"I never drop crumbs," Ken lied smoothly. He sat up just a tiny bit and grabbed a warm cookie. He took a huge bite. "Oh my goodness. This is amazing. You are the best chef in the entire city, Naomi. I am officially promoting you to Head Snack Officer."
"I graciously accept the title," Naomi laughed softly. She sat down in the armchair across from him.
The rest of the elite girls were enjoying their day off. Laxmi sat on the floor, happily tossing a small orange spark of fire between her fingers. Zinia was doing deep stretches near the window. Sayma sat at the dining table, reading a thick fictional novel. Ira stood perfectly still near the doorway. Her pale face showed zero emotion. Luna was fast asleep on a long wooden bench. Risa sat on the rug, using colored pencils to draw a picture of a cute puppy.
"I need to start a training arc soon," Ken joked lazily. He slouched his shoulders and leaned back against the cushions. He pointed a finger at the ceiling. "I need to power up my aura. I need to reach my final, ultimate form. But right now, my final form is a guy taking a very long nap."
Laxmi burst out laughing. "Your final form is just you sleeping on a different couch, Ken!"
The room was full of happy, easy banter. They felt completely safe.
Suddenly, the magical television screen mounted on the wall flickered. The regular broadcasting stopped instantly. A bright red 'BREAKING NEWS' banner flashed across the screen. Loud, urgent alert sirens played from the television speakers.
Everyone in the living room stopped talking. Laxmi extinguished her flame. Zinia stopped stretching. Luna slowly opened one sleepy eye.
A news anchor appeared on the screen. The anchor looked absolutely terrified. His face was pale. He held a stack of papers with shaking hands.
"Citizens of the Empire, we interrupt this broadcast for a massive, urgent alert!" the news anchor shouted frantically. "We have just received horrifying reports from the eastern borders! We have completely lost all magical communication with the Bluemoon Kingdom!"
Sayma dropped her book. She stood up instantly. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Lost communication? That is impossible. They have backup magical relays."
"The entire region has gone completely dark!" the panicked anchor continued loudly. "Our border scouts report a massive cloud of toxic purple fog covering the Bluemoon capital city! Experts fear a catastrophic disaster has occurred! The military is currently on high alert!"
The living room went totally, uncomfortably silent.
Princess Iris walked into the room from the hallway. Her violet eyes were wide with deep concern. She stared at the television screen. She knew the Bluemoon Kingdom was a strong, allied nation. For it to go dark suddenly meant something incredibly powerful had attacked.
Ken stopped chewing his popcorn.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He stayed seated on the sofa. He did not jump up in a panic. He kept his face completely lazy and bored. He let out a soft, dramatic sigh.
But inside his mind, Ken felt a sharp, cold realization. The goofy, slacker thoughts completely vanished. He knew exactly what toxic purple fog meant. He knew the Black Magicians were making a massive move.
Ken looked at the screen. He slouched his shoulders even further. He quietly popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth. The peaceful, relaxing day was officially over. A massive storm was gathering in the distance, and the lazy boy knew he was going to have to do some extremely annoying cardio very soon.
---
Grandmaster Yukihime placed a small glass vial on the center of the pristine white marble table. The glass clicked softly against the smooth stone. A faint, glowing red mist swirled slowly inside the sealed container.
Yukihime stood perfectly straight. Her icy blue eyes looked incredibly cold. She wore her spotless white martial arts tunic. A long katana rested securely at her hip. She looked directly at Princess Hestia.
"The magical residue tells a very specific story, Your Highness," Yukihime reported. Her voice was smooth, elegant, and completely chilling. "I extracted this mist from the canyon. It is the exact location of our recent ambush. The monsters attacked our convoy with massive force. I analyzed the remaining mana particles. I broke down the elemental composition."
Princess Hestia sat in a plush white velvet chair. She wore her flawless white silk dress. Golden embroidery lined the edges of her gown. Her auburn hair fell perfectly over her shoulders. She looked at the glowing red mist. She did not smile. She looked incredibly serious.
"What did your investigation uncover, Yukihime?" Hestia asked. Her voice was calm but strict. "Who sent those mutated creatures to attack my unit?"
Yukihime pointed a pale finger at the glass vial.
"The attackers used highly advanced camouflage," Yukihime explained seamlessly. "They tried to hide their tracks completely. But no magical spell is absolutely perfect. The summoner left a tiny trace of their original mana signature behind. I isolated that signature. I compared it to the Belmontian registry."
Zaima stood right behind Hestia’s chair. The scowling servant crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Her pristine white and gold uniform looked flawless. She glared at the glowing vial. She wanted a target. She wanted revenge for the canyon ambush.
"Give us a name, Grandmaster," Zaima demanded sharply. "Who dared to strike at the 16th Princess?"
"The magical signature belongs to a Royal bloodline," Yukihime stated blankly. The words hung in the quiet, lavish parlor. "It is not a generic criminal trace. It is a highly specific, unique frequency. The mana structure matches Princess Iris Belmonte perfectly."
The entire room went totally silent.
Elma stood a few feet away. The blonde swordswoman blinked her blue eyes in pure shock. She looked at the glass vial. She looked back at Yukihime. She could not believe her ears.
"Princess Iris?" Elma whispered softly. "That is completely impossible."
Zaima did not think it was impossible at all. A cruel, victorious smirk spread across her bitter face. Her eyes flashed with intense, undeniable anger.
"I knew it!" Zaima shouted loudly. She uncrossed her arms. She paced across the white rug. "I knew they were a bunch of lying traitors! Princess Iris wants the throne! She knows our unit is superior! She sent those monsters to eliminate us!"
Hestia raised her delicate hand. The simple gesture instantly commanded absolute silence. Zaima stopped pacing immediately.
Hestia stared at the glowing red mist in the vial. Her perfect, manicured fingers tapped gently on the armrest of her chair. She processed the massive revelation. Her brilliant, political mind analyzed the situation from every possible angle.
"My sister is many things," Hestia murmured quietly. Her green eyes narrowed with profound thought. "She is stubborn. She is overly compassionate. She surrounds herself with a very messy, chaotic team. But she is not a murderer."
"The evidence is right there, Princess!" Zaima argued fiercely. She pointed at the table. "The magical signature does not lie! It is a direct match! The 13th Unit orchestrated a calculated strike against us!"
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