"If not for me, Lannard would never have died. I have a duty to take his place, to fight on his behalf.
To carry on Lannard's will and save this country!"
"That's why, when Nesli invited me, I said yes right away. I'm grateful she could forgive me. Even after everything I did to hurt them, they don't hate me.
They're giving me a chance to make amends."
Until now, Tuck had been completely lost, unsure of where to turn. Nesli's invitation gave him a purpose. Nancy, though, couldn't understand it at first. She held a grudge against Tuck for Lannard's death.
"Nesli, are you sure Tuck can be trusted?"
"I believe so," Nesli said. "Yes, he was our enemy before, but if he wasn't standing for what's right, we'd have been dead a long time ago. Tuck was deceived, that's all. He's just like us, and we need his strength."
Tuck turned to Ron, hesitating briefly.
"Ron, can I commission you for something else?"
Geruna was Tuck's benefactor, the one who'd promoted him—a commoner who rose into high society thanks to Geruna. Tuck once believed that through Geruna's influence, he could help change the country. But reality turned out to be the exact opposite. Karu's true nature revealed how corrupt Geruna must be, because there was no way he was unaware of Karu's actions. After Nesli shared all she knew, backed by evidence, Tuck was consumed by hatred for Geruna, equal in measure to his former respect.
But Tuck was well aware that, with his current strength and situation, killing Geruna was basically impossible.
"What can you offer as payment?" Ron asked.
Tuck fell silent. Right now, he didn't have much of anything to give.
"Killing Geruna isn't simple," Ron said. "It carries enormous risk and a hefty price. Tuck, sorry, but I can't accept that job. Not unless you can put up a reward that truly interests me."
Geruna was a duke in the Saheerta Federation. In terms of power, only the king, who was still a child under ministerial control, outranked him. As one of the V5 nations, the Saheerta Federation couldn't be weak; they had plenty of strong Nen users, likely A‑level and possibly even some unknown S‑level near Geruna. This was far more challenging than wiping out the Phantom Troupe or taking out the Ten Dons of the Underworld Mafia. Ron couldn't do it alone; he'd need the entire Zoldyck family, including Maha, and Tuck simply couldn't afford that.
Even Nightfall and the Revolutionary Army might not manage it.
Tuck's eyes dimmed. "I'm sorry, Ron. I was too rash." He knew it wasn't realistic—he'd just been clinging to a desperate hope.
He pulled out a small bundle.
"Here's the payment for the last job."
Ron accepted it. Tuck rose to leave, then paused and looked back.
"Ron, do you think there's any chance I can succeed?"
"I don't know," Ron replied. "But if it's something you want to do, go for it. That way, at least you won't regret it. Whether you succeed or not might not matter as much as you think."
"You're right. Thank you. …One more question?"
"Ron, just how strong are you now?"
"That's not easy to explain. I'd need a point of reference."
"Then…maybe I'm about as strong as a few dozen of you," Ron said.
"A few dozen?" Tuck's eyes widened, skeptical. "Ron, since when do you crack jokes?"
He left. Ron watched him go, catching a hint of sadness in his fading figure.
"It's like Brutus turning on Caesar, or that old tale of a minstrel who used his lute to strike one final blow," Ron mused. He had a feeling he and Tuck might not see each other again. By joining Nightfall, Tuck would step onto a path of sacrifice—for the Saheerta Federation, for the common folk, for his own ideals.
Sooner or later, that road would lead to death. It wouldn't take long, just like Lannard.
Ron himself would never do such a thing, though he understood it. Born into the Zoldyck family, Ron cared only for them, himself, and his companions. He had no national pride; no matter which country or empire the Kukuroo Mountain ended up in its long history, it wouldn't affect the Zoldyck Family.
But Tuck was different. He grew up in Saheerta, surrounded by its people, loving them deeply. Faced with the nation's corruption, Tuck wanted to save it, even at the cost of his life. Different people, different choices—like how the Phantom Troupe acted for Meteor City, or how Red Tron wanted revenge for it. With their abilities, they could have lived comfortably if they'd just ignored everything.
Tuck was the same. He could abandon the Saheerta Federation and live in peace. But that wasn't who he was, and Ron wouldn't try to convince him otherwise.
Sometimes, there are things more important than just being alive.
Just then, his phone rang sharply.
"Hurry, get out of here—leave Saheerta right now!"