touchnovel Chapter 1027: Stepping away
Chapter 1027: Stepping away
Chapter 1027: Stepping away
The elevator's doors were closed, but Khan could see right through them. His Uncle had come to pick him up, and only one reason could have pushed him to interrupt the couple's private moment.
Khan dressed and reached the elevator quickly but waited before its doors until Monica covered herself. He unlocked the lift afterward, and Prince Thomas' dutiful face entered his vision.
"The Excellencies are here, My Prince, My Lord," Prince Thomas announced. "They have landed shortly ago."
"Either is fine," Khan absentmindedly commented. The short announcement revealed far more relevant information, which Khan didn't fail to spot.
Khan didn't check the time but could see Baoway's sky was approaching the sunset. He must have spent slightly longer than half a day with Monica, meaning his hunch had been correct. The Excellencies had kept their schedules ready for his return.
Moreover, Prince Thomas didn't say that the Excellencies had arrived. He had mentioned a landing, which those faction leaders had never done before. It seemed they didn't want to use the threat of open space to keep Khan in check during the imminent meeting.
That decision was peculiar and could create countless hypotheses, but Khan was in no mood to delve into the intricate political environment. He probably couldn't anyway, but the impending discussion did cause some reactions.@@@@
The time with Monica had brought some respite, trying to muffle Khan's bottomless desperation. She had failed but had also provided some necessary and deserved distraction. Nevertheless, those effects had vanished during the previous conversation. Khan felt empty once again, becoming one with his bottomless desperation, and the imminent meeting's contents filled his mind with thunderous noises. He didn't even know what he was ready to do. Khan was only aware it would be ugly.
Khan didn't say anything, but Prince Thomas got his silent order. His Uncle led him inside the building, heading for the meeting area. The place had been rearranged to match the guests' relevance, and Khan recognized it when he gazed upon it.
An interactive, circular table stood at the center of a vast, empty hall. Seven seats rested around it, and the representatives from the previous crowd had already taken their places behind them, ready to give advice when necessary.
Princess Rebecca was also there, and Prince Thomas quickly joined her. The two were to act as Khan's advisors, but he found more intriguing details.
Bruno was in the hall, sitting near a distant wall, but Khan couldn't find Miss Christen, Mister Adrian, or other evolved warriors. The Excellencies didn't dare to bring them to the planet without explicit permission, which was a good way of earning Khan's goodwill.
However, the six Excellencies were also standing before their seats, clear anger reeking from their auras and tainting the symphony. They seemed ready to skip the pleasantries and get to the shouting part, but Khan had other plans.
The Excellencies truly wanted Khan to face the consequences of his actions, but the crown on his head wasn't something they could take lightly. The Emperor had ruined their plans, and maintaining the status quo seemed to be the best option at their disposal.
Of course, that option had become more intricate, but the Excellencies were nothing but experts in that field. Even the Global Army would have to accept that new situation after the Nognes family applied enough pressure.
However, one problem remained. Politics had unspoken rules, especially inside the Global Army. Usually, there was no need to mention them, but Khan had always been an unusual
case.
"There's something else," Cassius said.
"Speak," Khan ordered, sensing Cassius and the other Excellencies' hesitation.
"You are too powerful, Your Excellency," Cassius revealed. "There can never be a balance as long as you attend these meetings."
Cassius mentioned a singular problem with humankind's political apparatus. Evolved soldiers didn't assume leadership positions for various reasons, and Cassius highlighted one. As long as Khan attended a meeting, the other Excellencies would be forced to agree with his wishes.
That would be no different than a dictatorship, which the Excellencies couldn't accept. It wasn't even a matter of ego. Those leaders represented factions bigger than wealthy families, and they couldn't agree peacefully to such a hostile takeover.
The consequences of Khan's continuous attendance could be mild or disastrous. The Excellencies might very well decide to stop personally engaging with him, while members of their factions could use Khan's lingering threat to revolutionize the chain of command. Instability would be nearby as long as Khan could apply his pressure on the Nognes family's
political apparatus.
"Did I ever say I wanted balance?" Khan asked, and the Excellencies instantly grew cold. That question could start an internal conflict aimed at taking over the entire Nognes family.
Luckily, Khan didn't stop himself at that.
"But," Khan continued. "I've already decided to step away from politics. My Uncle will act as faction leader in my stead and continue to fulfill my will."