Chương 173: Chapter : 173

Ken Eliot slouched his shoulders, shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his wrinkled dark blue pants, and let out a loud, lazy sigh.

"You guys are being totally ungrateful," Ken complained cheerfully, completely ignoring the intense, suspicious atmosphere. He gave Elma a bright, goofy smile.

"She brought me a highly expensive, massive chocolate cake yesterday. Cake people are automatically good people. If she wants to hang out with us, I say we let her. Do you have any more cake with you, Elma? Because I already finished the first one, and my stomach is ready for round two." Elma gasped, her eyes darting over to Ken.

"I did not bring you another cake, you massive idiot!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to regain her tough, strict persona.

"And I am not here to hang out with you! This is official, diplomatic business!" Naomi let out a soft, amused scoff and gently nudged Ken's arm to quiet him down. It was a very casual, friendly gesture, treating him exactly like a naughty friend who could not stop making silly jokes at the worst possible times.

"If it is official business, then explain yourself," Naomi instructed, keeping her focus on the blonde girl.

"Why are you really here?" Elma took a deep breath, smoothing out the front of her spotless white tunic to calm her nerves. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek, rectangular mobile communication device. The screen was glowing with the official, bright red seal of the Upper Council.

"Ten minutes ago, the Upper Council released the official brackets for the upcoming tournament," Elma explained, her voice finally returning to a steady, professional tone. She held the glowing screen up so Princess Iris and Sayma could see it.

"They announced the 13th Unit's opponent for the first round. You are scheduled for a direct, head-to-head match against the 15th Prince, Hades Belmontia." Princess Iris took a slow step forward. Her violet eyes widened slightly as she read the name on the digital screen. Sayma pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose, her analytical mind immediately spinning into overdrive at the mention of the 15th Prince.

"Prince Hades," Sayma murmured quietly, her polite smile completely vanishing.

"That is an incredibly difficult matchup for our first official arena battle."

"Exactly," Elma nodded, crossing her arms and lifting her chin proudly.

"When Princess Hestia saw the tournament bracket, she was absolutely thrilled. You see, Princess Hestia completely despises Prince Hades." Luna, who was leaning against a stone pillar and looking like she was about to fall asleep standing up, blinked one tired eye open.

"She hates him? Why? Did he steal her favorite shoes or something?"

"It goes much deeper than that," Elma said, rolling her eyes at Luna's sleepy question.

"Prince Hades is ambitious, suffocating, and incredibly bossy. Whenever the Royal Family gathers at the capital, he constantly tries to exert his dominance over Princess Hestia just because he is her older brother. He talks down to her. He treats her like a foolish little girl. It deeply, intensely irritates my Princess. She has been looking for a way to completely embarrass him in front of the entire Empire for years." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Zinia, the tough earth magic user, let out a low whistle of understanding.

"Ah. So this is just petty family drama. Princess Hestia wants us to beat him up so she doesn't have to do it herself."

"It is not petty, it is highly strategic," Elma corrected her sharply.

"When Princess Hestia heard that your unit was missing a ninth member and facing automatic disqualification, she realized it was the absolute perfect opportunity. If you forfeit, Prince Hades wins the ten points by default without doing any work. Princess Hestia refuses to let him get a free victory." Elma paused, her confident posture faltering just a tiny bit. She looked down at the cobblestone pavement, a fresh wave of pink color rushing back to her cheeks. She refused to look in Ken's direction.

"Furthermore," Elma continued, her voice dropping into a much quieter, highly reluctant murmur.

"Princess Hestia knows that I still owe a massive, undeniable debt of gratitude to... to your completely useless, totally messy servant over there." Ken pointed a finger at his own chest, looking totally clueless.

"Wait, are you talking about me? I thought the chocolate cake cleared my tab! Do I get a second cake?"

"Shut up, Ken!" Elma shrieked, totally losing her cool attitude. She stomped her polished boot on the stone floor.

"I am trying to explain the politics! Since I owe you for saving my life in the research facility, Princess Hestia decided that loaning me out to your unit is the absolute perfect way to handle two problems at once! By fighting for the 13th Unit, I can officially settle my debt to you, and Princess Hestia gets the immense satisfaction of watching her elite servant help humiliate Prince Hades on national television! It is a flawless, mutually beneficial arrangement!"

The courtyard was completely silent as the elite girls processed the highly complicated, totally dramatic reasoning behind the loan. Sayma looked at Princess Iris, offering a small, polite nod.

"The logic is actually entirely sound, Your Highness. Princess Hestia is driven entirely by her pride and her rivalries. Sabotaging Prince Hades while maintaining her own unit's spotless reputation is exactly the kind of political move she would make." Princess Iris let out a soft, relieved breath. A genuine, warm smile spread across her face. She stepped forward, entirely ignoring the bitter rivalry that usually existed between their two factions.

"We are incredibly grateful for your help, Elma," Princess Iris said graciously, offering the blonde servant a respectful bow.

"You are an incredibly skilled fighter. Having you stand in the arena with us is a massive advantage. We warmly welcome you to the 13th Unit for this match." Elma looked totally taken aback by the kind, genuine welcome. She was used to arrogant, cold nobles, not warm, smiling Princesses. She awkwardly cleared her throat, trying to regain her strict composure.

"Do not get used to it," Elma muttered, looking away.

"I am only here for one single match. After we secure the ten points and crush Prince Hades, I am going right back to my own pristine mansion. Your estate smells like old wood and dust." Ken let out a loud, highly dramatic yawn, stretching his arms high above his head. He slouched his shoulders and gave Elma a goofy, totally relaxed wink.

"Well, since we are basically coworkers now," Ken joked lazily, "do you want the official welcome tour? We have a kitchen, a dusty hallway, and a really fantastic spot right by the back wall where I usually take my afternoon naps. I can show you how to sleep standing up. It is a highly advanced technique." Elma glared at him, her face completely red.

"I would rather drink a bucket of swamp water than take a nap with you, you absolute idiot!"