Chapter : 650

Laxmi wandered over to the buffet table. She wore a bright orange gown. She looked bored. She tossed a tiny orange spark of fire between her fingers. She sighed loudly.

"I hate fancy parties," Laxmi complained. She grabbed a strawberry from a silver bowl. "Nobody is doing anything fun. The music is too slow. Everyone is just standing around talking about money. I want to go outside and punch a training dummy."

Zinia stood a few feet away. She wore a dark green suit. She crossed her muscular arms. She smiled a confident, tough smile. "We cannot punch anything today, Laxmi. We have to be on our best behavior. We must show the other Royal units that we are disciplined."

Sayma stood near the chocolate fountain. She wore an elegant blue dress. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a small, neat notebook. She clicked her pen.

"Zinia is correct," Sayma stated politely. She scanned the crowded ballroom. "The 1st Prince and the 2nd Princess are both in this room. We must maintain decorum. We cannot give them a single reason to insult our unit."

Ira stood perfectly still next to Sayma. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at a group of wealthy nobles. "Statistically speaking, diplomatic events possess a high probability of verbal conflict. Remaining near the food station reduces our chance of social interaction by forty percent."

Luna sat on a velvet chair near the wall. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. She let out a massive, dramatic yawn. "Ira is a genius. The food table is the safest place. I am going to take a nap right here. Please wake me up when it is time to leave."

Risa stood next to Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear. She looked at the giant chocolate fountain with wide, innocent green eyes. "The chocolate looks very pretty. It flows like a tiny river."

Ken reached for a chocolate-covered strawberry. He felt very relaxed. The gala was boring, but the snacks were free. He planned to eat his way through the entire night. He did not care about the politicians. He did not care about the rival Royal units. He just wanted a peaceful evening.

Suddenly, a very familiar, seductive voice echoed inside his mind.

It was a telepathic message. The voice belonged to Leviathan, the Demon Queen of the Serpents. She was one of his elite spirit commanders.

"Master," Leviathan purred softly in his head. Her voice sounded serious. "I apologize for interrupting your meal. But we have a situation."

Ken stopped reaching for the strawberry. He blinked his sleepy dark eyes. He did not change his lazy posture. He kept his goofy smile on his face. He replied silently through the mental link.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"What is wrong, Leviathan?" Ken thought casually. "Did Ryu break a window again? I told him to stay outside the city limits. I refuse to pay for broken glass."

"It is not Ryu," Leviathan corrected smoothly. "I am currently monitoring the perimeter of the Gala building. A rat just slipped past the outer security grid."

Ken slumped his shoulders a little bit more. "A rat? You mean a spy?"

"Much worse than a spy, darling," Leviathan reported. Her tone turned sharp and cold. "It is a Black Magician. A very dangerous one. The dark mana signature is potent. The target successfully infiltrated the building. They are currently inside the venue."

Ken let out a long, silent sigh in his mind.

"Are you kidding me?" Ken complained internally. He stared at the chocolate fountain. "This is a classic anime trope. The bad guys always crash the fancy party. They never let the main characters just eat dinner in peace. The villains always have to ruin the buffet table. It is so unoriginal. They really need to hire better writers for this storyline."

Ken knew he could not use his magic. He could not transform into Lancelot. The entire room was full of people. Princess Iris was here. The 1st Prince was here. The Emperor's guards were everywhere. If he revealed his power, his peaceful life would end instantly. He had to keep his slacker disguise intact.

"Do you want me to eliminate the target, Master?" Leviathan offered eagerly. "I can drown them in the shadows before they even draw a weapon. It will be silent."

"No," Ken commanded quietly in his mind. "If you attack them, the magical backlash will alert every single Royal in this room. The 1st Prince will detect your presence. He will start a massive investigation. Just stay on standby. I will handle this. I will use the power of running away."

"As you wish, my Sovereign," Leviathan replied. The telepathic link closed.

Ken dropped his empty plate onto the table. He turned around. He looked at Naomi, Laxmi, and Zinia. He needed to move his friends away from the doors. He needed to get them into a safe, defensive position without looking suspicious.

"Hey, guys," Ken announced loudly. He rubbed his arms and shivered dramatically. "Is it just me, or is it getting really cold over here? The doors are super drafty. I think we should move to the center of the room. The center of the room is much warmer. It is basic science."

Naomi looked at him. She smiled a fond, amused smile. "You are always complaining about the temperature, Ken. It is perfectly fine."

"I am a very delicate flower, Naomi," Ken joked lazily. He started shuffling toward the middle of the ballroom. He dragged his shoes on the marble floor. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. "Come on. Let us go stand near the big chandelier. I want to see how shiny the crystals are."

Sayma pushed her glasses up. She closed her notebook. "Ken's request is illogical, but moving to the center of the room does provide a superior vantage point for observation. We can monitor the other Royal factions more efficiently."

Laxmi shrugged. "Fine. Let's go. Maybe someone will do something interesting in the middle of the room."

The 13th Unit followed Ken. They walked away from the walls. They walked away from the large glass windows. They moved directly into the center of the massive, crowded ballroom.

Ken drooped his shoulders. He slid his hands deep into his pockets. He looked around the room with sleepy, half-closed eyes. He waited for the inevitable bad guy entrance. He knew something very annoying was about to happen. He just hoped the bad guys did not throw any food on his nice suit.

---

The grand ballroom buzzed with polite laughter and soft music. Wealthy nobles danced in the center of the floor. Waiters carried silver trays filled with expensive drinks. The atmosphere was joyful and relaxed.

Ken Eliot stood directly under the massive crystal chandelier. He sagged his posture. He looked at the main exit doors. He knew the Black Magician was inside the building. He waited for the trap to spring.