Chapter : 600

"Punching royalty is a very bad idea," Sayma noted politely. She pushed her glasses up. "It results in immediate imprisonment. We must find a smarter way to survive this new phase of the war."

The room grew very quiet. The realization settled over the team. They were officially playing in the big leagues. They were a top-tier target. Every single move they made from now on would be scrutinized. Every mission would be ten times harder. The easy days were completely over.

Princess Iris looked at her vanguard. She knew they were brave. She knew they were strong. But she also knew that raw magic was not enough anymore. They needed a new kind of strategy. They needed to navigate the treacherous waters of high-society politics.

A tall figure stepped forward from the shadows near the door.

It was Olivia. The strict, highly disciplined spear user walked into the light. She wore her spotless dark blue uniform. Her hair rested in a tight, perfect bun. She held her silver-tipped spear firmly. She looked around the room with sharp, calculating dark eyes. She prepared to deliver a very serious reality check to the entire unit.

---

Olivia stopped in the absolute center of the strategy room. She planted the butt of her silver spear onto the wooden floorboards. The metal clicked sharply. She stood up perfectly straight. She projected an aura of intense military discipline.

"The Princess and Sayma are entirely correct," Olivia announced. Her voice was firm and cold. She did not smile. "We are in extreme danger. But you are all focusing on the wrong kind of threat. You are thinking like frontline soldiers."

Laxmi tilted her head. She tossed a tiny orange spark into the air. "We are frontline soldiers, Olivia. That is our job."

"It is not enough anymore," Olivia countered smoothly. She looked directly at Laxmi. "You can throw massive fireballs. Zinia can build giant stone walls. Naomi can run faster than the wind. Your raw combat power is exceptional. But raw combat power will not save us from what comes next."

Ken Eliot slouched deeper into his chair. He pulled a third donut from his box.

"I totally agree," Ken mumbled lazily. He took a small bite. "Fighting requires too much cardio. I am very glad we are not relying on combat anymore. Does this mean I am officially retired?"

Naomi walked over to him. She smiled a very warm, fond smile. She liked his silly interruptions. "You are never retiring, Ken. Listen to Olivia."

Olivia glared at Ken’s untucked shirt. She hated his messy appearance. She forced herself to ignore him. She turned her attention back to Princess Iris.

"The senior Royal candidates will not attack us directly," Olivia explained. She pointed a dark-gloved finger at the glowing blue leaderboard on the wall. "They will not send assassins to our front gate. They will not challenge us to fair arena matches. They will use political sabotage."

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Sayma opened a new page in her notebook. She clicked her pen rapidly. "Political sabotage. You mean they will attack our resources."

"Exactly," Olivia nodded sharply. "They will use their immense wealth and influence in the Inner City. They will bribe the merchants who supply our food. They will spread vicious rumors about us in the daily newspapers. They will pressure the Upper Council to deny our mission requests. They will slowly strangle us. They will cut off our air supply until we collapse from exhaustion."

The room went completely silent. The girls realized the terrifying truth. You cannot punch a rumor. You cannot burn a denied mission request. You cannot build a stone wall to block a bribe.

Zinia frowned deeply. She crossed her muscular arms. "That is completely cowardly. They refuse to face us face-to-face."

"It is not cowardly. It is highly efficient," Ira stated in her flat, deadpan voice. She stared blankly at the table. "Statistically speaking, economic and social strangulation destroys political campaigns faster than open warfare. It requires zero magical expenditure."

Princess Iris gripped the hilt of her silver rapier. Her violet eyes filled with deep concern. "What is your recommendation, Olivia? How do we withstand this impending sabotage?"

Olivia lifted her chin. She looked extremely confident. She knew exactly how the high-society world operated.

"We cannot survive on an island," Olivia declared clearly. "We need a massive political shield. We must actively gain the trust and the backing of the neutral noble houses in the capital city."

Sayma pushed her glasses up. Her eyes lit up with understanding. "The neutral houses. There are several extremely wealthy, highly influential aristocratic families who have not yet pledged their loyalty to any specific Royal candidate."

"Precisely," Olivia confirmed. "These neutral nobles possess immense resources. They own banks. They control trade routes. They influence the media. If we secure their public backing, the senior Royals will not dare to sabotage us. An attack on us would become an attack on the neutral nobles. It would cause a massive societal uproar."

Laxmi groaned loudly. She dropped her spark of fire. She flopped backward onto the rug.

"You want us to talk to fancy nobles?" Laxmi complained. She threw her hands in the air. "I hate talking to fancy nobles! They wear tight clothes! They drink terrible tea! They use words that are way too long! I am going to fall asleep standing up!"

"I totally support falling asleep standing up," Luna yawned from her wooden bench. "It is a very advanced technique. I can teach you, Laxmi."

Ken Eliot sat up slightly in his chair. He brushed white powdered sugar off his navy blue suit pants. He looked at the girls with a big, goofy grin.

"You guys are entirely missing the point," Ken announced casually. He pointed a finger at the ceiling. "Winning over a group of snobby rich people is a very classic anime storyline. It is the diplomacy arc. You do not just walk up and ask them for money. You have to win their hearts. You have to put on a show."

Naomi looked at him. She crossed her arms and smiled playfully. "A show? What kind of show, slacker?"

"We form an idol group," Ken stated with absolute, unyielding confidence.

The entire strategy room stared at him. They were completely baffled.

"An idol group?" Sayma asked politely. She looked incredibly confused.

"Yes!" Ken nodded enthusiastically. He waved his hands in the air. "It is the perfect solution. We buy colorful, matching outfits. We learn a synchronized dance routine. We sing a very catchy, upbeat pop song. We perform a massive concert in the center of the Inner City. The nobles will be totally amazed. They will throw money at us. We will sell merchandise. We will sell glow sticks. The power of music solves all political problems."

Risa’s green eyes widened with pure joy. The sweet healer clapped her hands together. "I love singing! I can play the tambourine! We can wear sparkly dresses!"