Chương 476: Chapter : 476

"Are you certain you want to travel all the way to your home village?" Princess Iris asked. She placed the paper back on the table.

"The journey might be tiring. You could just relax here at the estate. We will not bother you."

"The estate is too noisy," Ken explained casually.

"Laxmi throws fireballs in the courtyard. Sayma asks me math questions. I need total isolation. I need to reach my final form of laziness. The farm is the only place with enough quiet energy for my ultimate transformation."

"You do not have a final form," Laxmi teased. She took another bite of her apple.

"You are just a slacker. You will probably fall asleep on the train ride. You will miss your stop completely."

"I have an excellent internal alarm clock," Ken lied smoothly. He popped a strawberry candy into his mouth. He chewed it slowly.

"My stomach wakes me up whenever I am near a food vendor. I will not miss my stop. The farm village has a very famous bakery. They make amazing chocolate muffins."

"So this is just a snack mission," Sayma concluded. She pushed her glasses up. A polite, amused smile touched her lips.

"You are traveling across the region simply to purchase baked goods."

"Snacks are vital for my survival," Ken nodded proudly. He slouched his shoulders.

"You guys do not appreciate the dedication I have for desserts. It is a true passion." Princess Iris picked up a pen. She held it over the paper. She prepared to sign the official leave request. She wanted to make sure he was fully prepared for the trip. She cared about his safety.

"Will you pack enough supplies?" Princess Iris asked softly.

"The weather might turn cold. You should bring a warm jacket."

"I am packing three bags of potato chips and a blanket," Ken replied. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"That is all I need. Chips provide warmth. The blanket provides safety. It is a flawless travel kit." Laxmi rolled her eyes. She leaned against the wall next to Ira.

"He is hopeless. He is going to survive purely on sugar and luck."

"Luck is my best skill," Ken grinned a goofy grin. He looked at the Princess.

"So, can I go? The trees are calling my name. The potatoes miss me. I must answer the call of the wild." Princess Iris smiled. She pressed the pen against the paper. She began to sign her name at the bottom of the document. The atmosphere in the strategy room was incredibly light. The girls enjoyed teasing the lazy boy. They felt completely relaxed. The Succession War was paused for the moment. There were no immediate threats. The 13th Unit finally had a peaceful morning. Ken watched the pen move across the paper.

He kept his goofy smile perfectly in place. He looked like a boy who only cared about his upcoming vacation. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. But the real situation was completely different. The conversation was about to get a lot louder. Another team member was about to enter the room. The playful argument over Ken's true intentions was just getting started.

The strategy room door opened wider. Zinia walked inside. The strong earth mage stretched her arms high above her head. She cracked her knuckles. She wore her dark blue combat uniform. She looked completely energized.

"What is going on in here?" Zinia asked. Her deep voice filled the room. She looked at the group. She saw Ken standing near the table.

"Why are we all staring at Ken?"

"Ken is asking for a vacation," Laxmi announced cheerfully. She pointed her apple core at him.

"He wants to go to a farm village. He claims he is going to reconnect with nature." Zinia burst into a loud, booming laugh. She walked over to the table. She crossed her strong arms. She looked down at Ken with a highly amused expression.

"A farm village?" Zinia chuckled. She shook her head.

"I know exactly what you are going to do, Ken. Laxmi is totally right. You will not do a single productive thing. You will not look at any farms. You will find the biggest, widest tree in the entire village. You will lie down in the dirt. You will sleep under that tree for the entire trip."

"I can easily imagine it," Zinia continued playfully. She gestured with her hands.

"You will have a piece of grass sticking out of your mouth. You will use a rock as a pillow. You will snore so loudly you scare the local animals away." Ken stood up perfectly straight. He dropped his slouched posture for a split second. He put on a face of absolute, pure outrage. He placed both hands on his hips.

"I am being falsely accused!" Ken declared loudly. His voice cracked with fake emotion.

"This is a massive smear campaign! You are all attacking my reputation!"

"You have a reputation for sleeping," Sayma noted politely. She did not look up from her notebook.

"I have a reputation for hard work!" Ken argued. He waved his arms in the air.

"I am a very dedicated servant. I clean things. I observe things. I am basically the hardest worker in this entire estate. You guys are just jealous of my highly efficient lifestyle." Luna opened her eyes slowly. She lifted her head from the table. She looked at Ken.

"You complained about walking from the kitchen to the living room yesterday," Luna mumbled lazily. She rested her chin on her hands.

"You said the hallway was too long. You asked Zinia to carry you."

"That was a tactical request," Ken lied smoothly. He gave Luna a goofy wink.

"I was conserving my stamina. A true warrior always saves his energy for the real battles. Like fighting for the last slice of cake." Naomi walked into the strategy room. The vanguard leader carried a tray of clean water glasses. She did not wear a strict scowl. She did not look angry at all. Her attitude toward Ken was completely soft now. She smiled a very warm, genuine smile. Naomi set the tray on the table. She walked right up to Ken. She gently bumped her shoulder against his arm.

She looked at the other girls.

"Leave him alone," Naomi teased playfully. Her green eyes sparkled with fond amusement.

"He actually earned a break. He has been running around a lot lately. Let the slacker go look at his potatoes. We will manage the estate without him for a few days." Ken beamed a massive, victorious smile. He pointed a finger at Naomi.

"See? Naomi gets it. She is the best. She respects my need for a slice-of-life story arc. Thank you, Naomi." Naomi laughed softly. She reached out and ruffled his messy black hair. She did not care that he was silly. She liked his goofy nature.

"Just do not forget to come back, Ken. We need you here. Someone has to eat all the extra snacks I buy."

"I will never abandon free food," Ken promised seriously. He placed a hand over his heart.

"It is a vow."