But King Nasubi wasn't done.
His words struck deeper than any blade.
"The princes beneath you hold no real power. In truth, they were corpses before the battle even began."
"The Succession War belongs to the eight of you. Had Tserriednich died, it would have been just eight. But since he lives… it is nine."
"I allowed those weaker princes to participate for one reason:
My heir must understand how to deal with siblings who also have a rightful claim to the throne."
"And you, the one who claimed you would end this blood-soaked tradition and reform the Kakin Empire— You've failed. Miserably."
"The truth is, you only have your words.
Empty. Meaningless."
"The other princes, they saw opportunity.
They pounced on the weak.
One by one, they eliminated them."
"Zhang Lei's vulnerability showed for but a moment—
And they went for his throat.
They tore him apart.
That was their victory.
Undeniably, completely theirs."
"If you truly cared for the lives of your siblings—
You should have gathered those unwilling to fight.
You should've united them from the start."
"And now, coming to me, asking about the purpose behind this war— What is it you want from me? Sympathy? Mercy? Do you think I can raise the dead?"
"When you declared you would fight for the throne, I still had a sliver of hope for you."
"And this… this is the answer you gave me."
"It seems... you didn't truly want to change the Kakin Empire in your own way. If you did, you would have found a way—no matter what."
In a daze, Halkenburg left the king's chamber and returned to his quarters. That very night, he died—murdered under mysterious circumstances.
Germain could still feel the deep sorrow lingering in the one-eyed troll's body. It was the grief of the prince it had once been bound to, clinging to the creature like a shadow.
He turned slightly, shifting his gaze from the troll crouched at the bottom-right of the stone steps, to another massive beast sitting at the bottom-left.
It was a four-legged horse. But disturbingly, where its head should be was the face of a woman.
Her wide mouth twisted into a grim smile, and inside, she still held the head of a small boy between her jaws—his young face frozen in terror and confusion.
"A spirit beast that had been silently observing the Fourth Prince… It was meant to be a perfect match. But now, it's nothing more than a wandering ghost without a host to cling to."
"It loathes lies, yet takes pleasure in torture. Never let it leave a brand on you—or you'll undergo a terrifying transformation."
Unfazed, Germain calmly turned his head upward—his eyes resting on the third creature perched at the top-right corner.
It was an insect. A beetle with powerful hind legs and proud, sky-facing compound eyes. Its wide, human-like mouth stretched open, revealing massive teeth that fit together with unnatural precision.
"A Greedy Beetle that forces gifts onto others… When it spreads its membranous wings and flies toward its prey, it means it's ready to reap—twice as much as it gave."
This was the guardian spirit beast of the First Prince, Benjamin.
With the deaths of the Third and Ninth Princes, only two contenders remained among the original thirteen: Prince Benjamin and Prince Camilla.
They were the firstborn—the earliest to gather power and resources under their banners. And among all the princes, they were the first to learn about Nen.
If not for King Nasubi's strict prohibition, they would've long since ordered their followers to eliminate the other "mundane" heirs—those unworthy muggles who stood in their way.
That way, the inheritance war wouldn't have become so complicated.
Because of this, after the death of the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich, Benjamin and Camilla's factions were the first to be suspected.
It was only much later that their names were cleared.
Now, with just one week left before the BW1 ship arrives at the so-called "Dark Continent," things have finally returned to the right track, and the final stage has been set.
Between Benjamin and Camilla, there must be a clear victor.
The eldest prince, Benjamin, never believed any other prince was more qualified than himself to ascend the throne.
That was what he thought, and that was how he acted.
After the third prince, Zhang Lei, lost his power, Benjamin was the first to offer "protection."
By this time, he had already understood how to activate his guardian spirit beast.
Although the ninth prince, Halkenburg, also claimed he wanted to shelter Zhang Lei, Benjamin dismissed him with disdain.
He had long seen through his younger brother's true nature.
Halkenburg spoke with righteous fervor, but he was reckless and shortsighted—planning to use brute force to get whatever he wanted, regardless of the consequences.
In the end, Halkenburg could neither control the rebellious Heil-Ly Family nor protect his loyal private soldiers. He ultimately became nothing more than meat on the chopping block.
He wanted to protect Zhang Lei, but with what? His so-called "morality" to move everyone's hearts?
Zhang Lei, having lost almost everything and overwhelmed by fear, had no choice but to accept Benjamin's "forced protection," which did keep him alive for a few more days.
However, Benjamin's protection came with a price—not a favor, but a terrifyingly high-interest loan forced upon Zhang Lei.
In fact, Benjamin shielded Zhang Lei from the second prince Camilla's "Yomotsu Hegui" and from assassination attempts by other rival factions.
He even orchestrated fake assassination attempts by his own men, only to "save" Zhang Lei at the last moment.
This meant the "protection fee" Zhang Lei owed Benjamin grew heavier and heavier, until it became impossible to repay.
First, Zhang Lei entered a state called "Despair", unable to summon his guardian spirit beast.
Then, he lost his guardian spirit beast itself.
In the end, overwhelmed by the ever-growing debt, Zhang Lei lost his sanity and chose to take his own life to repay it.
This way, Benjamin bypassed the two sacred rules of the Guardian Spirit Beasts, forcing Zhang Lei into suicide.
"The first rule: Spirit Beasts will never kill each other."
"The second rule: Spirit Beasts will not directly attack the humans they are attached to."
Benjamin's own Nen ability — Benjamin Baton — already allowed him to inherit the Nen powers from loyal mercenaries.
Now, combined with his Guardian Spirit Beast's, he had also seized Zhang Lei's Guardian Spirit Beast.
At this point, Benjamin's advantage was overwhelming, and victory seemed certain.
His remaining targets were Halkenburg, now just a skeleton in a grave, and Camilla, whom he had captured alive once and who afterward only dared to hide in the shadows using sneaky curses.
If he could take their Guardian Spirit Beasts as well, everything would be settled.
Benjamin could then devour them without mercy.
But the truth was, after Halkenburg's death, Benjamin was defeated in his final battle against Camilla.
The outcome shocked most people, as under those circumstances, nearly everyone expected Benjamin to win everything.
The champagne was ready to be popped, sycophants were eager, and the BW1 faction was restless with anticipation.
Yet cold, hard reality slapped most of them in the face.
*******
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