Chương 159: Chapter : 159

Even Ira, the emotionless water mage, turned her flat stare toward him. She didn't smile, but she gave a single, crisp nod.

"Your chaotic behavior has a one hundred percent success rate in preventing inter-faction warfare. It is highly irregular, but highly effective." Ken looked around the courtyard. Every single one of the elite girls was nodding in agreement. They were openly admitting that the messy, untucked boy they used to mock was actually a vital, important part of their family. Standing a few feet away, near the edge of the group, was Naomi. Naomi didn't step forward to give a speech.

She didn't yell, and she didn't offer a grand compliment. She just stood quietly by a stone pillar, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She looked away, pretending to be very interested in a crack on the courtyard wall. But inside, Naomi was feeling a massive, undeniable swell of pure pride. She remembered the dark, terrifying moment in the Doom Tower. She remembered watching the giant, mutated monster thrust a deadly spear directly at her chest.

She remembered Ken—the boy who had absolutely zero defensive magic and zero combat training—throwing his fragile body through the air to push her to safety. Naomi refused to say it out loud in front of the others, because her strict knightly pride wouldn't allow her to be overly emotional in public. But she knew the truth. She knew Ken wasn't just a lucky idiot. He was incredibly brave.

And hearing her teammates finally acknowledge his worth, hearing them finally accept him as one of their own, made a warm, happy feeling bloom right in the center of her chest. She quickly glanced over at Ken out of the corner of her eye. She saw him sitting in the dirt, trying to balance his apple on the tip of his nose like a total clown. A small, affectionate smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, though she quickly bit her lip to hide it.

"You are such an idiot," Naomi thought to herself, her green eyes softening with genuine friendship. Ken let the apple drop from his nose, catching it smoothly in his hand. He looked around at the beaming, happy faces of his teammates. The atmosphere was incredibly warm and supportive. It was the kind of heartfelt, deeply emotional moment that usually happens at the end of a grand adventure. It was the perfect time for Ken to completely ruin the mood. Ken slowly pushed himself off the ground.

He dusted off his pants, slouched his shoulders forward, and gave the entire team his biggest, widest, most obnoxious goofy grin.

"So, wait a minute," Ken said loudly, raising his hand in the air and looking directly at Princess Iris.

"If I am the big hero of the day... if my amazing, totally accidental tripping skills literally saved the entire 13th Unit from a massive point deduction... does this mean I get a reward?" Stolen novel; please report. The warm, fuzzy smiles on the girls' faces instantly faltered. Princess Iris let out a soft, amused laugh. She shook her head, already knowing exactly where this was going.

"What kind of reward did you have in mind, Ken?"

"A bonus supply of potato chips," Ken answered instantly, not hesitating for a single second. He started ticking requirements off on his fingers.

"I want the giant, family-sized bags. Sour cream and onion for weekdays. Barbecue flavor for the weekends. Oh, and I want an official, signed decree from the Princess stating that I am legally exempt from washing dishes for the next three weeks." Sayma let out a long, exhausted sigh, pushing her glasses up her nose again.

"You truly have a unique way of destroying a beautiful moment, Ken."

"I am just capitalizing on my success!" Ken argued playfully, putting his hands on his hips.

"Heroes need snacks! If I don't get a steady supply of salty chips, my tripping skills might get rusty! I might accidentally trip and break the kitchen window next time! You guys need to keep me properly fueled!" Laxmi groaned, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I take back every nice thing I just said about him! He is absolutely insufferable!"

"And I want a cold soda, too!" Ken yelled happily, pointing a finger at Laxmi.

"The fizzy kind!" Naomi couldn't hold it back anymore. The small, hidden smile broke out into a genuine, bright laugh. She uncrossed her arms and walked right up to him, lightly smacking the back of his messy head.

"Shut up, Ken!" Naomi laughed, shaking her head in pure amusement.

"You get one normal-sized bag of chips, and you are absolutely still doing the dishes tonight! Don't push your luck, slacker!"

"One bag?! That is a total insult to my heroic tumbling!" Ken complained loudly, rubbing the back of his head and pouting.

"This unit is incredibly cheap! I am filing a grievance with the snack department!" The courtyard filled with bright, easy laughter. The stress, the fear, and the intense political pressure of the Succession War were completely forgotten for the morning. They were just a messy, chaotic, deeply connected family enjoying a sunny day. Ken Eliot slouched his shoulders and took another loud bite of his apple. He was perfectly happy.

The girls had stopped treating him like a stranger, the mission was a success, and his terrifying secret was still completely hidden from the world. As long as he got his requested bag of potato chips, the lazy boy considered the entire ordeal an absolute, flawless victory.

Later that same afternoon, the 13th Unit was finally experiencing a rare, totally peaceful moment. The intense stress of the past two days had slowly faded away, leaving the team to just enjoy the bright, warm sunshine. Laxmi was sitting on the edge of the stone fountain, tossing a small, harmless orange flame from one hand to the other. Zinia was stretching her arms, enjoying the quiet breeze.

Sayma sat at a small patio table, politely turning the pages of a massive history book, while Ira stood completely still beside her, staring blankly at a passing butterfly. Luna was currently curled up on a wooden bench, fast asleep, using her own jacket as a pillow. And right in the middle of the yard, Ken Eliot was busy negotiating his snack schedule.

"I am just saying, Naomi," Ken said lazily, holding up an unopened bag of sour cream and onion potato chips.

"If I eat these right now, it counts as a late lunch. But if I wait another hour, it ruins my appetite for dinner. It is a very delicate scientific balance. I have to eat them immediately for the sake of my health." Naomi stood a few feet away, wiping down the metal training dummies. She didn't glare at him with absolute disgust anymore. Instead, she just shook her head, a small, amused smile playing on her lips.

She treated him exactly like a highly annoying, slightly naughty friend who needed constant supervision.