Zinia leaned against the wall near the window. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms. She laughed a deep, booming laugh. "You cannot punch foreign diplomats, Laxmi. That would start a massive global war. We are not invited anyway. We are just servants."
Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench. The lightning user rubbed her sleepy eyes. A soft knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She let out a massive yawn.
"I am very glad we are not invited," Luna mumbled lazily. Her eyes were already half-closed. "Summits are incredibly boring. People just sit at large tables and talk for hours. The chairs are always very hard. I prefer sleeping on this bench. Sleeping is a much better use of my time."
Ira stood perfectly still by the doorway. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at the television screen.
"Statistically speaking," Ira noted in her flat, robotic voice. "Global summits result in loud diplomatic arguments ninety-two percent of the time. They rarely solve the root cause of a crisis. They are a highly inefficient method for maintaining international peace."
Risa sat on the floor next to Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly against her chest. She looked a little nervous. "I hope they do not yell at each other. Yelling is very scary. People should just talk nicely."
Princess Iris walked out of the strategy room. The violet-eyed royal wore her crisp dark blue uniform. Her silver hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She looked very determined. She watched the news anchors on the screen.
"My father is making a bold move," Princess Iris said softly. She stood next to Sayma. "He invited the King of Zenith. He invited the King of Felacia. He even invited Pope Isac from the nation of Celestia. The Sultan of Albino and the King of Zulfara are also attending. The security in the capital city will be absolute."
Ken slouched his shoulders even further. He sank deep into the sofa cushions. He ate another potato chip.
"This is exactly like a filler episode," Ken analyzed lazily. He pointed his potato chip at the television. "The writers ran out of budget for the big fight scenes. So, they just put all the important characters into one room. They make them talk for five episodes straight. It saves a massive amount of animation money. It is a classic anime trope."
Naomi laughed a bright, happy laugh. She shook her head at his ridiculous logic. "You watch way too many cartoons, Ken. This is real life. The fate of the continent is on the line."
"Anime reflects real life," Ken argued cheerfully. He smiled a goofy smile. "The summit arc is always the most boring part of the show. I am going to take a nap until the tournament starts again."
Suddenly, Ken stopped chewing. He blinked his sleepy dark eyes.
He felt a very familiar, quiet sensation in his mind. It was a telepathic ping. The mental message came directly from the shadows. His spymaster, Karna, was calling him. Karna had an urgent intelligence report.
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Ken knew he needed to leave the living room immediately. He needed absolute privacy. He could not let the elite girls hear his secret conversation. He needed a flawless, lazy excuse to walk away.
Ken grabbed his stomach with both hands. He bent forward slightly. He put on a highly exaggerated, incredibly dramatic face of pure discomfort.
"Oh man," Ken groaned loudly. He waved his hand in the air. "I think I ate way too many sour cream and onion chips. My stomach is doing massive backflips right now. It feels like a washing machine is spinning inside my belly."
Naomi looked at him. She smiled a very fond, caring smile. She patted his arm gently. "Are you okay, Ken? You always eat your snacks too fast. Do you need some water?"
"I just need a bathroom break," Ken lied smoothly. He stood up from the sofa. He slouched his posture. "I will be right back. Please guard my bag of chips. If Laxmi eats them, I will absolutely cry."
"I will protect your chips," Naomi promised warmly. "Go take care of your stomach, slacker."
Ken shuffled out of the living room. He dragged his cheap shoes on the wooden floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He walked down the quiet hallway. He walked past the bathroom. He went straight to his small, dusty bedroom on the second floor.
He stepped inside his bedroom. He closed the door. He turned the metal lock. A soft click echoed in the room.
The moment the door locked, Ken completely dropped his goofy act.
His slouched shoulders straightened up instantly. He stood perfectly tall. His lazy, sleepy smile vanished entirely. His dark eyes turned incredibly sharp and totally focused. He was no longer the complaining servant. He was the Sovereign.
Ken walked to the center of the room. He raised his right hand. He snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The temperature in the bedroom plummeted. The air turned freezing cold. A brilliant, glowing green magical circle materialized directly on the wooden floorboards. The green light illuminated the dark corners of the room.
The shadows swirled rapidly above the circle. A tall, flawlessly handsome man stepped out of the green light.
It was Karna. The spymaster wore a sleek black tactical jacket and dark trousers. His silver eyes looked incredibly serious. He placed his right hand over his heart. He offered a crisp, perfectly professional bow.
"Good morning, Boss," Karna greeted smoothly. His voice was calm and polite.
"Report," Ken commanded. His voice was deep and steady.
Karna stood up straight. He clasped his hands behind his back.
"I have monitored the aftermath of the Solurious incident," Karna explained cleanly. "The destruction of the Bluemoon Kingdom caused massive global panic. But the true culprits are not resting. My shadow network tracked their magical signatures."
Ken crossed his arms over his chest. He listened closely.
"The Black Magicians are on the move," Karna reported. His silver eyes flashed with absolute certainty. "They survived the explosion. They retreated into the deep underground tunnels. They are gathering their remaining forces. They are actively communicating with hidden factions inside the capital city."
Karna took a slow step forward.
"They are likely plotting something massive, Boss," Karna stated firmly. "The explosion was just the beginning. They want to use the international chaos to their advantage. They are preparing their next strike while the world leaders are distracted by the summit."
Ken nodded slowly. He did not look surprised. He did not look panicked. He looked completely calm.
"Of course they are," Ken agreed. He let out a quiet sigh. "It is very obvious."
Ken walked over to his small wooden desk. He leaned against the edge of the wood.
"This is exactly how these plots work," Ken noted casually. "The villains cause a massive disaster. Then, they hide off-screen for a few episodes. They plot their next move in the shadows. They wait for the heroes to drop their guard. It is totally predictable behavior."
Karna offered a small, respectful nod. He admired his master's flawless analytical mind. Ken always saw the big picture.
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