บท 200: Chapter 196 : Beyond's Plans!!
The Time Rewinded to This Day, the Morning of September 14th, in the Capital of the Kakin Empire.
On the day of the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich's "seventh day" (the day of his death being mourned), the news of his assassination was finally made public, immediately shocking the entire nation.
The media exploded with coverage, and social networks were flooded with dense discussions. For the next one or two months, the main topic for most people would be about the Fourth Prince.
Although there had already been rumors circulating for several days, one of them was about the Fourth Prince being murdered, when it was confirmed, it still shocked the world.
After all, he was a prince... While royal assassinations weren't unheard of—whether in the Kakin Empire or other countries—similar events had occurred before.
But still, the news was shocking and caught everyone's attention.
The royal family of the Kakin Empire and the police had kept all the details of the case under wraps. To this day, the public still didn't know the specifics, let alone the true killer of the Fourth Prince.
People could only piece together clues and engage in endless speculation. Most of it was absurd, while some of it was half-true and half-false.
After much analysis, the majority of people believed this was a power struggle between the princes of the Kakin Empire, resulting in this tragic incident, even naming specific princes they thought were responsible.
Their accounts were quickly banned, but the excitement on social media couldn't be contained.
This situation reached its peak when the Ninth Prince, Halkenburg, expressed his condolences on Facebook for the Fourth Prince.
Tserriednich and Halkenburg had always been well-regarded in the public's eyes, both seen as the "gentlemen" among the princes. The two princes shared mutual respect and often interacted.
Halkenburg had never hidden his respect and admiration for Tserriednich, once openly stating, "Among the princes, I only recognize Tserriednich."
His relationship with other princes wasn't good, even with his own siblings, but he was quite close to Tserriednich.
It was no surprise when he posted a message of mourning at this time.
Halkenburg's condolence message concluded with, "Whoever committed this horrific crime, I, Halkenburg, swear as a prince, will not let them go—never!"
With the word "whoever" and the two "never" declarations, netizens began to speculate wildly, believing the prince's internal struggle for succession had begun, and that Halkenburg would seek revenge for the Fourth Prince.
For a time, the internet was in an uproar.
Saiyu saw the news reports and the Ninth Prince Halkenburg's post on Facebook.
He rubbed his golden hoop, feeling more and more confused.
So, he quickly walked down the corridor, crossed the threshold, and entered the room, where he found Beyond.
Beyond was sitting on an Eastern-style wooden windowsill, his back leaning against the window frame, his right foot resting on the sill while his left leg hung down.
He looked outside at the rock garden and flowing water, exuding a bold and carefree aura.
"Beyond," Saiyu said, his hands resting on his waist, revealing his well-toned abs due to his short shirt, "The news about the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich, being murdered has been reported."
"The Ninth Prince, Halkenburg, seems to be interested in inheriting the Fourth Prince's 'legacy.' There are reports that he's already been in contact with Morena, the leader of the 'Heil-Ly Family.'"
"Also, the investigation by the Kakin Empire's royal family regarding the Fourth Prince's assassination has shifted. They are no longer just tracking the 'Phantom Troupe,' but are now looking into all the princes and attendees at the ball."
Saiyu paused for a moment and then asked, "Why didn't you tell the Kakin Empire's royal family that Germain and the others are the most likely suspects? No, it was definitely them."
He didn't understand.
Saiyu waited for a long time, but Beyond didn't respond.
Just when Saiyu thought Beyond had no interest in answering his questions, Beyond suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha..."
He swung his body off the windowsill, landing on the floor, and walked toward Saiyu with his hands behind his back, exuding an imposing air.
Beyond stood before Saiyu, who was already quite tall, but Beyond was even taller, forcing Saiyu to look up to meet his gaze.
The son of Netero suddenly stopped laughing and stared down at Saiyu seriously, his gaze commanding and intimidating.
The invisible pressure made Saiyu hesitate for a moment before lowering his head.
"Saiyu, let me ask you a few simple questions."
"If I leak this information, what do I gain from it? Does it serve my interests? And how much will this benefit me?"
"Th… This…" Saiyu was stunned, "The Kakin Empire will issue a wanted notice for Germain, putting pressure on 'V5' and the 'Hunter Association,' forcing Germain into a corner..."
"Saiyu, didn't you hear my question clearly?" Beyond placed his large hands on Saiyu's shoulders. Though he wasn't exerting force, it felt as heavy as a mountain. "What I'm asking is: What do I gain?"
