Khan froze, looking at the name on his phone. He didn't know much about Mister Cirvags, but the little information in his possession already stated how important he was.
Mister Cirvags was the figure in charge of all the Harbor's offices connected to the Thilku. He was the boss of Ambassador Abores' boss. His words were heavier than the Headmistress' now that Khan worked in that field.
Monica had only heard about Mister Cirvags, but seeing Khan's reaction told her how important that call was. She immediately left his chest, sitting obediently at his side to give him enough room to focus.
Khan cleared his throat and straightened his back to sit on the mattress. He tried to sort out his thoughts, but another ring resounded, bringing the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Khan announced. "Captain Khan speaking."
"It's Cirvags," A voice Khan recognized came out of the phone. "I've seen the updates on your profile. Are you free for a meeting?"
"Of course, sir," Khan exclaimed. "I'll head to the embassy immediately."
"We are not meeting in the embassy," Mister Cirvags revealed. "I've already sent a car. Be ready in five."
"Yes, sir!" Khan stated, but the call ended before Mister Cirvags could hear his answer. Khan could only look at the blank screen afterward, but realizing what had just happened forced him to snap back to reality.
"I need a clean uniform," Khan stated, looking at Monica to convey the situation's urgency.
"In the third bedroom," Monica promptly replied, jumping out of bed to hurry toward one of the wardrobes.
Khan also left the bed, running through the flat to reach the third bedroom. He had multiple sets of clean uniforms there, but retrieving one reminded him about his naked state.
"Underwear too!" Khan shouted, hurrying back to the previous bedroom, only to find Monica wielding clean boxers and socks.
"I love you so much," Khan sighed, reaching Monica to retrieve his clothes. She giggled and hid them behind her, forcing Khan to embrace her to get them.
Monica didn't hesitate to kiss Khan, which he welcomed. Their lips remained glued even after Khan got his hands on his clothes, and Monica eventually grabbed Khan's face to force them to split.
"Don't forget Master Amelia's schedule," Monica said, giving Khan another quick kiss, "And my mother also expects a call."
"I won't miss the chance to show off my girlfriend," Khan promised, throwing the uniform on the bed to get started with his underwear.
"And my mother," Monica reminded.
"And I'll also call your dear mother," Khan cursed, moving to his socks.
Monica giggled and crossed her arms while watching Khan dressing up. The bedroom had a pair of shoes, and he didn't need his knife, so he could get ready without leaving his spot.
"Done!" Khan exclaimed after finishing buttoning his uniform. He began heading outside, but Monica promptly grabbed his hand to make him turn.
"Let me see you, dummy," Monica scolded, inspecting Khan's uniform from head to toe to fix any crease. She did her best with the little available time but still improved Khan's overall appearance.
"Thank you," Khan whispered once Monica was done, leaning forward to kiss her goodbye.
"Don't find ways to get hurt," Monica warned. "I'll see you later."
"Later," Khan smirked, trying to turn, but sensing Monica's hand on his wrist again broadened his smile and made him kiss her again.
"Love you," Monica muttered cutely when the two separated. Her voice almost tempted Khan to fall prey to her lips again, but time was running short, so he slapped her butt to end that interaction.
"Scoundrel," Monica complained from behind a smile. Khan only exchanged another look with her but eventually hurried inside the elevator to leave the building.
Even with the intimate exuberance, Khan still reached the sidewalk before the deadline set by Mister Cirvags. The early hour even provided an empty environment, but it didn't take long before a car appeared above the buildings.
The car's model gave hints Khan could recognize. Mister Cirvags had used a military vehicle to pick him up, partially explaining the purpose of the meeting. That wasn't surprising for Khan, but adding clues confirmed his initial assumption.
The vehicle landed at the sidewalk's edge, and a driver donning a military uniform came out to salute Khan. He only nodded at him before getting inside, and the set-off started right afterward.
