Chapter 832 Better ally
Khan and Lord Exr kept chatting over minor things for a while. The two had similar mindsets, so finding topics to discuss wasn"t a problem. Lord Exr often laughed, too, but the atmosphere changed when a ship landed on the nearby landing area.
The terrace allowed Khan and Lord Exr to watch the ship and crew"s movements. A team of Thilku landed on the platform and headed for the elevator, reaching the streets below. A ride picked them up, leading them to the structure where the feast was being held.
The soldiers in the structure refilled the table in the meantime. More food and drinks arrived, but neither Khan nor Lord Exr touched them. The two stood up, waiting for the important figure to arrive.
A team of Thilku soon climbed to the terrace, but Khan and Lord Exr only had eyes for the figure at its center. Lord Rsi proudly advanced toward the table, his expression as stern as always. Yet, Khan noticed the slight annoyance in his mana.
Lord Exr stepped aside and performed a traditional bow, which Khan imitated, albeit without the Thilku cape. Lord Rsi ignored the pleasantries and reached the table"s center, sitting on the floor.
The team and Lord Exr quickly sat at Lord Rsi"s sides, and Khan followed. Khan was alone on his side, glared by almost every Thilku before him. However, his face remained cold and confident.
"[Blue Shaman]," Lord Rsi called, dipping his hand in a bowl to start the feast. "[On whose authority did you invade the Empire"s domain and commit crimes inside it]?"
The question established the feast"s mood. Clearly, Lord Rsi wasn"t happy with that development, but Khan could see deeper into the matter. Khan wasn"t the problem there. Izraz"s betrayal and involvement of a human Amba.s.sador was.
"[Mine]," Khan stated. "[I was the target of a ploy, so I acted to eradicate it]."
"[You don"t have authority to enter the Empire"s domain uninvited]," Lord Rsi reprimanded, "[Or commit murder inside its borders]."
"[If someone threatens my life]," Khan explained, "[That someone stops breathing]."
"[Is that all you have to say in your defense]?" Lord Rsi asked.
"[It"s all that matters]," Khan responded.
"[You aren"t above interspecies treaties]," Lord Rsi commented.
"[What would you have me do, My Lord]?" Khan wondered. "[Ignore the insult and return home]?"
"[I"d have you follow the protocol]," Lord Rsi stated. "[Your report said you had the time to inform the Empire about the event, but you charged ahead anyway]."
"[When an enemy is down]," Khan uttered, "[You finish it. Besides, I didn"t know who to trust or whether you would have trusted me]."
"[Our cape vouches for that]," Lord Rsi replied.
"[It"s exactly because of the cape that I acted]," Khan announced. "[I got rid of a criminal willing to plot with the Global Army. You should thank me, My Lord]."
"[Insolence]!" One of the Thilku at the table shouted. "[You can"t talk to Lord Rsi like this]!"
"[Ato, silence]," Lord Rsi scolded. "[Don"t shame the Empire]."
"[But, My Lord]," Ato complained.
"[The Blue Shaman is arrogant]," Lord Rsi declared, "[But his arrogance is justified. I won"t forgive disrespect]."
"[Yes, My Lord]," Ato said, lowering his head toward Khan to apologize.
Khan"s eyes darted left and right, inspecting Ato, Lord Exr, and Lord Rsi again. The Thilku seemed to have no intention of punishing him. The situation was simply complicated.
"[I won"t tell anyone about this planet]," Khan eventually announced. "[I won"t use the information as leverage, either. Just spread this story to ensure my protection]."
Lord Rsi fell silent. Truth be told, that was a fair price. The Thilku might look weak in the story, but everyone knew Khan was unique. Losing to him was the norm.
"[Why would you do that]?" Lord Rsi questioned. "[The Global Army and you could greatly benefit from leaking this story]."
Khan"s relevance inside the Global Army would skyrocket if he revealed the existence of that military planet. Humankind would be able to enforce new favorable interspecies treaties, and Khan would get a cut from every benefit. However, the idea didn"t sound appealing.
The immediate benefits wouldn"t compensate for the damage to the relationship between Khan and the Empire. Besides, any eventual advantage would come from the Global Army, which Khan didn"t trust. He preferred to salvage the current status quo over causing a political mess that could risk everything he had achieved.
"[Humans are untrustworthy]," Khan explained, "[And I can handle the messes on their side. The Empire simply is a better ally]."
