C445 Children
Khan could only watch powerlessly as the catastrophe unfolded. His eyes remained on Princess Edna, but the rest of his senses kept track of the hall, and the development threatened to give him a headache.
The night spent with the Princess had been on everyone's mind, but its details had remained vague. The descendants couldn't even ask straightforward questions since a noble figure was involved. They could only guess what had happened, but the latest revelation surpassed their wildest expectations.
Piloting the Princess' ship was a big deal, but the shocking details connected to it went beyond that. First, Khan's flying skills were in the open now. Also, he had somehow managed to get Princess Edna to acknowledge him.
Some initial guesses had seen Monica as the main reason behind the previous night's unexpected development. However, that changed now. Princess Edna seemed to treat Monica and Khan equally and even wanted both to join her shopping session.
Khan was lost. Everything had been a mess since the previous night, but the Princess had managed to make things worse. He couldn't fix that with lies and fake smiles. He could only play along and make the best out of it.
"I'm sorry to say that my taste is quite poor," Khan honestly admitted. "I still can't understand the need for so many clothes."
"I had to force him to buy something before coming here," Monica added. "He would only have military uniforms otherwise."
"A blank slate!" Princess Edna exclaimed. "How amusing."
"Though he does have a good eye for women's clothes," Monica revealed. "I rely on him when I can."
"Don't tell me that he is your secret," Princess Edna's eyes lit up before glancing at Jack. "I wish he could be useful there too."
"Oh, no," Monica giggled, and her laugh ended up being partially honest. "I told you. My secret will come only after some shopping."
Princess Edna seemed to accept the answer since she dropped the topic and walked around the interactive desk. Jack followed her, and the two soon found themselves next to Khan and Monica.
"Princess, do you want to sit next to-?" Khan tried to say, but Princess Edna sat before he could finish his question. She ended up next to him, and Jack occupied a spot at her side, creating the most awkward interactive table in existence.
The gazes and gossip didn't stop even after Khan sat down. Actually, they grew louder. Khan was between Monica and Princess Edna, so the descendants went wild with their guesses.
Only three people ignored that development in its entirety. Jack stared at an empty spot, Princess Edna played with the menus without caring about her surroundings, and Professor Nickton resumed the lesson as if nothing strange was happening.
"If you would look at the list I sent you," Professor Nickton stated, but Khan partially ignored him to look at Monica. She was wearing the same lost expression, and the two found some comfort in their equal state. Monica even pinched Khan's side to show her support before adjusting her position.
Needless to say, the lesson became hard to follow. Professor Nickton didn't have Professor Boatbell's incredible eloquence, but his subject was more interesting for Khan. Still, he had to resort to the entirety of his new senses to catch everything while remaining aware of his surroundings.
Of course, the rumors lost volume, but they existed, and Khan couldn't ignore them. The same went for the various shades added to the symphony of mana. The students almost stated their stances while thinking that Khan couldn't sense them.
Luckily for Khan, the Princess didn't do much. She simply killed time with the menus, making the overall situation bearable. Khan didn't dare to do anything with Monica but kept track of everything else without missing the valuable teachings.
Professor Nickton continued explaining the importance of mutations, using the list given to the students as a guideline. The variables could be endless, but some animals gave birth to similar organs and tissues, and the Global Army could turn those into potions or other valuable items.
The topic went deeper when Professor Nickton focused on the unique mutations. What Khan had seen in his lab was only one of the many and least amazing examples. The list contained Tainted animals that had learnt to generate special alloys and more, and a single specimen could be worth a fortune.
The Professor obviously didn't care about those specimens' financial value, but he mentioned it to highlight their importance. The key was finding patterns among the almost unpredictable mutations, and only true experts with decades of studies could claim to be reasonably accurate.
A dreaded moment eventually arrived. The lesson ended, and Khan remained in his seat, almost waiting for another catastrophe to unfold. He sensed the descendants' stance, so he knew they were ready to encircle his interactive desk.
However, Princess Edna stood up as soon as Professor Nickton left the hall and walked around the desk with Jack to occupy a spot in front of Khan and Monica. Her eyes completely ignored the eager students as they fell on the couple, and a question accompanied her gesture. "The ship is ready. Let's go."
