Chapter : 38

  The courtyard of the crumbling estate was buzzing with quick, quiet activity. Princess Iris and Grandmaster Finlay had just finalized the overall battle plan for the B-rank mission. However, there was one major problem they had to solve before the entire 13th Unit could march into battle. The map the Emperor provided only highlighted a massive, general area on the edge of the capital city. They knew Vane and his Curse Organization were somewhere in that zone, but they had absolutely no idea where his exact hideout was.

  Marching an entire unit into unknown enemy territory without a specific target was a great way to walk straight into a trap.

  To fix this, Vice-Captain Sayma decided to form a small reconnaissance sub-group. Their job was to go out first, gather intelligence, pinpoint Vane's exact location, and report back. Sayma naturally picked Naomi to come with her, since Naomi was the fastest member of the team and could easily scout ahead.

  And for some reason, Sayma also picked Ken.

  "I still don't understand why we have to bring the farm boy," Naomi complained for the fifth time as the three of them walked away from the estate and headed toward the Inner City. "If we get into a fight, he is just going to trip over a rock and cry. He is going to slow us down."

  "He needs to learn how we operate, Naomi," Sayma replied patiently, adjusting her thick glasses. "Besides, we are not going to fight right now. We are just holding a strategy meeting to figure out where to look. We need a quiet place to sit down and review the files Grandmaster Finlay gave us."

  Ken was walking a few steps behind them, dragging his cheap shoes on the pavement with a loud scuffing sound. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He had his hands shoved deep into his pockets and was busy staring at the clouds. He was completely ignoring Naomi’s complaints. In his mind, being picked for the recon team was actually a huge win. Recon meant sitting around, talking, and not fighting. It was the perfect job for a professional slacker.

  "A quiet place sounds great," Ken chimed in, giving them a goofy smile. "My stomach is actually completely empty. That one piece of toast did absolutely nothing for me. Can our strategy meeting involve pancakes?"

  Naomi groaned and rubbed her temples. "Is food the only thing you ever think about?"

  "Food, naps, and avoiding heavy lifting," Ken answered honestly, holding up three fingers. "Those are my top three priorities in life."

  Sayma let out a soft chuckle. "Well, you are in luck, Ken. I know the perfect place for a meeting. Follow me."

  Sayma led them deep into the Inner City. This was the richest, fanciest part of the Belmontia Empire's capital. The streets were paved with perfectly clean white stones. There was no trash anywhere. Even the streetlamps were decorated with real gold.

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  Ken stopped dragging his feet and looked around. He had never really been to this part of the city before. Back in the Iron Rose District, things were loud, crowded, and normal. Here, everything looked like it belonged in a museum.

  Sayma stopped in front of a massive, incredibly expensive-looking building. It had giant glass windows, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a long red carpet leading up to the front doors. A man in a tailored suit was standing at the door, greeting guests who looked like they owned private islands.

  "Here we are," Sayma said calmly, walking right past the doorman and stepping inside.

  Ken blinked his sleepy eyes and followed her. As soon as he walked through the doors, the smell of fresh coffee, expensive sugar, and rich butter hit his nose. It was a high-society cafeteria. It was the kind of place where rich nobles came to drink tea and gossip about politics.

  The interior was stunning. The seats were made of plush red velvet. The tables were carved from dark, polished wood. Soft, classical music was playing in the background.

  Sayma walked over to a large, comfortable booth in the back corner and sat down. Naomi slid into the seat next to her, looking completely comfortable and at home. Ken stood awkwardly by the table for a second before slumping down into the velvet seat across from them.

  The moment Ken sat down, he realized that a lot of people were staring at him.

  The rich nobles at the other tables were wearing silk suits and diamond necklaces. They took one look at Ken’s wrinkled, messy dark blue servant uniform, his wildly untucked shirt, and his entirely crooked tie, and their faces twisted in disgust. Ken stuck out like a sore thumb. He looked like a guy who had just rolled out of a haystack and wandered into a royal wedding.

  A waiter dressed in a perfectly ironed black tuxedo walked over to their table. He gave Sayma and Naomi a polite bow, but when he looked at Ken, he physically cringed.

  "Good morning," the waiter said tightly. "May I take your order?"

  Sayma smiled politely. "Just a black tea for me, please."

  "I will have a sparkling water with lemon," Naomi added, sitting up perfectly straight.

  The waiter turned to Ken, looking like he wanted to ask Ken to leave. "And for... you, sir?"

  Ken leaned back in the soft velvet seat, completely unfazed by the glaring nobles and the rude waiter. He didn't care if people thought he was a peasant. Actually, he preferred it.

  "Oh, man, I am starving," Ken said loudly, not bothering to lower his voice. "Let me get the biggest iced coffee you have. Like, a bucket of it. And put extra caramel in it. Oh, and I want three of those giant chocolate pastries I saw in the window. And maybe a slice of strawberry cake. Actually, make it two slices."

  The waiter stared at him in horror. Naomi kicked Ken sharply under the table.

  "Ow!" Ken yelped, rubbing his shin. "What was that for?"

  "You are embarrassing us!" Naomi hissed through her teeth, keeping a fake smile on her face for the waiter. "This is a high-class establishment. You do not order a 'bucket' of coffee!"

  "But I am thirsty," Ken complained, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes.

  Sayma sighed and handed the waiter a shiny gold coin. "Please, just bring him what he asked for. Keep the change."

  The waiter’s eyes widened at the sight of the gold coin. He bowed deeply. "Right away, my lady!"

  As the waiter rushed off, Ken leaned his elbows on the fancy wooden table and looked back and forth between Sayma and Naomi. His sleepy eyes were full of genuine curiosity.

  "Okay, I have to ask," Ken said, totally dropping his slacker act for a brief second. "How do you guys afford a place like this? That gold coin Sayma just handed the waiter is probably worth more than my dad makes in a month. I thought the 13th Unit was super broke. Our estate is literally crumbling. I had a leaky pipe drip water on my head this morning."