The next day, Benjamin woke up and accepted the harsh reality that he had not yet led Kakin to dominate the world, and he must not fall here. Although it was deeply humiliating to be threatened and manipulated by a gangster, getting rid of a prince wasn't against his ambitions. After all, the princes themselves were competitors.
The only consideration was the king's reaction afterwards. After careful consideration, he summoned the eighth prince, Salé-salé, and invited him to a meeting.
In Benjamin's eyes, the eighth prince was a complete waste! The man indulged in lust and spent his days surrounded by women. He had no accomplishments in politics or any other field; he simply relied on his royal background to enjoy life. Even if such a person died, Benjamin understood the king well enough to know that Hui Guo Rou's emotional reaction wouldn't be significant, especially compared to the prince's limited abilities and status.
Another reason Benjamin chose Salé-salé as Oboro's point of entry into the royal family was that he had no full siblings. His mother, Swinko-swinko, had only given birth to him, unlike other queens who bore multiple children. This meant fewer targets to eliminate later and fewer subsequent complications.
Though he had suffered a severe blow, Benjamin maintained that he wasn't surrendering to the Fells family, nor was he afraid of the man. He was simply protecting the future interests of the Kakin Empire. The power of the Fells family could truly help expand Kakin's international influence, and cooperation between them would help him stand out in the succession battle.
"First Prince, there's something wrong with the royal family right now," a private soldier who served as Benjamin's strategist warned, frowning at the plan. "Your incident has made the other princes extremely wary. They believe that one of you has begun to 'remove' obstacles. At this point, even the dim-witted Eighth Prince will be reluctant to meet with you."
"You need a compelling reason to make him appear, and you can't use cooperation as an excuse, or he won't believe it. Or to be more precise, Queen Swinko-Swinko won't allow her son anywhere near you."
"You mean, if we want to continue, we can only do it in the palace," Benjamin concluded.
Previously, the princes had been free to roam outside every day, some participating in social activities, others secretly building their power bases, and some frequenting various entertainment venues. But now, without any prior arrangement, they all took refuge within the palace walls.
After all, their safety was guaranteed inside the palace.
"Besides, you can't do it yourself," the soldier continued. "Even if the king minimizes the investigation, the conflict between the princes cannot be exposed, including our involvement."
Very tricky! Benjamin's expression remained impassive.
If it were easy, Oboro wouldn't have approached him at all.
"Perhaps under the guise of protection?" Benjamin thought. The situation was tense, and the lords, unaware of the truth, were all on edge. "I could invite him out under the guise of protecting the eighth prince?"
"That might work, but you'll have to get around Queen Swinko-Swinko," the private reminded him. "That woman is quite clever, unlike her extraordinarily stupid son."
As they discussed, a ghostly figure suddenly emerged from Benjamin's body and spoke: "Do not worry. You just need to lure him to a secluded place in the palace, and I'll take care of the rest."
The voice was eerily distorted.
"But what about Queen Swinko-Swinko?" the ghost continued, immediately causing Benjamin and his soldiers to turn pale.
"Do you understand what you're suggesting?" the private glared at the apparition. "The queen is the king's consort. Targeting the prince might be manageable, but killing the queen would be tantamount to declaring war on the king - it would be considered conspiracy and treason. Even the first prince cannot withstand such consequences."
"Calm down. I have a solution," the ghost assured them.
"Your injuries can be blamed entirely on the Eighth Prince's claim that he tried to assassinate you. Say you discovered his treachery, but, thinking of your brotherhood, you arranged a private meeting. You never expected him to drop all pretense and attack you, and the ensuing chaos led to the Queen's unfortunate death. I've prepared some fake evidence that may come in handy.
The ghost laughed coldly.
"This is absurdly naive! The king and everyone in the royal family knows the character of the eighth prince. No one will believe such a story," the private growled.
"Whether they believe it or not is irrelevant," the ghost replied. "This matter can never be completely resolved. The false testimonies are only for show. Even if they suspect the truth, what difference does it make? The dead cannot be revived. They can't execute you twice."
The spirit separated from Benjamin's body and floated through the air. "Do not worry. Your king cares less about family ties than you think. He is even more distant than you realize. What you're doing is demonstrating your ability and your competitive spirit. He will be pleased.
"In the history of Kakin, during his rise to power, he committed acts far more brutal than this. He understands the rules."
The ghost's words seemed to bewitch the prince.
"Prince, this is dangerously reckless," the private soldier warned gravely.
In reality, their plan lacked any semblance of thoroughness. The Fells were acting with wild abandon, taking risks whose consequences would fall squarely on the first prince! What's more, they had only planned for one prince's assassination; they hadn't anticipated the queen's involvement.
This was completely different from their original agreement!
"Your life is far more valuable than hers." "If you perish, can you trust the future of Kakin to any of your siblings? Do you think they can spread Kakin's glory to every corner of the world? Look at your brothers and sisters, what kind of people are they? The second prince is greedy by nature, with overwhelming possessiveness. If she were to become ruler, the Kakin Empire would become her personal property to satisfy her desires. The third prince is ostensibly for peace, but is fundamentally selfish. Besides, as a military man, you understand perfectly that expanding the Kakin territory requires force, and only force!"
"Peace solves nothing.
"The fourth prince, your younger brother, has a twisted nature and bizarre habits. The fifth prince is diligent and careful, but he will never achieve greatness. The sixth prince lusts after beautiful men, is morbidly jealous, narrow-minded, and loves excessively. The seventh prince is an unabashed smoker who is obsessed with legalizing his fireworks business nationwide. The only one with any apparent ability is the ninth prince, who has the best reputation of you all. But he's too kind and righteous and lacks ambition. As for the others, they're all too young, without experience or sophistication, how could they accomplish anything worthwhile?"
