"How do you even know them?" Khan asked.
Khan had yet to open the description of the two mental techniques on the list, so he could only guess what they did according to their names. Still, Delia seemed to know their exact uses and effects.
"Both techniques consume a lot of mana," Rick added before Delia could answer. "The "enhanced reading" is something that the Guko have created, so it's not perfect for humans. Meanwhile, the "simulated mental battle" is rather advanced. You might be unable to use it without some training."
"How can you both know about this?" Khan repeated as his gaze moved between Rick and Delia.
"Mana has various uses," Delia summarized. "There is a lot more past and in-between martial arts and spells. Magical items and techniques that don't require specific elements have become common after the Global Army interacted with multiple alien species. Still, most of them are too advanced for recruits or soldiers in their second year."
"How does he know about it then?" Khan asked again since Rick was quite close to his age.
"Are you implying that I'm old again?" Delia threatened while pulling Khan's ear, but he pretended to ignore her and kept his eyes on Rick.
"This knowledge has been part of my education before joining the Global Army," Rick shortly explained.
"You must be quite rich," Delia commented before letting go of Khan's ear.
"My family is rich," Rick stated. "I won't be until I prove myself worthy of the name that I carry."
Delia couldn't help but compare Rick with Khan. They were both young, but their lives had been entirely different, and that had led to opposite characters. Rick was timid and insecure, while Khan was the embodiment of confidence.
Meanwhile, Khan replied to the message to question Captain Clayman about the number of items in the list that he could request as rewards for his feats. He didn't expect the soldier to answer quickly, but the latter surprised him.
'Don't be too greedy,' Khan read the answer on his phone and quickly chose everything but the synthetic mana.
'That's still too greedy,' The Captain said in his answer before sending another list that gave a value to each label and number that he couldn't overcome.
Delia had started to advise Rick on how to improve as a soldier, but she moved her attention to Khan when he called her. The Global Army's generosity left her stunned for a few seconds, but she didn't feel too surprised since the matter involved Khan.
Delia also understood the necessity to keep a few things a secret from Rick. Those rewards would become part of Khan's assets, so it wasn't her place to tell everyone about them. Also, she could use that chance to tease him a bit more.
"You can find less detailed versions of these books on the network," Delia whispered to Khan's ear. "I suggest you go for the mental techniques, the training programs, the historical records, and the uses of mana."
"I want to become an ambassador," Khan whispered while turning toward Delia, "And I need information about mana for personal reasons. You know, my element can be troublesome."
Delia approached his ear again and replied in a soft voice. "Ditch the historical records and a mental technique then. The knowledge about the alien species is necessary for your goals, and you really need to learn more about the uses of mana."
"I don't want to give up on a technique either," Khan complained.
"The math is clear," Delia stated. "You can't pick everything."
"I hope the Captain says otherwise," Khan uttered while sending his choices even if they exceeded the max value set on the second list.
"Don't you feel any shame negotiating with a captain?" Delia asked.
"I don't know what that means," Khan joked.
"You must know the meaning of shame to ignore it," Delia corrected.
Rick lowered his head, but he inevitably glanced at the duo from time to time. Khan and Delia didn't seem to care that they were basically flirting in the open. Rick couldn't even understand how Khan could resist Delia's bold approach, especially with her doing everything in her power to get closer to him or make him aware of her captivating presence.
Needless to say, Rick began to admire Khan. The rumors about his feats on the battlefield and his evident experience with women created the image of a perfect man, everything that Rick's family wanted him to become. It didn't help that Khan was younger than Rick, which only made the latter decide that he wanted to learn everything he could during his time as a guide.
"Please, be my master!" Rick suddenly shouted while Khan and Delia were still busy teasing each other.
Khan and Delia raised their gazes from the phone and stared at Rick in confusion, but their eyes soon fell on the small group of soldiers approaching the area. They didn't even reach the cube before gathering around the trio's table.
Khan instinctively prepared for battle, but he forced himself to calm down. He had yet to see the effects of his new mana during a fight, and he wanted to avoid testing them when Delia was so close.
"Do you like the food in our camp?" One of the soldiers, a relatively young man, asked after inspecting the many trays on the table.
Khan didn't immediately answer. The stars on the group's military uniforms gave him a general understanding of the soldiers' power, but he wanted to understand their actual battle experience.
The soldiers were all first-level warriors and mages, but that alone didn't mean much. Power in the hands of a helpless kid was useless, but Khan felt to be among elites. Everyone in the group appeared confident, and they even made sure to remain outside of his knife's range during that conversation.
"I've lived in the Slums for eleven years," Khan replied without adding any emotion in his tone. "Everything tastes better than the food there."
"I've heard that you can dodge the bullets shot by a rifle laying on your face," Another soldier, a young-looking woman, stated.
"My arm and back say otherwise," Khan contradicted while showing the red spots on his forearm and shoulder.
