was a significant factor in Kikyo reducing her attention on Milluki. She didn't want to miss a single moment of her most talented son's life. If she could take photos and post them on social media to show off her child, the system would definitely flag her as a spam bot.
To gain favor, one must cater to their preferences.
During the three-month waiting period, I kept my mouth shut about my sister, only agreeing with Kikyo's praise for Killua and helping her take photos. This pleased her greatly and earned me a significant amount of goodwill.
With shared interests, distance is easily bridged. She affectionately linked arms with me, and we browsed through the photos together. Her attitude was probably the most intimate it had ever been with me.
Although I was trying to please her, my praise for Killua was genuine, and Kikyo could sense it.
Lies always have loopholes, and the most brilliant deception is composed of truths.
Telling only part of the truth makes it easier to confuse and mislead the target.
In the original story, Chrollo used this very tactic against Hisoka.
There are too many shrewd characters in this world. For an ordinary person like me, who has no talent for weaving lies, it's better to use truth as a weapon rather than waste energy on developing my lying skills and making a fool of myself with my clumsy attempts. Honing it can be quite effective.
Besides, little Killua is truly adorable. I've always liked kittens, especially newborn ones, in the "real world." They are so delicate, with big, round eyes. The entire kitten is a small, soft ball that you want to cradle in your hands and nuzzle against your face.
"Sister, hold me." Little Killua held out his arms to me, a pure and innocent smile on his face. His honest, unadulterated blue cat-like eyes curved upwards.
A hundred layers of fan filters instantly activated, blinding me.
Oh, God, he's glowing!
Heavens, how can there be such a cute little angel in this world! Adorably explosive!
To ensure Killua's future plotline remains unaffected, I must also ensure Kalluto is born according to the original settings.
No matter how energetic little Killua is, he's just a toddler over a year old. When he gets tired from playing, he can't walk anymore and will ask to be carried back. Who he asks to carry him is a random choice because everyone around him indulges him and grants almost any request. It doesn't seem to matter who he picks, it's just a matter of luck. Hey, I call this "fan service time."
I placed my hands under his armpits and lifted him up, letting him rest his head on my left shoulder, supporting his back with one arm and holding him with the other. He was light, and carrying him was effortless.
His fluffy head brushed against my neck, his warm breaths tickling my shoulder. The feeling of being trusted and depended on by such a small, adorable life was simply indescribable. I tilted my head to feel the soft texture of his fluff, and at that moment, I felt I could die without regret.
When little Killua was still in his cradle, he was as interested in my shiny whistle as his two older brothers were during their infancy. I deliberately showed him the whistle to attract his attention and get closer to him. Giving him the whistle to play with was perfectly fine. Children's interests come and go quickly. He soon got tired of the toy and casually tossed it aside. The butler who was tidying up the toys recognized my whistle and returned it to me separately before discarding the old toys.
"..." What could I do? Of course, I had to forgive him! He's just a child!
There's no future in being a sycophant, but if it wasn't out of affection, who would want to be one? Anyway, I'm a person with no future, so if I want to be one, so be it. As long as there's a little reward, being a sycophant is truly satisfying.
Isn't there also a saying that goes, "If you fawn long enough, you'll eventually get everything you want"? (Heh.)
At least the little Killua in my arms right now is real, fragrant, and soft. My heart is racing. I really want to sleep holding little Killua! Just like sleeping with New Orleans! Yes, I know it's impossible, but it's not against the law to think about it, right!
Ahem, let's get back to the issue of "making Kalluto's birth possible."
Don't put all your eggs in one basket; relying solely on Illumi is impossible.
During the three-month waiting period, I accepted a mission that I could complete alone. After finishing the dungeon, I went straight to an internet cafe and searched online for topics related to "how to urge parents to have children."
The Zoldyck family's network is definitely monitored. I don't know hacking, so if I don't want the Zoldycks to know about my online activities, I can only go online outside. It's really inconvenient.
When the search results came out, most of them were about questions like "parents urging us to have children." Hey, this search engine isn't very good.
I changed the topic to "wanting parents to have a sister," excluding answers like "don't have children," "don't want them," and "the right to reproduce belongs to the mother; children can only suggest, not interfere." After barely filtering out useful information, I summarized two methods:
1. I want companionship. I'm very lonely by myself. It's nice to see others with sisters.
2. If you pester your mom and dad every day until they're tired of hearing it, they'll have one for you.
The first method is clearly not viable. I already have four younger brothers, so saying I'm "lonely" is too much of a stretch.
I've already tried the second method, and it only succeeded in annoying them. They still haven't had another child.
These netizens aren't very helpful either.
The three-month deadline is approaching. Let's see what Illumi can come up with first.
On the day of the commission, I received a text message from Illumi, and we met at a blind spot for surveillance. Kukuroo Mountain, the Zoldyck family's territory, is vast, and some unimportant areas have many surveillance blind spots, offering rare private spaces and places for clandestine transactions. As for the security risks, those are problems for the Zoldycks to consider, not mine.
Illumi tossed an earphone at me, indicating that he would be wearing a listening device during his talk with Kikyo. This earphone, which came with the listening device, would allow me to hear the conversation, proving he was diligently carrying out the commission and making it seem quite professional.
"Sigh, having to work without a deposit first is really not something I'm used to," Illumi complained, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Sister, you won't go back on your word later, will you?"
"Stop your nagging! Do I look like that kind of person?!" I asked with feigned honesty, picking up the earphone and placing it in my in-game backpack. "Hurry up and do your job. If you perform well, you'll get a deposit. You'll get the full payment once the child is born, regardless of gender, alright?"
