Raphael meets Mikkel for the first time, they begin making a deal.


Raphael had felt a pair of eyes on him from the moment he started running up the wall, jumping at the last second to grab the ledge of the roof. Pulling himself up, he didn't bother turning around to check and see who it was.

He was certain the gawkers who saw him running up to the wall to get to the rooftops were also looking as well, but the one from the restaurant held a more observant presence. They knew what he was capable of, or at least a fraction of what he was capable of, considering they knew Nen as well.

As much as he was intrigued to turn back and see which of the three was observing him run off to his meeting, he didn't have much time to waste. He was going to be late if he delayed himself any longer.

If he used the rooftops, he'd be able to avoid the bustling streets, the gawkers who'd stare at him running by like he were a thief trying to create distance between him and the person he had just robbed blind.

He was none of that… he just had little time to make it to his destination.

Before anyone could scream at him like he was about to jump off the rooftop, ran across the rooftops disappearing into the inner city. Whoever was watching him with intrigue, lost sight of him the moment he was three rooftops down. He no longer felt the person's gaze.

Since he has no reason to impress anyone, he made his way to the coordinates.

The rush of air invigorated his newfound smile, the previous discussion giving him something to look forward to. He had made a friend, two if he managed to get along with Killua. He would like to make friends with him, but there seems to be this… imaginary wall between them, a rivalry of sorts.

He doesn't know why, but it's like Killua is fighting him for Gon's affection as though there's some sort of secret competition he was being forced into. Whether it was the romantic kind, or more of a devotion, a need to have his friend's entire attention, he wasn't too certain.

But if Killua continues to think of this as a competition, he needs to stop. Raphael has no desire to be Gon's only friend. The teen needs to somehow pull the boy to the side and tell him to stop thinking that's what he wants. He doesn't want Gon's complete attention, or affection… whatever Killua seems to think is getting in the way of their friendship.

The two of them must be in some sort of established bond.

Gon seems to consider Killua as his best, of best friends. Whether the raven-haired boy has more best friends than just Killua is up for debate, considering he only met Gon, Killua and Zephile. He doesn't know if he knows anyone else, besides those two.

However, Killua seems to think otherwise. He's acting like a jealous partner, even when he's trying to deny it. He doesn't know why the boy is acting like that, it's just that's how he's coming off as.

Raphael doesn't want to be in a rivalry if he's, to be honest. He's seeking more of a friendship, a companionship where he finds an adventure. The teen chuckled at the idea, considering he shut down Gon's earlier idea to be an Adventure Hunter.

He was being a hypocrite, because deep down… he was hunting for that adventure

Maybe that's why he shut down the boy's original idea because that's what he wants more than anything. After all, it's something you can't hunt for… it's something that must be found through trial and error.

Then again, there were a few things to consider about the boys.

Teasing Killua tends earn interesting results. It'll be fun to see how many other reactions he can get from joking with Killua.

Gon is just as intriguing. Being the son of the infamous hunter tends to do that. But Gon isn't his father. He tends to stand out amongst the crowd, whereas his father tends to be elusive and virtually impossible to track down.

Helping Gon find his father, might be the kind of adventure the teen is hoping for.

He'd definitely, need to speak to Tsezgerra if that's the case. He'll see if he's able to get the boy an audience with Mr Battera. However, considering how his meeting originally went with the man, he feels like it would be the same for Gon and Killua.

They would need to impress Tsezgerra, not Mr Battera.

He wants to be able to help Gon in some way, given that he was treated to lunch. Sure, he paid for a fraction of his meal. But if he manages to make it possible for Gon to have an audience with Tsezgerra, then his debt will have been completely paid off.

Actually, now that he thought about it… If Gon and Killua happen to get a position on the game via his direct contact with Tsezgerra, they'd owe him one.

Other than the friendship with Gon and Killua, there was also Zephile to consider.

It'll be handy having an appraiser under his contact list. Just in case he ever goes into treasure hunting. Having a man with that type of connection might make it easier to find out if he found a dud or something worth a pretty Jenny.

Or at least, make more than what he could technically bargain for.

It's something he'd need to discuss with Zephile… too bad he only just realised, that the only way to obtain the man's information is through Gon. He'll need to do that, or maybe he'll be lucky enough to meet the man again someday.

If he doesn't when he goes to meet Gon and Killua or forgets to ask the man personally, he'll try to get the information through the boys.

Having that sort of person's contact information may be worthwhile. With Zephile's help, he may be able to locate an artifact's history better or know what he's dealing with at least. Given that the man knew that the boys had obtained a wooden trove and that it held treasure worth even more than was being offered for the wood, means he was way more experienced when it comes to treasures than he was. Neither he nor the boys knew there was treasure inside there… but Zephile knew its worth, along with the other treasures they had obtained.

