The battle on the first floor had grown increasingly tense—even Camilla ended up following in Zhang Lei's footsteps.
No one cared about the loser except his biological mother, the Second Queen, Duazul, and Nasubi, who had ordered his body sealed in a coffin.
At this point, one of the top contenders for the throne had taken out two rivals in a single move—shocking everyone.
Though nothing was done openly, it was clear to all what had transpired.
The real war was drawing near.
In the eyes of both the Ninth Prince and the First Prince, with Camilla and Zhang Lei eliminated, the only ones standing in their way were each other.
Benjamin had always targeted the entire group of Ninth Prince supporters. Once he crushed them, the throne would naturally be his.
Halkenburg might appear calm and composed, but even with his strength, he now faced pressure not only from Benjamin, but also from Tubeppa and Tserriednich closing in behind him.
Each faction knew its own strengths and weaknesses, but that didn't stop them from gathering power for the battles to come.
No one could say if this would become a drawn-out war of attrition or a lightning-fast sweep—but they were both absolutely convinced they'd be the last one standing.
So much so that they tacitly ignored the lower-ranked princes. The Tenth and the rest were just small fry, irrelevant to the main struggle.
Kacho and his peers understood this well. They kept their doors shut and their heads down.
Even though their quarters were protected by Nen beasts, they knew that stepping outside now was asking to die.
They all stayed quietly in their own rooms.
...
Meanwhile, the Fourteenth Prince's Nen Education Conference, led by Kurapika, continued without interruption.
After all, Benjamin had only sent Furykov to monitor the situation. The other princes' guards wouldn't be able to assassinate him.
And in times like this, quickly learning the mysterious power of Nen could become a decisive factor in protecting their princes—and gaining an edge.
With that shared urgency, the students' progress accelerated. No one dared to interrupt the lessons or cause trouble.
Kurapika even started water divination tests ahead of schedule, officially transitioning them to the next stage of training.
Ronnel, however, wasn't especially interested in this part. He had already developed a concept for his new Nen ability.
He was simply waiting for the clash between Benjamin and Halkenburg to play out—and for things on the ship to settle down—before beginning formal training.
But judging from the atmosphere, both sides were still in the preparation phase. To trigger a war, something fierce needed to happen first.
"Sometimes, when war comes, there's no time left to prepare..."
With a gentle push, Ronnel gave both princes a little nudge—just to help them realize that truth.
"Then let the fight begin~"
...
Before dawn the next day, a furious roar erupted from Area 1001, Benjamin's territory:
"AAAAAARGH!! Who did this?!"
Benjamin's eyes were red with fury as he stared at the scene before him.
Lying motionless on the floor was Balsamilco—the loyal captain who had long advised and aided him—now dead, his eyes still wide open.
How could Benjamin not be enraged? Balsamilco had always been reliable, solving problems efficiently and supporting him from the shadows. Now he was just... gone.
"Your Highness, the cause of death is clear. It was murder," said Furykov solemnly, having finished his preliminary inspection.
"He was murdered... He was murdered..."
Benjamin's voice trembled. His hair bristled, and the veins in his eyes bulged like a furious beast.
"Halkenburg... You have courage!!"
He growled each word through clenched teeth.
"Your Highness, is it possible that another prince was behind the assassination?" Furykov ventured cautiously.
"For example... the guard who rescued the Twelfth Prince? Or maybe the person who controlled Vincent and Babimyna from the 14th Prince's camp?"
"Impossible," Benjamin snapped, immediately dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand.
"At the last dinner, I deliberately made physical contact with Queen Oito and the Twelfth Prince so I could activate Secret Window. I've monitored every single move they've made since. They haven't given a single suspicious order. As for their guards, they've barely left their side. Everything checks out."
His face twisted with fury.
"It's a pity I couldn't get close to Halkenburg or Tubeppa. They were too cautious. If I had, I would've taken them out already—and Balsamilco would still be alive!"
Even though Benjamin viewed the lower princes as cannon fodder, he still kept them under surveillance.
Thanks to Secret Window, he had eyes on every move they made. Nothing escaped his notice.
Or so he believed.
He didn't know that Kacho and the others were silently chanting within their minds, and that Ronnel's particle clone had used Psychometry to pick up on their thoughts—bypassing Benjamin's surveillance entirely.
To them, Secret Window was virtually meaningless.
...
"I see..." Furykov's expression turned thoughtful after hearing Benjamin's explanation. "Then, Your Highness... what do we do now?"
"What do we do?" Benjamin slammed a fist down onto the table. "We go to war!"
"But our forces aren't ready to charge—"
"They already dared to assassinate Balsamilco. What more do you need?!"
Enraged and humiliated, Benjamin refused to listen. He silenced Furykov with a glare and began mobilizing his forces at once.
And so, the two sides—neither of which had completed their preparations—plunged headfirst into war.
...
"Aren't they coming for Nen training anymore?"
Kurapika stood alone in the empty hall, sensing the change in the wind.
"A full-on battle's begun… Even the King of Kakin doesn't seem to care anymore. Naturally, their guards have gone to protect their respective princes."
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)