When the weekend after the tests began, Khan, Monica, George, and Anita gathered in the main hall to wait for the results. Wayne and Francis were also there due to the event's relevance, and no one dared to mention the early hour when glancing at the bottles on the tables and floor.
The morning was mostly silent, but the notification that reached the students' phones broke it, intensifying the overall tension. Everyone immediately dived into their screens, unlocking their devices to see whether their efforts had paid off.
Khan skimmed past the individual scores to reach his average. Differently from his companions, he had a specific goal to achieve. Yet, seeing the advanced classes' overall scoreboard brought disappointment.
'Sixth,' Khan read on the screen. 'Dammit.'
Having gotten so close to Madam Solodrey's goalpost didn't reassure Khan. He knew Monica's mother. In her mind, sixth place was the same as last. Any achievement was pointless without being in the top five.
Monica had also skimmed past the overview to reach the overall scoreboard, and reading Khan's place made her want to reassure him. However, he ignored his surroundings and closed his eyes while bringing the phone to his forehead.
The previous failures were insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the latest was final. The semester had ended. Khan wouldn't have more opportunities to improve his score. He had simply failed.
Khan's reaction told even those who didn't reach the overall scores that he had failed to enter the top five. Still, no one spoke. It was simply pointless to throw empty words at him.
As if to add fuel to the fire, a call reached Khan's phone and forced him to open his eyes. Lowering the screen showed a predictable name, and Monica opened her mouth to speak when she peeked at it.
"I got this," Khan said, beating Monica to it. "I'll be right back."
As much as Monica wanted to say something, she remained silent and watched Khan leave the couch. He quickly dived into a corridor and isolated himself inside a bedroom to get some privacy, and a helpless sigh escaped his mouth when he brought the phone to his ear.
"Madam Solodrey," Khan exclaimed. "I didn't expect you to call so soon."
"Madam Solodrey?" Madam Solodrey scoffed. "Are you worried about something, Captain?"
Khan didn't reply and let his thoughts run freely. A carefree and teasing approach wouldn't work in that situation. He needed something else to avoid being completely passive in the conversation, but his options were limited.
"To think it takes so little to make you show respect," Madam Solodrey pressed on. "I'm almost disappointed."
Khan went over his allies and position. He could opt for threats if Madam Solodrey attempted to do something, but that was far from ideal. Monica's family had barely begun to accept him. He couldn't act as an enemy in such a delicate moment.
"Headmistress Holwen called to ask for permission to hire you," Madam Solodrey continued, her tone growing politer. "I've taken the liberty to accept and set up an appropriate salary."
"What?" Khan broke his silence, frowning in confusion.
"Of course," Madam Solodrey added, "Having authority over those agreements was our prerogative, to begin with. I'm only showing basic respect by giving it to you like this."
"I'm," Khan muttered, "I'm not sure I'm following, ma'am."
"What are you not following, Captain?" Madam Solodrey complained. "My time is limited, and you are wasting it."
"I didn't make it into the top five," Khan bluntly said. He didn't add anything, but his hidden meaning was clear. He expected insults, admonishments, or some form of punishment from the woman who set that goalpost.
"It would have been an insult to the Harbor and most families if you truly entered the top five," Madam Solodrey snorted. "I never expected you to get there. We would have had to rethink how we educate our descendants otherwise."
"But," Khan voiced, but Madam Solodrey didn't give him a chance to argue.
"Captain, how long did you spend studying?" Madam Solodrey questioned. "I'm not talking about your time in the Harbor. Since your enlistment, how many lessons did you even attend?"
Khan opened his mouth but remained silent. His year in Ylaco's training camp had been relatively full of lessons, but things had started to go south afterward. He had studied on Nitis for a while, but his superiors' orders had eventually forced him to abandon a regular education in favor of the relationships with the Niqols.
The following period never gave Khan a chance to study either. He didn't even need to since his jobs stood outside the purely academic field. At most, he could count a grand total of two years of lessons, and that number was rounded up.
"Exactly," Madam Solodrey stated, almost knowing the calculation that had happened inside Khan's mind. "Did you really think you could match descendants who have begun their studies as soon as they could read?"
