When she mentioned the battle for succession to the throne, the man in front of her raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.
If he truly had no prior knowledge of the succession war and reacted so calmly upon hearing it, then he was either extremely composed and rational—or he genuinely believed the situation was well within his capabilities.
But if he had already known about the war and still reacted like this, it meant his information network was strong enough to even infiltrate the royal family of Kakin.
Queen Oito was more inclined to believe the former. But either way, it was clear: the man before her was no ordinary bodyguard. That made him precisely the kind of person she was looking for.
As for the possibility that he might be a spy sent by another prince or princess...
If they couldn't even be bothered to keep such a person by their side and instead were spying on helpless children and powerless mothers, then she might as well admit defeat.
In the end, Ronnel's interview went exceedingly well. After both parties signed the contract, the employment agreement was sealed.
Shortly after, a few of the Fourteenth Prince's attendants led Ronnel to the adjacent room to settle in.
From now until the departure ceremony, and all the way to the Dark Continent, Ronnel would be responsible for the safety of the Fourteenth Prince and Queen Oito.
Once he had checked in and everything was in order, Queen Oito let out a long breath, tidied her clothes, signaled the attendant, and moved on to the next applicant.
Morgan had been an unexpected surprise. Even if the next applicant wasn't as impressive, she wouldn't be disappointed—she'd already gained enough.
...
"His Royal Highness the Fourteenth Prince?!"
The newest applicant entered the room wearing a black suit, with striking blond hair and delicate features that could rival a girl's. When he saw the child sitting on the couch, an expression of surprise—and faint disappointment—flickered across his face.
Queen Oito inwardly sighed in relief. That was the reaction she had expected. Clearly, there was only one Morgan.
With that thought, she turned toward the man—Kurapika—and began explaining the situation.
Meanwhile, Ronnel wasn't acting alone. Kurapika's other five doppelgängers had also been dispatched to five different princes who had posted their own recruitment notices.
Unsurprisingly, they were all accepted.
Kurapika's master, Izunavi, and Clone No. 1 were assigned to Sixth Prince Tyson.
Basho and Clone No. 2 went to Seventh Prince Luzurus.
Melody and Clone No. 3 joined the guards of Tenth Prince Kacho.
Hanzo and Clone No. 4 took up duty with Twelfth Prince Momoze.
And Leorio, along with Clone No. 5, became the guard for Thirteenth Prince Marayam.
The succession battle—born from the pot-egg ceremony of Kakin's royal family—was about to begin. The war between the princes, and their guardian beasts, was officially underway.
...
While the princes' recruitment efforts progressed in an orderly fashion, Chrollo and Shalnark arrived in the Kakin Empire.
They weren't alone. Other members of the Phantom Troupe had also come.
"The Dark Continent, huh? Wonder if there's anything worth stealing."
Feitan and Phinks strolled through the capital's streets, glancing at the propaganda banners and posters without much interest.
"Who knows," Phinks said, cracking his knuckles. "I just hope there's something strong to fight. Monsters, natives, anything goes. Legal violence? Sounds perfect to me."
Dressed in his usual tracksuit, Phinks' eagerness was obvious, his bloodlust practically radiating from him.
The two of them looked completely out of place amid the increasingly agitated crowds.
As the launch ceremony approached, the capital buzzed with fiery anticipation. News of a new world waiting beyond the sea stirred something primal in the people.
That excitement, however, came at a cost: fewer people cared about their jobs. Social stability was slipping. Crime was on the rise.
Even so, when Franklin and Bonolenov walked the streets in their bizarre outfits, passersby only cast them wary glances before pretending they saw nothing.
Kalluto, who was walking with them, was surprised no one avoided them or picked up their pace.
"Is your family really okay with you going to the Dark Continent?"
Franklin glanced at the boy, keeping an eye on their surroundings as he spoke. There was something unsettling about the youngest Zoldyck son's calm demeanor—almost like a restless calm before the storm.
"It's fine," Kalluto replied lightly, staring up at the banners with curiosity. "I'm not in line to inherit the family anyway. Even if I die out there, no one's going to care~"
He seemed utterly unbothered.
"It's not just me. My big brother's coming too. He's planning to meet with the team leader."
"The eldest Zoldyck son? Isn't he the heir to the family?"
Franklin and Bonolenov exchanged a look, puzzled.
But then a memory came to mind—of the silver-haired boy the Troupe had once captured—and the man with the same hair who once fought Chrollo to a standstill.
Realization dawned. The two fell silent.
Kalluto, oblivious, kept observing the capital with fascination.
To him, the Zoldyck heir was clearly going to be Killua. Both he and his older brother Illumi believed that. Even if Killua didn't want it, they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.
If all else failed, they'd just wait for the next generation of Zoldycks. Someone would be worthy eventually.
There was still that shut-in back home, after all. Even if Kalluto and Illumi died during the expedition to the Dark Continent, the Zoldyck legacy wouldn't end.
With those thoughts in mind, Kalluto followed the two oddballs into their temporary base—an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
Inside, Chrollo, Machi, Shalnark, and Kalluto's brother Illumi were already waiting.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)