Chapter 117: Exchange
Sheila didn't know Ronin's identity, but seeing him arrive with Kurapika filled her with a mounting sense of dread.
When Kurapika asked about the Troupe with such grim intensity, her worst fears began to take shape.
"I have," Sheila replied to Ronin's question after a brief pause. "Pakunoda... she's helped me before. Once, she even supported me when I stumbled."
"And did she ask you where you had been recently?" Ronin pressed.
"She did. Paku was always interested in my travels. She's a good person—very kind, always worried about me," Sheila said with a sincere smile. "Me, Sarasa, and Paku... we all grew up together in this church. After Sarasa died, I drifted away from Chrollo and the boys, but Paku remained my best friend. Every time I returned from a trip, we'd sit up all night just talking."
Ronin glanced at Kurapika.
Kurapika asked the crucial question: "Sheila, do you know what Pakunoda's Nen ability is?"
Sheila shook her head. "She never mentioned it. I'm not a member of the Troupe, so they rarely discuss their business with me, and I don't ask. I just know they became Class-A criminals to follow their own path. They believe that by becoming monsters, they can find the people who killed Sarasa."
"But I don't agree with their methods. Meeting violence with violence is a cycle that never ends. That's why I've spent these years looking for the killers my own way. Becoming a Pro Hunter seemed like the most reliable path."
Sheila was being remarkably transparent. She answered every question without hesitation.
It was clear from her tone that she was fundamentally ideologically opposed to the Troupe.
Ronin realized the source of the leak: Pakunoda.
She had been using her memory-extraction ability on her "best friend" for years to gather intelligence. But why? Why target Sheila?
Ronin scrutinized the girl, trying to see if she possessed a hidden power or a specific utility he was missing.
Kurapika's posture relaxed slightly.
He hadn't expected Sheila to be a childhood friend of the Spider's inner circle. But he could hear the genuine rift between her and the Troupe. Their relationship was built on shared history, but shattered by conflicting values.
"So... what happened, Kurapika?" Sheila asked, her voice trembling. "Why are you looking for them?"
She had a suspicion, a terrible, dark thought clawing at her mind. She desperately hoped she was wrong.
If she was right... then Chrollo and the others were no better than the monsters who had murdered Sarasa in the streets of Meteor City all those years ago.
"The Kurta Clan... everyone except Brother Ronin and me is dead," Kurapika said, finally delivering the news he had been dreading. "Pairo... everyone. They were all slaughtered by the Phantom Troupe."
Shizuku, standing beside Neon, tilted her head. This was the first time she had officially heard that Ronin and Kurapika were Kurtas.
It didn't change anything for her. It just meant she had one more reason to consider the Troupe an enemy. If Ronin helped her get revenge, she would help him. Simple as that.
She didn't have much of an impression of the Phantom Troupe anyway, other than them being a popular group in the city.
If Ronin hadn't shown up to kill Spence, she might have actually joined them just for the protection.
Spence was strong, Shizuku mused. But Ronin made him look like a child. I definitely picked the right team.
Sheila's face went white.
She had grown up with Chrollo, Feitan, and Pakunoda. She knew they were capable of darkness, but she had never imagined they would descend to this.
What is the difference between them and the devils who took Sarasa?
Sheila felt a profound, soul-crushing disappointment.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She couldn't find any other words. She just kept repeating the apology, her hands shaking.
Kurapika sighed. "It's not your fault."
He remembered what Ronin told him: once the eyes were marked as treasures, the massacre was a matter of when, not if.
If Ronin hadn't been there, the village would still be gone. In fact, if the Troupe hadn't attacked, Ronin might never have awakened the power to absorb the eyes and evolve.
It was a closed-loop paradox of fate.
"So what are your plans? Why did you come here?" Sheila asked, her eyes darting between Kurapika and Ronin.
She believed in the Kurapika she knew, but she also knew that trauma could turn a person into a monster.
Chrollo had lost Sarasa and become a devil.
What had Kurapika become?
"Don't worry," Ronin stepped forward. "We aren't here to burn down an orphanage. We just came to look around. Or, more accurately, to send a message to Chrollo."
"He won't care," Sheila said with a bitter laugh. "He isn't the Chrollo I knew. I don't know exactly what broke inside him, but the boy who used to organize plays and bring laughter to the streets... he died a long time ago."
She looked at the children huddled behind her. "This place is a church in name only. It's a dumping ground for orphans. Chrollo hasn't set foot here since the Sister died."
The children stared at Ronin's group with hostility.
They had picked up enough from the conversation to know these people were enemies of the Phantom Troupe.
To these kids, the Spiders weren't criminals. They were legends. They were the boys from the neighborhood who made it big. They were Meteor City's true heroes.
From their perspective, the Troupe was the only thing worth looking up to.
Ronin looked away from them. He didn't blame them. He just hoped Sheila could teach them a better way before they grew up and died in an alley for a boss who didn't know their names.
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you