The idea of returning to Earth had never crossed Khan's mind during that period. Nitis had left him in pain, broken, and cynical. Thinking hurt, which was why he decided to throw himself into a battlefield.
However, Lieutenant Unchai's words made sense on many levels. Khan was only seventeen. He was incredibly strong for his age, but he remained a first-level warrior with no deep knowledge. He was even quite ignorant about common subjects taught in the training camps.
An ambassador required far more than strength. Someone in that position needed a vast knowledge of the political array, multiple social skills, and a good understanding of alien's customs. Khan had nothing similar, but he was working on the last point.
It was clear that the path was long, and Khan understood how traveling through battlefields wouldn't give him what he needed. A peaceful period when he could study and fill his gaps appeared necessary, and Earth really sounded like his best option.
The job was even quite fitting. Experiencing the life of a professor wouldn't only give Khan the chance to expand his social skills. He would also establish many relationships with descendants from important families. His subject was relatively new too, so he expected many recruits to join it.
Still, Khan remained uncertain. He had no idea how to teach, and his experience with Rick barely counted. Moreover, everything would happen on Earth, which didn't make him feel too excited.
When Khan managed to look past his pain and desperation, he could see his true self. He was curious and open-minded. The chance to experience different cultures, species, customs, and planets excited him. He also liked to fight and prevail over his opponents. Life in a safe environment didn't suit him.
Nevertheless, Khan had to work hard to achieve a type of life that matched his personality. Right now, his only value came from his battle prowess. The Global Army probably wouldn't refuse his requests to visit different planets, but he would be nothing more than a soldier there.
His fame would also fade at some point, and his privileges would disappear with it. Khan could probably reach high positions inside the Global Army before that, but he would be unable to have total freedom if he remained a simple warrior.
'Do I really have to go back on Earth?' Khan wondered while sipping the awful booze from the cap.
Khan was sitting on his large bed while pondering about the issue. The Colonel's bottle was on a small table next to him, and his free hand tapped his phone lazily as he browsed the network. He was checking his alternatives, but he couldn't find anything special.
The Global Army had already updated his profile, but that didn't improve his opportunities. The number of possible jobs had increased significantly, but they mostly involved roles as a foot soldier. The best ones saw Khan joining private platoons meant to defend valuable shipments or locations.
A few positions were vaguely interesting. Khan could become a student in specific academies that provided a higher level of education. He could even travel toward alien training camps and experience the uses of mana there. Still, those roles were beneath the position of a professor. Accepting the Colonel's offer seemed the best option career-wise.
Khan didn't feel excited at the idea of becoming a student again, and his role on eventual alien planets would never reach the levels experienced on Nitis. He didn't have any special skill or knowledge, so his position inside those training camps wouldn't touch anything important.
The matter would have been different if Khan had specializations in some complicated subjects that involved mana and tech. However, the simple nature of his abilities could only grant minor roles in places where the Global Army had already established good relationships.
'My career could suffer there,' Khan sighed while removing the filters that showed the alien training camps. 'I would be a foot soldier among experts in multiple fields.'
Khan didn't share his father's passion for technology and research. He had learnt to like to study the natures that mana could obtain, but only because it made him stronger. He was an adventurer, but he needed to stop traveling to acquire the skills that the Global Army required to give him that job.
'Do I really have to go there?' Khan repeated in his mind as a groan escaped his mouth.
The sole idea of meeting his father would shatter everything he had achieved in those months. Khan was feeling better after losing himself in the mana for so long. He had even started to enjoy battles and smile a bit more, but his pain was still there. He knew that Bret's face could make everything resurge in an angry shape.
Khan couldn't make up his mind, so he decided not to think about the matter until the official offer arrived. The bottle ended that night, but he easily found a new one the next day. Every door in the camp opened for him, and no one ever dared to ask for money.
Khan soon fell prey to his previous busy schedule. He spent his time inside training halls or sparring sessions. He didn't want to think about his future or plan his next move. The Ef'i's lifestyle was simple and appealing for someone in his situation. Everything came to him as long as he won. Everyone looked up to him as long as he remained the best.
Still, the time to make a decision arrived after spending two days fighting and training non-stop. Khan was about to fall asleep inside a training hall when his phone rang, and the message that he didn't want to read arrived.
The message came from a profile labeled "Global Army" and described the details behind the job. It turned out that Ylaco had yet to gain enough recruits to create new positions for eventual professors, so the offer saw Khan going to Reebfell, one of the big cities on Earth.
The job was quite simple. Khan would have to coordinate the professors handling the physical subjects to create a class that taught about the actual dangers of the battlefield. The position only occupied a few hours every week. It also had a salary, but he didn't understand whether that number of Credits was good or not.
The message didn't state precise details about the job. Khan would have to set them with the other professors handling similar subjects. Everything was vague since the position was new, and a lot could change throughout the years as the Global Army studied the results.
Everything sounded far too perfect. Khan wouldn't only get paid. He would also gain a flat inside Reebfell's camp and free access to most buildings. Many books would even be at his disposal, and the position would grant him many discounts on things that required Credits.
