C261 - Instincts
Delia paled, and Khan remained equally stunned even if he tried his best to hide his feelings. Rick was nothing more than a weak soldier with a bad attitude toward battle, but his name could make the entire Global Army tremble.
Of course, the ten noble families were immense. They had countless descendants, so many of them ended up failing to match their high standards. However, even the lowest member of those organizations could summon a force capable of scaring almost everyone in the entirety of humankind.
That power didn't only involve actual assets. The scariest aspect of the noble families came from their influence over the entirety of the Global Army. Ending up on their bad side could ruin the career of the most promising soldiers. Ricky probably didn't have access to such connections, but both Khan and Delia didn't dare to take his revelation lightly anyway.
"Does the Captain know?" Khan eventually asked.
"I believe he suspects something," Rick explained. "My family made sure to hide my origin, but Captain Clayman is incredibly sharp. It's not surprising that he will become a Major by the end of the year. After that, he only needs to become a fourth-level warrior to enter the list for the promotion to Lieutenant Colonel."
Delia couldn't muster the strength to speak in that situation. She didn't even try to stand up since she feared that Rick might find her actions disrespectful.
Khan was doing better than Delia. He had studied the noble families during his short period on Ylaco's training camp, and Martha had also explained multiple times how important they were in the current human society. Still, Rick had openly asked for his help, so he had to gaze past his amazement to make up his mind about the issue.
Khan could only see three options in front of him. He could ignore Rick altogether, pretend to help him through half-hearted exercises, or do his best to turn that clueless soldier into a proper warrior.
The three paths featured advantages and risks. The first and second options would limit potential adverse consequences, even if they could put Khan on Rick's bad side. Instead, the third path could cause many troubles if he hurt the soldier and his training didn't lead anywhere.
Khan only had to decide which risks he had to face. Usually, he would try to avoid political problems due to how frail his status was. Yet, Rick could become an ally that surpassed every potentially empty promise from Captain Clayman. He had the chance to establish a proper relationship with the young soldier if he actually managed to teach him something.
'A good ambassador wouldn't give up on this opportunity,' Khan thought before correcting himself. 'A partially crazy ambassador wouldn't. Still, what do I even have to lose here? My current fame is great, but I'll eventually need political allies, especially if I want to gain access to the information about the Nak.'
For once, Khan forced himself to think as an ambassador while ignoring any dirty feeling that his approach originated in his mind. It was time to be as calculative and cynical as possible, even if he couldn't avoid adding a personal touch to that behavior.
"Do you realize that I'm agreeing to help you only due to your family name?" Khan asked openly, without caring for Rick's feelings.
"That's fine," Rick stated as a smile appeared on his face. "I don't mind relying on my family as long as it helps toward my goal."
"What exactly is your goal?" Khan questioned.
"I want to become someone proud of my name," Rick explained. "I want to stop being a useless pawn that my parents are willing to hide away on some remote planet just to keep the standards of my family high."
"That's not enough," Khan exclaimed. "I'm no master, but I can probably force you to develop a better mindset, something that can face adversities without cowering in fear. Yet, the process won't be funny, and most of the results would depend on your actual determination."
"I've been pampered my whole life," Rick announced. "The masters willing to deal with someone with below-average talents had never dared to touch me. Even the many training areas that I've visited didn't allow me to test myself properly since my family didn't find me capable of overcoming those challenges. Please, just give me a real chance."
Khan had to admit that Rick's situation sounded awful. He could vaguely understand the fears of the masters, but he couldn't believe that even the training areas would avoid putting him in danger. It almost felt that the Rassec family had given up on Rick as soon as he showed less talent than other descendants.
That mindset was hard to acknowledge for ordinary soldiers, especially since Rick wasn't too bad. He wasn't even twenty, and he probably didn't get any infusion of synthetic mana, so his current level wasn't unusual compared to many young men and women. Rick wasn't Khan, but no one could label him as a failure so soon.
The noble families seemed to have a completely different view on the matter that Khan didn't want to explore too deeply. He could guess that the branch of Rick's bloodline was relatively poor compared to the others in his force, but his thoughts stopped there.
"I can't be your master since I still have a lot to learn," Khan admitted, "But I can give you pointers and try to reshape your instincts. I only want to make sure that this stuff won't end up ruining my future."
"I will never speak badly of you in front of my family," Rick promised.
"You don't have to speak about me at all," Khan corrected. "This isn't about your potential failure. I don't want your parents or other relatives to silence me to quell the rumors about a weak descendant among their ranks."
Rick widened his eyes as he understood that point. He immediately nodded and showed the purest expression that Khan had ever seen in his entire life. The soldier really wished to grow stronger, but Khan sighed internally at the sight of that evident naiveness.
"We can't let others see us," Khan stated. "You said it yourself. Captain Clayman probably knows about your status, so I don't want anything that can cause problems for me. You would also have to lie about eventual injuries, understood?"
"Yes, boss!" Rick happily shouted as he stood up to perform a military salute.
