Another guard, Sayird, was about to speak, trying to express the strange unease building inside him, when—
"Excuse me, are you free now?"
"Excuse me, are you free now?"
The puppet bear's voice echoed in his mind like a skipping record.
"I... I'm not free. Just disappear!"
Sayird muttered, face twisted in discomfort.
A chilling thought crossed his mind—he might've triggered someone's ability.
"What's wrong?"
His odd behavior caught the attention of the other two guards nearby.
"I'm fine~"
Sayird shook his head. He figured as long as he didn't answer the puppet bear again, he wouldn't fall deeper into the trap.
He gave a quick explanation to Bill and turned to head back to his room.
What he didn't realize was that resisting that kind of oppressive Nen was far beyond his capacity.
At least, that's what Ronnel thought. If it had been him, even he might've succumbed.
But even with that awareness, Ronnel had no intention of meddling. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the Nen beast doppelgänger hidden in the princess's hair.
...
Elsewhere, at the grand royal dinner on the first floor...
The ballroom sparkled with luxury, filled with elites from all walks of life raising glasses and exchanging pleasantries.
King of the Kakin Empire, along with every prince, was in attendance, taking part in this extravagant affair.
But beneath the surface shimmered layers of deception and hidden agendas.
"So the Fourteenth Prince is participating in the succession war as well?"
Prince Benjamin, eldest of the royal siblings, chatted easily with his guests while his sharp eyes scanned the hall. His gaze landed briefly on the Fourth Prince, Woble, cradled in Queen Oito's arms. She looked composed on the surface, but panic seeped through her posture.
"Royal guards and monitors all over me, and they still underestimate me? Idiots. Thinking they can edge me out as the First Prince and steal the throne?"
"A death sentence, I say!"
"If anyone dies by another prince's hand and I don't catch the culprit? I'd consider it divine luck~!"
"This prince won't let others die so easily..."
His inner thoughts raged. And at the same moment, as if by instinct, Benjamin turned—locking eyes with Vantine, one of the Fourth Prince's elite guards.
A flash of murderous intent passed between them.
The two exchanged cruel smirks. The moment passed quickly, replaced by carefully crafted smiles as they continued entertaining the nobles.
But nothing escaped Ronnel's attention.
From a discreet corner, he scanned the ballroom, releasing tiny fly-shaped Nen clones to discreetly analyze the aura signatures of each prince.
Since the parasitic Nen beasts tied to the Succession War didn't count as personal Nen abilities, Ronnel identified only two princes who had mastered Nen on their own.
Prince Benjamin—the eldest—and Second Prince Camilla.
They had every advantage as high-born royals.
Benjamin, the first son, was deeply trusted by the military. Camilla, the first daughter, still bore the title of "prince" like the others, but had to claw her way up by sheer effort to match Benjamin's influence.
She had devoted herself to Nen training, and it showed.
These two were the only ones who had Nen on top of their guardian beasts.
Naturally, Ronnel wouldn't let that go unnoticed.
As his Nen clones drifted, his gaze lingered on other princes as well.
Twelfth Prince Momoze. Eighth Prince Sale-Sale. Tenth Prince Kacho.
His eyes narrowed.
Unless something changed, those three would be the first to fall.
Especially... Momoze.
"Such a shame. Who would've guessed that this sweet little twelfth prince would be the first one eliminated?"
Ronnel watched her smile gently on the monitor and shook his head.
...
The dinner itself wasn't strictly regimented. The only major rule was that princes were not allowed to encounter one another after the meal. To enforce this, King had instituted a precise departure schedule.
First to leave: the youngest, Fourteenth Prince. Followed by the Third, then the Second...
A strict arithmetic sequence ensured no overlap.
...
Kurapika and the other bodyguards waited near the communication corridor, watching the ballroom exit.
He hadn't caught a glimpse of the Fourth Prince. A small flicker of disappointment passed through him.
Among the bodyguards, he recognized only one familiar face—Melody, assigned to protect Tenth Prince Kacho.
But the two shared no sign of acknowledgment.
They had agreed to act like strangers from the start.
Each bodyguard stood on alert, watching the others, tension simmering beneath the surface.
No one spoke. Not until Queen Oito emerged, with her entourage, and Kurapika led her away.
Soon after, the other princes began to file out as well.
Behind their elegant facades, expressions shifted the moment they stepped into the corridor. Smiles gave way to cold eyes. Murderous intent hung thick in the air.
Ronnel, meanwhile, didn't have time to worry about their scheming—
Something had gone wrong in his lobby.
...
"Because I'm free, so he asked me~"
"Because I'm free, so he asked me~"
Guard Sayird stood drenched in sweat, his pupils glassy, muttering the same phrase over and over.
He swung a blade wildly, striking out in confusion.
Kurton had already collapsed, bleeding from multiple stab wounds. Bill shouted desperately, trying to snap Sayird out of it, struggling to restrain him.
No matter what he did, Sayird repeated the same line:
"Because I'm free, so he asked me~"
His voice hollow, detached—his will completely overtaken.
It was unmistakable.
He had triggered the condition of some Nen ability... and now he was nothing more than a puppet.
Ronnel finally entered the room, took one look, and let out a small sigh.
Then he moved in to take control.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)