Chương 528: Chapter : 528

"You are going to drop crumbs everywhere, Ken," Naomi teased gently. She let out a soft, amused chuckle.

"You eat too many salty snacks. You need a napkin."

"Crumbs are just tiny snacks for later, Naomi," Ken argued playfully. He gave her a lazy grin.

"I am saving them for a rainy day. It is a very smart food storage strategy. You should appreciate my brilliant planning." Naomi laughed a bright, happy laugh. She reached her hand into his bag. She pulled out a potato chip. She popped it into her mouth.

"Your planning is terrible. But these chips are very good. I will forgive you this time."

"You are stealing my brain fuel," Ken pouted goofily. He pulled the bag slightly closer to his chest.

"I need these chips. They power my massive intellect." Laxmi sat cross-legged on the large rug. The fire user tossed a tiny orange spark between her fingers. She wore a bright orange shirt. She grinned wildly.

"Your brain is powered by laziness, Ken! You just want an excuse to avoid training!"

"Avoiding training is my ultimate goal in life," Ken agreed cheerfully. He ate another chip.

"Training requires running. Running requires moving my legs. My legs are officially on strike. They demand a vacation." Sayma sat at the long dining table. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a neat notebook. She clicked her pen. She offered a polite, gentle smile.

"Statistically speaking, your physical stamina is incredibly low, Ken," Sayma noted calmly.

"However, your unique dodging skills compensate for your lack of endurance. It is a highly bizarre tactical anomaly." Ira stood perfectly still near the bookshelf. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at the wall.

"His evasion rate defies all mathematical logic. He successfully avoids danger by stumbling. It is entirely unexplainable." Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench. The lightning user rubbed her sleepy eyes. She let out a massive, dramatic yawn. A knitted blanket covered her shoulders.

"I totally support Ken. Sleeping is much better than fighting. We should all just take a long nap right now." Risa sat on the floor next to Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear. She used colored pencils to draw a picture. She drew a smiling cat. She looked very happy. Princess Iris stood near the large window. The violet-eyed royal wore her crisp dark blue uniform. Her silver hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She looked at her chaotic, wonderful team.

She felt a profound sense of pride. They were a loyal family. Zinia walked into the living room. Her boots thumped against the floorboards. She held the golden envelope in her hand. The room instantly grew quiet. The playful banter stopped.

"Princess," Zinia announced. Her deep voice caught everyone's attention.

"A royal messenger just dropped this off at the gate. It is an official letter from the Upper Council." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Princess Iris turned around. Her violet eyes widened slightly. She walked over to Zinia. She took the golden envelope. She looked at the bright red wax seal.

"An official letter?" Princess Iris asked softly.

"We do not have a tournament match scheduled today. This is highly irregular." Sayma stood up from her chair. She walked over to the Princess. She pushed her glasses up again.

"Please open it, Princess. The Upper Council rarely sends direct letters unless a massive policy change occurs." Laxmi jumped up from the rug. She crushed the orange spark in her hand. Her golden eyes lit up with pure excitement.

"Maybe it is a surprise match! I want to fight! I am totally ready to roast another team in the arena!" Ken slouched his shoulders even further. He sank deep into the sofa cushions. He let out a loud, miserable groan.

"Please do not be a surprise match," Ken whined lazily. He threw his head back. He stared at the ceiling.

"I just got perfectly comfortable. The couch cushions finally molded to the exact shape of my back. If I stand up now, I will ruin the perfect groove. Tell the Emperor we are busy taking a nap." Naomi smiled warmly. She patted Ken's arm.

"Stop complaining, slacker. Just listen to the letter." Princess Iris broke the red wax seal. The seal snapped with a crisp sound. She opened the golden envelope. She pulled out a pristine white piece of parchment. She unfolded the paper carefully. Her violet eyes scanned the elegant black text. She read the words very quickly. Her expression changed. She looked incredibly surprised. She blinked her eyes in pure shock. She lowered the paper slowly.

"What does it say, Princess?" Sayma asked politely. Her analytical mind raced.

"Did they assign us a new target?" Princess Iris shook her head gently. She looked at her team.

"The Upper Council sent this exact letter to all twenty-one Princes and Princesses today," Princess Iris declared clearly.

"The Emperor has made a massive, continent-wide decision." Princess Iris took a slow breath. She read the main sentence aloud.

"The Succession War is temporarily suspended," Princess Iris announced. The living room went completely, undeniably silent. Laxmi dropped her jaw. She stared at the Princess. She looked entirely devastated.

"Suspended?! What do you mean suspended?! We are on a massive winning streak! We cannot just stop fighting!" Zinia frowned deeply. She crossed her strong arms over her chest.

"They paused the entire tournament? Why would the Emperor do that? The citizens love watching the arena matches. The broadcast ratings are incredibly high." Sayma pulled out her notebook. She clicked her pen frantically. She started writing down tactical theories.

"A temporary suspension indicates a massive external crisis. The Upper Council only halts internal political events when a larger global threat requires their absolute attention." Ira stared blankly ahead. She processed the new data.

"Statistically speaking, a tournament pause reduces our daily combat risk to zero percent. It halts our point progression entirely. We cannot climb the leaderboard during this period." Luna opened her sleepy eyes. She smiled a tiny, happy smile.

"A pause? That means we get a real vacation. We do not have to wake up early tomorrow. This is fantastic news. I am going back to sleep immediately." Risa hugged her teddy bear tightly. She smiled her sweet, innocent smile.

"I like vacations. Nobody gets hurt on a vacation. We can plant more flowers in the garden." Ken Eliot sat up on the sofa. His sleepy dark eyes widened. A massive, goofy, incredibly joyful grin spread across his entire face. He looked absolutely thrilled. He threw his hands high into the air. He cheered at the top of his lungs.

"Yes!" Ken shouted happily. He celebrated like he just won the lottery.

"This is the absolute best news ever! The tournament is officially paused! We do not have to do any cardio! We do not have to fight any arrogant nobles in shiny armor! This is a total victory for my lazy lifestyle!" Naomi laughed a bright, genuine laugh. She playfully shoved his shoulder.

"You are completely ridiculous, Ken. You act like you actually fought in the matches. You just hid behind rocks the entire time."