Chapter 812 Appetizer
Khan had gotten stronger after his fight with Major Veril. He had abused the blue plants" properties and completely mastered the Lightning-Demon style. That was no small power-up, but the other side of the hall couldn"t be underestimated.
The guests didn"t bring random fifth-level warriors. Those soldiers were n.o.ble guards, the Global Army"s true elites, and the hall had eighteen of them. As incredible as Khan was, that probably was above his limits.
Nevertheless, Khan wasn"t challenging the guards to a fair fight. He wasn"t even putting himself out there as a warrior. He was a walking calamity, and the soldiers realized he would never lower himself to their level.
The n.o.ble guards" lack of heightened senses didn"t imply ignorance. They could almost feel how powerful those floating spears were, and their number prevented them from underestimating them. Truthfully, the soldiers had come prepared for a similar instance, but the risks remained ma.s.sive.
The close location and Khan"s wide-range spell made it impossible to secure every corner. Everything would fall apart and explode if he unleashed the spears, and even the best preparations could fail against the chaos that would unfold. The guards weren"t sure they could protect their n.o.bles against that threat.
Of course, the sole idea that such a catastrophe could happen during a political meeting was ludicrous, especially since n.o.bles were involved. No one would even dare to think about causing such a mess. However, the guests weren"t dealing with someone who played by the rules.
Khan"s awful reputation ended up playing in his favor. Typically, anyone would see his show of power as a bluff, but the recent slaughters made the threat genuine. The guests had also insulted him, expressing concerns that looked very real now.
Prince William, Princess Felicia, and Monica were also involved. If Khan unleashed his attack, the three would be caught in the explosion"s fires, but no one looked concerned. Those three young faces conveyed confidence and pride.
Except for Monica, that was a façade. Prince William and Princess Felicia were worried about the spell"s potential repercussions, but their education allowed them to keep their faces straight. Neither guards nor guests could spot any hints, forcing them to accept Khan was for real.
Tense seconds pa.s.sed, but weak links had appeared even before reaching that critical point. The n.o.bles weren"t united. They belonged to nine different parties with various degrees of alliance. Many didn"t care about Khan"s imperfect lineage or behavior and wouldn"t risk their lives to pretend they did.
"Princess Montares should apologize," The red-haired young man eventually announced.
"What?" The blonde woman asked. "Why would I have to apologize-?"
"Because you drew first blood, Princess," The bearded middle-aged man interrupted. "It was unfair on our side to question Prince Khan"s data and lineage."
The blonde woman felt livid. Her expression lost some haughtiness as her wide eyes darted left and right. She couldn"t believe her fellow n.o.bles were putting her in a similar situation, but the audience showed no support.
The red-haired man looked at Khan, showing a faint smile, hoping to have pleased him. However, Khan"s cold face didn"t falter, and the spears" glow intensified, almost becoming blinding.
"Prince," The red-haired man muttered as genuine fear invaded his mind. Initially, he believed an apology would suffice, but the reality differed. He had actually completely missed the point.
"I gave you an order," Khan explained. "I won"t repeat it."
The situation instantly became clear. Khan had no use for empty excuses. He wanted the n.o.bles to know who was in charge there and needed them to respect that authority.
The red-haired man looked at the guests, only to discover that the bearded middle-aged man had already sat down. That gesture made the others quickly follow, with the blonde woman being the last to give up her standing stance.
Khan ran his eyes over the sitting n.o.bles before looking at the guards" defensive line. The latter prioritized their jobs over anything, but that was Khan"s home. He had his rules, and his orders definitely applied to them, too.
The guards didn"t let Khan"s cold gaze scare them, but the n.o.bles soon whispered simple orders, making them retreat and abandon their defensive stance. They didn"t sit but resumed their position next to their appointed guests.
"Now," Khan announced, the spears behind him melting into a purple-red cloud. "Where were we?"
"The apology?" The red-haired man asked, earning himself a glare from the blonde woman.
"I don"t care about that," Khan exclaimed. "I am a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and my faction was desperate. That has nothing to do with me, but Princess Montares still speaks the truth."