Khan and Monica didn't need to check their respective intentions. They stood up and followed Princess Edna without uttering any words. They only managed to throw a polite salute at the class before leaving it.
The Princess' uncaring attitude saved the couple from a lengthy interrogation, and Khan almost began to have hope for the imminent endeavor. Still, that feeling vanished when he spotted Ron waiting in the corridor.
"Princess, I hope the lesson was enjoyable," Ron announced while leaving the wall and adjusting his glasses.
"It was boring as expected," Princess Edna sighed.
"That's inevitable in your position," Ron commented, "Which is why I suggested a different assignment. Attending subjects you have already mastered is a waste of-."
"I studied the shopping area last night," Princess Edna exclaimed, uncaring that Ron had yet to finish his line. "I know which shop I want to see first."
"Shoes?" Monica guessed.
"You know me so well," Princess Edna giggled before peeking past Monica to look at Khan. "Captain, I hope your good eye doesn't work only on Monica."
"I will do my best to meet your expectations," Khan chuckled. He had every intention of being honest, but that didn't save him from Ron's glare.
Monica and Princess Edna fell into a private conversation about clothes and shopping, so Khan remained alone with Ron's constant glare. The general attention from the people in the corridor didn't help distract him from that annoying stare either, so he let his mind wander to avoid falling prey to his mind's worst sides.
Professor Nickton's lesson touched on themes that Khan had considered in the past. The threat of passing down his mutations had afflicted his thoughts at times. That issue had stayed away from his head since Liiza, but the Harbor had rekindled it.
'Children,' Khan mocked himself as the walk led the group into a secret elevator. 'Am I really considering having them?'
Professor Nickton was an expert, but Khan knew about alternative paths. The mutations weren't absolute, especially when they came from mana. There had to be ways to prevent their hereditary properties.
Khan was nowhere near understanding or gaining any control over his mutations, and his situation was also peculiar. Yet, in theory, he could find solutions. Building a family wouldn't be impossible forever, but he needed more than simple genetic clearance.
The elevator brought the group into an isolated area outside the embassy. The team didn't reach the first floor. They were still near the middle of the giant structure, and the half-circular ship was already waiting past the ceiling's edge.
Khan remained immersed in his thoughts even after entering the ship. His gaze fell on Monica at times, but he always retracted it right away. He had gone through hell and back with Liiza before considering having children with her. It was too early to compare that situation with Monica.
Still, Khan wasn't the only one full of wild thoughts. Ron was in the same situation, but his attention mainly involved Khan's peculiar behavior. He didn't feel any danger coming from him, but the presence of the Princess forced him to be meticulous.
When Ron laid his hand on Khan's neck, he had to snap out of his pensive state. The scene from the previous night repeated itself, and Khan almost rolled his eyes in annoyance but held back for obvious reasons.
"You are up to something," Ron coldly stated.
Monica immediately jumped on her feet, but a single look at Princess Edna told her that she wouldn't help. Instead, the Princess pointed her curious expression at Khan while waiting for an explanation.
"Sir, I believe I'm allowed to think about private matters," Khan tried to get out of that situation while retaining a veil of honesty.
"You are in the presence of the Princess," Ron remained cold. "Any matter that I deem concerning loses its right to privacy."
"Give up, Captain Khan," Princess Edna giggled. "I'm also interested in your thoughts now. Is it the ship again?"
Anger built up inside Monica, but her expression conveyed only concern. She found that treatment unfair, but the sadness she experienced submerged her unreasonable mood swings and replaced them with a supportive look.
"It's not the ship," Khan sighed again as his internal conflict became evident on his face. "It's about Professor Nickton's lesson. I was thinking about the risk of passing down my mutations to my children."
Ron's hand remained firm, but Khan felt the tremor that ran through his mana. Obviously, Ron didn't expect the matter to be so private, and some regret even leaked out of his figure.
Instead, Monica's eyes widened in shock, and her blush became almost noticeable on her dark skin. Everything also intensified when Khan looked at her. She had gotten the wrong idea, and the headache became real when Khan thought about the discussions that would follow.
