Khan didn't like that situation. He was an alien for the Thilku, but Lord Exr expected him to enforce regulations. Many problems could arise from that, especially from an emotional standpoint.
Khan's broader mindset had often made him disregard his human heritage. He barely considered himself a member of that species. However, he wasn't blind to the many differences, both on a physical and cultural level.
'Orders are orders,' Khan thought, trying to seal his emotions into a deep part of his mind, only to fail immediately. That outcome was worrisome, forcing Khan to hope the situation never pushed him past his limits.
"[Follow me]," Amox announced once all the Thilku paired themselves with a human. The cooperation between the two species had given birth to mixed couples that would handle different areas, but they wouldn't be alone in the task.
As Khan and Amox walked past the landing platform and jumped onto the vast street below, a few squads from the four platoons reached for them, stopping a few meters away to build a formal line. Those troops occupied both ends of the road and remained still, conveying nothing but seriousness.
The heavy rain couldn't hinder Khan's inspection. He could almost smell those troops' resolve, intensifying his bad feelings. Something told him that he wouldn't enjoy that job.
"[They are with us]," Amox explained, pulling up his sleeve to uncover a device bound to his forearm. "[They'll support us and provide back-up if necessary]."
Khan didn't even nod. He glanced at the troops one last time before inspecting the device on Amox's forearm. It looked like a metal armguard, but red holograms came out when Amox ran his fingers on some of its rune's lines.
The holograms depicted a small map with dots and markers that Amox tinkered with by tracing more of the armguard's rune. That symbol worked like an array of menus, which Khan didn't have the time to master in the last period.
"[Is that our district]?" Khan questioned, showing his interest in the device.
"[Yes]," Amox confirmed. "[We must go past the factories to reach the workers' houses]."
Amox didn't say it, but a map was a map in every culture. Khan couldn't read some of its symbols but could guess his companion's intentions. Amox was planning how to approach the targeted blocks, and Khan waited for him to finish.
"[Alright]," Amox eventually nodded, slamming his hand on the holograms to put them back into the rune. He was ready to get going, but Khan's interest in the device made him voice a question. "[What is it]?"
"[I still don't know much about those]," Khan said, hesitating a bit before finding the word that could express what he meant, "[Runes]."
"[Oh]!" Amox chuckled, twisting his forearm to show the device. "[The theory is simple. Each symbol has multiple purposes, and we combine them to activate a function]."
"[It sounds complicated]," Khan admitted.
"[Maybe for humans]," Amox stated, waving his fingers over the rune. "[It's faster and more direct than your technology once you learn how to use it]."
"[How many symbols should I learn]?" Khan wondered.
"[Two to three thousand should be enough if you are interested]," Amox explained. "[There are older symbols even I don't know, but the Empire rarely uses them anymore]."
'It's interesting,' Khan thought. That technology still relied on synthetic mana but had a deeper approach to the whole field. It resembled a less scientific version of the Tors' arts.
"[Let's discuss this another time]," Amox exclaimed, pulling down his sleeve and covering the device. "[We must work now]."
Amox's eyes snapped on the fuming district and darted left and right a few times before his legs began to move. Khan followed closely at his side, putting some strength into his steps to match his companion's pace. The troops appointed to them also began to march but remained politely behind.
Khan had seen vehicles filling the city's streets from above but couldn't find anything similar on the roads before him. It seemed that the Thilku had restricted access to cars in the targeted districts to facilitate the investigation.
Amox led Khan directly into the district by walking at the center of one of its main roads. The rain continued to pour, making the metal surfaces slippery, but the scouts never lost their foothold. Their shoes got drenched, but their attention remained on their surroundings.
The district had tall and short structures, many featuring open and large entrances that revealed their insides. Ramps probably meant for vehicles connected them to the street, but their absence allowed Khan to inspect everything.
The large halls connected to the ramps featured heavy machinery of all kinds. Khan saw power hammers, mobile lifts, cranes, and much more powered by the Thilku's red runes, but the people managing them captured most of his attention.
Sweaty and often bare-chested Thilku stood before the heavy machinery. Orange and yellow lights flickered on their faces, hinting at the presence of fire or heat sources. They seemed to work according to a precise schedule, but Khan's passage often interrupted it.
Many gazes fell on Khan whenever he walked past the factories' open entrances. The Thilku inside them stopped in their tracks to inspect the human figure partially hidden by the rain, and their reactions fit a specific stance.
Khan sensed the heat from those factories, but a cold feeling always joined it. The Thilku's distrust toward the human presence was evident, and some of those emotions often led to anger, making a few workers spit on the floor to express it.
Amox noticed a few of those disrespectful gestures, and hoarse groans left his mouth. Glares at the workers in question accompanied them, but he never went past that. After all, the factories weren't his target.
Still, the scene confirmed what Khan had initially guessed. He was an alien there, especially for such a proud species. It wouldn't be odd for those workers to feel that the Empire was betraying them by cooperating with the Global Army on such a level.
