Chapter : 33

  Ken stared at him for one more second, making sure the lesson was permanently burned into the arrogant noble's brain.

  Then, Ken simply opened his hand.

  Ken dropped him.

  Zefar hit the marble floor hard. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, coughing violently and gasping for sweet, fresh air. He scrambled backward, terrified that Ken was going to grab him again. He didn't even bother to stand up properly. He crawled backward like a frightened animal, his expensive training uniform scraping against the stone.

  When he was finally a few feet away, Zefar scrambled to his feet. He didn't say a single word. He didn't make a single threat. He didn't even look back. He just turned around and ran. He ran as fast as his shaking legs could carry him, bursting through the glass doors and disappearing into the safety of the busy palace hallways.

  He ran away, completely terrified out of his mind.

  Ken stood alone on the balcony. He watched the glass doors swing shut. The quiet, peaceful night returned. The cool wind blew gently across the marble floor.

  Ken let out a long, loud sigh. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his posture immediately returning to his normal, lazy slouch. His cold, terrifying eyes softened, turning back into the sleepy, bored eyes of the commoner from the Iron Rose District.

  He looked down at the floor near his feet. When Zefar had attacked him, Ken had dropped his squished cheese sandwich on the ground. It was completely ruined.

  "Man," Ken mumbled out loud, shaking his head sadly at the dropped food. "What a total drag. He ruined my snack, and he made me do actual work. This is exactly why I hate dealing with rich kids."

  Ken shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He let out a loud, exaggerated yawn that stretched his jaw.

  "I am way too tired for this dramatic nonsense," Ken thought to himself, turning around to head back inside toward the guest rooms. "I need to get some sleep. I just hope tomorrow is a nice, boring day where absolutely nothing happens."

  He walked back inside, completely unfazed by the fact that he had just mentally destroyed the son of one of the top persons in the Empire. He was just Ken again, the lazy boy who wanted nothing more than a good nap.

  But tomorrow would not be a boring day. Tomorrow, the tutorial phase of the Succession War would end, and the real, deadly game for the throne was about to begin.

  ----

  The next morning, the sun was barely up, but the entire 13th Unit was already awake. The peaceful, easy days were officially over. The "Tutorial Phase" of the Succession War had ended the night before. Today was the day the real competition began. There were no more safety nets, no more practice rounds, and no more hiding in the shadows. The game for the throne was now live, and every single point mattered.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Everyone gathered in the main strategy room of the Princess’s crumbling estate. The room was large and practical. There was a long wooden table in the center, surrounded by heavy chairs. At the front of the room, a large magical screen took up most of the wall. It was currently blank, waiting to display their very first official mission from the Emperor.

  Princess Iris sat at the head of the table. She looked tired but very determined. Her back was perfectly straight. Grandmaster Finlay stood right next to the blank screen, his massive silver armor polished and shining. The six elite girls of the unit—Sayma, Naomi, Zinia, Laxmi, Ira, and Luna—were sitting around the table. They all wore their dark combat uniforms, fully geared up and looking extremely serious.

  And then, there was Ken Eliot.

  Ken walked into the strategy room a few minutes late. He was dragging his cheap shoes across the floor, making a loud scuffing sound. His dark blue servant uniform was a complete disaster, as usual. The left side of his shirt was completely untucked, his tie was crooked, and his black hair looked like a bird had used it as a nest. He was holding a piece of toast in one hand and a half-empty box of apple juice in the other.

  "Morning," Ken mumbled through a mouth full of toast. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn that stretched his jaw. He slowly slumped into an empty chair near the back of the table and took a loud sip of his juice.

  Naomi, the red-haired girl with the quick dagger, immediately glared at him. Her eye twitched with annoyance. "Are you kidding me, farm boy? Today is the start of the real war, and you walk in late eating breakfast? You look like you just rolled out of a garbage can. Tuck your shirt in!"

  Ken blinked lazily. He looked down at his shirt, then gave Naomi a goofy, relaxed smile. "It takes too much energy to tuck it in, boss lady. Besides, my stomach needs food to focus. If I don't eat my toast, I might fall asleep during the meeting. You don't want me to fall asleep, right?"

  "I would love it if you fell asleep so we wouldn't have to listen to you," Naomi snapped back, crossing her arms tightly.

  Sayma, the smart Vice-Captain with the thick glasses, gently placed a hand on Naomi's arm. "Ignore him, Naomi. Save your energy for the mission. We have much bigger things to worry about today."

  Grandmaster Finlay clapped his giant metal hands together. The sound echoed like a gunshot, instantly silencing the room. Even Ken stopped chewing his toast for a second.

  "Attention, 13th Unit!" Finlay’s deep, booming voice commanded. "The talking stops now. As you all know, the Tutorial Phase is over. The Emperor has officially opened the mission board for all twenty-one Royal candidates. From this moment forward, every action we take will be tracked, judged, and scored by the Upper Council. We must earn points to keep Princess Iris in the race."

  Finlay turned toward the large magical screen on the wall. He reached into his armor and pulled out a small crystal key. He pushed the crystal into a slot on the wall.

  "The Upper Council has sent us our very first assignment," Finlay announced. "Let us see what we are dealing with."

  The magical screen buzzed and lit up with a bright blue glow. Text began to scroll across the screen in bold, black letters. Everyone in the room leaned forward, reading the words carefully. The room suddenly went completely dead silent. It was so quiet that Ken could hear the clock ticking on the wall.

  Grandmaster Finlay stared at the screen. His thick, gray eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown. He read the words out loud, his voice sounding much heavier than before.

  "Rank B Mission," Finlay read slowly. "Reward: 20 Points. Penalty for Failure: -20 Points."

  The absolute silence in the room lasted for five more seconds. Then, the shock hit them.