Chaos' Heir
Chapter 796: Message

"I thought the Ildoo descendant visited already," Bruce commented, puffing from his cigarette.

"I've been busy," Khan responded, half-lying on the ground while holding a drink. "I had no time for pleasure."

"I bet you wouldn't have invited us, either," Luke exclaimed.

"Not so soon," Khan revealed. "Not for pleasure."

Luke didn't argue with Khan. He also understood where he came from. The quadrant was still unstable, and Khan couldn't afford significant variables. Raymond was one of them, and inviting the Cobsend family would only grant him a direct line to the planet.

Of course, the other families were probably engaging in similar spying activities, but Raymond was too dangerous. He was resourceful enough to plant assets in the quadrant without his family's support, but Khan limited his options, at least.

"Though," Bruce said. "It does seem you are taking your breaks. It is a pleasant sight after everything you have been through."

Bruce was talking about Monica. Like Martha, Monica's new behavior had surprised the two men. They had heard rumors and kept up with the network's news, but seeing it with their own eyes had a different effect.

"And to think we tried to dissuade you from chasing after her," Luke added.

"You had your reasons," Khan acknowledged, "But she doesn't work on reason."

"Still," Luke exclaimed. "Her role suits her, and she is doing a great job as far as I can see."

"Her family trained all her life to assume a similar position," Khan uttered. "Of course, she'd be great at it."

"I bet she didn't expect to be happy in it," Bruce pointed out. "Man, Monica Solodrey. Do you have any idea how many descendants had plans for her hand?"

"I did get an idea in the Harbor," Khan confirmed. "I'm surprised we survived that period."

"You both have cunning and knowledgeable minds," Luke praised. "Many would have had a hard time seeing through you."

"It wasn't that," Khan explained. "No one even dared to think she'd date me for real. My status was so low everyone always thought she was only joking around."

Luke and Bruce wanted to refute the statement, but lying to Khan simply wouldn't work. Besides, he had spoken the truth. During the initial days in the Harbor, the difference in status between Monica and Khan was so vast that even considering they could be dating was absurd. The Solodrey family could have also taken offense hearing it.

"Well," Bruce announced. "Everything ended well in the end."

"It didn't end yet," Khan pointed out. "We may play the married couple, but we aren't family yet, and much can happen until then."

Khan wasn't talking about his resolve. The matter was set in stone in his heart, and the same went for Monica. However, people with lofty statuses had much to consider before marrying. The event was hardly about feelings for the wealthy descendants, and Khan had recently joined that world.

Truth be told, Khan would have already married Monica if it weren't for his faction's instability. His uncle might use his union with a lower family against him, especially since he wouldn't ask for money or other benefits.

The issue was annoying but also helpless. Khan was breaking many rules, and his addition to the Nognes family had only increased his faction's expenses. Usually, he wouldn't care about that, but the matter involved Monica's future, and he demanded nothing but perfection.

"Can we help?" Luke asked. He had guessed many of Khan's issues involved the Nognes family but didn't dare to probe. His family had connections with the nobles, but Khan was a special case that needed a careful approach.

"The refineries will be enough for now," Khan refused. "More businesses will converge here as the quadrant's reliability increases. The Empire is also massive, so I won't run out of things to sell."

"Do you plan on monopolizing all the trade routes with the Thilku Empire?" Luke questioned.

"If that's what it takes," Khan calmly said.

Khan wasn't joking or exaggerating. Lord Exr's domain was small but could open countless trades. Khan also expected to have another meeting with Lord Rsi soon, which would expand Baoway's opportunities. Theoretically, there could come a time when a single planet wouldn't be enough to keep up with the Empire's market demand.

Of course, that would require expansions, additional deals, and far more manpower. Yet, that wasn't Khan's only idea. The most recent news had halted certain rumors, but the network didn't forget about Khan's innovative scientific path. He could make a fortune through that, but his skill had to improve first.

"It seems you have everything figured out," Luke commented.

Khan ignored the comment and focused on his drink. He didn't mind that peaceful conversation but couldn't enjoy himself either, not to his fullest, at least. Luke and Bruce were no George. Talking with them would always involve a political layer.

