Chapter 109: Coming to the Zoldyck House to Cause Trouble?
Only after the two of them had been gone for quite a while did the gatekeeper finally come to his senses. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he muttered under his breath, "Truly, two extraordinary guests have arrived."
He raised his teacup to take a sip—but his hands shook so badly that he spilled every drop.
At the very moment they entered, he had seen it clearly: even Sanmao—trained like a machine, a mere hunting dog that obeyed orders without question—had been so intimidated by the tall man's aura that he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.
This was suppression born of sheer life-level power, beyond any amount of training to overcome.
These two must be beings far beyond anything he could imagine.
He hastily dialed the butler's number. "Mr. Wutong, two guests have just pushed open the gates…"
"The Gate of the Sevenfold Trial!" the butler blurted out.
"They claim they have an appointment with Old Man Zeno."
———
"They've really come."
After hearing Butler Wutong's report, Old Man Zeno turned to his son—and current Zoldyck family head—Silva.
"How rare," he mused. "No one would believe it if I told them that someone actually came to visit the Zoldyck household."
"If I could choose, I wouldn't see them," Silva said, reclining in his chair and resting his right fist against his cheek. "Those two came not with good intentions."
Despite the regal yet kindly façade Silva had shown when young Gon came to see Killua—encouraging his son to befriend Gon—that had merely been his confidence in his own heir.
At heart, he was very much like his eldest son Illumi: deeply controlling—Illumi's control merely more extreme.
The presence of Yamcha and company made Silva feel as though something had slipped from his grasp into someone else's control.
He hated that feeling.
And his instincts told him these visitors were dangerous.
"After all, it was young Illumi who offended them first; it's only natural they've come demanding an explanation."
Zeno and Silva saw matters from entirely different perspectives.
"Entertain our guests properly," Zeno said. "We don't want to make fools of ourselves in front of outsiders."
Unlike his son's aversion, Zeno—though fully aware they sought trouble—was greatly intrigued by Yamcha.
"What a pity," he sighed. "If only our family had a granddaughter."
What the Zoldyck family prized above all was superior bloodlines—otherwise Silva would never have gone to the lowly Meteor Street to marry Kalluto's mother, Kikyo.
Any price was worth paying if it could produce an exceptional heir.
"Father, what did you just say?" Silva's wife, Kikyo, in ornate gown, asked.
"Nothing," Zeno replied.
Besides Silva and Old Man Zeno, the Zoldycks had another patriarch—an ancient, ET‑like figure: Killua's great-great-grandfather, Maha Zoldyck, the family's true top power.
A hidden figure, Maha had appeared only once in the Hunter × Hunter story—when Illumi attempted to assassinate one of the Ten Elder Leaders.
Led by Butler Wutong, Yamcha and his companion entered the Zoldyck reception hall. There they met Kikyo, a verbose woman fond of gossip; Milluki, the clever but spacey second son; and Kalluto, the cross-dressing fourth child. Their eldest son, Illumi, was away on a mission, and their third, Killua, was playing the "friendship" game with Gon. The fourth child remained locked deep within Kukuru Mountain—a taboo never to be spoken of.
The Zoldycks gazed at Yamcha and his friend with intense curiosity—apparently it had been decades since they last hosted guests.
After sharing an extravagant lunch, Yamcha dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stated his purpose plainly: "I sincerely wish to spar with Mr. Silva."
That was why he had come to Kukuru Mountain.
In the Hunter × Hunter world, Yamcha found the treasures irresistible—and he was determined to gauge his strength relative to theirs. The simplest, most direct way was to experience it firsthand. After all, combat is the only true test of one's abilities.
At his words, everyone except Zeno and Silva stared at Yamcha as if he were courting death.
'What arrogance,' thought Kalluto disdainfully.
This fellow, barely older than himself, must be weaker than he.
And he would challenge Silva?
Silva, the current Zoldyck head—a legendary Nen master whose assassination rate was 100 percent.
A supreme expert who had pushed open the Gate of the Sevenfold Trial.
Yamcha ignored their stares and met Silva's eyes with burning intensity. "Not long ago, I faced a killer who claimed to be the world's greatest assassin. I want to compare your assassination techniques with his."
"World's greatest assassin?" someone muttered. Who dares claim that before the Zoldycks?
Only Zeno and Silva wore grave expressions; the rest sneered.
They didn't know this fabled killer, but if Yamcha called him a master, he must be formidable—an assassin's intuition.
Like most top assassins, both this stranger and Silva favored direct combat. Every killer harbors the heart of a warrior.
In terms of sheer style, Silva's feat of slamming Commander Gido flat with a single palm—versus Tao Pai Pai's tongue-flick kill of General Blue—made Tao superior.
Yet Tao Pai Pai, despite his prowess, was humbled and nearly killed by the young Son Goku—hardly a fair comparison. Silva, by contrast, has yet to falter, so the two remain hard to rank.
But no instant defeat of this braggart appeared—only Butler Wutong standing respectfully aside.
"Very well," Silva said, wiping his mouth. Rising, he fixed Yamcha with a solemn look. "Come with me to a suitable place."
A hush fell over the hall.
"My dear," Kikyo whispered, clutching her mouth in shock. Silva's tone betrayed deep respect—or perhaps genuine fear—for this young man?!
Absurd!
[End of chapter]