Chapter : 691

"Yes," Ken nodded firmly. He used his flawless, ridiculous cartoon logic. "If you lose control of your magic today... if you suddenly explode into a giant pile of angry green vines... you owe me a new chocolate bar."

The entire transport vehicle went silent.

Sayma pushed her glasses up her nose. She stared at Ken in shock. Sayma could not believe he just casually mentioned the explosive vines. That was the exact topic everyone was actively trying to avoid.

Risa stared at Ken. Her jaw dropped open just a tiny fraction of an inch.

"You heard me," Ken continued cheerfully. He slumped his shoulders even more. "Explosions ruin chocolate. The heat melts the cocoa. It makes the almonds taste like smoke. If you blow up this transport vehicle, my snacks will be ruined. And I will hold you personally responsible for my financial loss."

Ken pointed his lazy finger at her again.

"So, if you explode, you have to buy me a new one," Ken demanded playfully. "And you have to buy me a large pizza. And you have to do all my chores for a month. Those are the official rules of the 13th Unit."

Risa looked down at the shiny gold wrapper in her hand. She thought about the ridiculous demands. She thought about Ken being more worried about his candy than a deadly magical disaster.

A very strange sound escaped from Risa's mouth.

It sounded like a tiny hiccup. Then, her shoulders shook. But she was not trembling from fear anymore.

Risa let out a soft, musical giggle.

The giggle grew louder. A bright, genuine smile broke across her face. She hugged the chocolate bar against her chest. She threw her head back.

Risa started laughing.

It was a beautiful, clear, happy laugh. It filled the small, metallic space of the transport vehicle. It chased the dark, nervous energy out of the room. It was the very first time she had laughed in several days.

"You are impossible, Ken!" Risa giggled happily. She wiped a happy tear from her eye. "You care more about your snacks than your own safety!"

"Snacks are my safety," Ken corrected smoothly. He gave her a goofy thumbs-up. "So we have a deal? No exploding today? I really want to eat that pizza later."

"I promise," Risa smiled a radiant smile. "I will not explode. I will keep your chocolate safe."

The massive, crushing weight in the air vanished .

Naomi let out a long breath. Her tight shoulders relaxed. She looked at Ken with admiration. She realized how brilliantly he just handled the situation. He did not treat Risa like a fragile piece of glass. He treated her like a normal friend. He made a silly joke. He broke the panic instantly.

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Princess Iris watched from the front. Her violet eyes shined with gratitude. She was glad she recruited the lazy slacker. He was the glue that kept their minds intact.

Risa unwrapped a tiny corner of the gold foil. She broke off a small square of chocolate. She popped it into her mouth. She hummed happily.

Then, Risa looked at Ken's gray sweatpants.

"Ken?" Risa asked softly. Her voice was calm now.

"Yeah?" Ken answered lazily.

"I saw Princess Iris talk to you and Sayma in the strategy room," Risa stated gently. "I know she gave you the specialized stabilizing device. The metal bracelet with the blue lights."

Sayma stiffened slightly. She adjusted her glasses nervously. Sayma felt a bit guilty for wanting to use the device.

Risa looked directly at Ken's dark eyes.

"I know what that bracelet does," Risa continued. She did not sound scared. She sounded genuinely curious. "It locks down erratic mana. It suppresses magical cores. It is a safety measure. Why haven't you put it on my wrist yet? The toxic zone is very close."

Ken drooped his posture. He buried his hands deep into his pockets. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn.

"Because that bracelet is ugly," Ken complained casually. "It is chunky metal. It flashes blue lights everywhere. It clashes with your nice pink dress. It is a massive fashion disaster."

Risa tilted her head. She smiled a soft smile. "Be serious, Ken."

Ken dropped the goofy pout. He looked back at her. His sleepy dark eyes were very kind. He did not use a strict, military tone. He spoke with simple, absolute truth.

"I am not giving you the bracelet, Risa," Ken explained smoothly. "Because you are a person. You are our friend. You are the official healer of the 13th Unit."

Ken pulled his hand out of his pocket. He gestured lazily at the air.

"You are not a bomb," Ken declared firmly. "You are not a dangerous weapon that needs to be locked inside a cage. Putting a flashing tracking monitor on your wrist is insulting. This is not a sci-fi movie about rogue androids. You have a good heart. You can control your own magic."

Risa stared at him. Her green eyes widened. A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes, but they were not tears of fear. They were tears of pure, overwhelming relief.

She had spent days feeling like a monster. She felt like a liability. But Ken just rejected that idea. Ken trusted her . Ken believed in her.

"If you feel stressed out there," Ken added casually. He leaned back against the wall. "Just tell us. We will take a break. We will eat some gummy worms. We will deal with it together. But I am not treating you like a prisoner."

Risa wiped her eyes quickly. She nodded her head with intense determination. She felt a profound, warm strength blooming inside her chest. Her magic felt calm. The erratic, nervous energy was gone. She felt perfectly stable.

"Thank you, Ken," Risa whispered softly. She took another bite of the chocolate bar. "I feel much better now."

Sayma sat near the window. The intelligent Vice-Captain looked at Ken.

Sayma closed her neat notebook. She placed her silver pen into her pocket. She felt an immense wave of respect for the boy. She realized her cold, mathematical logic was flawed. The metal device would have made Risa feel worse. The metal device would have caused the exact panic they wanted to avoid.

Ken used pure human empathy. He solved a catastrophic psychological crisis with a chocolate bar and a silly joke.

Sayma looked at Ken and offered a very small, very sincere nod of gratitude.

Ken caught the nod. He smiled a goofy smile back at her. He reached into his canvas bag again.

"Alright, the emotional checkpoint is cleared," Ken announced lazily to the group. "Now, who wants a sour gummy worm? I have cherry flavor. I have green apple. I refuse to share the blue ones. The blue ones are my favorite."

Laxmi cheered loudly and reached across the aisle. Zinia laughed and grabbed a handful of candy. Naomi shook her head fondly, but she took a small piece of chocolate when he offered it. Even Ira accepted a single, perfectly square gummy cube to analyze its sugar content.