Raphael arrived at the coordinates, standing on the edge of one of the many housetops to look down into the busy streets. Finding Mikkel would be a little difficult from up there. It'll be like trying to pick ants apart from the dirt, without access to a magnifying glass; it'd be impossible.

Yet, he found his eyes flittering across the crowds, trying to find someone that stands out amongst the masses. There was no one, none that oozed aura as he expected. Either Mikkel is not a Nen user, which he knew would be a complete lie, given what he knows…or Mikkel's not trying to stand out like a beacon of light amid the darkness.

Seeing that his skills of searching were lacking with what knowledge he had of the man, he decided he needed to get a little closer. Checking the time on his phone, he saw that he had about two minutes to spare before he'd be considered late.

He moved to the other side, checking the alleyway below. He didn't want to accidentally drop down in front of someone and scare them half to death, or worse, have them running out onto the streets, screaming about a freak of nature.

When the pathway was clear, Raphael dropped down into an alleyway, walking out onto the main street to join the masses. He had about a minute to locate Mikkel.

He had a vague idea of who he was looking for, a small description of the man. Mikkel was a little on the shorter side, no taller than an average teenager. Raphael wouldn't be surprised if the man was shorter than Killua and Gon, given how tiny his father had emphasized Mikkel was.

He didn't state much about the man's dress code, so he's probably going to be in casual wear, over his work overalls. That will make it a little more difficult to figure out who the man is from clothing, but he did have a description of what the person looked like.

He had greenish eyes, and blond hair a little on the shorter side, was in his thirties, but looked a little on the younger side, around his mid-twenties.

The only thing they knew as a fact, was their ability and what type of Nen category he belonged to. Mikkel was a Specialist and his ability was called Reforged Ore. No matter the difficulty, the temperature difference needed to smelt each metal, he knew the exact strength and temperature needed to refine each strike.

From what he understood, it took years of intense practice for Mikkel to personally master. While he hasn't seen the man in action, given this will be his first time meeting him personally, Raphael knew for a fact, that the man was considered to be in a tier of his own, class.

He was the one that made his father's sword, dubbed Dreadnaught. The hefty blade weighed a whooping, five-hundred kilos which he swung as though it weighed as much as tissue paper. It was sharp enough to cut through everything, at least everything he saw his father swing it at.

If there was anything it couldn't cleave through, he hadn't seen it… yet.

That combined with Nathaniel's ability made it a force to be reckoned with. He knows what the ability is, but that wasn't an important detail now. He needed to get his mind to focus back on the task at hand, finding Mikkel.

The teen vaguely listened to the idle chatter on the streets, eyes searching the crowd for the man. There were small discussions of politics here and there, but everyone seemed to have their mind on the auction, and ideas of what was up for sale.

They could pick up one of the many books that show what's up for sale, but a part of him believes that the mystery of the items is what's driving the discussion for most of the people surrounding him.

He eventually came to a stop, mainly because he could sense an aura nearby, a strong presence when compared to the rest of the crowd. His eyes eventually landed on what he assumed was a young adult, green eyes completely fixated on his phone, dressed in a white button-up shirt and light brown chinos.

He was dressed more for a casual movie date, than an actual meeting with a client.

On a closer inspection, he could see the man's aging lines, the slightly darkened eye lines showing his tiredness. He probably has a lot of work to do, so taking an odd commission outside of his workshop is probably eating into his barely free, time.

Raphael checked his phone. He managed to arrive right on time, barely a second before he'd be considered late. The teen gracefully approached the man, Mikkel's eyes flicking up to meet his before he was a couple of meters away.

It looks like he had a decent distance when it came to En, that or he could feel a pair of eyes on him.

"Hey…" Mikkel gave a small wave, a tired smile now etched into his face, "You must be the kid, Raphael."

Now that he was closer, he could note other things. For one, he was not short. He was about average, about 5'1". His dad just happens to tower over him, making him consider the man to be short. But the thing that stands out, is the muscles stretching the shirt to just barely fit him. They were very prominent, which is probably why he has his cuffs rolled up, so he doesn't accidentally rip that shirt when he moves or flexes.

Then again given the man's line of work, which was smithing, his constant need to hammer away at raw materials and ingots… forging weapons of different varieties, probably helped him become so muscular and continue to remain so.

"Follow me…" Mikkel ushered the teen forward, "I know a place where we can do business." Raphael followed him, the man leading them to a quiet café. They had the freedom to talk business away from any prying eyes and ears.

The man opened dialogue, his deep voice betraying his short stature, "So, you're Nathaniel's son? I can see some of his resemblance in you."

