It was the mother of the Fourteenth Prince—still an infant—who imitated the tone and demeanor of the Ninth Prince to write this recruitment request.
Her intention was to attract those hostile to the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince was immensely popular in the Kakin Empire, with a substantial base of supporters.
His true loyalists had already aligned themselves with the empire's inner workings and become his personal guards.
So, anyone trying to join the Ninth Prince's camp through open recruitment likely had hidden agendas—either trying to manipulate him or cause him harm.
That's exactly why the mother of the Fourteenth Prince wanted to lure these people to her side.
She was doing all of this for one reason: to survive the succession war.
At this point, news of the succession war was only circulating within the Kakin royal family. The outside world—including the Hunter Association—was still in the dark.
The Ninth Prince was an active participant in the succession battle. That meant he would eventually have to eliminate all his siblings... including the infant Fourteenth Prince.
The Ninth Prince was determined to reform the Kakin Empire. He was set on winning the throne, and in doing so, had made many enemies.
He had the image of a wise and just future monarch. But if word ever got out that he killed a helpless baby brother, his political rivals would seize on it without hesitation.
Because of that, anyone aiming to bring him down would likely try to protect the Fourteenth Prince and his mother. At the very least, if they couldn't save the prince, they'd save his mother.
Why? Because the mother of the Fourteenth Prince could become a crucial witness to expose the crimes committed by the Ninth Prince.
Even if another prince was responsible for the baby's death, if the Ninth Prince failed to seek justice, it would still tarnish his reputation.
So, by recruiting outsiders—especially those harboring resentment toward the Ninth Prince—the Fourteenth Prince's mother was gambling on increasing their chances of survival.
Her own chances were slightly better than her son's, and this whole scheme was clearly tilted in her own favor.
A "loving" mother, yes—but one with deep, self-serving motives.
...
That's how Kurapika got pulled into the scheme. And once he met the real client, he'd come to understand just how sharp the needle buried at the bottom of a woman's heart could be.
What's more, Kurapika's critical misstep was believing that the Fourth Prince had a strong connection to the Ninth Prince, as indicated in the intelligence he received.
In truth, the Fourth Prince was arrogant to the extreme and looked down on all his siblings.
Even if their relationship had been neutral at best, the moment they entered the succession battle, that all went out the window. In the end, only one could survive.
So, realistically speaking, was peace between them even an option?
Obviously not.
Kurapika's plan to cozy up to the Fourth Prince was destined to fail.
How he deals with this reality once he meets his chosen prince aboard the Black Whale... remains to be seen.
...
After Kurapika made his selection, the other five bodyguards followed suit.
As soon as the choices were finalized, each of them received a text message notification.
"An interview tomorrow afternoon? That soon?"
Leorio stared at the location and time marked on the screen, his brow furrowing with confusion.
"They probably want to assess our skills and backgrounds before the ceremony starts," Basho said, covering her mouth thoughtfully.
"My interview's scheduled for tomorrow morning," she added.
"Is that so?" Leorio smacked his lips, then caught sight of the ridiculous number of zeroes listed under the salary section and let out a goofy little chuckle. "Hehehe..."
The anonymous prince he'd chosen just happened to offer the highest pay.
It wasn't just a way to support Kurapika and earn his trust—it also promised a hefty paycheck.
There really was no better deal than this.
Still, it wouldn't do to get ahead of himself. If he bombed the interview and the prince wasn't impressed, he'd walk away with nothing.
...
As Leorio and the others received their notices and began preparations...
In a luxury hotel near the Kakin Empire airport...
...
Ronnel sat casually, holding a printed interview notice. After scanning it with a glance, he tossed it onto the table in front of him.
The table was already lined with five other copies—each with the outline of a boarding guard position and the specifics of where and when the duty briefings would take place.
All the locations varied, but they were all hotels within the Kakin Empire—and all were official, not personally affiliated with any one prince.
"Guard recruitment, huh? Guess it'll be fun watching you all dance before we even get to the Dark Continent."
Ronnel tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.
With that thought, he raised an arm—and activated both his [Beelzebub] and [Body Restructuring] Nen abilities.
Cells dispersed from his body and soon gathered into five humanoid figures, each one different in age, appearance, and build.
"Take these interview notices. Each of you, go to a different prince. Report everything you find—immediately."
One by one, the five doppelgängers took their assigned notices and vanished.
Only a single interview notice remained on the table, right in front of Ronnel.
He intended to pick one of the princes for himself too—give the job a try, enjoy the process...
And, of course, observe these princes and their subordinates up close.
With the five clones and his own body, Ronnel had effectively covered all the open guard slots from the recruitment list.
The five avatars were constructed using identities of Hunters he had found online—individuals who had been missing for nearly a year.
Most of them were likely already dead—lost in ruins, caught in secret realms, or killed without a trace.
Perfect cover for infiltration.
Each doppelgänger created by Beelzebub shared Ronnel's personality and thought process—almost like true extensions of himself.
They could access shared space backpacks, use his Nen abilities, and instantly communicate any findings via thought.
Ronnel could even transfer his consciousness into any of them at will.
Efficient. Deadly. Discreet.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)