"Hahaha, you're pathetic, Camilla~"
A sneer full of arrogance and contempt echoed behind her.
Prince Benjamin—the eldest—had arrived without anyone noticing.
Towering and broad-shouldered, his sheer presence was imposing, carrying an air of dominance that felt almost suffocating.
"If you believe you're destined for the throne, then you don't have to follow the rules laid out by others~"
As he spoke, thick black lines crept down his face, casting most of his features into shadow.
"Camilla isn't backing down~" she snapped, undeterred by his looming form.
"I want the entire world to run according to my will! First and foremost, I want all the other princes dead!"
She smiled sweetly. "Ideally, they'll all just die off on their own."
'Because Camilla will become king, so I should just die'—I want every one of you to start thinking that way!
"Heh… what a delusional woman!!" Benjamin smirked, completely unsurprised.
"Leaving the throne to you would be like handing a baby over to a rabid dog!"
"Are you an idiot? I'm not here to babysit, Camilla. Get lost!"
As the two squared off, the atmosphere grew tenser—until a lazy but authoritative voice cut in:
"Camilla, show some respect to your brother, won't you~?"
The King, seated nearby, interjected with deliberate calm.
At his words, the heated argument froze instantly.
Camilla's expression trembled. She turned around, bowed to her father, and left without another word, not sparing Benjamin a single glance.
"This world doesn't forgive mistakes! That's why I, Camilla, must reshape it with my own hands! Wah!"
Blaming all her flaws and failures on others, she let out a frustrated cry in her heart—like Lelouch reborn in a different world.
"Wishing alone is meaningless… If you want something, just making a wish isn't enough."
She recited those empty words inwardly. Behind her, a strange tree began to bloom—a jellyfish mushroom tree, with translucent, jellyfish-shaped leaves gently trembling in the air.
...
Meanwhile, Benjamin stood before his father, speaking in a respectful but firm tone.
"Father, this is the arrogance and ugliness of someone unworthy of the crown. Yet she doesn't even realize it. As her elder brother, I'm ashamed."
As he continued, Benjamin's hair suddenly bristled, standing straight up. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his expression darkened into something monstrous.
"I, Benjamin, swear this: I will protect the great tree of the Kakin Empire! I'll take on the burden of pruning its branches and trimming its rot!"
"Very well, I look forward to seeing what you can do~ Hui."
The King watched his son leave, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Especially when he noticed a strange beast—clearly a Nen beast—appearing on Benjamin's shoulder, resembling the villain Mefilas from Ultraman, his laughter grew louder.
...
Benjamin returned to his quarters at once.
"Kill them now. Kill them all. We can't afford to wait until we disembark!!"
Unable to restrain the fury boiling inside, he tore his clothes off in a frenzy. His eyes were crimson, filled with a beast-like bloodlust.
"Tell the commander—bring me the Fourth Prince! Use any means necessary!"
He barked the order with a chilling calm.
"But don't kill him. I'll deal with him personally. Understand?!"
...
None of his guards dared to question him. They responded immediately with solemn nods.
And so, before the Black Whale even set sail, blood was already beginning to boil. The First and Fourth Princes would soon collide.
Only two hours remained before departure...
...
After issuing the order, Benjamin summoned his guard captain—Balsamilco. A member of the royal family himself, Balsamilco was one of Benjamin's staunchest supporters.
"Why can't those of us who use Nen see the parasitic Nen beasts that've attached to us?" Benjamin asked bluntly.
He was no novice—he understood what the Egg in the Pot ritual had done. And yet, he couldn't see the guardian spirit beast tied to himself, nor the ones clinging to the other princes.
Balsamilco, with his small Hitler-style mustache, stood at attention with hands clasped behind his back. His reply was measured and military-stiff:
"Based on my analysis, Your Highness, the ceremony may impose a restriction preventing the host from perceiving their own Nen beast. Or perhaps there's a condition yet to be fulfilled."
"Alternatively, the Nen beasts may follow rules we've yet to uncover. Mastering those rules ahead of the others is the key to controlling the Egg in the Pot ritual."
"If we act recklessly now, it could prove fatal."
Benjamin's eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me to wait?"
"Yes," Balsamilco said firmly. "There are two main reasons."
"First, the enemy's Nen beast is invisible to Your Highness. That makes solo action too risky. Our entire security plan needs to be revised."
"Second, a bulletin just arrived from the Fourteenth Prince's camp. All the princes—and their guards—now know about Nen and Nen beasts."
"Our advantage is gone. But in terms of intelligence warfare within the Kakin Empire, we still hold superiority."
"As for the Hunters hired by the other princes… protecting their employer isn't their top priority. What matters is that every last one of them can use Nen."
"Compared to us, their understanding and mastery of Nen is deeper, older, and more refined. One of the guards under the Fourteenth Prince even introduced the concept of Nen beasts aloud—making it clear to all the other guards instantly."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)