Chương 160: Chapter : 160

"You literally just ate an entire plate of sandwiches an hour ago," Naomi pointed out, playfully tossing a dry cleaning cloth right at his face.

"Your stomach is a bottomless pit. Just eat the chips, Ken. But if you drop crumbs all over the stone floor, I am going to make you sweep the entire yard with a toothbrush." Ken caught the cloth before it hit his nose and let out a dramatic, exaggerated sigh.

"You are a harsh boss lady. But I accept those terms. Sweeping builds character." He happily popped the bag open, completely ready to enjoy his hard-earned reward. But just as he reached his hand inside to grab a chip, a sudden, sharp sound interrupted the quiet afternoon. Clack. Clack. Clack. Someone was knocking loudly and firmly on the solid iron gates at the front of the estate. The lazy, peaceful atmosphere vanished in a single second.

Laxmi immediately crushed the small flame in her hand, jumping down from the fountain. Zinia cracked her knuckles, her stance widening as she prepared to pull up a wall of solid rock. Sayma closed her book with a swift snap, pushing her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. Even Luna cracked one sleepy eye open, tiny yellow sparks of lightning dancing across her fingertips. Naomi instantly stepped forward, pulling her twin daggers from her belt with a metallic ring.

She moved smoothly, placing herself directly between the front gates and Ken. She didn't even think about it; it was just a natural, protective instinct.

"Get behind me, Ken," Naomi whispered, her green eyes fixed on the entrance.

"Nobody knocks on our gates unless they want trouble. Stay out of the way." Ken casually took a step back, crunching loudly on a potato chip.

"Are you sure it isn't just the mailman? Because I really don't want to fight the mailman. He brings the coupons."

"Focus, you idiot," Naomi scolded gently, keeping her daggers ready. Sayma walked forward, her analytical mind working fast.

"We are not expecting any deliveries. And given the absolute chaos we caused at the underground laboratory earlier today, it is highly likely that someone is here to deliver a formal challenge." Laxmi grinned wildly, her fists igniting with bright orange fire.

"Let them try! I am totally ready to roast anyone who thinks they can just walk up to our house and start a fight."

"I will open it," Zinia announced. She walked over to the tall iron gates, grabbed the metal handle, and pulled the doors wide open. The entire 13th Unit braced themselves for an attack. They fully expected to see a massive squad of angry mercenaries, or maybe an arrogant messenger from a rival Prince coming to insult them. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Instead, standing entirely alone on the other side of the gate, was Elma.

The highly arrogant, twin-sword-wielding servant from the 16th Unit looked totally out of place standing in front of their dusty, crumbling estate. She was wearing her pristine, spotless white and gold combat uniform. Her blonde hair was perfectly curled, and her boots were polished to a mirror shine. But something was completely wrong. Usually, whenever Elma saw the 13th Unit, she would stand with her chin held high, projecting an aura of pure, absolute superiority.

She would sneer, cross her arms, and deliver a totally ruthless insult about how messy they looked. Right now, Elma was not sneering. In fact, she looked incredibly uncomfortable. She was standing awkwardly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She kept looking down at the cobblestone street, completely avoiding eye contact with any of the girls. Her cheeks were bright pink, and her hands were fidgeting nervously behind her back. The girls of the 13th Unit stood frozen in sheer confusion.

They stared at the rival swordswoman, totally unsure of how to react to this bizarre situation. Laxmi lowered her flaming fists just a fraction of an inch, tilting her head.

"Uh... is this a joke? Did Princess Hestia send her shiny lapdog to bark at us? Because you look like you got lost on your way to a fancy tea party." Elma's face turned an even brighter shade of pink. She opened her mouth to snap a sharp comeback, but the angry words seemed to get completely stuck in her throat. She closed her mouth and looked away, kicking a small pebble with the toe of her immaculate boot.

"I am not here on official business," Elma finally managed to say. Her voice was much quieter than usual. It lacked all the biting, mocking venom she normally used.

"Princess Hestia did not send me. She doesn't even know I am here. I sneaked out of our mansion." Sayma frowned, stepping up beside Naomi. The Vice-Captain was trying to calculate the logic behind this visit, but nothing made sense.

"You sneaked away from your own unit? Why? What could possibly bring you to our gates if you do not have a message from your Princess?" Naomi kept her daggers drawn, still highly suspicious.

"If this is a trick, Elma, it is a terrible one. We are not going to let our guard down just because you are acting weird. State your business and leave." Elma took a deep, shaky breath. She looked like she was going through absolute, pure torture just standing there. She completely ignored Naomi's threat and looked past the fierce vanguard leader. Her blue eyes scanned the courtyard until they landed directly on the messy, untucked boy standing near the stone pillar.

"I didn't come here to talk to you," Elma said, her voice trembling slightly with embarrassment. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger straight at Ken.

"I came here to talk to him." The entire courtyard went completely, undeniably silent. Laxmi's fire snuffed out instantly. Zinia dropped her hands. Ira stared blankly. Naomi turned her head to look at Ken, her jaw dropping open in pure shock.

"Me?" Ken asked, pointing a potato chip at his own chest. He blinked his sleepy eyes, looking genuinely confused.

"Are you sure? Because I don't owe you any money. And if you are here to yell at me for ruining your white outfit in the underground bunker, I already apologized. Mostly."

"I am not here to yell at you," Elma said, her face burning hotter than a furnace. She took a slow, hesitant step into the courtyard. She looked entirely out of her element. The proud, untouchable warrior from the absolute best unit in the Empire was standing in front of a lazy, goofy slacker, looking like a nervous schoolgirl. It was the most bizarre, reality-breaking sight the 13th Unit had ever witnessed.

"Then what do you want?" Naomi asked, her voice full of total disbelief. She looked back and forth between Elma and Ken, feeling a very strange, highly confusing twinge of protectiveness bubbling up in her chest.

"He is our teammate. If you have something to say to him, you can say it in front of all of us."