Chaos' Heir

920  Negotiations

The word "war" echoed in the Excellencies' minds. That was no small threat, and even the evolved soldiers acknowledged its seriousness. Adrian, Bruno, and Miss Christen couldn't help but resume their inspection of Khan, hoping to find hints of pretense or hesitation.

However, the evolved soldiers found nothing but unreasonable resolve inside Khan. He had meant every word he said, and his history added a troublesome factor to the threat.

Those lofty environments could often produce entitled brats. Nobles and wealthy descendants underwent a thorough education, but the process could fail some of them, creating figures ignorant of many aspects of the world.

Khan's youth could deceive some into thinking he belonged to that category, but his history and stance told the opposite tale. He knew war. He had even fought into a few of those and was ready to start another to protect his domain.

Generally speaking, internal battles were bad for business, especially in the short run. Still, the Excellencies were willing to consider that path in the instance of a clear threat to their authority.

However, things with Khan were more complex than they appeared. The six noble factions could overpower him, but that approach lacked a proper reward. The Nognes family would only lose the most promising leader in their history and everything he had achieved since his domain was strictly connected to his name.

Moreover, the six noble factions weren't united. They disagreed on how to handle Khan, and the bone he had thrown at them partially appeased their greed. They wanted more from Khan, but a whole planet was still a massive, effortless reward. The Excellencies would get it simply for sharing Khan's lineage.

Of course, that was another contentious issue. The insistence in those meetings wasn't only about getting a share of Khan's profits and equally splitting wealth inside the family. The six faction leaders wanted Khan to be aware and acknowledge their authority, which the current offer didn't do.

Actually, the current offer would bolster Khan's authority, making the six factions slightly subservient to him. They would earn well, but the business would remain under Khan's name. He would stay in control, almost turning them into mere employees.

The issue wasn't as tragic as it sounded. The six factions were involved in countless businesses, so accepting a slightly uncomfortable compromise in one of them wouldn't be the end of the world. The potential earnings would make the sacrifice worth it.

However, that could become a slippery slope. One compromise made accepting the following easier until the subservience transformed from occasional to the norm.

The Excellencies explored those and more worries in the short seconds after Khan's announcement. The threat of war remained the main issue, but the offer had enough value to move the more intrigued leaders. They didn't need to pretend they were united, so they didn't even try.

"This planet in question," One of the female Excellencies announced. "How do we know it's worth our time?"

Khan drew his phone from his pelts, placing it on the table. Menus instantly lit up on the metal surface, connecting the device and accessing specific information.

Khan only had to tap on his screen for holograms to pop out of the table. A planet appeared at its center alongside a list of information. Everyone became able to read Senerth's specifics, and a silent minute unfolded while the Excellencies reviewed the potential benefits.

Of course, the holograms didn't mention anything about Senerth's inhabitants. Khan didn't want the Excellencies to know more than necessary to retain as much control as possible in that concession.

"What's the issue with the planet?" The same female Excellency asked.

"That's classified information between the Thilku Empire and me," Khan responded.

"And the timeline?" A male Excellency questioned.

"It's not clear," Khan admitted. "I'll have more reliable data once I get there."

"That's far from reassuring," The middle-aged man declared. "What would stop you from delaying the planet's availability on purpose?"

"I'm not working for you here," Khan explained, "Or the family. This mission comes from the Thilku Empire, and I'm expected to handle it as soon as possible."

The Excellencies didn't trust Khan, and that feeling wasn't specific to him. Those leaders were too experienced and jaded to believe their business partners. Yet, the Thilku Empire was a great sponsor, which Khan himself had to respect.

"How many years?" The female Excellency questioned.

"I hope less than one," Khan responded. "If anything, I don't want my absence to last longer than that."

Conquering a whole planet in a year was doable with modern equipment, but Khan had strict requirements. Moreover, his army would only benefit from a prolonged war. Yet, he had spoken the truth. Ideally, he would get things done as soon as possible.

