Chương 184: Chapter : 184

Elma crossed her arms, returning the nod with a proud, confident smirk.

"He can calculate all he wants. Once I get on that battlefield, I am going to slice right through his perfect little plans." Ken Eliot stretched his arms high above his head, letting out another massive, highly obnoxious yawn. He totally ignored the intense, dramatic rivalry happening right in front of him.

"Okay, the scary guy in the black suit is gone, and the paperwork is officially finished," Ken announced happily, clapping his hands together and turning toward the exit doors. He slouched his shoulders and gave the team a massive, goofy grin.

"Can we please go home now? All this intense staring and serious talking is making me incredibly sleepy. Plus, my favorite cartoon is on television in an hour, and I absolutely refuse to miss the new Episode just because some Prince has trust issues." Naomi let out a fond, exasperated sigh and shoved him lightly toward the doors.

"Move your feet, farm boy. Let's go home." The 13th Unit walked out of the Upper Council building, stepping into the bright sunlight of the capital city. The bureaucratic battlefield was officially behind them, but the real, physical war was waiting just over the horizon. Tomorrow, they would step into the arena against a perfectionist who was already spiraling into paranoia, and the entire Empire would be watching.

The afternoon combat preparations were finally over, and the entire 13th Unit looked like a group of people who had just run a marathon through a desert. They dragged their feet as they walked into the main living room of the estate, completely exhausted. The large room was filled with plush, comfortable couches, and the team wasted absolutely no time claiming their spots.

"My legs are officially filing for bankruptcy," Ken groaned, tossing his suit jacket onto the floor and completely collapsing onto the largest sofa. He sank so deep into the cushions that he practically disappeared. He let his arms flop lazily to his sides and stared up at the ceiling.

"I think my knees just sent me a resignation letter. If anyone needs me, please leave a voicemail. I will not be moving for the next three business days." Naomi walked over and plopped down right next to him. She didn't glare at him or yell about his untucked shirt. Instead, she just let out a highly amused sigh and nudged his ankle with her boot.

"You barely jogged during the evasion drills, Ken," Naomi teased, treating him exactly like a lazy friend who always tried to skip gym class.

"You spent half the afternoon pretending your shoelaces were tied together. You are perfectly fine."

"Acting injured takes a massive amount of creative energy, Naomi," Ken argued playfully, giving her a goofy smile.

"My brain is tired. Therefore, my entire body is tired. It is basic science." Sitting on a separate loveseat, Elma carefully smoothed out her spotless white and gold uniform. The blonde servant from the 16th Unit was still trying to maintain her proud, aristocratic posture, but she looked incredibly awkward sitting in the middle of a rival team's living room. She glanced over at Ken, noticing how his messy black hair fell across his forehead. Her cheeks immediately turned a bright, vibrant pink.

She quickly looked away, staring intensely at a blank wall so nobody would notice her staring at him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Laxmi threw herself onto a beanbag chair in the corner, stretching her arms high above her head.

"I don't care how tired we are. We figured out our formations with Elma, and we are totally ready. Tomorrow, we get to punch the 15th Prince's vanguard right in the teeth." Sayma walked into the room holding a tray of cold water bottles. She passed them around politely before taking a seat on a wooden chair.

"We are as prepared as we can be. The 15th Prince is a perfectionist, so we must expect him to have a highly detailed strategy. We should try to relax our minds for the rest of the evening." Luna, who was already curled into a tight ball on a fuzzy rug, mumbled sleepily.

"I strongly support the relaxing plan. Someone turn on the television. I want to watch cartoons until I fall asleep." Zinia grabbed the remote from the coffee table and clicked the magical television on. The large, flat screen mounted on the wall flickered to life. However, it did not show a cartoon. It did not show a boring political speech or a regular weather report. The screen exploded with bright, flashing neon graphics, loud air horn sound effects, and upbeat, high-energy music.

Two highly enthusiastic news anchors were sitting at a massive, glossy desk. Behind them, a giant digital billboard displayed a massive, glowing picture of Princess Iris on one side, and an equally large picture of Prince Hades on the other. Giant golden letters flashed across the top of the screen: ROYAL CLASH TONIGHT: THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN! The entire 13th Unit stopped drinking their water. Laxmi's jaw literally dropped open. Zinia nearly crushed the television remote in her hand.

"Wait," Naomi gasped, sitting up perfectly straight and staring at the screen.

"Is that... us? Are we on the sports channel?"

"Welcome back, citizens of the Belmontia Empire!" the loud, excited news anchor yelled into the camera, waving his hands wildly.

"The tension in the capital city is absolutely electric today! We are just hours away from the most anticipated matchup of the week! It is a classic battle of opposites! The underdog 13th Princess, Iris Belmontia, is stepping into the arena to face off against the cold, calculating perfectionist, the 15th Prince, Hades Belmontia!" The second anchor, a woman wearing a bright red blazer, nodded enthusiastically.

"You are absolutely right, Bob! The streets are buzzing! Nobody expected the 13th Unit to surge up the leaderboard so quickly, but after completely dismantling a major criminal organization in the slums, they proved they are a massive force to be reckoned with! But can their scrappy, chaotic vanguard break through Prince Hades's flawless, highly organized defense? It is going to be a total bloodbath, and we are here for every single second of it!" Ken blinked his sleepy eyes, pointing a finger at the screen.

"Are they talking about us like we are professional wrestlers? Since when did the Succession War become a reality television show? I didn't sign a broadcast release form. Do we get paid royalties for this?" Sayma pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She looked absolutely stunned.

"The Royal Succession War has always been a private, internal political event. The Upper Council usually keeps the details of our missions completely classified to protect the Royal Family's image. Why are they broadcasting a direct combat match on national television?" Princess Iris walked into the living room, holding a cup of hot tea. She looked at the television screen, her violet eyes totally calm but slightly overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the situation.