Chapter 761 Weak
Princess Felicia hoped for some reaction from Khan, but his expression didn't flinch. She was a Nognes, a noble who had just mentioned her Grandfather. Few figures in the Global Army could be more relevant. Yet Khan's face remained cold.
The lack of reactions didn't dishearten Princess Felicia. She stepped forward, smiling behind her shoulder when she saw Khan following her. Lynn tried to join the two, but Princess Felicia stopped him with a glance.
Khan and Princess Felicia crossed the hall under everyone's attentive gaze. No snorts or murmurs resounded now, but Princess Felicia was mainly to blame for that. Mocking Khan was one thing, but the Princess' presence and acceptance demanded basic decorum.
Khan was the only exception to that generally respectful atmosphere. A Princess was escorting him, and other important figures were watching his every move. However, he casually drank from his bottle while matching the Princess' pace. He appeared unaware of his situation, but the most experienced people inside the hall could sense the truth.
Khan looked only ahead and seemed to care solely for the bottle in his hands. Yet, his attention was everywhere. Those with relatively heightened senses could feel his piercing gaze on them. His presence had already filled the hall, and nothing could surprise him anymore.
Those effects became even clearer when Khan and Princess Felicia walked through a door at the end of the hall. Khan's departure lifted a heavy weight from the entire area. It seemed his sole presence could make breathing more difficult.
Needless to say, murmurs and gossip began as soon as the door closed, but Khan couldn't sense them anymore. He didn't care about them either, and Princess Felicia couldn't understand what could capture his attention. Khan's mind appeared inscrutable, enveloped in a thick barrier no one could pierce.
The door led to a vast corridor, and multiple spacious areas followed. The place's insides reminded Khan of the Solodrey family's mansion he had visited with Monica. However, the various spaces were overall bigger, featuring better illumination that partially masked its artificial nature.
The air itself carried similar properties. The area couldn't mask the synthetic mana's stench, but Khan smelled attempts to prevent and hide the staleness that would usually invade those places. The vents tried to replicate the atmosphere of an open and natural environment, achieving praiseworthy results.
Those small details described part of the place's luxury. They weren't massive improvements, but Khan knew they had to be expensive. That was no ordinary mansion or structure. It had to belong to some of the wealthiest parties in the Global Army.
Of course, none of that inspection or realization appeared on Khan's face, leaving Princess Felicia hesitant about how to proceed. She didn't expect to become overly friendly with Khan immediately, but the two remained related. Anything was better than total silence until the meeting with the Grandfather.
"My compliments to your fiancée," Princess Felicia eventually exclaimed, mentioning a detail Khan could be interested in. "Leaking one secret report was all it took to start your rescue mission."
Princess Felicia felt a sense of achievement when Khan's eyes moved to her. She had gotten his attention, but his face remained cold, leaving her unsure whether the event was good.
"Why did the Nognes family plot my assassination?" Khan asked, and Princess Felicia halted her steps. She said nothing about that topic, but Khan had hit the mark.
"Of course," Princess Felicia loudly realized. "The fact that I could leak the report means I had access to it or knew about its existence, connecting it to our family."
Other explanations and excuses could justify the event, eliminating any connection with the Nognes family. Yet, Princess Felicia had no intention of lying. She was actually elated that Khan had such deep insights into the situation.
"You are even better than what the network says," Princess Felicia praised with a smile. "Yes, factions inside our family plotted your assassination. Normally, that wouldn't happen, but enough parties inside the Global Army want you gone. That facilitated things."
"I asked why," Khan reminded. Those details were useful, but Khan wanted to know what had triggered the ploy.
"Fear," Princess Felicia explained. "Our faction wielded immense influence, even inside our very family. We had all the right cards to take complete control and establish a proper leader. Sadly-,"
"My mother had no interest in such things," Khan interrupted.
Princess Felicia's smile broadened. The more Khan showed his knowledge and insight, the happier she became.
"My mother often says these words," Princess Felicia exclaimed, resuming walking. "My sister was the perfect candidate, or she would have been once she accepted her role."
"Your mother lost a competitor," Khan pointed out.
"Some saw it like that," Princess Felicia sighed, "But my mother told me the truth. Aunty had something that couldn't be taught, just like you do."
