Chương 574: Chapter : 574

"You guys are not thinking about the plot," Ken complained lazily. He pointed his chopsticks directly at the magical television screen.

"This is exactly like a famous pirate anime. The main villain gets locked in a massive, underwater prison. The prison has six different levels. The bottom level is always the scariest. The bad guy always finds a way to start a huge prison riot. He uses the chaos to sneak out the front door." Naomi rolled her green eyes. She smiled and shook her head.

"Ken, this is real life. It is not a pirate cartoon. There are no secret underwater prisons in the capital city."

"Anime logic is completely real," Ken argued cheerfully. He slouched deeper into the sofa cushions.

"I bet someone tries to sneak him a magical key hidden inside a cake. Or maybe he uses a secret substitution jutsu to swap places with a guard. It is a very basic, classic escape strategy. I would totally use a substitution jutsu to get out of doing my chores." Ira stood perfectly still by the doorway. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at the wall.

"Statistically speaking," Ira noted in her flat, robotic voice.

"The probability of a successful prison break from that specific facility is less than one percent. The magical wards negate all teleportation spells entirely. He cannot warp out." Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench near the wall. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. A soft, knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She let out a massive, face-stretching yawn.

"I would never try to escape," Luna mumbled softly. Her eyes were already half-closed.

"A prison cell sounds very quiet. You get a bed. Nobody asks you to fight scary monsters. They bring you free meals every day. I would just take a very long nap. Escaping requires running. Running is terrible for my health." Ken pointed his chopsticks directly at Luna.

"Luna is an absolute genius. She understands the true value of free room and board. Why leave a perfectly good bed? I totally agree with her flawless logic." Risa sat on the floor next to Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. She used a blue colored pencil to draw a picture on a piece of paper.

"I drew a picture of a very strong jail cell," Risa smiled innocently. She held up the paper.

"I put a big, shiny lock on the door. Dr. Raven cannot get out. We are perfectly safe from his bad science projects." Princess Iris walked out of the strategy room. Her violet eyes looked very calm and peaceful. She wore her crisp dark blue uniform. Her silver hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She looked at her chaotic, wonderful team.

"Risa is absolutely right," Princess Iris said gently. She offered a warm, confident smile.

"The Emperor has secured the prisoner. Dr. Raven will face true justice for his terrible crimes. We do not need to worry about him today. We can finally enjoy a peaceful, quiet afternoon." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Ken finished his bowl of noodles. He set the empty bowl on the coffee table. He stretched his arms high above his head. He let out another lazy yawn.

"That is the best news I have heard all day," Ken announced cheerfully. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"I am going to practice my ultimate Domain Expansion technique. It is called Infinite Couch. I will not move from this exact spot for the next six hours." Naomi chuckled warmly. She stood up and grabbed his empty bowl.

"I will take this to the kitchen. Enjoy your Domain Expansion, Ken."

"Thank you, Naomi," Ken smiled a goofy smile. He closed his dark eyes. He felt incredibly relaxed. He did not care about Dr. Raven. He did not care about the prison. He just wanted to digest his noodles in absolute peace.

Dr. Raven sat alone in the quiet, dark cell. He stared blankly at the cold stone floor. The telepathic conversation with Lord Voss echoed loudly in his mind. Lord Voss wanted to burn the city. Lord Voss did not care about the Belmontia Empire at all. The corrupt politician only cared about absolute power and endless wealth. Dr. Raven felt a deep, profound sadness spread through his chest. He closed his eyes. The damp stone walls of the prison slowly faded away. The flickering light bulb vanished.

His mind drifted backward in time. He fell into a very old, incredibly painful memory. The memory was very bright. The sun shined warmly in a clear blue sky. Young Raven stood in a beautiful, green garden. He was just a small boy. He wore clean, simple clothes. He held a small wooden toy sword in his hands. A tall man stood in front of him. The man wore a pristine, spotless military uniform. The uniform had shiny silver buttons. The man had kind, very warm eyes. This was Raven's father.

His father was a proud, dedicated soldier of the Belmontia Empire. He was a brave, deeply honorable man. He loved his country. He loved his family more than anything else in the world.

"I have to go away for a little while," his father said softly. He kneeled down on the soft grass. He looked directly into young Raven's eyes. He placed a strong, gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"The rival nations are attacking our borders again. I have to protect our home. I have to keep you and your mother completely safe." Young Raven gripped his wooden sword tightly. He looked up at the tall soldier.

"Will you fight the bad guys?"

"I will," his father smiled a very sad, tired smile.

"But fighting is not a good thing. War is incredibly cruel. It hurts many innocent people. I fight today so that one day, you will never have to pick up a real sword. I fight for absolute peace." His father stood up. He hugged his wife tightly. He waved a final goodbye to young Raven. He turned around and walked away down the dirt road. He joined a long, massive line of marching soldiers. They marched toward the distant mountains. The memory shifted abruptly. The bright sun vanished entirely.

The sky turned a sad, gloomy gray. Dark clouds covered the neighborhood. It was many months later. Young Raven sat on the front porch of his house. The front wooden gate opened with a loud creak. Two soldiers in dark, formal uniforms walked up the path. They did not smile. They held a neatly folded flag. They looked incredibly sad. Young Raven's mother opened the front door. She saw the quiet soldiers. She saw the folded flag in their hands. She fell instantly to her knees. She cried loudly.

Her heart was completely, utterly broken. Young Raven stood perfectly still on the porch. He dropped his wooden toy sword. The toy hit the dirt with a soft thud. He felt completely empty inside. He felt totally numb. His brave father was never coming back. War took his father away forever.