Chapter : 20

  "Don't worry," Ken promised from the floor, giving a lazy salute. "I plan to be hiding behind a very large rock while you do all the fighting."

  Finlay clapped his hands once more, ending the session. "Assessment complete! Dismissed! Go clean your gear and prepare for the day!"

  As the girls began to walk away to pack up their weapons, Ken slowly stood up. He dusted off his pants and fixed his crooked tie, only to make it crooked in the other direction. He let out a long breath.

  The morning had been annoying, and getting woken up at 4:00 AM was a crime against humanity. But as he looked at Sayma walking away, he felt a small sense of relief. Naomi hated him, the other girls ignored him, and Finlay wanted to torture him with exercise.

  But Sayma had defended him. She had looked past the clown act and found a logical reason to accept him on the team.

  "I am thankful that at least one person here is nice to me," Ken thought, a genuine, tiny smile appearing on his face. "Maybe this team won't be a total nightmare after all."

  He picked up his bag of potato chips, shoved his hands back into his pockets, and happily slouched his way toward the exit. It was only 6:00 AM. If he walked quietly and avoided Finlay, he could definitely sneak back into his dusty room and catch a quick, glorious nap before breakfast.

  The first test was over, and the lazy boy from the Iron Rose District had successfully kept his dangerous secret safe. For now, he was just Ken: the annoying, snack-eating rookie with a tiny finger gun. And that was exactly how he wanted it to stay.

  ----

  A few days later, the team had to go to the Upper Council for their official registration. This was a very important day. If Princess Iris and her team did not register at the Upper Council building, they would not be allowed to join the Succession War.

  They traveled in a large convoy of three black luxury cars. Grandmaster Finlay and Princess Iris were in the front car. The middle car carried the elite girls: Sayma, Naomi, Zinia, and the others. Ken Eliot was stuck in the back of the middle car, sitting right between Naomi and Zinia.

  It was a quiet morning. The cars were driving smoothly down a long, empty forest road. The trees were tall, and the shadows were cool. It should have been a peaceful ride. But Ken was doing everything in his power to make it annoying.

  "Crunch. Crunch. Crunch."

  Ken reached into a large plastic bag and pulled out another potato chip. He threw it into his mouth and chewed loudly. He was wearing his servant uniform, but as usual, the shirt was untucked and his tie was totally crooked. He slouched down in the expensive leather seat, looking completely relaxed.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Naomi, the red-haired girl with the quick dagger skills, turned her head slowly. Her eye was twitching. "Ken," she said, her voice sounding very dangerous. "If you chew one more potato chip in my ear, I am going to throw you out of a moving vehicle."

  Ken stopped chewing. He looked at Naomi with wide, innocent puppy eyes. "But I am hungry! We had breakfast two hours ago. My stomach is a very delicate machine. If I don't feed it snacks, I might faint from weakness. You don't want me to faint, do you?"

  "I would love it if you fainted," Naomi grumbled, crossing her arms. "At least then you would be quiet. We are on our way to the Upper Council. The other Princes and their elite knights will be there. We need to focus. We need to be serious."

  "Serious is boring," Ken replied. He held out the bag of chips. "Do you want one? It is barbecue flavor today. Very spicy."

  "No!" Naomi yelled, slapping his hand away.

  Sayma, the Vice-Captain with the thick glasses, sighed from the front seat. "Please, both of you, calm down. Naomi, save your energy. Ken, please try to chew with your mouth closed. We are almost out of the forest."

  Ken gave a lazy salute. "Yes, Boss! My mouth is officially a closed zone." He immediately popped another chip into his mouth and sucked on it quietly, making a funny face. Naomi just rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

  Ken leaned his head back against the seat and let out a long yawn. In his mind, he was already thinking about his bed. "Going to the Upper Council sounds like a massive pain," Ken thought to himself. "Lots of rich people, lots of standing around, and probably a lot of boring speeches. I really hope there is a buffet table. If there is no free food, I am going to complain."

  Suddenly, the peaceful ride came to a violent end.

  BOOM!

  A massive explosion shook the ground. The sound was deafening. Ken felt the car swerve hard to the right. The tires screeched against the asphalt. The driver slammed on the brakes, throwing everyone forward. Ken hit his nose against the back of the front seat.

  "Ow! My beautiful nose!" Ken complained, rubbing his face. "Hey, what kind of driving is that? You just ruined my snack time!"

  But nobody was laughing. Naomi was already pulling out her dagger. Zinia’s hands were glowing with brown earth magic. Sayma pushed her glasses up and looked out the front window.

  "The front car!" Sayma shouted. "The Princess’s car has been hit!"

  Ken peeked out the window. The forest road was completely blocked. A huge tree had been blown up and pushed across the street. The first car in the convoy, where Princess Iris and Finlay were sitting, was stopped just inches away from the burning tree.

  "Ah," Ken thought, looking at the fire. "The classic forest ambush trope. I knew this road was too quiet. The bad guys always attack in the forest. It is like rule number one of anime logic."

  Suddenly, loud battle cries echoed from the trees.

  "For the true Emperor! Kill the 13th Princess!"

  Dozens of men jumped out of the bushes on both sides of the road. They were wearing rough leather armor and carrying heavy swords, axes, and magical staffs. They were mercenaries—hired killers paid by an enemy Prince to stop Princess Iris from reaching the Upper Council.

  "Ambush! Everyone out! Defend the Princess!" Sayma commanded.

  The doors of the car flew open. Naomi dashed out first, moving like a blur of green wind. She kicked a mercenary in the chest, sending him flying back into the trees. Zinia jumped out, slammed her hands on the ground, and created a thick wall of rock to block incoming arrows. Laxmi, Ira, and Luna ran out to join the fight, throwing fireballs, water whips, and lightning bolts at the attackers.

  Ken, however, did not jump out to fight. He slowly opened his door and rolled out onto the grass, staying very low to the ground. He crawled behind the back tire of the car and hugged his knees.