Seeing his Nen type, several ideas immediately crossed Nicolas's mind, but he dismissed them, it wasn't the right time to create an ability.
For now, his top priority was to improve his fundamentals, especially Zetsu, since he didn't want to reveal that he had learned Nen. The most important thing was to master hiding his presence.
Nicolas spent the rest of the week refining his Ren, Ten, and Zetsu to the point that he was confident he could remain in Zetsu even during combat training.
His progress was impressive. It now took him less than five seconds to enter Zetsu, and he had no trouble activating Ren instantly or using techniques like Gyo.
My combat effectiveness has more than doubled. Just awakening my Nen has taken me to a whole new level.
Suddenly, Nicolas heard the sound of approaching cars in the distance. He immediately activated Zetsu. Moments later, a group of black sedans pulled into the estate.
Without wasting a second, he hid in a nearby tree, watching the cars arrive. Zetsu not only masked his Nen, it also erased his presence.
Concealed, he watched the doors slowly open. The butler stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the passenger door, allowing François to exit.
Holding his breath, Nicolas observed the butler. He didn't even need to activate Gyo, he could clearly see a faint aura surrounding the man.
So he really is a Nen master. I'm not experienced enough to gauge his level precisely, but I can tell from his aura that he's strong… Unfortunately, I have no choice but to face him. I have to stay in Zetsu and pray he doesn't notice anything.
He quietly climbed down from the tree and made a wide arc toward the manor, careful not to draw attention. Once at a reasonable distance, he casually walked toward the group, deliberately making his footsteps louder so he wouldn't surprise them while in Zetsu.
Suddenly, the butler turned around with a frown. He stared at Nicolas for a moment, then smiled and gave a slight bow. "Good evening, sir. Did you have a pleasant week?"
A cold drop of sweat slid down Nicolas's back. He forced himself to nod, just like he always did, all the while remaining on high alert in case the butler had sensed his aura.
Unsure of what the butler might have noticed, Nicolas chose to stay cautious. He didn't trust his chances of escape if things went wrong.
François, his father, turned around. His shirt was open at the top and bottom, revealing a bit of his stomach. He didn't even acknowledge Nicolas's arrival and instead walked toward the manor with a wide grin on his face.
Nicolas watched him go, expressionless.
Useless father… Don't walk away now that I actually need you. Don't leave me alone with him!
Watching his master leave, the butler turned back to Nicolas. "Please excuse him. During the meeting, he learned that an item he's been searching for will be available at the Yorknew City auction. He's quite pleased right now."
Nicolas watched him with relief. Even now, the butler didn't bring up Nen, Zetsu had successfully kept him hidden.
The Yorknew City auction… That name made Nicolas frown. In the manga, a major arc takes place during that very auction.
My father is looking for an item at the auction…
Nicolas had looked into the auction since it was one of the major events in the story. As far as he knew, the item list hadn't been made public yet.
That leaves two possibilities: either my father has ties to the official organizers, or he's connected to the underground auctions.
Looking at the black sedans and the Nen-using butler, Nicolas leaned toward the second option.
So I really am part of a mafia family… The real Nicolas probably already knew this, but I wish I had figured it out sooner…
Pushing that thought aside, he refocused on the present. The butler was watching him calmly, still smiling.
"Would you like to train, sir? I'm eager to see how much you've improved in my absence."
Setting aside his unease, Nicolas nodded, and the two of them headed toward the training grounds.
"Very well. We may begin whenever you're ready, sir."
At those words, Nicolas charged as usual. A large part of his focus remained on maintaining Zetsu, but that didn't mean he held back in combat.
An hour later, the sparring session ended. He had managed to keep Zetsu active the entire time, which even allowed him to land a few surprise attacks.
Slightly out of breath, the butler spoke. "You've improved greatly, sir. I'm impressed."
Nicolas gave him a blank stare. Now that he knew the butler was a Nen master, it was clear that this supposed fatigue was nothing but an act.
Two more months passed quickly. Nicolas's skills continued to grow. He could now enter Zetsu in under a second and was confident in maintaining it under any circumstance.
Though his Ren hadn't improved much due to time constraints, his overall progress was still satisfying.
Physically, his training weights had increased again, they now weighed 120 kilograms each. He was confident he could pass the Hunter Exam, assuming it followed the same format as in the manga.
Today was a big day, the day he would finally leave the manor after eight months in this world. With the Hunter Exam approaching, it was time to head out.
In front of the manor, François stood beaming at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My son, the time has finally come for our family to reclaim its glory. Go get that Hunter license, with it, we can expand our influence without resistance!"
Standing beside the black sedan usually reserved for his father, Nicolas listened to the speech without paying much attention. He had no intention of ever returning to this place or seeing his father again after the exam. He simply nodded a few times, pretending to be motivated.
At last, he was allowed to get in the car. The butler was behind the wheel and flashed him a smile through the rearview mirror.
The vehicle pulled away from the estate, and Nicolas looked back one last time at the manor where he had spent the past eight months, a strange sense of nostalgia washing over him.