Chapter : 433
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Chapter : 433
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Hera kept her green eyes locked on Ken. She projected total, undeniable authority. She fully believed she held all the winning cards. She believed nobody could refuse the incredible rewards she was about to offer.
"If you join the 2nd Unit," Hera began smoothly. Her voice sounded like a sales pitch. "Your entire life will completely transform. You will no longer live in a dusty, crumbling house. You will live in a pristine white marble tower in the center of the Inner City. The floors are spotless. The windows are crystal clear. You will have your own massive, private suite."
Ken tilted his head to the side. He pulled another gummy worm from his bag. It was a red one this time. "A private suite? Does it have a good couch? Because the couch I have right now is very comfortable. It has my exact shape permanently pressed into the cushions."
Hera ignored the silly question. She pressed forward with her grand promises.
"You will have access to superior resources," Hera bragged. "You will eat premium food prepared by highly trained chefs. You will wear clothes made of the finest silk. You will never have to wear a cheap, wrinkled suit ever again. I will provide you with a wardrobe that actually fits your status."
"I like my suit," Ken argued lazily. He brushed a small speck of dust off his pant leg. "It breathes very well. Silk gets too warm. I sweat easily. Sweating is very uncomfortable."
"You will not have to sweat at all," Hera countered instantly. She offered a cold, confident smirk. "That is the best part of my offer, Ken Eliot. I have analyzed your combat records. You clearly despise physical labor. You complain about running. You hate dodging spells."
Ken nodded in absolute agreement. "I truly do. Cardio is a terrible invention. It makes my legs feel like wet noodles."
"If you come under my direct custody," Hera promised. "I will grant you absolute safety. You will never have to step onto a battlefield again. My elite vanguard will handle all the fighting. You can simply sit in the back. You will be entirely protected from the escalating threats of the Succession War. You will live a life of complete luxury and total security."
Hera sat back in her wooden chair. She crossed her legs gracefully. She waited for his answer. She was totally convinced she had won. She offered him everything a lazy person could ever dream of. Unlimited food, zero chores, and perfect safety.
The 13th Unit watched Ken closely.
Naomi squeezed her hands into tight fists. She felt a strange, uncomfortable knot in her stomach. She knew Hera’s offer was incredibly tempting for a slacker like Ken. He complained about the missions every single day. He always begged to stay home. What if he actually wanted to leave? What if he really wanted a fancy room and a personal chef?
Sayma pushed her glasses up. She felt very worried. Ira stood perfectly still, but her pale blue eyes tracked Ken’s every movement. Laxmi stopped tossing her sparks. Zinia stood tall, waiting for his response. Princess Iris looked at him with soft, hopeful eyes. She trusted him, but she also knew she could not force him to stay.
Ken chewed his red gummy worm. He looked at Hera. He looked at the spotless warrior, Jenny. He looked around the dusty, messy living room of the 13th Unit estate. He saw the empty juice box tower he had built on the floor.
He swallowed his candy. He slouched his shoulders. He let out a long, loud, highly dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head. His back popped softly.
"Wow," Ken said lazily. He lowered his arms and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "That sounds like a very expensive lifestyle. A personal chef? Silk clothes? A shiny white tower? It sounds like a lot of fancy stuff."
Hera smiled proudly. "It is the best lifestyle in the Empire. Do we have an agreement?"
Ken gave her a big, goofy, completely relaxed smile.
"No," Ken replied simply.
Hera’s proud smile instantly froze. Her perfect posture stiffened. She blinked her sharp green eyes. She looked completely shocked.
"Excuse me?" Hera asked. Her voice lost its smooth tone. It sounded sharp and confused. "Did you just say no?"
"I did," Ken nodded cheerfully. He popped another gummy worm into his mouth. "I said no. Very clearly. It is a very short word. Only two letters."
"I heard the word!" Hera snapped. She gripped the armrests of her chair. Her face turned a very faint shade of pink from sudden irritation. "I do not understand the logic! I just offered you complete safety! I offered you endless resources! Why would you possibly refuse?!"
Ken slouched even further. He leaned his back against the edge of the sofa. He looked entirely unbothered by her rising anger.
"Your offer sounds great on paper," Ken explained lazily. He waved his hand in the air. "But you forgot to mention all the terrible rules that come with it."
Hera frowned deeply. "What rules?"
"The fancy rules," Ken stated casually. He pointed a finger at Jenny. "Look at your guard. She is standing perfectly straight. She has not blinked in five minutes. Her uniform is so clean it actually hurts my eyes to look at it. She looks incredibly stressed."
Jenny did not move, but her jaw tightened slightly.
"If I move to your shiny white tower," Ken continued. His voice was totally relaxed. "I bet you have a lot of strict rules. I bet you require people to tuck their shirts in. I bet you require people to wear ties properly. I bet you do not let people eat potato chips on the nice white couches."
Hera stared at him. She looked completely bewildered. "You are rejecting a life of ultimate luxury and safety because you want to eat junk food on a dirty couch?"
"Yes," Ken answered honestly. He gave her a goofy thumbs-up. "Exactly. You see, I am a very simple guy. I value comfort over luxury. I like my wrinkled suit. I like my cheap shoes. I like taking naps in the afternoon without someone telling me to stand up straight."
Ken turned his head. He looked at Naomi. He looked at Laxmi, Sayma, Zinia, Luna, Risa, and Ira. He looked at Princess Iris. His dark, sleepy eyes softened just a tiny bit.
"Plus," Ken added. His voice lost a little bit of its joking tone. It sounded very genuine. "I actually like the people in this house. They are very loud. They argue about silly things. Laxmi almost sets the rug on fire once a week. Naomi yells at me every single morning. It is a complete disaster."
Ken smiled a warm, lazy smile.
"But it is a fun disaster," Ken declared proudly. "We share snacks. We watch terrible movies. We survive crazy dungeons together. They do not treat me like a shiny trophy. They treat me like a friend. I am not going to trade my friends for a clean room and a silk shirt."