Khan felt a headache spreading inside his mind. Rick had been lucky enough to find him when he had yet to recover and obtain the knowledge that could improve his training. Khan would have probably considered refusing him a bit longer otherwise.
"Let's go to my habitation," Khan sighed.
Delia stood up, but she waited for Khan to cross her before following him. Instead, Rick shot forward as if he couldn't wait for his first real training session to begin.
The breakfast didn't last long, but a few soldiers in camp had awakened and had started to march toward the dark cube to have their meals. Some inevitably met Khan, Delia, and Rick, and they showed friendly smiles or curious glances.
"You must be Khan," A woman in her twenties eventually exclaimed when her group waked toward Khan and the others.
"Did the scar betray me?" Khan joked as he stopped in his tracks.
The woman was quite beautiful, and her long red hair was an unusual sight on the battlefield since she didn't tie it. Still, she and her group appeared weaker than Moses' team. Only a few of them were both first-level warriors and mages.
"You get to memorize most faces after spending a few weeks here," The woman announced while starting to play with her hair. "Yours definitely doesn't go unnoticed."
"I hope for good reasons," Khan teased while wearing a fake polite smile.
"Of course," The woman replied as her eyes checked his defined muscles with evident interest. "You must still learn about our habits. We usually hang out outside the camp when it gets dark. You are welcome to join us if you want."
"I'll consider it," Khan replied while showing his right hand. "I hope this doesn't give me too much trouble."
"There's no hurry," The woman responded. "Take care of yourself first."
The woman showed an enchanting smile before continuing on her way, and her group followed her. Some nodded at Khan, but most of them completely ignored Delia and Rick.
Khan didn't mind that interaction too much. He knew that rumors about him had already spread throughout the camp, so his presence naturally interested the soldiers there. Moreover, he had grown used to being at the center of the attention on Nitis, and the polite manners of the humans could barely manage to annoy him.
Delia and Rick had different reactions. Delia felt a mixture of pride and jealousy, while Rick experienced pure admiration. His eyes seemed about to take fire when he saw how calmly Khan could handle those situations.
Similar events happened again while Khan and the others walked back to his habitation. Soldiers stopped on their way toward the dark cube to greet Khan and exchange a few polite words. The matter didn't only involve women, but they were still the majority of those interested in him.
By the time Khan's group reached their destination, Rick's eyes had turned into bright green lights, while Delia seemed to have learnt how to express two different emotions at the same time. She didn't like how famous Khan was, but she still felt that he completely deserved that respect and attention.
The trio entered the habitation, and Khan immediately led the duo inside the reinforced room. The poor state of the area left Rick completely stunned, but he didn't say anything.
"Can you be his sparring partner for a while?" Khan asked.
"I'm not touching him," Delia stated, but she tried to explain herself when Rick's puppy eyes fell on her figure. "I'm close to leaving this damned planet. I only need a bit more to accumulate enough Credits to purchase synthetic mana, become a second-level warrior, and apply for a safer position."
"Show me what you know," Khan ordered after abandoning any hope to receive Delia's help.
"How should I do that?" Rick questioned, and Delia hid her face behind her hand to avoid showing her disappointment. Luckily for Rick, Khan's expression remained aloof.
"You must know a martial art, right?" Khan guessed. "Punch and kick the wall so I can see it. These surfaces are quite sturdy, so don't hold back."
Rick's eyes lit up in understanding before approaching one of the walls. He quickly bent his legs and spread them a bit to create a stable battle stance before launching a series of quick punches.
Khan inspected the mana moving through Rick's body. The flow of his energy was smooth and precise, but he could see that some hesitation appeared whenever his knuckles were about to hit the metal.
"I said that you don't have to hold back," Khan soon reminded.
Rick gulped in front of Khan's stern expression, but he eventually resumed his attacks. He even deployed some techniques that relied on his elbows and knees. His martial art appeared quite balanced. It didn't focus on any specific aspect, but it also showed no opening or clear weakness. It was fast, powerful, and complete.
Rick slowly gained some confidence as his offensive continued. He grew used to the pain spreading from his knuckles, knees, and elbows, which made him express more power. It only took a few minutes before he started going all-out and deploying his martial art to the best of his capabilities.
'He isn't bad,' Khan thought while checking every technique that Rick deployed. 'If his initial mistakes have come from his anxiety, he has probably reached the competent level with his martial art.'
The event felt quite surprising for someone who claimed to have trained with bad masters throughout his life. Still, everything felt reasonable when Khan thought about the wealth that the Rassec family had invested in Rick.
"Okay, that's enough," Khan announced, and Rick turned toward him. "Your techniques are good for your age and level. You only lack the right attitude and experience."
"I can't gain experience as long as the Captain keeps me inside the camp," Rick explained.
"I know," Khan answered. "We must focus on the other problem then. Your instincts are bad, so we must get rid of them."
"How do we do that?" Rick asked, but Khan suddenly shot forward and kicked him at the center of his torso.
