For him, this was nothing short of a golden opportunity.
By applying to become a bodyguard, he could potentially infiltrate the ranks of the princes. If luck was on his side, he might even end up under the direct command of his original target—the Fourth Prince—or at least someone from the same faction.
That would bring him one step closer to recovering the Scarlet Eyes.
With this in mind, Kurapika stepped forward and volunteered, expressing his intent to apply—his true purpose being to uncover the spies working under Beyond's command.
Ginta and Mizaistom Nana agreed after some consideration.
The Kakin Empire's official recruitment of bodyguards for the princes gave those who were brushed aside during the Hunter Exam a second chance—especially those under Beyond's influence. They might try to use this route to sneak in and help Beyond from the inside.
Given what they'd observed over time and Kurapika's capabilities, they concluded he could easily handle the challenges posed by the princes.
The original V5 had long been wary of Kakin's ambitions. Kurapika's infiltration into the upper levels of the royal family would serve multiple purposes: tracking the internal traitors, monitoring the royals, and reporting any shifts in power directly to the Hunter Association so they could prepare accordingly.
In short, it was killing several birds with one stone. Ginta and the others readily gave their approval.
...
Currently, six princes had posted recruitment notices.
Each applicant could only apply to one prince. If someone submitted applications to multiple princes, they would be disqualified immediately.
Kurapika was well aware of this restriction. After giving it some thought, he decided to enlist the help of five trusted allies.
"I hope you can each infiltrate the ranks of different princes," Kurapika said to the five standing before him.
They were Melody, Basho, Hanzo, Leorio, and Izunavi.
Melody and Basho were Kurapika's fellow bodyguards from the Nostrade family. Their skills and loyalty were beyond question.
Hanzo, eager to see the Dark Continent for himself, had accepted Kurapika's request without hesitation—it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Leorio, one of Kurapika's closest comrades, was the obvious choice. Kurapika had tested his abilities and confirmed that even though he'd been busy with his studies, he hadn't neglected his training. He was more than capable of protecting himself.
And when Leorio heard Kurapika—a person who rarely asked for help—make this request, he was overjoyed. Especially after catching a glimpse of the salaries listed on the princes' recruitment notices. His eyes practically turned red with excitement.
He thumped his chest and swore that he'd complete the mission, even if it cost him his life.
As for Izunavi, he was the master who had taught Kurapika the fundamentals of Nen after he passed the Hunter Exam.
...
Meanwhile, in the original story, Bisky—who had taken on Killua's request to assist Kurapika—was currently fighting Shizuku at a shopping mall.
The male lead, Gon, and the number-two male lead, Killua, were traveling with the Zoldyck family's fourth child (daughter?), Alluka. They were happily going about their adventure.
Though they'd also heard about the Dark Continent, they weren't in a rush.
That continent wasn't going anywhere—it would still be there after their journey was over. So, they figured they'd enjoy their time together before diving into another life-threatening expedition.
...
Because the princes had released their recruitment notices anonymously, only vague details—like salary and basic requirements—were available.
This made identifying which prince issued which notice nearly impossible. It was essentially a random draw from six anonymous offers.
This system was intentional. The Kakin royal family wanted to prevent any one prince from gaining overwhelming popularity and attracting too many skilled applicants. That kind of power imbalance would tilt the succession war too heavily in one direction.
"If our target—the Fourth Prince—isn't among the six, we'll have to find other ways to get close to him," Kurapika explained to the group.
His objective was crystal clear: the Fourth Prince and the Scarlet Eyes in his possession.
He asked his five companions to infiltrate the guards of the six princes, gather intel on the Fourth Prince's movements, and identify any undercover agents Beyond might have already placed among them.
All five of them agreed without hesitation.
...
The next step was to choose which of the six anonymous princes to apply to.
Though the commissions were nearly identical in terms of conditions and pay, even the smallest detail could offer a clue.
Kurapika meticulously reviewed every line of the six postings.
"One posted early, one late… one offered the highest pay, one fixed their salary and refused to negotiate… another listed excessive requirements but didn't mention anything personal…"
He examined each subtle difference, cross-referencing them with the known traits and tendencies of the princes.
Eventually, Kurapika zeroed in on one commission that, based on its characteristics, seemed to match the Ninth Prince—Halkenburg Hui Guo Rou.
The tone, the structure, the nature of the requirements—it all lined up with Halkenburg's known behavior.
According to intelligence from the Hunter Association, the Ninth Prince was one of the very few who shared a somewhat cordial relationship with the Fourth Prince. In fact, Halkenburg was said to be the only one capable of empathizing with him, despite the Fourth Prince being viewed with suspicion and hostility by most of his siblings.
Even on the voyage, it was likely they'd maintain some contact.
If Kurapika became Halkenburg's bodyguard, the chances of getting close to the Fourth Prince would increase dramatically.
Confident in his deduction, Kurapika submitted his application.
...
But even the cleverest minds can make mistakes.
This time, Kurapika had been too clever for his own good.
The commission hadn't been issued by the Ninth Prince at all.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)