A discovery!

After school, Kori followed Kahn out of the school. She had gotten her mother's permission beforehand, saying she was going out to have fun with Kahn and would be home a little late.

Of course, that was only an excuse to keep her mother from worrying. Thinking about what they were about to do, Kori felt both nervous and excited.

Although Kahn's earlier explanation had already led her to suspect that this was no simple matter, she had never imagined it would be this extraordinary-

It was actually a Secret Commission from the royal family!

As a citizen of the Fire Nation, she ought to contribute to the Fire Nation. At least, that was what her parents had taught her. And now, a plan to serve her country had suddenly appeared before her, like a pie falling from the sky, setting her heart surging.

The two did not approach the Royal Palace's main entrance, nor did they enter through it. Instead, they followed the towering outer wall to a secluded alley beside the Royal Palace, where Azula was waiting for them.

"Let me introduce you. This is my friend Kori, an Earthbender from Jade Island. Kori, this is Her Highness Princess Azula."

Acting as the bridge between them, Kahn introduced the two.

"Your Highness Azula, my name is Kori, daughter of Morishita, the Prefect of Jade Island. It's an honor to be of some help to you."

Kori bowed respectfully. Beside her, Kahn sighed silently. What a straightforward girl-she had laid out her entire background the moment she opened her mouth.

She's a simple-minded one.

Having made that assessment inwardly, Azula betrayed nothing, displaying a dignity and elegance unlike her usual manner. She looked so much like a real princess that Kahn nearly lost control of his expression in surprise and silently gave her a thumbs-up.

When it came to acting, Azula really did have it down cold.

Azula smiled at Kori.

"Kahn should have given you a rough explanation of the commission, correct?"

Kori answered:

"Yes. Kahn told me this commission came from the royal family, that its purpose was to find something, and that it had to be carried out in secret. We can't tell anyone else."

"There's more to it than that. Take a look at this."

Azula took a Decree from inside her clothes and handed it to Kori. It also bore the Fire Nation emperor's personal seal. Kori had seen Decrees and seals like this in her father's study before, and now she was all the more convinced.

The Decree was written from Ozai's perspective and addressed to Azula. It stated that this mission had to remain secret. If it leaked, not only would Azula be punished, but whoever leaked it and their relatives would also face severe punishment, possibly even execution!

Reading this, Kori could not help shivering. It seemed she really had gotten involved in something big.

But she was not actually all that afraid, because it only specified punishment for those who leaked the secret, and she believed she would never do that. So she nodded and said solemnly:

"I understand. I'll definitely keep it secret."

"Very good. I'm delighted that our nation has nurtured someone as talented as you. In that case, please sign this Confidentiality Agreement."

Azula smiled and praised Kori, casually taking out a Confidentiality Agreement bearing the same seal and handing it to her.

Kori read through it, found nothing wrong with its contents, and readily signed. Azula's smile grew even brighter.

"Rest assured. Although no one else will know about this mission, the Fire Nation will never mistreat its people, much less those who have rendered meritorious service. We will remember your contributions to this mission."

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness!"

Hearing that, Kori became even more enthusiastic.

Even as Kahn marveled at how oblivious Kori was, he relaxed. There should be no problems now.

Without a doubt, this was a script he and Azula had devised, disguising their plan as a secret royal mission. Zuko's acting was simply too poor, so he had been unable to take part in the performance.

However, although the Decree and Confidentiality Agreement were forged and their contents were false, the seal was genuine-

Azula had personally infiltrated the enemy camp and secretly stamped them with the real seal!

Kahn could only call that audacity enough to swallow the heavens.

The seal was real, which meant the Decree and Confidentiality Agreement could also become real under certain circumstances. That would depend on whether Kori abided by the agreement's terms.

Naturally, Kahn hoped these things would never become real.

Regardless, now that Kori had signed the Confidentiality Agreement and they had a safeguard, the two felt reassured and told her their true objective: finding secret rooms.

After hearing them out, Kori relaxed. This mission would indeed seem difficult to an ordinary person, but for her, it was something she could seize the moment she reached out.

To give them a demonstration and show what she could do, she placed her hand against the wall. With a faint rumble, a secret passage appeared before them, and she smiled confidently.

"This is where Your Highness came out, isn't it?"

Azula and Kahn exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths rising in unison.

This could work.

What Kori did next completely overturned their understanding. This went far beyond "this could work"-it was practically technology beyond belief!

Originally, their little group could only search blindly, combing through every inch. They might not find even one place in an entire day, and what they found might not even be a secret room. Even if they did find one, they still had to figure out how to open it.

And Kori? She got everything done in one go, using her Earthbending senses to filter out the secret passages and leave only the secret rooms, then forcing them open with Earthbending. Afterward, she could even restore them to their original state. It was like she was cheating.

All they could say was that the designers of these secret rooms probably never imagined an Earthbender would appear inside the Fire Nation's Royal Palace. It really left one scratching one's head.

With Kori joining them, their progress shot upward like a rocket. In just one afternoon, they found three secret rooms!

Of the three secret rooms, one was filled with grain, one was a storeroom for miscellaneous items, and one was empty and covered in dust. Clearly, Ozai knew quite a bit about these secret rooms as well.

Although they still had not found any clues about Yin Shu, this rate of progress was already very heartening. Azula verbally commended Kori again and told them to continue next time.

After seeing Kori off, Azula said to Kahn:

"You have quite a good friend there. Have you known each other long?"

"Not that long. Only about half a semester."

Kahn briefly recounted how he and Kori had met.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"Nothing. I was just asking. After all, she's been a huge help. She's worth a little of my attention."

Azula spoke casually.

Hearing this, Kahn could not help teasing her.

"If you're really grateful for her help, then maybe don't pay attention to her. I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to take it."

"Are you asking for a beating?!"

Azula immediately tore off her disguise and showed her true colors.

To conceal Kori's involvement, Azula had not invited Mai or Ty Lee along at all lately. Kahn thought this should actually be a respite for them. Zuko had also remained out of action because of his acting skills, leaving only their trio active.

But with Kori's Earthbending aiding them, their search proceeded at an astonishing speed.

Finally, a week later, they discovered a clue!