Chapter : 39

  Naomi scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at Ken like he was the dumbest person in the world. "The 13th Unit might lack official royal funding, farm boy, but that does not mean we are broke. We are not commoners like you."

  Ken tilted his head. "You aren't?"

  "No," Sayma answered gently, folding her hands on the table. "Despite serving the underdog 13th Princess, Naomi and I both come from proud noble bloodlines. My family has been managing trade routes in the eastern provinces for generations. Naomi’s family is a very respected line of knights."

  Ken let out a long whistle, slouching back into his seat. "Wow. I had no idea my teammates were this wealthy. So you guys are basically rich kids."

  "Do not call us 'rich kids'," Naomi snapped, her eyes flashing with pride. "We earned our places as elite warriors. We didn't just buy our way into the Succession War. We chose to follow Princess Iris because we believe in her, even if it meant our families cut us off from the main political circles. But yes, we still have our own personal funds."

  "That is awesome," Ken said, giving them a bright, goofy smile. "Does that mean you guys are paying for my breakfast?"

  Naomi looked like she wanted to reach across the table and strangle him. "You are unbelievable."

  "I am just being practical!" Ken defended himself, throwing his hands up in a lazy shrug. "I only have pocket change on me. If you guys didn't pay, I would have to stay here and wash the dishes."

  Before Naomi could start yelling again, the waiter returned. He placed a delicate porcelain cup of tea in front of Sayma, a crystal glass of water in front of Naomi, and a massive, heavy tray of food in front of Ken. There was a giant glass of iced coffee dripping with caramel, three huge chocolate pastries, and two thick slices of strawberry cake.

  Ken’s eyes lit up like a kid in a toy store. "Oh, yes. This is exactly what I needed."

  He grabbed the giant iced coffee, completely ignoring the little paper straw, and took a massive drink. He slurped it incredibly loudly. Sluuuuuurp. The sound echoed through the quiet, classical music of the cafeteria.

  Several rich nobles at the nearby tables actually gasped out loud in shock. A woman in a diamond necklace covered her mouth with a fan, looking at Ken like he was a wild animal.

  Naomi buried her face in her hands, wishing she could turn invisible. "Please make it stop," she muttered into her palms. "I am going to die of embarrassment."

  "What?" Ken asked, putting the glass down and wiping caramel off his upper lip. "It is really good. You guys should try some."

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  Sayma just smiled patiently, used to his ridiculous behavior by now. She reached into her dark combat uniform and pulled out a thin, brown folder. She placed it right in the middle of the table, pushing Ken’s plate of strawberry cake slightly to the side.

  "Alright, Ken, you can eat, but it is time to focus," Sayma said, her voice dropping into a serious, professional tone. "We did not come here just to drink coffee. We need to figure out where Vane is hiding before the rest of the unit joins us. Let's review the facts."

  Ken grabbed a chocolate pastry and took a huge bite. He chewed happily, completely unfazed by the serious atmosphere. "Sounds good to me. Talk away, boss. I am all ears."

  Sayma opened the folder. Inside were a few pieces of paper with messy handwriting and a large, detailed map of the Imperial Capital.

  The fun and games were over. It was time to hunt down a monster.

  ----

  Sayma spread the sparse details across the polished wooden table. Ken grabbed a napkin, wiped some chocolate off his chin, and looked at the papers. There wasn't much. Grandmaster Finlay had only been able to provide them with a few basic reports from the Imperial Police.

  At the center of the table was a picture of Vane. He looked intense, with messy gray hair and deep scars on his cheeks.

  "This is our target," Sayma began, tapping her finger on the picture. "Vane. According to the police files, he is not just a random street thug who found a magic book. Ten years ago, Vane was a highly respected Captain in the Imperial Army. He served on the borders. He was decorated for bravery. He was a disciplined military man."

  Naomi frowned, taking a small sip of her sparkling water. "That makes absolutely no sense. Why would a decorated military Captain abandon his post, throw away a perfect career, and start a terrifying underground cult? Curse magic is highly illegal. It is disgusting. A true Imperial knight would never stoop so low."

  "That is the mystery," Sayma agreed, her intelligent eyes scanning the text. "Something must have happened to him to make him snap. But right now, his motives do not matter. What matters is his operation. He leads the 'Curse Organization'. The police have confirmed that dozens of innocent people from the lower districts have gone missing over the last month. Vane is kidnapping them."

  "And using them as living batteries for his dark magic," Naomi finished, her voice full of disgust. "It makes me sick."

  Ken sat back against the red velvet seat, chewing on his second chocolate pastry. He watched the two girls analyze the information. Internally, Ken’s sharp mind was already working a hundred miles a minute, but he kept his face completely blank and lazy.

  "So, where do we look?" Sayma asked, pulling the large map of the capital city closer. "Vane needs a hideout large enough to hold dozens of kidnapped victims, plus his gang of followers. He also needs a place with a stable magical leyline to perform his curses."

  Naomi leaned over the map. Her eyes immediately went to the shiny, well-drawn sections of the paper. "If he was an Army Captain, he thinks like a tactician. He would want a place with good defenses. He is probably hiding in one of the abandoned noble estates in the high-end magical districts. There are plenty of empty mansions on the outskirts of the Inner City. The walls are high, the magic flow is strong, and it is easy to guard."

  Sayma nodded thoughtfully. "That is a logical conclusion. An old mansion would give him plenty of room to hide hostages in the basement."

  Ken took another massive, loud slurp of his iced coffee. Sluuuuuurp.

  Naomi glared at him. "Do you mind? We are trying to plan a raid here."

  "Sorry, sorry," Ken said, putting the glass down. He swallowed the pastry in his mouth and casually wiped his hands on his uniform pants, completely ignoring the napkin on the table. He leaned forward and looked at the map.