Kurapika stayed quiet for a moment, then looked at Sheila. "No... the numbers are wrong. There are still many 'Scarlet Eyes' that haven't been found."
His tribe has 128 members, but the list Sheila provided only shows 35 pairs. Including the one he and Germain took from the Nostrade family, there are only 36 pairs.
Even accounting for possible losses, the numbers shouldn't be this far off.
"Yeah," Sheila confirmed Kurapika's thoughts.
"Most of the 'Scarlet Eyes' were sent to the 'Heil-Ly Family,' who then passed them to the fourth prince of the Kakin Empire, Tserriednich."
The "Heil-Ly Family" is one of the three major Mafia family in Kakin, known for their brutality.
Tserriednich is the fourth prince of the Kakin Empire, known for his talent and great artistic qualities.
Kurapika tightened his lips at the unfamiliar name "Tserriednich."
Sheila continued speaking while watching Kurapika's expression.
"The fourth prince, Tserriednich, is currently protecting the Heil-Ly Family, who also collaborates with Meteor City, meaning they've been involved there."
"Though Tserriednich was about the same age as Chrollo when Sarasa was murdered, Pakunoda and others say he had a cruel streak since childhood."
"It started with small animals, moved on to children his age, then to the elderly, and now he targets younger women."
"The Heil-Ly Family fits his personality perfectly. Its members are known for their violent killings and are infamous in the Kakin Empire and beyond."
"Given their methods, it's very likely they conducted a 'private selection' on Meteor City back then."
"According to Pakunoda, there's evidence that Tserriednich was a so-called 'body artist' several years ago. He has a fascination with skinning people, especially beautiful women."
"For Tserriednich to become a 'body artist,' he must have undergone a constant learning process, which requires many people, especially women."
"At the same time, Tserriednich was well-respected among the people of the Kakin Empire. His peers all agreed he was a good, smart man and a reliable leader."
"This means his 'body art' activities have always been kept private and not revealed to the public. The Fourth Prince's personal soldiers and the Heil-Ly Family sent women to him and took care of everything afterward."
"It's very likely that the Fourth Prince's attitude has influenced his personal soldiers and the Heil-Ly Family, spreading from the top down."
"Or perhaps the private soldiers and the Heil-Ly Family affected the Fourth Prince, leading him to develop that disturbing hobby since childhood. Pakunoda and the others don't know which it is."
"Of course, it's unlikely the Fourth Prince himself killed Sarasa. He wouldn't travel all the way from the Kakin Empire to Meteor City just for something like this."
"Pakunoda and the others once thought the murderer of Sarasa might be among the Fourth Prince's private soldiers or the Heil-Ly Family. But in the end, they found no clues."
"Pakunoda also mentioned that the only positive aspect is that, whether it's Tserriednich's subordinates or other enthusiasts in this area, they all paid attention to the website created because of the 'Scarlet Eyes' and gradually became active on it."
"They believe that sooner or later, they will catch the scum who can't resist sharing videos of how to torture and kill Sarasa."
When Sheila said this, she looked at Kurapika again, gritted her teeth, and then said something likely to irritate him.
"There's one more thing... If I'm not mistaken, the head suspected to be Pairo's was also indirectly sent to Tserriednich by the Phantom Troupe."
"The reason for this is that Pairo's eye disease is very severe. If they remove it directly, the 'Scarlet Eyes' might fade... so they came up with this method."
When Kurapika heard "Pairo's head," he thought he would stand up in anger, but surprisingly, he felt calm and just sat there.
He even sensed his body relaxing, as if something he had anticipated was finally happening before his eyes.
"Tserriednich..." He repeated the name again.
Kurapika turned to Germain.
Germain could tell what his disciple was thinking just by his calm expression.
"You want to take 'them' back from the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich?" Germain asked, locking eyes with Kurapika. "Are you willing to become enemies with the entire Kakin Empire for this?"
"I..." Kurapika's face became cold. "If you want me to wait, I will wait until the time and conditions are right."
Germain considered this and said to Bisky, who stood beside him, "In that case, we cannot work with Beyond. He relies on funding from the Kakin Empire."
"That's fine," Bisky replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't like or trust him, even if he is the son of Chairman Netero."
Bisky then looked at Kurapika, her expression filled with pity. "I've heard your story from Germain. Now that we've met, if we decide, we will help you get back your people's eyes."
Shizuku and Sheila appeared shocked by this revelation.
Kurapika felt a mix of gratitude and complexity in response to Bisky's words.
However, he remained focused on Germain, waiting for his judgment. Germain's decisions meant a lot to him.
He wasn't lying; if Germain told him to be patient, he would be patient. Germain had never let him down, and the current state of the Phantom Troupe proved this.
Germain's expression was calm as usual, and his tone was steady, as if discussing something ordinary.
"Let's give it a try and see if the timing and conditions are right."
Kurapika let out a sigh of relief, easing his frown.
Shizuku blinked in surprise.
Bisky smiled at them.
"If that's the case, we should stay in the Kakin Empire for a while. I'll talk to Sanbica, Menchi, Buhara, and the others so they won't worry."
Sheila felt a chill run down her spine as she realized a storm was coming. She wanted to escape it, just like she had many times before.
But when she saw the slightly sad look on Kurapika's face, Sheila couldn't help but think about herself.
I must have looked just as sad when I saw Sarasa in that package, right?
Thinking about Sarasa, Pairo, and the difficult journey that Kurapika and I have been on over the years, aren't they very similar?
While Bisky was busy making a call and no one was asking Sheila for help, she stood up on her own, looking determined, even though her trembling legs betrayed her.
Everyone stared at her in surprise.
"I..." Sheila swallowed hard and looked at Kurapika. "At least let me help in any way I can... I have some information."
Everyone turned their attention to her.
Sheila finally found her courage.
"The princes of the Kakin Empire often hold social balls and invite important people. The fourth prince, Tserriednich, is no different."
"He has a dance in early September, and many people know about it."
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer