The departure banquet lasted for several hours. Although some of the younger Princes had long since retired, the adult Princes remained, testing one another or even forming temporary alliances to deal with the most threatening competitors, such as the First Prince, Benjamin, who held every possible advantage.
Of course, none of this had much to do with Allen.
Once he confirmed that the Seed Urn was not present at the banquet, he led his small team back to their quarters. Whether by design or coincidence, Nasubi had intentionally arranged for his room to be on the first deck, situated alongside the fourteen Princes. This special treatment certainly drew envious glares from outsiders.
However, no one knew that the first deck was actually the most dangerous place on the entire ferry; it was the battlefield for the Princes.
Shortly after returning to their room, a peculiar spectacle of Guardian Spirit Beasts running amok began.
"Good heavens! These... these things are the Guardian Spirit Beasts the Princes obtained from that urn?"
Baise stared at the chaotic scene in the room, which resembled a nocturnal parade of a hundred demons, her mouth hanging open in shock. She wasn't the only one; the little rabbit Hina and the Virus Hunter Sanbica had similar reactions.
As for Bodoro, he immediately pulled the iron rings on both sides of his equipment case, donning his heavy armor. Shield in hand, he looked ready to strike at the Nen beasts scurrying across the room.
But before he could act, Allen stopped him. "Leave them be. These things should be harmless to outsiders like us, at least, they won't initiate an attack. On the contrary, the ones who should be worried are the other Princes and their guards participating in the Succession Contest. If I'm not mistaken, the slaughter has already begun."
"Damn it! At this rate, we can forget about getting any decent rest. From now on, let's set up a watch rotation. This room must never be left unguarded," Baise suggested, rubbing her temples in frustration.
"Agreed! I'll take the first watch," Bodoro volunteered. He was clearly more suited for combat than intrigue; he sat down on the floor in full armor, his eyes scanning the surroundings incessantly.
Allen took the opportunity to summon Lupos and Lupos II, adding them to the sentry line. A wolf's hearing and sense of smell were far more acute than a human's, and with their innate predatory danger-sense, they would surely bark a warning if any of those bizarre Guardian Spirit Beasts intruded.
Indeed, to save himself the trouble of naming, Allen had decided to call Lupos's cub Lupos II. If there were grandsons in the future, they would be the III, and so on. Lupos II had already learned the basics of Nen from his father. Though his combat prowess was still somewhat lacking, he was more than qualified as a scout.
Just as the room's security was finalized, the landline on the table suddenly rang. The piercing sound made everyone in the room jump. Allen quickly grabbed the receiver and held it to his ear. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Allen, is that you?" Kurapika's voice came through the handset.
"Yeah, it's me. Something up?" Allen's tone was slightly playful.
"The Fourteenth Prince and the Queen were just attacked! Several people on my end have already been murdered since we set sail," Kurapika briefly explained his situation.
Unfortunately, Allen remained unmoved. He asked bluntly, "So... what does that have to do with me? Don't forget, this is an internal succession war for the Kakin Royal Family. I'm just an outsider."
"But the Fourteenth Prince is just a baby! She's innocent!" Kurapika emphasized, his voice rising with emotion.
"I'm sorry, but whether she is innocent or not isn't for me to decide, it's up to the current King of Kakin, Nasubi. People must be responsible for their own actions. Once a choice is made, one must bear the consequences. No matter how sentimental a story that Queen told you, in my eyes, she is not innocent."
Allen ruthlessly rejected the request Kurapika was likely about to make. The reason was simple: at the banquet, Nasubi had clearly tried to drag him into the mess. Therefore, the most ideal course of action now was to remain neutral.
"Fine. I understand your position. Goodbye." Seeing that Allen's mind was made up, Kurapika decisively hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, Allen shook his head with a smile and remarked, "That guy is the same as always, too kind and soft-hearted. He feels pain and guilt even when killing his enemies, yet he insists on acting like a cold, rational professional."
Undoubtedly, in the world of Hunter x Hunter, most characters have complex personalities, and few could be called "good people." But Kurapika was an exception. Whether dealing with strangers or enemies, he rarely went for the kill immediately, often giving the other party a chance to choose again. In a world where killing was as common as mowing grass, he was a rare breath of fresh air.
Allen suspected that the Fourteenth Prince's mother had likely seen through this. She was using Kurapika's extraordinary compassion to bind him to her side, hoping to survive through his strength.
Meanwhile, in another room, Queen Oito, mother of the Fourteenth Prince, asked nervously, "Well? Did your friend agree to help us?"
"I'm sorry. I misjudged the situation. Allen has no intention of getting involved in the Succession Contest. He is a man of rigid principles; once he sets his mind, he won't change it easily. I'm afraid we'll have to rely on our own strength to get through this," Kurapika replied, his eyes glowing a fiery scarlet.
"Why... why? Why is it like this!" Queen Oito's hope shattered, replaced by a look of panic and despair.
"Because in his eyes, you married the King of Kakin of your own free will. It was a choice you made, and everything happening now is the inevitable consequence of that choice. Simply put, he doesn't see you as an innocent bystander, so he won't intervene without cause, especially in an environment this complicated," Kurapika explained helplessly.
"What about Woble? She's just a baby! She doesn't understand anything!" Queen Oito looked up and questioned loudly, her emotions boiling over.
"The Prince carries the bloodline of the Kakin Royal Family; in Allen's eyes, that means she isn't innocent either. Furthermore, the one forcing all the Princes to participate isn't him, it's the King. So please, cast aside all unrealistic illusions. Prepare for the storm ahead. Because the only people left to help the Prince are us."
As he spoke, a look of exhaustion washed over Kurapika's face. Keeping the Scarlet Eyes active for a prolonged period while using Emperor Time placed an immense burden on both his body and mind. This was one of the reasons he had been so desperate to seek help from Allen.