The car's windows hid the insides, but Khan could see everything from his position. He kept track of the streets under him to get an idea of his destination. He had almost memorized the entirety of the Harbor by then, so relatively accurate guesses appeared in his mind after crossing a few districts.
The Harbor had living districts exclusive to teachers and other important figures, and the car entered one of them before slowing down. Khan found himself in a small dome featuring short but large buildings divided by empty streets, which the vehicle never approached.
Most of that district's buildings had landing areas on their roofs, and the vehicle settled on one of them. The driver didn't hesitate to leave his seat to welcome Khan outside, and he merely studied the area while following the soldier.
The roof had a series of bright menus in the corner, and the soldier crouched down to press them. A piece of the metal surface slid open, creating a rectangular opening that released a transparent elevator. The driver pointed at its entrance, and Khan got inside on his own.
The elevator's transparent door closed before descending. The lift only crossed one floor before stopping inside a generic room similar to what Khan had in his flat.
No one welcomed Khan, but the door past the elevator area was open, so he stepped forward and slowly advanced through the flat. The symphony immediately updated him, and he followed its clues while studying his surroundings.
The elevator area expanded into a large empty hall adorned with thick, vast carpets partially hidden by large couches. The place was bigger than Khan's living room, but its peculiarities were on the walls.
Shelves and cases covered by transparent glass stood on the walls, with some hanging directly from the tall ceiling. All sorts of items filled them, and a specific shade of red ended up claiming Khan's attention.
Khan crossed half the hall to reach a tall display case containing an item he knew well. The iconic Thilku cape stood inside the container, hanging from its shoulders to show its size. Khan had seen Mister Cirvags wear it, so his eyes immediately searched for more peculiar items.
It didn't take long before Khan ended up before the Thilku's dark military uniform. Those clothes were also inside a transparent container and attached to the wall to reveal every detail.
The items on display went beyond clothes. Khan found an old rifle covered in mud, a simple sword with dark trails of blood stuck to its edges, and a protective helmet with two holes on its forehead. The hall had even more than that, but Khan stopped his inspection since he had understood the purpose of the containers.
'They are trophies,' Khan thought before another realization arrived. That wasn't a simple flat. That was Mister Cirvags' real home.
"That's what a lifetime of service gets you," A voice that didn't take Khan by surprise resounded behind him. "Junk and old things you are too fond of to throw away."
Khan turned and wore a military salute to welcome the big figure that had entered the hall. Mister Cirvags stood before his office's entrance wearing a tight tracksuit that highlighted his burly body. His tired old face almost didn't match those muscles, but Khan didn't dare to underestimate him.
"You should never show your back in an unknown environment, Captain," Mister Cirvags scolded. "Though, I didn't catch you by surprise, did I?"
"You didn't, sir," Khan revealed. The office's door had been silent, but nothing could mask Mister Cirvags' heavy presence. Khan believed that even a non-initiate to the Niqols arts would sense something.
"[Come to my office]," Mister Cirvags ordered, switching to the Thilku language. "[Let's talk]."
The change in language came as a surprise, but Khan felt to understand what it meant. Mister Cirvags turned to enter his office, and Khan followed him to arrive in another big space.
The office in the flat was bigger than the Headmistress'. It had two couches, two armchairs, a spacious interactive desk, and four simple chairs. The place could almost fit two squads, but Khan kept his thoughts to himself.
"[I assume you feasted with the Thilku]," Mister Cirvags stated, leaning behind his desk to retrieve a red metal bottle. The color strongly reminded Khan of the Thilku, almost revealing its origin.
"[I did, sir]," Khan replied in the Thilku language. "[More than a few times]."
"[Your accent still needs work]," Mister Cirvags commented, leaving the desk after retrieving two glasses, "[But it's far better compared to the last time I met you]."
"[Thank you, sir]," Khan responded.
"[It wasn't a compliment]," Mister Cirvags warned. "[Me not pointing that out would have been a compliment]."
