"By the way, how are you going to deal with the three royal guards after you return to the palace?"
Netero stopped thinking about the battle and asked about the follow-up and Lan's plan.
"Shaiapouf is being dealt with by Ging, so I don't need to intervene."
With his aura perception, Lan understood clearly what was happening in the palace.
"As for Menthuthuyoupi, it is just a brainless chimera ant, and the others are enough to restrain it."
"In addition, Knuckle's Nen ability is just suitable for restraining this type of enemy. Having him step in and assist with the siege should be more than enough."
"Well, Morel and Kite are both experienced and excellent hunters. They've seen every kind of battlefield. With them taking the lead and Knuckle's abilities and Shoot providing support, we don't need to worry about this battle."
"So, the only one left is Neferpitou, huh?"
Netero asked softly.
"I promised the Ant King that I wouldn't pursue that blind girl, and I'll protect her as well."
Lan didn't directly answer Netero's question, and while speaking, he had already arrived at the third floor of the palace's guest room window.
The moment Lan stood still, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
Whoosh!
Neferpitou, along with Gon and Killua, all turned to look.
Gon and Killua weren't too surprised. They had sensed both Lan and Netero approaching.
Although they were a little surprised by how fast Lan arrived, they were somewhat prepared for it.
But Neferpitou, who had been busy treating Komugi, unable to use En and unaware of the outside world, felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
As soon as Lan's figure appeared in the window and entered the room, her fur immediately stood on end.
"You... where is our king..."
She opened her mouth, trying to ask about Ant King's condition in a raspy voice.
But before she could finish her sentence, Lan interrupted her directly.
"Your king won't be coming back."
Lan said bluntly. Then, sensing Neferpitou's aura about to erupt in explosive instability, he continued: "But he left you a task. Would you like to hear it?"
"... What task?!"
Neferpitou, who was originally on the verge of losing control, heard those words, forced herself to calm down, and then spoke with difficulty, feeling the weight of them.
The last task left by her king.
Even though Neferpitou wondered if this human might be deceiving her, considering he was the one who killed her king and bringing a word from his enemy seemed unlikely to be genuine.
But Neferpitou couldn't ignore it.
After all, this was likely the last message left by her king in this world.
"He said... To take care of her."
Lan pointed to Komugi, who was lying on the ground. Her breathing was now steady, and her wounds were healed.
"As long as you take care of this woman, he will have no more regrets or attachments in this world."
Lan spoke, and Neferpitou stood frozen in place, her once-agitated aura slowly dissipating.
"Just... Take care of... This woman?!"
At that moment, Neferpitou's eyes no longer gleamed with any light. Her hollow eyes reflected emotions that were impossible to decipher, like a lifeless shell devoid of soul.
In that instant, Neferpitou didn't doubt the truth of what Lan said.
In fact, considering her understanding of the king, she felt that what Lan said had a high likelihood of being true.
His majesty, who had never cared for anything in this world, had only ever shown special concern for this woman.
So, it made perfect sense that, before leaving this world, he would leave behind such a request.
Neferpitou believed it a little, but it was also because of this that her heart was almost broken.
This message brought by this man proved that the king would never return.
"So... What are we supposed to do now?"
As the royal guard of the Ant King, her primary duty had always been to protect him. But now, with the king gone, her mission was left unfulfilled.
What could she do now?
"If it were Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi who heard the news, one would go crazy and want to destroy everything in the world, while the other would cry, filled with guilt and self-hatred for failing in his duties."
Lan understood the personalities of the three royal guards quite well, which was exactly why he came to speak with Neferpitou.
"As for Neferpitou, although she appears to be the most playful of the three, she is actually the most rational and least susceptible to emotional instability."
Thus, Lan decided to speak only to Neferpitou about this task of taking care of Komugi.
Neferpitou would follow the Ant King's command without question.
Just as she followed his order to heal Komugi, even if Gon and Killua had arrived at that time, Neferpitou still chose to comply with the king's last command.
Now that the king was gone, her final task would be even more deeply ingrained in her heart.
If it had been Shaiapouf, he might have turned dark and gone berserk, destroying everything, including Komugi, as he went mad, planning to kill himself and join the king in the afterlife.