Chapter : 169
Chapter : 169
Ken stumbled backward, totally confused as the door to the garden room remained open behind them. The playful, goofy mood was about to hit a massive, solid brick wall, and Ken was about to learn exactly why a sweet girl who loved flowers had been locked behind giant iron chains.
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Naomi dragged Ken a few steps down the dusty wooden hallway, making absolutely sure they were out of earshot from the bright, sunny garden room. She let go of his sleeve and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Her green eyes were completely focused, totally stripped of the playful banter they had been sharing just five minutes ago.
"Okay, boss lady, what is the big secret?" Ken asked, rubbing his sleeve and giving her a lazy, confused smile. "Did I step on a rare flower in there? Because if I did, I am totally willing to apologize to the dirt. I don't want the sweet healer girl to be mad at me."
"Risa is not going to be mad at you, Ken," Naomi said, her voice dropping into a serious, hushed whisper. "She is the kindest person I have ever met. But you need to understand the absolute reality of why we keep her locked in that room. You need to know exactly how dangerous she really is."
Ken blinked his sleepy eyes. He leaned his back against the peeling wallpaper of the corridor, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He tilted his head, acting like he was totally baffled.
"Dangerous?" Ken repeated, letting out a short, totally fake scoff. "Are you kidding me? She was literally hugging a teddy bear. What is she going to do, aggressively throw daisies at the enemy? I am highly allergic to pollen, so that would actually be pretty terrible for my sinuses, but I don't think it is a major tactical threat."
Naomi did not laugh at his joke. She took a step closer, ensuring he was paying full attention.
"Her nature magic is fundamentally unstable, Ken," Naomi explained, her tone completely grim. "It is not like Laxmi’s fire or Zinia’s earth. Risa cannot turn her magic off. It is directly tied to her emotional state. If she gets scared, if she panics, or if she experiences a sudden spike in adrenaline, her body completely loses control."
Ken stopped slouching quite as much. He put on a highly exaggerated, wide-eyed look of concern. "Okay, so she loses control. What happens? She grows a bunch of giant tomatoes? Do we get free salads?"
"No, Ken. She grows monsters," Naomi corrected him, her voice filled with genuine, protective concern for her friend. "If her power spirals out of control, her body involuntarily releases hyper-aggressive, massive magical vines. They burst out of the ground and destroy everything in their path. And worse, she generates thick, massive branches that emit highly toxic, suffocating gas."
Ken’s jaw dropped in a perfectly practiced, comedic display of pure panic. He threw his hands up to his cheeks.
"Toxic gas?!" Ken yelled in a harsh whisper.
"It gets worse," Naomi continued, her expression totally serious. "These plants do not just physically trap people. They are parasitic. They aggressively feed on the ambient mana of the surrounding environment. If she loses control on a battlefield, her plants will instantly drain the magic and the oxygen right out of the air. She turns into a walking, uncontrollable ecological bomb. She could easily suffocate an entire city block in seconds, including us."
Ken stared at Naomi. He stood perfectly still, letting the terrifying description of the girl's power hang in the air.
Internally, Ken’s mind was completely, utterly unbothered. He didn't feel a single drop of fear.
"Ah, I see," Ken thought to himself, his lazy inner voice sighing. "So she is basically a giant, walking weed-whacker problem. If she gets stressed out and explodes into a toxic jungle, that is going to be incredibly annoying. I hate pulling weeds. I wonder if the local hardware store sells massive, magical lawnmowers? Because if I have to trim a killer hedge maze, I am definitely asking Princess Iris for a raise."
But Ken knew he couldn't just stand there looking bored. He had a reputation to maintain.
Ken instantly exploded into a massive, highly dramatic panic attack. He threw his arms wildly into the air, backing up against the wall and shaking his knees together.
"Oh my gosh!" Ken cried out, keeping his voice to a loud, frantic whisper so Risa wouldn't hear him. "A walking botanical disaster?! Are you insane?! You guys locked a literal jungle bomb in the spare bedroom?! I am highly allergic to poison gas! And dying! Dying is terrible for my health!"
Naomi grabbed his shoulders, stopping his frantic shaking. "Calm down, you idiot! I am telling you this so you understand the stakes! Risa is incredibly sweet, but she cannot be stressed out. You cannot jump out and scare her. You cannot make loud, annoying noises around her. You have to keep things perfectly calm, or she will accidentally kill us all."
"I am the calmest person alive!" Ken argued, his eyes wide with fake terror. "I am basically a human nap! But what if a bad guy yells at her during the tournament? Do we just run away and let her turn the arena into a toxic salad?!"
"We protect her," Naomi said fiercely, her green eyes flashing with intense loyalty. "We keep the enemies away from her so she doesn't panic. She is our primary healer, and she is our family. We look out for her."
Ken slowly dropped his hands, letting out a massive, exaggerated breath of relief. He slouched his shoulders back down and gave Naomi a goofy, relaxed nod.
"Alright, boss lady. Message received," Ken promised lazily. "Do not scare the plant girl. Keep the stress levels low. I can totally do that. I will just stand next to her and talk about my favorite potato chip flavors. That is very soothing."
Naomi rolled her eyes, but a small, appreciative smile touched her lips. "Just try not to be your usual, chaotic self. Come on, let's go back inside before they wonder where we went."
The two of them walked back into the bright, sunny indoor garden.
Princess Iris was currently holding Risa’s hands, smiling warmly at the young healer. "We are so glad to have you back with us, Risa. We really need your help for the upcoming tournament."
Risa beamed, hugging her teddy bear tightly. "I will do my absolute best, Princess! I will heal anyone who gets a scratch! I promise I won't let my plants get scary!"
Zinia crossed her strong arms, looking around the bright room. She cracked her knuckles, a tough but friendly grin on her face. "It is really good to see you, kid. But we have a serious reality check to deal with right now."
The entire room quieted down. Sayma pushed her glasses up, looking at her notebook.