Captain Goldmon knew Lieutenant Abaze well, especially when it came to her habit of spending entire hours shopping. She even stopped replying to the Captain's messages at some point, so he and Khan ended up spending a long time in the bar that they had picked as their gathering point.
Khan had learnt to know the Captain a bit during their time together. The soldier was often rude and grumpy, but he was never mean. Also, he was good toward his underlings, and he never failed to teach lessons when the situation required it.
Captain Goldmon was a man of few words. He wasn't the type of person who would start conversations to kill time, and Khan appreciated the silence between them. The soldier even bought new rounds of drinks whenever they emptied their cups, making his company even easier to enjoy for Khan.
The drinks were expensive, but their high quality justified their price. Khan and the Captain enjoyed their good booze in silence as memories resurfaced in their minds. They both had experienced events capable of making their gazes wander for a long time, and neither of them tried to probe the other.
Some things couldn't be said. Some things had to remain in the minds that had experienced them, and both Khan and Captain Goldmon silently agreed on that part. They let the booze get to their heads as they ordered one drink after another.
Khan had no intention of getting drunk, but the situation turned out to be so favorable that he stopped controlling himself. Captain Goldmon was good company. He appeared as an old soldier who had chosen to ignore the political environment and possible promotions to be a simple man, and Khan could only appreciate him.
Khan initially tried to ignore his phone out of respect for the Captain, but his hesitation slowly dispersed as his trust in him grew. The two didn't need words to grow closer, so Khan soon decided to keep himself busy among his drinks and memories.
Khan had spent a lot during that short morning, but his purchases felt worth it. He reviewed his two training programs without activating any hologram, and their exercises sounded interesting. He also started skimming through his new books with the "enhanced reading", but he soon had to stop relying on the technique since the booze was making him fail to perform it too often.
Captain Goldmon didn't say anything about food, and Khan also ignored the matter as he continued to drink. At times, Khan even tried to toast with the soldier and stare at his eyes, but the lack of reactions from the latter reminded him that he wasn't on Nitis anymore.
"You handle your drinks well," Captain Goldmon commented from time to time, probably forgetting that he had already voiced the same lines in the past minutes and hours.
Khan limited himself to wear a fake smile at every comment, and the Captain never failed to follow with a snort. It was clear that the soldier didn't like that dishonest behavior, but Khan couldn't trust him right away. He had partially lowered his barriers only because the Captain seemed to have no interest in playing political games with him.
The morning turned into afternoon, and the sun eventually began to set. Khan tried to slow down on his drinking when he was about to approach his limits, but the Captain began to order new booze for both of them whenever he emptied his cup.
At first, Khan tried to keep up with the Captain's drinking speed, but his body couldn't match the resilience of a third-level warrior. He had to voice his desire to stop when the situation became truly risky, and the Captain accepted his request with one of his usual snorts.
Lieutenant Abaze and Amber reached the shop one hour after Khan stopped drinking. Their faces revealed how fulfilled they both felt, but their expressions changed as soon as they laid their eyes on Khan and Captain Goldmon.
Khan wasn't too off. His head spun during the spikes of dizziness, and redness had taken control of his cheeks. His breath wasn't great either, but he could prevent himself from mumbling. He also retained a good understanding of his situation, and the break from drinking had started to do wonders.
Instead, Captain Goldmon was far worse. He was a third-level warrior, but he had drunk an uncountable number of cups after Khan had taken his break, and his face showed each one of them. His eyes were half-closed and red, his head went up and down, and vague mumbled words left his mouth from time to time.
"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone for too long," Lieutenant Abaze commented.
"You should contain your shopping drive then," Captain Goldmon responded in a surprisingly clear tone.
'Is he drunk or not?' Khan wondered while showing his surprise.
His doubts only increased when he saw the Captain abruptly straightening his head after he threatened to fall on the table. Khan didn't know how to judge his state, but Lieutenant Abaze soon took the matter into her own hands.
"I think it's better to go," Lieutenant Abaze announced while approaching the Captain's seat and tapping his shoulder. "Captain, we had to take the train."
"I know," The Captain scoffed in a clear tone. He picked his cane to force himself to stand up, and Lieutenant Abaze wrapped her arm around his right elbow to support him.
