Hunter × Hunter Chapter 412: Question

Kurapika stands with hand extended, declaring the classes will be rescheduled to start from 10 and offering a grace period. A crowd of students and attendants reacts with shock. Large text questions whether the 14th Prince is not participating in the succession war. The 14th Prince is shown from behind facing a bright light, surrounded by bodyguards and attendants. A row of close-up faces shows varied expressions of surprise and concern. Kurapika continues that only those who wish to participate should remain and that the restrictions deduction is his own conclusion. Further dialogue questions the 14th Prince's non-participation and accuses manipulation, while lower-ranked princes discuss survival chances until the deadline.

In an ornate hall, officials discuss the crisis. A speech bubble states the need to identify the curse target of Beyond's biological child who cast the curse and dispel it on the 14th Prince. Another notes that searching for the responsible person is important but right now more than that. A large panel shows the issuance of special martial law approximately 48 hours ago, with a massive creature looming. Characters stand near a covered table and a small robot-like figure. A woman with dark hair in a bun reacts with shock, saying U-UMM...!!! A close-up shows her concerned expression. Kurapika, with blonde hair, tells a woman with a braid, I DON'T SUSPECT YOU AT ALL, NOR DO I EVEN FEEL THE NEED TO VERIFY IT. PLEASE REST ASSURED. The woman replies, IF YOU MUST USE YOUR CHAIN TO PROVE MY INNOCENCE...! I SWEAR TO YOU...!! I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO BEYOND WHATSOEVER!! In the corridor, Shimano is instructed to prepare meals while they have the change. A spiky-haired man questions the situation with a ?, and another says UMM... THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY, BUT...

The group debates pronunciation. Bubbles show NO. NU. IT'S 'NU'. A character corrects that his name is not Shimano, it's Shimani. Kurapika tries saying NO NO... and NU. An official explains it is probably impossible for Kurapika to distinguish the difference between 3-vowel blends and 2-vowel blends of the Kakin language. The braided woman apologizes repeatedly. A spiky-haired man notes that even if told not to worry, he still does. Kurapika stands alone with a small creature nearby, and a bubble simply says KURAPIKA. In close-up, the spiky-haired man leans in intensely, saying DON'T TELL ME...! Another panel shows him adding that actually there is one thing that has been bothering him for a while. Background figures converse in the distance.

In the elegant royal chamber, two suited attendants stand near the doorway while the Queen sits beside the infant 14th Prince resting in a bassinet. Kurapika, standing calmly, addresses the group. "Regarding the matter with Beyond from earlier... it is indeed just as the Queen said," one attendant confirms. The Queen replies, "Yes, what is it?" Kurapika offers, "May I demonstrate my chain so that there is absolutely no room for doubt left...?" The Queen agrees, "It would be best to completely resolve the problem here." Kurapika thanks her and activates the chain, its pendulum beginning to swing. "Please answer with either 'yes' or 'no'... is that alright?" he asks. He begins the baseline questions: "You are a man." "No." "You are 2 years old." "No." "Yes." The chain glows and swings steadily as the test proceeds.

Kurapika continues the questioning with the Queen. "You are a mother." "Yes." "You are a woman." "Yes." The chain swings with each answer. Further questions follow: "You are currently riding in a tank." "No." "You are currently on a ship." "Yes." "You are currently flying in the sky." "No." The Queen answers each one correctly. Kurapika then states, "Your only child is the 14th Prince." The Queen responds with a hesitant "...Yes." A spiky-haired man watches with a tense expression from the side. Kurapika notes that the prince was held at the hotel where the interview took place two months ago. The chain continues to swing as the session proceeds.

A woman stares forward with wide, spiraling eyes and a tense, downturned mouth, her face filling the upper half of the page in a moment of visible shock. Below, a small baby with a polka-dot sleeve yawns widely, eyes closed and fists raised near its face amid radiating motion lines. In a wider room view, a woman with curly hair stands with her back partly turned, a suited man balances on a chair adjusting something near the ceiling, and another suited man holds the door open while a spiky-haired figure watches from the side with a stern expression. On the right, Kurapika stands in a dark suit marked with an H, short light hair framing a serious face as he looks left with a firm, closed-mouth gaze.

