The feast went on for longer than both Khan and Amox had predicted. They ate, drank, and chatted some more until dinnertime drew near and forced them to leave the shop.
The Empire probably had regulations about drunk driving, but Amox didn't mention them, and Khan didn't ask. The two simply hopped on the bike and dived back into the city, uncaring of the laws they might break.
Of course, third-level warriors didn't get drunk so easily. Amox even had insane tolerance due to his Thilku body, and Khan was by no means inferior. The two were tipsy, but that didn't affect their awareness and abilities.
Khan let his thoughts wander during the ride. He didn't ponder about anything specific. He only used his tipsy state to appreciate Neuria without involving politics or other problems.
The rain still fell, and Khan welcomed it. At times, he even let go of the handles and spread his arms to dig his hands in the cold wind. In those moments, he was free from everything, but the bike eventually stopped, forcing him to return to the real world.
"[Your stop]," Amox announced, waving a hand to his right. "[One of Neuria's finest buildings]."
Khan inspected his surroundings. He was in one of Neuria's nice districts, but the building pointed by Amox felt out of place. The structure was large, tall, and rectangular, featuring only a few red runes on its smooth, dark metal surface. The absence of windows and balconies was striking, and Khan understood the reason behind that.
"[It's very human]," Khan commented.
"[Don't let the symbols outside fool you]," Amox explained. "[Your Lords implemented the Global Army's technology inside. It basically is a political building]."
"[I see]," Khan voiced, slamming his hands on Amox's back. "[Thank you for the ride and feast. I'll see you on the next job]."
"[Which can't come too soon]," Amox laughed, watching Khan leave the bike.
"[Don't forget to call your wife]," Khan joked, strolling through the sidewalk while waving his hand.
Amox's snickers reached Khan's ears as he advanced through the sidewalk. The space before the building was vast, but he crossed it in a few seconds. The bike had left by the time Khan reached the entrance, and he lifted his face to wash it under the rain before pressing his hand on the metal surface.
"Vocal recognition," A robotic voice came out of the entrance.
"Captain Khan," Khan stated, and the two halves of the metal door slid open to reveal its insides.
The entrance led to a simple hall featuring couches slightly too big for humans. An interactive desk also stood at its bottom, with two elevators stretching at its sides.
The hall was empty, so Khan quickly crossed it to reach the interactive desk. Pressing his hand on its surface opened a drawer that contained his phone. He had left it on the ship after the landing, but the Thilku had moved it there.
A message appeared on the interactive desk when Khan retrieved his phone, and a sigh escaped his mouth. The menus informed him about Ambassador Abores' summon, even describing the floor and room he had to reach.
Ignoring direct orders wasn't an option, so Khan rubbed the corners of his eyes and headed for one elevator. He drew his phone out of habit, but the empty screen and lack of connection with the network made him sigh again. He was truly alone there, and his tipsy state pushed his thoughts toward obvious destinations.
Khan's fingers moved on their own, opening a folder in his phone containing a collection of pictures he couldn't show to anybody. Monica didn't leave him dry before his departure. She had actually spoiled him a bit, and her captivating poses worked like a charm.
The opening of the elevator brought Khan back to reality, making him immediately throw his phone into his pocket. The sudden gesture turned out to be pointless since the corridor before the lift was empty, and Khan inspected it to get on with his duties.
The corridor was vast. It almost resembled a hall of its own due to its size, and only a few rooms stretched from its sides. All those spaces were quite large, and human numbers and letters stood above their entrances to mark them.
Khan followed the desk's instructions and arrived before a room at one end of the corridor. He showed his phone to the menus there, and a waiting message appeared since the person inside had to authorize that entrance.
Only a few seconds had to pass before the room's entrance opened, showing a slightly barren environment. The place had the iconic furniture of an office, with a desk, a few chairs, and a series of drawers, but they were as simple as possible from an aesthetic standpoint.
Ambassador Abores was behind the desk, with his head lowered on the many reports on its menus. Khan approached the table's opposite side, wrapping his arms behind his back to perform a military salute.
"Sir," Khan exclaimed.
"One moment, Captain," Ambassador Abores voiced, tinkering with the menus to rearrange the reports. "I expected you to return hours ago. When you didn't, I decided to get some work done."
"I'm sorry I caused problems, sir," Khan stated.
"It's nothing major," Ambassador Abores said, lifting his head. "I was with Lord Exr when he gave you the rest of the day off. In a way, you were following my orders."