Khan stood up slowly to avoid falling prey to his dizziness. The world in his vision tried to spin, but he stayed still for a few seconds to find his balance. He was fine, but he couldn't stop thinking about the food cans in his fridge back in the training camp.
"How are you feeling?" Amber whispered when Lieutenant Abaze began to lead the Captain toward the underground hall.
"I'm fine," Khan chuckled. "I'm not stupid around booze."
"I know that from your profile," Amber teased.
"You have no idea how troublesome that is," Khan joked. "Every superior I meet tries to offer me a drink or two. I mean, I don't mind it, but I'm not a drunkard."
"Didn't you just spend most of the afternoon drinking with your superior?" Amber asked as a giggle escaped her mouth.
"We covered the shopping part first," Khan proudly revealed.
"Did you find a suitable Tainted animal in the end?" Amber asked.
"I did," Khan stated. "Yet, I'm still unclear about the teaching part. Everyone in the camp seems to love you. Do you have any advice, Professor Teldom?"
"Stop it," Amber laughed. "I don't have any secret. Besides, our subjects are quite personal, so we all have different teaching methods. I treat the recruits honestly. I think that gave me a decent following and a good image."
'Is she unaware of her general sweet aura?' Khan wondered, but his state prevented him from realizing that he had started to stare at Amber's face.
"What is it?" Amber diverted her gaze shyly.
"Oh, sorry," Khan quickly exclaimed. "I was thinking about the other reasons behind your popularity."
Amber frowned, but she blushed when she connected the previous stare to the last line. She tried to glance at Khan, but he had already moved his attention on the street.
"Are you always this direct when you drink?" Amber questioned.
"I'm always direct," Khan declared before a sigh escaped his mouth. "I have just developed bad habits in the Slums."
"Like?" Amber continued.
"The soldiers don't care about the squabbles there," Khan explained. "Everyone is on their own, and many areas can be dangerous. There are rules, but they only work when you get caught. You end up learning to lie and hide your character since you can't trust anyone."
"Did I gain your trust then?" Amber asked while wearing a sweet smile.
"Not at all," Khan laughed before nodding at her when he noticed her surprise. "I've only understood that you are a good person."
Amber wasn't used to such direct compliments, especially from Khan. Still, she felt at ease, and another question inevitably escaped her mouth. "Are you really seventeen? Where did you even get your confidence?"
"Don't fall for me already," Khan smirked before glancing at a random point in the distance.
"I-, I didn't mean that!" Amber complained, but Khan only laughed.
His reaction made Amber complain even harder until she started pulling his arm and triggering more teasing words. She let him go and pouted, but she eventually started to smile.
Casual conversations and a few jokes flew between Khan and Amber until the group reached the underground hall. The four didn't waste time and entered the platform where they could call the train, and everything fell silent once they took their seats inside the vehicle.
Captain Goldmon fell asleep as soon as he sat, while the others killed time through their phones and the holograms generated by their seats. Khan could review his day. He had spent quite a bit, but his gains felt worth it.
A few messages reached his phone during the trip back to the training camp. An unnamed soldier contacted him through an account labeled "Global Army" to talk about the Tainted ape that had arrived. Khan had to look at his schedule to give proper indications, and the conversation ended soon after.
Khan would have to host his first lesson tomorrow, and his schedule was already on the network. His subject wasn't mandatory, and Headmaster Pitcus had placed it in the late afternoon, but he believed that many recruits would come due to his fame. Still, keeping them there would be up to him.
When the train stopped, Captain Goldmon left his seat and started to depart on his own. He voiced short goodbyes and climbed the stairs back to the parking area. Lieutenant Abaze's salutations were more polite, but they were also short since she couldn't wait to check everything she had bought in Reebfell.
Khan was hungry, but Amber wasn't in a hurry to get back to her habitation, and he needed her help for a small issue. It was only slightly past dinnertime, so the two returned to the surface slowly as they chitchatted and exchanged jokes.
"How did you even survive for so long without knowing such basic features?" Amber laughed while pointing at a label on Khan's device. "Press there, then open that window. Do you see that label? It will lead to a menu where you have to write why the Global Army should give you a refund."
"Writing isn't my strong point," Khan admitted while wearing a pleading expression and glancing at Amber.
