HxH: Noah’s Heart

Ruixi left decisively.

When she learned that the Zoldyck Family would provide everything she needed, including food and accommodation, she only took her blue single-shoulder bag and left without even closing the shop's door.

Apparently, this shop was not so essential to her. As for the reasons, Ashu and the others naturally didn't delve into it.

"Are we going back to that place you mentioned, the Zoldyck Family?" Following closely behind Ashu, Ruixi asked, and it was evident that her emotions were quite complex at the moment.

She felt the joy of being acknowledged as needed but also had doubts about whether she could truly handle this job.

"Not yet. We still need to recruit six more people," Noah shook his head.

"What kind of people? Tell me about it; I might be able to introduce a few to you." Since she had been recruited because of Shizuku's recommendation, Ruixi volunteered.

"No need. We'll just find a few who look decent. Noah is right; this is quite troublesome," Ashu no longer wanted to take his time looking for people.

After all, he had already fulfilled Gatoh's only request, which was to find someone capable of taking care of children. The rest didn't matter much.

Besides, if they didn't pass the assessment later, they might get another chance to recruit people.

Ashu had his own plan in mind.

Unlike Noah, Ashu didn't particularly want to stay with the Zoldyck Family for a long time to cultivate. He preferred to go out more and, if possible, have the opportunity to see his younger brother, Aheng.

However, what Ashu didn't know was that Noah was working so hard to cultivate precisely to one day leave the Zoldyck Family and gain true freedom.

"Noah?" Ruixi blinked and showed a puzzled expression.

"He is the one in charge of recruiting this time. Well, how should I put it, he's the assessor. Only if he agrees can people be brought back to the Zoldyck Family," Ashu explained after some thought. He then noticed a hint of nervousness and unease in Ruixi's eyes.

Clearly, she was worried that Noah might reject her.

"Don't worry, Noah is not as strict as you might imagine. He's quite lenient," Ashu understood Ruixi's thoughts and added, trying to reassure her.

At the same time, he discreetly glanced at Shizuku, only to find that Shizuku was looking back at him.

"Really? Haha." With Ashu's assurance, Ruixi's uneasiness eased a bit, though it hadn't completely disappeared. She could only force a couple of awkward laughs to relieve her emotions.

She was still worried about whether she would pass Noah's assessment.

When Ashu had just confirmed her, Ruixi felt joyful, but now that she knew AShu wasn't the assessor, and there was someone else responsible for the assessment, she had a feeling of plummeting from heaven to hell.

She was afraid she couldn't handle this result, and because of that, a slight thought of giving up and returning to her small shop had emerged in her mind.

Ashu might not know the complex thoughts in Ruixi's heart, but he was well aware that one's self-esteem couldn't change in a short time.

It would gradually recover through prolonged effort, along with the recognition and encouragement of others.

So, right now, besides assuring Ruixi that she would definitely pass, there was nothing else he could do.

This guy is truly one of the worst Nen users I've ever seen.

The group walked along the street, occasionally stopping people who looked decent and explaining the recruitment conditions to them.

As for those who looked decent, they merely needed to have decent facial features, be young and strong, and be in good health. In Meteor City, there were plenty of people who met these criteria. So, it didn't take them long to fill the positions.

As for why these people were willing to join, it was quite simple. Ashu only needed to say seven words.

An annual salary of one million Jenny.

These individuals with stars in their eyes almost instantly agreed without hesitation.

"I didn't expect the recruitment to be so quick. It wasn't too taxing either. I wonder if Noah has finished his task." Muttering to himself, Ashu led the group back to the stone house.

Even from a distance, they could see Noah waiting next to the stone house.

"Five, six, seven… ten. Oh, it looks like you've already recruited enough," Noah said as he counted them one by one, showing a satisfied smile.

Ashu was right; Noah only cared about the quantity and didn't even bother to closely inspect the appearance of those people.

"I thought you hadn't returned yet," Ashu said as he approached Noah, accompanied by Shizuku, who stood by Noah's side without drawing attention.

Shrugging, Noah replied, "It didn't take long. I've been waiting here for over an hour."

"Is everything resolved?"

"Sort of."

"Then you take a look at these guys. If everything's fine, let's go. We killed Rami, and I don't want to stay here too long, not knowing how the elders will react," Ashu said. Seeing this, Ashu didn't continue with his questions but instead pointed behind him.

What's a 'Rami'? I've also taken out the underground laboratory of the elders.

Of course, Noah wouldn't say this out loud.

He followed Ashu's pointing finger and couldn't help but notice Ruixi in the crowd, wrapped in Aura that immediately caught Noah's attention.

Blinking, Noah somewhat unexpectedly said, "Nen user?"

"Yeah," Ashu nodded. "Shizuku led us to her, but she's a bit unique."

"Unique?"

So, Ashu briefly told Noah about Ruixi's situation.

Listening to Ashu's words, a hint of surprise gradually appeared on Noah's face.

At this moment, Ruixi's gaze also stopped on Noah.

She felt uneasy, especially as she saw Noah frequently looking in her direction.

Her heartbeat accelerated, her palms sweaty, and her head hung lower.

"You're Ruixi, right?"

Just then, a voice reached her ears. She looked up to find that the boy referred to as the assessor by Ashu had somehow appeared in front of her, smiling at her.

Seeing Noah's smile, Ruixi was surprised to find that her unease was gradually fading away.

Although he was younger than her, he gave off a very reliable feeling.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'm Noah. I heard about your situation from Ashu. Don't worry; as long as you want to, you'll definitely become a qualified butler."

Noah's meaning was clear. After receiving his affirmation and encouragement, Ruixi's lingering unease finally dissipated. She smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Welcome to all of you. If there are no other questions, we can head back now," Noah also smiled at the others.

No one spoke up. Ashu had already told them everything on the way here.

"Then let's go."

Just as Noah finished speaking, suddenly, a sharp sound pierced the air from the side. A small sharp stone, seemingly coming from nowhere, flew directly at Noah's throat.