"You alone have been chosen. You alone are the most qualified to succeed the king," the spirit hovered in front of Benjamin and stared directly into his eyes. "I will help you become the new king and help you rule the world. Our Fells family has the means. Of course, you needn't be afraid that I covet the throne; the Mafia lacks the territory and foundation to challenge the Kakin Empire. All I want is for you to champion the Mafia and undermine V5's hegemony after you ascend the throne.
"You may refuse, but death leaves nothing behind.
"Once you complete this task, I will return your soul. I keep my promises. Otherwise, with your soul incomplete as it is now, you will not be able to consolidate your vital essence and your life will be short."
With these last words, the spirit slipped back into Benjamin's body and disappeared.
"First Prince," the private said hesitantly.
"Summon Salé-salé," Benjamin ordered coldly, his decision made.
"Yes, sir."
Seeing the look in the first prince's eyes, the private soldier knew that further dissuasion was futile and could only obey.
An hour later, the eighth prince received word that Benjamin wished to see him.
Upon hearing this, Queen Swinko-Swinko immediately sought out her son.
Their conversation was strained and unpleasant.
The queen was unable to dissuade Salé-salé.
The eighth prince bore a striking resemblance to Hui Guo Rou, though his features were harder, his build much taller, and his hair a mess of standing curls. He wasn't yet the man he would become on the Black Whale, bloated from daily sexual indulgence. For now, his muscular physique was evident, and a warm smile played across his face as he spoke.
One could tell at a glance that his intentions were far from pure.
"The war of succession or whatever, it's all bullshit!" he sneered.
"We're brothers! How could he hurt me?"
Seeing his mother's grave concern, Salé-salé flashed his teeth in a broad grin. "Besides, we still don't know who the attacker was. The first prince was injured, making him the victim, so he obviously can't be the culprit. I haven't visited him since he was injured, so this is a perfect opportunity to strengthen our brotherly bond."
Unable to restrain her son, the queen turned to a private soldier. "Where did the first prince request to meet?"
"At the parliament building not far from the palace."
Good.
"Then I will accompany him. Also, inform the king of this meeting between the eighth and first princes," the queen ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The soldier left immediately.
Having taken these precautions, the queen's furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
"Mother, don't worry," Salé-salé reassured her. "I heard that the first prince was seriously injured. I'm surprised he called for me specifically. Though we rarely interact, the fact that he reached out to me shows that our relationship must be good. He probably wants my help in investigating his assailant." With these reassuring words, Salé-Salé turned and headed for the door.
"The weather is spectacular today, my spirits are high, yes~~"
The queen watched her son's retreating figure with a troubled expression.
The First Prince controlled the military power and held the highest rank among the princes. His status within the royal family was exceptional. If he really wanted to investigate, he wouldn't need the help of other princes.
Moreover, the attack on the first prince was itself highly suspicious.
To most observers, Benjamin was arrogant, but he represented power. If another prince was behind the attack, who would dare attack him first?
Clearly, many of the remaining princes would have been easier targets.
The queen spotted several beautiful women already inside. Once inside, the eighth prince completely ignored his mother and embraced the beauties on either side of him, behaving with shocking intimacy and utter shamelessness.
Knowing her son's character too well to comment, she could only watch as the women struggled to please the prince, their actions becoming increasingly suggestive and indecent.
Soon they arrived at the appointed place.
As they disembarked, the queen and the eighth prince saw First Prince Benjamin in military uniform standing in an open space surrounded by his men. Each soldier wore a serious expression, clearly elite fighters with exceptional skills.
What concerned the queen was the absence of anyone else, as if the area had been cleared.
This made sense, considering her royal status.
It could also be a security measure.
The queen and her son had brought their own soldiers, though not many.
After positioning her private soldiers, the queen accompanied her son to the front.
Eighth Prince Salé-salé, with a scantily clad beauty clutching each arm, smiled broadly at Benjamin. "I heard you were seriously injured, but you seem to have recovered well! That's wonderful! I was so worried," Benjamin looked at his brother expressionlessly.
He seemed unmoved by Salé-salé's warm words, his eyes filled with cold indifference.
His contempt was blatant.
Especially when he saw Salé-salé bringing women to their meeting, the prince's lascivious smile made Benjamin feel nauseous.
He motioned to a nearby soldier, who gestured to his colleagues. Immediately, the first prince's troops shifted into formation, surrounding the eighth prince and the queen.
Queen Swinko-swinko sensed the danger and looked alarmed.
But Salé-salé approached Benjamin carelessly, seemingly unaware of the ominous situation.
A man disguised as a private soldier stood beside Benjamin.
Bares, the instructor of the palace guard, was also a member of the Fells family.
Neither the eighth prince nor the queen could be killed directly by Benjamin or his private soldiers, but Nen's abilities could do a lot when it came to 'killing'.
Afterwards, as long as the first prince denied ordering the attack, everything would go as planned.
The incident would be portrayed as Salé-Salé attempting to attack Benjamin, causing chaos.
After eliminating both targets, Bares would take his own life, sacrificing himself for the Fells family.
He would be branded as Salé-salé's accomplice.
The plan had obvious flaws and was far from perfect, but the outcome remained unchanged.
As long as the Fells family achieved their goal, nothing else mattered.
Over half an hour earlier.
In the palace, King Nasubi was working and eating when a subordinate brought news.
The First Prince and the Eighth Prince were meeting in the parliament building.
This information caused Hui Guo Rou to stroke his long beard thoughtfully. He dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand.
Then, with a cryptic smile, he pulled out a special phone and dialed a number.
"The person you're interested in is in the parliament building."