Chapter 176: Your Master
Ok guys, so you guys have decided that I will release not 14 but 15 chapters every week on a (Saturday Only). And to tell you the full truth, this would have been the best option for me, because it leaves me time, because I have a job IRL. (THIS DECISION WAS VOTED OVER BY THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PATRONS I HAD ON PATREON)
So I gotta make it work one way or another. Plus I encourage you to join my patreon and become a member of my Monster Familia. So that I can... I mean we can flourish together. (highest benefit being 60 chapters ahead of public release)
I Wanna Be Famous TOO!! (Sad Face Emoji)
...
A few days later, the ninth prince, Halkenburg, finally responded, promising Oboro that he would find a way to invite the eldest prince to the hotel where he was staying so that the two could meet.
And Oboro kept his word, ordering his people to lift the curse on Honeypot and give her the antidote. As for the micro-bomb in her body, he believed that with the Ninth Prince's abilities, Halkenburg would be able to find a suitable hospital to perform surgery and remove it.
"My Lord, Eldest Prince Benjamin has an extremely domineering personality. Although there is a possibility that we can join forces with him, we may not be able to get him to serve us willingly." The next day, in the hotel suite, prior to the arrival of Eldest Prince Benjamin, a core member of the Fells family who had been in charge of operations within the Kakin Empire's royal family offered his advice to Oboro.
The man's name was Barre. He was a sturdy man with a powerful physique. Many years ago, he had been hired by the Kakin royal family as a palace guard instructor to help the royals train their security personnel. In reality, he was a pawn of the Fells family.
Having been embedded in the royal family for so long, he had naturally developed a deep understanding of the princes' personalities.
"So which prince do you think would be a better choice?" Oboro asked, leaning back on the sofa and scrolling through his phone.
"Someone who has both the courage to kill the other princes and the ability to clean up afterwards," Barre thoughtfully considered. "In addition to the eldest prince, I believe the second prince and the fifth prince also fit that description. However, the second prince is exceptionally arrogant and not the best person to work with, so my recommendation is the fifth prince."
Barre continued, "The fifth prince, Tubeppa, is very self-disciplined. He thinks some of the princes are too corrupt. He wouldn't mind acting as the scavenger of the Kakin Empire, succeeding as the next king, and cleaning up the royal family, so he also has the motive to eliminate other princes. Second, his mother is the queen with the most children in the royal family. She has extraordinary power. Even if the matter were exposed, his mother alone could clean up the mess. He's also a scholar and scientist. Though he's acting cautiously, I know he's been seeking private cooperation with other princes. Our appearance now gives him the perfect opportunity."
"Oh, that's a good analysis," Oboro said, turning off his phone in appreciation.
Only moments ago, Pariston had sent him similar information. The person Pariston had chosen was also the fifth prince, Tubeppa.
Pariston's reasoning wasn't complicated. It consisted of only two words: "Manipulable.
Such a person would naturally be easier for Oboro to control and make act according to his plans.
Besides, the Fifth Lord had no power base behind him. He longed for supporters. Unlike the other lords, who had loyal followers or factions under their command, Tubeppa was a scientist who rarely dealt with gangs or politics. Even the ninth prince, Halkenburg, had gained the support of a group of diehards because of his frequent expressions of dissatisfaction with the Kakin succession system. Therefore, if the Fells family offered help, Tubeppa would eagerly accept it, willingly taking the blame if necessary. He would never reveal the existence of the Fells family.
Because of his relationship with his mother, the queen, he could also minimize any punishment the king might give him.
"But," Oboro's voice became cold and deliberate. "I am not looking for an ally. I have no interest in the succession battle of the Kakin royal family, and I don't want to support any prince. I just want to reduce the number of members of the royal family and let my people take the throne."
Barre fell silent as understanding dawned on him.
At noon the next day, a military vehicle pulled up in front of the hotel.
The door swung open and the eldest prince, Benjamin, stepped out, accompanied by several private soldiers.
Oboro stood in front of the French windows on the top floor and watched the scene below with a slight smile on his lips. "Everything is going according to plan", he had finally arrived.
Even though the hotel building was several hundred meters high, Oboro could still clearly feel the aura of the private soldiers surrounding the eldest prince Benjamin. All of them were Nen users of considerable skill. According to the rules of the Dark Continent Expedition, each prince was only allowed a limited number of private soldiers. What Benjamin displayed here was only a fraction of the Nen users he had personally trained to ensure his future succession.
According to information gathered by the Fells family, Benjamin had trained an entire army of Nen users!
Most importantly, these Nen practitioners had all been educated at the Royal Military Academy and possessed extraordinary qualities. They excelled in both physical prowess and mental acuity.
On the Black Whale, if the Hunters Association hadn't intervened by sending the Twelve Zodiacs to balance the power among the princes and minimize conflicts, and if the other princes had remained ignorant of Nen, the eldest prince, Benjamin, would have secured victory with an overwhelming advantage.
Meanwhile, Benjamin's private soldiers went up first. After making sure there was no danger, they signaled for Benjamin to take the elevator to the top floor.
He was somewhat surprised that the ninth prince, Halkenburg, who had always shunned royal activities and kept his distance from his siblings whenever possible, would request a meeting with him. Halkenburg had claimed to have something important to discuss regarding the struggle for the throne.
Normally, given Benjamin's personality, he wouldn't bother or pay attention to the other princes. But since this was about the succession, he decided to come.
In Benjamin's mind, his ascension to the throne was inevitable.
The other princes could not stop him, nor were they worthy of the crown. From the moment they were born, they had declared war on him and challenged his rightful position.