A close-up shows the Queen's open mouth with sweat drops as she cries out 'MY... MY CHILD! WOBLE IS...'. Kurapika stands holding a small chain device, facing downward. The Queen, seen in profile, asks '...WILL YOU ANSWER 'YES'?' while Kurapika replies '...QUEEN, TO MY QUESTION ...'. A single eye with sweat drops questions 'WHY...'. Kurapika continues speaking to the Queen about noticing the difference between male and female sounds in the Queen's pronunciation and asks 'DID YOU KNOW...? ...THAT IT WAS SHIMANO?'. The Queen reacts with wide eyes and an open mouth. Shimano stands partially visible in the background with a concerned expression.

The Queen began using those two pronunciations shortly after we set sail. Of course, I barely paid it any mind... it's a truly trivial difference, and there are plenty of native speakers who can't even differentiate them. At first, the Queen used the neutral 'bu' sound, but at some point, she began alternating between the two. The female pronunciation of 'bu', which mixes in a slight fricative sound, and the male pronunciation, which is made without bringing the upper and lower jaws together, are relatively distinct. But earlier, when the topic of Shimano came up, I recalled... wasn't it right around the time Kurapika first used his chain ability...? That made me think, 'huh?', which is how I first noticed. So that you could speak the 'truth' without making the chain swing... to prepare for the unlikely event that you were questioned by my chain. For the moment you had to say, 'he is my child'. You used them to selectively differentiate between a 'lie' and a 'boy', didn't you. ...Right now? Whose child... is he, and where is your daughter...

I truly do not know where they are. My daughter is... currently entrusted to that sister's care. This child is... my younger sister's son. Therefore, neither this child, nor my daughter, possesses the qualifications to participate in the succession war. Afterwards... we swapped the children at the hotel, so the one who attended the ceremony was my sister's son. The one who placed her hand into the urn was my daughter. During the seed urn ceremony, I felt that in order to survive, I had no choice but to bet on this... so we would appear to be 'participating' on the surface... and if push came to shove, I would confess that we 'lacked the qualifications' and beg for forgiveness... I believed 'not participating' was impossible... I thought non-participation would make us targets for elimination... Initially, ...what I thought. That is... It is just as you heard.

Three vertical panels on the left display close-up reactions from men. The top panel shows a stern man with slicked-back hair and a high-collared jacket staring forward intensely. Below him, a sweating man with short dark hair and visible droplets on his forehead speaks with a strained expression. The bottom panel reveals a spiky-haired man with wide eyes and a tense face. On the right side, a large panel features a light-haired girl looking upward with wide, determined eyes as she speaks. Beneath her, a dark-haired woman in traditional robes bows her head, a single tear visible on her cheek. The light-haired girl declares her unwavering belief in the Queen's statement while the men on the left identify themselves as outsiders.

The top panel shows an open sky with scattered clouds over a distant sea horizon. The middle panel depicts a violent explosion or impact on the water's surface, with a dark spherical object at the center of radiating shockwaves, debris, and motion lines. The bottom section shows a long, empty hallway with ornate walls and pillars. Two guards stand at the far end near a window. A digital clock on the wall displays 10:00 AM amid multiple beeping sound effects scattered across the panel.

A large group of people stands formally in a grand hall with ornate windows and doors. On the left, a suited man faces the assembly. In the center, a tall bearded man in a padded jumpsuit stands with arms crossed, flanked by other men in similar outfits and women in traditional kimonos. Behind them, older men and women in formal attire observe quietly. Below, a grid of close-up portraits shows the same individuals with varied expressions: stern, worried, surprised, and tense. At the bottom, a large close-up of a wide eye appears, accompanied by two thought bubbles. The first reads, "HAS THE OPERATION FAILED...?" The second states, "THE ONLY ONES WHO WITHDREW ARE THE 2ND QUEEN'S SOLDIERS, WHO ARE NOT TAKING THE CLASS..."