"That's me…" The teen offered a smile in response, "My father says you're one of the best weapon smiths, working constantly with a wide array of metals, with both strange and unique qualities."

"I do…" He gave a curt nod, eyes moving toward the open streets, watching the crowd as they move by "My ability helps, which I'm sure your father informed you about."

"He did…" Raphael reaffirmed, eyes turning to see what the man was looking at. Unfortunately, the man's eyes returned to meet his a second later, "So I assume he informed you about how I work on commissions. Do you have plans or blueprints of what you're expecting? How about specific metals you wish I work with…"

Raphael didn't have a specific expectation, like designs or raw materials. He had mainly a basic list of rules to follow. He pulled out a small piece of paper, a miniature list of expectations, "Nothing of that sort. I wanted to leave that to your expertise. It's better if you choose. All I basically, need is a spear, with a strong shaft and a sharp-bladed tip."

The teen slid the piece of paper across the table.

Mikkel took the paper, eyeing the basic rules. It looked… too boring when compared to what he usually gets. His clients tend to have higher expectations of him. Whether that's over-designed in terms of functionality or presentation, "No specific design choice?"

"I wanted to leave it to your discretion." The man let out an annoyed huff, informing the boy that he was not exactly giving him much to work with. Nathaniel did warn him to be more specific, not with the types of material, but at least with design choices "But if I had to choose a specific origin for the design, I'd go with either Egyptian, Roman, or of Viking descent. But if I had to choose, Viking has the better elaborate designs in terms of looks, while I feel Romans tended to have better functionality."

"That's better." Mikkel cracked a smile, "That gives me something to work with, at least." The man sighed. Expression mellowing for a moment, "Your father is covering the cost, so I'm used to everyone going the extra mile for something more…" He paused for added effect, "extravagant."

"Nah," the teen paused, offering a sincere smile towards the older man. "I know that considering your position and the line of work you tend to do, I don't want to go overboard with high expectations."

"Hah…" The man faked a short chuckle, "You're trying to undersell my talent."

"No…" The teen continued to smile, "It's the opposite. In terms of experience, I knew you'll be better at your craft, than if I was to object and give insanely strict rules over an expectation."

Mikkel offered a smirk at the explanation. It seems like the boy did some research in advance about him, "So your basic rules are just for show…" The man stroked his chin, "You've set your expectation onto me and what I can do, over what you want. I'll try to consider that as I'm making your weapon."

"Thank you. I don't want anything extreme or extravagant, just something to work with while keeping with its high functionality."

"This is for Greed Island, right?" Mikkel took a stab at one of the possible clients roaming the endless streets right now. Greed Island is one of the more expensive games he has no desire to play, but he's aware of the possible danger of that game. That and there seems to be a hefty paycheque attached to the completion of the game.

"I am." The teen leaned forward, fingers now drumming across the table, "So how long will it take roughly to craft?"

"I can get it done in a week, but if you're gonna be in Greed Island, I'd say wait for two. I've heard the rules of the game, and I wouldn't want you to risk anything." The man quietly informed the teen, a pen now scribbling notes of possible designs to consider on the spear.

"Thank you…"

"No problems." Slipping the piece of paper and pen into his pocket, Mikkel bid the boy farewell. He headed back to his shop, thinking about possible ideas and materials he'd need to craft the spear.

There was a wide array of types of metals he can consider for the weapon, ones he can look into researching for what Raphael is expecting of him. The teen only gave him a couple of rules to follow:

One, the spear tip must be incredibly sharp and single-pointed, with no jagged edges.

Two, the shaft has to be robust, easy to deflect or counter strikes while being able to take a direct hit or two.

Three, if there's a design choice, it must be inlaid, not protruding out. I need complete access to the entire shaft of the spear, able to grip and glide my hand across the entire thing without possibly losing said grip.

The spear tip will definitely, need to be specific in terms of design choice, limiting what kind of pike the teen expected. The shaft will be the more difficult part of the weapon, as there are more rules attached to it. It didn't just have to be strong and unbreakable to most basic weapons, it needed to flow from where the pike starts, and the shaft ends.

There's a decent number of materials he can work with, nothing that can completely protect it against everything, but at least a decent amount of the more common materials as well as mediocre Enhancers.

But if the teen is well versed in Shu, he'd be able to push the limits of protection on the spear shaft.

He was sure he could come up with something decent.

Raphael waited a moment, eyeing the crowd one last time before heading back to Mr Battera's mansion, where he'll begin the process of re-entering Greed Island.

Hopefully, the other man will still be in the game, where he can make at least some Jenny from trading a card or two. Or at least information on how to obtain a few cards.

Standing up, the teen prepared for the long trip.


A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.