Chapter 182: Thunder Pool
Those who had come to the Twelfth Prince's side arrived with their own agendas.
There were Association Hunters seeking to uncover Mord's abilities, while the situation among the Kakin guards was more complex. Some genuinely wanted to learn Nen Abilities, others aimed to get close to Mord with ulterior motives, and finally, there were the hunters.
In the hall, a hunter hiding among the crowd learning Nen observed everyone present, a cold smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.
All of you putting on an act—I don't even need to watch your expressions to sense your intentions from the forced posturing in your aura.
Since that's the case, I'll gladly oblige. Majority Silent Activate!
Then, a bizarre woman-like doll, seemingly related to curses, materialized out of thin air.
"The time has come. Those who were supposed to be here have arrived, and those who aren't here won't be coming anymore." Mord glanced at the assembled crowd and continued, "Now, I will begin the explanation about Nen."
Mord drew the Zanpakutō from his waist and drew a line on the wooden board in front of him.
"First, you must never cross this line to this side, no matter what." Mord raised his head and looked toward a corner of the room, adding, "The consequences are beyond what any of you can bear. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Everyone present understood the reason behind Mord's rule, as the Twelfth Prince Momoze was seated not far behind him, apparently intending to observe this Nen Ability lecture.
Meanwhile, the cursed woman doll stood in a corner of the hall, scrutinizing everyone.
Only the Nen user themselves and the possessed can see the Silent Majority doll. It must have been an illusion just now.
The hunter concealed in the crowd thought to himself.
Considering the importance of this mission, there shouldn't be anyone among these assembled who would drop out midway. If they leave the range of my ability, that would be terrible.
Just after Mord finished stating the rule about not crossing the line, suddenly, a foot stepped over.
The one who transgressed was Myuhan, a privately employed soldier of the Fourth Prince, who looked every bit the ruffian.
His clumsy act of feigning carelessness and the malicious expression on his face clearly indicated that he was deliberately provoking.
Mord smiled and spoke.
"Your name and affiliation?"
Myuhan pretended not to hear, humming a tune with his head raised. His companion, Danjin, also a privately employed soldier of the Fourth Prince, patted his shoulder to alert him.
"Huh? Are you talking to me?" Myuhan acted as if he had just realized, turning to look at Mord with a smug expression. "I'm Myuhan, privately employed soldier of the Fourth Prince."
"You crossed the line," Mord said calmly.
Myuhan patted his head and laughed, "Oh dear, look how careless I am. Sorry, sorry, really sorry. I promise it won't happen again."
As he spoke, he began to lift his right foot back from across the line.
But the next moment—
A flash of blade light appeared, accompanied by a brilliant crimson spray.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly dyeing the floor red.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
A heart-wrenching scream erupted from Myuhan's mouth, but his right leg could no longer be retracted.
Myuhan, now with a severed leg, collapsed in a pool of blood. The intense pain wiped the smug grin off his face, twisting it into a fierce contortion.
With such a terrifying amount of bleeding, if treatment isn't administered quickly, he'll likely die soon from excessive blood loss.
Fortunately, the Hunter Association's cooperative hunters and the Kakin royal family's private soldiers on the scene only had their complexions turn somewhat pale.
As for the four attendants from the Tenth and Eleventh Princes, having never witnessed such a scene before, they immediately screamed loudly.
Compared to them, Momoze, sitting behind Mord, handled the situation much better.
Momoze was gradually growing accustomed to such scenes now.
Seeing his companion injured, Danjin, also one of the Fourth Prince's private soldiers, immediately drew his firearm and aimed it at Mord.
"I advise you not to do that," Mord said calmly.
"Do you realize what you're doing? This is equivalent to declaring war on the Fourth Prince," Danjin said grimly.
"Myuhan just attempted to assassinate me, and everyone present witnessed it. Mord was merely protecting me. You claim Mord's actions are equivalent to declaring war on the Fourth Prince," Momoze stood up, staring intently at Danjin as her gaze gradually turned cold. "Are you suggesting that Myuhan's actions were ordered by your Fourth Prince?!"
After all, royal blood flowed through her veins. No longer choosing to evade, Momoze shed her previous image of cowardice in everyone's eyes and questioned Danjin with the authority of a superior.
It was important to note that assassinating a prince was a capital offense. If proven, Myuhan would face military tribunal punishment—having only lost a leg was already a lenient outcome.
Moreover, most critically, Momoze was redirecting the blame toward the Fourth Prince.
If even a hint of this fire reached the Fourth Prince, Danjin couldn't imagine how miserable their fate would be.
He immediately holstered his gun and bowed in apology: "Please forgive me, Your Highness. Myuhan absolutely had no intention of assassinating you. He truly just accidentally crossed the line earlier. We will be more careful in the future."
After apologizing, Danjin dragged Myuhan away to begin the hemostatic treatment.
Mord glanced at Momoze—in such a short time, this girl had grown considerably.
Feeling Mord's encouraging gaze, Momoze's cheeks flushed red, as if filled with strength from head to toe.
"Mord, you may continue your explanation," she said, sitting back down.
Meanwhile, the hunter hiding in the crowd watched this farce and sneered inwardly.
"To think there's still such a fool in this world, but thanks to him, he's drawn everyone's attention. It's just a pity he wasn't among the ten targeted individuals."
The hunter's ability was called [The Eleventh Person Hidden in the Crowd], meaning it had a target limit.
"If an unexpected situation occurs and the doll is forcibly dispelled before killing even one person, the curse will backlash onto the caster. Prepare to bear the risk—let's eliminate one target early. Cursed Lips White Serpent, prepare to attack!"
The moment the command was issued.
In a dark corner of the hall, four pairs of eerie eyes had already concealed themselves, ready to strike at any moment.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the First Prince's private soldier Shikaku was staring intently at Mord.
Shikaku possessed exceptional observational and analytical abilities, allowing him to easily discern whether someone could use Nen from the subtlest of details. In the short time since entering the room, he had already identified several individuals who were deliberately pretending to lack Nen Ability. This was precisely why Crown Prince Benjamin had sent him—to thoroughly investigate Mord's true capabilities.