Germain stayed another night at the housekeeper's quarters of the Zoldyck family. The next morning, he decided to bid farewell and requested Gotoh to inform the Zoldyck family members of his departure.
"Yes," Gotoh replied. He clapped his hands, calling out, "Canary, come here."
A dark-skinned girl with dreadlocks approached. She was a trainee housekeeper from Meteor City and had joined the Zoldyck household only a few years ago.
"Mr. Gotoh," Canary greeted with a slight bow, her etiquette flawless. She maintained a respectful distance from Germain, appearing as composed as a machine.
"Please escort Mr. Germain to the gate," Gotoh said, adjusting his glasses.
"Yes," Canary responded. She turned to Germain and said, "Mr. Germain, this way, please."
Given the vastness of the Zoldyck family's estate, Germain chose to follow Canary to avoid wasting time.
As they exited the housekeeper's quarters, Gotoh and the other housekeepers bowed, not out of respect for Germain himself, but because he was a guest brought by Master Illumi.
Canary and Germain walked at a steady pace. Soon, they could see the Gate of Trial in the distance. Passing through a wooded area, they encountered a massive hound named "Mike."
To Germain's surprise, there was another figure beside Mike, feeding the hound. It wasn't Zebro, the gatekeeper, but a child.
The child had short silver-white hair and dressed stylishly. He looked about eleven or twelve years old. It was Killua, the third son of the Zoldyck family.
Thus far, Germain had seen all the Zoldyck brothers except for Alluka, the heavily guarded and protected fourth son, whom he was unlikely to meet.
"Master Killua," Canary greeted calmly, bowing slightly. Though her hands trembled with excitement, she managed to say, "Good morning."
"Yeah, good morning," Killua greeted Canary coolly, giving her a brief glance before turning away.
Canary wasn't surprised by his demeanor. She knew Killua did it deliberately to avoid breaking any rules set by Mrs. Kikyo or Master Illumi, who would punish her if they found out.
"Master Killua is still as considerate as ever..." Canary couldn't help but think to herself.
Killua noticed Germain, a stranger in the room, and his interest was piqued. Ignoring Canary, he casually placed his hands behind his head and circled around Germain curiously.
"Brother Illumi has never brought a woman home before, so we were quite concerned. But this time, he brought back not one, but two men."
He teased Germain, noticing his imperfections, and wondered to himself, "It's odd. Anyone who can associate with Illumi shouldn't be weak. Why does he seem to find opportunities everywhere?"
"Illumi... I've never seen him show interest in women. Could he actually prefer men?"
Killua shivered at the thought but quickly dismissed it. He smirked mischievously, covering his mouth like a fox.
"Can I call you Germain?" Killua asked bluntly, dropping his hands. "I hear you're also an assassin. I've picked up a new trick recently. Could you show me something?"
Killua looked up at Germain with an innocent smile.
Canary sensed Killua's intentions but frowned, choosing not to intervene.
"I don't mind," Germain replied, still holding a favorable opinion of Killua. "But I don't think I can teach you much about assassin skills."
At Killua's age, he was already an experienced assassin, having taken countless lives. Besides his "Nen" abilities, his skills surpassed Germain's.
"No problem, just a friendly exchange," Killua said, interpreting Germain's response as hesitance. "Alright then, watch closely."
In the next moment, he swiftly moved his hands in a fluid motion, resembling a whip-like snake.
"Here it comes. Master Killua practiced the 'The Snake Awakens' a few years ago. It's quite something," Canary thought as she glanced at Killua.
"But Master Killua is probably still far from being able to match Mr. Germain. This move won't harm him."
Killua suddenly charged forward, swinging his arms like whips towards Germain! Germain calmly raised his hands and firmly caught Killua's arms.
"Huh?!" Killua was shocked and tried to break free, but his arms felt stuck. He quickly aimed a kick at Germain's chin, but Germain dodged it smoothly by turning his head.
"What quick reactions..." Killua thought to himself in surprise.
Undeterred, Killua raised his legs again, attempting to kick Germain's head, abdomen, and limbs, but each attempt failed.
Germain held Killua's arms like they were on a hanger, manipulating his movements effortlessly.
Killua's face turned red with effort, but he refused to give in.
He grabbed Germain's hands in turn, lifted himself up as if doing a pull-up, stretched his head forward, and tried to bite Germain's hand.
This time, Germain let go. He didn't want to get Killua's saliva on him, thinking it wasn't worth fighting like children do.
But then again, Uvogin and Rabid Dog always bit each other in their fights, and their biting was far from child's play.
As soon as Killua landed, he stepped back, chuckled hoarsely, and said, "You've got some skills. I'm starting to take this seriously."
With that, he employed the "Rhythm Echo" technique, circling around Germain and leaving an afterimage of his entire body.
"I was just thinking that Master Killua is too harsh," Canary remarked, glancing at Germain. "But the real harsh one is Mr. Germain."
"Master Killua stops fighting when he faces someone stronger. But Mr. Germain intentionally holds back his murderous intent and leaves openings, giving Master Killua hope and tempting him..."
Before Killua could continue his attack, the battle suddenly ended with a rumbling sound, as someone approached rapidly.
Mike dashed towards Germain, arriving instantly by his side. With his bloody mouth open, he prepared to bite Germain.
Mike was trained to eliminate anyone who didn't pass through the Trial Gate and to attack those who threatened the Zoldyck family. They were all seen as enemies.
In Mike's eyes, Germain's actions towards Killua were a clear signal of aggression.
Killua was stunned, freezing in place, while Canary gripped her scepter. They hesitated momentarily at Mike's sudden attack.
Just as they were about to intervene, they saw Germain look at Mike and unleash a surge of "Bloodlust," like a flood of menacing energy.
Mike hesitated, stopping in its tracks. Instinctively, it feared Germain, but it's Zoldyck training compelled it to attack enemies.
Caught between instinct and training, Mike faltered.
Quickly, Canary called out, "Mike, stand down. There are no enemies here."
Recognizing Canary's voice and scent, Mike hesitated a moment longer before obediently retreating to stand by a large tree, eyes fixed on Germain.
Canary breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to find that Master Killua had vanished.
It turned out that when Germain unleashed his "Bloodlust," Killua couldn't control his fear and swiftly retreated, leaping onto a branch of another tree.
His sleeves were drenched in cold sweat, his breath rapid as he stared intensely at Germain.
"Why... Why does this guy have the same technique as Illumi? What... What is that?"
********
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