Chương 296: Chapter : 296

Sayma slammed a massive ledger onto the wooden table. A small cloud of dust flew into the air, dancing in the morning sunlight that filtered through the windows. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose and let out a long, tired sigh.

"This is completely useless," Sayma said, rubbing her eyes.

"The Benjamin Group wiped their financial records clean. They scrubbed every single transaction. I have been reading these pages for three hours, and the numbers simply vanish into thin air." Princess Iris sat across from her. She looked exhausted but very determined. Her violet eyes scanned the messy piles of paperwork scattered across the strategy room.

"There has to be a paper trail, Sayma. Augusto and Vane needed millions of Bels to fund their Devil Flour research. That much money does not just appear out of nowhere."

"I know, Princess," Sayma replied, flipping to another page filled with tiny numbers.

"But these criminal syndicates are smart. They used proxy accounts. The money moves from a secure bank in the Inner City to a fake corporation in the outer districts. After that, it gets cashed out and the trail goes totally cold. We need to find the exact catalyst. We need to know who ordered the weaponization of the Solurius radiation in the first place." Naomi leaned against the wall near the window. She crossed her arms and tapped her combat boot on the floorboards. She did not look angry today.

She just looked highly focused. Ever since the incident in the dungeon, she treated the room differently.

"We took down the Vice Director yesterday," Naomi pointed out, offering a confident smile.

"We shut down their main operational hub. Someone much higher up the political ladder is going to panic. When people panic, they make mistakes." Laxmi sat on the edge of the table, tossing a small orange flame between her hands like a baseball.

"Let them panic! If they show their faces, I will roast them. I am so tired of reading old books and looking at numbers. I want to punch something." Zinia chuckled deeply and patted Laxmi on the shoulder.

"Patience, Laxmi. You cannot punch a bank statement into giving you answers." Luna was fast asleep on a nearby couch. She snored quietly, her head resting on a stack of unread case files. Ira stood near the door, staring blankly at the hallway outside. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

"Statistically speaking," Ira stated in her robotic voice, "finding a hidden financial backer through redacted files has a success rate of less than four percent." Risa walked around the table, handing out cups of warm tea to everyone. She offered a sweet, encouraging smile to Sayma, hoping the warm drink would ease her stress. And then there was Ken. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Ken slouched in his chair at the far end of the table.

His dark blue suit was completely wrinkled. His shirt was untucked on both sides, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. He held a bright red apple in his hand and took a loud, crunchy bite.

"You guys worry way too much," Ken mumbled with his mouth full.

"If the bad guys hid the money, let them keep it. We already saved the city from a toxic disaster. We should order a pizza to celebrate and take the rest of the day off." Naomi rolled her eyes and walked over to him. She did not yell at him. She just playfully smacked the back of his head, treating him exactly like a naughty friend who never knew when to stop making jokes.

"Swallow your food before you speak, Ken," Naomi scolded gently. A tiny, amused smile touched her lips.

"And we are not ordering pizza. We still have a lot of work to do. We need to finish this."

"Work is bad for my digestion," Ken complained, rubbing the back of his head and taking another bite of the apple. Just then, a polite knock came from the front gate of the estate. Zinia walked out to the courtyard and opened it. A few moments later, a visitor stepped into the strategy room. It was Elma. The blonde servant from the 16th Unit wore her spotless white and gold uniform. She looked completely out of place in their dusty, messy headquarters. She held a small, neatly wrapped pastry box in her hands.

She stood very straight, trying to look proud and arrogant.

"Elma?" Princess Iris asked with a welcoming smile.

"What brings you here today?" Elma's cheeks instantly turned a bright, vibrant shade of pink. She refused to look toward the end of the table where Ken sat. She kept her blue eyes fixed firmly on Sayma.

"Princess Hestia sent me," Elma lied smoothly, though her voice pitched up just a tiny bit.

"She wanted me to make sure you didn't accidentally blow up the city during your little investigation. And she told me to bring these premium tea biscuits. Because she pities your terrible diet." Naomi smirked, leaning against the table.

"Princess Hestia sent you? Really? She cares about our diet now?" Elma crossed her arms defensively, hugging the pastry box to her chest.

"Yes! Exactly! I am just following orders! Do not look at me like that!" Ken slouched forward and took another loud bite of his apple.

"Hey, Elma! Do those biscuits have chocolate in them? Because if they are lemon-flavored, I am officially passing. I only eat the good stuff." Elma finally turned her head to look at him. Her face turned even redder, flushing all the way to her ears.

"They are imported double chocolate, you ungrateful slacker! You should feel honored to even look at them!"

"Awesome," Ken cheered, giving her a goofy thumbs-up.

"You are the best delivery service ever. I will definitely eat five of them." Elma huffed loudly and quickly set the box on the edge of the table. She turned around and practically sprinted toward the door.

"I have to go back to my mansion now! Do not eat them all at once!" She disappeared down the hallway, her boots clicking fast against the floor. Laxmi laughed out loud, nearly dropping her flame.

"She is totally obsessed with you, Ken. It is so obvious."

"I am very charming," Ken agreed lazily, leaning back in his chair.

"It is a blessing and a curse." He took another bite of his apple. The sweet juice filled his mouth. He chewed slowly, enjoying the relaxing morning. But as he chewed, his senses picked up something strange. Ken possessed an omniscient sensory radius that covered the entire area. He usually ignored the signals to keep his mind quiet. But this time, a specific magical signature pinged against his awareness. It was very faint. It hovered right on the edge of the estate walls.

Someone was hiding in the dark alleyway right behind the mansion. The person masked their mana almost perfectly. A normal security guard would never notice it. Sayma and Ira did not notice it. Ken stopped chewing.