Chapter 211: Ch 207 plans and ambush
Still, it wasn’t a bad deal for the rest of them either. If she turned out to be lucky, then so be it—she was just lucky. And if not, they would at least know that among the remaining five slips, one still held what they each desired.
Grand Admiral Elira stepped forward—it was her turn, and she was the first to draw the lot. She knew this was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Advantageous because she was the first to go—if luck was with her, she could land the bumper prize. But also disadvantageous, because with only one out of seven chances, if fortune didn’t favor her, she would walk away with far less.
She took a calming breath as the thought passed through her mind, steadying herself. Even if I don’t get the best mission, it won’t be the end of the world, she reassured herself. Elira approached the white table where the ballot box was placed. She hovered her hand over it, hesitating for a brief moment before pulling herself together. Closing her eyes, she reached inside and grabbed one of the seven floating slips.
Holding her breath, she forced her eyes open, slowly unfolding the slip in her shaking hands. As the coordinates revealed themselves, her lips pressed into a thin line, and she let out a long sigh.
"Such bad luck I have today," she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.
And everyone did hear her words. They all sighed in relief, patting their chests as if their hearts had nearly burst from the tension. Now, faint smiles crept onto their faces.
"It looks like Grand Admiral Elira has a bit of bad luck today," said Grand Admiral Alexander with a slight smile tugging at his lips. Though it might have sounded like he was trying to provoke her, he wasn’t—he was simply being straightforward, as always.
The others chimed in too, though they weren’t as blunt as Alexander. Some offered a few words of consolation for her misfortune—"Better luck next time," one said. And Elira heard it all.
But she didn’t complain. She had hoped for more, yes—but what she received wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was luck, and today, luck simply hadn’t been hers to claim. She accepted it without bitterness, without excuses.
And just like that, with the slip in her hand bearing the coordinates of her assigned mission, Elira quietly stepped back to her original position. She said nothing—there was no need to.