Saiyu stood there, speechless.
"This is the problem," Beyond said, letting go of his grip on Saiyu and walking toward the door. "As we push this forward, he and Ging will also reveal our involvement."
"That means V5 will know about our plot with the Kakin Empire, and they'll be on high alert. The situation will become quite troublesome."
"Of course, we can still handle that, so the real issue isn't there."
"The real issue?" Saiyu followed him, speaking in a low voice. "So, are we going to let the Kakin Empire secretly retaliate? No… If they fail even once, Germain and Ging will know it was us…"
"You still haven't broken free from conventional thinking," Beyond said, looking at the flying eaves outside. He shook his head. "The Kakin Empire is indeed our biggest sponsor, but we're not their servants."
"That fat king Nasubi has over a dozen children, all with inheritance rights. In the future, only one will survive. Does it matter if one of them dies now?"
"Saiyu, you must always understand this: From beginning to end, what are we really pursuing? If it's not for that, then everything we're doing is meaningless."
"Do you remember what Ging said a few days ago?"
Saiyu thought for a moment and hesitated. "Was it that 'your greatest enemy is never us, your competitors'?"
Beyond nodded. He walked through the corridor of the garden buildings and raised his hand, knocking three times on his chest, where his heart was.
"Ging's words hit the mark, and it reminded me again. My greatest enemy has never been them, but my father — Isaac Netero."
"I even suspect that since Ging could learn about Germain, that old man with 'wind ears' must have known as well... Maybe Ging's appearance was guided by him."
Saiyu was shocked. He immediately thought about whether his undercover status in the "Twelve Zodiacs" had been exposed, feeling a chill down his spine.
"The bad news is, he probably knew about you and Pariston being on my side long ago," Beyond said with a smile. "The good news is, his stance on 'exploring the Dark Continent' has softened."
"You know what? I actually don't dislike Germain and Ging. On the contrary, I really admire these two young men. Especially Germain, his actions have even made the stubborn old man waver."
"The old man knows he can't keep me locked up. Even if he locks me away, he can't lock up others. After he dies, there will be chaos pointing toward the 'Dark Continent.'"
"By that time, there won't be anyone who can take control like he does. There's no one else in the world with his reputation and power."
"He must start thinking about the future now. In my view, it seems like he plans to bet on the 'Zodiacs,' Germain, and Biscuit, using them to counter my influence."
Beyond smiled slightly.
"Since the day I was put under the 'chains,' almost half a century has passed. Do you know why I've been enduring all this time, why I haven't recklessly used weapons like 'The Poor Man's Rose'?"
"Even my father wouldn't survive such a mass destruction weapon like 'The Poor Man's Rose.' But I haven't used it. Do you know why?"
Saiyu thought of many possibilities, but in the end, he didn't say anything. Instead, he asked, "Why?"
Beyond walked to a pavilion and stood there, gazing at the lake nearby, where water plants floated gently on the surface.
"There are only two ways to break the 'chains.'"
"The first is 'Nen Exorcism.' Unfortunately, in the last fifty years, not a single 'Nen Exorcist' has been able to remove the chains set by that old man, even if they sacrificed their lives."
"Only an Exorcist with power close to his might be able to do it. But unfortunately, there are very few people on the Six Continents who can match his power, let alone Nen Exorcists."
"The second way is 'meeting the conditions.' And the condition set by that old man is his own death…"
He chuckled.
"Saiyu, listen to this. How cunning was this condition?"
Saiyu frowned, thought for a moment, and then realized.
"It's the 'Post-mortem Nen!'"
"Exactly!" Beyond's smile was cold. "After the old man's death, two things could happen."
"First, the chains will be broken, and I'll regain my freedom. The second, the chains won't be broken, and the 'Post-mortem Nen' will only strengthen the chains, making me lose all hope."
"The normal people's 'Post-mortem Nen' is terrifying, not to mention the old man's Post-mortem Nen."
"He's such a crafty person… He's telling me that until I satisfy him, I'll never be able to take a single step beyond the Six Continents."
"So, for half a century, I haven't been looking for a way to kill him. There are plenty of ways to do that… I've been looking for an enemy who can 'burn themselves out' in a glorious battle against him!"
"I know my father too well… Only then will he have no regrets or complaints. Even if he knows I brought the enemy to him, he'll still face them."
"Only by dying in this way will he have the greatest chance of not leaving any 'Post-mortem Nen,' but instead be relieved and freed."
"That's Isaac Netero."
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