This clearly meant that the soldiers sent by Prince Benjamin were to wait outside the door.
Kurapika was momentarily speechless. In that instant, he realized he wasn't in any position to demand that the Morgan guard act on his command.
In fact, judging from their relative strength and the level of trust the Queen placed in him, it was clear: If there was any hierarchy among the bodyguards...
Then Kurapika was, at best, second in command—and expected to follow orders.
Of course, if it were a clearly irrational or foolish command, he wouldn't blindly comply. Instead, he'd calmly present facts and reason. And if that failed to work, he'd make sure they understood: Absolute Time wasn't to be underestimated.
That said, given the strange speed displayed earlier by the one now called Morgan—and the possibility that he wielded multiple abilities through unknown means—Kurapika was wary.
Furthermore, when Shimano's attendant heard Ronnel's arrangement over the phone, her obvious relief did not go unnoticed. It made Kurapika even more contemplative.
After giving Bill a meaningful glance, indicating he should keep an eye on the soldiers outside, Kurapika picked up the phone.
"Hello~"
"Well, this is an honor. I didn't expect you'd choose to call me before the First Prince."
The voice of the Third Prince, Zhang Lei, came through with a chuckle.
Since the call had been routed through the switchboard, those placing calls could also see who else was trying to get through. Zhang Lei had noticed that both the First Prince, Benjamin, and the Fifth Prince, Tubeppa, had also contacted the Fourteenth Prince.
Naturally, this lifted his mood—and sparked some curiosity.
"So why'd you decide to speak with me first, instead of the First Prince? If it's not too much trouble, would you mind sharing?"
Kurapika, who had originally intended to answer Benjamin's call, subconsciously glanced at Ronnel, who remained seated in silence, and replied calmly:
"I'll get straight to the point. I chose you because I believe you're the one who understands the situation best."
"Oh? Is that so? What makes you say that?"
"I'd rather not say." Kurapika carefully chose her words. "Because it's likely tied to the information you're after."
"You mean... about Nen."
Zhang Lei fell quiet for a moment, then spoke again. "I understand. Let's get to the point, then."
"As you've guessed, we want as much information about Nen as we can get. But over the phone, confidentiality isn't guaranteed, so..."
"This prince invites you to my private quarters to discuss the matter with proper formality. Does that work for you?"
Just as he finished speaking, Ronnel, who'd been sitting lazily nearby, gave a subtle smirk.
Truly worthy of the Kakin royal bloodline. They never let anyone have the upper hand.
Ronnel had caught every word. He couldn't help but think:
Zhang Lei's message was clear—I may want your help and your knowledge about Nen, but I'll never let you hold the advantage. You'll come to me, and you'll feel honored to do it.
"I accept your terms with gratitude," Kurapika replied after a moment of thought.
This was also an ideal opportunity to observe the other princes up close.
"Then ring my doorbell in fifteen minutes—" click.
Zhang Lei ended the call.
Kurapika looked down at the caller display and saw that Prince Benjamin had disconnected.
Left with no choice, Kurapika asked the operator to connect him to the Fifth Prince.
...
Brrr—click.
"Hello, this is Kurapika."
"I am Maor, directly under the Fifth Prince," came the reply—a middle-aged man, face lined with age, posture sharp and upright.
Second Lieutenant Maor got straight to the point: "We're willing to offer a truce agreement in exchange for information about the Nen Beast. Do you accept?"
Kurapika tilted his head slightly.
"Aren't you concerned about the balance of power among the other princes?"
"We don't concern ourselves with that."
...
"I see. I accept."
Kurapika agreed to the truce, thinking it was best to avoid unnecessary conflict. The fewer enemies, the better. And if they chose not to interfere, all the better.
"The Prince has entrusted this matter to me fully. We will not break the truce on our end, unless your side gives us reason to. Depending on your actions, we may declare the truce null."
In other words: We'll honor the agreement, but the moment we sense deception, we'll scrap it—and strike.
The message was clear. If you try to pull anything funny, don't expect us to play nice.
And of course, they would decide what counted as "funny."
A one-sided agreement, really. But Kurapika understood: Given Tubeppa's personality, and his station as royalty, there would at least be some honor in his word.
In that sense, the truce could be seen as a form of mutual trust.
Kurapika fell silent for a moment, then took a breath.
"No need to worry. We have no intention of provoking conflict."
"Understood. Then I'll be heading over now."
...
"Wait—would you mind coming a bit later?"
Lieutenant Maor frowned at this.
"I thought I made it clear: we're not here to interfere or pry into your situation."
"We don't believe you're the only one with knowledge about Nen. And the truce only takes effect once we receive the information. Understood?"
Kurapika's expression remained calm, even in the face of the lieutenant's stiff tone.
"We're currently dealing with the First Prince's private army. There's a soldier posted directly outside our door. Of course, we could ignore them and welcome you inside...
"But we have no idea how the First Prince would interpret your actions. I trust you understand?"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)