"There's a lot going on under the surface with Kakin. If we're planning to make a move there, we'd better be fully prepared," Kurapika warned.
He had spent the last few days scouring the internet for intel on the Kakin Empire.
It was a massive country, but one that operated in a state of semi-isolation.
Computer literacy in Kakin was extremely low, and the internet was heavily restricted and monitored. Even cell phones hadn't reached a saturation point where everyone had one. Despite the reforms that began with the "Shinrinkan Incident" thirty years ago, it was still considered a relatively backward nation.
In recent years, Kakin's economy had entered a period of rapid hyper-growth. However, this boom had created a massive wealth gap among the populace.
The poor were getting poorer, and the rich were getting richer.
Social stratification was solidifying over time. Without a new catalyst, Kakin's current prosperity would likely stagnate before long.
But historically, this kind of catalyst had appeared in Kakin more than once.
Or rather, whenever society faced unrest or the national power plateaued, a major event would explode onto the scene, revitalizing the ancient nation and pushing it forward.
"That catalyst is the succession of the King," Kurapika analyzed, organizing the data he had spent days compiling. "The most recent example was thirty years ago—what they call the 'Silent Revolution,' or the Shinrinkan Incident.
"You can't find the specific details online, no matter how much money you offer for the info. But what we do know is that after the Shinrinkan Incident ended, the current King, Nasubi Hui Goro, took the throne.
"The country shifted from Imperial Socialism to Parliamentary Democracy. There's also speculation online that Kakin is the top contender to join the V5, potentially making it the V6."
The fact that Kurapika could compile such a detailed dossier on Kakin in just a few days was a testament to his incredible talent.
Ronin, having read the manga and knowing the future, agreed with Kurapika's assessment completely.
The Succession War was likely a special ritual in Kakin's development—a ritual designed to ensure the nation remained prosperous and never declined.
The only catch was that this ritual required a mountain of living human sacrifices.
---
"Let's put a pin in the Kakin issue for now. Since it's not a good time to strike there yet, we'll focus on recovering the eyes of our clansmen located outside the country," Ronin said as he parked the car on the side of a road near a mountain range.
Prince Tserriednich held about eleven pairs of Scarlet Eyes. Ronin had already absorbed four. Subtracting those and Kurapika's own eyes, there should be roughly thirty-five pairs left in total. That meant, even without touching Tserriednich's stash, Ronin could still get his hands on about twenty pairs.
"Once you master Nen, I'm handing all the mafia business over to you. I really don't have the patience or interest for that side of things," Ronin said, pushing the car door open. He also called out to Neon, who was dozing off in the back seat.
"Do I have to train too? Can't we skip it?" Neon groaned, clearly reluctant.
It was already June. Just yesterday, she had given fortunes to both Ronin and Kurapika.
This time, she produced complete four-verse poems. However, according to Ronin, the poems were "basic and mediocre," totally unworthy of a terrifying "Prophet."
Neon badly wanted to argue that she was predicting the future, not casting hexes.
And Ronin—that jerk! Didn't her fortune just save his life? Now he was kicking away the ladder after climbing it. Total scumbag move!
"Cut the chatter," Ronin said, ignoring her internal monologue.
He pulled some shovels he'd bought earlier out of the trunk and tossed them to Kurapika and Neon as they got out. Then, he unloaded a wheelbarrow.
The barrow was loaded with ropes and other gear.
"Are we going to whack a guy and bury the body?" Neon looked at the assortment of tools, her eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement.
"Of course not." Ronin flicked her on the forehead. While she clutched her head and glared at him, he locked the car and led the two of them up the mountain. "We are going to dig up the mountain. Actually, correction: you guys are going to dig up the mountain."
This training regimen was the exact one Biscuit used to train Gon and Killua.
Ronin thought it made perfect sense. He planned to open their Nen nodes at the appropriate time, then have them grind through this routine in the mountains.
As for himself, he had a better way to train.
But that method was currently only suitable for him; Kurapika and Neon weren't ready for it yet.
Kurapika had zero complaints. If it made him stronger, he was willing to do whatever Ronin asked.
Neon, on the other hand, was pouting so hard her lips were practically touching her nose.
"Your ability is actually pretty useful, so I'm not planning on letting you go. But since you're sticking with us, I can't protect you 24/7. You need some self-defense skills. Of course, if you have a death wish, feel free to sit on the sidelines and watch," Ronin said bluntly.
Even though he had essentially kidnapped Neon, he didn't plan on being her nanny for life.
Ronin didn't know exactly what happened to Neon in the manga after she lost her powers, but with Kurapika's protection, she probably survived. However, she likely lost her spoiled, rich-girl status.
After all, Kurapika wouldn't indulge her the way her father did.
In fact, Ronin was certain that once Neon lost her powers, her father wouldn't indulge her anymore either.
If Ronin hadn't shown up in Moldin City to take Neon away, her future would have been bleak.
This time around, Kurapika wouldn't have been by her side. Yet Light Nostrade would have still traded on her abilities, inevitably exposing how special she was. That would have put her directly in Chrollo's crosshairs.
And even if Chrollo didn't show up, someone else would have coveted that fortune-telling ability.
Could Light really protect Neon?
Once things went south, would a sheltered princess with zero survival skills really have a happy ending?
Of course, this was all just Ronin's speculation.
He didn't plan on using these "what-ifs" to guilt Neon into training. If she really was a lost cause—mud that couldn't hold up a wall—and didn't care about her own safety, content to just leech off him, Ronin wouldn't mind keeping her as a "canary in a gilded cage."
He could just let her be a wealthy socialite and serve as his private fortune teller.
But right now?
Even though Neon was acting grumpy, Ronin noticed a bit of a skip in her step as she followed Kurapika.
Neon, whose mother died early and whose father only saw her as a business asset, hadn't fully developed into that impossible, entitled brat yet.
Looking at her attitude toward the people around her in the original story, aside from being a bit willful and having a weird hobby of collecting body parts, she wasn't inherently a bad person.
Before the digging started, Ronin handed them some weighted gear from the wheelbarrow.
He had these custom-made, modeled after the training regimen of the Zoldyck family's gatekeepers.
First, he'd use weight training to toughen up their physiques. Then, he would unlock their Nen and move to the next phase. That was the training roadmap Ronin had laid out for them.