Chapter 841 Briefing

As much as Prince Thomas had advised patience, things moved quickly once the idea was in motion.

Getting the various authorizations was ridiculously easy. General Seycomb couldn't refuse the nobles' pressure, and the same went for Headmistress Holwen. Khan didn't even need to talk to them to obtain their official approval and support.

Other aspects of the idea were also easy to plan. The Nognes families had armies of architects, technicians, and more, so a blueprint of the arena quickly took form. Everyone involved with the construction also forwarded various requests for materials, which Khan's faction was happy to provide and purchase.

Of course, once the invitation list was complete, the blueprint had to be adjusted. The tournament would be limited to medium and small families, but that still left the potential number of guests in the thousands. The engineers also had to account for businesses built specifically for the event and their personnel, which forced an increase in the arena's capacity.

The idea soon transformed into a behemoth of a project, but Khan's faction could handle it. Everything was also smooth since the family had centuries of experience in those massive constructions. The briefings and meetings were often superfluous, but one ended up being quite relevant.

"An auction for the promising descendants sounds heartless," Lieutenant Dyester claimed. "What if they don't want to leave their families? Will they refuse the nobles?"

"Those nobles would have bought them off anyway," Prince Thomas argued. "Eventually, that is. Besides, it's a great honor."

"Great honor, my ass," Lieutenant Dyester snorted. "It's just another way of weakening other families while reinforcing their ranks."

"That's how it has always been," Prince Thomas claimed.

"And it has always been shit," Lieutenant Dyester declared.

Lieutenant Dyester glared at Prince Thomas, who matched his angry gaze with a calm one. Yet, those two pairs of eyes soon moved on Khan, and words followed.

"Nephew," Prince Thomas called. "Please."

"Khan," Lieutenant Dyester said before falling silent. He didn't need to add anything else to explain his point.

Khan felt the urge to curse. That wasn't the first time he had ended up in a similar spot. Every major decision in the meeting always led up to him. He was the faction leader, so he had to have the last word.

Khan leaned back in his chair, hiding his mouth behind his full glass. The entire table entered his vision, showcasing his inner circle. Monica, his Cousins, and his Aunt were also there, but no one had anything to say about the matter.

"I'll act as mediator," Khan stated. "The nobles will get what they want, but I'll make sure the family in question benefits from that."

"You'll risk insulting the nobles," Prince Thomas pointed out. "Your interference favoring a lower family would say you are on their side."

"I am on their side," Khan declared. "Those promising descendants are no different from me from a few years ago. Did you forget my history, Uncle?"

"They aren't like you, Nephew," Prince Thomas said. "They will never be. Becoming part of a noble family is the best opportunity they can receive."

Prince Thomas was more than right, and Khan knew that very well. No one could match Khan's power and growth, and even those wouldn't be enough in normal circumstances. Khan would have always remained under the noble if Alexander never acknowledged his birthright.

However, Khan didn't want his tournament to transform into a feast for the nobles. He had compromised himself enough to get where he was, and doing it again now that he had power would betray all his struggles.

"The descendants will have the chance to decide without repercussions," Khan announced. "We'll make this part of the tournament's core advertising."

"And what would be the incentive for the nobles' participation?" Prince Thomas wondered. "Mere entertainment?"

"Our family won't try to claim any descendant," Khan explained. "They won't have home competition."

"That could work," Princess Rebecca said.

"That would be unwise," Prince Thomas stated. "Priority over the descendants can be our second-most valuable asset."

"That's why we'll give it up," Khan uttered. "The tournament will be a gift for lower and upper families. Our fame will pay the bills."

"And what happens if, after enough tournaments, the other noble families outclass us?" Prince Thomas asked.

"That would mean outclassing me," Khan declared, "Which isn't possible."

Silence fell in the small room. Many liked Khan's straightforward honesty, and even those who disliked it had to acknowledge its truthfulness. The tournament's consequences were unclear, but Khan's future wasn't. He was bound to get even stronger.

"Charity," Prince Thomas sighed. "Very well. We can balance out the losses with faction and interspecies relevance."

"Were are we with the Ef'i?" Prince Desmond asked.

