Chapter 113: Chapter 112
The publish group won buy 11 to 1 damn.
The crown, depleted of nen, began to search for another source of energy and soon absorbed the faint life force of the overweight officer struggling in the corner.
After a brief, desperate struggle, he could no longer hold on.
The black nen, unable to breach Morin's defenses, gradually dissipated into nothingness outside the protective sphere.
Under the influence of the nen's diminishing power, the once-glorious crown, said to be one of the world's most beautiful treasures, lost its luster entirely.
"Well, it looks like this treasure is now mine."
Morin stepped forward and retrieved the crown from the lifeless remains, where it rested atop a brittle mess of dried bark-like remnants.
"Maybe I can restore its shine later," he mused, weighing the crown in his hand.
"I wonder how Machi and Pakunoda would look wearing it?"
As the thought crossed his mind, Morin paused.
"On second thought… giving it to either of them would be a bad idea."
He imagined himself presenting the crown to one of them, only to be met with the other's teasing, half-smiling gaze.
"Forget it!"
Morin shook his head, quickly erasing the vivid scene from his mind.
"Since it's damaged now, I might as well keep it. If Chrollo is still interested, he can have it to toy with.
"If not, I'll keep it for myself as a souvenir."
Having made up his mind, Morin stowed the crown away.
He then turned his attention to the only remaining person in the room with a faint breath of life: Choglama, pale-faced and trembling uncontrollably.
"Well then, now that it's just us, no need to keep secrets."
Morin deactivated the Protective Sphere, noting the significant amount of nen its prolonged use had consumed.
Sitting down beside Choglama, he began: "Let's talk about something... less known, shall we?
"Specifically, about the Transit Bureau."
Choglama's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Morin.
"What do you know about the Transit Bureau?"
"Exactly what you suspect," Morin replied calmly. "I know everything I need to know."
Pulling up a chair, he leaned forward. "Mobius Lake, the Six Continents, disaster and hope, and most importantly…"
He locked eyes with Choglama, emphasizing every word: "The Dark Continent."
The Dark Continent—known also as the Forbidden or Shadow Continent—was the most mysterious and terrifying location in the Hunter x Hunter world, a focal point hinted at in the anime's final episodes.
Globally, the organization with the most knowledge about the Dark Continent was the Transit Bureau within the V5.
And Choglama, standing before Morin, happened to be a key figure from that organization.
"Tell me everything you know," Morin instructed, pulling out paper and a pen.
"About the Dark Continent, the V5—everything."
Choglama hesitated, clearly wanting to evade the subject.
But as soon as Morin affixed the Truth Seal to him, he had no choice.
Under Morin's expectant gaze, Choglama, his lips twitching, reluctantly spilled everything he knew.
Meanwhile, in the palace's main hall, the guests were engaged in lively conversation, unaware of the events transpiring elsewhere.
The night had flown by, filled with animated discussions and successful business dealings. The continuous fireworks outside provided a pleasant background.
However, as time dragged on, many began casting curious glances toward the back rooms.
The banquet was enjoyable, but it had gone on for far too long.
Traditionally, the hosts—the Mosibia royal family—should have concluded the event at least half an hour ago.
Yet, there was no sign of them.
Most guests didn't mind too much, finding ways to pass the time with idle chatter.
But the representatives from seven nations, who had come with specific agendas to negotiate with the Mosibia royalty, were growing restless.
"Your Highness, Prince Luzlus," one of the representatives, a sleek-haired man with a polished demeanor, approached Luzlus and whispered, "Have you noticed the strange atmosphere here?"
"Just the atmosphere?" Luzlus smirked, cleaning his ear with his finger.
While the fireworks outside were pleasant, he could discern the specific type being used.
"The royal family hasn't shown themselves in ages. Looks like they're in trouble."
Slapping his thighs, Luzlus stood up, ignoring the polished man's anxious expression.
"In that case, it's better to leave early."
Without waiting for a response, Luzlus strode toward the exit, intending to depart without any farewells.
His bold move caught the attention of others in the hall.
