In a situation under third-party surveillance, an ordinary assassination is nearly impossible.
But not if the assassin is someone who has mastered Nen.
Especially now, with every prince having undergone the egg-in-the-pot ceremony and possessing a guardian spirit beast, the complexity has skyrocketed.
"Even with all that," Kurapika thought, "there are still plenty of loopholes to exploit. Once Nen is in play, anything's possible."
What they lacked was intel—accurate, complete data on each prince's combat power. So far, all they had were headcounts of their guards.
It was also possible that some bodyguards—those who had earned their Hunter License early—could have boarded the ship under the guise of security personnel from the Hunter Association, only to covertly serve their prince's orders.
Kurapika quietly assessed the power dynamics, comparing their own forces to the enemy's. The odds felt like a nightmare-level difficulty right from the start.
At present, Queen Oito's side could only count on a handful of foreign bodyguards she'd recruited online.
Kurapika's gaze drifted to Ronnel, who was lounging casually on the nearby sofa, looking completely at ease. Kurapika couldn't help frowning.
This bodyguard… was a little too relaxed. Since he'd arrived, he hadn't shown a shred of discipline or respect for his employer. He simply plopped down like it was his living room, not a war zone.
The others standing nearby kept their distance. The guards stationed around the room were openly glaring at Ronnel.
But Kurapika—ever cautious—didn't voice any complaints. His top priority was to keep the Fourteenth Prince out of the succession conflict, and if possible, find a way to get closer to the Fourth Prince.
As long as these guards didn't interfere with that mission, Kurapika wasn't going to pick unnecessary fights.
...
While Kurapika silently evaluated Ronnel, Ronnel was also sizing up Kurapika.
"Not bad," Ronnel mused. "Still improving, even while managing the Kurta legacy and chasing after the eyes of your clan. You really are the protagonist type…"
With just one glance, he'd figured Kurapika out.
Aside from the two of them, several other guards were present.
On paper, Queen Oito had fifteen guards and a steward. Unlike the other princes, she had no shadow operatives backing her up.
Of those fifteen, only Kurapika and Ronnel had actually met the Queen face-to-face.
Three of the remaining guards had arrived via official V5 and Hunter Association channels. With Kakin's permission, the Association had assigned them directly to the Fourteenth Prince—they hadn't responded to any recruitment notice from Oito.
These three were Hunters, previously under Pariston's orders. Their strength was decent—roughly on par with Kurapika's old ally, Basho.
Of the ten others, three were caretakers—nannies and attendants assigned to look after the prince and keep the living quarters clean. Totally non-combat personnel.
The steward, a middle-aged woman, likewise had no real combat ability to speak of.
That left seven more...
...
Clap!
Ronnel suddenly clapped his hands and stood up, turning to face the seven remaining guards.
"Alright, you've been staring long enough, haven't you?"
He had been sitting there the whole time without a care in the world, and those seven had done nothing but glare at him.
The caretakers and the Association Hunters had kept their heads down or stayed out of it, like Kurapika. But these seven? Their hostility was on full display.
...
Sensing the tension, Queen Oito quickly rose to smooth things over.
"They're guards assigned by the Kakin royal family," she explained gently. "They've been loyal to me this whole time."
Her tone made it clear—these were her people. She didn't want infighting before the succession war even began.
But...
"You care about this guy that much?" Kurapika and the other Association Hunters exchanged looks.
The Queen had clearly tried to de-escalate, but her words had, intentionally or not, defended Ronnel.
It was as if she was excusing his behavior. Saying it was understandable that the royal guards were annoyed, but also implying that Ronnel's conduct wasn't out of line.
...
"A gift from the royal family, huh?" Ronnel said with a smile, not even bothering to look at the Queen. His eyes stayed fixed on the seven guards.
"Seven people, no more, no less. Kinda poetic, don't you think? Your Highness, does the number seven mean anything to you?"
"Seven…" Oito echoed, her brows furrowing as she thought. Then her eyes widened.
"Could it be… them?"
"There are seven other Queens, right?" Ronnel said softly. "Each one of them could have slipped a guard into your entourage. And what do you know—there are seven unfamiliar faces right here. I don't think that's a coincidence."
The moment the words left his mouth, the seven guards stiffened.
Their reaction was immediate and obvious.
Kurapika and the others instantly went on alert.
Oito stepped back in fear, clutching the Fourteenth Prince tightly. The three Association Hunters positioned themselves in front of her without hesitation.
Kurapika acted immediately—his chains shot out, one forming into the Chain of Judgment and latching onto the floor before the guards. With his free hand, he drew a pistol.
"If you lie," he said coldly, "the chain will react. If it reacts... I shoot."
The other three Hunters followed suit, drawing their weapons and aiming at the seven guards, even if they didn't fully understand what was happening.
Kurapika wasn't just using a gun for intimidation. He was minimizing exposure to his abilities—keeping his real power under wraps until absolutely necessary.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)