Chương 301: Chapter : 301

Outwardly, Ken put his lazy, complaining mask back on. He let out another loud yawn that stretched his jaw.

"You know what?" Ken announced cheerfully.

"I think we are completely wasting our precious time here. The old man hasn't touched the plant in decades. He knows absolutely nothing about Mr. Carrion." Sayma pushed her glasses up.

"Ken, this is vital background information. It helps us understand the weapon."

"It helps us understand history," Ken countered smoothly. He pointed a finger toward the door.

"But history does not solve a murder. We are looking in the wrong place. We need to stop smelling these strange flowers and go back to the actual crime scene." Zinia raised an eyebrow.

"You want to go back to Carrion's abandoned laboratory? We already searched it. We found the hidden journal."

"We found one hidden journal," Ken corrected her. He gave them a goofy, confident grin.

"But scientists are sneaky! Maybe he hid two journals. Maybe he hid a treasure map. I say we go back there and tear the place apart. Plus, the air conditioning in that old lab is probably way better than this humid greenhouse." Naomi let out an amused sigh. She playfully nudged his arm.

"You just want to leave because you hate the tea, farm boy."

"I will not confirm or deny that accusation," Ken laughed. Princess Iris stood up. She wiped a tear from Dr. Panthor's cheek and thanked him for his bravery. Then she turned to her team. She looked thoughtful. Ken's logic was always ridiculous on the surface. But underneath the complaints, there was always a hidden truth. They needed a motive for Carrion's death. This greenhouse did not have the answer.

"Ken is right," Princess Iris declared firmly. She looked at her vanguard.

"We are missing a piece of the puzzle. We need to return to Mr. Carrion's private laboratory for a much more aggressive sweep." Ken cheered happily.

"Yes! Finally! Let's get out of here before my hair gets totally frizzy from this humidity." The 13th Unit filed out of the overgrown greenhouse. They left the frail old researcher behind in peace. They marched back onto the uneven streets of the outer districts. Ken dragged his feet at the back of the group. He slouched his shoulders and whistled a cheerful tune. He was fully prepared to go back to the dusty, cobweb-filled ruins of Carrion's lab.

He already knew exactly how he was going to "accidentally" find the real clues. He just had to make sure he tripped in the exact right spot.

Ken Eliot sat in a creaky wooden chair. He was inside Dr. Panthor's overgrown greenhouse. The air was incredibly hot. It was very humid. Sweat rolled down his face. He leaned back in his chair. He balanced the chair carefully on its two back legs. He did not look like a professional investigator. He looked like a bored teenager waiting for a bus. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"This is ridiculous," Ken complained loudly. He let out a massive sigh.

"We are wasting our precious time. It is too hot in here. My suit is going to shrink. I am sweating through my shirt." Naomi stood near a table full of exotic purple plants. She did not yell at him. She did not glare at him with absolute disgust. Her attitude had changed over the last few days. She treated him like a highly annoying, naughty friend. She just crossed her arms and offered a small, amused smile.

"Stop complaining, Ken," Naomi scolded gently.

"We are investigating a murder. We need to learn the history of the Devil Flour. This is how detective work is done."

"No, it is not," Ken argued. He let his chair drop forward. The front legs hit the dirt floor with a soft thud. He looked at Princess Iris.

"We are chasing ancient botanical history. We should be focusing on the actual crime scene. This whole plant story is totally useless." Sayma pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She closed her neat notebook.

"Dr. Panthor gave us vital context, Ken. We learned about the mutated guinea pigs. We learned about the biological serum."

"It does not matter," Ken said lazily. He slouched his shoulders. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"You guys are missing the big picture. This convoluted history of the Devil Flour is nothing but a deliberate diversion. It is a highly calculated trick." Laxmi tossed a small orange flame between her hands. She raised an eyebrow.

"A trick? What do you mean?" Ken pointed a finger in the air. He put on a goofy, confident smile.

"The real culprits planted this information. They left a breadcrumb trail of irrelevant science. They wanted people to find out about the longevity serum. They wanted investigators to chase magical plants and mutant animals. They did this to ensure nobody ever looked at the true motive behind the assassination." The greenhouse went completely quiet. The elite girls stopped looking at the plants. They looked at Ken. His lazy logic sounded entirely ridiculous on the surface.

But underneath the goofy delivery, his words made perfect sense. Princess Iris stared at Ken. Her violet eyes widened slightly. She realized his slacker logic was effortlessly brilliant. The murderers wanted to hide their real goal. A magical medicine was the perfect distraction.

"He is right," Princess Iris declared firmly. She turned to face her vanguard.

"We have been looking at the wrong clues. We must abandon this greenhouse immediately. We are returning directly to the dusty ruins of Mr. Carrion's private laboratory." Zinia cracked her knuckles. A tough grin spread across her face.

"What is the plan, Princess?"

"We will conduct a much more exhaustive sweep of the premises," Iris commanded.

"We will be highly aggressive. We will not leave a single inch of that building unexamined. We will find the true motive."

"Yes!" Ken cheered loudly. He jumped out of his creaky chair.

"Finally! Let us leave this humid oven! I am ready to go back to the city. I hope we can stop for cold drinks on the way." The 13th Unit marched out of the secluded greenhouse. They walked back onto the uneven cobblestone streets of the outer districts. Ken dragged his cheap shoes on the stones. He made a loud scuffing sound. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. As they walked down a narrow alleyway, a figure stepped out from the shadows. It was Elma yet again.

The blonde servant from the 16th Unit wore her spotless white and gold uniform. She looked completely out of place in the dirty, crowded neighborhood. Her hair was perfectly curled. She held a small, neatly wrapped box in her hands. She saw Ken. Her cheeks instantly turned a bright, vibrant shade of pink.

"Elma?" Naomi asked. She looked highly amused by the sudden visit.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"