After speaking, Kurapika and Bill turned and walked toward the room at the back of the hall, leaving behind a group of guards deep in thought, trying to make a decision.
Truthfully, it didn't take long. With the princes' orders in effect, there was no way the guards could choose to back out.
And after Kurapika publicly named the ability of the "Silent Majority," the murderer seemed to have gotten the message—not to show off anymore. Things had calmed down considerably.
So, in that heavy yet strangely peaceful atmosphere, Kurapika's Nen lecture officially began.
True to his belief that free labor shouldn't go to waste, Kurapika roped in Furykov and Belerainte—the only two among them who already understood Nen—to serve as his assistants.
"So that's why he asked if we knew how to use Nen… I thought he had something else in mind…"
The two men grumbled to themselves, but with the princes' orders at heart, they cooperated without complaint~
...
Meanwhile, as Kurapika began teaching Nen, cabins 3, 4, and 5 started seeing clear divisions—groups forming based on strength and class.
In this chaotic environment where no one was really in charge, it was the perfect chance for the mafia families to assert themselves.
Especially the three major mafia families with official ties to the Kakin Empire: Xi-Yu, Heil-Ly, and Cha-R.
Each family was backed by one of the royal princes—Third, Fourth, and Seventh respectively.
The bosses had gone up to the VIP floor of the Black Whale as bodyguards or private soldiers, leaving their subordinates to control the civilian decks below.
King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou was well aware of the existence and activities of these families—and the power players backing them.
But where there's light, there's shadow. And with the succession war in full swing, he had no interest in distractions.
"I thought there'd be a prince lying dead here on the first day~ Hui."
High atop the Black Whale, in a dimly lit, empty room, King Nasubi looked over the fourteen coffins arranged in a circle and twirled his mustache with a sigh.
Intricate runes had been carved beneath each coffin using highly complex techniques.
And at the center of the formation, where the runes were most concentrated, sat a mysterious device—something like a space capsule.
"They've tried all kinds of assassination methods, but none succeeded. Even Momoze's guards were wiped out… how useless, my children~ Hui."
Behind him, the butler bowed in silence.
"My children… you'll become the roots of the Kakin tree, drawing power far greater than anything you had in life.
"As your father, I sincerely hope one of you settles the succession before we reach land.
"If not, I'll step in myself~ Hui."
It was clear that King Nasubi had already prepared everything for some kind of ritual. All he needed now… were the princes' corpses.
...
Back in Kurapika's class, a new twist unfolded.
He had brought in Furykov as an assistant to help teach. But unexpectedly, Furykov had managed to identify four hidden Nen users—though only two were exposed.
Even he was surprised.
"All I did was run a basic check to let you know I'm a Nen user—I wasn't trying to out anyone!"
"But you two just up and revealed yourselves?! With that kind of aura, you're definitely not amateurs. You've gotta be veterans, right?"
"So why didn't you raise your hands earlier? What was the point of hiding if you were just gonna blow your cover? Are all of the Ninth Prince's guards idiots?!"
That's right. The two Nen users who'd been hiding were guards sent by the Ninth Prince, Halkenburg—Yuhirai, the buzz-cut man, and Shedule, the one with the pockmarked face.
Furykov couldn't help mentally ranting at them, still trying to figure out what they were playing at.
But then...
"...Huh? Power?!"
What shocked Furykov even more was that after gathering Nen in their bodies, the two men looked utterly lost—panicking like they had no idea what was happening.
As if... they didn't even know what Nen was.
No way, they're joking... right? Wait—?!
Furykov was about to dismiss the idea, but then he caught a glimpse of the feather-shaped markings on the backs of their hands.
A flash of realization passed through his mind.
"You two do know how to use Nen, right? Is this some kind of test?"
Kurapika also turned a sharp, assessing gaze toward the two men.
"No, no, not at all! We didn't mean anything by it—um… could we speak with you in private about this?"
Kurapika paused. Judging from their flustered, genuinely confused expressions, they didn't seem to be faking it.
"Given our current security situation, I can't leave my post, and I can't allow either of you to cross the safety line. So wait until class is over—then send one representative to speak with me."
With that, Kurapika continued outlining the fundamentals of Nen, acting as if nothing had happened.
But the two men's exposure had shifted the mood in the room.
The other guards cast wary glances at them and instinctively kept their distance.
After all, everyone still remembered what had happened to Barrigen—assassinated just yesterday.
If these two had been hiding their Nen abilities, they might've had something to do with that.
Yuhirai and Shedule felt the suspicion in the air and didn't know how to explain.
But in all honesty—they'd never even heard of Nen before. The reason their aura was so strong...
They both looked down at the feather marks on their hands and sighed in unison.
Your Highness… we're starting to understand what this power really is...
"As expected~" Furykov narrowed his eyes, watching every detail of their behavior.
"They've got powerful Nen... but nothing about their reaction says they're experienced users. Is it really because of that feather?"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)