Inside the cabins of the Black Whale, which had entered its final stage of preparation, the eight members of the New Phantom Troupe were all crowded into a warehouse overflowing with various supplies.
Through the intelligence and spy networks established by the V5, they had easily managed to sneak onto this colossal ferry ahead of its departure.
Serving as the acting leader, Sheila stared at these outlaws, who had shed their defiant attitudes, and spoke in a toneless voice, "You did well in the mission to rescue Pariston; it was worthy of praise. However, that was just the appetizer. Now, we move on to the main course."
"The main course?"
A short man dressed in a suit looked up, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
"Exactly. The surveillance phase is over. Your next objective is to assist the Grim Reaper, Allen, in locating the urn passed down through the Kakin Royal Family, and then find a way to steal or seize it. As for any other treasures you discover during the process, you may take as much as you please," Sheila stated the details of the new mission without a second thought.
"Heh, so you're saying we're finally returning to our original profession as a troupe of thieves, right?" A youth with highly developed upper-body muscles grinned, revealing an excited smile.
Sheila nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I don't care how you do it or what methods you use. Just make sure the urn is in our hands before the ship reaches the shore. The member who performs most outstandingly in this mission will become the Leader of the New Phantom Troupe, and I will step back to become your liaison."
"Interesting! So this is going to be a battle for the position of Leader." A girl with short black hair curled her lips slightly.
In an instant, the eyes of the other seven members present flashed with a chilling intensity. It went without saying that these individuals generally deferred to no one; each craved the seat of the Leader. Now, they could finally settle it in a relatively fair environment.
Having finished delegating the mission, Sheila quickly vanished from the sight of these Meteor City natives. She moved stealthily toward the quarters of the Fourteenth Prince and the Queen, watching the last survivor of the Kurta Clan from a distance, noting the unusual Nen emanating from him.
After several minutes, she let out a long breath and murmured in a voice only she could hear, "This is your final life's journey, Kurapika. Before long, you will be reunited with your friends in the afterlife. For you, that is the best destination, not wandering the skies like a vengeful ghost, keeping everyone on edge."
With those words, the woman tasked with intelligence gathering turned and vanished into the vast night.
…
With the supplies fully prepped, the B.W. Black Whale finally saw its day of departure.
Following a stirring speech, King Nasubi and the Princes participating in the Succession Contest led the way in boarding the gargantuan ferry. As the most distinguished guests, Allen and his team were naturally among them.
In the ceremonial hall on the first deck, the Second Prince, Camilla, who had been unable to contain herself, was the first to approach. She lowered her voice and probed, "May I invite you to my room for a talk after the banquet?"
"A talk?"
Allen looked up and glanced at the woman. Dressed in a magnificent gown, her gaze and attitude radiated an arrogant, overbearing aura. In Kakin, the King's children, whether male or female, are all referred to as "Princes" and are given the prefix of First, Second, or Third based on their birth order. This Second Prince was the most proactive in trying to establish contact with him.
"Yes. I believe we would have much in common."
As she spoke, Camilla proactively took Allen's arm, feigning an air of great intimacy. Clearly, she was signaling her brothers and sisters.
Unfortunately for her, Allen was not one to be manipulated by such crude tactics. Without hesitation, he released a burst of aura, quietly repelling her grip. "I'm afraid I don't believe we have much in common at all."
"You..."
This was clearly the first time Camilla had faced such a rejection. her face instantly turned unsightly. Before she could lash out, however, First Prince Benjamin approached with a wine glass, laughing sarcastically. "Hahahaha! I never imagined my young and beautiful sister would see the day she was rejected. I always thought no man could resist your charms."
"Hmph! Don't get too smug! What I can't have, you won't get either."
Camilla glared at him viciously and immediately left the area to salvage what remained of her dignity.
Watching her figure disappear into the crowd, Benjamin turned to Allen and asked in an uncertain tone, "Grim Reaper Allen, you should have no interest in participating in this Succession Contest, correct?"
"In principle, yes. Provided that your actions do not affect the civilians on the lower decks. If your behavior causes mass casualties among the people, I will do what a Hunter must do," Allen replied nonchalantly.
"Understood. I wish you a pleasant and relaxing journey." Benjamin raised his glass, took a small sip, and decisively chose to stop his advances. As the firstborn who commanded a powerful private army of Nen users, he was already the strongest among his siblings. As long as Allen remained neutral, he believed victory would surely be his.
Seeing the two strongest Princes hit a wall, the remaining Princes abandoned their original plans. For a moment, a large space cleared around Allen, as if everyone were intentionally avoiding him.
"Did you notice? The Guardian Spirit Beasts looming around those Princes," Kite reminded him in a low voice.
While enjoying the lavish food, Allen smiled and replied, "Of course. Unless I were blind, how could I miss them? Kakin truly lives up to its reputation as the longest-surviving nation; they possess such incredible Nen abilities. If I'm not mistaken, these so-called Guardian Spirit Beasts are actually manifested from powerful Post-Mortem Nen. If I had to use a precise term to describe them, they would be 'souls.'"
"Souls?" A spark of realization flashed in Kite's eyes.
"Yes, souls. I suspect the seeds these Princes swallowed are actually the crystallized souls of their ancestors. That's the only way to explain why the Guardian Spirit Beasts have their own will and don't obey their masters," Allen shared his hypothesis meaningfully.
"That would mean..."
Kite clearly followed the implication, a look of utter shock appearing on her face.
Allen smiled playfully and nodded. "Ah, don't say it. It's not the time yet. At least until I find that urn, I can't be 100% certain."