Chương 80: Chapter : 80

"Picking up a broom sounds like a massive amount of manual labor," Ken argued lazily. He slurped the leftover milk from his bowl.

"I don't believe you guys actually clean. I bet your rooms are just as messy as mine. In fact, I demand a room inspection. Show me how the elite girls live." Laxmi crossed her arms, a proud, fiery grin on her face.

"Oh, you want a tour? Fine by me! I'll show you how a real warrior decorates a room. Come on, farm boy. Let's go." Ken happily left his empty bowl on the table—fully expecting someone else to wash it—and followed the girls out into the hallway. The first stop on the tour was Sayma's room. She opened the wooden door, and Ken actually let out a low whistle of surprise. Sayma's room did not look like a bedroom; it looked exactly like a small library.

The walls were completely covered in tall, neat bookshelves filled with thick, heavy textbooks about magical theory, history, and barrier spells. Her bed was perfectly made, with not a single wrinkle on the blanket.

"Whoa," Ken said, stepping inside and looking around.

"Do you actually sleep in here, or do you just read until you pass out? Just looking at all these words is giving me a headache. Don't you have any comic books?"

"Knowledge is the greatest weapon a Vice-Captain can have, Ken," Sayma answered politely.

"I find reading very relaxing. It keeps my mind sharp."

"I find napping relaxing," Ken replied, completely unfazed.

"But it smells really nice in here. Like old paper and vanilla. I give it an eight out of ten." Next, they walked down to Laxmi's room. The hot-headed fire user threw her door open with a dramatic flourish. As soon as Ken stepped inside, a wave of intense heat hit his face. The room was at least fifteen degrees warmer than the hallway. The walls were painted a bright, vibrant orange, and her training gear was scattered casually across the floor.

"Now this is a room!" Laxmi announced proudly. Ken started fanning himself with his good hand.

"Laxmi, are you secretly baking cookies in your closet? Why is it so hot in here? If I tried to sleep in this bed, I would wake up as a roasted potato."

"It's comfortable!" Laxmi laughed, tossing a small decorative pillow right at his head. Ken ducked, letting the pillow hit the wall.

"Fire users naturally run warm. It keeps my muscles loose and ready for a fight."

"Well, I am sweating just standing here," Ken joked, backing out into the hallway.

"Next room, please, before I melt." Zinia's room was exactly what Ken expected from the tough, straightforward earth magic user. It was incredibly simple, practical, and filled with heavy workout equipment. She had a collection of very cool-looking, shiny rocks lined up on her windowsill. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"You are basically a gym bro, Zinia," Ken pointed out, looking at a set of heavy iron dumbbells sitting next to her bed.

"Do you lift those for fun?"

"Strength doesn't build itself, Ken," Zinia said with a tough smile, flexing her arm.

"If you want, I can let you borrow a set. Your arms look like they could use some work."

"No thank you!" Ken answered instantly, holding up his hands.

"My arms are perfectly designed for holding snacks and using the TV remote. Lifting heavy things goes against my personal beliefs." They finally reached Naomi's room. The fast, red-haired warrior hesitated for a second before opening her door. She looked a little embarrassed.

"Don't touch anything," she warned him strictly. Ken walked in and looked around. Unsurprisingly, Naomi's room was absolutely spotless. Her armor was polished to a mirror shine and hung neatly on a stand. Her daggers were carefully laid out on her desk alongside a sharpening stone. But right in the middle of her perfectly made bed, sitting directly on top of her pillows, was a very soft, very round, fluffy stuffed rabbit. Ken stopped. He looked at the stuffed rabbit. Then he looked at Naomi.

A massive, teasing smile spread across his face.

"Oh my gosh," Ken gasped loudly, pointing at the bed.

"Is that Mr. Fluffles? Does the scary, fast, angry boss lady sleep with a fluffy bunny?" Naomi's face turned as red as her hair. She quickly rushed past him, grabbed the stuffed rabbit, and shoved it behind her back.

"Shut up, Ken! It was a gift from Princess Iris when I first joined the unit! It is a symbol of friendship!"

"Sure it is," Ken teased, laughing out loud.

"I won't tell the bad guys that you need a bunny to protect you from bad dreams. Your secret is safe with me."

"Get out of my room before I kick you out!" Naomi yelled, her face burning with embarrassment, though she couldn't hide a small, flustered laugh of her own. The last room in the main hall belonged to Luna, the lightning user. Luna slowly pushed her door open, letting out a big yawn. Her room was completely dark. The curtains were drawn tightly shut to block out all the sunlight. The only thing in the room was a massive, incredibly fluffy bed piled high with at least ten thick blankets and a dozen pillows.

Ken's eyes lit up with pure joy.

"Luna," Ken whispered, putting a hand over his heart in absolute awe.

"I have never respected anyone more than I respect you right now. This room is a masterpiece. It is the ultimate sleeping cave."

"Thanks," Luna mumbled lazily, rubbing her eyes.

"If you ever want to hide from Naomi's morning training, you can hide under the bed. It's very quiet."

"I am definitely keeping that in mind," Ken agreed happily. The walking tour was going great. Ken was genuinely having a good time joking around with the girls. They weren't just serious, scary soldiers anymore. They were normal people with their own quirks and messy habits. For the first time since he got dragged away from his peaceful life in the Iron Rose District, Ken actually felt comfortable. But the tour wasn't completely over yet.

There were still a few more doors left to check, and the fun, lighthearted mood was about to hit a very solid, very flat brick wall.

Ken shuffled his feet down the hallway, leaving Luna's dark, cozy sleeping cave behind. The girls followed closely, clearly enjoying watching Ken react to their different lifestyles. A few doors down, standing perfectly still in the middle of the corridor, was Ira. The water magic user was leaning against the wall right next to her closed bedroom door. She had her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was completely blank, totally devoid of any emotion. She didn't look angry, but she didn't look happy either.

She just looked incredibly flat. Ken walked right up to her, putting on his best, most innocent puppy-dog eyes.

"Hey, Ira," Ken said cheerfully, pointing a thumb at her door.

"It's my turn to judge your interior decorating skills. Let me guess, is your room basically a giant swimming pool? Do you sleep in a bathtub?"