"It's the duty of the guards under the First Queen and Second Queen to compile surveillance reports on the lower-ranking princes. That means there have to be guards from either or both camps stationed with the other princes."
"In theory, the surveillance troops sent by the Queens and the private guards hired by the princes should be at odds—but because of Her Highness, Second Queen Duazul, the two sides are actually able to cooperate and function normally."
"Her Highness Duazul has always been cautious and reserved. We've received our orders and are focusing on support duties."
"But that also means the royal surveillance forces under the First Queen might monopolize the information. We've made some clever personnel arrangements to account for this, but things aren't exactly going according to plan."
Among the eight Queens of the Hui Guo Rou King, only the First Queen, Unma, and the Second Queen, Duazul, have been tasked with compiling and reviewing surveillance reports on the other princes.
In other words, only these two Queens have access to the most complete and detailed surveillance data.
However, because of her gentle and unassertive nature, the second Queen's guards tend to focus more on support roles. As a result, most of the critical intel ends up in the hands of the First Queen.
Still, that very nature of the Second Queen allows her to be tolerated by the other princes—even though they know her royal guards are embedded with surveillance soldiers. The guards under Duazul understand her disposition well and thus tend to adopt a policy of compromise and assistance in daily operations.
That's why they've built a good working relationship with the surveillance soldiers of the First Queen. The two parties often share information, with Unma reciprocating the Second Queen's deference.
But this time, things are different.
...
Kurapika was in discussion with Third Prince Zhang Lei about Nen.
Even among the princes, very few had truly talented individuals in their service—and those that did had usually recruited them from outside. When it came to the Queens, the numbers were even lower.
Some might have subordinates who'd at least heard of Nen, but detailed understanding was a different story altogether.
Nasubi Hui Guo Rou understood very well how fiercely protective mothers could become when their sons' lives were in danger. That's precisely why he didn't equip them with such power.
After all, as the saying goes, "A loving mother often loses her son." Queen Sevanti and the Thirteenth Prince Marayam were prime examples of this.
What's more, in the Kakin Empire—where the king had eight Queens and a deeply patriarchal, authoritarian system—women weren't exactly empowered.
So when Slakka, a soldier under the Second Queen, heard about Nen, he knew it was a golden opportunity. If he could learn more about it, he might finally understand what this mysterious power was all about.
Given the situation, he and the surveillance soldiers sent by the First Queen were ready to shift their mission—from monitoring the prince to gathering intelligence on Nen.
Normally, they would've just approached the Fourteenth Prince directly.
But there was a catch.
If the surveillance soldiers took the initiative to go to the Fourteenth Prince, the guards already stationed there would be immediately suspicious. After all, they were supposed to be under surveillance themselves—so any sudden act of goodwill could easily be mistaken for something sinister.
That meant they'd be at high risk of being fed misinformation or even lured into a trap.
On the other hand, if they remained with the Third Prince, Zhang Lei, who already knew their identities, they'd have no access to real Nen intel.
So—where was the path to truth?
As Slakka wavered, Prince Zhang Lei made a swift decision for him.
He raised his hand and ordered, "Sakata, Hashito—you two will go protect the Fourteenth Prince until the next banquet."
"Yes, sir!"
Two tall guards in black suits immediately stepped out from the adjacent room.
Slakka recognized them as elite members of Zhang Lei's personal guard—his most trusted men.
He had expected the prince to take advantage of the situation and send him, along with the First Queen's surveillance team, to the Fourteenth Prince. But instead, Zhang Lei had chosen his own people.
"Does he think intel on Nen is more valuable than getting rid of us?"
Slakka kept his expression neutral, but he couldn't help feeling a subtle sense of unease. Just now, Zhang Lei had glanced at him—and the other surveillance soldiers—intentionally, or so it seemed.
We'll need to report this to Captain Mandam and let him assess the situation.
Mandam was the captain of the Second Queen's private guard. He managed everything from day-to-day operations to surveillance matters. Trusted by the Queen and respected by the soldiers, he was the backbone of their camp.
Just as that thought passed through Slakka's mind...
"Slakka. Message from the Queen."
The voice came from a soldier from the First Queen's private army who had been standing nearby. His tone was cold and flat.
He tapped the earpiece in his ear, expression dark.
"I'll stay here and protect the Third Prince. You go assist those two."
This was an order issued by the First Queen after negotiating with Prince Benjamin. Once she had his consent, she relayed the command through her subordinate via earpiece.
That's just how things worked under Benjamin: even if you were his mother, you had to pay a price if you wanted something done.
And as for how the First Queen learned about what happened just now? That's easy—her agents were everywhere, even among the guards watching her son's rival, the Third Prince.
All she had to do was forward the report in real time.
...
Slakka's eyes flickered. Then he nodded and stepped toward the hallway.
So, the First Queen thinks it's more strategic to keep a man stationed with the Third Prince and send me to the Fourteenth?
Still deep in thought, Slakka came to a stop behind Zhang Lei and gave a slight bow.
"Your Highness, as per the First Queen's command..."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)