As Joey stepped into the room, he immediately noticed Tita's unnatural gait.
A leg injury.
Not surprising. If she hadn't been in a fight, she wouldn't have gone radio silent—especially since she had a phone too.
Still, her expression remained calm, so Joey figured the wound wasn't too severe.
Stepping further inside, he saw Fugetsu unconscious on the bed, being tended to by Kacho, with Salkov napping nearby.
Kacho's face was full of worry. When she saw Joey walking in with Tita, her anxiety melted for a moment—but her eyes welled up with tears, like a child who'd just seen a parent after being wronged.
"Shhh." Joey raised a finger to his lips, pointing at the sleeping Salkov.
Only after the weather beast on his shoulder waved its hand did Joey speak:
"Is Fugetsu badly hurt? Let me take care of her."
He'd already assumed something had gone wrong with Fugetsu—but seeing her unconscious hit him hard.
Her teleportation ability was critical.
If Joey were alone, he could break through to Tier 3 or above using Killer Queen.
But to move everyone in this room? He needed Fugetsu's power.
Mirage Illusion only disrupted visuals; it couldn't make people disappear. Using Killer Queen recklessly—like he and Melody had done when they arrived on Tier 4—might get them spotted.
His 50-meter En radius was still too small.
And once his En brushed against another Nen user, that user would sense him too. It was a two-way warning.
At full strength, Joey wouldn't mind eliminating anyone within his En.
But now? Fugetsu's ability was simply more convenient.
He moved swiftly toward her.
Though his voice was audible, it didn't reach Salkov's ears.
Just from a glance, Joey could tell the room's occupants weren't in great shape.
Kacho had bandages on her arms and legs—but Fugetsu's condition clearly left her no room to rest.
Salkov slept fitfully, face tense, his body wrapped in thick bandages.
Joey decided: Tita and Kacho could answer his questions. Best to let Salkov rest for now.
He'd treat him after Fugetsu.
"It's pretty serious," Tita said, stepping forward. "We didn't have proper meds. I got the bullet out, but I can't replace lost blood or handle potential infection."
Joey nodded. Gold Experience could replenish Fugetsu's blood, but fever, infection—that required real meds.
Luckily, Joey always carried some with him. Fighting constantly meant dealing with wounds.
Otherwise, finding meds on Tier 4 would've been a real pain.
The Royal Army hadn't built medical facilities as promised. Even though the Hunter Association had established some thanks to Joey's intel, they were overcrowded.
And the mafia would certainly monitor those clinics. Going there now? Stupid.
Fugetsu's wound was in her abdomen—two bleeding holes.
Tita had bandaged them, but field dressing wasn't enough.
Joey didn't hesitate about propriety—he started reconstructing the damaged abdomen with Gold Experience.
It didn't cost him much aura, and after administering meds, the procedure was done in under thirty minutes.
Then came Salkov. Which meant waking him up.
As Joey prepared, Tita finally asked what had been nagging her:
"Why was Hinrigh with you?"
Joey answered plainly, "Someone leaked your location to Hinrigh. Probably pulled it from Hunter Association records. Meaning—my connection to the Association has been exposed."
He added, "Hinrigh knows who did it. That's why I brought him. Oh, and... do you know how to interrogate? I'm terrible at it."
"I've got this," Salkov suddenly volunteered, now fully awake. "I know a few tricks. Besides the mastermind, anything else you want?"
"No need to interrogate me," Hinrigh said suddenly, opening his eyes with a long sigh.
"Done pretending?" Joey wasn't surprised in the slightest.
His En, though not fully extended, covered the entire room. He'd been monitoring Hinrigh's state the whole time.
The interrogation talk? Pure performance—meant for Hinrigh.
Salkov blinked, then chuckled and shrugged at Tita—like saying "he's just like you."
Tita rolled her eyes at him but had already realized Hinrigh was awake.
Even if Salkov hadn't taken over, she would've stepped in herself.
"First Prince's men," Hinrigh said flatly—throwing out his most valuable card right away.
Joey and Tita exchanged a look.
Smart.
That was both their reaction.
Hinrigh's worth wasn't just in that one tidbit—it was in his status as heir of the Xi-Yuu Family.
Joey saw it, and Hinrigh knew Joey saw it.
Deducing the leaker wasn't hard. The ones who'd likely had access to that kind of intel?
The princes who already had private armies.
Which meant the list was short.
Joey's mention of the Hunter Association narrowed it even further—only the First Prince, with his military backing, had the means to dig into it.
Hinrigh realized Joey had figured everything out.
His cards were face-up.
To survive, his best chance was to cooperate.
And Joey hadn't killed him yet—proof he still had value.
Hinrigh stared directly at Joey, unflinching.
And he was right.
Joey had already deduced the leaker during the trip here.
The reason Hinrigh still breathed wasn't his mafia status—but the Phantom Troupe intel he held.
Now that Joey was officially their enemy, taking down the Troupe became a priority.
"I want all Troupe movement intel on the lower decks," Joey demanded bluntly. "Send it to me."
Hinrigh saw hope.
The Troupe hadn't exactly hidden their movements from the mafia—they didn't want full-scale war with Kakin's underworld, after all.
Joey could exploit that.
But there was still a risk: how could he make sure Hinrigh stayed loyal even after leaving?
Joey pulled out a syringe from his pocket—a special item from Sambica.
A virus. Mild—comparable to a cold. But Hinrigh didn't know that.
Sambica had gifted it as a New Year's present. In return, Joey had given her a photo set—shots from atop Heavens Arena, battle poses, cityscapes…
This year's collection was underway too—covering Kakin, the Succession War, and the voyage.
He jabbed the needle into Hinrigh's arm without hesitation.
Hinrigh stiffened, visibly nervous, but Joey kept the now-used syringe.
Sambica's gift—odd though it was—still felt like a waste to use.
Ah well. He'd ask her for a refill when they met again.
Hinrigh didn't know what Joey was thinking—only that heat spread through his body after the injection.
"Seven days. I'll give you the antidote then. Until that day, feed me all the Troupe intel you can." Joey produced a coin, which warped into a hummingbird in his palm. "That shouldn't be hard for you, right?"
"Of course." Hinrigh's face tightened.
He was no fool. Survival was the priority.
"Now then. Who's here on Tier 4? Did the leader go up—or is he still squatting in my room?"
"There are three Troupe members on Tier 4: Phinks, Machi, and a newbie named Kortopi, I think."
Hinrigh sighed. "I already warned them. If you'd moved any slower, you'd have run into them."
Joey smiled faintly. "Shame."
"Indeed," Hinrigh agreed. "As for Tier 3—Chrollo left with his team. Not sure if they reached Tier 2—they avoided all mafia routes. He's with Shizuku and Bonolenov."
"And Franklin? He was on Tier 5."
"He's in your old room on Tier 3. Waiting for you, maybe. Or laying a trap."
Hinrigh shrugged. "That's all I've got. But one thing's certain: you and Hisoka are both on the Troupe's kill list."
Joey nodded, satisfied.
That one injection had already paid off.
Then, without warning, he said, "Great. Now go back to sleep."
"Wa—"
Hinrigh barely opened his mouth before Tita kicked him in the back of the neck, knocking him out cold.
Salkov blinked, stunned.
He flinched as Hinrigh disintegrated into ashes the moment Joey snapped his fingers.
Killer Queen.
Salkov shuffled a bit further away.
Joey didn't care.
He sent Kacho to lie down, pulled a chair over, and sat.
While regaining strength, Joey focused his attention on his clone.
(End of Chapter)