Kurapika kept his distance from the silver-haired woman in the pavilion, holding his right hand forward, palm facing down. The chain on his ring finger dangled, its tip a metallic sphere.
The Chain of Seeking Souls on his ring finger.
This was a chain for tracking and lie detection, which Kurapika intended to use to verify the truthfulness of the silver-haired woman's words.
"The Scarlet Eyes are in your hands?" Not forgetting his goal, Kurapika temporarily overcame his anger and asked in an ice-cold voice, "You just need to answer me, yes or no."
The silver-haired woman closed her book, walked around the table to a chair facing Kurapika, placed the book on the table, and sat down. She leaned her entire back against the chair, crossed her arms, and gave Kurapika a smile that was hard to interpret. "Why be so polite? I am the enemy who cruelly murdered your loved ones. Don't you want to kill me right now?"
"...I will definitely bring you to justice," Kurapika clenched his left fist, his knuckles cracking from excessive force. "But not death, that would be too easy for you. Answer my question!"
"I'd like to hear how you intend to punish me first," the silver-haired woman said with a smile, as if very interested.
Kurapika recalled that a few days ago in Yorknew City, he had successfully captured the leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo, using the Chain of Fist Binding. Back then, Chrollo, who had been taken hostage, had a similar nonchalant attitude, as if the current situation was as relaxed as having afternoon tea.
There was also Uvogin, who would not betray the Troupe even in death, and Pakunoda, who calmly accepted Kurapika's restraint.
They were all like this; they didn't value others' lives, nor did they care about their own. They had no fear of death, so death could not shake them, let alone make them repent.
How to punish her? Besides using the Chain of Judgment on his little finger to prevent the silver-haired woman from doing evil, and letting the prison strip her of her freedom, Kurapika had no better method.
Kurapika would not use inhumane methods of punishment. Otherwise, what would be the difference between him and the "Spiders," or the guy who liked collecting Scarlet Eyes?
"Answer my question!" Kurapika warned sternly. "If you don't really want to talk to me, then resort to force!"
He was as impulsive as he was five years ago.
However, facing an enemy with whom he had a blood feud, the fact that he hadn't immediately initiated combat showed considerable restraint.
"Resort to force?" The silver-haired woman crossed her legs, her posture becoming more relaxed. "You don't understand me, and I understand you better than you think. If we resort to force, it will just turn into me bullying you one-sidedly."
The sphere at the end of Kurapika's chain remained still, indicating that the silver-haired woman was not lying, at least she believed what she was saying was true.
"A handsome young man like you, with a tragic background and a kind personality, is a very popular manga character. Me bullying you one-sidedly would surely draw criticism," the silver-haired woman said with even more interest. "However, there would also be some people who would enjoy watching this kind of plot. Human interests are so broad, without boundaries."
"Tastes differ, so let's... each play the role we desire," the silver-haired woman raised her index finger and pointed in Kurapika's direction. "Victim and perpetrator. Avenger and murderer. Protagonist and antagonist. Oh my, looking at it this way, I'm at a significant disadvantage."
"After all, justice never truly fails to arrive, it only arrives late."
The most widely spread version was probably "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be denied," but by swapping the order, the silver-haired woman added a sarcastic tone.
Delayed justice was flawed justice, as the harm caused by a crime should be rectified promptly to provide true solace to the victims.
In fact, the judge's original words were: delayed justice is no justice at all.
Justice would always come, and evil would ultimately be punished… wouldn't it? Justice without power was ineffective. The outcome was that the victim (Kurapika) could only gamble with his life, ruin his future, and seek revenge with his own hands.
Just as Kurapika was about to attack, the silver-haired woman bent down and took a pair of long glass jars from under the table. Each jar contained a Scarlet Eye, the very auction items from the Yorknew City underground auction.
This was, in a way, an answer in action.
"..." Seeing the Scarlet Eyes of his kinsmen, Kurapika froze in place.
Don't be impulsive.
Approach cautiously.
She might have prepared a trap.
"Now, can we continue our conversation?" the silver-haired woman rested her arm on top of the glass jars. "Kurapika, you wouldn't want your kinsmen to be harmed, would you."
A despicable yet highly effective threat.
Even without using the Chain of Seeking Souls for lie detection, Kurapika knew that this former "Spider" was capable of destroying the Scarlet Eyes. The Spiders were not professional collectors of human bodies and did not cherish Scarlet Eyes. After several clashes with the Phantom Troupe in Yorknew City, Kurapika learned that the reason the Phantom Troupe massacred the Kurta clan five years ago was simply because the leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo, had a temporary interest in the Scarlet Eyes. Soon after, Chrollo lost interest and casually sold the Scarlet Eyes, so the whereabouts of the Scarlet Eyes needed to be investigated further.
"..." Kurapika's lips trembled. He forcefully suppressed the aggressive words rising in his throat, striving to maintain his composure. "What exactly do you want from me?"
