He had half a mind to evacuate after two months of eating and drinking on the Black Whale and fantasizing about the so-called "New Continent."
Dragging himself to the meeting like this—he felt dazed, annoyed, and not the least bit excited.
The smile on his face felt forced, a little fake, and full of reluctance. Ronnel could tell.
While the other princes waved to the masses with gentlemanly smiles...
"No matter what, I'm the one who'll profit in the end!"
"Stupid citizens, keep your eyes wide open—I'm..."
"I'm the next king!"
"I am the king!"
In truth, each one of them was already plotting how to kill the others and claim the throne.
Only the Thirteenth Prince, Marayam—still a mischievous child—stood there looking confused. Nearby, Oito cradled the Fourteenth Prince, who was giggling and babbling, but both bore uneasy, fearful expressions.
...
After the ceremony in the second venue ended, the King boarded a helicopter and flew to the Black Whale's most luxurious deck. Cameras captured the moment for livestreams, and the crowd cheered wildly.
He became the first human to officially board the Black Whale, taking humanity's "first step" toward the unexplored frontier.
"One small step for the king... one giant leap for mankind."
Soon after, the spacecrafts carrying the princes and VIPs docked with the Black Whale, and the ferries packed with regular passengers followed behind, setting off toward the sea, bound for the Dark Continent.
"The world is watching! This is a true feat!!"
The Kakin Empire's state media host gushed endlessly, shamelessly fawning over the king.
...
"Let's go."
Amidst the cheering crowds, Chrollo spoke softly without looking back and slipped into the flow of boarding passengers.
Machi, Shalnark, and the rest of the Phantom Troupe followed close behind.
Getting a boarding pass? Too easy. Just kill someone who had one and take it. No fuss.
Elsewhere, a group of travelers dressed in diverse clothing exchanged glances. Their eyes lingered on two men trailing at the back, then they too rushed toward the boarding line.
...
"Let's head out."
Watching the crowd, Ging scratched his face and turned to Pariston beside him.
"Don't try anything sneaky. I'm watching you."
Pariston responded with his usual gentle smile.
And so, people from every walk of life converged on a single destination.
"Let's celebrate this historic moment! Let's cheer and bless him!"
The shouts of praise still echoed through the docks, though most on the ship could no longer hear them.
...
On board, the captain of the First Prince's elite guard stood before his men, briefing them on the Black Whale's layout and safety procedures.
"You'll need to stay balanced while we're inside the ship," he barked.
He was a tall, fat man—sporting a Hitler mustache and a Saitama-style buzz cut—glaring coldly at the rows of soldiers standing at attention.
"The real event starts two months from now with the formal landing ceremony. Until then, we're not soldiers—we're just bodyguards."
"Emergency operations will only be authorized by the First Prince himself, and even then, only under specific circumstances. So don't get your hopes up."
"The princes' residential zones are under strict separation. Each guard detail will stay within their designated area. There'll be minimal interaction between groups."
"The princes will only appear together at the weekly banquet held every Sunday, attended by dignitaries. Their arrivals and departures for the banquet are scheduled separately to avoid chance meetings."
"In short... for now, we're all benched. And maybe we'll stay that way."
His eyes flickered, betraying a thought he kept to himself:
Until the royal family's bloody war begins...
Of course, the Succession War wasn't being publicly discussed. Only the princes' closest confidants understood the stakes and were preparing behind the scenes.
...
Elsewhere, Kurapika stood before the Fourteenth Prince and Queen, delivering a similar explanation to what the First Prince's guard captain had just told his men.
"This setup actually works in our favor as non-combat personnel," Kurapika thought.
Because the other princes had spent the past month making extensive preparations upon learning of the succession battle.
Meanwhile, the Fourteenth Prince had done... nothing. Recruitment happened on the spot. He didn't even have a single trusted aide to rely on.
From Kurapika's point of view, that imbalance might actually help them.
The other princes brought elite guards onboard, but unless smuggled in, only the fifteen officially allowed guards and a few discreetly recruited ones were available to each prince.
In a strange way, this made the battle for the throne appear fairer—at least on the surface.
What Kurapika didn't yet realize was that, if it came down to a full-scale conflict, the Fourteenth Prince might actually hold the upper hand.
...
Ronnel sat lazily on a nearby sofa, observing Kurapika's conversation with the Queen.
Once everyone had boarded, the guards had naturally gathered around their assigned prince or Queen. The Fourteenth Prince's group was no exception. A full face-to-face briefing had been arranged.
"Can we contact the other princes by phone?" Kurapika asked.
The Queen answered in a soft voice, but soon looked puzzled:
"A lower-ranked prince or Queen cannot initiate a call to one ranked above them. Also, all shipboard phones fall under the military's jurisdiction."
She added, her brows knitting slightly,
"The Royal Army is meant to remain neutral in this succession battle. They're monitoring all communication and ship access points. Assassinations should be almost impossible... But it's hard to guess what the king is really thinking~"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)