Khan chose to remain silent and follow Mister Cirvags with his eyes. The man headed for one of the couches, sitting on it before pouring the bottle's contents into the glasses. He even began to drink from one of them before his stern voice resounded again.
"[Aren't you going to sit]?" Mister Cirvags asked, and Khan hurriedly headed for the opposite couch. The man also handed him the other glass before resuming to drink.
"[I hope it's not too early for you]," Mister Cirvags said when he noticed that Khan didn't immediately drink.
"[Never]," Khan smirked, sipping from his glass. That booze definitely came from the Thilku but was of far better quality compared to what he had drunk on Neuria and Acarro.
"[You look in a good mood]," Mister Cirvags commented. "[I heard from Leticia that Neuria took a tool on you]."
"[Respectfully, sir]," Khan said, not surprised that the Headmistress had shared information, "[I've seen worse]."
Mister Cirvags had rarely lowered his glass. Still, he stopped drinking to inspect Khan's face, and a comment soon followed. "[Women sure hold a lot of power over your mind]."
"[Not women]," Khan corrected. "[One woman, my girlfriend]."
"[There's the bad mood]," Mister Cirvags uttered, scratching his short beard. His perfect accent didn't carry any amusement. It simply was an accurate description of the event.
Khan could guess what was happening but struggled to deal with Mister Cirvags. He couldn't understand his exact intentions, so he decided to ask. "[Sir, why did you request this meeting]?"
"[What's the Thilku Empire's weakness]?" Mister Cirvags suddenly questioned.
"[Sir]?" Khan called.
"[Do you know the answer or not, Captain]?" Mister Cirvags pressed on.
Khan knew when he was being tested, and his mana reacted to that open challenge. He could feel his brain growing empty to leave behind only useful information.
"[It's too big]," Khan responded. "[The Thilku cover too much territory. They lack the numbers to manage it]."
"[Differently from humans]," Mister Cirvags declared, "[Who limit themselves to outposts and share worlds with other species]."
"[Why are you testing me, sir]?" Khan asked, unfazed by the lesson. He had already extensively covered that topic in the Harbor's advanced classes.
"[Why did you start studying the Thilku symbols]?" Mister Cirvags asked, ignoring Khan's question.
"[I find them interesting]," Khan admitted.
"[Why]?" Mister Cirvags wondered. "[You never showed interest in human technology]."
"[The symbols are different]," Khan explained. "[They are a technology which aims to acquire intrinsic meaning. They are closer to the arts I excel into]."
"[You were sticking to your profile then]," Mister Cirvags said, lifting the bottle from the floor to hand it to Khan.
Khan grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass before giving it back. Mister Cirvags prepared his drink, but no question arrived. He leaned back into the couch and continued to look straight into Khan's eyes.
"[Is something the matter, sir]?" Khan eventually felt forced to ask.
"[Yes]," Mister Cirvags declared. "[I have one Ambassador and a Captain who somehow managed to achieve political success among the Thilku]."
Khan didn't need to add more questions. What had happened in Neuria couldn't be the norm. Lord Exr was a small fish in the Empire, but his superiors were no joking matter, and getting to them had consequences for the Harbor's political offices.
"[We exploited a fortuitous opportunity]," Khan shortly explained.
"[That I've read]," Mister Cirvags revealed. "[I'm wondering who created it]."
"[I'm sure you have the report, sir]," Khan uttered. That was his chance to double-cross Ambassador Abores, but the letter had already praised him. Adding fuel to that possible enmity didn't feel like a wise choice, especially since Khan didn't know how Mister Cirvags would react.
Mister Cirvags remained impassible. He scratched his beard a bit longer without changing his expression. Even his mana remained stable, hiding any possible clue.
"[Thilku value strength over everything]," Mister Cirvags announced, "[And you are strong, Captain]."
Mister Cirvags stood up before Khan could say anything. He headed toward his desk, activating its functions to tinker with the menus. He didn't add orders, but Khan left his couch and approached him anyway.
