"Phew… that meal was nerve-wracking. Especially that thing standing behind the King; it was enough to make one gag."
As soon as they finished inspecting the room to confirm there were no cameras or wiretaps, Baise collapsed onto the sofa with zero regard for her image, her tone dripping with disdain and loathing.
To a Nen user, high-tech surveillance equipment like bugs or pinhole cameras were essentially useless. One only needed to expand their En to instantly flush out every little gadget hidden in the corners. King Nasubi of Kakin was undoubtedly aware of this, so he hadn't bothered with such tedious little tricks.
Whether there were specialized Nen users monitoring them from the shadows, however, remained to be seen.
"That is the Guardian Spirit Beast, a legacy passed down through generations of the Kakin Royal Family. Depending on the individual's personality, every person who undergoes the Seed Urn ritual receives a unique beast. These Guardian Spirit Beasts do not follow their master's orders; they act autonomously. Furthermore, participants can develop their own unique Nen abilities alongside them. In short, the King and the Princes participating in the war are all dual-ability users."
Allen bluntly revealed the most troublesome aspect of the Kakin Royalty.
Though he hadn't seen the Seed Urn yet, he could clearly feel the oppressive aura radiating from Nasubi, the weight of powerful Post-Mortem Nen. Without a doubt, the urn possessed a capability similar to Vaelastrasz: it stored the accumulated Post-Mortem Nen of all ritual participants over centuries. By now, that energy had grown to a scale beyond most people's imagination.
If he were to kill Nasubi directly, he would most likely be cursed by the horrific Nen within the urn, haunted until the day he died. Therefore, locating the urn and finding a way to seize it was the most critical step of his revenge plan.
"Damn! That is definitely not good news." Upon hearing "dual-ability users" and "autonomous spirit beasts," Baise couldn't help but frown.
Allen smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. The Princes' greatest enemies are themselves. Most of them will be thinned out through their own infighting. Our primary opponent is only one person: Nasubi himself."
Just as Bodoro was about to chime in, a sudden knock sounded at the door.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In an instant, the group shifted from relaxation to high alert. Bodoro placed his hand on the latch of his equipment case, ready to don his armor and enter combat mode at a moment's notice.
"Who is it?" Allen called out.
"Relax, I have no hostility. I just wanted to stop by and say hello," Ging Freecss's voice drifted in through the crack in the door.
Recognizing the visitor, everyone stood down. Allen opened the door and asked half-jokingly, "How did you know we were staying here?"
Ging laughed. "Simple! I just asked around. Your movements aren't exactly a secret, and I'm staying very close to here."
"Just to say hello?" A knowing smile played on Allen's face.
"Well, besides saying hello, I wanted to clarify our stance. We have no intention of involving ourselves in the feud between you and the Kakin Royal Family," Ging said meaningfully, revealing the true purpose of his visit.
"Is this your idea, or Pariston's?" Allen asked point-blank.
He had already learned of Pariston's movements after his prison break through the V5 intelligence network. Moreover, proactively declaring a neutral stance wasn't Ging's style; it smelled like Pariston's handiwork. Most likely, the man was currently terrified and didn't dare show his face, choosing to send a messenger instead.
"Heh, you're as sharp as ever. Yes, it was Pariston's idea. To be precise, he's surrendering to you in exchange for a guarantee that you won't cause him trouble while we're on the ship. That's all."
Seeing his poor attempt at a cover-up exposed, Ging admitted it with blunt honesty. The helplessness in his eyes showed that he didn't enjoy doing this, but had to compromise for the sake of the team's interests.
"I see." Allen nodded thoughtfully. "Tell Pariston that if he stays quiet and keeps a low profile, I'll let him go for now. But if he tries to pull any more strings behind my back, tell him to look at what happened to Beyond."
"That's a terrifying threat! But I think he's learned his lesson this time. By the way, where's Kite? Has she not arrived yet?" Ging glanced around the room, his voice tinged with excitement and anticipation.
"Kite is still two or three days away. Also, it's 'she' now, not 'he,'" Allen corrected playfully.
"The gender changed during reincarnation? Is she closer to a human or a Chimera Ant now?" Ging had never actually met the new Kite, having only spoken via a few brief phone calls without video. He had no idea of his student's current state.
Allen rubbed his chin for a moment before responding, "Strictly speaking, she's closer to an Ant. She is the King's twin sister and possesses the same potential. Unfortunately, Meruem absorbed the vast majority of the nutrients, leaving her as a tiny infant who nearly died in the Queen's womb. Even so, her Nen will undoubtedly evolve into something even more powerful."
"Sounds fascinating. Give me a call when she arrives; I need to see her state for myself," Ging requested seriously.
"No problem. I'll call you when she gets here. Honestly, I'm curious to see what her Nen looks like now, too," Allen agreed.
"Thanks. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back. After all, I'm technically employed by the Kakin Royal Family. If the King finds out we were sitting together chatting, it would cause unnecessary trouble." With a wave of his hand, Ging turned and left.
Before he could get far, Allen remembered something and called out, "Wait! Do you still have a Pregnancy Stone from Greed Island?"
"Huh? A Pregnancy Stone? Why are you interested in that?" Ging stopped, sounding genuinely bewildered.
"Nothing much. I just plan to use it to help certain rare animals speed up their breeding process," Allen replied with a half-truth.
He had promised Lupos he wouldn't use a Pregnancy Stone on him again. But he hadn't promised not to use it on that little wolf pup that was growing bigger by the day!
As the saying goes: the grandfather begets the father, the father begets the son, and the sons beget grandsons for generations. If he wanted to create a true wolf pack, he'd have to do some... less-than-human things. Every wolf only gets tricked once; they can all share the burden. No one gets to laugh at anyone else.
"Helping animals breed? Oh, I get it! No problem! I'll have someone send it over to you later."
Ging was no fool; he immediately thought of the giant wolf with the beautiful silver-white fur that usually accompanied Allen. He gave an affirmative answer. After all, the Pregnancy Stone wasn't exactly rare; it was just an accidental discovery he made while excavating an ancient tomb. He had more than one, so giving it away didn't hurt at all.