Chương 185: Chapter : 185

"It wasn't the Upper Council's decision, Sayma," Princess Iris explained softly, taking a seat next to her Vice-Captain.

"It was the citizens. Over the last few days, millions of commoners across the Empire signed massive public petitions. They marched outside the palace gates." Zinia looked totally confused.

"Petitions? For what?"

"For transparency," Iris answered, offering a small, proud smile.

"The common people are tired of the nobles picking the next Emperor behind closed doors. They want to see exactly who they are getting. They demanded that the direct, head-to-head arena matches be broadcast live, entirely without censorship. They want to see our true character on the battlefield. The Emperor realized that denying the petition would cause a city-wide riot, so he agreed." Ira, standing perfectly still by the doorway, stared blankly at the television.

"Statistically speaking, a public broadcast of this magnitude will reach approximately ninety-two percent of the households in the Empire. Every single mistake we make tomorrow will be recorded and analyzed by millions of people." Luna let out a miserable groan from the floor.

"That is so much pressure. If I trip and fall asleep in the arena, my face is going to be a meme on the internet by tomorrow afternoon."

"It gets even crazier," Princess Iris noted, gesturing toward the television.

"It isn't just our nation. Allied countries from across the continent have purchased the broadcasting rights. The entire world is literally watching us." Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out a large, family-sized bag of sour cream and onion potato chips he had secretly stashed away. He popped the bag open with a loud crunch, totally unfazed by the intense global pressure.

"Well, if millions of people are watching," Ken said lazily, tossing a chip into his mouth and chewing loudly.

"I better make sure my hair looks good. Do you think the camera adds ten pounds? Because I really don't want to look chubby while I am running away from the bad guys." Naomi just laughed, shaking her head at him. The thought of fighting on national television was terrifying, but seeing Ken casually eating chips on the sofa made the whole situation feel a lot less intimidating. If the messy slacker wasn't panicking, there was absolutely no reason for the rest of them to lose their minds.

"Just make sure your shirt is actually tucked in tomorrow, Ken," Naomi joked, lightly poking his arm.

"If you embarrass us on live television, I am going to make you do a thousand push-ups."

"My shirt is a symbol of rebellion against strict fashion rules," Ken declared proudly. On the television, the sports anchors brought up a massive, glowing holographic chart showing the faces of the entire 13th Unit vanguard. They were actually comparing stats.

"Let's look at the numbers, Bob!" the female anchor cheered.

"Princess Iris has a phenomenal defense. Her Vice-Captain, Sayma, boasts an incredible ninety-eight percent block rate with her golden barrier magic! And let's not forget Naomi, the lightning-fast wind user who can close the distance in the blink of an eye! But wait, looking at their roster, who is this unknown boy at the end of the lineup?" If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A blurry, highly unflattering picture of Ken popped up on the screen.

He was mid-yawn, his eyes half-closed, and his tie was completely crooked.

"That is Ken Eliot!" Bob the anchor shouted.

"Our analysts have dug through the school records, and folks, the stats are absolutely miserable! He possesses almost zero magical capacity! His stamina is practically non-existent! We have no idea why the 13th Princess brought a random, utterly powerless commoner into a war zone, but he is definitely going to be a massive liability for them tomorrow!" Laxmi burst out laughing, pointing at the television.

"Look at your picture, Ken! You look like a confused squirrel!" Ken gasped, placing a hand over his heart in exaggerated, dramatic offense.

"A liability?! I am a tactical genius! They clearly did not calculate my unparalleled ability to hide behind large rocks! Those analysts are totally unqualified!" Elma watched Ken defending his terrible television photo. She bit her lower lip, trying incredibly hard not to smile. She thought he looked sort of cute in the blurry picture, though she would absolutely never admit that out loud. The room filled with relaxed, easy laughter.

The prospect of an entire nation watching their every move was daunting, but sitting together in the living room, poking fun at the television broadcast, made the 13th Unit realize they were ready to face whatever challenge the arena had waiting for them.

Ken crunched loudly on another potato chip, totally absorbed by the bright, flashy graphics on the television screen. The sports anchors had moved past roasting his terrible stats and were now displaying a massive, rotating calendar.

"This isn't just a one-day event, citizens!" the male anchor yelled enthusiastically, slamming his hands onto his desk.

"The Upper Council has scheduled an absolute marathon of combat! Over the next five days, every single Prince and Princess will be stepping into these public arenas! It is a complete gauntlet of magical warfare!" The screen flashed through the faces of the Royal family. The arrogant smirk of the 3rd Prince, the cold stare of the 5th Prince, the bright, confident smile of Princess Hestia.

"Wait, look closely at the roster," Sayma noted, leaning forward and squinting at the television. She pushed her glasses up.

"There is a blank spot on the calendar for the final day." The female anchor on the screen nodded, pointing at the exact same blank spot.

"You are right, Bob! Fans might notice that one specific Royal is completely missing from this week's schedule! The 21st Prince, Eros Belmontia, will not be participating in the public arena matches! Official sources report that the youngest Prince has been dispatched on a highly classified, top-secret special mission outside the capital!" Zinia frowned, crossing her strong arms over her chest.

"A classified special mission? The 21st Prince is just a kid. Why would the Emperor send the youngest sibling away during the most important combat phase of the war?" Princess Iris stared at the screen, her violet eyes filled with deep, undeniable concern.

"Eros might look innocent, Zinia, but he is incredibly manipulative. If my father sent him away on a secret assignment, it means whatever he is doing is far more vital than earning points in an arena. We need to be very careful when he finally returns." Ken ignored the political drama entirely. He was much more interested in the snacks. He held out the bag of potato chips toward Elma, who was sitting stiffly on the loveseat.

"Hey, blonde lady," Ken offered lazily, shaking the bag.

"Do you want a chip? Sour cream and onion is the absolute best flavor for watching sports. It is a scientifically proven fact." Elma's heart did a frantic, totally unexpected flip. Her cheeks instantly turned a bright shade of pink. She looked at the bag of chips, and then looked at his goofy, completely relaxed smile. She wanted a chip, but her arrogant, high-society pride simply wouldn't let her accept junk food from a messy commoner in front of everyone.