Chapter 794 Changes
Hugging didn"t match Khan"s behavior anymore. His cold face had become unbreakable, and the same went for his generally heavy vibe, so no one expected affectionate gestures from him.
Monica was the only exception, but those gestures had become rare with her, too. She sat on Khan when he was on his throne, and the two always exchanged a kiss to greet each other, but they limited themselves in public. That wasn"t on purpose, either. Their status had changed, demanding a different behavior.
Of course, the settlement could still hear the couple at night, but the Scalqa didn"t engage in gossip. Also, Khan often flew Monica around, but that did little to change the perception about him. No one would describe Khan as affectionate or warm anymore, so many Thilku felt surprised witnessing that gesture.
Khan was aware of the strange attention that had fallen on him but didn"t care. That was Martha, his oldest friend. He wouldn"t refuse her affection, and the gesture also worked as a message for the quadrant"s citizens. Besides, Khan"s authority wouldn"t be worth much if a mere hug could affect it.
The event even had a second layer. Luke and Bruce smiled at the scene, but their faces went serious as soon as Khan lifted his eyes. Even while immersed in the hug, Khan didn"t refrain from radiating warning signals through his piercing, cold gaze.
"You never call," Martha complained, pushing herself away to deliver a light jab at Khan"s chest. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"Things have been messy," Khan admitted, running his gaze over Martha. "Though I find you well."
Faint confidence filled Martha"s aura. The hesitation and emotional confusion from Milia 222 had disappeared. She looked clear-headed and firm, and her attunement with mana also put her close to the third level.
Khan wasn"t alone in the inspection. Some sadness invaded Martha when she looked at his face. That sharp, emotionless coldness felt unnatural compared to her memories, and the knowledge of the past chaos only worsened that impression.
Martha had matured in those years. The line between right and wrong had blurred, making her accept things that would have disgusted her in the past. Martha still loathed them, but part of her understood and acknowledged them.
Nevertheless, Martha couldn"t help but feel sad. That childish, idiot kid had turned into a cold-faced ma.s.s murderer. She understood Khan"s response had been somewhat justified and knew him deeply enough to accept that his actions weren"t only for himself. Yet, that emotion didn"t come from her rational side.
Khan could read Martha like an open book, but that wasn"t the place for deep, reminiscing conversations. Curious about one detail, he looked at Luke and Bruce to understand who to blame.
"How was I not warned about your arrival?" Khan asked.
Martha was one thing, but Khan couldn"t treat Luke and Bruce like old friends. They had known each other for years, but they were no George. Deep down, Luke and Bruce would always be descendants, and Khan couldn"t let them ignore his authority.
"I"m afraid we aren"t to blame, Prince Khan," Bruce calmly said, bowing his head in respect.
"It"s true, Prince Khan," Luke confirmed, nodding at Martha.
"Monica and I wanted to surprise you," Martha smiled, "And get back at you for being such a poor friend."
"When did you girls start plotting behind my back?" Khan wondered.
"Oh, we never stopped," Martha proudly claimed, "And never will."
The urge to smile invaded Khan, but nothing appeared on his cold face. Still, the greetings had ended, and he couldn"t leave his guests in the canyon area.
"Follow me," Khan ordered, turning and glancing at the staring Thilku in the distance. "[Amox, the ship]."
Amox nodded and brought a few soldiers to help unload the ship. Meanwhile, Khan led Luke, Bruce, and Martha into the forest to reach the settlement. He expected an escort to follow him, but Luke had immediately dismissed it.
"I"m surprised you kept it like this," Bruce commented while the group navigated the uneven terrain. "I thought you would have built roads by now."
"I have my reasons to preserve the forest," Khan vaguely explained.
"Bruce, this is Prince Khan"s domain now," Luke jokingly scolded. "We must let him have his secrets."
"I heard you hired Lieutenant Dyester," Martha commented. "What is he up to?"
"Mostly drinking and killing time," Khan revealed, "But I saw him meditating a few times."
"Don"t tell me you rekindled his battle spirit," Martha gasped.
"He is probably doing this for me," Khan considered. "It"s hard to keep me in check at his level."
"I see you took precautions," Martha said, wrapping her arms behind her back as she walked by Khan"s side.
"Things will get worse," Khan stated. "I"d rather have some perspective before going loose."
Martha lowered her head and lost herself in deep thought. She didn"t like what Khan had done, but the same feeling was far stronger toward what he had been forced to face. Martha didn"t understand it on Milia 222, but things had escalated too much for her to ignore it now.
"Is that why you didn"t contact us?" Luke wondered. "Were you waiting for perspective?"
"You know why," Khan said. "Besides, I"ve almost run out of s.p.a.ce and things to offer."
"Prince Khan, allow me," Bruce called. "We had our differences but are still old friends. Let us plant a few factories as a sign of goodwill."
"Factories of what?" Khan asked.
"Refineries to improve your trade situation," Luke explained. "The Empire buys many things from the Global Army. We"ll purchase and process the raw materials, and you"ll deliver them to the Empire."
The idea was sound, and Khan wasn"t even clueless about the topic. He had already dealt with factories involved in trades with the Empire. Planting them on Baoway would further improve the quadrant"s value, elevating it from a simple dock to a production plant.
