Chaos' Heir

Chapter 890: Birthday

Chapter 890: Birthday

?

No one blamed Khan for taking a day off. With all the projects boiling on his plate, he had countless reasonable justifications, so the guests didn't even bother questioning him.

Things proceeded smoothly on every side, and Abraham and Garret even finalized Khan's new training method in a matter of days. Everything was ready for him to begin that experimental treatment, but he delayed it to make sure he would be present at an important event.

One morning, Monica arrived at the arena's terrace donning unusual clothes, especially considering the unique occurrence. It was her birthday, and spectacles were ready to unfold on the battlefield below, but she had ignored her fancy dresses to opt for her military uniform.

The choice had a specific purpose, which everyone instantly noticed, especially the human guests. The noble representatives, Alexander, and Mister Cirvags spotted the four pairs of stars on Monica's uniform, announcing her arrival to the fourth level.

"Miss Solodrey!" Princess Montares called, sharing the same surprise as her fellow nobles. "When were you planning on sharing the news?"

Everyone understood that Monica had kept her growth a secret to match the announcement with her birthday. Still, no one blamed her. That was a perfect political move that would bring more attention to Khan's organization.

"I apologize for delaying the announcement," Monica stated, slightly bowing before finishing crossing the ship's metal ramp. "I broke through the fourth level a few weeks ago, but other priorities claimed my attention."

"Oh, no need to apologize," Princes Montares announced, leaving her seat to reach Monica and take her hands. "Congratulations and happy birthday."

"Thank you, Rachel," Monica thanked, and the two women entered the terrace, walking toward their respective seats.

More congratulations followed, even from the alien side. Yet, the guests soon eyed the person remaining behind Monica to avoid stealing her spotlight. Khan kept a polite distance, smiling proudly at his fiancée, and the attention didn't distract him from the scene.

Becoming a fourth-level warrior was an outstanding achievement, especially for politically involved figures. Many descendants and faction leaders didn't have time or directly abandoned pursuing strength to focus on their businesses. That behavior was normal in those environments, but Monica was an exception.

Monica's political involvement was evident to everyone. She often handled many vital aspects of the organization, doing more work than Khan himself. From the public's perspective, she was the go-to person when trying to reach Khan, which basically put her at the center of every business on the planet.

Nevertheless, Monica's growth had also outdone many of her fellow descendants. She had always been talented, but her political duties should have put her training on hold. Instead, her level had increased faster than anyone in her generation.

That irregular trend had one obvious explanation. Monica had been a normal wealthy descendant until Milia 222, but her growth had skyrocketed since encountering Khan. The same went for many of his friends and subjects. Khan clearly was a positive influence on anyone around and under him, and Monica's new level was the latest confirmation.

That was an additional goal of Monica's military uniform. She didn't only showcase her growth and increased her relevance. She also wanted everyone to know the benefits of joining Khan, which weren't limited to the wealthy allies.

Princess Rebecca refrained from announcing the matches to hammer down that impression further. Once the spectacles and the rounds of congratulations were over, Monica took it upon herself to start the battles, proudly showing her four pairs of stars to every scanner in the arena.

Muffled buzzing noises resounded throughout the terrace as the battles unfolded. The network was on fire, but the guests didn't bother with the gossip. Khan's apparent ability to improve everything he touched had taken the spotlight, and many tried to get to it through Monica.

"You must be the envy of every descendant, Miss Solodrey," Prince Rassec announced. "You continue to amaze us with your performance and achievements."

"I'm only doing my best to keep up with the expectations around me, Prince," Monica responded, politely rejecting the compliment.

"Having such a successful Fiancé would normally be too much for most people," Princess Saintilon pointed out. "However, you look completely at ease with it."

"Our Princess Edna has always held Miss Solodrey in high regard," Princess Virrai

commented. "Her opinion is more than justified."

"Where is Princess Edna, Princess?" Monica wondered. "I recall she promised to join us on the terrace."

"You know the Princess, Miss Solodrey," Princess Virrai chuckled. "She had the idea of exploring the planet last night, so she is likely in another quadrant today."

"As steadfast as ever," Monica giggled. "I hope she'll be able to join the celebrations tonight. I'd love her presence at my birthday."

"She wouldn't miss it for the world, Miss Solodrey," Princess Virrai reassured. "She has already demanded for your Fiancé to be present, too. I suspect she has become a fan of your relationship."