One year wasn't much for the Excellencies. Truth be told, they would have also been fine with more under normal circumstances. They had been part of deals that had stretched for decades, so that wait felt short in their experience.

With the deal's validity confirmed, the Excellencies only had one last step to take. They could either accept Khan's offer or refuse it, starting a war. The six leaders were inclined toward the former, but some details had yet to be clarified.

"Will the other aspects of the deal also require this delay?" The middle-aged man questioned.

"No," Khan revealed. "We find an agreement here, and I'm ready to ship out resources as early as today."

"And the tournament?" The same female Excellency as before asked. "It is my understanding you have already announced its return for next year."

"What do you want from my tournament?" Khan asked, putting emphasis on the "my" part.

"It is a great achievement," The female Excellency said. "One the Global Army hasn't seen in decades. Of course, we want in."

As much as Khan disliked the idea, splitting the tournament's costs with the other factions would greatly benefit him. Also, their involvement would bring better political figures and deals to the event, improving its potential. It would be a perfect move that would bolster the Nognes family's name as a whole, but Khan couldn't give in.

"Everyone knows you had nothing to do with the tournament," Khan announced. "Everyone relevant, that is. Granting you organizers status on the second would reflect poorly on my image."

The noble and wealthy environments didn't need explicit explanations to take hints. Many had already guessed and understood that Khan was fighting for relevance and independence inside his family. Turning the other factions into proper organizers during the second tournament would make it look like he had lost the political battle.

"And it would reflect poorly on us to continue being excluded from such a public and successful event," The female Excellency pointed out.

18:28

"You should have thought about doing it yourself," Khan snorted, "Instead of jumping at the chance now that I made myself publicly available."

"And it would reflect poorly on us to continue being excluded from such a public and successful event," The female Excellency pointed out.

"You should have thought about doing it yourself," Khan snorted, "Instead of jumping at the chance now that I made myself publicly available."

Every noble family had the means to organize Khan's tournament but lacked his unique status. Unlike the other Princes and Princesses, he had remained engaged in the Global Army's issues, creating an appealing channel everyone wanted to exploit.

"So," One of the male Excellencies exclaimed. "How do we solve this?"

Taking a step back could prompt the faction leaders to push for more, but refusing to compromise might start a war. Moreover, the decision was on Khan now. It was his time to launch a counteroffer, and the helplessness in his brain told him he couldn't win that round.

"My team is busy rearranging many aspects of the tournament," Khan explained. "My arena will also need modifications. You can come as guests and act as owners, but I want my share."

"All the benefits without upfront payments?" The middle-aged man wondered. "It sounds too good to be true."

"Authority has a steep price," Khan commented. "Also, if you purposely avoid engaging in businesses during the tournament, I'll know you aren't worth as much as you claim to be."

Khan hoped to stir some competitiveness among the faction leaders, but no one took the bait. They knew what Khan was up to and wouldn't expose themselves for a simple insult. Besides, they had plenty of ways to abide by the request without revealing their true riches.

The faction leaders exchanged glances and occasional nods during the silence that unfolded. Khan had nothing else to offer and wouldn't even if he did. That was the best deal the Excellencies could get out of him, so everything was about accepting or refusing it now.

Khan saw more than poker faces and polite pretenses. The symphony shone in his eyes, telling him the offer satisfied the Excellencies. One seemed to have a minor gripe, which he didn't hesitate to voice.

"I'd like to request an additional term for this initial deal," The middle-aged man announced.

"It did sound too easy," Khan scoffed, seizing a nearby bottle since his glass was empty.

"Your unique position hinders our trust, Prince Khan," The middle-aged man continued. "Your closest ally works outside the Global Army's domain, and you are happy to mention it whenever things get dire. Theoretically, nothing would stop you from using it to trick us."

"You won't get the Empire," Khan declared. "Not from me, and definitely not with this behavior."

"We are aware," The middle-aged man responded, "But the issue remains. So, I propose you bring one of the family's evolved soldiers with you. His or her presence will vouch for your intentions of seeing this deal through to the end."