Chapter 181 The Eighth Prince
The next day, when Benjamin awoke, he finally accepted reality.
He had not yet led Kakin toward world domination, and he absolutely could not fall here.
Being threatened and manipulated by a mafia family was humiliating
but dealing with another prince did not go against his principles.
Princes were competitors.
His only concern was how King Nasubi (Grey Korrou) would react afterward.
After thinking for a while, he summoned the Eighth Prince, Sale Sale, inviting him to a meeting.
To Benjamin, the Eighth Prince was utterly worthless
a useless hedonist who indulged in lust and women all day.
He had no accomplishments, no political knowledge, nothing at all
he simply lived comfortably thanks to his royal blood.
Even if such a person died, Benjamin understood his father well enough to know the king's emotions wouldn't fluctuate much… not compared to the prince's own abilities and political value.
Another reason Benjamin chose the Eighth Prince as the weak point in the royal family for Haze to exploit
was that Sale Sale had no siblings.
His mother, Swinko-Swinko , had given birth only to him
unlike the other queens who had several children.
That meant fewer political entanglements and fewer complications.
Even after suffering such a setback, Benjamin still believed he was not surrendering to the Field's family, nor fearing that man…
He was simply pursuing Kakin's best interests.
Because the power of the Field's family could strengthen the Kakin Empire's global influence.
A cooperative effort would also benefit Benjamin in the succession war.
"Your Highness… the royal family is in a very precarious state right now," a soldier acting as Benjamin's strategist said, frowning.
"Your situation has made the other princes extremely cautious. They believe some of you have started to 'eliminate' obstacles. Under these circumstances, even the foolish Eighth Prince would hesitate to meet you."
"You need a very good reason to make him appear.
And it cannot be under the pretense of cooperation.
He simply won't believe it.
More importantly, Princess Swinko-Swinko will never allow her son to meet you."
"In other words… if we're going to do anything, it must happen inside the palace."
Benjamin understood immediately.
Previously, the princes would wander outside daily
attending social events, building secret factions, or visiting entertainment venues.
Now, all of them had withdrawn into the palace.
Inside the palace grounds… their safety was guaranteed.
"And you cannot handle this personally," the soldier continued.
"Even if the king's investigation afterward is lenient, internal struggles among princes cannot be openly discussed… including ours."
This was troublesome.
Benjamin's eyes turned cold.
If it were easy, Haze would never have approached him.
"What if I approach him under the guise of protection?" Benjamin murmured.
The atmosphere was tense, and the princes ignorant of the truth were indeed in danger.
Perhaps he could invite the Eighth Prince under the pretext of protecting him?
"To deceive Princess Swinko-Swinko ? That woman is sharp. Only her son is an idiot," the strategist reminded him.
As they spoke, a ghostly figure slowly emerged from Benjamin's body, speaking with a human voice:
"Don't worry. Just lure him somewhere isolated within the palace grounds, and leave the rest to me."
It was Om.
"And there is also Princess Swinko-Swinko …"
Those words immediately drained the color from Benjamin's face and the soldiers' as well.
"Do you know what you're saying!?"
The soldier stared at the apparition in disbelief.
"She is the King's wife! If you harm the prince, there might still be a way to manage it.
But if you kill the Queen, it's an open declaration of war against the King.
That is treason.
Not even the First Prince can afford that price."
"Relax," Om replied. "I've already devised a plan."
"Your wounds can be pinned on the Eighth Prince.
Just claim he tried to kill you… and when you discovered the truth, you secretly met him out of brotherly concern.
But he turned on you and attacked.
In the chaos… the Queen died accidentally."
"I've prepared false evidence for you. It'll help."
The ghost laughed.
"Ridiculous!" the strategist snapped.
"The King and the entire royal family know the Eighth Prince's character.
No one will believe your story."
"Whether they believe it or not doesn't matter," Om responded calmly.
"This incident cannot be fully explained.
Those testimonies are for show.
Even if they guess the truth, what difference does it make?
The person will already be dead…
It will be irreversible.
They cannot simply execute another prince, can they?"
Floating into the air, Om continued:
"Don't worry. Your King doesn't care much for familial bonds.
He is far more indifferent than you think.
What you'll be doing is demonstrating your ability
and proving your competitive spirit."
"He will be very pleased."
"In the past, during his rise, he did far crueler things than what you are doing now.
He understands the rules."
Seeing the ghost attempting to sway the First Prince, the strategist lowered his voice.
"Your Highness… this is too risky."
To put it bluntly, it was madness.
The Field's family was reckless, pushing all consequences onto Benjamin.
They had always insisted the target was only a prince not the queen.
This was completely different from what they initially said.
"Your life is far more valuable than theirs…" Om said.
"If you die, would you entrust Kakin's future to another prince besides yourself?
Do you really think they can spread Kakin's glory across the world?"
"Look at your siblings.
What kind of people are they?"
"The Second Prince is greedy and possessive.
If she becomes queen, the Kakin Empire will become her personal property."
"The Third Prince advocates peace but is selfish and self-serving.
