Chapter 762 Heads.
The man ignored Khan's comment and silently inspected his face. His tired eyes looked past the war paint, the unruly hair, and the cold expression to search for familiar traits. Upon finding them, some warmth and life invaded his exhausted expression.
"You look exactly like Elizabeth," The man exclaimed, wearing a faint smile. "She also used to give me these looks."
The comment took Khan by surprise. He expected the conversation to delve into heavy political topics immediately. That had been his experience with those lofty figures, and he was nothing more than a stranger in that environment. Yet, the man had opened with something that almost resembled affection.
Of course, Khan's cold expression and mindset didn't flinch. He simply recorded that detail and added it to his inspection of the man. Words couldn't achieve anything after everything he had gone through.
"You must forgive Felicia," The man sighed, his smile vanishing as he supported his head on his hand. "She grew up hearing stories about your mother. I'm afraid she became her personal hero."
Khan didn't reply. He had no interest in catching up with that side of his family, and the man couldn't earn his respect. He was too disappointing in Khan's mind.
"I guess you require proper introductions," The man continued. "I'm Alexander Nognes, your grandfather and de facto leader of our faction."
Khan noticed the "our" but disregarded it. Alexander had yet to say anything interesting, so his mouth remained shut.
Slight sadness appeared in Alexander's mana at Khan's silence, but nothing reached his expression. Helplessness followed, but even that remained limited to his aura. Alexander seemed to understand and accept Khan's detachment, even if his hopes said otherwise.
"Starting today," Alexander eventually announced, "You'll join the family and obtain the status of Prince. You'll carry the name Nognes and live as such. The network will also release part of your history to justify the event."
Alexander wasn't offering. He didn't want to make his statement sound like an order, but Khan didn't hear him asking for permission either. Needless to say, Khan's mind didn't take it well.
"You will move to accommodations befitting your new status," Alexander added. "You'll be assigned a personal guard and the same resources as your fellow Princes and Princesses. Teachers and Masters will also educate you on noble-related matters."
Khan diverted his gaze. He emptied the bottle and placed it on the interactive desk before heading for a cabinet near the wall to his left. He was following his nose, and opening the container revealed a series of luxurious-looking liquor orderly lined up in multiple rows.
"Your engagement with Miss Solodrey will persist," Alexander declared, watching Khan opening a random bottle and sniffing its insides. "However, your new status will require new negotiations. I'm sure the Solodrey family won't complain."
Khan's nose sent conflicting updates, forcing him to take a small sip. The bottle was definitely booze, but the quality was hard to appreciate. It probably was something only experienced tongues could truly enjoy.
"Your change in status will, however, affect your current connections," Alexander revealed. "Your position in the Thilku Empire and anything you have achieved on Baoway will need reevaluations."
Khan quickly decided to drink from the bottle anyway. He had never been picky about booze and wouldn't start now.
Alexander noted Khan's apparent disinterest in his words but let it slide. Yet Khan didn't return to the interactive desk after retrieving the booze, forcing Alexander to ask a question.
"Are you listening to me?" Alexander asked.
"Yes," Khan finally spoke, his eyes wandering across the office.
"Did you understand what I said?" Alexander questioned.
"Yes," Khan said, turning toward the wall to check whether menus popped out at his touch. They did but refused his genetic signature.
"Well?" Alexander asked. He had basically given Khan the full support of his faction. He wanted more than those short replies.
"None of that will happen," Khan announced, returning to the main interactive desk. "I'll take the title of Prince and anything useful I can find, but nothing else."
"This isn't a negotiation," Alexander uttered.
"I'm not negotiating," Khan explained.
"The title of Prince implies responsibilities," Alexander said. "The noble families are the pillars that rebuilt humankind from nothing. Without us, everything will crumble."
"You speak as if your rules and goals had any relevance in my mind," Khan commented. "They don't."
Alexander sighed. He had hoped for the conversation to be more straightforward, but it was clear he had to address the elephant in the room first.
"I understand you are angry," Alexander announced. "I had to cut you and your father away precisely because of these responsibilities. We couldn't give the other families any openings or leverage."
"Lies," Khan stated. "You were simply too weak or tired to shoulder the problem. You took the easy way out and left us in the dirt for seventeen years."
Alexander fell silent. Khan couldn't possibly know the truth, but his words had hit the mark. The issue was far more complicated, but he was right. Alexander had made the safest decision back in the day.
"You are correct," Alexander agreed. "I am tired. I've lived to this day only to see most of my hopes and dreams fall apart. I don't have any strength or desire to fight anymore."
Khan focused on his bottle. He didn't care about Alexander's sob story, which wasn't his problem either. Khan had far bigger things to worry about.
