Chương 381: Chapter : 381

A couple of days passed after the intense tournament match. The stressful arena fights were completely finished. The 13th Unit estate looked totally different today. It was not a quiet place for training. It was a place for a massive party. Princess Iris decided to celebrate. She invited her two temporary allies. She invited Princess Hestia and the 16th Unit. She also invited Prince Hephaestus and the 9th Unit. All three Royal candidates won their respective tournament brackets. They secured their points.

They had a very good reason to host a gathering. The social atmosphere in the courtyard was incredibly bizarre. It felt like two completely different worlds crashed into each other. On one side of the yard, the 9th Unit set up a massive metal grill. The engineers wore their thick leather aprons. Their faces and hands were covered in dark gray soot. They did not care about looking messy. They laughed loudly. They joked with each other. They flipped large steaks and roasted chicken pieces on the hot grill.

The smell of delicious barbecue sauce and cooked meat filled the entire estate. On the other side of the yard stood the 16th Unit. They looked totally out of place. The servants wore their pristine white and gold uniforms. They stood perfectly straight. Their boots were polished to a bright shine. They refused to sit on the old wooden chairs. They refused to touch the greasy barbecue food. They held delicate porcelain cups of plain tea. They looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Princess Iris stood near a clean stone table. She wore a simple, elegant dark blue dress. She smiled a warm, polite smile. She talked with her brother and sister. Prince Hephaestus looked very relaxed. He held a giant roasted chicken leg in his hand. He took a huge bite. A drop of barbecue sauce landed on his chin. He chewed happily. He did not care about his messy appearance. He enjoyed the free food. Princess Hestia stood next to him. She wore a flawless white silk dress.

She looked at Hephaestus with pure, unfiltered disgust. She held a clean white napkin in her hand. She did not eat a single piece of meat. She judged the crumbling estate with her sharp green eyes. She thought the party was too loud and too messy. The elite girls of the 13th Unit walked around the yard. They tried to be good hosts. Laxmi walked over to the metal grill. She smiled a bright, excited smile.

"You guys need more fire!" Laxmi cheered loudly. She tossed a small orange spark from her fingers. The spark hit the charcoal. The flames roared up instantly. The engineers from the 9th Unit clapped their hands. They cheered for the fire mage. They loved her enthusiastic energy. Laxmi grabbed a plate of ribs and started eating right next to them. Zinia carried a massive cooler filled with cold drinks. She set the cooler down on the grass. She cracked her strong knuckles. She talked with Heart.

Heart was the tough vice-captain of the 9th Unit. They shared tips about weightlifting. They got along perfectly. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Luna did not socialize. The sleepy lightning user found three empty wooden chairs. She pushed the chairs together. She lay down across them. She pulled a soft blanket over her shoulders. She fell asleep immediately. The loud music and the laughing engineers did not wake her up.

Risa walked around the courtyard in a sweet yellow dress. The pink-haired healer held a tray of fresh, crunchy carrots. She walked up to the spotless servants of the 16th Unit. She offered them the tray with a kind, innocent smile. Zaima stood at the front of the 16th Unit. She scowled bitterly. She looked at the carrots. She looked at Risa.

"We do not eat raw vegetables from a dirty garden," Zaima stated coldly. She crossed her arms.

"Take that tray away." Risa blinked. She did not lose her smile. She simply nodded and walked away. She gave the carrots to a hungry engineer instead. Sayma stood near the edge of the courtyard. She wore her neat dark blue uniform. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a small notebook. She did not eat. She just watched the crowd. She analyzed the social interactions. She observed the political alliance forming in real-time. Naomi walked past Sayma. Naomi carried a tray of clean cups.

She did not look angry today. Her red hair was tied in a loose ponytail. She smiled a genuine, relaxed smile. She liked seeing her friends enjoy a safe afternoon.

"Everything looks peaceful," Naomi noted happily. She offered Sayma a cup of water.

"The engineers are eating well. Princess Iris is keeping Hestia distracted. This party is actually a success."

"It is a very fragile peace," Sayma corrected politely. She accepted the water.

"The 16th Unit is highly tense. We must ensure no one provokes them." Naomi nodded. She turned her head and looked across the yard. She wanted to check on the last member of their unit. Ken Eliot was not mingling with the guests. He was not talking to the politicians. He was absolutely nowhere near the barbecue grill. Ken was happily camped out next to the dessert table. The dessert table sat in a quiet, shaded corner of the courtyard. It was covered in a bright white tablecloth.

It held plates of cookies, bowls of pudding, and tall stacks of pastries. Ken wore his navy blue suit pants and a loose white shirt. His shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He slouched his shoulders. He held a very large, round plate in his left hand. His dark, sleepy eyes scanned the sweets with intense, absolute focus.

"This is a masterpiece," Ken mumbled lazily to himself. He picked up a pair of silver serving tongs. He carefully placed a large chocolate pastry on the center of his plate. He picked up a vanilla tart. He placed it right next to the pastry. He grabbed three chocolate chip cookies. He balanced them perfectly on top of the tart. He was building a mountain of sugar. He did not care about proper nutrition. He just wanted frosting. He reached for a frosted cupcake. He placed it on the very top of his cookie mountain.

He smiled a big, goofy grin.

"Perfect architecture," Ken cheered quietly.

"The foundation is solid. The frosting acts like glue. I am a genius. Now I just need to find a quiet place to sit down and eat this entire thing." Ken turned around. He held his massive plate of desserts carefully. He looked for a comfortable bench. He did not notice the person walking toward him. Elma stepped away from the rest of the 16th Unit. The blonde swordswoman smoothed out her pristine white uniform. Her golden curls bounced slightly as she walked. She kept her chin up.

She tried to look very proud and very arrogant. But her cheeks told a different story. Her face was flushed with a vibrant, glowing shade of pink.