"Is it true that you cut your superior's hand in the middle of the escape?" A third soldier, another young-looking woman, asked.
"Yes, but you missed the part when a giant projectile had fallen on him," Khan responded.
The group fell silent, and the tension in the area intensified. Rick instinctively lowered his head, and Delia wore a cold expression since she didn't like how the soldiers were treating Khan. However, everything ended when the men and women standing around the table began to laugh.
"You are one crazy fella," The man announced while suppressing his laugh and sitting next to Khan. "I had my doubts when the Captain assigned you as one of the leaders of the assault team, but you didn't flinch at all."
"Please understand that we tend to look down on the platoons on the trenches," One of the women announced while she and her companions sat around the table. "The soldiers in this camp generally have enough battle experience to avoid the mindless shooting on the frontlines. HQ deploys us only during important battles."
"Instead, some of us are simply too rich to face risks," Another soldier commented while glancing at Rick.
"Should you really speak about the assault team so openly?" Khan asked, hiding the fact that he felt glad that his new companions appeared capable.
"Only our target is classified," The first man replied. "I've learnt about it because I have friends in high places, but I won't put the mission at risk to brag about it."
"How can you be on Ecoruta with such good friends?" Delia questioned.
"Serving here is good for my profile," The man declared. "Also, my family business deals with the metal obtained from this planet. Being on the surface for a while has become a tradition for potential heirs."
"Wait," Delia exclaimed. "Are you from the Kilwood family?"
"I'm Moses Kilwood," The soldier announced before pointing at the woman near Delia, "And she is my cousin, Peggy Kilwood. We are competing for the next available position in our family, but I promise that we won't let that get in the way of the mission, Chief."
Khan couldn't help but inspect the two cousins. Moses had short brown hair and dark eyes, and his tight uniform revealed a few bulging muscles. Instead, Peggy had slightly long dark hair tied in a bun, blue eyes, and a slender physique.
The two soldiers didn't appear related since their facial features and skin were completely different. Moses had a round face that expressed pure confidence and a dark complexion, while Peggy was pale and had sharp traits.
"Don't call me chief," Khan complained.
"You are our chief, Chief," Moses responded. "Using only Khan isn't appropriate for our positions. Besides, you have already achieved enough to deserve a promotion."
"Call me boss or something if you must," Khan stated. "Just don't use Chief."
The statement surprised everyone, but Moses and the others didn't seem to mind it. Only Delia connected it to Nitis since Khan never acted irrationally unless something triggered bad memories.
"Well, Boss, we only wanted to check you out," Moses eventually explained while standing up. "HQ doesn't want to send training areas, but we spar every morning a bit outside the camp. Feel free to come once your condition improves. I think it would be a good idea to get to know each other's power before going into battle."
"I'll definitely come to check you out," Khan promised as the rest of the soldiers stood up and performed military salutes.
Moses revealed a bright smile before leaving the area. The rest of the soldiers followed him without saying a word, but many glanced at Khan one last time during their walk. The women in the group even inspected Delia since she seemed pretty close to him.
"I told you that they were friendly," Delia commented after the soldiers disappeared from their sight.
"And young," Khan teased.
"Stop joking about that," Delia snorted. "I'm barely twenty-six. I'll keep my good looks until I'm forty if I improve quickly."
Khan smirked but didn't add anything. That interaction with the soldiers had reassured him, and part of him also wanted to see how strong they were. However, the issue with his mana remained. He didn't want to spar with them before understanding how dangerous he was. The same went for the mission in general. He preferred to understand the nature of his condition before jumping into a battle.
Khan didn't forget Rick's request, but his phone had the priority. The Captain had answered to accept his request. He would obtain the two mental techniques, the chaos spear spell, the chaos claws spell, advanced knowledge about mana and its uses, and a general description of the known alien species.
"B-boss!" Rick shouted after mustering his courage.
"You don't have to call me like that," Khan stated after putting away his phone. "You aren't part of the assault team, and I accepted only because Moses didn't seem the type to take no for an answer."
"I still wish to call you like this, Boss," Rick announced.
Khan sighed before standing up and gathering the trays to throw them inside the cube. He didn't address Rick at all, but Delia eventually called him when she saw the soldier's teary eyes.
"Why do you even want me as a master?" Khan asked. "I bet your family can provide you with someone far better than me."
"I had many masters," Rick revealed, "And my improvements aren't too bad either, but they don't match my family's standards anyway. Also, my character is a problem."
"What makes you think that I can fix that?" Khan questioned.
"I believe you wouldn't be afraid to hurt me," Rick honestly admitted.
The statement left both Khan and Delia surprised. Even the descendants from wealthy families had to grow used to struggles and pain at some point. The sole thought that no one dared to teach that to Rick didn't feel possible.
"How important are you?" Khan almost shouted.
"My family name is Rassec," Rick whispered, and Delia widened their eyes in astonishment. Even Khan had heard that name. It belonged to one of the ten noble families.