Khan could argue that he had surpassed most of those descendants, but that wasn't the place for arrogance. Madam Solodrey had made her point clear, and something told Khan that she didn't want to linger on that topic any longer.
"About the job," Khan mentioned, clearing his throat. "What does it involve?"
"I'm sure you can guess that," Madam Solodrey uttered. "The network overflowed with rumors about the Thilku in the past month."
"Ma'am, I need details to prepare accordingly," Khan said, sighing and rolling his eyes when he found the right words to add, "And to avoid bringing shame to the Solodrey family."
"Is that how you tricked my daughter?" Madam Solodrey scoffed.
"I like to think she would have fallen for me anyway," Khan responded.
"Children," Madam Solodrey sighed. "Headmistress Holwen hired you as a scout for her new political team. You'll be on the frontlines during the investigation about the Thilku bomb."
"Do you know my tasks?" Khan wondered.
"I thought you learnt the scout's duties in your lessons," Madam Solodrey replied. "Am I mistaken?"
'She is enjoying this,' Khan cursed before continuing his polite approach. "Not at all, ma'am. I was only wondering if you knew the job details already."
"I don't," Madam Solodrey revealed. "Passing information to the family is your job. I expect monthly updates. Weekly if the situation allows it."
'So much for deals with the other descendants,' Khan thought without feeling surprised. He had already predicted that the Solodrey family would have claimed priority on that information. It only made sense considering his public allegiance with them.
"Is that a problem?" Madam Solodrey questioned.
"It's not," Khan declared. "You can count on me, ma'am."
"Good," Madam Solodrey exclaimed. "The Thilku territory has profitable business opportunities. Many factions inside the family are eager to exploit them."
"I'll look out for them," Khan promised.
"I don't expect you to recognize them," Madam Solodrey explained. "Focus on giving complete and extensive reports. Our specialists will handle the rest."
"It will be done, ma'am," Khan stated.
"Now," Madam Solodrey continued. "About my dear daughter."
Khan fell silent again. He knew the Solodrey family had plans for Monica, and she had even gone over them in the past months. The possibilities were almost endless with her position and education, so it was up to her mother to decide where to send her.
"Ideally," Madam Solodrey announced, "I would send her far away from you and keep her there for a long time, hoping that a prolonged separation would put an end to this childish behavior."
Khan remained calm. He had dealt with Madam Solodrey enough times to know she wasn't done. That statement was only a veiled threat she was ready to implement if things took a bad turn.
"However," Madam Solodrey continued, "The public eye wouldn't like that, and we don't want dangerous rumors to spread. As much as it pains me to admit it, we must show unity in our approval of your relationship."
"So?" Khan couldn't refrain from asking.
"My daughter will leave the Harbor," Madam Solodrey stated, "But I'll plan reunions when the situation and your job allow it. Of course, these events will require a very specific behavior."
"We'll make sure to appear in public," Khan promised, understanding what Madam Solodrey meant. "The entire Global Army will know that the Solodrey family is facilitating our reunions."
"Perfect," Madam Solodrey exclaimed. "Headmistress Holwen will send details about the missions later during the day and probably summon you next week. I'll hear from you soon, Captain."
"I can't wait, Madam Solodrey," Khan lied, and the call ended.
The urge to cry in excitement invaded Khan. He didn't only obtain confirmation about the political job. Madam Solodrey had also conveyed her continued support for his relationship. That was the best-case scenario, and the desire to celebrate filled his mind.
Khan threw the phone on the bed and hurried toward the main hall. A series of worried gazes fell on him, but he didn't give them the time to inspect his excited face as he headed for Monica's couch.
Monica had leaned past the couch's back to inspect Khan, but he went directly for her armpits, lifting her to place her on his shoulder. A series of questions and complaints reached his ears, but Monica understood everything when she got a decent look at his face.
"We'll be back in a few minutes!" Monica hurriedly said, lifting her back to look at her companions still on the couches.
"Try a few hours," Khan voiced without looking back, carrying Monica until they disappeared inside a bedroom.