The matter was also in line with Khan"s initial plan. The more the Empire relied on the quadrant, the harder it would be for Khan"s enemy to destroy or destabilize it. The Global Army would even be forced to protect it to a certain extent, so Khan didn"t think he could achieve similar agreements now.
Most of those refineries were under the Global Army, which Khan wasn"t exactly on good terms with. It probably would avoid giving his quadrant too much power until he regained its trust, but Luke and Bruce could speed up the process.
Yet, Luke"s family was problematic. Khan relatively trusted him, but Raymond was an issue that had remained silent for too long, and accepting factories was akin to planting spies in his home.
"How is it different from what I"m doing with the others?" Khan wondered. "Well, Raymond makes it different."
"Let"s postpone this conversation for later," Khan eventually decided. "Monica has to be with me when we talk specifics."
"Of course, Prince Khan," Luke nodded.
"Where is Monica, by the way?" Martha asked.
"She was at the sea station this morning," Khan revealed.
"Are you sure you aren"t overworking her?" Martha questioned, a scolding tone invading her voice.
"The station is Solodrey," Khan explained. "It"s in her interest to manage it."
"I heard things are going well between you two," Bruce exclaimed. "Will you announce a date for the marriage soon?"
"Things are too messy right now," Khan commented, "But the moment is getting closer."
Martha, Bruce, and Luke couldn"t help but feel surprised at Khan"s simple and confident answer. They had seen the beginning of that relationship, but everything else had been gossip and news on the network. However, it seemed a few years had been enough to evolve it to that level.
The surprise only intensified when Monica joined the group in Khan"s tent. By then, Martha, Bruce, Luke, and Khan had almost run out of superficial topics, but Monica"s arrival rekindled them.
Luke and Bruce had known Monica for a long time, and Martha had gotten close to her on Milia 222, so they inevitably noticed many differences in mere minutes.
Monica still had her elegant vibe, but traces of maturity and confidence had fused with it. Moreover, her appearance didn"t have anything to do with it anymore. Her military uniform was slightly untidy, her hair had gotten wilder, and she didn"t bother wearing make-up, but her charm had only increased.
Monica"s behavior also conveyed a certain freedom. When she entered the tent, she greeted the guests, but her feet promptly brought her toward Khan. The audience could only watch as the couple exchanged a quick kiss and settled comfortably on the ground.
The sole idea that Monica Solodrey would have been fine with sitting on the ground shocked Luke and Bruce, but there she was. She had also been shy about her relationship in the past but now comfortably leaned on Khan"s arm, calmly showing him her phone to update him.
"Natural" was the only word the audience could think of to describe the scene. Khan and Monica looked like a married couple with years behind their back. In a way, Martha, Luke, and Bruce felt like young kids before them.
"Martha tells me you plot behind my back," Khan teased after Monica updated him on the morning businesses.
"Obviously," Monica confirmed. "I need all the help I can get against you."
"I should call George and even the playing field," Khan suggested.
"He would come with Anita," Monica reminded. "Don"t be too sure he"d be on your side."
"Are you trying to corner me?" Khan wondered.
"Oh, dear," Monica giggled. "That"s all I"ve tried to do since we first met."
Khan didn"t laugh, but his hand went on Monica"s back, rubbing it while she made herself more comfortable. She finished some business on her phone before finally looking at the guests. She would typically be more apologetic about the delay, especially since Luke and Bruce were important figures, but the issue never crossed her mind.
"Sorry, there"s just much to handle," Monica exclaimed. "It has been a while. I hope everything is well."
"Usual business," Luke confirmed. "We handled a few problems and created new ones, but nothing serious."
"Our lives definitely aren"t as lively as yours," Bruce added.
"It can"t be avoided," Monica uttered, placing a hand on Khan"s thigh. "When your man is the most sought-after figure in the Global Army, everyone thinks they can get a piece."
"They definitely tried," Luke nodded.
"They still are," Monica stated. "I"m sure you are aware our situation is far from secure."
"We are aware," Bruce confirmed. "That"s the situation where you need friends the most."
"Are you?" Khan asked. "Are you friends?"
Luke, Bruce, and Martha became more aware of Khan"s natural pressure. He obviously didn"t target Martha, but his presence was everywhere.
Nevertheless, the audience found something far more surprising. Everyone knew Khan was a monster, but seeing Monica calmly sitting at his side acted as a statement. Old friends and relationships had no value for her anymore. Only Khan"s faction existed in Monica"s mind.
"Of course," Luke declared. "Even more now that your status surpa.s.sed mine."
It would be a lie to pretend Khan"s status didn"t matter, and Luke knew it. Yet, his allegiances were clear. He had invested in Khan early on, and things were finally showing results.
A heavy political atmosphere fell into the tent, but one exception existed. Khan and Monica calmly faced Bruce and Luke, but Martha had no horse in that fight. She was a simple hired soldier, so her thoughts focused on the couple, leading to revelations.
Martha would be lying if she said she didn"t still think about Khan as more than a friend. She wasn"t delusional and had made peace with her feelings long ago, but a tinge of hope had survived. Yet, the scene killed it.
Khan had gotten too far, tainting himself with multiple crimes, crimes that would make Martha hesitate to stay at his side. However, Martha couldn"t see that feeling in Monica. The latter almost seemed proud to be where she was.
The realization created a temporary bitterness, but Martha quickly got over it and managed to smile. The kid she had fallen for was no more. Martha could finally move on and be happy her oldest friend had found his path.