The district was quite big, so Khan saw no shortage of expressions of distrust. However, the buildings eventually grew scarcer, showing almost empty blocks only filled with heavy machinery and materials. Those parts of the city were still in construction, and Khan occasionally found a few teams among them.
The air grew heavier and the rain dirtier due to the waste materials released by those construction plants. The symphony showed the consequences of technology and the price the environment had to pay for its benefits, which Khan's body instinctively rejected.
"[That's our target]," Amox announced once the two crossed the last empty blocks and saw a few rows of short buildings in the distance. "[We must search those houses]."
"[Why are they dangerous]?" Khan asked. "[You have yet to tell me that]."
"[Only if they resist]," Amox explained shortly.
"[But why]?" Khan repeated. "[Are they more than simple workers]?"
Amox hesitated to answer. That actually was the first time Khan had seen the alien in a similar condition. The topic involved issues Amox didn't want to or couldn't talk about. Yet, a reply eventually arrived.
"[Neuria is near the Empire's edges]," Amox explained. "[It's an honor to populate it and oversee its construction, but not everyone is a volunteer]."
"[Criminals]?" Khan wondered.
"[Some]," Amox revealed. "[Others are retired or discharged soldiers]."
"[I understand]," Khan said, avoiding probing any further. It was clear Amox didn't want to add details about the matter since it involved the Empire's internal structure, and Khan respected that.
"[If we meet resistance]," Khan moved to a different topic, "[How should we handle it]?"
"[Suppression]," Amox stated. "[We are authorized to use lethal force if necessary]."
"[But you'd avoid it]," Khan added, sensing Amox's concerns.
"[They wouldn't take it lightly]," Amox said, nodding toward the closing buildings but remaining vague.
Khan didn't need anything else. A human killing in Thilku territory couldn't look good, especially considering that species' pride. The event could start a revolt depending on the workers' mood.
The street grew dirtier as the scouts approached the block. Those areas seemed to have yet to implement automatic cleaning services, but Khan mostly focused on the troops behind him.
Those Thilku soldiers had never left Khan and Amox alone, but their prowess was unclear. There were only first and second-level warriors, with some having guns and similar weapons under their coats. They could be useful, but the two scouts remained the main force.
Once the group reached the targeted block, Amox called the soldiers and gave orders. Some of those twenty troops had to block eventual escape paths, while others had to remain on the two streets that divided the district into four areas.
Khan used that chance to inspect his surroundings. The district had four rows of three-story-tall buildings that stood on a metal surface slammed there to act as a stable foundation. Barren and muddy ground encircled it, marking the end of the city.
The buildings had a few runes on their surfaces, but Khan couldn't see windows. Those structures were nothing more than black, rectangular houses erected for the sole purpose of providing warm beds to their inhabitants.
The area risked being dark due to its distance from the city, but the many street lamps made it quite bright. Those metal pillars had glowing red cubes at their top that shone on the buildings, dispersing Neuria's eternal night.
Khan couldn't help but find the area gloomy. If the city was Reebfell, those buildings were its Slums. They were cleaner and in a far better state than what he had seen on Earth, but their vibe was the same.
"[We should start]," Amox called while Khan was still immersed in his inspection. "[Don't draw your knife unless something happens]."
Khan complied, resting his hand on the sheath instead of the weapon's handle. Meanwhile, Amox strode toward the nearest door, and Khan made sure to remain behind him.
"[Open up]!" Amox shouted, placing his hand on the red rune beside the metal door. "[By order of Lord Exr, we must perform an inspection]."
A few seconds had to pass before a hoarse male voice came out of the door. "[Do you have any authorization]?"
Amox pulled up his sleeve and activated the device on his right forearm before pointing its rune at the symbol on the wall. The two exchanged information, which convinced the house's owner since its door opened.
Amox stepped forward when the tall entrance opened, and Khan followed. A simple room with carpets, a staircase, and a single couch became visible. A wall also had a holographic screen, but Khan couldn't help but focus on the tall figure staring at him.
The house's owner was an old Thilku with only a few white strands left on his nape. The man's wrinkled skin spoke for his age, but his size remained imposing. He wasn't only on the upper end of the Thilku's average height. He also had impressive muscles visible from under his baggy and ragged clothes.
The old Thilku appeared pissed about that inspection, but Khan's arrival transformed that feeling into contempt. He didn't like having a human in his home, and his mouth quickly moved to convey that.
"[Since when does the Empire ask for human help]?" The old Thilku snorted, glaring at Amox.
"[You will address Lord Exr's guests properly]," Amox scolded, stopping in the middle of the small room to wear a firm stance. "[Unless you want the soldiers outside to teach you how]."
The old Thilku completely ignored Khan to exchange a challenging gaze with Amox. Still, he eventually snorted and retreated toward a wall, waving his hands toward his furniture.
"[I have nothing to hide]," The old Thilku declared. "[Hurry and get out]."