The praise pleased the Thilku, even if no one showed it. Still, Khan"s words carried a hidden message that both Lords noticed. Khan wasn"t speaking as an Amba.s.sador. He was the Blue Shaman there, and all his deals began and ended with him.
The Empire had dealt with many human Amba.s.sadors, and few members of humankind had even earned the Thilku"s capes. However, no one had ever seized power for themselves.
Yet, Khan planned to do exactly that. He wanted to become a key figure inside the Empire, someone whose species didn"t matter. He desired authority and influence as if he were a proper, valuable Thilku.
"[This is unusual]," Lord Rsi commented. "[Do you plan on building a force that can rival entire species]?"
"[Maybe]," Khan admitted. "[And if I did, I"d wish for the Empire to be its ally]."
"[One warrior can"t rival a species]," Lord Rsi pointed out.
"[True]," Khan said. "[However, how strong do you think I can become, My Lord]?"
Lord Rsi couldn"t answer the question. No one could. Khan had already achieved incredible feats for the Empire, and his latest battle proved that his potential was far from fulfilled.
Nevertheless, Lord Rsi had a better understanding of his species" power. One warrior could never match it. Still, Khan wielded the right cards to build an incredible force, and the Empire owed him more than friendship.
"[Who knows]," Lord Rsi muttered. "[I might have to bring you before the Emperor one day]."
"[That would be a great honor, My Lord]," Khan genuinely said.
"[It"s still early for that]," Lord Rsi promptly went back on his words. "[I"m more concerned about your side. Do you need help to sort out your personal matters]?"
"[I only need the Empire to eradicate criminals and tell the truth]," Khan rea.s.sured. "[I won"t bring my problems to the Thilku]."
"[We could apply pressure on the Global Army for your sake]," Lord Rsi suggested. "[Conveying clear support]."
Khan had to admit he didn"t expect that offer. Everyone already knew his relationship with the Empire was special, and Baoway"s many trade agreements made him unique in the field. However, having the Empire coming out in support was unheard of and could shine a new light on Khan"s political figure.
"[Why would you do that]?" Khan asked. "[The Empire has never come out to vouch for a human]."
"[We can make an exception for the Blue Shaman]," Lord Rsi revealed, "[Since the Blue Shaman deserves an apology]."
"[Deal]," Khan stated. "[Now, what else can I do for you]?"
"[Feast properly]," Lord Rsi said, pointing at the abundant food on the table.
"[My Lord, the Blue Shaman and I have already enjoyed]-," Lord Exr began to say, but Khan"s following actions silenced him. Khan instantly grabbed a series of bowls, bringing to his mouth all the food his hands could hold.
Lord Exr initially thought Khan was only playing along, but watching him go through bowl after bowl changed his mind. Khan was genuinely hungry. Actually, his stomach looked bottomless.
Funny moments aside, the feast created the opportunity for additional negotiations. Baoway already acted as the middle point between the human and Empire"s domains, and the newfound trust in Khan revealed more uses for the location.
Baoway mostly sent resources to the Empire, but the latter sold many things to the Global Army. The planet had some structures for that, too, but their percentage was only a fraction of their counterpart.
However, new trade routes formed during the feast. The Empire would stop using third parties for certain sales and rely on Baoway to distribute the intended resources. Khan would have to establish additional sea stations to keep up with the increased quant.i.ty, but the process was bound to make him richer.
Of course, gaining those trade routes would increase Khan"s number of enemies, but he had long since stopped caring about the matter. His n.o.ble status would take care of most of them anyway, so he focused on improving his situation through the Empire.
Eventually, the feast ended. Khan saluted Lord Rsi and let Lord Exr accompany him back to his ship, where he conveyed the data about the new trade agreements. The set-off happened in the following minutes, and the crew"s remaining tension vanished when the vehicle left the planet"s defenses" range.
"Make them find us now," Khan ordered as the ship flew toward the Global Army"s domain. "It doesn"t matter that we are still in Empire"s territory."
The pilot didn"t argue and launched distress signals, and Khan checked that everything was okay before retreating to his quarters. That trip had been more than long, but its end had yet to be in sight. He needed to deal with his Uncle before he could return home.
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Authors" notes: Chaos" Heir"s audiobook is now available on NovaBeats(ReadNovelFull"s partner)!