"I had already planned to help you with that," Amber revealed. "I believe the Global Army will cover the entire purchase. As for the expenses for the Tainted animal's maintenance, I think they will depend on your performance during the lessons."
"Right, that thing again," Khan sighed. "I think I know how I want to handle my lessons, but many recruits will probably run away after the first one."
"Don't sell yourself short," Amber praised. "You might not notice it, but you have a charming character when you stop pretending. Just be honest with your recruits, and everything will be fine."
Khan sighed again, but he didn't waste that chance to tease Amber. "Do you feel charmed already?"
"Shut up," Amber chuckled while getting closer to Khan to help him write the request for a refund.
The two walked slowly through the streets of the training camp as they joked and finished handling Khan's matters. Both of them were having fun, and the emptiness of the area allowed them to put aside the eventual stoic pretenses that meeting recruits would require.
"Done!" Khan exclaimed after sending his request. "Thank you, Amber."
"You are good with words," Amber stated. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of the formal writing quickly."
The two had no reason to walk together now that Khan's problems were over, but he didn't hesitate to voice an offer. "Let me walk you back home to thank you for today."
"Shall I remind you that I'm stronger than you?" Amber teased.
"Do you want to walk me home then?" Khan laughed, and Amber shook her head while a smile appeared on her face.
"My building is in that direction," Amber said while pointing toward a street and turning toward it.
Khan limited himself to smile and follow her, and the two soon started exchanging jokes again. A few casual topics also appeared, and Amber even described part of her lessons.
Khan didn't know why, but he was having a good time. Amber was easy to talk to, and the booze was doing its job, but Khan still felt surprised that he could go entire minutes without experiencing his constant desperation. It would typically take a fight to achieve that, and the lack of romantic interest toward Amber only intensified his amazement.
Amber was definitely beautiful, but Khan was enjoying having a friend with whom sharing a light-hearted laugh and ordinary conversations. Amber was giving him a taste of normality, and he felt able to accept it after a few struggles.
However, the rest of the world seemed unable to let Khan have that moment. He and Amber found a recruit sitting on a bench when they reached the central areas of the camp. Their first instinct was to fall silent for a bit, but Khan stopped his tracks when he recognized Cora.
Cora stood up and glanced at Khan before diverting her gaze. She waited in her spot and didn't make a single step toward him.
"Is she here for you?" Amber asked since Cora kept glancing at Khan.
"It's complicated," Khan sighed.
"Don't tell me that you kept your date waiting to be with me," Amber exclaimed as a tinge of annoyance began to seep into her tone.
"Do you think I'm that kind of man?" Khan asked while fixing his eyes on Amber.
The direct question made regret appear in Amber's mind. She didn't want to doubt Khan, but her words might have offended him. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Khan spoke before her. "Hey, it's fine."
Khan sounded reassuring, and Amber could only try her best not to appear awkward. She wore her sweet smile and glanced at Cora before teasing him. "You shouldn't play with a woman's heart. Go to her. I'll ask you how it went tomorrow."
"What about my heart?" Khan whispered.
Amber didn't expect those words, but Khan began to walk toward Cora before she could ask anything. He only voiced short goodbyes in which he implied that he would contact her tomorrow.
"Why didn't you send me a message?" Khan asked when he reached Cora. "I might have missed you if I didn't pass through here."
"I didn't want to disturb you while you were working," Cora explained. "I would have gone back on my own before the curfew."
"You don't need to be so careful," Khan sighed.
"You might have avoided me if I asked to meet through a message," Cora responded while lowering her gaze. She had to muster the entirety of her courage to say that.
Her boldness surprised Khan, but he soon smiled and bent forward to make his eyes meet hers. Cora blushed, but she forced herself to look at him without diverting her gaze.
"I won't leave you hanging, okay?" Khan reassured. "Just, don't wait in the middle of the camp on your own anymore. It hurts knowing that you are doing it in the hope of meeting me."
"Do you promise?" Cora asked timidly.
"Just like I promised not to forget about your kiss," Khan laughed, and the entirety of Cora's face turned red.
"I-, why do you keep bringing that up?" Cora complained, but Khan didn't answer, and the two soon started walking toward her dormitory.
****
Author's notes: For those wondering, there will be a second chapter.
