Chapter : 595

Olivia stood over him. She did not hold her silver spear. She held a shiny, brightly colored plastic bag in her hands. She extended her hand downward. She dropped the bag. It landed perfectly on Ken's chest with a soft crinkle.

Ken blinked. He looked at the bag. He read the label.

His dark eyes went entirely wide. A massive, incredibly joyful grin exploded across his face. He instantly sat up. He grabbed the bag with both hands.

It was a large, premium bag of salt-and-vinegar potato crisps. They were his absolute favorite snack in the entire world. They were incredibly rare in the capital city.

"Oh my goodness," Ken gasped happily. He hugged the bag of crisps to his chest. He looked at Olivia. "You bought me the salt-and-vinegar chips? The really crunchy ones? How did you even know I liked these?"

Olivia crossed her arms. Her face flushed a very faint shade of pink. She tried to look strict again, but her warm smile remained.

"I pay attention to my unit members," Olivia stated smoothly. She looked down at him. "I know you favor salty snacks. You completed your task without entirely quitting. A commanding officer must reward proper discipline. Consider this your payment for the manual labor."

Ken popped the bag open immediately. The sharp, tangy smell filled the air. He pulled out a crisp. He tossed it into his mouth. He chewed it loudly. Crunch. Crunch.

"Olivia, you are officially my favorite sibling," Ken cheered lazily. He offered her the bag. "Do you want one? They are very sour. They make your tongue tingle. It is a fantastic sensation."

"I do not eat junk food," Olivia declined politely. She uncrossed her arms. She offered him a hand. "Get off the floor, Ken. It is time for dinner."

Ken reached up. He grabbed her hand. Olivia pulled him up effortlessly. He dusted off his dirty pants. He slouched his shoulders. He held his bag of crisps tightly.

"I am very ready for dinner," Ken smiled a goofy smile. He bumped his shoulder playfully against her arm. He treated her exactly like a strict, fun older sister. "But I am eating these chips first. They are my appetizer."

Olivia chuckled softly. She did not scold him for his bad diet. She did not yell at him for his untucked shirt. She accepted him completely.

They walked out of the clean storage room together. They walked across the courtyard toward the main house. The sun set behind the walls. The estate felt incredibly peaceful. The strict warrior and the lazy slacker had established a perfect, totally unique bond. The punishment task was a complete success, and Ken got exactly what he wanted: his favorite snack.

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The magical television screen flickered brightly in the center of the living room. A loud, sharp tone buzzed from the speakers. The morning cartoon vanished instantly. The colorful animation was replaced by a massive, glowing golden crest. It was the official symbol of the Belmontia Empire.

Ken Eliot lay flat on the large sofa. He wore his usual navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in wild, messy spikes. He held a large bag of sour cream and onion potato chips on his chest.

He reached into the bag. He pulled out a large, salty chip. He popped it into his mouth.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

He chewed the chip loudly. He stared at the television screen. He let out a massive, dramatic sigh.

"This is completely unacceptable," Ken complained lazily. He pointed a finger at the glowing screen. "The main character was just about to reveal his secret training technique. I waited three entire episodes for that moment. Now the government is ruining my schedule. This is a massive tragedy for my entertainment."

The golden crest faded away. The face of the Emperor appeared on the screen.

The Emperor looked incredibly strict. He wore his pristine white uniform. He sat on his tall golden throne. His cold, piercing eyes looked directly into the camera. He did not smile. He projected an aura of absolute, uncompromising authority.

"Citizens of the Belmontia Empire," the Emperor announced. His deep voice echoed through the living room speakers. "The recent international crisis has been successfully contained. The rogue threats are eliminated. The capital city is totally secure."

Princess Iris walked out of the strategy room. She wore her crisp dark blue uniform. Her silver hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She stopped in the middle of the room. Her violet eyes locked onto the screen.

Sayma stood right beside her. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a neat notebook in her hands.

"The mandatory suspension is over," the Emperor declared firmly. He leaned forward on his throne. "The period of rest is officially concluded. I hereby command all Royal candidates to resume their campaigns. The active phases of the Succession War will recommence immediately. Prepare yourselves."

The broadcast cut off. The screen turned black. The Emperor was gone.

The living room went completely silent for a few seconds. The comfortable, relaxing atmosphere of the past few days vanished instantly.

Laxmi jumped up from the large rug. The fire user grinned a wild, excited grin. She punched her open palm. A tiny orange spark of fire popped between her fingers.

"Yes!" Laxmi cheered loudly. She bounced on her toes. "Finally! The vacation is over! I was getting incredibly bored. I am totally ready to go back to the arena. I want to roast some bad guys!"

Zinia leaned against the wall near the window. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms. She smiled a confident, tough smile. "My muscles were getting stiff. It is good to get back to work. We are in a great position right now."

Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench. The lightning user rubbed her sleepy eyes. A soft knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She let out a loud, dramatic yawn.

"I strongly disagree," Luna mumbled lazily. She closed her eyes again. "Work is terrible. I really enjoyed the suspension. I took four naps yesterday. It was a personal record. Now I have to wake up early again. This is a total disaster."

Risa sat on the floor next to Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear. She looked a little sad. "I liked the quiet days. Nobody got hurt during the suspension. We just planted flowers in the garden."

Ken shoved his hand deep into his chip bag. He pulled out another chip. He tossed it into the air. He caught it perfectly in his mouth. He chewed it slowly. He slouched his shoulders as far as they could possibly go.