Kurapika briefs his recruits — Biscuit, Basho, Izunavi, Hanzo, Melody — on the infiltration: apply to the six princes' postings and get him one handshake with Tserriednich. Profiling the near-identical listings, he picks the one he reads as Halkenburg's and walks into a trap laid for exactly people like him: Queen Oito, mother of the infant Fourteenth Prince, wanted applicants with ulterior motives, because their goals require keeping her alive. She reveals the succession war and offers ten times the fee to get her and Woble off the ship; Kurapika accepts. The others land posts with Tyson, Marayam, Luzurus, Kacho, and Momoze.
- AllianceCanonicalKurapika assembles his infiltration team
Kurapika recruits Biscuit, Basho, Izunavi, Hanzo, and Melody to apply to the six princes' postings and feed him information — anything that gets him physical contact with Tserriednich, at which point everyone may abort with full pay. He profiles the six near-identical listings to guess which one is Halkenburg's.
▸Consequences (1)
- Five veteran Hunters are seeded across five princes' guard details
- AllianceCanonicalQueen Oito's trap — and her true offer
The posting Kurapika pegged as Halkenburg's belongs to Queen Oito, mother of the infant Fourteenth Prince: the vagueness was bait for assassins and fake followers, whose self-interest makes them useful shields. She reveals the succession war outright and offers ten times the fee for the real job — get her and Woble off the ship alive. Kurapika accepts, with conditions.
InvolvedKurapika · Oito Hui Guo Rou · Woble Hui Guo Rou▸Consequences (2)
- The arc's central contract — Room 1014's whole reason to exist — is signed
- Kurapika learns the contest's true nature months before boarding
- MovementCanonicalThe infiltrators land their posts
The applications resolve: Izunavi is hired by Tyson, Biscuit by Marayam, Basho by Luzurus, Melody by Kacho, and Hanzo by Momoze. Kurapika's network now touches six royal households — none of them Tserriednich's.
InvolvedIzunavi · Biscuit Krueger · Basho · Melody · Hanzo▸Consequences (1)
- The bodyguard placements that define the voyage's first act are fixed
- Kurapika is hired by Queen Oito to protect her and Prince Woble
- Izunavi→Tyson, Biscuit→Marayam, Basho→Luzurus, Melody→Kacho, Hanzo→Momoze
- The six vague postings were deliberate cover — Halkenburg never posted at all
- Nasubi kills deserters: no prince can lawfully refuse the contest
- Oito's plan: blackmail Halkenburg with his participation if he wins
- Kurapika's real contract: get Oito and Woble off the Black Whale alive
