Germain turned around to get back to the previous topic. "Bisky, when you mentioned 'hiring professionals,' are you suggesting that the 'Ten Dons' might be considering hiring the Zoldyck family?"
Bisky nodded, smiling, but then grew serious. "Yes, talking to smart people is easy. You don't have to explain everything in detail."
"So, to avoid losing again, the 'Ten Dons' might be planning to hire the Zoldyck family, the world's top assassins, right?"
"Exactly. If they lose a third time, not only will they be furious, but their position in the Mafia community will be threatened."
"Their position isn't exactly stable. At this point, they hate you to the core, but they can't do much about it."
Indeed, if the Zoldyck family sends Illumi, Germain could hold his own against him. But if Zeno and Silva were to come—even just one of them—it would be a major problem for Germain, and his life would be in danger.
Germain remembered that the last member of the Phantom Troupe with the number 8 spider tattoo had died at the hands of Silva. If he ended up facing the same fate, the number 8 might as well be a curse, just like the cursed position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Is Germain the real chosen one?
Even if Zeno and Silva showed up together, as long as Germain didn't get killed instantly, he could escape using his teleportation ability with the 'lantern.'
This was his final lifeline.
"Let's set aside the possibility of the Zoldyck family coming after you for now."
Bisky stepped forward, looking at Germain with a curious expression.
"So, what's the purpose of this meeting? Why are you interested in trying the 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie' technique?"
"Well, it's just an experiment," Germain said. "I've been under a lot of 'pressure' lately and need to find a way to relieve it. I thought of you as a potential solution."
"'Pressure'?" Bisky asked, her hand pressing against Germain's chest. Her nen waves rippled across his torso, like gentle ripples on water. After a while, she seemed to reach a conclusion.
"I see... Being from the 'Shingen-ryu', I'm particularly sensitive to spiritual will. I can sense something's off with you," she remarked. "Is this stress just from physical fatigue and emotional strain?"
Germain set a bench in front of Bisky and lay down on it, dismissing her question. "It's complicated," he said. "Anyway, could you call your 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie'?"
Bisky sighed heavily. "Aren't you going to answer my question directly? I can't help but feel that you're hiding something, and it's probably taboo," she said. Her instincts told her she was close to the truth, but there was still a wall of ambiguity she hadn't penetrated.
As she watched Germain's back, Bisky had a sudden realization. She slapped him on the butt and said, "This won't work; you need to take off your shirt."
"Take off my shirt?" Germain asked, turning his head in surprise. "Is there some sort of rule about this?"
"Not exactly," Bisky lied with a straight face. "It's just that my Nen beast works better with direct skin contact. If we're experimenting, we should aim for the best results, right? Unless you're okay with less effective results, in which case I guess it's fine."
Bisky glanced at Germain from the corner of her eye, hiding her true intention behind a facade of seriousness. Germain didn't catch on, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, that makes sense. If it needs to be done, let's do it right," he said, preparing to comply.
Germain stood up from the bench and carefully removed his hunter's black robe, exposing his upper body covered in faded scars. He tossed the robe aside and lay back down on the bench.
"I'm ready. You can continue," he said calmly.
"Almost ready... wait, no!" Bisky's eyes sparkled with interest as she reached out her white-gloved fingers to touch the old and new wounds on Germain's torso, tracing them with a sense of curiosity.
"You've been in some serious fights lately, haven't you? Judging by how these scars have healed, I'd say they're from about half a month ago?" Bisky guessed.
"No," Germain replied, shaking his head. "These are from a few days ago."
Bisky's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way. Don't lie to me. I know I lie a lot, but I still think it's my job to teach you not to."
Germain didn't bother explaining, as it would involve Machi's "Nen Stitches" and his own "Hunter Badge," both topics that would be too complicated to get into right now.
"Bisky, can we get on with it?" he asked, a bit impatient.
"Yeah, okay, fine," Bisky agreed, but she couldn't resist giving Germain's back another gentle touch. Then she focused her nen, which slowly formed into the shape of a delicate female figure.
The figure, known as "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie," had long pink hair cascading over her shoulders and a professional smile. She stood next to Bisky, exuding an aura of calm and warmth.
"Miss Cookie, activate 'Piano Massage'," Bisky instructed, though she could have done it silently. Instead, she spoke the command aloud for Germain's benefit. "Make him feel at ease."
Strictly speaking, Germain and Bisky had only met once before. All their other communication had been through mobile phones. Still, Germain seemed to trust her, allowing her to perform such a sensitive operation.
For Bisky, this was a bit of a marvel. Germain lay on the bench, exposing a potentially fatal vulnerability to her. If Bisky had any ill intentions, she could cause serious damage, even if he managed to react in time. It was a risky move, but Germain seemed sure that Bisky wouldn't harm him.
Bisky was known for being a bit of a trickster and had traveled far and wide. She had a knack for understanding people and their quirks.
Yet, she also knew that not many people trusted her completely, so she always made sure to return the favor to those who did.
"Now, Miss Cookie is going to use her aura to create a 'lotion' effect and massage you," Bisky explained to Germain. "The whole process will take about 30 minutes, so just relax."
"Okay," Germain replied, letting his mind and body unwind. His muscles began to loosen as he felt the smooth, fluid sensation from Miss Cookie's 'massage.'
But the truth was that Miss Cookie wasn't actually touching Germain. Her fingers stayed just above his skin; it was her aura that was doing the work.
Yet, Germain felt as if her fingertips, palms, fists, and even elbows were massaging him in various places, coaxing his body into a state of utter relaxation.
His whole body seemed to soften, becoming almost fluid-like as he sank into relaxation. Given that Germain had narcolepsy, it didn't take long before he drifted off to sleep, his breathing slow and steady.
It was less than ten minutes before he was out like a light.
Miss Cookie's massage continued even after Germain fell asleep, for another 20 minutes. She kept up the gentle kneading, making sure he was completely at ease.
As Bisky watched Germain sleep, she couldn't help but smile kindly, a rare expression for her.
"Your name is Shizuku, right?" Bisky asked the short-haired woman who was steering the ship. "He must have been pretty stressed, and not just for a week or two—I'm talking months."
"Yeah, I'll drive slow and steady so he can rest," Shizuku replied, then nodded toward Miss Cookie. "But once we stop the boat, I want to try it, too. I'm curious to see what it's like."
"Deal," Bisky said with a chuckle.
********
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