Chapter : 606

"We cannot do an underwater mission, Princess," Ken begged playfully. "My lungs are very small. I will run out of breath in two minutes. And my navy blue suit is dry clean only. The lake water will completely ruin the fabric. It will shrink in the wash. This is a fashion disaster and a survival nightmare."

Princess Iris smiled a beautiful, gentle smile. She loved his silly outbursts. They always kept the team feeling relaxed. "We will not make you hold your breath, Ken. We will find a logical solution. But we must complete this task."

Sayma clicked her pen. She looked at her notes. "Ken’s complaints are wrapped in absurd analogies, but his underlying points are actually entirely valid. An underwater environment creates massive tactical disadvantages for our specific vanguard."

Ira stepped forward from the wall. Her pale face remained a perfect, emotionless mask. She stared blankly at the wooden table.

"Statistically speaking," Ira stated in her flat, robotic voice. "Terrestrial combatants lose sixty-five percent of their kinetic strike force when submerged. The density of the liquid absorbs physical impacts. Our melee fighters will suffer a massive reduction in damage output."

Naomi frowned slightly. She pulled one of her silver daggers from its sheath. She looked at the sharp blade. "Ira is right. I rely entirely on my wind magic to move fast. I use my speed to outmaneuver the enemy. If I am underwater, the liquid friction will slow me down completely. I will not be able to dash. My daggers will swing much slower. I will lose my biggest advantage."

Laxmi groaned loudly. She extinguished her tiny orange spark. She flopped backward onto the table.

"My magic is completely ruined!" Laxmi whined. She crossed her arms over her face. "I am a fire user! Fire and water do not mix! If I try to throw a fireball underwater, it will just turn into warm bubbles! I cannot roast any monsters. I will just be giving them a very nice, comfortable warm bath! That is totally useless!"

Zinia cracked her knuckles. She looked thoughtful. "I can manipulate rocks. There are plenty of rocks at the bottom of a lake. But pulling a stone pillar through thick water requires a massive amount of extra mana. I will exhaust my energy reserves twice as fast."

Luna raised her hand slowly from the wooden bench. She kept her eyes entirely closed. She let out another massive yawn.

"I absolutely refuse to use my magic in a giant lake," Luna mumbled lazily. "I use lightning. If I shoot a lightning bolt underwater, the electricity will travel through the entire lake. I will shock the monsters. But I will also shock Naomi, Laxmi, Zinia, Sayma, and myself. It is a massive friendly-fire hazard. I am officially sitting this mission out. I will stay on the boat and take a nap."

Risa hugged her teddy bear very tightly. Her green eyes widened with innocent worry. "The bottom of a lake sounds very dark. Are there scary fishes down there? I do not want a giant fish to bite my toes."

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from NovelPhoenix. Support the author by reading it there.

Ken sat back down in his chair. He slouched his shoulders again. He grabbed his bag of potato chips.

"See?" Ken announced proudly. He popped a chip into his mouth. "Everyone agrees with me. The water level is a terrible idea. We cannot use fire. We cannot use lightning. Naomi cannot run. It is a complete tactical failure. We should just send a polite letter to the Upper Council. We will tell them we are allergic to swimming."

Princess Iris stood up. Her violet eyes were incredibly focused. She looked around the room. She listened to all of their valid concerns. She knew the mission presented massive obstacles. She knew her team would struggle in an aquatic environment.

But Princess Iris also knew they could not afford to quit. She had a very specific, incredibly important reason for wanting this relic. It was not just about the points. It was about saving innocent lives.

"I understand the risks," Princess Iris said softly. Her voice carried undeniable, absolute leadership. "I know this environment neutralizes many of our best combat strategies. I know it will be cold, dark, and dangerous."

Princess Iris placed her hands flat on the wooden table. She leaned forward. Her face showed profound determination.

"But we are going to dive into that sunken labyrinth," Princess Iris declared smoothly. "We are going to fight whatever monsters live in the deep. And we are going to secure that ancient Belmontian relic before anyone else does. Failure is absolutely not an option today."

Ken stopped chewing his chip. He blinked his dark, sleepy eyes. He looked at the Princess. He saw the intense, burning resolve in her expression. He realized this was not just a simple game for her. She had a very strong, hidden motive.

"Princess," Naomi asked gently. She walked over to her leader. "Why is this specific relic so important? You seem incredibly motivated. Is there something special about this item?"

Princess Iris nodded slowly. She took a deep breath. She prepared to reveal the true, heartbreaking reality behind their newest assignment. The stakes were much higher than a simple spot on a scoreboard. The survival of thousands of ordinary people depended entirely on their success.

---

Princess Iris looked at her elite vanguard. The strategy room was totally quiet. The girls waited for her explanation. Ken Eliot slouched in his chair, holding a potato chip near his mouth. He listened closely.

"This is not just a standard treasure hunt," Princess Iris began softly. Her violet eyes filled with deep, genuine compassion. "Sayma, please read the historical lore regarding the relic we are searching for."

Sayma pushed her glasses up. She opened a thick, ancient-looking reference book. She flipped to a marked page. She cleared her throat politely.

"The target item is an ancient Belmontian relic," Sayma read aloud. Her voice was smooth and precise. "According to imperial lore, this specific artifact possesses a very rare, incredibly powerful magical property. It is essentially an environmental control device. The relic has the unique ability to manipulate localized weather patterns."

Laxmi sat up on the table. She tilted her head. "Weather patterns? You mean it can make it rain?"

"Yes," Sayma confirmed. She closed the book. "It can summon rainclouds. It can disperse violent storms. It can drastically alter the climate of a specific region if properly activated by a royal mana signature."

Ken popped his chip into his mouth. He chewed it slowly. He did not look impressed.

"A weather machine?" Ken mumbled lazily. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "That sounds like a very boring prize. Why do we want to control the weather? Are we trying to ruin someone's outdoor picnic? Because that is a very petty thing to do. I mean, I would do it, but I am very lazy."