Invitation and Carelesness - Chapter 17

Arin didn't answer right away.

He studied the children in front of them laughing, running, and squealing in innocence.

"You followed me," he finally said.

"Not the first time," the man replied.

"You police?"

The man chuckled softly.

"Please. If I were police, we wouldn't be talking like this."

"Then who are you?"

Of course, Arin knew from the start that man was not a police officer or belonged to any ordinary law enforcement.

The man did not try to hide his aura or his nen, basically. Arin knew from experience and common sense that a Nen user would not be a police officer.

They may work with the police in some circumstances, but they would not take orders from a small-level police organization that is controlled by any government.

He just asked it to look like the other party holds all the power and show himself that he is not that informative about these things.

The man answered after two seconds.

"Someone who's curious, curious about how a ghost in this city with no records, no ties, and no known background can use Nen. Kill cleanly."

Arin's voice was low.

"What do you want?"

The man tilted his head.

"Maybe nothing. Maybe something. Depends on how much more noise you plan to make."

Arin's fingers twitched almost imperceptibly, but he forced his posture to remain still.

"You're not threatening me."

"I don't need to," the man replied, smiling wider.

"You're already in the web. Whether you know it or not."

"My name is Nakis," he said.

"And I'm offering you a job."

Arin turned his head slightly. He gave no response.

Nakis didn't take offense.

He slipped his hands into his coat pockets.

"I need a Nen user. One who can handle himself. You've already made a mark, whether you intended to or not."

Still, Arin said nothing.

His thoughts, however, were racing.

He wasn't yet equipped for battle, not truly.

He had no Hatsu. No defensive fallback.

He had trained obsessively, but that training was still in the foundation stage.

"Accepting a job like this now is reckless," he told himself.

"I'd be throwing dice without even knowing what side is up."

After a long silence, Arin finally exhaled and replied.

"I'm not interested," he said evenly.

"I'm just trying to live my life. I don't want trouble. And I'd rather not offend you or… your friends. But I'm not your guy."

He didn't add a dramatic pause.

Just honest, detached distance.

Nakis didn't look angry.

If anything, he looked intrigued.

He reached into his coat and retrieved a small, folded piece of paper.

He handed it to Arin without pressure.

"My number," he said. "If that ever changes."

Arin accepted it with two fingers, looked at it for a moment, then pocketed it without a word.

Nakis gave a small, satisfied nod.

"You're smart," he said.

"Too many would say yes just to sound brave. I respect people who know their own limits."

Then he turned and walked away.

Arin stood up soon after.

He walked in the opposite direction, slowly at first, then faster as the decision solidified in his mind.

It's time to leave Fallenerdes.

Whatever was brewing here, he didn't want to be caught in it. Not yet.

He needed more time. More silence. More control.

The city was too dense, too alert. And now that people like Nakis were watching, it meant his anonymity was compromised.

As he returned to the modest hostel, he started making a list in his mind.

By the time he pushed open the door to his room, he'd already accepted it: his story in Fallenerdes was over.

He sat down, eyes flicking toward the crumpled piece of paper Nakis had handed him.

He didn't throw it away.

But he didn't look at it again either.

Instead, he pulled out his notebook and flipped to the last page. In clean, neat handwriting, he wrote:

"If I can't protect myself from the wolves, I have no business trying to hunt with them."

He paused, then added:

"I was careless… The whole interaction with that guy is something that should not have happened."

"I only know the fact that he is a Nen user who knows me."

"What if everything he said, my answers. The act of inviting me to a job and then giving me his phone number is some sort of activation condition for his nen ability."

"It may be too far-fetched to think something like this, but in this world of Nen, everything has a chance to be a condition of Nen."

"Not to mention I did not know if he was alone or if his friends were around me."

"I am still an amateur, it seems..."

He closed the book and stood.

By morning, he'd be gone.