Chapter : 670

The magical pressure lifted. The air grew warm again.

Ken stood alone in his dusty room. He let out a long, dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head. His back popped softly. He drooped his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. The terrifying Sovereign retreated deep into his mind. The goofy slacker returned instantly.

"Man, giving orders is so much work," Ken complained lazily to himself. He kicked his cheap shoes off into a pile near the wall. "I had to use my scary voice. My throat is dry. I should have asked Naomi for a glass of milk."

He walked over to his lumpy mattress. He flopped face-first onto the bed. He pulled his thin blanket up to his chin. He wiggled his toes in his white socks.

"The spies will find the book," Ken mumbled sleepily. "I can just relax. The shadow network does all the hard work. I am the best manager in the world. I delegate everything."

He closed his eyes. He thought about the next day. He decided he was going to take a vacation. He needed to leave the estate for a little bit. He wanted to visit his family in the outer district. He wanted to see his dad.

"I will go fishing," Ken smiled a goofy smile in the dark. "Fishing is the ultimate lazy sport. You just sit in a chair and hold a stick. The fish do all the work. It is a flawless plan."

He fell asleep very quickly. He snored softly into his pillow. He did not worry about the forbidden book. He did not worry about the corrupt politicians. He knew his shadow army was already moving across the capital city. The conspirators were doomed. Ken just wanted to enjoy his fishing trip.

---

Ken Eliot pulled the zipper on his dark green canvas bag. He packed very few clothes. He packed three large bags of sour cream and onion potato chips. He packed a box of chocolate cookies. He packed a large bottle of iced tea. He sagged his shoulders. He did not want to carry a large bag. He wanted to travel light.

He wore his usual navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in wild, messy spikes. He grabbed the straps of his bag. He tossed it casually over his shoulder.

He walked down the hallway. He shuffled his cheap shoes on the wooden floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff.

Naomi stood near the front entrance. She wore simple dark pants and a gray shirt. Her bright red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She leaned against the wall. She smiled a very warm, bright smile. Her green eyes sparkled with genuine affection.

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She held a small white paper bag in her hands. She walked over to him. She playfully bumped his shoulder with her arm.

"Leaving already, Ken?" Naomi asked softly. She offered him the white paper bag. "I packed some extra snacks for your train ride. You always complain about the food on the transit cars. I made sure to include those sweet buns you like."

Ken reached out and took the bag. His sleepy dark eyes lit up with joy. He gave her a massive, goofy grin.

"You are the best, Naomi," Ken cheered lazily. He peeked inside the bag. "Sweet buns are top-tier travel food. They do not leave crumbs on my suit. I highly appreciate your culinary skills. I will definitely eat these before I even reach the station."

Naomi chuckled softly. She reached out and patted his arm. "Have a good trip. Get some rest. Visit your family. We will hold the fort down while you are gone."

"Do not do any extra cardio without me," Ken joked. He popped his collar with his free hand. "Actually, please do all the cardio without me. I am officially on vacation. I will see you in a few days."

Ken walked out the front gates. He strolled down the dirt path. He headed toward the transit station.

He boarded the train to the Iron Rose District. He found a window seat. He slouched deep into the seat cushions. He put his bag on the floor. He opened the white paper bag Naomi gave him. He pulled out a sweet bun. He took a large bite. The vanilla cream tasted fantastic. He chewed slowly.

He watched the city pass by through the window. The buildings zoomed past. He felt relaxed.

"This is what I need," Ken mumbled lazily to himself. He swallowed his food. "A classic slice-of-life episode. The tournament arc is over. The bad guys are in jail. The main character finally gets a break. This is the part of the anime where everyone goes to a hot spring. Or they go to the beach. But I am going to the outer district. I just want to sit on a couch and do nothing."

The train ride lasted an hour. Ken finished his sweet buns. He drank some water. He took a quick nap. He woke up when the train stopped.

He stepped off the train. He walked into the Iron Rose District.

The streets here were different from the Inner City. The roads were made of dirt and cracked cobblestones. The houses were small and close together. People wore simple work clothes. Nobody wore fancy silk suits. Nobody wore shiny gold jewelry. It felt very normal. It felt very comfortable.

Ken walked down his familiar childhood street. He reached a small white stone house. A neat little garden sat in the front yard. He walked up the steps. He opened the front door and walked inside.

"I am home!" Ken announced loudly. He dropped his canvas bag onto the floor. It made a loud thud. "Please tell me there is food in this house. The train ride burned a massive amount of calories. I am fading away."

Khadija walked out of the kitchen. She wore a bright floral apron. Her kind face lit up with a huge smile. She rushed forward. She hugged him tightly.

"Ken! You are home early!" Khadija beamed happily. She patted his cheeks. "You look so tired! Your shirt is all ! Come into the kitchen right now. I just finished making a fresh batch of caramel pudding."

Ken’s eyes widened. A huge smile spread across his face.

"Caramel pudding is the ultimate cure for fatigue," Ken agreed instantly. He slouched his shoulders and followed his mother into the kitchen.

He sat down at the small wooden table. Khadija placed a glass bowl of golden pudding in front of him. She gave him a silver spoon. Ken took a huge bite. The sweet caramel melted perfectly on his tongue. He closed his eyes in bliss.

"This is a masterpiece," Ken mumbled with his mouth full.

He finished the pudding very quickly. He scraped the bowl clean. He wiped his mouth with a napkin. He looked around the quiet house. Jasmin was not at the kitchen table. She was probably at the university taking classes.