Chapter 119: Secret revealed?

The shock of his initial failure didn’t linger for long before the man spoke up.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hunter Kai."

Extending his hand across the desk, he introduced himself with a composed expression. "I’m the Association Chairman. You can call me Gillion."

Kai shook his hand and nodded politely. "It’s nice to meet you, sir."

He refrained from addressing the man by his first name, partly out of respect for their considerable difference in age and authority, but mostly because he was still trying to process the system’s latest message.

His assessment had failed.

That alone was enough to leave him unsettled.

His eyes could discern information beyond the S-rank threshold. The Void Monarch, for instance, was undoubtedly the most powerful being Kai had ever encountered. The ease with which it had toyed with the other hunters left little room for doubt about the sheer difference in their strength.

And yet, through his special eyes, Kai had managed to uncover information that ultimately allowed him to eliminate the monster.

Then... does that mean this man is stronger than the Void Monarch?

The possibility was difficult to accept, but he couldn’t dismiss it outright.

"Please, have a seat."

Gillion’s voice interrupted his train of thought.

Kai nodded and took the seat across from him, doing his best to conceal his curiosity.

"First of all, I’d like to thank you for everything you’ve done for me thus far."

"Thus far?" Kai repeated, his expression revealing his confusion.

Gillion nodded.

"You’ve saved not only humanity but also someone very important to me."

Kai wondered who the man could be referring to. Before he could ask, Gillion reached for the picture frame on his desk and turned it around, revealing the face of a familiar young man.

"Kei... Do you know him?"

Kai stared at the photograph in surprise. He recognized the young hunter immediately. They had met during his most recent raid, and he hadn’t expected to encounter his picture sitting on the desk of the Association Chairman.

"Well, more or less," Gillion replied. "He’s my grandson. I’ve deliberately kept our relationship a secret for his own good."

Kai slowly nodded as the explanation sank in.

It made sense. Despite being a remarkable fighter, Kei had never been treated like a VIP by the Association’s staff or his fellow hunters. There had been no special privileges or preferential treatment that might have suggested he was related to someone as influential as Gillion Coradyn.

Apparently, the Chairman had gone to considerable lengths to ensure that nobody discovered their connection.

Maybe Kei himself doesn’t even know.

The thought crossed Kai’s mind, though he had no way of confirming it.

"Wait... Does that mean I’m now sharing the burden of keeping this secret, too?"

Kai looked at the man with genuine surprise. He had walked into the office expecting a formal discussion, perhaps even an evaluation of his recent achievements. He certainly hadn’t anticipated being entrusted with a secret involving the Chairman’s family.

Gillion let out a soft chuckle.

"Don’t worry. I won’t blame you if someone else happens to find out. I simply wanted you to understand how grateful I am to you."

Kai let out a sigh of relief. Although he was fairly good at keeping secrets, knowing that the Association Chairman had a grandson was still a considerable burden to carry. What if something happens to Kei the next day and association staff knocks on his door?

"It was nothing worth mentioning. Hunter Kei was quite kind to me, so I suppose this was just me returning the favor," Kai remarked casually, leaning back in his seat.

He instinctively reached for the button of his blazer, intending to undo it and ease the discomfort around his chest. However, he stopped himself halfway.

He needed to maintain a respectable appearance, at least until the meeting was over.

"Hunter Kai," Gillion began, his expression remaining as composed as ever. "Before we move on to the discussion I invited you here for, would you care for some tea? Or perhaps something cold to drink?"

Kai’s expression grew slightly more serious.

Naturally, the man hadn’t set aside time in his busy schedule and invited him to the Association’s headquarters merely to express his gratitude. There was undoubtedly another reason behind this meeting. Given the circumstances, Kai suspected that Gillion wanted to ask him about the Void, his unusual abilities, or perhaps both.

Whatever the case, Kai had already prepared himself for such questions. In fact, that was precisely why he had accepted the invitation in the first place.

He had anticipated that this conversation would eventually take place, and he would rather face it directly than spend his time wondering when the Chairman might approach him.

Without giving the matter much thought, Kai shook his head.

"No, I’m fine. Please, go ahead and ask whatever you want to discuss."

Gillion hummed thoughtfully before reaching beneath his desk and pressing something out of Kai’s sight.

A moment later, the system’s notification rang in Kai’s mind.

[Host, all cameras and microphones inside the room have been turned off. This office has been completely isolated.]

Kai immediately tensed.

What was going on?

Why would the Chairman go to such lengths to isolate the room unless he intended to discuss something that couldn’t be allowed to leave its walls? Or was there another reason behind this sudden precaution?

Does he intend to fight me? Or perhaps torture me until I give him the answers he wants?

Kai’s thoughts raced as he discreetly assessed his options.

I need to be prepared.

He had only just discovered that Gillion was beyond the Sage Eye’s ability to assess. That alone was enough to make him wary. Even if he activated Berserk, defeating someone whose true strength he couldn’t gauge would be a daunting task.

He couldn’t afford to underestimate the man sitting across from him.

However, contrary to Kai’s suspicions, Gillion had no intention of resorting to violence. He had deactivated the surveillance equipment for an entirely different reason.

He was about to reveal something that Kai would probably prefer to keep confidential.

"Hunter Kai..."

Gillion’s blank eyes remained fixed on him as he spoke.

"Your power can reach a certain height depending on the level of threat directed at your family, can’t it?"

"...."

Kai was left completely speechless.

Huh?