Amox didn't like that reply but let it go and began to browse through the furniture. Admittedly, he went for a rough approach, lifting the carpets and throwing them away before doing the same with the couch.
Khan let Amox handle the bad-cop part and relied on his senses to search for anything unusual. That room had nothing suspicious, so he approached the staircase, but a reprimand flew toward him as soon as he stepped on it.
"[Human]!" The old Thilku shouted. "[Where do you think you are going]?"
The old Thilku was only a second-level warrior, so Khan wasn't worried. However, Amox took the matter seriously and approached the fellow alien to threaten him.
"[Are you hindering the investigation]?" Amox asked, standing firmly before the old Thilku.
The old Thilku's mouth opened to show the long canines. He hated that situation, but contradicting Amox wasn't an option, so he remained silent.
Khan saw far more due to his senses, and his broader emotional spectrum inevitably made him empathize with the old Thilku. He knew he had a job to do, but things wouldn't get anywhere at that pace.
"[It's fine, Amox]," Khan called, stopping in his tracks. "[Sir, you can accompany me upstairs if you feel uncomfortable]."
"[He even pretends to speak our language]," The old Thilku mocked, shaking his head when Amox stepped back. "[Taking orders from a human]."
Amox interrupted his retreat and lunged forward, lifting his elbow to deliver a precise blow at the old Thilku's chin. The latter immediately lost his balance, falling to the floor.
The old Thilku tried to stand up, but Amox grabbed him by his neck and dragged him toward the entrance. A second-level warrior couldn't do anything against Amox, so the two ended up outside.
"[Come here]!" Amox shouted, throwing the old Thilku in the middle of the street. "[Restrain him]!"
The order was for the troops left on the street, which didn't hesitate to reach the old Thilku and grab his arms to keep him on the ground. The alien wanted to complain, but his experience told him to hold back.
Khan left the staircase and peeked into the street while that situation unfolded. The absence of windows didn't mean that the various residents couldn't see. Some of the runes on the buildings had to have those functions, which didn't bode well for the investigation.
Amox stared at the restrained Thilku briefly before returning inside the house. Khan let him go ahead, and the two climbed the staircase to reach the second floor.
Due to the Thilku's size, the ceiling and furniture were taller and bigger, but their general function didn't change. Khan could recognize beds, couches, wardrobes, and far more without opening any drawer, and the absence of the old Thilku made him help Amox more directly.
"[Khan, you can't be soft]," Amox admonished while the two scoured the bedroom.
"[They have an alien going through their stuff]," Khan pointed out. "[How would you react]?"
"[It's their duty to respect Lord Exr's orders]," Amox declared. "[Chain of command is everything in the Empire]."
Khan decided not to reply. As much as he didn't like it, he also had orders. He had experienced a lot of freedom in that field ever since Ecoruta, but his new job reminded him of his position as a soldier.
The bedroom had nothing suspicious, but Khan's eyes lit up when he reached the third floor. The area featured boxes and more wardrobes that Amox didn't hesitate to approach, and Khan shared that hastiness at that time.
Amox couldn't help but notice the difference in Khan's behavior. He had lost his initial hesitation, and something told Amox that a good reason existed for that. He stopped his search to follow Khan, and his eyes widened when his companion opened a big box.
Khan had followed his senses there. He had felt the presence of magazines full of synthetic mana, and opening the metal box revealed three guns and a rifle. They weren't anything major, but only Amox could confirm that.
"[What do you think]?" Khan asked.
"[They aren't necessarily illegal]," Amox revealed, "[Especially for an ex-soldier]."
Amox pulled up his sleeve and reached for the red rune on the room wall. He inserted a few commands into his device before connecting the two symbols. His armguard drew information from the house before allowing him to check it.
"[He has permits for three S50 and an MS14]," Amox read, returning to the box to check whether the weapons matched those permits. "[He is clean]."
"[We should move to the next house]," Khan suggested.
"[Khan]," Amox called, placing a hand on Khan's shoulder before he could turn toward the staircase. "[He insulted you]."
"[Do you want to punish him for that]?" Khan asked.
"[I have orders to preserve the relationships with the Global Army]," Amox explained, feeling slightly pissed about the words he had just uttered.
Amox couldn't possibly know it, but Khan had already gained a general idea of his character due to his mana. In Khan's mind, Amox was a good man doing his best during a complicated job. His manners were rough, but that was the Thilku's approach.
"[I won't complain to my superior]," Khan reassured, chuckling to convey his meaning better. "[Besides, we want to avoid chaos, right]?"
"[Ah]!" Amox scoffed. "[I don't like it when you speak like that]."
Amox was talking about Khan's political persona. He preferred Khan when he acted like a simple soldier but still accepted the value of his words.
"[Let's just get this over with]," Khan stated, covering the box and heading for the staircase. "[Hopefully, we'll get the chance to eat something together afterward]."
"[Now you are talking right]," Amox laughed, hurrying behind Khan to slam both hands on his shoulders. The blow would have made an ordinary human fly away, but Khan had gotten used to that by now.