Khan didn't reply. An outsider would find Ambassador Abores' words slightly bitter, but Khan saw the truth. The man was simply tired, and work was still waiting for him.
"We were still together when the reports from your district arrived," Ambassador Abores revealed. "A video came too. You handled yourself well out there."
"Thank you, sir," Khan responded.
"It's a pity you decided to waste half a day drinking afterward," Ambassador Abores exclaimed. "The whole team would have benefitted from hearing your findings."
The rebuke was almost inevitable and didn't surprise Khan. He took that scolding like a pro and also had a reply ready. "I was deepening the relationships with the Thilku, sir."
"I can smell that," Ambassador Abores scoffed. "It's beyond me how you can drink that stuff."
Khan wore a fake smile. He could throw a joke or try to explain himself further, but the Ambassador didn't seem to care.
"So," Ambassador Abores continued. "Did you learn something from your teammate? His name was Amox, am I right?"
"You are right, sir," Khan confirmed, avoiding any form of hesitation before continuing with a lie. "Sadly, he wouldn't answer my questions about classified information. Amox is very loyal to the Empire."
Ambassador Abores tried to find the truth in Khan's face, but his façade was impeccable. Even his mana agreed with the lie since he put friends above politics.
"I expected as much," Ambassador Abores sighed. "I would have written a recommendation for you on the spot otherwise."
Khan didn't fall for that trap. His expression didn't twitch nor move, forcing Ambassador Abores to give up on the matter.
"At least Lord Exr liked how you saved that kid," Ambassador Abores sighed. "Maybe he'll stop wasting our time soon."
"Sir, do you know something?" Khan asked, his eyes lighting up.
"It's my job to know more than you," Ambassador Abores declared. "Instead, yours also involves leading the human team, which you haven't been doing so much."
"I prepared reports according to their preparation, sir," Khan explained.
"You could train them directly instead of spending your days drinking with the enemy," Ambassador Abores voiced.
Khan began to frown, and Ambassador Abores let that reaction completely unfold before continuing. "You heard me correctly. I hope you didn't forget that the Thilku planted a bomb in our territory."
That description was inaccurate, but Khan could understand the general vibe. The Ambassador didn't want to hear complaints.
"I'll go to my companions immediately, sir," Khan promised.
"Not like this," Ambassador Abores replied. "Go to your room, clean yourself up, and change clothes. Your accommodations suit your rank, so I'm sure they'll satisfy you."
Khan nodded and prepared himself to leave, but the Ambassador spoke again. "The team is in a hall on the fifth floor."
"Aren't you joining them, sir?" Khan asked.
"I have work to do," Ambassador Abores replied, pointing his face back at the desk. "Leave now, Captain. I'll see you at the morning gathering."
"Goodnight, sir," Khan said, leaving the office and waiting for the door to close to abandon his façade.
A cold expression inevitably arrived. The Ambassador had reminded Khan of how unique his perspective was. Khan didn't see differences among species, but the rest of humanity didn't agree.
The current political issue added value to the Ambassador's words, but Khan couldn't agree. He couldn't blame an entire species for the sins of a few criminals. He couldn't treat Amox as an enemy simply because he was a Thilku.
'This will never end,' Khan cursed before searching for the closest opening in the corridors' walls. He connected his phone to it, and a stream of information arrived.
Khan learned about his room's floor and number and retrieved his phone to head toward it. As much as he resented the Ambassador's words, the part about the human team was correct. Khan could do more for his companions, starting with getting to know them.
A trip through an elevator brought Khan to the seventh floor, and following the directions on his phone led him to the end of its corridor. He unlocked the door before him with his genetic signature, revealing a big hall that had multiple rooms connected to it.
Khan spent a few minutes inspecting the flat before throwing himself in the shower. The habitation shared the office's simplicity and was smaller than his house on the Harbor, so he quickly lost interest in it.
The flat already had a set of new uniforms and casual clothes, and Khan opted for the latter once he was clean. His knife was useless inside the building, but he kept it at his side as he left the flat and headed for the fifth floor.
Finding the hall mentioned by the Ambassador wasn't a problem. The symphony guided Khan toward an open door that leaked shouts and various comments. Some involved Khan, which didn't stop since no one could hear his steps.
"I'm telling you, they were scared shitless!" A man shouted while others laughed. "Look at him! Who wouldn't be scared in that situation?"
