There was silence on the other end for a moment before the voice returned:
"I understand. I'll call again in an hour. If the situation hasn't been resolved by then, the agreement is off."
The line went dead after that curt and commanding declaration.
Kurapika lowered the phone, rubbing his temples.
Seeing that the eldest prince hadn't sent another message, he turned his head toward Ronnel, who was already standing, eyes quietly searching his face.
He wanted answers—and if Ronnel didn't give them willingly, he'd find a way to extract them himself.
"You should know," Ronnel said calmly, "Benjamin's not the type to compromise. Negotiation and mercy aren't part of his playbook."
The explanation wasn't just for Kurapika and Bill—it was also to reassure the visibly tense Queen Oito.
Kurapika recalled the intel he'd reviewed on Benjamin before coming aboard and gave a slight nod.
"On top of that," Ronnel continued, "he's incredibly arrogant. He might've technically 'called' me, but he wouldn't speak directly to any of us bodyguards."
"If I had to guess, that call came from Balsamilco—the captain of Benjamin's personal guard. The only reason he's bothering with negotiation is because we've taken some of his men hostage."
"In other words, we broke formation and disrupted his orders."
He raised a single finger.
"So there's really only one thing left for them to do."
"Which is to show us, the ones standing in their way, enough 'respect'... to let us choose how we'd prefer to die."
Ronnel gave a short laugh and turned toward Shimano, who had been nodding vigorously at every word.
"Yes, just like Morgan-san said," she agreed nervously. "The eldest prince and Balsamilco are very similar in both attitude and conduct."
Her expression darkened.
"We're not exactly eager to choose how we die. We may be servants who can't control our fate—but we still want to choose the option with the best chance of survival."
She glanced at Ronnel again, then bowed her head.
"So... do you think answering the Third Prince's call first was the smartest decision?"
Kurapika was quiet for a moment before sighing softly.
He was beginning to understand more clearly what kind of battle this succession war really was... and what sort of man the eldest prince truly was.
Before Ronnel could reply, he added:
"As for the Third Prince, Zhang Lei—he may not be as overbearing as Benjamin, and he at least had the patience to speak with us directly... but the second his orders were questioned, he hung up."
"He clearly wants to minimize bloodshed. But once fighting breaks out, he won't hesitate. He'll strike quickly and without mercy. He's rational... and dangerous."
"So as long as we follow his lead, at least a little, we won't be targets—at least not until the number of remaining princes drops lower."
Kurapika nodded slowly. "So you contacted him first... for safety?"
"Safety?" Ronnel smirked, looking him in the eye.
He shook his head. "I just didn't like Benjamin's tone. He sends hitmen dressed as guards, demands we answer his calls, and then expects us to obediently accept his suggestion on how we'd like to die?"
He shrugged, expression cold.
"My temper's not that good yet."
...
Kurapika blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of Ronnel's words.
He suddenly realized—Ronnel had referred to the man simply as "Benjamin," not "Eldest Prince" or "First Prince."
That subtle choice of words said it all.
He didn't respect Benjamin as a royal, or even as a person.
Even more arrogant than him... Kurapika thought, eyes narrowing.
But it wasn't the loud, performative arrogance of youth—it was deeper. A calm, effortless disregard for power and title. Ronnel didn't see Benjamin as a rival... but as an insect.
Such disdain could only come from someone far above his opponent in either strength or perspective.
And Benjamin wasn't just anyone. As the First Prince of the Kakin Empire, even the former leaders of the V5 had treated him with deference.
...
"As for the Fifth Prince, Tubeppa," Ronnel continued, "he's not the kind to answer the phone himself, either. But he has strong opinions about the monarchy."
"He likely joined this succession battle not to win—but to stop one of the upper princes from gaining total control."
"Maybe... maybe he even hopes to cut a deal with the current king. Use the chaos to push for amnesty and political reform that benefits the younger princes."
Ronnel chuckled to himself, clearly remembering something.
He was thinking of that moment during the banquet when Tubeppa tried to form an alliance with the Fourth Prince.
No one knew what sort of monster the Fourth Prince really was better than the one prince born right after him.
And now, with the Hui Guo Rou Family having formalized the rules of the war, the bloodshed was inevitable. Every move was high-stakes.
"Trying to help the younger princes win amnesty?" Ronnel shook his head. "What a noble reason to form an alliance with someone like the Fourth Prince."
"Talk about a strategic mask... it's no wonder Lieutenant Maor signed that ceasefire deal with you, Kurapika."
He grinned.
"Servants reflect their masters. Pretend to be noble, but in the end, they'll always act the part. Tubeppa's no different."
"And yet, because of that self-righteous attitude... even if I answered Zhang Lei's call first, and his second, he wouldn't care."
"He'd wait."
...
Kurapika listened quietly. He compared what he'd heard with the intel the Hunter Association had gathered.
Every word matched the truth.
"Then... the guards outside the door," Kurapika asked, glancing at the entrance, "they're still part of the First Prince's security detail. What do we do with them?"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)