Khan couldn't help but feel surprised. Monica had always been there for him, supporting him through his harshest tis. She had also continuously adjusted her public role to Khan's rising status, filling his gaps and completing him as best as possible, and her statent highlighted another change.
Monica had always possessed more foresight than Khan. She knew what he could and would have beco before anyone else. He was nothing short of a King now, so only a Queen could stand at his side, and she would play that role to pull her share of the weight in her
relationship.
Khan studied Monica's wise, icy-blue eyes, and his doubts disappeared. He lacked theoretical knowledge, but his insights into the mana were almost unmatched. If the scarlet sparks didn't reveal their secrets, he would beat them down until they did.
"I'm starting to wonder whether you are with just to get a crown," Khan joked, seizing the hand still resting on his face.
"Oh, yes," Monica played along. "It was all part of my grand sche ever since Milia 222. You looked like you had a bright future, so I seduced you to ensure mine."
"It would have been easier if you went for wealthier descendants," Khan said, lowering Monica's hand and pulling her closer.
"You were cuter," Monica uttered, running a finger on Khan's chest. "And being with you would have made my parents angry, so I'd have killed two birds with one stone."
"My, my," Khan shook his head. "I'm being used for my status and to get back at your parents. I should have known better."
"You should have," Monica confird, smiling, "But it's too late now. You are already unable to live without ."
"I'm completely trapped," Khan exclaid.
"You are," Monica nodded, escaping Khan's grip to wrap her arms around his neck. "Though, don't worry, dear. I'll make your imprisonnt worthwhile."
"That's interesting," Khan said. "Go on."
"Patience, dear," Monica giggled. "You still have things to do tonight, don't you?"
Khan smiled proudly at Monica's knowledgeable expression. She was right. The lack of hesitation cleared his mind, showing him what to do. He couldn't co up with answers on his own, so he would summon his trusted advisors.
A few ssages and an hour later, five figures gathered in one of the main building's dining halls, occupying various couches while indulging in food and drinks. George, Lieutenant Dyester, Abraham, Khan, and Monica made themselves comfortable, but the inevitable question eventually resounded.
"Why are we here?" Lieutenant Dyester asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Personally," George replied, "I'm here because the happy couple made fight with my girlfriend."
"You are here because you are the only ones aware of my nightmares," Khan explained, "And each of you fills a specific role."
"Abraham is my lead scientist," Khan continued. "Master Carl is my training expert. George knows about the Niqols arts, and I need Monica for my ntal sanity."
"The issue being?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned.
"The Prince believes we have encountered a living elent," Abraham summarized. "He probably ans to establish a strategy to tackle the topic."
"Exactly," Khan confird.
"However, My Prince," Abraham added. "I thought we had to wait for Mister Bizelli and the Fuveall's findings."
"I know what they will find," Khan responded. "They'll label the descendant's elent as an anomaly among anomalies, and their only suggestion would be to suppress it."
"That's the common course of action against unstable elents," Lieutenant Dyester pointed out, still absorbing the concept of a living elent. "It's the sa with your elent."
"And you can all see the difference between and other chaos wielders," Khan comnted. "That's power to be wielded, not suppressed."
Khan's statent was undeniable, but the audience struggled to agree. Khan was right, but his achievents resulted from his talent and efforts, which no one could mimic. It would be unfair to apply the sa standards to other descendants.
"Wait," George called. "I'm not even half as good as you in the Niqols arts. How can I be of any help?"
"You learned their arts without abandoning the human thods," Khan explained, "Or detaching yourself from humankind. I need your more human perspective."
"Abraham is the scientist," Lieutenant Dyester announced. "The kid knows what you are talking about, and Monica keeps your wiener in check. What do you need for?"
"Your experience training recruits will keep my ideas grounded," Khan answered. "It will tell what's actually doable."
"You do realize I didn't teach many recruits, don't you?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned. "Calling Master doesn't make suitable for the task."
"I don't care," Khan said, waving his hand dismissively. "You are Master Carl now, so get up to speed."
Lieutenant Dyester wanted to complain, but the claim was so unreasonable that he couldn't find anything to say. Khan had changed his title and occupation without asking his permission and now demanded that he perford his job well.
"Isn't the answer obvious?" George wondered. "Just teach this guy the Niqols arts."
"It wouldn't only be this guy," Khan revealed. "If I'm right, there are far more living elents or other anomalies in the Global Army."
"Then, establish schools or sothing," George suggested. "Keep them here to avoid security hazards, and it's done."
"George, how long did it take us to learn those arts?" Khan reminded. "How long would it have taken us if we didn't just go through Istrone's rebellion?"
Khan and George were lost after the Istrone's rebellion, which had made the Niqols arts appealing. Those alien techniques helped them deal with their emotional distress, bringing out more effort on their part.