Rick flew across the room and crashed on the opposite dark wall. Khan didn't use much power in his attack, but Rick wasn't ready to endure it, and blood inevitably filled his mouth when he landed.
"I could have killed you there," Khan explained. "Pay more attention to your surroundings even with allies around you."
Rick coughed a few times, but he eventually stood up and nodded before wearing an honest smile and resuming his attacks on the wall. He became immersed in his training until another kick flew in his direction and forced him to throw himself on the floor.
Khan slammed his foot on the floor and made the whole room shake. The reinforced metal endured the blow, but that didn't hide the amount of power he had released during the attack.
The foot had landed next to Rick's head. Khan had missed him on purpose, and something similar had happened with his previous attack. The second kick had been so slow that Rick had been able to sense it, but his dodge had been awful.
"Your martial art has defensive stances and techniques, right?" Khan asked as he took a step back to let Rick stand up.
"Yes," Rick responded. "In theory, it has no weaknesses."
"But that only means that it requires more experience to reveal its true power," Khan explained.
"I couldn't get any real battle experience," Rick justified himself.
"You don't need to repeat that," Khan scoffed while checking his mana.
His kicks were relatively safe, but he wanted to make sure that his mana didn't start acting on its own due to his annoyance or similar feelings. Everything seemed in its place, but Khan still feared what could happen if he tried to use his power properly.
"Rick, your first instinct was to throw yourself on the floor," Khan scolded, trying to explain the gravity of the situation. "You should have tried to escape since I'm far stronger than you. I would have even accepted a defensive technique. Yet, you directly gave up on fighting. Why is that?"
"I felt a bit scared, so I panicked," Rick admitted.
Delia could only shake her head. She could see how massive Rick's weaknesses were. It wasn't a matter of lack of training. The soldier had developed horrible habits since no one had ever forced him to get used to pain. His first instincts were to give up instead of deploying what he knew.
Khan didn't know how to approach the issue. He never had similar problems, and he couldn't be a sparring partner in his current condition. Rick needed someone with the same level to slowly reverse nineteen years spent without knowing real pain, but the other soldiers seemed to despise him due to his apparent privileged state.
"You said that no one knows about your true identity here, right?" Khan asked.
"That's correct, boss," Rick replied.
"We need to find you someone willing to get you through this tedious part," Khan stated.
"How would I even find that?" Rick asked as a tinge of shame appeared on his face. "I'm a joke inside the camp. No one will take me seriously."
"They will if I'm with you," Khan declared.
"Do you plan on using your charm to make one of your suitors help him?" Delia teased.
"Not at all," Khan shrugged his shoulders before pointing at Rick. "He will pay them. I'll just stick around to make sure that everything goes smoothly."
"Thank you so much, boss!" Rick shouted as excitement filled his face. He seemed ready to get out of the habitation right away, but Khan moved his attention to his pocket when he heard his phone ringing.
"We'll continue this tomorrow," Khan announced after checking the message. "I have things to do now."
"But the day has barely begun," Rick complained before lowering his head as soon as Khan glared at him.
"I bet you have a good habitation," Khan guessed. "Go there and repeat all the techniques of your martial art until you fall asleep. Stop only when you need to eat."
"Do you mean all day long?" Rick asked in a surprised tone.
"You can perform your techniques perfectly," Khan responded, "But you don't see them as your first resource. You must start to change that, so repeat them until you run out of breath or mana. If you happen to recover during the night, wake up and start the training again."
"Will this really help me?" Rick timidly asked.
"You need to get rid of many years of bad habits," Khan explained. "Using every second to reshape your instincts is the least you can do for now."
Rick didn't feel happy about that training session, but he still nodded, performed a military salute, and left the habitation. Delia waited for the entrance to close before turning toward Khan and addressing his orders. "Why did you send him away?"
"The Captain has sent part of the rewards," Khan explained. "Besides, I didn't lie to Rick."
"Aren't you afraid that he might turn on you if he doesn't see improvements?" Delia asked.
"Delia, I recognize desperation when I see it," Khan said in an aloof tone that instantly saddened her.
"Look at the bright side," Delia tried to change the topic as she approached Khan. "You might have a friend inside a noble family if you actually turn him into a decent warrior."
Delia wanted to embrace Khan from behind to tease him a little, but he placed his left hand on her cheek before she could do anything. Delia blushed at that sudden action. She didn't even mind that he was holding his phone while using his thumb to caress her.
"I need to test these techniques," Khan announced. "My mana is dangerous, so I can't relax if you remain here."
Delia knew that Khan was sending her away, but the seriousness in his tone and his gesture made her accept his decision quickly. She caressed the back of his hand before taking a step back and turning toward the door. It didn't take long before she left the habitation.
Khan didn't feel good about exploiting Delia's feelings, but his bitterness mixed with his usual desperation after he sat and unlocked his phone.. The Captain had yet to send the two spells, but the mental techniques had reached his device, and he couldn't wait to try them.
To be continued