Chương 379: Chapter : 379

Scott shook his head firmly. He looked deep into Ken's dark eyes.

"But I fought you today," Scott declared with absolute certainty.

"I swung my sword at you. I launched massive waves of high-pressure water at you. And you dodged every single attack. You slipped. You tripped. You bent over to tie your shoe." Scott paused. He let out a long breath.

"A statistical zero cannot dodge a high-level water blade by tying a shoe," Scott noted with a quiet, knowing look.

"A lazy commoner cannot perfectly time a stumble to avoid a lethal strike. Your distraction-laying abilities were entirely too precise. Your movements were utterly flawless." The girls in the 13th Unit listened quietly. Naomi blinked her green eyes. Laxmi tilted her head. Sayma pushed her glasses up. They realized Scott was analyzing Ken's weird luck.

"You are far more capable than your public profile suggests," Scott admitted softly. He offered a respectful nod to Ken.

"You and Sayma share a remarkable combat synergy. Your deceptive movements created the perfect opening for her shield bash. You are not a weak servant. You are a highly trained, deeply intelligent fighter hiding behind a messy disguise." Ken stood perfectly still. He heard Scott's words. He understood exactly what was happening. Scott was starting to figure out the truth. Scott realized Ken was secretly powerful. If Scott told the news anchors about his theory, the entire Empire would start investigating Ken.

The journalists would follow him. The politicians would question him. Ken's peaceful, slow life would be totally destroyed. His dream of a quiet potato farm would vanish forever. He needed to stop Scott's logical analysis immediately. He needed a massive, ridiculous distraction. Ken decided to lean completely into his goofy, slacker persona. He decided to deliver the most cliché, over-the-top speech in the history of the world. Ken took a huge step forward. He stepped right in front of Naomi.

He planted his feet wide apart on the grass. He shoved his hands onto his hips. He puffed out his chest as far as it would go. He threw his head back and looked at the stadium lights. He put on a totally serious, incredibly dramatic face.

"You rely entirely too much on statistics and numbers, Scott!" Ken yelled at the absolute top of his lungs. His voice echoed loudly across the empty center field. Scott blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"You look at combat data!" Ken shouted passionately. He pointed a dramatic finger straight at the sky.

"You look at magical charts! You measure speed and strength! But you completely forget about the most powerful magic in the entire universe!" Laxmi covered her mouth with both hands. She tried very hard not to laugh. Sayma let out a soft sigh. Naomi rolled her eyes, but she smiled warmly. They knew Ken was about to say something completely ridiculous. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"I am not a strong warrior!" Ken declared loudly. He waved his arms in the air.

"I do not have a massive pool of mana! I do not train with shiny swords! I am just a normal guy who likes to eat potato chips!" Ken spun around. He pointed at Naomi, Laxmi, Sayma, and Princess Iris.

"But I have something much stronger than a sword!" Ken cheered with maximum, cheesy enthusiasm.

"I have my friends! We share an unbreakable bond! We fight with one single heart! We trust each other completely!" Ken grabbed his own chest. He acted like a legendary anime hero giving a final speech.

"The true weapon that defeated your unit today was not my dodging skills!" Ken shouted boldly.

"The true weapon is the Power of Friendship and Love! When we stand together on the battlefield, our combined friendship creates a magical shield that surpasses any stat sheet! Our loyalty makes us absolutely invincible! That is my true power, Scott! The Power of Friendship!" Ken finished his massive speech. He struck a highly dynamic, totally silly pose. He stood on one leg and pointed both fingers toward the horizon. He held the pose perfectly still. He waited for the reaction.

The 13th Unit girls struggled to maintain their composure. Laxmi snorted loudly. Naomi shook her head, thoroughly amused by his absurd acting. Ira stared blankly, processing the illogical speech. Elma looked away, her face bright pink. Ken peeked one eye open. He looked at Scott. He fully expected the wealthy nobleman to roll his eyes. He expected Scott to call him a complete idiot. He expected Scott to walk away in disgust. But Scott did not roll his eyes. Scott stared at Ken.

He processed the incredibly cheesy, over-the-top anime monologue. He looked at Ken's goofy pose. Then, Scott looked past Ken. He looked at the elite women of the 13th Unit. Scott saw Naomi standing close to Ken, holding her daggers to protect him. He saw Laxmi smiling fondly at the messy boy. He saw Sayma looking at Ken with genuine, polite appreciation. He saw Princess Iris looking completely relaxed in his presence. The elite girls did not treat Ken like a powerful weapon.

They treated him like a beloved, highly annoying family member. They protected him because he made them smile. They fought fiercely by his side because he offered them a safe, loyal, unapologetically goofy heart. Scott slowly lowered his tense shoulders. The burning jealousy in his brown eyes completely faded away. Surprisingly, the incredibly cheesy speech genuinely resonated with the defeated noble. He finally understood the truth.

He realized that sheer combat power and high-class etiquette were not the only ways to earn respect. Ken Eliot did not win Sayma's heart with a magical sword. He won her heart by being a fiercely loyal, funny, and supportive friend. A warm, completely defeated smile spread across Scott's bruised face.

"I understand now," Scott said softly. His voice sounded peaceful. He offered Ken a very deep, highly respectful bow.

"You are right, Ken Eliot. A bond like that cannot be measured by a computer. You are a very lucky man. I wish you and Sayma all the best." Scott turned around. He did not look angry anymore. He walked slowly across the grass, heading toward the exit tunnel to join his team. Ken dropped his dynamic pose. He slouched his shoulders back down. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He let out a long, lazy breath of pure relief. His secret was totally safe. His ridiculous speech had worked perfectly.

"Wow," Ken mumbled lazily. He popped another piece of strawberry candy into his mouth.

"I cannot believe he actually bought that speech. I literally stole those lines from a comic book I read last week." Naomi walked up beside him. She bumped his shoulder playfully with her arm. She smiled a very bright, genuine smile.

"You are an absolute idiot, Ken," Naomi laughed softly. She treated him exactly like her best friend.

"But you are our idiot. Come on, slacker. Let us go find that chocolate cake I promised you."

"Finally!" Ken cheered happily. He started shuffling his feet toward the exit tunnel. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff.

"I want extra frosting! And maybe a large soda!" The 13th Unit walked off the battlefield together. They chatted happily. They joked about the match. They felt completely victorious. They were a messy, chaotic, incredibly loyal family. And as they walked into the tunnel, Ken smiled lazily, completely content with his quiet, successfully hidden life as the ultimate slacker.