"Who hasn't?" Prince Duter questioned. "They are a great and inspiring couple, lifting each other at every step. It's quite rare in today's world."

"Indeed," Princess Montares agreed. "Prince Khan isn't threatened by the success of his partner and actively supports her. That's extremely rare for a man in his position."

"It's one of my Fiancé many benefits," Monica stated. "Besides, even with the help of the whole world, I wouldn't be able to outdo him."

"To think the early stages of your relationship were so complicated," Prince Rassec laughed, eyeing the figures sitting behind the rows of nobles. "Madam Solodrey, Mister Solodrey, I bet you are ecstatic about how things ended up going down."

After spending weeks on the terrace, Anastasia and Luther had gotten used to that lofty position. Monica's birthday and achievement also worked as a shield they could ride, giving them the confidence to engage in friendly conversations with the nobles.

"I admit we had our reservations," Anastasia revealed. "We only wanted the best for our dear Monica, so we educated her accordingly. Luckily, her training gave her the foresight to see Prince Khan's true potential, and he eventually won us over."

Needless to say, Monica didn't like that attempt from her parents to claim part of the merit behind the current situation. Yet, she let it slide. Her family was now Khan's greatest supporter, so increasing its fame would ultimately benefit him.

"We must discuss these training methods sometimes," Princess Saintilon suggested. "Can

you think of an empty spot in your schedule? Preferably at night."

"For you, Princess Saintlon," Mister Solodrey said, lowering his head in respect, "Our

schedule is always empty."

"Excellent," Princess Saintilon exclaimed. "I'll be sure to request your company one of these

nights."

"It would be our honor," Madam Solodrey thanked, also bowing in respect.

More invitations followed, with many trying to bind Monica to lunches and dinners. A few even went as far as trying to involve Khan, but Monica handled everything, always giving vague answers and promises. She knew she would attend some events, but that wasn't the place to add them to her schedule.

Monica's decision to remain vague also acted as a shield for Khan. She was sitting on him on the spacious throne, so involving him in those conversations wouldn't be a problem. However, he had his fair share of topics to handle with different guests.

The human side mainly focused on reinforcing the political connections with Monica and her family, but the alien guests had different interests. They saw the promise of stronger soldiers in Monica's growth, inevitably focusing on the reason behind her new level.

"Let me congratulate you again for the choice of your partner, [Blue Shaman]," Lord Rsi announced. "She truly is an exemplary human."

"Thank you, [My Lord]," Khan responded, hiding the slight disgust toward his drink. "I feel

luckier every day."

Khan ignored his disgust and took another sip from his cup. Unlike the other guests, his drink

had a set amount of the plants' dark green substance mixed with it. That was part of the process meant to increase his tolerance, so he had appointed a waiter to fix his booze in

secret.

"You should," Lord Rsi commented, slamming his huge hand on Khan's shoulder twice. "Even our soldiers respect her. Truly a perfect fit."

"Of course," Tlexicpalli joined the conversation, "We are to believe that her improvements have something to do with your unique services."

"I aim to make my training grounds as beneficial as possible," Khan confirmed, getting directly to the point. "I'm sure they'll be up to your standards."

"I admit that's quite surprising, [Blue Shaman]," Lord Exr revealed. "I understand reinforcing our friendship, but most humans would be wary about improving alien forces."

"Improving is a strong word, [My Lord]," Khan corrected. "I simply think that we have much to learn from each other. The training grounds will allow us to show and put together our best aspects, benefiting us all."

The wise choice of words didn't go unnoticed. The relationship with the Lord had long since become friendly and more easygoing. Yet, Khan could still risk insulting the Empire by claiming to have the best training methods, especially before a human audience. However, the different wording had veiled compliments for both Thilku and Ef'i, which

neither species tried to reject.

"It's praiseworthy, [Prince Khan]," Lord Rsi continued. "Differences aside, you should feel justified in avoiding attempting to strengthen our troops."

Lord Rsi was hinting at Izraz's ploy. Clearly, the Empire had leaders and troops who were unhappy with the friendly relationship with humankind, so empowering them could create

stronger enemies.

"I don't see those justifications," Khan announced. "Actually, it's in my best interest to keep my close allies strong. Don't you agree, [My Lord]?"

The answer pleased Lord Rsi, who smirked and showed his canines before resuming hammering Khan's shoulder. The silent understanding didn't go unnoticed by the eavesdropping guests, either. The Global Army had deals with the Empire, but Khan had the

Thilku's ears and hearts.