"They'll send an Embassy," Khan revealed. "It's more of an outpost, but I expect their presence here to expand in the coming years."

"Are you sure of that?" Prince William questioned. "Baoway doesn't offer them logistical advantages."

"Is your relationship with the Ef'i that good, Nephew?" Princess Rebecca asked, doubtful but surprised.

"No," Khan admitted. He had fun on Onia, and the Ef'i respected him, but he had been too young back then. His interactions had been limited to the new generations and had never tried to have political relevance.

Yet, Prince William was wrong. Baoway had one logistical advantage, or rather, a point of interest that could make the Ef'i place an outpost in such a distant location.

"They'll come for the Thilku Empire," Khan explained. "The Thilku Embassy will justify the Ef'i Embassy."

The people at the table could only nod. Khan alone wasn't enough of a pull, but the Empire was famous and respected in the universe. Many species would jump at the chance of establishing relationships with it.

"Is the Empire okay with sending an Embassy?" Prince William felt forced to ask. "Won't it be superfluous with the Harbor so close?"

The matter was actually more problematic than that. First, the Empire didn't have the manpower to waste, so having two buildings with the same purpose so close to each other wasn't exactly optimal.

Moreover, establishing an Embassy on Baoway would diminish the Harbor's prestige. Building the new one in the name of the Blue Shaman would be even worse since it would depict Khan's organization as a separate force.

Yet, Khan's options were limited. He didn't want to hurt the Harbor since part of him still considered it his home. That place had greatly helped him in many ways, but something had to be sacrificed. The best Khan could do was achieve a decent compromise.

"Baoway already is the center of many deals with the Empire," Khan announced. "The Harbor will eventually fall in our shadow, making the Embassy there pointless."

"Your solution?" Prince William asked.

"There's no solution," Khan revealed. "I'll welcome any asset from the Harbor here, and the tournaments will improve its prestige. Still, we can't stop ourselves from becoming the middle point between Empire and Global Army."

No one objected to that point. Monica knew better than anyone else how Khan felt about the matter. She actually shared most of his feelings. Yet, she also remained silent. That sacrifice was necessary and unavoidable since the Empire was Khan's greatest shield.

"This is settled, then," Princess Rebecca eventually exclaimed. "Do you want us to handle the arena's stands?"

"You deal with that issue," Khan immediately agreed. "You know the nobles' relationships with each other better than me anyway."

"Though," Prince Felicia said, "Is it wise to cut out the other factions? They will resent the missed opportunity to show themselves publicly."

"The other factions are more likely to interfere than to play along," Khan explained, "At least right now. The tournament will have to show its value first. Everyone will follow its rules afterward."

Khan was already thinking years ahead, which was unavoidable with such a massive project. Reaping the tournament's benefits might take decades, but Khan didn't have quicker ways to pursue his goals. He had joined a different environment, and months couldn't be enough to defeat its players.

"You deal with the rewards, too," Khan continued. "Decide what's more valuable and divide it accordingly. Also, let the others on the planet in on the arena's businesses. Mark Bonnelli, Luke Cobsend, and Lucian Hencus are good candidates."

Khan stood up, and the others at the table imitated him out of respect. The gesture seemed to adjourn the meeting, but Khan had something else to say.

"And bring Pandora here," Khan ordered. "We can't keep sending every visitor to the brothels."

"Lord Vegner is ever grateful," Monica joked.

"Yeah, well," Khan sighed. "We have malls and other businesses from all the noble families. We need Pandora and other locations with my name on them."

Khan left the table, approaching the room's exit. However, a thought popped into his mind, and the situation was ripe enough to voice it.

"I'll finish things with the Embassies," Khan announced, "Before going into isolation. I need uninterrupted training."

"Nephew, most of this is founded on your name and face," Prince Thomas explained. "Your presence is highly beneficial."

"My presence has value only as long as I remain the best," Khan stated. "I can't become like the other political leaders."

"We can manage," Princess Rebecca reassured, "But what happens if your presence becomes mandatory? Many nobles want to hear things from you since your words carry the weight of the faction."

"Tell my Grandfather that his holiday is over," Khan exclaimed. "He has to get here and work like everyone else."