Only an idiot would refuse such a great offer, but Khan still hesitated. He wouldn't have to face his father, but his destination remained Earth. Nothing would stop him from thinking there.
'Am I running away from peace?' Khan wondered as he sensed that nothing managed to appease his hesitation. 'Am I afraid that everything I have experienced would become meaningless?'
His hesitations had many reasons, but he still needed to make a decision. Khan bumped the back of his head a few times on the training hall's metal wall before moving his finger near the two labels at the end of the message. One of them would mark his acceptance of the job, and he pressed it after taking a deep breath.
The decision was final now, but Khan didn't feel better. Part of the painful emotions he had managed to suppress in the last period even returned after opting for peace. He was turning the page on a series of tragedies and awful experiences, but no happiness or relief arrived.
A series of messages arrived after accepting the job. The Global Army sent him indications meant for his return on Earth. Khan had to leave the camp to reach the nearest location with a teleport, which required a car and a code that the soldiers had to scan to confirm the truthfulness of his requests.
Khan glanced at the almost empty bottle near him. He wasn't drunk, but he decided not to drive in that condition. His eyes closed and the nightmare went by as he rested and dispersed the effects of the booze.
When Khan woke up, he reached his habitation and cleaned himself before taking a new military uniform. After leaving the building, he approached the parking area and showed the code to the soldiers guarding the cars. One of them offered to ride Khan to the teleport, but he refused.
Khan still felt awkward in a car, but the solitary drive to the camp with the teleport allowed him to gain more confidence. The vehicle had a map that kept track of his position, so getting lost was virtually impossible. He didn't even have a specific timeline to respect, so he took many detours to experience the hot wind on his face.
The departure didn't feature any grand salutations, and the drive also lacked significant events. Khan reached the other camp in a few hours. Soldiers welcomed him warmly, but he limited those interactions to short salutes.
The building with the teleport quickly appeared in his eyes, and he reached the actual device after showing his codes to the soldiers inside it. The usual scans went by before Khan could step on the oval platform and sense the synthetic mana accumulating around him.
The scenery changed in an instant. Dark metal filled Khan's vision, but his eyes quickly fell on a series of excited gazes that had converged toward his figure. Many soldiers left their consoles to inspect him from head to toe.
"Is this Reebfell's training camp?" Khan asked to break free of that awkward situation.
One of the soldiers wearing white medical coats snapped out of her daze and took a step forward. The middle-aged woman nodded before pointing at a corridor and voicing a short greeting. "Khan, sir, we were waiting for you. Please, wait in front of the building once you cross the scanners. A soldier will reach you shortly."
Khan nodded and stepped out of teleport. He had long since grown used to the scanners by then, but the excited gazes of the soldiers handling the various machines felt awkward. His fame had already spread on Earth, and no one even tried to hide it.
'I wonder if Professor Norwell had to go through something like this,' Khan cursed in his mind before looking at the results of the scanners.
His attunement with mana had merely gone up by one point during his stay on Onia. The pace of his growth had slowed down as he advanced toward the next checkpoint, and the matter naturally annoyed him.
'Strange,' Khan thought when he left the building and took a deep breath of Earth's air.
Khan still recalled what he had felt after leaving Istrone. His body had experienced a moment of bliss back then, but nothing similar happened now.
'Have I become too used to alien planets?' Khan casually wondered while inspecting the Reebfell's camp.
The camp showed a scene that Khan didn't experience in a long time. It was almost night, but some light still filled the area. Clean streets and large spots with well-kept grass expanded in his vision, but the many young soldiers in the distance remained the most surprising detail in the scenery.
Memories inevitably surged in Khan's mind. He recalled his time in Ylaco's training camp with Martha, Lieutenant Dyester, Luke, and Bruce. Those peaceful events seemed to belong to a different life, but a smile still appeared on his face at the sight of such naïve happiness. Most of those young soldiers had no idea what could happen once they left the safety of those buildings.
'I guess this is what I have to teach,' Khan thought as he kept his gaze on those faint figures. 'I need to break their naivety.'
A figure eventually grew close. Khan saw a young woman with two stars on each shoulder approaching him and performing a military salute as soon as she arrived near him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Khan," The woman announced. "I'm Amber Teldom. I'm sure working with you will be great."
"Are you a professor, ma'am?" Khan questioned while inspecting the woman.
Amber had long brown hair and green eyes. She was slightly shorter than him, but her physique was virtually perfect. She was slim but with curves in the right places, and her face carried a faint sweetness. Khan found it hard to see her as someone who handled battle-related courses.
"I take care of a special course about spells," Amber explained as a sweet smile appeared on her face. "You don't have to be so polite. We are peers right now. Actually, I think I might have to address you as "sir" soon."
"Why is that?" Khan asked as the two started to leave the building.
"The headmaster is about to give you a promotion," Amber explained. "He is the only one in this training camp who can award them. Don't worry. We are about to see him."
****
Author's notes: Special thanks to hkuds for the Castle!
