Chaos' Heir

A different scenery awaited Khan outside Alexander's office. Princess Felicia was still there, but a few figures had joined her. Gordon, Lynn, and two other guards had reached the corridor to create a proper escort party, but Khan barely looked at them. He ignored them even when they lowered their heads and voiced a clear "Prince Khan".

"How did it go?" Princess Felica asked as soon as the office's door closed.

Khan ignored the question and gazed at one end of the corridor. Although the conversation had been inconclusive, it provided insights into some fields.

"Do the noble families have no Patriarchs and Matriarchs?" Khan questioned, his gaze still wandering on the corridor.

Princess Felicia smiled. Spending time with Khan confirmed her assumptions. He needed minor tweaks but had all the right cards to be a powerhouse inside the Nognes family.

"Noble families are massive," Princess Felicia explained. "Each faction wields as much influence and power as a wealthy family. Unifying them under a single figure is impossible."

"The Global Army?" Khan asked.

"The Global Army knows what we need it to know," Princess Felicia replied. "The illusion of order is often enough to prevent public unrest."

Khan fell silent under the group's watchful gazes. Many tried to read his thoughts, but his stance and expression didn't reveal anything. Even his eyes remained still, making the audience wonder whether he was pondering at all.

"Did Grandpa tell you about the gifts?" Princess Felicia switched topics to break the silence. "I can escort you there right away."

Khan limited himself to a nod, and Princess Felicia happily led the way. She and Khan walked side to side while the four guards encircled them. The previous greeting and the soldiers' behavior confirmed what Alexander had warned Khan about. Even with that clear refusal, Khan had still become a Prince.

"You'll see, Cousin," Princess Felicia did her best to keep the conversation alive. "Grandpa handpicked the gifts. I think he has worked on them for a while."

Sadly for Princess Felicia, Khan remained silent. He didn't mind freebies, but their value was unclear. Too much had changed during his time on Baoway, so even incredible items might mean nothing to him.

"Oh," Princess Felicia continued, seemingly recalling something. "You'll need a personal guard from now on. I think Gordon is a nice match since you started torturing him already."

Khan didn't divert his gaze from the corridor, but the topic aroused his interest. He didn't need protection, but additional manpower could be useful, especially if loyal to him.

"Did he give a report of what he saw on Baoway?" Khan asked.

"Not yet," Princess Felicia said, elated by hearing Khan speak. "We waited on that in preparation for your change in status."

Khan stopped walking, and the group halted with him. He glanced at Gordon, staring at him with his piercing eyes. The man looked capable, but Khan's interests lay elsewhere.

"From now on," Khan announced, "You answer only to me. Every word, report, or action goes through me first."

"Yes," Gordon promptly replied, bowing his head. "My Prince."

Khan immediately lost interest in the matter. He would explore the issue with more care later, but other priorities were now in order.

Princess Felicia ran out of topics and fell silent, but a smile remained on her face due to the small victory with Gordon. She didn't know the details, but it was clear Khan was now part of the family.

Minutes passed while the group roamed through the immense mansion. Khan and the others crossed multiple vast, empty areas but never stopped to appreciate them. He noticed the almost complete absence of servants, but that was it.

Eventually, the group arrived in another vast hall featuring a rectangular structure at its bottom. Khan had seen something similar during Rick's wedding, and the amount of synthetic mana running through the separate place's walls confirmed his hunch. The various layers of protection hinted at an armory.

Princess Felicia went straight to the point, almost rushing toward the separate area to unlock its various protections. Its door eventually opened, and the guards remained behind while the Princess led Khan inside.

Rick's armory featured countless weapons, but almost complete emptiness expanded in Khan's vision now. The vast separate area with various layers of protection had nothing but a luxurious box placed on top of an isolated pedestal.

Princess Felicia approached the pedestal before moving aside, leaving the path open for Khan. He reached the box and lifted its lid, revealing an encased disk resting on soft golden fabric.

"I don't have a phone," Khan said, seizing the disk.

"Transcendent Step style," Princess Felicia chanted. "A martial art that scored ninety-nine points. After studying your growth and fighting style, Grandpa thought it would suit you."