"I've been waiting for you for a long time," the silver-haired woman rested her cheek on her arm, seemingly not worried at all that the glass jars beneath her arm would be crushed.
They probably wouldn't be crushed; they weren't ordinary glass. Containers used to preserve "one of the seven beauties" would naturally be made of sturdy materials to prevent accidental damage to expensive goods.
"Since five years ago. Since even longer ago," the silver-haired woman, like the most classic villain in a manga, had an unusual urge to express herself and would proactively lift the curtain of truth. "Ever since I saved you, the 'Fortune Hunter,' I have been listening to the sound of fate's gears—click, click, click."
"Whether you want to believe it or not, fate truly exists. I didn't do anything. Yet Chrollo became interested in the Scarlet Eyes as usual. Sheila... the lost person you and Pairo saved as children, leaked the location of the Kurta clan as usual. Everyone is a gear, turning on their own, and the result still leads to a predetermined end."
"Ah, no, if I hadn't saved you, the result would have been that no one from the Kurta clan would have survived."
The sphere at the end of Kurapika's chain remained still, indicating that the silver-haired woman was not lying.
When the silver-haired woman was halfway through speaking, Kurapika understood the reality that the "silver-haired woman and the 'Fortune Hunter' Mooer D'Zang from five years ago were the same person." According to records on the Hunter website, Mooer D'Zang was a real professional Hunter, but after parting ways with him five years ago, Kurapika had never seen her again. Was the "Mooer D'Zang" recorded on the Hunter website the same person as the "Fortune Hunter" he met five years ago? Because "Mooer D'Zang" was elusive, impersonating her would not be easily exposed, so the silver-haired woman might have borrowed "Mooer D'Zang's" persona.
There was also another possibility: "Mooer D'Zang" was one of the silver-haired woman's identities from the beginning. During the Hunter Exam, Killua's older brother had used a disguise and a false name to obtain a Hunter license.
But that wasn't the point.
"Are you going to talk about 'fate,' 'butterfly effect,' 'deviation' again? Regardless, I thank you for saving me and giving me the chance to avenge my kinsmen," Kurapika frowned. "I'm not interested in your theory of fate. No matter the reason, no one should be sacrificed, and those who harm others must pay the price. Stop talking nonsense and get straight to the point—what do you want from me?"
"That's so heartbreaking, Kurapika," the silver-haired woman said in a flat tone. "Five years ago, to ensure you returned to your destined path, I was on tenterhooks the entire time, almost getting dealt with as a traitor by the Troupe."
The sphere at the end of Kurapika's chain remained still, indicating that the silver-haired woman was not lying.
This woman was a firm believer in the theory of fate.
"You never believe in fate. Fine," the silver-haired woman looked at Kurapika with a hint of sympathy. "Before, you hadn't activated 'Nen,' so some things couldn't be said in advance."
When the silver-haired woman raised a hand, palm outward, fingers spread, Kurapika felt a chill run down his spine as if by premonition.
"The Chain of Healing on the thumb. The ability to heal."
"The Chain of Fist Binding on the middle finger. An ability that can only be used on the Phantom Troupe."
"The Chain of Seeking Souls on the ring finger. Tracking and lie detection abilities."
"The Chain of Judgment on the little finger. The ability to make others comply with a condition."
She had guessed all of them correctly!
But she had failed to mention the ability corresponding to the chain on Kurapika's right index finger.
"As you know, I cannot grasp the entirety of future details, let alone a future affected by the 'butterfly effect'," the silver-haired woman said. "I'm not sure if you've completed the development of the ability on your index finger, so I can't spoil it for now."
Then how could she be sure that Kurapika had currently developed the abilities of four chains?!
"…!" Kurapika suddenly remembered seeing the silver-haired woman at the auction building.
These four chains' abilities were exactly what he had successively displayed in Yorknew City, and he hadn't realized he was being monitored at all.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, absorbed by his golden fringe.
"Yorknew City. You were monitoring me." Kurapika slowly uttered these two short sentences. Once he found a loose thread, the unraveling of the yarn ball accelerated. "You could have remained undiscovered. At the auction building. You were guiding me. You didn't want me to meet the Phantom Troupe there. The Phantom Troupe still has a missing member, Kalluto, did you do that too?"
"Hmm—" the silver-haired woman was quite pleased with Kurapika's speed of comprehension. "It's much more convenient if you can figure it out yourself. Actually, I hadn't prepared to deal with Kalluto, but you didn't notice this 'tail' that Uvogin was carrying, so I had to intervene."
She had silently eliminated a "Spider" near Kurapika, one that Kurapika hadn't even noticed.
This woman's abilities were probably very tricky.
"Think some more," the silver-haired woman reminded him. "...Since five years ago."
"..." Kurapika, lost in thought, grew more and more serious.
