More than thirty years ago, Kakin experienced a revolution that would later be described as the most peaceful transformation in its history.
It was also known as the Zhenlin Pavilion Incident.
That event marked the turning point when Kakin shifted from Imperial Socialism to a system of Parliamentary Democracy.
From that moment on, the royal family's name was removed from the nation's title. The country was declared a newly re-established state and began developing under a new identity.
Among all the reforms, the decree issued by King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou was the one most praised by the public.
The decree abolished outdated laws such as the Crime of Disrespect, stripping the royal family of much of its overt authority.
From then on, it seemed as if the disappearance of the Hui Guo Rou name from the nation's title had symbolized the liberation of the entire country.
Society became more democratic.
The people had more voice.
At least—
That was how the story was told.
But was it really true?
Ivan knew the answer very well.
It wasn't.
He reached that conclusion for two reasons.
First, from his knowledge of the Hunter × Hunter manga.
Second, from the memories of the original Ivan.
The Carnage Festival and the Crime of Disrespect—ancient and brutal traditions that should have vanished after the Zhenlin Pavilion Incident—still existed.
They had simply been pushed into the shadows.
The Carnage Festival was held once every few years.
It was an ancient ceremonial tradition of the Kakin royal family.
Before the festival began, members of the royal family would disguise themselves and travel to a randomly selected village, where they would host a so-called "banquet."
Once the royal party arrived, the villagers would be divided into two groups.
The "Attendants."
And "The Others."
The Crime of Disrespect, meanwhile, represented the royal family's ultimate authority.
Any act deemed disrespectful toward the royal family was forbidden.
Violators were punished with extreme penalties.
In earlier times—before the Zhenlin Pavilion Incident—even minor offenses could result in death.
Lower officials who spoke improperly while presenting reports could be executed.
Commoners who looked directly at a royal family member could be sentenced to death.
Today, the law had supposedly been abolished.
But in reality, acts such as contraception, abortion, or paternity testing related to members of the royal family were still treated as treasonous disrespect that threatened the prosperity of the royal bloodline.
And such crimes were punishable by immediate execution.
When the original Ivan first became an investigator, he had once encountered such a case.
It had been a paternity test incident.
A woman had appeared with an infant in her arms, crying and insisting that the child she carried was a descendant of the Kakin royal family.
After the matter was reported, the person who came to handle it was Kakin's First Minister, Nugui.
The original Ivan clearly remembered what happened afterward.
He had secretly investigated the case.
The institution that conducted the paternity test disappeared.
The woman disappeared.
Even the village she claimed to come from vanished.
It was as if none of them had ever existed.
And yet—
At the location where the village once stood, the ruins remained.
Broken houses.
Fields overgrown with weeds after years without cultivation.
The evidence of a vanished community.
After investigating everything, the original Ivan had fallen into deep confusion.
For a long time, he questioned the justice he had believed in when he first became an investigator.
It was only after his father, Lyman, spoke to him that he emerged from that darkness and regained his sense of purpose.
But from that moment onward, the original Ivan understood something clearly.
Anything involving the Kakin royal family had to be handled with extreme caution.
Ivan was certain that his father—the judge Lyman—would have understood that even better than he did.
And yet now, Lyman seemed to have become deeply entangled in exactly such a matter.
That made Ivan certain of one thing.
This case was far more complicated than it appeared.
Because if it were merely about the Carnage Festival, it wouldn't have drawn in the Phantom Troupe.
Ivan was already heading toward the Kakin Judicial Bureau, continuing to organize the information in his mind.
From manga knowledge…
To the reality of this world.
He already knew the Phantom Troupe's objective in coming to Kakin.
They were investigating the Meteor City massacre from years ago, searching for the mastermind behind the brutal killings in order to avenge their childhood friend Sarasa.
But according to the clues revealed in the manga, that case should have been connected to the Fourth Prince of Kakin.
So could Lyman's investigation have somehow linked the Carnage Festival to the secret dealings of the Fourth Prince?
The more Ivan thought about it, the more one thing became clear.
If he wanted to uncover the truth behind all this—
He would probably have to visit the Third Hospital Corea mentioned.
And if the Carnage Festival was truly involved…
Then identifying the village chosen for the latest festival might also be a critical clue.
Ivan's thoughts halted.
He had reached the Judicial Bureau.
Now he needed to retrieve what he came for.
Technically, he could have asked Caesar to get the phone number from his office.
But that would risk dragging Caesar into the situation.
It simply wasn't worth it.
As long as Caesar remained inside the Judicial Bureau, then even if Ivan eventually became a wanted man, Caesar could still serve as his eyes within the Bureau.
And when necessary, perhaps provide help.
Besides—
Ivan also wanted to test something.
He wanted to know what the Judicial Bureau's real attitude toward him was.
If his investigator identity was still intact, his plans could proceed much more smoothly.
Two tennis balls now sat in his pocket.
The pebbles hidden in his sleeve had been replaced with marbles—smoother, more spherical, and far more effective for triggering Left-Side Distortion.
Nearby, numerous dinosaurs lurked in hiding.
They weren't large.
Along the way, Ivan had used his surviving dinosaurs to infect rats, stray cats, and stray dogs.
Small dinosaurs.
But numerous.
And their size made them far easier to conceal.
Ivan lingered outside the Judicial Bureau for about half an hour.
During that time, neither he nor the small dinosaurs scouting nearby detected any suspicious arrangements.
Only then did he allow himself to relax slightly.
He took a deep breath.
Then stepped out of the alley where he had been hiding.
And walked straight into the Judicial Bureau.
At the same time Ivan entered the building—
Members of the Phantom Troupe arrived on Yalan Street.
"'Abnormal creatures invading,' huh?"
Uvogin held a small Compsognathus in his hand.
"It's only slightly stronger than a normal animal. It has an infection ability, but once you understand that, it's not a threat at all."
"It can't even break my skin."
"Looks like Nen wasn't applied to them," Nobunaga said nearby.
"Maybe there's a distance limit."
Around him lay several Compsognathus corpses, cleanly cut in half.
"What I can confirm," Nobunaga continued, "is that their dynamic vision is incredible."
"Even with my Iaido draw speed, I needed two strikes to force it into a blind angle before I could kill it."
There was even a hint of admiration in his voice.
"So where will he go next?" Chrollo asked.
He stood on the edge of a tall building, overlooking the street below.
Numerous mafia cars had already arrived.
Police officers were negotiating with them.
Chief Justice Corea had just exited the house and entered an enforcement vehicle heading away from the sealed zone.
Judging by the direction, it was likely heading toward the Judicial Bureau.
"There are two possibilities," Pakunoda said calmly.
"First, he contacts Queen Sevanci, the Seventh Queen of Kakin."
"In his mind, she should be his final trump card."
"His last refuge."
"The second possibility…"
"He uses his authority as an investigator to strike a deal with the Xi-Yu Family."
"And in that scenario, Chief Justice Corea may very well play the role of his helper."
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