"I rember different incentives," George muttered.
"George," Monica called, pulling her phone to show Anita's open contact. "Should we see for how long I can stop you from getting laid?"
"My sword, life, and expertise are yours, Miss Solodrey," George promptly stated,
straightening his back to imitate a military salute.
"So," Khan said, pulling Monica on his shoulder to praise her for the excellent job, "How do
we develop training thods humans can imdiately pick up?"
Silence filled the hall as everyone pondered the issue. The audience's different fields of expertise sent the brainstorming in many directions, but realistic conclusions failed to arrive.
"If the living elent is a mutation," Abraham eventually announced, "Won't the supplent help align it with the body? It would probably prevent today's violent reaction."
"What exactly happened today?" Lieutenant Dyester asked.
"Prince Khan forced the living elent to manifest," Abraham explained. "The descendant was hurt in the sudden flare of energy."
"Won't the supplent only fix the anatomical issue then?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned. "It might make the descendant able to withstand the elent but not use it."
"How did you end up controlling the chaos elent?" George inquired. "There has to be a theory behind all the alien talk."
"I mixed the human theory with what the Niqols taught ," Khan summarized, "Isolating and linking specific emotions with certain mories to obtain the desired shapes and
effects."
Lieutenant Dyester, Abraham, and George wore blank faces. The explanation had rendered them speechless, mainly because they had stopped following it halfway through. Khan's description was closer to a fairytale than a scientific approach.
"So," George cleared his throat, "You don't draw specific patterns with your mana to cast
spells."
"I do it with my martial arts," Khan revealed, "With so modifications. Still, no. I only let my mana burst out when I cast spells."
"Are you even human?" George comnted.
"Blue hair," Khan said, pointing at his head, "Flashlights for eyes. Do you really need to ask?"
"What about when you cast all those spells in the air?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned. "Do you use the sa pattern?"
"Oh, no," Khan shook his head. "I influence the surrounding mana with my presence, altering its nature so it's easier to order around."
Even Monica couldn't refrain from peeking at Khan now. She had heard part of his alien knowledge before and had even watched him train. However, his explanation made the
matter sound surreal.
"Like the Niqols did!" George shouted, finally understanding sothing, "Except for the
ordering around part."
"That's Nele," Khan explained. "I take control of the surrounding mana through the Niqols arts and ask favors through the Nele arts."
"Right," George nodded. "Asking favors to the mana. Obviously."
Lieutenant Dyester glanced at George, but the latter shook his head. George had heightened
senses, but they didn't put him anywhere close to what Khan was trying to explain.
"Your emotions," Abraham broke his silence, "The ones you use to cast spells ..."
"And mories," Khan reminded.
"And mories..." Abraham corrected himself.
"They are closer to specific pictures than mories," Khan specified. "Anything can work as
long as it matches the chosen emotion and has high intensity."
"My Prince," Abraham called. He was too polite and loyal to rebuke Khan, but the latter read
between the lines.
"Continue," Khan ordered.
"Humans draw patterns because they produce the intended effects," Abraham declared.
"Still, they are simply channels ant to turn the mana of a specific elent into a specific
spell. My Prince, you have created alternative channels, but their nature and purpose don't
change."
"Those channels require specific emotions," George pointed out. "I'm guessing the Niqols' manipulation field."
"Yes," Khan confird. "That's necessary."
"It's the worst of the three fields," George revealed when Lieutenant Dyester and Abraham
looked at him. "Khan only learned it because-."
George interrupted his joke when he saw Monica wield her phone again, but the ssage
reached the rest of the audience anyway. Mastering the Niqols' manipulation field would still take too long, discarding it from the possible approaches.
"They should just talk it through," Khan sighed. "It's a living elent. Just discuss it and seal
a deal."
The three n showed blank expressions once again, and Monica shook her head, telling Khan how unfeasible that approach was.
"Do you talk with your-?" George began to ask before lifting his hands in surrender.
"Actually, I don't even want to know."
"Magic items," Abraham suddenly announced. "They can channel the elent into specific patterns, unleashing intended effects."
Khan was exploring that sa approach with Monica, and Abraham had provided his expertise throughout the process. Still, each elent was different, and building specific magic items for all the potential anomalies wasn't a realistic idea, especially since only Khan
could handle the task.
"What about the Fuveall?" Khan wondered. "Their implants are basically organic alloys. They can theoretically adapt to the different anomalies and develop specific patterns." "They'd be similar to mana cores," Abraham analyzed. "My Prince, you'd be tasking the
Fuveall to create an additional organ to control living elents. I can see many issues with a
similar project."
"Do you have a better idea?" Khan asked, hoping to receive a positive answer. Still,
Abraham's apologetic face told him everything he needed to know.
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