"That's why I decided to acknowledge your lineage," Alexander continued. "Our faction has long since been in decline, afflicted by infighting and pressure from other factions. It needs a strong leader forged through experience, not education, to return to its former glory."
"Why would I care about your faction?" Khan asked.
"It's your birthright," Alexander declared.
"It became my birthright when I proved myself useful," Khan corrected. "I have no interest in fixing your mistakes."
"You know the power you could obtain by playing along," Alexander switched approach. "You know you need it to achieve your goals."
"You don't even have the stones to mention the Nak," Khan uttered. "Fine. Give all the Nognes family to me. I might have some use for it."
"So," Khan responded, "You can only give me problems and infighting."
"Do you understand the position you are in?" Alexander asked, raising his voice. "You are a Prince. The decision is final, but what you do with that isn't. Without my faction's support, you'll be defenseless against assassination attempts and other ploys."
Alexander frowned. He thought Khan was joking for a second, but his expression remained serious. A mere kid was asking for ownership of an entire noble family.
"How ignorant can you be?" Alexander cursed. "No one has that kind of power. Even at my peak, I couldn't control the entire family."
"So," Khan responded, "You can only give me problems and infighting."
"Do you understand the position you are in?" Alexander asked, raising his voice. "You are a Prince. The decision is final, but what you do with that isn't. Without my faction's support, you'll be defenseless against assassination attempts and other ploys."
"That's nothing new," Khan pointed out.
Alexander was at a loss for words. Khan looked incorruptible, and his confidence came from real experience. After all, he had already survived an assassination attempt from the Nognes family without needing external support.
"You underestimate the danger you'll be in," Alexander warned.
"I'm not," Khan said. "You are the one failing to realize what trying to force me into this infighting would imply."
"What do you mean?" Alexander asked.
"How many enemies are here today?" Khan wondered. "Would I get rid of most of them if I killed everyone?"
Alexander suddenly realized his mistake. Until now, he thought he could have found a common ground with Khan. He didn't expect the two of them to reach an agreement, but the truth was far worse than that.
Khan's mind didn't follow common reasoning. It didn't abide by human rules and lacked normal restrictions. His values had strayed too far away, making his actions and intentions unpredictable. Alexander would have never thought he was actually considering murdering everyone in the mansion.
"That would maim our entire family," Alexander tried to be reasonable. "It would expose us to the other nobles and more."
"I have no use for untrustworthy parties," Khan stated, "And I don't care about your problems. I'll take what I need and dispose of anyone on my way."
That extreme mindset could leave most ordinary people scared and disgusted. Those words were barely human, and Khan's appearance deepened their impact. He was a walking threat, a monster donning the skin of a young man. Still, Alexander didn't feel fear or revulsion. He only experienced guilt.
Khan had made his own decisions to survive, but it was undisputable that Alexander had put him in that position. He had left him alone in a dangerous environment with heavy baggage. Khan's sole fault was his talent.
"If you made up your mind," Alexander eventually announced, "Why are you wasting time with me?"
"I wanted to see the powerful man at the head of the faction," Khan admitted. "I see now that there is nothing powerful in him."
Khan directly turned, heading for the hall's exit. The conversation had ended in his mind, and he had other issues to attend to. He had been away too long to waste more time with his grandfather.
"Khan," Alexander called before Khan could cross the office. He stopped but didn't turn.
"Felicia will escort you to locations of interest inside the mansion," Alexander explained. "We have prepared something for you."
Khan stood still for a second before resuming his walk. Bribes wouldn't change his mind.
"Also," Alexander continued. "Your fiancée and father are waiting for you. I hope you can reconsider your decision until you talk to them. At least delay it until then."
Alexander's words exuded some kindness. He didn't want to show his reach or warn Khan about his family's influence, but his request ended up triggering dangerous reactions.
A spherical gale suddenly expanded from Khan, pushing away carpets, chairs, tables, and sofas. Some furniture slammed on the wall, falling and breaking while Khan slowly looked past his shoulder.
"Are you threatening me?" Khan asked, the air in the office echoing his chilling voice.
"No," Alexander shook his head, retaining his calm. "I just wanted to reunite you with your loved ones as soon as possible."
Alexander was speaking the truth, and Khan read it in his mana. Yet, Khan couldn't ignore the potential implications. If Alexander could get to Monica and Bret so easily, so could the members of the other factions.
"You want to avoid a catastrophe inside the Nognes family," Khan threatened, "You tell everyone to stay away."
"Will you avoid spilling blood if I do that?" Alexander questioned.
"No," Khan responded, resuming his walk. "Some heads have to fall."