"[What is your impression of them]?" Mister Cirvags asked, his gaze lost in the menus.
"[Their methods are harsh]," Khan described, "[Ruthless even, but I wouldn't consider them evil]."
"[The definition of evil changes from species to species]," Mister Cirvags commented. "[Don't be bound to such trivial concepts]."
"[What should I be bound to, sir]?" Khan questioned.
"[The Global Army]," Mister Cirvags replied, keeping his head lowered. "[Humankind]."
Khan couldn't disagree more but kept those thoughts to himself. Curiosity tried to get the better of him, but he kept his gaze lifted to avoid peeking at the reports on the desk.
"[It's rare for a human to catch the Thilku's attention]," Mister Cirvags continued, "[Even rarer to be accepted. Yet, you might pull it off]."
Mister Cirvags didn't give Khan a chance to reply once again since his last tap made the desk release a series of holograms. A star map appeared, and Khan recognized Lord Exr's domain among the showcased systems.
"[Do you know where this is]?" Mister Cirvags asked, zooming in toward one of Lord Exr's systems to highlight a small planet.
"[Cegnore]," Khan responded. He had studied nothing else but the Thilku in the last period, especially Lord Exr's systems, so he could name the planets in his domain. Actually, he could do slightly more than that.
"[I know there's a war there]," Khan added. "[Everything else was classified]."
"[There is a war]," Mister Cirvags confirmed. "[And we have a few teams there]."
That wasn't Khan's first time in a similar situation. Even with most information being classified, Khan had already experienced Ecoruta, and Cegnore seemed to carry the same issues.
"[Do you want me to join a war, sir]?" Khan wondered in confusion. "[I'm just a third-level warrior. I'm not sure I can be influential]."
"[The enemies there aren't strong]," Mister Cirvags revealed. "[Not in terms of level, at least]."
"[Why don't the Thilku beat them then]?" Khan asked, his confusion intensifying. "[What do they need the humans for]?"
"[It's a matter of pride]," Mister Cirvags remained vague. "[You'll receive a report if you accept the mission]."
"[I had the impression you were more domineering, sir]," Khan couldn't help but say. He expected a direct order from someone like Mister Cirvags. That veiled politeness didn't suit him at all.
"[Many find it demeaning to be used as simple soldiers after achieving status]," Mister Cirvags declared, ignoring Khan's comment. "[They are not wrong, but that's how you get to the Thilku]."
Khan was no stranger to wars, but the opportunity to refuse made him think. He had been lucky in the past. Except for the almost-mindless Stal, he had never been ordered to kill needlessly.
Moreover, Ecoruta had been a dark period for Khan. He only wanted to lose himself back then. Instead, his mind was far better off now, and so was his life. Turning himself into a hired gun might break that balance, especially when involving a species he knew nothing about.
'Do I really want to kill just because I'm being ordered to?' Khan wondered.
The answer was a resounding no. It would have been different in the past or other situations, but Khan had options now. He could tread the path toward his goal without compromising himself too much. The request coming directly from Mister Cirvags was the only problem.
"[Maybe this can help you make up your mind]," Mister Cirvags eventually added, pressing a different label on the interactive desk.
The star map grew smaller to make room for a completely different hologram. The image of an ugly beast appeared, and the entire office grew colder.
The beast resembled a fat wolf with oddly long and slender legs. Its pointy mouth was also abnormal, with its upper side being almost twice as big as the lower. Still, Khan solely focused on its thick fur or, rather, on its unforgettable color.
Khan ignored Mister Cirvags and reached for the desk. He wanted to see the holograms' settings, but the menus didn't listen to his genetic signature. That realization made him look for his superior, who had an answer ready.
"You are seeing its actual color," Mister Cirvags said, switching back to the human language.
Khan calmed down after that confirmation, and his eyes returned to the desk. He retracted his hands, but his mana didn't stop radiating coldness. His energy already knew the answer. That beast's fur was like his hair and scar. The creature wore the Nak's colors.