The incredible evaluation was worthy of shock and excited cries even from nobles, but Khan only brought the encased disk closer to his face.

"It's an upgrade to your Lightning-Demon style," Princess Felicia explained. "We can't have our new Prince go around with something under ninety."

'Curious timing,' Khan thought, storing the disk in his makeshift belt.

Princess Felicia ignored the lack of comments or gratitude and focused on the small victories. Khan had accepted the martial art. That was enough for her.

"How many know about this martial art?" Khan suddenly asked, looking at Princess Felicia.

"Few inside our family," Princess Felicia revealed, "But your worries are superfluous. A martial art with such a high score has virtually no flaws. Knowledge won't do your enemies any good."

Khan didn't trust those words, but they made sense. A martial art wouldn't have gotten such a high score if it had significant flaws. Of course, counters could exist, and the fact that Alexander had prepared the gift for a long time made him think.

Still, worrying about those issues now wouldn't do Khan any good. He departed, stepping outside the empty armory with Princess Felicia, and the latter promptly conveyed orders.

"Prince Khan needs a phone," Princess Felicia announced. "It needs to be chaos-resistant and updated with all his files."

One of the guards stepped aside and drew his phone to convey the order to the appointed parties. Meanwhile, Princess Felicia resumed leading the group, silently heading for the following gift.

More vast corridors and halls followed until the group stopped in another big area, where Khan noticed two relevant details. The place's walls, floor, and ceiling tried to hinder his senses, hinting at reinforcements usually found in training rooms. Also, more people were waiting for him.

A second group made of three people was waiting in the hall, and Khan instantly knew that two were guards. Instead, the young man between them conveyed an aura Khan had often witnessed among lofty figures, revealing his identity as a noble.

"Brother," Princess Felicia exclaimed at the scene, and the young man stepped forward to perform a bow.

"Khan," Princess Felicia continued. "This is my brother, Prince William."

"It's an honor to meet you, Prince Khan," Prince William declared. "You must be even more impressive than the network says to monopolize my beautiful sister's attention."

Khan ignored the pleasantries and studied the man. Prince William had Princess Felicia's brown hair, keeping it short and slightly stylish. He was lean and only looked a few years older than Khan, but his fourth-level warrior's aura conveyed a clear sharpness.

Moreover, Prince William and Princess Felicia had little in common except for their hair color. Actually, Khan found more resemblance in himself. He and Prince William shared some facial features.

The two groups waited for Khan's response, but only silence arrived. Still, Prince William didn't seem to mind and smiled as he explained the reason behind his presence.

"I was the one who prepared this gift," Prince William announced, "So I wanted to be present for your unwrapping."

Prince William nodded at one of his guards, who promptly drew her phone to convey a command. A nearby door opened, and four people crossed its edge to enter the reinforced hall.

Khan didn't know the two older figures, but the others had faces he recognized. One was Ethan Padridge, the investigator from Reebfell who had joined the search for the secret lab in the Slums. Instead, the other was a relative who had been with Khan on Baoway.

Amy kept her head lowered while the people around her wore grim faces. They tried to look apologetic, but the situation was nothing but desperate. Amy had offended a Prince, going as far as attempting to assassinate him. Salvaging their family was the best they could hope for.

Ethan's presence had exactly that purpose. The two older figures hoped that a familiar face and a former companion could lead to mercy. Yet, when the three searched for Khan inside the reinforced room, they couldn't find any trace of him.

The thudding noise that spread through the room dispersed the temporary confusion, bringing the Padridge group's eyes somewhere near their feet. A headless corpse was lying among them, creating a puddle of blood around its severed neck.

The confusion turned into shock, but looking at the audience rekindled the previous feeling. Princess Felicia, Prince William, and the various guards were inspecting a spot behind the Padridge group, and the three slowly turned to check it.

The three spotted Khan's figure. He was showing his back to the general audience, but no one could care about that detail. Everyone's eyes were on Khan's right hand, which was holding a severed head from its long blonde hair. Amy didn't even get a chance to change expression before dying.

****

Author's notes: Again, thank you for all the gifts, and shoutout to Adam_Holt_3819 for the Magic Castle.

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