'I should invite him here,' Khan thought. 'Maybe calling first is better.'

Khan's status would make an official invitation impossible to refuse, and he didn't want to put the Ildoo family on the spot. His currently awful reputation could create problems for George's faction, so he needed to check everything was okay first. Khan also had to add Anita's family to the equation, which complicated things.

"What did you deliver?" Khan asked, changing topics since he recalled the boxes unloaded by Luke's escort.

"Gifts," Luke exclaimed. "Random items, really."

"Political stuff?" Khan wondered.

"No," Luke shook his head. "Only basic presents."

The wealthy families probably had regulations for that event when dealing with nobles, so Khan didn't think much of it. Drinks went by, but it soon became clear Khan wasn't the chit-chatting type anymore. He would go along with a few jokes, but the others often ended on deaf ears.

Luke and Bruce eventually took their leave since they understood the trend. The time for a friendlier meeting would come, but Khan couldn't bother now, especially with people who weren't friends. He would give them a real chance in the future, but too much weighed on his mind now.

Khan lingered inside the tent until he ran out of booze, but spotting Baoway's surviving afternoon made him drop any idea of wasting time. He had better use for those hours, so he set off, heading toward the canyon area.

The Thilku had helped Luke's crew unload the ship, amassing the various metal boxes before the soldiers' station. The aliens had even gone through them for security reasons as demanded by their duties. It was easy to send bombs or dangerous substances to a quadrant with so few regulations, so Khan used the Empire as a shield. Any threat would meet its wrath.

Amox met Khan and summarized the boxes' contents. They truly were random gifts, even if quite targeted toward the quadrant. Luke delivered special seeds that could enhance the greenhouses' crops, various pills for medical purposes, and other similar, expensive items that could improve life in Baoway.

Of course, Luke had also delivered items tailored for Khan and Monica. The quadrant wasn't the place for fancy clothing, but the network had enough rumors, so multiple dresses came out of the boxes.

As for Khan, Luke had gifted a few bottles of luxurious booze and an ornamental knife. The item was laced in a golden alloy and probably had something to do with the wealthy families' traditions, but Khan had no interest in a dull blade.

Nevertheless, a tingling sensation spread from Khan's fingers when he put down the ornamental knife. The event had been barely noticeable and short. Many would even question whether it had really happened, but Khan was an exception.

Khan's senses continued to give the all-clear even when he checked his hand, but focusing on the spots attacked by the tingling revealed the truth. His skin didn't do anything. His mana had caused that reaction.

The event inevitably alerted Khan, and the nearby Thilku sensed the different mood. The air seemed on the verge of freezing, and Amox couldn't help but step forward to check the situation.

"[I'll take this with me]," Khan announced before Amox could ask any question, and his figure disappeared right afterward. The box also suffered from the same fate, leaving the alien soldier confused.

Khan had been on full alert ever since returning to the quadrant. Even when he was with Monica, nothing escaped his attention. He didn't know whether someone would make a move but spent his days as if that possibility were a certainty.

The fact that the item came from Luke intensified that feeling. Khan was almost sure Luke had nothing strange in mind, but his brain screamed another name. It would also make sense since the Thilku's security measures didn't pick up anything odd.

Khan flew at full speed past the settlement and landed in a far-away, isolated part of the forest. He immediately threw the box to the ground and opened it with a kick before crouching and giving it his full attention.

No matter how Khan looked, his eyes and senses revealed nothing. The item appeared utterly ordinary, but stretching his hand toward it rekindled that faint tingling sensation.

'Is it because of my element?' Khan wondered. He didn't forget what had happened on Milia 222, but his strength had soared to new heights, so he didn't hesitate in sending a tinge of mana toward the ornamental knife.

Something happened when the mana touched the knife. A black pattern appeared on its handle, quickly spreading throughout the item. A long line eventually formed alongside it, which widened as the ornamental weapon opened.

Khan was ready to blow everything up, but no foreign mana or threat touched his senses. The knife's insides didn't even have pieces of tech. The item only contained a piece of folded paper, which Khan opened to read its contents.

'We must talk,' Khan read on the paper before the item crumbled into dust. The item couldn't survive the sudden increase in pressure caused by Khan's mood.