Conrad first landed in a relatively large city known as Adero City. It was a simple settlement, more like a town than an actual city.
It was also a place he did not recall from the original story.
But that did not matter. Adero City was nothing more than a transit point.
After disembarking, he immediately took the first taxi he could find and told the driver, a mustached middle-aged man, that he wanted to go to Lenama Bridge Pass, handing him a rather generous amount of money.
"Thank you. We don't usually get passengers like you," the driver said.
Conrad simply smiled without replying.
The journey lasted about five hours. During most of it, Conrad quietly watched the scenery outside.
The driver attempted conversation a few times, mostly simple remarks about the weather or the condition of the roads, but Conrad only answered politely when necessary.
When they finally arrived at Lenama Bridge Pass, he got out of the taxi and waited near the bridge. The surroundings were lush green, and the weather was bright and pleasant.
Several travellers crossed from time to time, but overall the area remained quiet.
"Quite troublesome," he muttered to himself.
About half an hour later, an old but functional yellow bus arrived at the bridge.
After it stopped, Conrad boarded and handed 10,000 Jenny to the driver.
"Lukso Province," he said.
The young driver smiled and pointed toward the back seats.
Conrad walked to the rear and sat down, waiting for the journey to continue.
The bus was not crowded.
While watching the passing scenery, he also reflected on what he knew about the Kurta Clan and their connection to the Phantom Troupe.
The first thing that came to mind was the message the Phantom Troupe left after the massacre of the Kurta Clan in Meteor City's name:
"We'll accept anything you leave here, but don't ever take anything away from us."
From a simple perspective, those words clearly symbolised revenge.
"The general assumption is that the massacre was triggered by the connection between the Kurta Clan and Sheila," Conrad thought.
"Maybe everything escalated the moment the Phantom Troupe found Sheila's book in Kurta territory."
Even though the Phantom Troupe never denied their involvement with the Kurta incident, the exact details were still unclear.
Conrad had never considered the Phantom Troupe a righteous organisation, nor did he try to justify their actions in any way.
No matter the motive or trauma behind them, every member of the Phantom Troupe was, in his eyes, nothing short of a monster.
But that did not mean he ignored the possibility of deeper truths.
They had attacked the Kurta Clan, yes, but the level of torture and the detail of the stolen eyes that Kurapika described might have been exaggerated or altered through different interpretations.
At least, Conrad hoped that was the case.
Because if they truly had tortured children just to intensify the redness of their eyes, then no one in the world would be able to save the Phantom Troupe.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Given Chrollo's personality, Conrad already had a rough understanding of how he would need to deal with him.
If Conrad ever wanted answers from him, he would need logic, leverage, or information valuable enough to gain his attention, then strike from a place where he did not expect to get hit, from his traumas, the reasons why he is like that at the first place.
"I hope…" he thought.
"I hope things are clearer than I expect."
"The Phantom Troupe are monsters, but they are not the kind to act without purpose."
"Especially not as a group, and especially not while leaving a message behind."
He exhaled slowly.
The bus continued traveling for several more hours.
As evening approached, the sunlight gradually dimmed, covering the roads and forests in orange shadows.
Some passengers got off at smaller towns along the way, while others boarded carrying bags and groceries.
After a four-hour ride, the bus finally arrived at a terminal. It was not crowded, but there were still people and small shops around.
"This is Nancha City, Lukso Province. I hope you find whatever you're looking for, and enjoy your stay," the driver said.
Conrad nodded and stepped off the bus.
"Alright then…" he thought as he took his first step into the city.
According to the information he had obtained, he would need to wait until tomorrow, Tuesday.
At exactly midnight, in Nancha City, at a place called the Background Bar, he was supposed to meet an old man named Ervia and ask him about any mysterious regions, only to be met with a casual "I don't think so" and a smile, in return of this smile, he should say "Thank you."
A strange chain of events. Based on his experience, it could very well be the setup of a Nen ability. But he already had a countermeasure in mind.
He did not want to fall into another Black Market situation and lose parts of his memory again.
He still could not fully remember the people he had met back then, and the gaps in his memories constantly bothered him whenever he thought about them.
"I should prepare properly," he thought.
"I can set up Ancient Script. Even if I can't fully block other Nen abilities, I can at least create an extra layer of protection for myself."
With that in mind, he began looking for a small hotel to spend the night.
The city itself was not remarkable, but it had a slight resemblance to Zaban City, giving it a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.
The streets were relatively clean, and the buildings carried an older architectural style compared to modern metropolitan areas.
Nancha City was also the place Kurapika had to pass through during his coming-of-age journey.
It was here that he and Pairo encountered three bandits during a mission, an event that ultimately led to Kurapika awakening his Scarlet Eyes for the first time.
"Everything will resolve in time," Conrad thought with a faint smile.
"Let's see what else you've hidden from me, Mr. Togashi."
After walking through several streets, he eventually chose a modest hotel near the quieter side of the district.
The lobby was small, illuminated by warm yellow lights, and managed by an elderly woman reading a magazine behind the counter.
Conrad rented a room for a single night without attracting much attention and headed upstairs.
Once inside, he locked the door, placed his belongings near the bed, and slowly examined the room.