Chương 312: Chapter : 312

"I completely doubt that," Naomi argued smoothly.

"That is a dead end. Think about it logically. Dr. Carrion was a brilliant, top-tier scientist. He worked on a highly classified, world-ending radiation project. He was terrified for his life. A man with that many dangerous secrets would never be foolish enough to share classified government research with a civilian romantic partner. It is too risky. He would keep her far away from his work." Sayma nodded in agreement.

"Naomi makes a valid point. Scientists are trained to compartmentalize their lives. He would protect his girlfriend by staying completely silent." Ira stood near the entrance. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at the wall.

"Statistically speaking, civilian partners of top-secret operatives lack knowledge of classified activities ninety-five percent of the time." The girls all agreed. The girlfriend was a useless lead. They decided to focus entirely on the encrypted journal. Suddenly, a loud, highly sarcastic laugh echoed through the gloomy tavern.

"Ha! You guys are completely wrong!" Everyone turned their heads. Ken Eliot was standing near the brick wall of the tavern. He slouched his shoulders. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his wrinkled navy blue pants. His shirt was untucked. His tie hung loosely over his collar. He gave them a massive, goofy grin.

"You really do not understand men at all," Ken said cheerfully. He leaned his back against the bricks. He crossed one foot over the other. Naomi sighed. She looked at him like he was a very annoying, naughty friend.

"Ken, please. Do not start making up silly jokes right now. We are doing real detective work."

"I am not joking!" Ken protested lazily. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and waved it in the air.

"I am giving you expert psychological analysis. You think Dr. Carrion kept his mouth shut because he was smart. But you are forgetting the most important rule of the universe. Arrogant, deeply flawed men absolutely love to brag to their girlfriends." Laxmi tossed a tiny orange spark of fire between her fingers. She looked confused.

"Brag? About a secret radiation project?"

"Yes! Especially about a secret project!" Ken insisted. He walked over to the table. His cheap shoes made a scuffing sound on the floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff.

"Look at it from his point of view. He gets a super-secret, highly important job from the government. He feels incredibly cool. He feels like a big deal. But he cannot tell his coworkers. He cannot tell the news. That makes him sad. His massive ego needs attention." Ken grinned widely. He pointed a finger at Naomi.

"So, what does he do? He goes to his beautiful girlfriend's apartment. He sits on her nice couch. And he says, 'Oh, honey, my day was so stressful. I am working on things that would blow your mind. I am the smartest guy in the city.' He casually slips in classified details just to look important. He shares highly irrelevant, mundane details just to constantly stroke his own ego." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Luna let out a huge yawn.

She rested her chin on her hands.

"That sounds like a lot of talking. Talking makes me sleepy. Do guys really do that?"

"They totally do," Zinia chuckled. Her deep voice filled the room. The girls looked at Zinia in surprise. The tough earth user uncrossed her arms. She smiled fondly.

"Ken's cynical assessment is absolutely correct," Zinia agreed.

"My father is a very powerful, high-ranking military guard. He protects incredibly classified territorial borders. He is supposed to be a silent wall of stone. But the second he comes home? He tells my mother everything." Zinia laughed quietly.

"My mother has absolutely zero political knowledge. She just likes baking pies. But my dad sits in the kitchen and tells her all the secret patrol routes. He tells her which nobles are fighting. He just wants her to look at him and say he is a great, brave warrior. Powerful men are remarkably terrible at keeping secrets from the women they love." Sayma blinked. She looked at Zinia, then looked at Ken. She pushed her glasses up.

"That is a very interesting psychological hypothesis. The 'Jealousy Hypothesis' or perhaps the 'Ego Hypothesis'. If Dr. Carrion needed validation, he definitely talked to Anny."

"See? I am a genius," Ken cheered. He slouched his shoulders again.

"Now, let us go find this Anny person. I bet she knows everything. And I bet she has better snacks than this tavern." Princess Iris smiled warmly. Her violet eyes sparked with fresh determination. She looked at Derek.

"Do you know where Anny lives?"

"Yes, Princess," Derek nodded.

"She lives in the Inner City. She has a very lavish apartment in the Diamond District. Mr. Carrion bought it for her."

"Thank you, Derek," Iris said gracefully. She turned to her team.

"We have a new destination. Let us move out." The 13th Unit left the gloomy tavern. They stepped back out into the dirt streets of the outer districts. The sky was still cloudy. They needed to walk to the transit station to catch a train to the Inner City. Ken dragged his feet. He let out a loud, dramatic groan.

"More walking. My legs are officially going on strike. I need a nap. I need a cold drink. I am basically withering away into nothing."

"Stop whining, slacker," Naomi teased playfully. She bumped her shoulder against his arm.

"We will get you a drink when we reach the train station." They walked for twenty minutes. They finally reached the bustling transit station that connected the outer districts to the rich Inner City. The station was loud and crowded. The 13th Unit stood near the platform, waiting for the express train to the Diamond District. Ken Eliot slouched against a massive white pillar, his navy blue suit jacket hanging off one shoulder, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

He was staring at the ceiling, looking like he was trying to calculate the number of lightbulbs without actually using his brain.

"I am officially bored," Ken announced to the world.

"I could have taken three naps in the time it took us to get through security. Why is the transit system so inefficient? They really need to upgrade their boarding protocols."

"Stop complaining," Naomi said, though she didn't glare at him. She was scanning the crowd, her eyes sharp and alert.

"We're in the most heavily watched part of the city. Keep your head down." Ken peeked around the side of the pillar, his sleepy eyes narrowing just a fraction. He noticed a pair of spotless, highly polished white boots hiding behind a nearby vending machine. The style of the boots was unmistakable—elite 16th Unit regalia. A lazy smile spread across Ken's face. He shuffled away from his pillar, his cheap shoes scuffing loudly on the stone floor. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff.

He rounded the corner of the vending machine and stopped. Standing there, clutching three large, sweating cups of premium iced coffee to her chest, was Elma. She looked completely shocked to see him. Her cheeks instantly turned a vibrant, glowing shade of pink.