Chương 83: Chapter : 83

"It is not the 12th Prince," Iris said quietly.

"The Royal who was assigned to the mansion right next door... is my sister. The 16th Princess, Hestia." The reaction was instant and explosive.

"Are you serious?!" Naomi shouted, slamming her hands flat onto the table. Her face turned bright red with pure anger.

"Hestia?! The snob who just insulted us in the golden hallway a few hours ago?! We live right next to her?!" Laxmi jumped out of her chair, a small burst of fire popping in her hands.

"That is completely unacceptable! Her team is full of arrogant jerks! Zaima, that girl who looks just like Sayma, called Ken a piece of garbage to his face! I am going to go over there right now and burn their fancy fence down!"

"Laxmi, sit down," Sayma commanded sharply. Even though Sayma was trying to sound calm, Ken could see that her jaw was clenched tight. Sharing a living space with her cruel lookalike was the absolute last thing she wanted to do.

"We cannot attack another Royal's headquarters. It is strictly against the rules. It would result in immediate disqualification."

"But they are right next door!" Zinia groaned, rubbing her temples.

"They will be watching everything we do! They can see when we leave, when we come back, and who is injured. It is a total security nightmare!" Luna slowly lifted her head from the table.

"Do you think they have loud parties? Because if they wake me up, I might accidentally send a lightning bolt through their roof. Just accidentally, of course." Ken slouched deep into his chair, shaking his head. He looked around at the angry girls. He completely understood why they were mad, but he was mostly just annoyed for his own lazy reasons.

"This is the worst news ever," Ken complained loudly, crossing his arms.

"Do you know what happens when you have bad neighbors? They complain about everything! They are going to complain that our grass is too long. They are going to complain that my shirt is untucked when I go out to get the mail. It is going to be a homeowner's association nightmare." Naomi glared at him.

"Ken, this isn't about grass! It is about survival! Princess Hestia is arrogant, but her team is incredibly organized. If they want to, they can make our lives a living hell just by spying on our daily routines."

"I am aware of the danger," Princess Iris said, raising her hands to calm everyone down.

"That is why I called this meeting. I want you all to be extremely careful from now on. Do not leave your weapons unattended. Do not talk about our strategies loudly in the courtyard. Assume that Hestia's team is always listening." Ira nodded slowly, her face as flat and emotionless as ever.

"Understood. I will set up water-based sound barriers around the perimeter of our walls tonight to muffle our conversations." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Good," Iris said, offering a small, tired smile.

"We survived the slums today. We proved that we belong in this war. Let them watch us. Let them see that the 13th Unit is not going to give up easily." Ken let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"Fine. But if Zaima comes over here asking to borrow a cup of sugar, I am closing the door right in her face. I draw the line at sharing my kitchen supplies." Naomi actually let out a short, surprised laugh at that, shaking her head. The heavy tension in the room broke just a little bit. They were stuck living next to their worst rivals, and the war was only going to get harder. But as Ken looked around the table, he saw that the girls weren't scared. They were just annoyed and ready to prove themselves.

"Alright," Ken mumbled, standing up from his chair and stretching his arms.

"Meeting adjourned? Because my bed is calling my name, and I really need to catch up on the sleep I lost while dodging giant bad guys today." As the team started to pack up the map and discuss the new security measures, nobody realized just how dangerous the game had really become. The 16th Princess next door was annoying, but she wasn't the biggest threat.

Far away from their crumbling estate, high up in the shining towers of the government, the real villains of the Succession War were already planning their next move.

Deep inside the massive, highly secure Upper Council building, far away from the public eyes of the capital city, there was a secret room. This room was not made of bright white marble, and it did not have beautiful golden chandeliers like the Great Hall where the Royals had gathered yesterday. It was dark, cold, and completely soundproof. The walls were made of thick, heavy gray stone. The only light came from a single, low-hanging magical lamp hovering directly over a round wooden table in the center of the room.

Three men sat around the dark table. They were not Royals, but they held almost as much power. They were high-ranking, deeply corrupt noblemen who controlled the daily operations of the Belmontia Empire. Minister Thorne sat in a comfortable leather chair, slowly swirling a glass of incredibly expensive red wine. He was a wealthy, older man with a sharp, pointed nose and cold gray eyes. Sitting across from him was Senator Vance, a heavy-set man wearing a dark purple suit covered in expensive jewelry.

He was currently staring at a glowing magical tablet resting on the table, reading the latest mission reports. The third man stood in the shadows near the corner of the room. It was Dr. Raven. He was the exact same corrupt official who had destroyed Captain Vane's life ten years ago. He wore a crisp, tailored black suit and had a nasty, permanent sneer on his face.

"Well," Minister Thorne said, breaking the silence. He took a slow sip of his wine.

"It seems the first day of the Succession War was quite eventful. Senator Vance, please tell me the good news. Did our little plan work?" Senator Vance frowned, his fat fingers tapping the glowing screen of the tablet. He did not look happy.

"The results are coming in right now," Vance grumbled, his voice thick with annoyance.

"Most of the top-tier Royals secured their twenty points with ease. The 1st Prince completely destroyed a rebel camp. The 5th Prince hunted down the Wyvern. The 16th Princess cleared her target before lunch."

"I do not care about the favorites," Dr. Raven snapped from the shadows, stepping closer to the table.

"I care about the bottom of the list. What happened to the 13th Princess? Did she fail the mission? Is she dead?" Senator Vance stared at the screen for a long moment. He shook his head slowly, totally confused.

"No," Vance said bluntly.

"She is not dead. In fact, her unit just reported a total success. Target eliminated. Twenty points secured. The 13th Unit is officially tied for first place on the leaderboard." Minister Thorne stopped swirling his wine. He slowly lowered the crystal glass to the table. His cold gray eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.