"He didn't get his fame out of luck," Another man said. "Though, is he really nineteen? I swear. He speaks Thilku better than me."
"That's because you fall asleep whenever you start studying," A woman responded. "Besides, the Captain graduated from the Harbor's advanced classes. Don't compare him to the likes of us."
"And he is almost twenty," Another woman added. "Soldiers with his status are already married by that age."
"Isn't he basically married?" A third man asked. "I thought the Solodrey family had sealed the deal."
"He isn't engaged yet," The previous woman stated. "Not yet."
"Pictures of Miss Solodrey's ring are all over the network," The second man said, "And the Solodrey family didn't do anything about that. That's a silent approval."
"I know," The second woman sighed. "It's too late already."
"Did you have your eyes on him or something?" The first man joked.
"I wouldn't dare," The second woman denied. "Though, if he ever felt alone here, I guess I wouldn't mind comforting him."
"It's good that my girlfriend isn't here," Khan announced, leaning on the entrance. "She is the jealous type."
The temperature in the hall instantly dropped as seven heads turned toward the entrance. Recognizing Khan deepened the soldiers' shock, who shot on their feet to perform military salutes.
The people involved with the gossiping did their best to wear straight faces, especially the woman who had spoken the bold remark. Still, it seemed that a single glare from Khan could make their façade crumble.
Luckily for the soldiers, Khan had no intention of scolding them. He merely ran his eyes over them before speaking reassuring words. "At ease."
A few suppressed sighs resounded, but no one dared to return to their seats. Some glanced at the wall behind them in panic, but moving wasn't an option. Khan didn't only hear them. He had also seen the images depicted by the hall's menus.
The hall was as simplistic as the other rooms. It had a few couches and tables, but nothing special. It was big, but the soldiers had gathered on its left side with drinks, empty plates, and food.
As for the wall in question, the menus had played a video Khan could recognize. The recording had stopped on an image depicting him wielding his knife and needles. That picture came directly from his targeted district, meaning that the soldiers had gained access to the street lamps' footage.
"I hope you had it easier than me," Khan exclaimed, reaching for an empty desk nearby. The table was connected to the floor, and he linked his phone to it to gain access to the building's services.
"Yes, sir, Captain, sir," One of the soldiers said before the others mumbled similarly confused words. They were still tense about Khan's presence, which was inevitable after the recent events.
"Why don't you brief me on your day?" Khan suggested. "Maybe I can give some useful advice after hearing you all."
Khan's casual approach partially reassured the soldiers, who grabbed chairs and gathered around him. Yet, he added something that reminded them about his rank. "Right, turn off that thing."
The woman who had voiced the bold remark gasped, snapping on her feet to reach the wall. She deactivated the menus and returned to her seat quickly, fearing what Khan could say about her previous comment.
"Don't be so tense," Khan said, leaning on the seat's back to be more comfortable. "I don't mind if you smoke here and keep drinking too. Actually, give me a glass of something since you are at it."
The woman from before snapped on her feet again, causing a few chuckles in the hall. The soldiers tried to cover their mouths and hide them, but that effort was futile.
Soon, the woman brought a few bottles to the new gathering spot without forgetting the glasses. She had even prepared one for Khan, which she handed personally.
"Thank you, Adele," Khan said, smiling and seizing the glass, "And don't worry about what you said. Just avoid saying it from now on."
"Of course, Captain, sir," Adele almost shouted, hurrying back to her seat.
"And, you, Elvis," Khan continued, looking at one of the men who had spoken before. "If you have problems with the Thilku language, I can write you some notes."
"Thank you, sir," Elvis stuttered. "However, it's not necessary for-."
"It is," Khan interrupted. "This is a political mission, and it's my job to make sure you are prepared."
In theory, Khan's job as a scout had ended when he finished his reports about Neuria. Yet, the Ambassador wanted more from him, and he couldn't disappoint.
"You know how this goes," Khan stated. "The Ambassador scolds me, and I have to scold you. Let's pretend I already did that, shall we?"
The new statement dispersed most of the tension, especially since Khan had worn a genuine smile. He was leading without abandoning his carefree personality, which the soldiers preferred over stern and cold superiors.
Nevertheless, before the soldiers could begin their briefing, Khan played with the desk to gain access to a specific subject. Soon, a simple Thilku rune appeared under him, and he skimmed through its explanation while his companions told their stories.