"Aren't your mutations good?" Princess Edna wondered. "Besides, the second generations rarely carry negative features."
"Are you knowledgeable about Nak's mutations, Princess Edna?" Khan questioned.
"Knowledgeable enough," Princess Edna confirmed before reaching for Monica's hand. "Get down. We had finally found something worth buying."
Monica could barely speak in that situation. Her almost confession from the previous night and the topic mentioned by Khan turned her mind into a mess. Luckily for her, the Princess was quite talkative when shopping was involved, so she could sit in silence and let her do the rest.
Khan resumed his battle of glares with Ron at that point, but the latter immediately backed down. He even retreated his hand while inspecting Khan's azure features. A "sorry" seemed about to escape his mouth, but he ended up remaining silent.
An awkward atmosphere enveloped the rest of the flight. Ron continued to check up on Khan, causing many battles of glares that rekindled the regret experienced before. Meanwhile, Monica shot timid looks at Khan while dealing with the Princess' eager mood. Only Jack remained outside those interactions, but his uncaring behavior soon became the norm.
The landing dispersed the awkwardness and replaced it with pure chaos. The ship stopped on the sidewalk outside a shop, and a crowd had already gathered there. Yet, many soldiers were in the area to keep a wide path open.
Princess Edna almost dragged Monica away, and the others followed closely behind. The group entered the shop only to discover that the place lacked customers. Only the attendants and the owner were there.
"Princess!" The middle-aged woman in charge of the shop announced as soon as the group crossed the entrance. "We have already taken out our best pieces and lined them up before the changing rooms."
"Let's not waste time," Princess Edna exclaimed, ignoring the luxurious welcome to head directly for the changing rooms.
A surprising scene unfolded in Khan's vision once the group reached its destination. The shop had rearranged its layout to create a series of long lines made of clothes and accessories. Each led to changing rooms, building expensive corridors meant to show as many goods as possible.
The shop's layout proved once again how important a noble family's descendant was. Khan had received privileged treatment in Neo Station, but that went far beyond what he expected. The world seemed to revolve around Princess Edna, and she barely noticed the efforts shown by those workers.
Ron's glare interrupted Khan's thoughts and threatened to start another silent battle, but Princess Edna created a diversion that the latter couldn't ignore.
"You must try this," Princess Edna gasped while reaching for a beautiful dark-red dress and handing it to Monica.
"Miss Virrai, why don't you try it first?" Monica suggested even if she took the dress.
"I want you to loosen up first," Princess Edna giggled while pushing Monica toward the changing room.
The two women entered the isolated area together, and Khan didn't hide his interest in the imminent outcome. He was a stranger to style and barely cared about it, but he knew how much Monica liked it, and her happy face was priceless. Besides, Khan wanted to see her in that dress.
Minutes went by, and the attendants standing behind the lines of clothes grew tense during the wait. Their job seemed to depend on the Princess' reaction, which probably wasn't far from the truth.
Eventually, the door of the changing room slid open, and Princess Edna pushed Monica forward to put her under the spotlight. The one-shoulder dress fit her perfectly and enhanced her natural elegance. The few exposed areas also attracted Khan's gaze and kept him glued on the scene.
Monica showed a shy smile under Khan's evident appreciation. She lowered her gaze but covered that reaction with an elegant bow. Still, her performance couldn't be as good as usual after everything that had happened since the previous night.
Ron's sharp eyes didn't fail to miss that forced behavior. Monica seemed to be in trouble, and Khan clearly was the source of those issues, so Ron didn't hesitate to unleash his hand again.
"What now?" Khan groaned once Ron's sharp hand ended on his neck. He quickly realized that his reaction had been rude, but his face appeared unable to wear a sorry expression.
"Miss Solodrey, please, be honest," Ron announced. "Is Captain Khan blackmailing you in any way? You can trust us."
Monica remained speechless, and the same went for Khan. However, Princess Edna exploded into a composed laugh before either could speak.
"Ron, you can be so blind at times," Princess Edna giggled. "Can't you see it? They are secret lovers."
To be continued