Chương 607: Chapter : 607

Princess Iris turned to look at Ken. She did not smile at his joke. Her face remained entirely serious. She walked over to the large glass window. She looked out toward the distant edges of the capital city.

"We do not want to ruin a picnic, Ken," Princess Iris explained quietly. Her voice carried a profound, undeniable sadness.

"We want to save the outer districts. We want to save the commoners." Naomi frowned slightly. She crossed her arms. Her green eyes showed deep concern.

"What is happening in the outer districts, Princess?" Princess Iris turned back to face her team.

"There is a massive crisis occurring right outside our city walls," Princess Iris revealed.

"A prolonged, severe drought has hit the farming territories. It has not rained in those sectors for months. The dirt is completely dried out. The rivers are entirely empty. The crops are withering in the fields." Zinia cracked her knuckles. The strong earth mage looked very worried.

"If the crops die, the farmers cannot sell their harvest. They will lose their income completely."

"It is much worse than just losing income, Zinia," Princess Iris stated firmly.

"If the harvest fails, the food supply for the entire capital city will drop massively. The prices in the market will skyrocket. The poorest citizens will not be able to afford basic meals. Families will starve. The farmers are watching their entire livelihoods turn to dust, and the central government is ignoring their pleas for help." Ira stared blankly at the wall. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

"Statistically speaking, severe agricultural droughts lead to widespread famine in eighty-two percent of recorded historical cases. The subsequent economic crash causes massive riots and severe civilian casualties." Luna rubbed her sleepy eyes. She sat up slightly on her wooden bench.

"That is terrible. The poor people are just trying to grow their food. Why won't the Emperor do something about it?"

"My father believes the drought is a natural test of endurance," Princess Iris sighed deeply. She gripped the hilt of her silver rapier.

"He refuses to intervene. He wants the strong to survive and the weak to fail. I completely reject that philosophy. I refuse to let innocent people starve while we sit in a comfortable estate." Princess Iris walked to the center of the room. She projected an aura of absolute, unwavering leadership.

"If we retrieve this ancient weather relic," Princess Iris declared powerfully.

"I will personally travel to the outer districts. I will use my royal mana to activate the artifact. I will summon a massive rainstorm over the farming territories. I will water their fields. I will save their harvest. I will save those people." The room went completely silent. The elite girls stared at their Princess. They felt a massive surge of pure pride. This is exactly why they chose to follow her. She did not care about political power. She cared about helping the defenseless citizens.

She was a true, compassionate leader. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Naomi smiled a very warm, bright smile. Her green eyes sparked with fierce determination. She spun her twin silver daggers.

"That is a fantastic reason to fight. I do not care if I have to swim through mud. I am totally ready to dive into that lake." Laxmi punched her open palm.

"I will punch the water! I will find a way to make my fire work! We are getting that relic!" Ken Eliot sat in his chair. He stopped slouching for a fraction of a millisecond. His dark eyes widened in pure, unfiltered horror. He stared at Princess Iris. His jaw dropped completely open.

"Wait. Hold on a single second," Ken gasped loudly. His voice cracked with genuine, profound panic. He dropped his bag of potato chips onto the table.

"You said the drought is hitting the outer district farms?"

"Yes, Ken," Princess Iris nodded.

"The agricultural sector is completely drying up."

"But... but that is where the potato farms are located!" Ken shrieked. He threw his hands onto his head. He looked like his entire world was crashing down.

"The potatoes! The beautiful, glorious potatoes are dying in the dirt! They have no water! They are thirsty!" Sayma pushed her glasses up. She looked at Ken politely.

"Yes, potatoes are a major crop in that region. They are highly susceptible to prolonged drought conditions." Ken jumped out of his wooden chair. He did not slouch at all. He stood perfectly straight. He paced rapidly back and forth across the strategy room. He looked incredibly stressed. He waved his arms wildly in the air.

"This is an absolute catastrophe!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs. He pointed a dramatic finger at the ceiling.

"This is not just a political crisis! This is a culinary apocalypse! If the potatoes die, we lose everything! We lose mashed potatoes! We lose baked potatoes! We lose potato soup!" He walked over to Naomi. He grabbed her shoulders gently. He looked directly into her green eyes. He put on a highly exaggerated, totally panicked expression.

"Naomi, do you understand what this means?!" Ken cried out. His voice was full of fake tragedy.

"If the potatoes die, we lose french fries! French fries are the greatest invention in human history! They are crispy! They are salty! They are the perfect side dish for literally any meal! A world without french fries is a dark, empty void! I refuse to live in a world without french fries!" Naomi burst out laughing. She could not hold it in. She placed her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking with pure amusement. She gently pushed his hands off her shoulders.

"You are completely ridiculous, Ken," Naomi chuckled warmly.

"You only care about the mission because your favorite snacks are in danger."

"My stomach is a very important organ!" Ken argued passionately. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"It requires high-quality starch to function! The potato farmers are doing the work of the gods! They are the true heroes of this Empire! We must save them at all costs!" Ken turned around. He looked at Princess Iris. He struck a highly dramatic, anime-style pose. He pointed his finger directly toward the window.

"Princess Iris, you have my absolute, unwavering support," Ken declared loudly. He puffed out his chest.

"We will dive into that sunken labyrinth. We will fight the underwater monsters. We will secure that shiny weather machine. We will make it rain so hard those potatoes will think they are swimming. For the french fries! For the snacks!" Laxmi clapped her hands together. She laughed a deep, booming laugh.

"Ken is totally motivated! This is a miracle! I have never seen him want to do a mission before!" Zinia grinned a tough, confident grin.

"Whatever gets him moving. I will take it." Princess Iris smiled a beautiful, gentle smile. She loved the chaotic, funny energy of her team. Ken's silly rant totally broke the heavy, sad tension in the room. He made them smile. He made the daunting mission feel like a fun adventure.