Well, since this was a battle, as a soldier he saw no need for mercy.
After a moment, the door to the penthouse suite swung open and Benjamin stepped in with measured strides, his breathing steady and controlled.
As soon as he entered, his eyes narrowed. Instead of finding the Ninth Prince Halkenburg in the spacious hall, a stranger stood at the window.
The man wore a black suit that seemed at odds with his physique, but Benjamin could sense the explosive muscles beneath the fabric.
"Who are you?" Benjamin demanded coldly.
Several private soldiers entered beside the eldest lord.
Oboro turned and made a quick assessment. They were all familiar faces, soldiers he had seen aboard the Black Whale. Their presence indicated that they were all among the eldest lord's most trusted confidants.
Babisamra, Vincent, Shikaku and others, nine in all!
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Oboro. It was my idea for the Ninth Lord to invite you here," Oboro said with a smile.
Benjamin had a head of unruly hair that stood at odd angles, an exaggerated physique, and bulging muscles that made him look intimidating and oppressive like a walking lion.
Benjamin exchanged glances with one of his soldiers, who immediately pulled out his cell phone and called the Ninth Prince.
The soldier spoke to Halkenburg as Oboro listened.
"My prince, it seems that the people of the Fells family want to cooperate with you," the bald, dark-skinned middle-aged man with a scar across his left cheek said, looking at Benjamin.
Babisamra was the elder prince's strategist. He radiated a shrewd, calculating aura. Aboard the Black Whale, when Benjamin had flown into a rage over the second prince, it had been Babisamra who had stopped him from acting irrationally and prevented him from making mistakes based on incomplete information.
After listening, Benjamin stared at Oboro with cold indifference, then turned and walked to the door without a word.
His private soldiers followed close behind, each casting evaluative glances at Oboro as they passed.
The Fells family had recently caused quite a stir in the underworld, seemingly harboring ambitions to unite the world's criminal organizations. Such a person would indeed have the status and credibility to negotiate with the Elder Prince. Unfortunately, Benjamin wasn't like the other princes. He was a soldier who believed in military might above all else.
The fact that Benjamin hadn't killed Oboro on the spot could be seen as a courtesy to the Fells family.
"In your eyes, your ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion," Oboro shouted. "But what happens after that? Even if you become king, it won't be easy to expand the territory of the Kakin Empire and have your army dominate the world. Our Fells family has the means to influence the political arenas of many countries and can help speed up this process; we can even enable you to invade and annex other nations in a remarkably short time," Oboro had anticipated Benjamin's reaction. When he saw that the lord had reached the door, he smiled and addressed him in a low voice.
Benjamin stopped. He turned his head slightly and looked at Oboro with one eye, his tone cold and commanding: "If you want to use me and discuss cooperation, you must first submit to me.
He had figured out Oboro's intentions.
He has some intelligence, Oboro thought, but my assessment remains unchanged: brave but not wise, with a touch of cunning but not much.
"I am a businessman. I only talk about cooperation. If you're not satisfied, you can leave now," Oboro said lightly.
Benjamin turned around completely, stared directly at him and suddenly stepped forward until he towered over Oboro.
Benjamin towered over Oboro with his considerably larger frame.
He looked down at Oboro and pronounced every word carefully: "This is the Kakin Empire, not the rat's nest of your gang. Our Kakin royal regime is not a bargaining chip for you to use in your games. The only thing you can do, and the only reason I haven't executed you on the spot, is to become mine!"
A dangerous light flashed in Benjamin's eyes, suggesting that if Oboro dared to refuse, he would be devoured like prey by a raging lion in the next instant.
Since Oboro had demonstrated the power of the Fells family, if Benjamin left now, Oboro would surely find ways to ally with other lords and become his enemy. Benjamin preferred to eliminate potential threats before they materialized.
"So domineering!" Oboro sighed softly.
He looked at the private soldiers standing nearby. They waited with folded arms, watching the exchange with barely concealed satisfaction, eager to see what choice Oboro would make.
These men knew the eldest lord's character all too well and had anticipated this very scenario.
Had Oboro not mentioned the Fells family's influence over foreign political powers and simply allowed them to leave, he might have survived. But by revealing that the Fells family intended to overthrow the Kakin regime, as they had done to several smaller nations, he had sealed his fate.
This was not going according to plan. "Hmm, it seems the negotiations have really broken down," Oboro said with a shrug, looking up at the intimidating Benjamin. "I guess you don't know who I am, do you?"
Benjamin didn't answer. His expression said it all.
All he cared about was the succession and certain international power dynamics. As for the Mafia, Benjamin couldn't be bothered to understand it. If the criminal underworld were a country, he might have paid some attention to it, preparing for the future expansion of the Kakin Empire.
"Let me introduce myself again," Oboro said, his voice calm and measured. "My name is Oboro, and from now on, I'm the one you will serve with all your might."
Oboro's expression remained calm as he spoke.
He hadn't come to Benjamin to negotiate.
He had come to capture him.
...
Once again, I encourage you to become a member of my monster familia. Together we can roar at the heavens and carve the cosmos.
I also have a sneak peek at what's currently available on Patreon and what's coming this Saturday... Oboro has already arrived on the Dark Continent and is struggling with survival with his teammates, and what is to come is Oboro travelling to a new universe, that of the Demon Slayer. And don't worry, Demon Slayer won't be a walk in the park for Oboro, Believe me when I say that.
Just know that all this promotion is only useful to those who have joined my Patreon. I don't want you all to be just regular monsters of mine, I want you all to be SUPER MONSTERS!