Chương 102: Chapter : 102

And then there was Ken, who looked back and forth between the two groups, deciding that he definitely belonged with the tired engineers. The race for the Core of Luminus was officially about to begin, but the starting line was looking a lot friendlier than anyone had expected.

Prince Hephaestus took a few slow steps forward. Up close, he looked even more exhausted. He had dark circles under his green eyes, and his hands were covered in thick calluses from years of working in a hot forge. He completely ignored the tense, protective stares of Naomi, Sayma, and Zinia. He only looked at Princess Iris. A warm, genuine smile spread across the 9th Prince's messy face.

"Iris," Hephaestus said, his voice surprisingly soft and kind.

"Look at you. You have grown up so much since the last time I saw you at the palace." Princess Iris offered a polite, deeply respectful bow. She didn't sense any tricks or traps from him.

"It is good to see you too, Brother Hephaestus. It has been a long time. You look... exactly the same." Hephaestus let out a loud, hearty laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with a grease-stained hand.

"Yeah, I know. I am a total mess. My chief engineer has been yelling at me all morning to wash my face, but we have been awake all night working on a new engine prototype. I just haven't had the time." Behind Princess Iris, Ken leaned over to whisper to Laxmi.

"I like this guy," Ken mumbled happily.

"He totally understands the struggle of having people yell at you for looking messy. He is a true slacker hero."

"He isn't a slacker, Ken," Laxmi whispered back, rolling her eyes.

"He was working on an engine. That is actual, productive labor. You just sleep." Hephaestus sighed, letting his friendly smile fade just a little bit. He looked down at his heavy boots.

"Iris, I am going to be totally honest with you. I really, really hate this. When the Upper Council told me I was going to be racing against my own little sister today, I almost threw a wrench through my workshop window." Iris's violet eyes softened. She knew how brutal their family was. Hearing one of her siblings actually care about her feelings was incredibly rare.

"The Emperor's rules are cruel, Brother. He wants us to fight."

"I know," Hephaestus groaned, adjusting the welding goggles on his forehead.

"And I hate fighting. I just want to sit in my garage and build things. But I cannot back down from this mission today, Iris. I really can't." Hephaestus gestured toward the dark, gaping entrance of the Blood Fault Dungeon.

"My engineering team is trying to build a massive, city-wide heating and cooling system for the lower-class outer districts," Hephaestus explained, his voice filling with genuine passion.

"The winters out there are brutal for the poor families. But my machines keep overheating. They keep melting down. I desperately need the Core of Luminus. Its absolute cooling properties are the only thing that can make my project work. If I get that core, I can save thousands of commoners from freezing this winter." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Ken stopped slouching for a second. His sleepy eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Wow," Ken thought to himself, completely dropping his goofy act internally.

"He isn't trying to get the core for power or politics. He actually wants to use it to build heaters for the poor neighborhoods. That is incredibly noble. This guy is actually a really good person." Princess Iris felt a sharp pang of guilt in her chest. She wanted the core to cure the toxic Solurias poisoning. Hephaestus wanted the core to save people from freezing. They both had incredibly righteous, noble reasons for being here.

But only one team could win the points, and only one team could walk away with the prize.

"I understand, Brother," Princess Iris said softly, keeping her voice completely steady.

"I also have a vital reason for needing the core. It seems we are at a stalemate." Hephaestus nodded sadly. He looked at the fierce girls standing behind Iris.

"You have a strong-looking vanguard, Iris. I am glad you found good people to protect you. My team isn't built for combat. We are just going to try to sneak past the monsters using stealth gadgets." He offered his hand, and Princess Iris shook it firmly.

"I wish you the absolute best of luck, Iris," Hephaestus said kindly.

"May the best team win. And please, be careful down there. The magical radiation inside that cave is making the monsters huge."

"You be careful too, Hephaestus," Iris replied warmly. The 9th Prince turned around and gestured to his tired, soot-covered engineers.

"Alright, team! Let's move out! Keep your stealth cloaks ready and stick to the shadows! We have a core to find!" The engineers adjusted their toolbelts, nodded to the 13th Unit, and followed their Prince directly into the dark, creepy depths of the Blood Fault Dungeon. Within seconds, the 9th Unit was completely swallowed by the heavy mist and the shadows of the cave. The 13th Unit stood quietly at the entrance, watching them disappear. The tension that had been building all morning was completely gone.

Ken Eliot let out a long, happy breath. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and slouched his shoulders, stepping out from behind Zinia. He walked up to the front of the group, staring at the dark cave entrance with a massive, goofy smile on his face.

"Wow," Ken said out loud, nodding his head in absolute approval.

"What an incredibly nice guy. No yelling, no shiny capes, and no threatening to burn my face off. He just wanted to build some heaters. I am officially a fan." Naomi crossed her arms, still looking a little defensive.

"He was polite, yes. But do not let your guard down, farm boy. He is still a Prince of the Belmontia Empire. He is still our rival."

"Oh, come on, Naomi," Ken argued playfully, turning around to face the girls. He threw his hands up in the air.

"Prince Hephaestus is a low-key gem! Did you see the way he totally owned that messy look? The grease stains, the shaggy hair, the total lack of royal posture? The man is a visionary. We messy guys have to stick together." Sayma pushed her glasses up, giving Ken a highly amused, polite smile.

"I do not think Prince Hephaestus is messy because he is lazy, Ken. He is messy because he works incredibly hard in a hot forge all day long. The two of you are nothing alike."

"That is where you are wrong, Vice-Captain!" Ken declared confidently, puffing out his chest and pointing a finger to the sky.

"You are just looking at the surface! Sure, he builds giant machines, but I bet underneath that tired exterior, he is hiding some seriously amazing talents. He probably knows how to take a nap while standing up. Or how to ignore annoying people with perfect precision." Ken put his hands on his hips, giving the entire team his absolute most proud, goofy grin.