That line led the conversation closer to its main topic. There was no need to bring Khan before the Nognes family. They could have simply rescued him and sent him back to the Harbor. Yet, they had opted for a different approach.
"Why am I here?" Khan asked. "Wherever here is."
"You are inside the Global Army's domain," Princess Felicia explained. "This is one of the Nognes family's mansions. Its exact location is complicated to explain."
Princess Felicia basically told Khan that the mansion's location was a secret but didn't stop at those vague details.
"As for why you are here," Princess Felicia continued. "You have proven yourself worthy of the Nognes' name. Our faction wants you."
"To restore the power my mother squandered," Khan commented.
"Only Grandpa can confirm this," Princess Felicia announced. "Yet, if I had to guess, I'd say to assume the role that was always meant for Aunty."
Princess Felicia's claim sounded ludicrous. Khan was indeed impressive, but that was too much. He could see himself earning the official title of Prince, but his status and background made him unfit for anything above that.
"I'm a bastard," Khan pointed out.
"A bastard who secured a marriage with the Solodrey family's most sought descendant from nothing," Princess Felicia declared. "Who became the youngest Major and fourth-level warrior in history, and who achieved a key position inside the Thilku Empire."
Khan's deeds spoke for themselves, and he knew them better than anyone. However, he had seen what the Solodrey family had required from him to acknowledge his relationship with Monica. Things were bound to be worse among nobles.
The level of in-fighting had to be hellish, especially for someone with such a weak claim to any kind of position. Besides, the Nognes family had already sent an assassination plot in Khan's direction. Becoming relevant inside the faction would earn him far more of those.
"Why would I care?" Khan eventually asked, leaving Princess Felicia dumbfounded.
Princess Felicia was discussing a chance to seize one of the most sought-after positions in the Global Army. The answer to Khan's question felt so obvious that she couldn't find the words to reply. Still, his values existed in a world humans couldn't see.
"Would you refuse even if Grandpa gives his approval?" Princess Felicia questioned, incredulous those words had escaped her mouth.
Khan didn't reply. He resumed silently drinking from his bottle while his eyes pointed forward. No one could understand his intentions, and Princess Felicia understood that the conversation was over.
The mansion was truly massive, and it took Princess Felicia ten minutes to reach her destination. She stopped before the only door in the middle of a vast corridor and stepped aside, clearing the way for Khan.
"Grandpa is inside," Princess Felicia announced. "He is waiting for you."
Khan stepped forward without hesitation, but his hand stopped when it was about to touch the door. The gesture confused Princess Felicia, and something even more surprising followed that.
"Felicia," Khan exclaimed. "Thank you for warning my fiancée."
Khan's cold demeanor didn't flinch, almost making Princess Felicia question the state of her ears. Khan had shown nothing but distrust and detachment during the walk, so his gratitude took Princess Felicia by surprise. He had even dropped the honorifics, hinting at something deeper than that.
"It was nothing," Princess Felicia smiled again, "Cousin."
Khan didn't hesitate anymore. His hand touched the door, which immediately opened, revealing an office far bigger than the living room in his flat in the Harbor.
Comfortable couches, luxurious carpets, various tables, and multiple adorned chairs hit Khan's vision, but his eyes didn't move as he stepped inside. The door closed behind him, leaving him alone with the man standing behind the big interactive desk on the other side of the office.
Khan could see perfectly from his position, and the symphony even added invisible details. He didn't need to move to study the area but strode forward anyway, sending waves of confidence in every direction.
Soon, Khan arrived before the big interactive desk. Chairs equipped with pillows on most surfaces stood before it, but Khan didn't sit. He remained in his position, inspecting the man whom many told him used to hold enough influence to command the Nognes family.
Khan saw wrinkles beside the man's eyes and forehead. He spotted grey strands on his slightly long and opaque dark hair. His beard was well-kept, but its greyness created a tired vibe that his gaze highlighted.
The man was a fifth-level warrior, but Khan couldn't find any trace of strength in him. He wasn't powerless. He seemed to have given in to his exhaustion, and Khan summarized his conclusions into a single word.
"Weak," Khan said directly to the man's face.