"Understood," Illumi replied thoughtfully.
Whatever. As long as Kalluto is successfully born, I don't need to worry about what Illumi is thinking. It's none of my business.
Illumi left, and I stayed in the back mountains, picked a patch of grass, lay down, equipped the earphone Illumi gave me, and waited for Illumi's conversation with Kikyo.
They started with mundane greetings and inquiries about whether the mission was going smoothly. Then, Illumi brought me up. "I've been quite busy with missions lately and haven't paid much attention to things at home... I heard you really wanted a sister?"
"Yes, that's something of the past now," Kikyo replied. "Mill has stopped mentioning it."
"I found that strange when I first heard it. You weren't exactly enthusiastic about having siblings before. What does Mother think?"
"She doesn't want a sister because she likes it."
"Huh?"
"That child is thinking of strange things again. If we actually had a sister, who knows what she would do," Kikyo's mood clearly soured. "Things have finally stabilized. The most important thing now is to keep an eye on Killua and ensure he becomes a qualified heir. There can be absolutely no mistakes."
"Yes," Illumi agreed.
They then chatted about Killua, discussing and planning his future education and upbringing. They talked for over an hour, and I almost fell asleep.
No, I didn't actually fall asleep. When Illumi stepped onto the grass beside me, I opened my eyes.
"Did you hear everything clearly, Sister?" Illumi asked. "So I advise you to give up."
I must have been blind to have been so foolish as to trust this useless piece of trash. This must be what they call "desperate measures."
"What about your credibility?" I asked, sitting up.
"I said, 'I can try,' not that I could definitely complete it," Illumi replied, his expression unchanged.
"If you weren't confident, then how could you have the nerve to ask for a deposit?!" Seeing that Illumi had no intention of sitting down, I, who was two centimeters shorter than him while standing, also stood up. I pointed at his nose and accused him, "Are you lusting after my 50 million jen deposit?!"
"Ah, you've seen through me," Illumi stuck out his tongue at me. "Anyway, you didn't trust me much, and I didn't charge you anything. Speaking of which, you got a freebie. Now you should know how firm Mother's stance is. Haha, you don't need to pay me. Just owe me a favor."
"...Don't you think your last two sentences contradict each other?"
I can't believe it... If I hadn't experienced it firsthand, I wouldn't believe that a human could be so shameless.
Fortunately, I was cautious, or I would have been defrauded of 50 million jen by this scumbag who is supposed to be my brother.
I felt terrible.
"Actually, I've thought of other methods to help you, for example..." Illumi produced two blunt-headed nails from his fingertips, identical in appearance to the ones in the original story. "If I could manipulate this, such a commission would be easily completed. It's a pity the target's level is too high. A shame."
To even utter "a shame" twice, you... you kid, your ideas are quite dangerous (thrilling).
Although Silva and Kikyo are Illumi's biological parents, I feel that Illumi is capable of doing something as rebellious and insane as this, because he is the scum of scums.
However, the Nen ability he mentioned is indeed a brand new idea. It reminds me of certain fictional works that have special room settings where the room cannot be destroyed or escaped from, and the people (or person) inside must complete a certain task to leave.
If I can find a Nen user with such an ability, I can lock Silva and Kikyo in a dark room and force them to have a child. If they don't succeed, they won't be released, and Kalluto can make his debut!
For example, in the original story, there's a character named "Nobu," who can trap enemies in an alien apartment he creates. Without his "key," they cannot leave!
Nobu looked quite young during the main storyline, not even thirty years old. He should still be a minor now. I wonder if his Nen ability has been developed yet?
After finding him, according to his character settings, he definitely wouldn't agree to assist me in this ethically questionable plan. Forcing him into submission with force is not very realistic. He's a spatial Nen user and can easily escape into an alien space without my knowledge, leaving me helpless. Therefore, I need to use Illumi's manipulation Nen ability to control Nobu and have him trap Silva and Kikyo in his alien space.
Hiring Illumi is not a problem with money. The trouble is that he will be curious about how I found such a rare spatial Nen user, and he might see through my "precognition." I don't have the confidence to engage in an intellectual battle with Illumi.
Even if I manage to handle both Illumi and Nobu, and even complete the extremely difficult task of capturing Silva and Kikyo, when they emerge, the investigation... No, no need for investigation. They will realize immediately that I am the only one in the world who wants them to have another child.
At that point, if Silva doesn't beat me to death with one punch, it would be a sign of deep father-daughter affection.
No, as the mastermind, my chances of being killed are quite high. Illumi, the accomplice, would probably be beaten half to death.
If I die in advance, will maintaining the original plot setting still have any meaning? Oh, isn't that perfect?! The number of Zoldycks will be the same as in the original story! The butterfly effect will be eliminated! The main storyline can proceed as planned! Killua will meet Gon, long live the early lovebirds!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!
I'm so clever!
As long as I can complete these three tasks: "Find Nobu, who can use Nen," "Hire Illumi to control Nobu," and "Capture Silva and Kikyo." Ah, the difficulty of these three tasks combined is epic, right? And it requires extremely high luck. Who knows if Nobu has learned Nen yet, who knows if Illumi will betray me halfway, and who knows if Silva will see through the trap set for him at first glance? He could annihilate my entire team in minutes.
One wrong step, and the whole game is lost. No matter how I think about it, I don't seem to have the ability to accomplish such a great feat.
If I had that ability, would I be sitting here? I would have already flown up to the sun and stood shoulder to shoulder with it.
But I will not give up easily!
Since the Kikyo route is a dead end, when all hope seems lost, a new path appears. I have decided to challenge the Silva route!