Chaos' Heir

The barren, destroyed mountain area was no place to host a meeting, especially among humankind's upper echelon. However, everyone moved at Khan's orders, gradually gathering in his temporary training area.

Princess Rebecca was the first to arrive, bringing drinks and some portable seats. Abraham and Lieutenant Dyester followed, also carrying booze with them.

Colonel Norrett and Major General Arngan also arrived, followed by Alexander. Except for Monica, that was about everyone, so Khan stood up, stating that the meeting wouldn't feature her.

Lieutenant Dyester, Abraham, Colonel Norrett, and Major General Arngan had sat on the ground while Alexander, Princess Rebecca, and Prince Thomas were on their portable seats, forming a circle around Khan. Every eye was on him while his inner circle exchanged cups and bottles, and silence reigned, waiting for him to break it.

There was no good way to start the meeting and address the issue at hand, so Khan didn't bother to try. Being direct had always worked fine for him, and he knew his inner circle was already aware of some problems.

"Monica broke up with me," Khan announced. "Still, her status must not change. Engagement or not, she is the most important person in my life. You will not forget this."

That was both an order and a threat. Khan believed his relatives and allies wouldn't dare to mistreat Monica, but he felt like highlighting that point. No matter what the future had in store, Monica had to have the full support of his family.

Different reactions unfolded around the circle. Monica was generally well-liked, so no one tried to scheme about that development. Everyone agreed to give her free benefits since that was Khan's wish. Yet, everyone also realized the gravity of the situation.

Everyone on Bawaoy and past it knew how important Monica was for Khan. The people at the meeting also witnessed the couple's daily life with their own eyes, learning how much the two affected each other. Khan couldn't feel good about that development, and much had to be addressed, especially from a political standpoint.

Abraham, Colonel Norrett, and the other two soldiers mainly worried about Khan's mental state, but his relatives inevitably considered other topics. Monica was a great wedding candidate for Khan, but there were better choices, and he was technically free now.

Moreover, Khan was no small political player. His figure was controversial, but his relevance was undeniable. He was a Prince, a Thilku Lord, and someone capable of defeating evolved soldiers. His political value was immense, and every important party would kill to acquire it through something as simple as marriage.

Of course, that specific topic wasn't even close to being simple when Khan was involved. Princess Rebecca sort of understood how important love was for him, and even Prince Thomas and Alexander respected it.

The break-up had just happened, too. It was too early for Khan and the network to consider that option. However, that path had opened now, and the three Nognes couldn't help but keep it in mind. They might be able to explore it one day, and even using it as bait for their business partners would earn them many favors.

Khan couldn't stop those thoughts. He saw and understood them but limited himself to ignore them. As long as there was no malice, Khan didn't care. No one could make decisions for him anyway, and his relatives would ask his permission before attempting anything.

"George and Anita's marriage will be announced shortly," Khan revealed, moving to another topic. "Anita is pregnant, too. I won't be here, but the Nognes family must show as much public and private support as possible." Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

Khan didn't need to waste time adding details or explaining himself. Everyone knew who he was referring to and why he was uttering those orders. The topic wasn't controversial, so Khan received his inner circle's unilateral approval.

"I also promised I'll be the kid's godfather," Khan added. "Make sure the world knows about it when the time is right."

Khan glanced at his relatives while making that point, and the trio nodded simultaneously. His Uncle, Aunt, and Grandfather knew how to handle those situations better than him, so he was sure George wouldn't be mistreated.

"Master Carl," Khan continued, looking at Lieutenant Dyester. "I leave the Scalqa in your care. Make them a proper army."

Lieutenant Dyester suppressed the urge to speak and simply nodded. That wasn't the time for a heart-to-heart conversation, so he would limit himself to following orders for now.

"Mark," Khan called, glancing at the Colonel. "Humankind is yours. You'll be my official Ambassador now. I'll make sure Mister Cirvags and Brigadier General Seycomb learn about that."

Colonel Norrett crossed his arms and wore a serious expression. He had always wanted that task, so he wouldn't shy away from its responsibilities now.

"General," Khan continued. "You'll deal with the Fuveall and Ef'i. Coordinate with the Colonel, Master Carl, and the tournament to add other species if possible. Use the Empire's name if necessary."

Major General Arngan had already planned to do that, but the idea of negotiating with the Fuveall wasn't too appealing. He understood why Khan wanted him to handle that, but the task would require more than simple effort.

"Also," Khan uttered. "I expect you two to approach and succeed in the evolution soon. This organization needs evolved soldiers, especially in my absence."

Major General Arngan smirked while Colonel Norrett performed a solemn nod. They had never slacked off toward that goal, and the battle against Miss Christen had only reinforced their determination. They needed to evolve to keep up with the world's changes.

"Abraham, continue the current projects," Khan ordered. "Also, take care of Moses and Roger. They have improved since Senerth but still need supervision, especially Roger."

"My Prince," Abraham muttered, agreeing and lowering his head in respect.

"Grandfather, Uncle, Aunt," Khan addressed the final issue. "I'll leave everything else in your hands. Stay true to my vision and contact me if there is any problem."

Khan fell silent for a second before continuing. "Besides, do mention my name whenever the Excellencies try to fight you on something. They shouldn't, but I worry their memory might be short."

Khan sat on the ground at that point, seizing a nearby bottle. He took a short sip before placing it back down. Somehow, the booze didn't taste good that night.

"What about you?" Lieutenant Dyester asked. "What will you do now?"

"Now," Khan said, studying the bottle under him. "Now I find the Nak."

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Author's notes: The eighth volume will end there. The ninth will start tomorrow!