The current admission didn"t match the previous behavior at all. It seemed to belong to a different person, leaving the n.o.bles surprised and curious. Maybe Khan wasn"t as unreasonable as the network made him out to be.
"Right," Khan said. "I vouch for the data, and you"ll have to trust my word for it. None of you will ever get close to my lab, and any mole will be executed on the spot. Eventual attempts will also have deeper repercussions, which I will handle personally."
"How?" The middle-aged woman with brown hair asked.
"You read the network, Princess Saintilon," Khan exclaimed. "You can guess how."
The n.o.bles didn"t show any fear, and the same went for their mana. That lack of reactions wasn"t a façade. They had plenty of disposable a.s.sets that could accomplish a similar job, so the threat barely touched them.
"As for the data itself," Khan continued. "The supplement works. I have one of my men using it as we speak. I also tested its raw effects myself. In my case, the benefits stretched past my attunement with mana."
"What do you mean?" The bearded middle-aged man wondered.
"It helped with my martial art," Khan revealed. "I don"t have a product for that yet, but my lab should get there soon."
"I apologize, Prince Khan," The red-haired man stated. "I"m not sure I"m following. How did you benefit from a product your lab can"t create yet?"
"When you tried to kill me," Khan responded, "I relied on Baoway"s raw resources during my training. They aren"t as effective as the supplement, but I have my ways."
"What ways would they be?" The blonde woman questioned.
"I won"t share that," Khan replied. "What you need to know is that the supplement is more effective than the raw material."
The tale was definitely fascinating, and Khan did mind part of the Global Army"s ways, too. Many saw the potential benefits of keeping that resource for himself, but he had still chosen to share it. Everyone believed Khan had his reasons, but the decision gave birth to some goodwill nonetheless.
"If I may, Prince Khan," The bearded middle-aged man announced. "Why share this resource at all? With your struggling faction, having an edge over the other families sounds wise."
"Prince Catlee," Khan called. "My faction was struggling. It isn"t anymore."
"How come?" The bearded middle-aged man asked.
"Because I"m here now," Khan responded. "I can give away all my edges. I"ll still be the best soldier in the Global Army."
The arrogant remark didn"t get any pushback. Khan was still a fourth-level warrior, but a row of n.o.ble guards had just felt threatened by his might. His words didn"t carry any lie.
The matter was of no consequence, too. Individual strength meant nothing to those lofty figures. They had armies at their disposal, so they could let Khan claim the t.i.tle of strongest without feeling inferior.
"If I"m reading correctly," The brown-haired middle-aged woman said, "These supplements belong to the Thilku Empire. Prince, are you playing both sides?"
"I am," Khan openly admitted. "Involving the Empire might make you think twice before engaging in more pointless a.s.sa.s.sination attempts."
Khan"s words found no pushback again. The n.o.bles in the hall knew about Khan"s complicated relationship with the Global Army. Even his own family had tried to push him away until they had no choice but to accept him. He needed safeguards, and the Empire was the best available.
"Though," The red-haired man added. "The price sounds right. Maybe we can hope for discounts on ma.s.s purchases."
"I"m in charge of your purchases," Khan reminded. "I"ll decide quant.i.ties and timings."
"Currently," The brown-haired middle-aged woman said, waving her device, "This isn"t nearly enough. It can work for initial tests but won"t bring any real benefits."
"It"s meant to be a test," Khan explained, "So the next meeting won"t have questions about reliable data anymore."
"An appetizer," The bearded middle-aged man exclaimed, "Before the real deal."
Khan didn"t reply, but everyone heard the nod behind his silence. He was preparing the field for what could become a permanent and favorable partnership, and the n.o.bles knew they would be forced to accept. The supplement wasn"t only excellent. They also had to match the other families" purchases to match their growth.
"Prince Khan," The blonde woman eventually called. "I understand the need for control, but these affordable prices seem to ask for something in return, something that isn"t Credits."
"The price is right," Khan declared. "You only have to pay me and remember which Nognes sold it to you."