Chapter : 40

  He didn't look at the high-end magical districts. He didn't look at the abandoned mansions. Instead, his finger drifted all the way down to the very bottom corner of the map. It was an area drawn with messy, jagged lines. It was a place far away from the shining lights of the Inner City, and even farther away from the normal, middle-class streets of his own Iron Rose District.

  "You guys are overthinking this," Ken said lazily, his mouth still half-full of food. He tapped his finger on the bottom edge of the map. "I bet you a slice of strawberry cake he is hiding right here."

  Naomi looked at where Ken was pointing. Her face instantly twisted into a deep sneer.

  "Are you completely stupid?" Naomi snapped, her voice rising in anger. Several fancy nobles at the next table turned to look at them again. "That is the deep slums. It is the absolute lowest-tier area of the Imperial Capital. It is filled with garbage, broken buildings, and mud."

  "Exactly," Ken said, nodding happily and taking a bite of his cake.

  "No, not 'exactly'!" Naomi argued, leaning across the table and pointing an angry finger at him. "A former Imperial Captain is a man of pride! He is used to living in military barracks and clean houses. He would never hide in the dirt like a rat. Plus, the slums have terrible magical leylines. It is a ridiculous idea. This is why you should just sit there and eat, farm boy. Let the real warriors do the thinking."

  Ken didn't look insulted at all. He just let out a loud sigh and gave her a goofy, tired smile. He decided to use pure, undeniable slacker logic to prove his point.

  "Look, boss lady," Ken said, gesturing with his fork. "You are thinking like a proud knight. But Vane isn't a knight anymore. He is a criminal hiding from the cops. When I break a vase at my house and I want to hide from my mom, I don't go hide in the clean, bright living room. I go hide in the dark, messy garage behind a stack of old boxes. If I want to avoid doing chores, I go where nobody wants to look."

  Naomi rolled her eyes so hard it looked like it hurt. "You are comparing a deadly B-rank Curse magic user to you hiding from your mother?"

  "The logic is completely solid," Ken insisted, taking another bite of cake. "If he hides in a fancy abandoned mansion, the Imperial Police will notice immediately. Rich people notice when someone breaks into their empty houses. But if he hides in the deep slums? Nobody cares. The buildings are already broken. Nobody tracks who goes in and out."

  Sayma had been completely quiet during this argument. She was staring hard at the spot Ken had pointed to on the map. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her analytical brain working rapidly.

  "Wait," Sayma said softly. She looked up at Ken, a look of genuine surprise on her face. "Ken... is actually right."

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  Naomi’s jaw dropped. "What? Sayma, are you serious? You are agreeing with the farm boy?"

  "Think about it, Naomi," Sayma explained, pointing at the map. "Vane is kidnapping people. That is his main goal. If he kidnaps people from the middle-class districts or the Inner City, the Imperial Police will launch a massive investigation. But if he kidnaps homeless people, beggars, and addicts from the deep slums? Nobody will report them missing. The police rarely patrol the slums. It is the perfect blind spot."

  Naomi opened her mouth to argue, but she couldn't find the words. She hated to admit it, but Sayma’s logic was flawless. The slums were the ultimate hiding place for a criminal who needed victims that society had forgotten about.

  "Plus," Sayma continued, her voice growing more serious. "If he is using life force to fuel his Curse magic, he doesn't need a natural magical leyline. He is generating his own dark magic using the hostages. The slums are exactly where he would go."

  Ken just sat back, looking completely innocent. "See? I told you. The messy garage is always the best hiding spot. I am basically a genius detective. You guys should buy me another pastry as a reward."

  Naomi closed her eyes and took a deep, frustrated breath. It drove her absolutely crazy that Ken, the lazy, messy boy who was currently slurping the last drops of his iced coffee, had figured it out before she did. Her knightly pride was deeply wounded.

  "Fine," Naomi gritted her teeth, crossing her arms tightly. "Fine. It makes sense. But I still hate it. The slums are disgusting. My boots are going to get ruined."

  "You can walk behind me," Ken offered helpfully. "I don't mind getting my cheap shoes dirty."

  Sayma smiled, feeling a sense of relief. They finally had a solid lead. She closed the folder and tucked the map away.

  "Since Princess Iris is not here, I am the acting leader of this sub-group," Sayma stated, her voice returning to its calm, authoritative tone. "I am making the call. We are going to the deep slums. We will do a quick sweep of the area, see if we can locate Vane's specific building, and then we will signal Princess and the rest of the unit to join us."

  Naomi let out a dramatic sigh, but she nodded her head. She was a disciplined warrior, and she respected Sayma’s authority. She just hated that she had to follow the farm boy’s suggestion.

  "Alright," Naomi agreed angrily, glaring at Ken. "But if we get down there and it turns out to be a dead end, I am personally going to throw you into a dumpster, Ken."

  "Jokes on you, I am very comfortable in small, dark spaces," Ken joked, giving her a lazy salute.

  Sayma stood up from the plush velvet booth. She smoothed out her dark combat uniform and checked the magical barrier bracers on her wrists. "Let's move out. Keep your eyes open. If Vane really is down there, he will have guards. We need to stay quiet and avoid drawing attention."

  "Staying quiet is my specialty," Ken promised. He quickly grabbed the last remaining chocolate pastry from his plate and shoved the entire thing into his mouth. He stood up, chewing happily, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel.

  Naomi just shook her head in sheer disbelief. "I cannot believe the fate of the 13th Princess rests on a team that includes him."

  The three of them left the fancy, sweet-smelling cafeteria. They stepped out onto the clean, bright streets of the Inner City, leaving the glaring nobles and the horrified waiter behind.

  But their destination was the exact opposite of this beautiful place. They were heading into the darkest, dirtiest, and most dangerous part of the Imperial Capital. The deep slums were waiting for them, and underneath the mud and the broken buildings, a monster was hiding.

  Ken Eliot slouched his shoulders, shoved his hands into his pockets, and dragged his feet behind the two elite girls. He looked completely bored and sleepy, but inside his mind, the Sovereign was wide awake, ready to make sure his teammates didn't walk into a death trap.

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