Another formal group stands in a similar ornate hall. On the left, a young boy with glasses stands beside a woman in a maid-like apron and other women and children in kimonos. To the right, several men in dark suits stand with serious expressions. A partial figure in a suit appears on the far right. Below, another grid of close-up faces shows concerned or surprised expressions from the same group. At the bottom, a large eye close-up is surrounded by two prominent thought bubbles. The first reads, "I THOUGHT THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 'THE 14TH PRINCE (WOBBLE) IS DISQUALIFIED FROM THE SUCCESSION WAR' WOULD GAIN MORE CREDIBILITY, AND THE DANGER OF HER BEING TARGETED WOULD DROP SIGNIFICANTLY... BUT IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE." The second states, "IF ONLY EITHER THE PRIVATE SOLDIERS OF THE 1ST PRINCE (BENJAMIN) OR THE 3RD PRINCE (CHOURAI) HAD WITHDRAWN..."

Text panels detail the ongoing succession conflict. Even if the 1st Prince's side reveals the truth about Prince Woble being a boy, the other princes refuse to believe it without proof, leaving the situation unchanged. The 1st Prince's private troops and the 3rd Prince's private troops have been informed that the story about Woble is true. For now, development of Nen abilities proceeds as planned. Simultaneously, the targets of Beyond's children must be identified. The speaker vows to demonstrate the power of Nen abilities to prove their effectiveness and gather crucial information. The reason for the fuss over succession rights despite knowing the prince is different is that the 'dragon' leaked into her womb, granting her the right of succession. Just being removed as a target for the 1st Prince has significantly reduced the current danger. The problem is the absent daughter; the curse supposedly placed on Beyond's disciples activates as post-mortem Nen and curses them to death. If it is a powerful one, it will be instantaneous. An especially defenseless baby has no way to resist, so the curser must be identified and eliminated beforehand. As the son of the one currently on the throne, the fact that he is not the real prince can be exposed through physical characteristics unless an official investigative body gets involved due to assassination or poisoning. The risk of being dragged into the succession war and having his life threatened is low right now. The true identities of the remaining cursers were heard from the 5th Prince's private troops, but they have not been told anything about who the curse targets or the conditions. At the bottom, a scarred, bearded man with long hair wonders if asking the source, Beyond himself, is the shortest path.

A luxurious lounge with patrons at tables transitions to an exterior view of a large cruise ship on the water. Inside a corridor, a spiky-haired character with a headband leans against the wall while another figure sits reading. The spiky-haired character reacts with surprise, mouth open. A close-up shows the scarred bearded man with a grin and the sound effect 'GRIN'. In a dimmer room with vertical bars, the bearded man sits on the floor and says 'Yo.' A large silhouetted figure in the foreground replies, 'I've been waiting for you.'

In a formal office lined with filing cabinets, a composed figure wearing a striped hat and ornate robe marked 'CAERN' stands centrally with a neutral expression while two attendants observe from the sides. Below, a woman with a headband addresses the group, suggesting they step outside for privacy. A spiky-haired man with a stern face holds up a document labeled 'TRIAL' and declares the request unreasonable. Another attendant in a cap explains their role involves surveillance and nitpicking contracts between supreme court judges or international political criminals, noting that VIPs cannot be released without thorough inspection. The bearded man with glasses confirms he is only verifying results and states there will be no retrial because the multiple crimes committed during the New World Voyage Declaration will not be pursued under international criminal law. He adds that the VS side trial where the outcome was successfully remanded via plea bargain is the focus. The woman in the headband robe concludes that everything was transferred to the secret agreement with Kakin, and the supreme court has dismissed all 1047 cases after consolidated deliberation.

The discussion continues with heated exchanges about the Kakin kingdom's respect for fundamental human rights and the wording of the constitution. The headband woman insists on adding a sentence about citizens and ordinary people. The bearded man with glasses reviews judicial records and constitutional amendments, noting that equality under the law for royalty and citizens was already adopted prior to the lawsuit involving Prince Nasubi. A spiky-haired man protests the speed of document review while others urge caution against foreign objects mixed in the papers. In the lower section, the bearded man declares an absolute king's single word is more effective than a constitution, then threatens to execute the 8th prince's esteemed members of the Zodiacs. The spiky-haired man reacts with shock as the bearded man laughs about killing time until the dismemberment schedule.