Those with their own reasons for wanting to leave saw this as an opportunity and quietly prepared to follow his lead.
But just then—
Creak!
The main doors suddenly swung shut from the outside. Bang!
The sound echoed loudly, leaving the guests bewildered.
"What's going on?"
The room filled with confused murmurs as everyone tried to make sense of the situation.
Luzlus, now seated back on his couch, clicked his tongue. "Seems like I tried to leave a little too late."
He sighed, resigned, while the polished man hovered nervously nearby.
"Your Highness, the atmosphere has changed!"
The man scanned the room warily.
The guests present were all high-ranking individuals—ministers, tycoons, and nobles of the highest caliber.
Yet, the sudden fireworks, the closing of the doors, and the prolonged absence of the Mosibia royal family created an undeniable tension.
Even so, most of the guests dismissed the idea of anything too alarming.
They assumed that the worst-case scenario would be some kind of political or economic power play.
For the seven representatives who had been in contact with the late king, the unexpected turn of events was particularly intriguing.
They exchanged glances, their excitement barely contained.
Was the Mosibia kingdom finally making its move?
Still, the purpose of locking everyone inside remained unclear, leaving them puzzled.
The hall buzzed with speculation, voices overlapping until—
Creak!
A door at the top of the banquet staircase opened.
Swish!
Everyone's eyes immediately turned toward the source of the sound.
The first person to emerge from the room was none other than Choglama, the V5 official.
"Oh, it's the esteemed official?"
The crowd wasn't surprised. They knew Choglama had been invited by the royal family for a private discussion earlier.
Now that he had returned, they didn't see anything unusual.
Except for one thing—
"Mr. Choglama, are you alright?"
Someone, either out of concern or politeness, asked hesitantly, "Are you feeling unwell? Should we fetch a doctor for you?"
Choglama looked far from fine.
His face was pale as paper, his eyes sunken deeply as if he'd experienced something horrifying, leaving him on the verge of collapse.
While others observed Choglama's condition with curiosity, Luzlus's eyelid twitched slightly.
"Looks like trouble has indeed come knocking," he murmured to himself.
Just then, the crowd erupted into another wave of murmurs.
A second figure emerged from the room behind Choglama.
This person was unfamiliar to them.
"Who is that? Have you seen him before?"
"No, but he's so handsome and has such an extraordinary presence. He must be some noble prodigy, right?"
"Hmm, perhaps he's a new royal from the Mosibia family, being groomed for leadership. That would explain the delay—he's being introduced to us."
The speculation sparked smiles of understanding among the guests.
Some noblewomen and young ladies even gazed at the newcomer with starry eyes.
"He's so dashing! Marrying into royalty with someone like that wouldn't be bad at all!"
Fools.
Luzlus cursed internally, sitting up straighter in his seat.
His gaze grew sharp and wary as he studied the man on the high platform.
The aura of this newcomer was entirely different from the nobles in the room.
If Luzlus had to compare, the man's demeanor resembled those under his elder brother Benjamin—people forged in blood-soaked battlefields or places like Meteor City.
In short, this man was no noble, nor was he someone to trifle with.
It didn't take much to guess that the Mosibia royal family's strange behavior, along with Choglama's condition, was somehow tied to this individual.
"Well, it seems I arrived just in time—no one has left yet," the man said.
Morin stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the room from above, a slight nod of satisfaction on his face.
"Now then, esteemed guests, may I ask a question?"
His tone was polite, yet his presence was imposing.
"Which of you are representatives from Borubi, Kabudila, Kairulusia... and the other seven nations?"
"Could you kindly raise your hands and show me where you're seated?"
The representatives from the seven nations exchanged cautious glances.
Was this young man, possibly tied to the Mosibia royal family, seeking an alliance?
Or was there some other agenda at play?
After a moment of hesitation, they raised their hands slightly, testing the waters.
Even if this individual wasn't royalty and had questionable intentions, surely he wouldn't dare act against them in such a grand setting, surrounded by so many elite figures of the world.
After all, in their entire lives, they'd never encountered anyone so bold as to—
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, gunshots echoed through the room.
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