"Tomorrow," Monica answered.
"The exact time isn't set yet, but once we move, it'll be a lightning strike."
"Alright. I'll be there," Ivan said, not pressing further.
Monica stayed in the truck for a while longer before getting out.
Ivan watched her walk away, his expression unreadable.
Pike was brought out of the cargo compartment again.
The man seemed to have been terrified out of his wits back there. Even after returning to the cab, it took him quite a while to stop trembling.
When he finally dared glance at Ivan, it was with the expression of someone looking at a devil.
Ivan didn't care.
He simply told Pike to keep driving around the city.
Then he reclined the passenger seat and closed his eyes to rest.
He had been in this world for less than a day.
Yet what he had experienced already felt comparable to several days during the Steel Ball Run.
Around seven in the morning, Ivan replaced Pike at the wheel.
The poor man had been reduced to a half-conscious state after a night of fear and tension.
Ivan drove the truck toward the royal palace.
During his conversation with Monica the previous night, the Compsognathus he had sent to follow the truck convoy had already stopped moving.
That likely meant they had reached Kojima Foods.
The factory lay over a hundred kilometers away—near the outer edge of the Kakin capital.
The dinosaur remained hidden there.
If something unexpected happened, Ivan could determine it by sensing whether the dinosaur lived or died.
Meanwhile, the Velociraptors and Compsognathus he had brought from the Third Hospital had used the cover of night to spread around the palace district.
Some hid on rooftops.
Others concealed themselves in dark alleyways nearby.
If anything went wrong once he reached the palace, those dinosaurs would provide immediate support.
After an entire night of experimentation, Ivan had also gained a deeper understanding of the "Endurance A" listed on the status panel of Scary Monsters.
Stands were manifestations of spiritual energy.
He could feel it clearly while controlling the dinosaurs.
Every infection, every transformation, every moment of control consumed a portion of his mental energy.
The fatigue accumulated gradually.
But once the spread of infection stopped, the exhaustion slowed and could recover through rest.
In other words—
As long as his spiritual energy didn't run dry, he could maintain the dinosaurs for extremely long periods of time.
It was nearly eight o'clock when the truck stopped at a side entrance of the palace.
Waiting there was a man in a black suit.
He had a long face, sharp brows, and prominent cheekbones.
This man was Wilge, the one who had arranged the meeting with Ivan the previous day.
Ivan stepped out of the truck.
At this point there was no need to continue hiding his identity.
After all, he was now using the connections of his former self.
That meant the Phantom Troupe could easily discover his whereabouts.
But Ivan doubted they would dare attack him inside the Kakin royal palace.
The risk would be enormous—and far too conspicuous.
Besides, dinosaurs were already hidden nearby.
Even the Carcharodontosaurus and Oviraptor inside the truck were ready to act.
If a member of the Phantom Troupe appeared now, Ivan would be more than happy.
Before he even reached Wilge, Ivan felt it—
Someone was watching him.
He couldn't tell whether the gaze came from the palace or from behind.
But Wilge had already begun walking toward him.
"Come with me," Wilge said.
"But you may need to wait for a while."
He didn't elaborate.
Ivan didn't ask.
After all, the timing of a royal audience wasn't something Ivan could control.
Especially after he had contacted Wilge so late the previous night.
Before leaving, however, Ivan had one thing to say.
"Captain Wilge, don't let anyone approach the truck."
"There's a criminal suspect inside… and some dangerous creatures."
The cargo compartment contained a Carcharodontosaurus.
Ivan had no intention of letting some curious palace guard open the truck and trigger chaos.
Those dinosaurs weren't meant for random people.
They were a gift Ivan had prepared for the Phantom Troupe—if they followed him here.
"Understood," Wilge said simply.
He didn't ask questions.
Instead, he spoke briefly into his earpiece.
Soon, two armed soldiers from the palace walked over and stationed themselves beside the truck.
Ivan relaxed slightly and followed Wilge into the palace.
At the same time, the sharp sensation of being watched—which he had felt since stepping out of the vehicle—seemed to lessen.
He let out a quiet breath.
But then another thought surfaced.
Would the Troupe try to tamper with the truck?
Or perhaps nearby mafia members would notice the suspicious vehicle?
Would they investigate?
Ivan almost looked forward to finding out.
Not far from the palace, in an alley across the street—
Chrollo Lucilfer was indeed there.
After arriving at the Third Hospital the previous night, the Phantom Troupe had immediately noticed something unusual.
There were clear signs of battle throughout the hospital.
And strange animal footprints covered the ground.
All of it indicated that Ivan had not simply retrieved the documents there.
A fierce fight had taken place.
The security office had descended into chaos.
Police were everywhere in the hospital—but they looked more like they were there to go through the motions.
The one negotiating with them was a middle-aged man in an expensive suit.
He carried himself with authority.
Yet he possessed no Nen.
Just an ordinary person.
The police asked almost no questions.
After hearing that the culprit had already fled, they left the hospital in embarrassment.
From the surveillance recordings in the security room, Chrollo's group had discovered more details.
But ultimately, all they saw was Ivan driving away in a cargo truck.
After that, the trail vanished.
However, Pakunoda had already read Ivan's memories earlier.
From that information, she easily narrowed down the two most likely places Ivan would go next.
First—
The royal palace, to meet the Seventh Queen.
Second—
The Judicial Bureau, to begin cooperating with the Shu-U Family's investigation into the Gashaya Family's narcotics trade.
The first option suited daytime.
The second was more suitable for night operations.
Beyond those two possibilities, they had no further clues.
Even the lead about the Third Hospital had come from the Ai-Ai Family.
Now that lead had ended.
If they wanted new information, they had no choice but to wait and watch.
"That truck is suspicious," Bonolenov said, his gaze fixed on it.
"Too bad the other truck left at the hospital was empty. No useful clues."
"He's extremely cautious," Chrollo replied.
His eyes were also fixed on the cargo truck.
From where he stood, he could even see the anxious figure sitting in the passenger seat—
Pike.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/KuroTL