Ken Eliot sat cross-legged on his lumpy mattress. He held a large bag of barbecue potato chips in his lap. He reached his right hand into the crinkling plastic bag. He pulled out a very large, curved chip. He tossed the chip high into the air. He opened his mouth. He caught the chip perfectly on his tongue.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
He chewed the salty snack loudly. He stared at the pages of a brightly colored comic book resting on his knees. He wore his usual baggy gray sweatpants. He wore an oversized white t-shirt. His black hair stuck out in wild, messy spikes. He looked incredibly relaxed.
"This story arc is taking entirely too long," Ken complained to the empty room. He pointed a lazy finger at the comic book page. "The main character has been trapped in this training sequence for five chapters. Training montages are a massive waste of time. The author should just do a time skip. Time skips fix everything. You just fade to black, and suddenly the hero is super strong. It saves so much effort."
He turned the page. He popped another potato chip into his mouth. The estate was very quiet. The chaotic events of the international summit were officially over. The foreign kings had left the capital city. The Upper Council banned Lancelot from traveling across international borders.
Ken was absolutely thrilled by the travel ban. It was the best news he had ever received. He did not have to leave the country. He did not have to fight foreign villains. He could just stay inside the 13th Unit estate and read his comic books. It was a massive victory for his slacker lifestyle.
A soft knock echoed from the hallway.
The door opened slowly. Naomi walked into his dusty bedroom. She wore simple dark pants and a comfortable gray sweater. Her bright red hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. She carried a small ceramic plate in her hands. Three warm chocolate chip cookies rested on the plate. A tall glass of cold milk sat next to them.
She looked at Ken sitting on the bed. She did not yell at him for eating chips at midnight. She did not tell him to clean his messy room. She just smiled a very warm, bright smile. Her green eyes sparkled with genuine affection.
"Are you still awake, Ken?" Naomi asked softly. She walked over to his bed. She set the plate and the glass of milk on his small wooden nightstand. "I noticed your light was still on. You need to get some sleep. We have morning practice tomorrow."
Ken dropped his comic book onto the mattress. His dark eyes lit up with pure joy. He looked at the warm cookies.
"Naomi, you are an absolute lifesaver," Ken cheered happily. He grabbed a warm cookie. He took a huge bite. Chocolate melted perfectly on his tongue. "I was running dangerously low on snacks. The potato chips are very salty. I needed something sweet to balance my diet. You are a master chef."
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Naomi laughed a quiet, musical laugh. She sat down on the very edge of his bed. She crossed her arms casually. She watched him eat the cookie.
"You have a terrible diet, Ken," Naomi teased gently. "You eat sugar and salt all day. I do not understand how you survive."
"I survive purely on good vibes and plot armor," Ken joked lazily. He took a sip of the cold milk. "Plus, my body is highly efficient. It converts sugar directly into lazy energy. It is a very rare biological trait."
Naomi shook her head. She looked around the messy room. "You are totally ridiculous. But I am very glad you are safe. The summit today was incredibly stressful. The foreign kings were shouting so loudly. I was worried they would start a massive war right there in the marble room."
"Politicians just love to yell," Ken stated casually. He slouched his shoulders. "They think yelling makes them look strong. But they are just a bunch of old guys in fancy suits. They do not want a real war. Wars cost too much money. They just want to complain."
"I suppose you are right," Naomi smiled. She looked at him with soft, trusting eyes. "I am just glad Lancelot showed up. He completely silenced the entire room. He handled the situation perfectly. Now he is banned from traveling. The world is finally calming down."
Ken nodded enthusiastically. He took another bite of his cookie.
"The travel ban is a fantastic idea," Ken agreed smoothly. "Lancelot gets a permanent vacation. The 13th Unit gets a massive break. We do not have to pack any travel bags. We do not have to ride in bumpy carriages. We can just stay here. I give this outcome a perfect ten out of ten."
Naomi stood up from the bed. She smoothed out her sweater. She smiled down at him.
"Finish your milk, slacker," Naomi instructed warmly. "And go to sleep. I will see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Naomi," Ken said. He gave her a goofy, relaxed wave.
Naomi walked out of the bedroom. She closed the door softly behind her. The hallway grew totally silent.
Ken finished his last cookie. He drank the rest of his milk. He set the empty glass back on the nightstand. He wiped his hands on a napkin. He let out a long, lazy sigh.
He stood up from his mattress. He walked over to the door. He turned the metal lock. A soft click echoed in the tiny room.
The moment the door locked, Ken completely dropped the 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.
He needed to review some vital information. The political drama in the capital city was far from over. He knew the corrupt politicians were still hiding secrets. He needed an intelligence update.
Ken stepped into the center of the bedroom. 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. It was a high-level, absolute summoning spell.
The shadows swirled rapidly above the circle. A massive, towering figure stepped out of the darkness.
It was Ryu.
The giant dragon-man wore ancient, dark traditional armor. Thick, jagged dark red dragon scales ran down his huge muscular arms. His golden, reptilian eyes burned brightly in the dim light. His pupils were sharp vertical slits. He radiated a massive aura of pure, unfiltered power.
Ryu immediately dropped to one knee. He hit the floorboards with a loud thud. He slammed his massive fist over his heart. He bowed his head deeply.
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