Previously, battling the Phantom Troupe, searching everywhere for Neon, and then supporting the faltering Nostrade family, Kurapika had been exhausted. Now, dark circles had appeared under his eyes, complementing his increasingly pale face and lips, making the golden-haired beautiful youth seem on the verge of fading away.
Kurapika remembered the "Fortune Hunter" telling him that he lacked training and should take the Hunter Exam five years later.
Five years.
Exactly.
In previous years, due to various reasons, he had been unable to reach the examination venue on time. Was it not due to a lack of strength, but rather someone interfering?
"...The Hunter Exam," Kurapika murmured.
"Yes," the silver-haired woman said. "Only by participating in this year's Hunter Exam can you meet the companions destined for you. They are not illusions, but living, uniquely characterized individuals. You get along well with them, and can even entrust your lives to each other, can't you?"
The sphere at the end of Kurapika's chain remained still, indicating that the silver-haired woman was not lying—at least, she believed she wasn't.
Which of his past experiences were arranged by others? Which were real? Which were fake?
The intense effort of racking his brain caused Kurapika to feel a dull headache, his temples throbbing.
"That's how fate is. It doesn't distinguish between good or bad. Resisting it blindly will only cause you pain," the silver-haired woman tapped the table with her fingertips. "There's not much point in constantly scrutinizing the past; this is my personal experience."
"You're sweating a lot. You look like you're about to collapse. Would you like to come over and sit down for a while?"
"I just want to chat with you."
Kurapika took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and his eyes, when he looked up again, were filled with unshakeable stubbornness.
To the silver-haired woman's surprise, he put away his chains, walked over, sat in the opposite chair, and picked up a cup to take a large gulp of tea.
There were two servings of tea on the table, untouched. The tea in the cups had already become quite cold, which was exactly what Kurapika needed to cool his mind.
The atmosphere inexplicably entered a silent intermission.
Then, the silver-haired woman poured herself more tea and began to enjoy the pastries on the table.
As the silver-haired woman ate her sixth pastry and finished organizing her thoughts, Kurapika, staring at the Scarlet Eyes in the glass jars by her hand, asked coldly, "What do you want me to do now to conform to your theory of fate? In exchange for this, you will give me this pair of Scarlet Eyes, correct?"
"Hmm—" the silver-haired woman licked the pastry crumbs from her fingers. "Will you do anything?"
"Anything except things that violate my bottom line," Kurapika stated decisively.
The silver-haired woman chuckled softly. She propped her face with one hand, gazing at Kurapika, who was now taller than her.
"Then I want you to be my lover," the silver-haired woman's fingers rested on the rim of the cup, caressing the carved patterns. "This has nothing to do with fate; it's purely my personal desire."
"..."
"I've been waiting for you for a long time." This was the third time the silver-haired woman had repeated this sentence today.
"..."
"Because I'm not interested in children."
"..."
Kurapika's expression was gloomy and indifferent. He listened to the silver-haired woman speak without using the Chain of Seeking Souls again. He realized that this woman always believed she wasn't lying, so the lie-detecting ability of the Chain of Seeking Souls was useless against her.
This woman was probably insane.
"Don't worry, it won't be for long," the silver-haired woman said. "I'm nearing the end of my life. Things like fate won't have much to do with me anymore."
"How long?" This was the only question Kurapika wanted to ask.
"..." The silver-haired woman seemed somewhat surprised by his swift response. "Do you understand the definition of 'lover'?"
"I've flipped through the entire General Language Dictionary countless times." Seeing the silver-haired woman's surprise, Kurapika felt a sense of absurdity, much like when he had placed a restriction on Pakunoda, and she had agreed without any objections or bargaining, leaving Kurapika feeling like he'd punched cotton. "I am prepared to sacrifice my personal dignity. How long?"
"Oh," the silver-haired woman pondered. "I'm not sure of the exact duration. Within a year."
"Agreed," Kurapika said without a hint of wavering.
The fact that she agreed so readily made the silver-haired woman fall silent for a moment.
"Then these Scarlet Eyes are yours," the silver-haired woman pushed the glass jars towards Kurapika just as readily.
"..." Kurapika's pupils contracted slightly. He lowered his head, cradling the glass jars gently and carefully like embracing fragile flowers.
"This is a deposit," the silver-haired woman continued. "I have another pair of Scarlet Eyes."
"..." Kurapika looked up in surprise.
"When I die, you can take them," the silver-haired woman curled her lips and reached out to touch the small red stone in Kurapika's single earring. "From now on, you are my lover. You can call me 'Mourls'."
"Kurapika, take me back to your territory."
"I won't hinder your work—Do you want to place a restriction on me?"
"..." When his earring was touched, Kurapika's expression turned extremely grim. With the resolve to abandon his dignity, he forcibly suppressed the anger in his eyes bit by bit. Finally, he said in a strained tone, "Restrictions are meaningless for the dead."