Everything he does is for his own benefit."
"And as a soldier, you know better than anyone
to expand Kakin's territory, only strength works.
Only strength."
"Peace cannot solve its problems."
"The Fourth Prince is naturally twisted.
The Fifth is diligent but incapable of great accomplishments.
The Sixth is overly jealous and soft-hearted.
The Seventh is an opium addict obsessed with expanding his fireworks business and repealing bans.
The Eighth… no explanation needed."
"The Ninth Prince is skilled and respected, but too benevolent, lacking ambition."
"The rest are too young and inexperienced."
"Only you are chosen.
Only you are qualified to inherit the throne."
The ghost hovered before Benjamin, staring into him.
"I will help you become the new King
to dominate the world."
"Our Field's family has the ability."
"And rest assured, we do not covet the throne.
A mafia has no territory or true national power.
We cannot compare to Kakin."
"What we want…
is that after you ascend, you protect us
and weaken V5's hegemony."
"You may refuse.
But once someone dies… everything is set in motion."
"And after this is done, I will return your soul.
Otherwise, with your soul in fragments, your physical life force will not stabilize…
and you won't live long."
After saying this, the ghost returned to Benjamin's body and vanished.
"Your Highness…"
The strategist hesitated.
"Call Sale Sale," Benjamin ordered coldly.
"Yes…"
The soldier realized he could no longer dissuade him.
One hour later
The Eighth Prince received news that the First Prince wanted to see him.
Princess Swinko-Swinko rushed immediately to her son.
Their exchange was unpleasant.
She could not sway him.
The Eighth Prince resembled King Nasubi
but with sharper features, a taller build, and thick curled hair.
Unlike his later appearance aboard the Black Whale, he was not overweight nor decadent.
His muscles were clearly defined, and he spoke with an easy, cordial smile.
"Succession war? Oh please!"
"We're brothers! He'd never harm me!"
Sale Sale grinned brightly, flashing white teeth.
"And besides, we don't even know who the culprit is.
The First Prince is the injured one he can't be the attacker.
And I haven't visited him since he was wounded…
This is a good chance to strengthen our brotherly bond."
Unable to stop him, Princess Swinko-Swinko asked a soldier:
"Where will they meet?"
"In the Parliament Hall."
Not far from the palace.
"Fine. I'm going too.
And inform the King about this meeting."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Only after this did the queen's tense expression relax slightly.
"Mother, don't worry," Sale Sale said gently.
"I was surprised he called me despite his serious injuries.
We rarely talk, true, but his invitation must mean we have a decent relationship.
Perhaps he wants my help investigating the assassin."
He walked away cheerfully.
"What lovely weather today…
It lifts the spirit~~"
The queen watched, deeply worried.
The First Prince held military power and had special status in the royal family.
If he truly wanted to investigate,
he wouldn't need help from other princes.
And the attack itself was suspicious.
If a prince were the culprit…
why attack the strongest one first?
Many other princes were easier targets.
Soon, they boarded the carriage.
Inside were several stunning women.
As soon as Sale Sale entered, he ignored his mother completely, throwing his arms around the women as they clung desperately to him.
The princess could only watch helplessly.
The scene was sensual and vulgar.
After a while, they arrived at the agreed location.
Upon disembarking, they saw Benjamin standing in an open area, fully dressed in uniform.
He was surrounded by elite soldiers, all stern and clearly exceptional.
The queen immediately sensed something was wrong
the entire area had been cleared.
But with princes of such status, it could be justified as a security measure.
Sale Sale also brought his private guards, though far fewer.
After positioning them, the queen followed her son.
The Eighth Prince, with a scantily dressed woman on each arm, smiled and greeted Benjamin:
"I heard you were gravely injured… but you seem to be recovering well, wonderful! I was so worried!"
Benjamin looked at him expressionlessly.
Cold.
Unmoved.
Disgusted
especially as he looked at the prince flaunting women at his sides.
He signaled to his soldier.
The soldiers immediately shifted formation
surrounding the Eighth Prince and the queen.
Swinko-Swinko grew pale with panic.
But Sale Sale, oblivious, walked toward his brother.
At that moment, a man disguised as a soldier stepped forward beside Benjamin.
It was Bare, the palace guard instructor
and a member of the Field's family.
The First Prince and his men could not kill the prince and queen themselves.
Nen abilities could create any "story" about the murder afterward.
As long as Benjamin did not directly admit to ordering their deaths…
it would be manageable.
Bare would kill both targets
then kill himself,
dying as a loyal servant of the Eighth Prince.
The plan had obvious flaws
but the final outcome would not change.
The First Prince could weather the storm…
as long as the Field's family achieved their objective.
More than 30 minutes earlier
At the palace, King Nasubi eating and handling documents received a report:
The First and Eighth Princes were meeting in the National Assembly Hall.
Nasubi stroked his long, thin mustache, signaling his attendants to step out.
Then he smiled faintly, took out a special phone, and dialed a number.
"The person you're interested in is inside the National Assembly building…"
(2-in-1 chapter)
End of Chapter