Chương 404: Chapter : 404

"Yes," Princess Iris stated.

"We must navigate this resort town invisibly. We must uncover the exact reason for the price hike. We will walk around the city. We will listen to conversations. We will spy on the docks. We must be completely covert. We cannot blow our cover." Luna rubbed her eyes. She let out a soft yawn.

"Spying sounds incredibly tiring. We have to pretend to be normal tourists. We have to blend in perfectly."

"Blending in is the most critical part of the plan," Sayma instructed politely.

"We cannot wear our dark blue Royal uniforms. We cannot carry our weapons in the open. We must act like a group of ordinary friends enjoying a sunny vacation. We cannot look like elite investigators." Risa smiled a bright, happy smile. She hugged her teddy bear.

"I like pretending to be a tourist! We can look at the colorful shops! We can walk on the sandy beach!" Ken leaned back in his plush chair. He let out a loud, dramatic groan. He threw his arms in the air.

"This sounds like a massive amount of walking," Ken complained lazily. He looked at Naomi.

"Walking on normal pavement is bad enough. But walking on the beach? That is a total nightmare. I hate the beach. I refuse to do it." Naomi laughed softly. She tossed a decorative white pillow at him. It hit his chest gently.

"Stop complaining, slacker. We are going to change into casual clothes. We are going to walk outside. You are going to act like you are having fun."

"I can fake a smile," Ken mumbled. He tossed the pillow back onto the couch.

"But I will definitely complain internally the entire time. This is a tragedy for my feet." Princess Iris smiled warmly at her chaotic team. She felt very confident. The mission was dangerous, but she trusted them completely. They had a massive economic mystery to solve.

Twenty minutes later, the 13th Unit gathered in the beautiful hotel lobby. They looked completely different. They did not wear their formal, strict Royal uniforms. They wore very casual, bright summer clothes to blend in with the tourists. Princess Iris wore a simple, elegant white sundress. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat to hide her striking silver hair. Sayma wore a neat blue blouse and a long, comfortable skirt. She looked like a polite scholar on vacation.

Naomi wore a red tank top and practical denim shorts. Laxmi wore a bright orange summer dress. Zinia wore a plain gray t-shirt and loose cargo pants. Luna wore incredibly baggy, comfortable clothes that looked suspiciously like pajamas. Risa wore a cute pink dress with yellow sandals. Ken Eliot walked out of the elevator last. He looked absolutely ridiculous. Ken wore a very loose, incredibly wrinkled floral button-down shirt. The shirt was bright green. It had massive, bright yellow pineapples printed all over it.

He wore baggy khaki shorts. He wore cheap brown sandals. He slouched his shoulders. He kept his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"This shirt is incredibly loud," Ken complained. He looked down at the bright pineapples on his chest.

"I look like a walking fruit salad. People are definitely going to stare at me. This is an absolute fashion disaster." Naomi walked over to him. She laughed a warm, genuine laugh. She did not scold him. She playfully bumped her shoulder against his arm.

"You look totally fine, Ken," Naomi smiled. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement.

"It is a very good disguise. Nobody will ever suspect you are a Royal servant. You look exactly like a completely normal, lazy tourist."

"I am a lazy tourist," Ken replied happily. He offered a goofy grin. They walked out of the hotel. They stepped onto the bustling, sandy boardwalk. The long wooden boardwalk stretched alongside the beautiful coastline. The blue ocean waves crashed gently against the shore. The afternoon sun shined brightly. Small wooden shops lined the path. Vendors sold cold drinks, shiny sunglasses, and colorful beach towels. The mood among the team was incredibly bright and cheerful.

Despite the tense, serious nature of the undercover espionage mission, they did not look stressed. They did not act like nervous spies. They genuinely enjoyed the beautiful weather. They laughed and chatted freely.

"This ocean breeze feels amazing," Laxmi smiled broadly. She leaned against the wooden railing. She looked out at the sparkling blue water.

"I have not been to the beach in years. The last time I went to the coast, it was a complete and total disaster." Zinia chuckled deeply. She walked right beside Laxmi.

"A disaster? What happened?"

"I tried to build a small campfire on the sand at night," Laxmi explained. She tossed a tiny, harmless spark of fire between her fingers. She grinned a massive grin.

"I accidentally used way too much magic. I set an entire row of beach umbrellas on fire. The flames were huge. The local lifeguards were incredibly angry. I had to run away very fast before they caught me." Naomi burst out laughing. She held her stomach.

"You set the umbrellas on fire?! That is completely ridiculous! You are a walking hazard, Laxmi!"

"It was a total accident!" Laxmi defended herself playfully. She laughed along with them. Sayma pushed her glasses up. She offered a polite, highly amused smile.

"My previous beach experience was also quite unfortunate. My strict parents forced me to wear a very formal, restrictive gown to a seaside dinner. I tried to take a quiet walk near the water. A massive, unexpected wave crashed directly over the pier. My expensive dress was totally ruined. I was completely soaked. I had to sit in a wet, salty gown for three hours."

"That sounds highly inefficient and very uncomfortable," Ira stated flatly. She walked perfectly straight. Her face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at a seagull.

"Statistically speaking, formal attire is the absolute worst possible choice for a marine environment."

"You are entirely correct, Ira," Sayma agreed. She chuckled softly. Luna let out a loud, dramatic yawn. She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"I went to the beach once. I found a nice, warm spot under a really big umbrella. I fell asleep immediately. It was a great nap. But when I woke up, the tide had come in. I was floating in the water. I was completely drenched. It was a terrible way to wake up." Risa giggled sweet, musical giggles. She hugged her teddy bear tightly.

"You guys have very silly stories! I like the beach. I like collecting shiny seashells in the sand." Princess Iris smiled warmly at her friends. She loved hearing their hilarious conversations. It made them feel like a normal group of girls. It made her forget about the corrupt local lords and the high seafood prices for just a few minutes. But one person was definitely not having a good time. Ken dragged his sandals across the wooden boardwalk. He walked incredibly slowly.

He slouched his shoulders as far as they could go. He looked down at the loose sand spilling over the edges of the wooden planks. He let out a massive, dramatic groan.