Chapter : 636

"He did not get hurt because you protected him, Naomi!" Olivia argued back. She did not back down. "What happens when you are busy fighting a monster? What happens when an assassin sneaks up behind him? He cannot block a dagger with a bag of potato chips! His physical vulnerability is a massive danger to this entire unit!"

Ken sat up just a tiny bit. He offered Olivia a big, goofy grin.

"Actually," Ken corrected her lazily. "If you throw a potato chip really hard, it can be very distracting. A salty chip to the eye is a flawless defensive maneuver. You should try it sometime."

Olivia let out a loud, frustrated groan. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She could not believe his sheer, unfiltered laziness. She lowered her hand. She stared at him with absolute, uncompromising resolve.

"Your lack of physical stamina is completely unacceptable," Olivia declared loudly. Her voice left absolutely no room for debate. "You complain about walking down a hallway. Your arms are weak. Your legs are slow. You possess zero cardio endurance."

Ken nodded enthusiastically. "You are completely right, Olivia. My cardio is terrible. That is why I need to sit in this chair all day. Moving around is very bad for my health."

"That changes today," Olivia announced. She planted the butt of her silver spear onto the wooden floorboards. The metal clacked sharply. "If outside saboteurs are hunting us, every single member of this unit must be ready to fight. You cannot rely on Naomi to shield you forever."

Olivia pointed her spear directly at Ken's chest.

"I am officially taking charge of your routine," Olivia commanded smoothly. Her eyes burned with strict authority. "I am going to fix your terrible posture. I am going to build your stamina. I must personally take charge of your physical conditioning."

The strategy room went entirely silent.

Laxmi dropped her jaw. Sayma pushed her glasses up in pure surprise. Zinia crossed her arms and grinned a wide, amused grin.

Ken stopped chewing his potato chip. His goofy smile vanished instantly. His dark eyes went completely wide. He stared at the silver spear. He stared at Olivia's strict face.

A massive, terrifying realization crashed into his brain.

"Physical conditioning?" Ken whispered. His voice cracked with genuine, unfiltered horror.

"Yes," Olivia confirmed coldly. "We are going to the training yard. Right now. You are going to run laps. You are going to lift weights. You are going to do push-ups until your arms fall off. You will learn how to throw a proper punch."

Ken felt a massive spike of pure panic. This was his absolute worst nightmare. He had successfully avoided physical labor for his entire life. He completely refused to start exercising now. He hated sweating. He hated running. He just wanted to take a nap.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Nope," Ken declared loudly.

Ken threw his bag of potato chips into the air. The chips scattered everywhere.

He jumped out of his chair with blistering speed. He did not slouch. He did not drag his feet. He spun around entirely. He sprinted directly toward the open doorway.

"I am officially resigning!" Ken screamed at the top of his lungs. He ran down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. "I am moving back to the farm! You cannot make me do cardio! Cardio is illegal! I demand a lawyer!"

The elite girls stared at the empty doorway. They watched the lazy slacker run away in pure terror. The serious, tense meeting completely shattered. The ultimate chase was officially about to begin.

---

"He is running away," Ira stated flatly. The water mage stared blankly at the empty doorway. "Statistically speaking, his sprint speed is incredibly fast when motivated by absolute fear."

Olivia glared at the hallway. Her face turned a vibrant shade of pink with pure, strict frustration. She gripped her silver-tipped spear tightly. She could not believe a registered member of a Royal unit would simply flee from a direct order.

"This is completely unacceptable!" Olivia yelled loudly. She stomped her polished boot on the wooden floor. "He possesses zero discipline! He acts like a terrified child! He cannot escape his training!"

Laxmi burst out laughing. The fire user held her stomach. She laughed so hard she almost fell off the table. She thought Ken's panicked exit was absolutely hilarious.

"He just threw his chips everywhere!" Laxmi cheered excitedly. She pointed at the salty snacks scattered across the floorboards. "He is totally terrified of you, Olivia! He thinks you are going to destroy him!"

Naomi chuckled softly. She crossed her arms over her simple gray shirt. She smiled a warm, fond smile. She knew Ken hated working out more than anything else in the entire world. She watched the doorway with genuine amusement.

"You really scared him, Olivia," Naomi teased gently. "He is going to hide in a closet. Good luck finding him."

Olivia did not laugh. She turned her head. She looked directly at Laxmi. Olivia's dark eyes sparked with intense, unyielding determination. She refused to let the lazy boy win. She refused to let him skip his physical conditioning.

"I am not playing a game," Olivia commanded smoothly. She looked at the fire user. "Laxmi, you are the most energetic person in this room. I need your assistance. We are going to track him down. We are going to bring him to the training yard."

Laxmi stopped laughing. A massive, wild grin spread across her face. Her golden eyes lit up with pure joy. She absolutely loved chasing things. She punched her open palm. Bright orange flames popped around her knuckles.

"You want me to help you catch the slacker?" Laxmi asked happily. She bounced on her toes. "I am totally in! This sounds like a fantastic game of hide-and-seek! I will definitely find him!"

Olivia and Laxmi exchanged a very firm, highly determined look. They nodded in perfect unison. They turned around and marched out of the strategy room. The hunt for the lazy boy officially began.

Zinia stretched her strong, muscular arms. She cracked her knuckles loudly. She laughed a deep, booming laugh. "This is going to be incredibly entertaining. I have to watch this."

"I agree," Sayma noted politely. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She closed her neat notebook. She clicked her pen. "Observing Ken's evasion tactics provides highly valuable data. His ability to hide is truly remarkable."

Naomi smiled brightly. She picked up a small bowl of popcorn from the table. "Let us follow them. I want a front-row seat to this comedy show."

Zinia, Ira, and Naomi walked out of the room. They followed Olivia and Laxmi into the long, dusty hallway. They ate popcorn and watched the chaotic scene unfold.

Ken Eliot sprinted down the corridor. His white shirt flapped wildly behind him. He did not drag his cheap shoes. He moved with incredible, frantic speed. He turned a sharp corner. He slid across the smooth floorboards in his socks.