Chaos' Heir
chapter-839

Prince Jack Nognes had heard about Khan's irrational, violent, and unstable behavior. Entire teams had briefed him about the issue. Yet, men who had lived in pampered and untouchable environments their whole lives rarely adapted to different situations.

Of course, the noble education had trained Prince Jack for that, but the situation would force him to assume a lower status or at least pretend to. That wasn't something he could do on the spot. That switch inside his brain had never been flipped and had long since rusted away.

Nevertheless, the threat forced Prince Jack to consider that unbelievable development. He actually had to run simulations to answer Khan's question, and what he found didn't please him.

Killing a noble was a grave crime, probably one of the gravest crimes inside the Global Army. However, that only applied to people with lower statuses. The Generals and Diplomats didn't intervene nor voice opinions when those murders happened between people at the same lofty level.

In the current situation, Prince Jack was nothing more than a representative, while Khan was a faction's leader. The former wasn't even too relevant inside the family, and many were after his relatively limited wealth. His death could be worth a war, but not against Khan.

The problem was with Khan's monopolies. He had channeled much of the Thilku Empire's support, and his faction wielded one of the best resources on the market. Jack and Ethan's presence showed exactly how valuable that was.

"Prince Khan," Prince Jack called, clearing his throat. "Such an act would unify the other factions against you. You can't desire that."

Khan didn't reply. He didn't need to. He simply moved his eyes to Prince Ethan, seemingly challenging him to voice his support for Prince Jack's statement. Still, much to Prince Jack's dismay, nothing similar arrived.

As much as Prince Ethan wanted to show a united front, threatening Khan with a joint faction war went beyond his authority. Actually, to his knowledge, most factions wished to remain on good terms with Khan due to the value he had secured for himself.

"This is absurd!" Prince Jack shouted at Prince Ethan's silence. "His Excellency Alexander would have never resorted to such threats. He knew his place in the family and upheld his role with dignity."

"Are your eyes failing you?" Khan asked. "My Grandfather isn't here."

Prince Jack was ready to respond but forced his mouth shut. He hated being reprimanded by such a young leader, but Khan had yet to utter a single lie. Moreover, insisting on his approach would only lead to a clash.

"Prince Khan," Prince Ethan intervened, noticing Prince Jack's trouble. "Allow me to apologize for our lack of manners and insults. However, there is an order of things that has sustained us throughout centuries."

"And sustenance is all you aim for," Khan commented. "How depressing."

"Prince?" Prince Ethan called.

"I know soldiers who could have achieved grandiose goals with just a fraction of your resources," Khan explained. "Instead, you are here begging for scraps the second I seize something valuable."

"Prince," Prince Ethan dropped his friendly expression to wear a serious face. "I apologized for Prince Jack's insults but won't stay silent toward yours."

"It wasn't an insult," Khan said. "Just the truth. Comparing yourselves to me would be unfair, but I could pick any soldier in my army to prove my point."

"Mere battle prowess and attunement with mana are a narrow-minded way of evaluating a person," Prince Ethan jabbed back.

"And yet," Khan continued, "I can see you agree with my evaluation."

Prince Ethan couldn't find his voice anymore. He had felt Khan's piercing gaze on him since he entered the hall, but it took that last statement to realize how deeply it saw.

"It's sad," Khan uttered. "The nobles have grown complacent, caring only about retaining control. Your true value becomes evident whenever you face something you can't trap into your grasp."

Both Princes noticed how Khan referred to himself as a "thing", but the content of his statement remained more important. He was basically claiming the family's laws couldn't control him.

"We have a history that goes back to the First Impact," Prince Ethan announced. "We rebuilt humankind, developed wonders, and achieved miracles. We created the martial arts and spells at the foundation of our species."

"Our ancestors did," Khan corrected. "Maybe your faction leaders also did something great. You two didn't."

"Enough!" Prince Jack snapped, slamming his fist on the couch's armchair. "What do you know of our ways?! Your very faction would have you exiled if it heard your words!"

"Quite the opposite," Khan revealed. "I've been chosen for this very reason. The old ways bred weakness, and my faction needed strength."

"So," Prince Ethan said, "Will you just throw away centuries of laws and threaten anyone who won't abide by your new ideals?"

"I don't care about your laws," Khan declared. "I don't care about your customs, beliefs, and ideals. You also came to me, not the other way around, so I suggest you voice your offer instead of wasting my time."

"Offer?" Prince Jack repeated.

"You want my stuff," Khan explained. "You have to pay for it."

"That's not how things work inside the family," Prince Ethan claimed.

"Welcome to the new world order," Khan exclaimed.

Prince Ethan fell silent again. It was common knowledge that one faction couldn't oppose all the others. That system worked to retain peace inside the family since it deterred infighting while ensuring benefits for everyone.

However, Khan wielded something unique, so finding a compromise wouldn't be the end of the world. That solution would also be temporary since the other factions wouldn't simply watch Khan amass power. Buying time could be the right choice.

Still, Prince Ethan didn't account for Prince Jack. The latter began to chuckle before exploding into a loud laugh. He seemed to have heard the best joke in the world and didn't hesitate to explain his reasons.

"Did your small successes make you delusional?" Prince Jack questioned. "Your mother's erratic behavior is the only reason your faction needs strength. You are no chosen leader. You are the appointed cleaner required to take out the trash."

"Let's go, Ethan," Prince Jack continued, standing up. "This lad will be his own ruin."

"Jack, come on," Prince Ethan pleaded. "We came here for a reason."

"We only need to wait," Prince Jack snorted. "He'll follow his mother's footsteps, killing himself or worse. His faction will beg us for an alliance afterward."

"Jack!" Prince Ethan called. "You know I can't follow you, not like this."

"Why not?" Prince Jack sneered, looking at Khan. "Look at him. He's befriending savage aliens, donning their clothes. He doesn't even look human, and he is selling his faction to benefit his whore girlfriend's family."

An azure halo suddenly surrounded Prince Jack. The pale light acted as a thick membrane that protected his entire body, but its glow quickly dimmed, dispersing the mana it contained.

Prince Jack's eyes went wide. He recognized that light and reached for his chest. His magic item had activated, but he didn't see any attack.

"It was quite well made," Khan praised, standing up to approach Prince Jack. "To think it could stop the Divine Reaper."

"What have you done?!" Prince Jack gasped, incredulous about that development.

"I'll send my compliments to your blacksmiths," Khan said, slowly advancing as Prince Jack retreated. "Also, it's fiancée, not girlfriend."

"Prince Khan!" Prince Ethan shouted, but it was too late. Prince Jack took another step backward before stopping in his tracks. His body froze, turning into a corpse since his head had disappeared.

Prince Ethan watched Prince Jack's corpse fall to the floor before moving his eyes to Khan. The latter didn't move, but a head had appeared in his right hand. His fingers held it from its short black hair as the wound dripped blood.

"Let this be a warning," Khan announced. "Take me seriously, or don't come at all."

Prince Ethan didn't know what to do in that situation. He could only stare at the gory head in Khan's hand, but things quickly worsened. The hall's doors opened, and Prince Thomas and Princess Rebecca dived in, stopping as soon as they noticed the scene.

Prince Thomas and Princess Rebecca felt shocked, but Prince Ethan directly panicked. That was a political incident, and eliminating the witnesses usually was the next move. The man began to fear for his life, and Khan smelled that feeling.

"You have shown me respect," Khan reassured. "Your life is not in danger. However, you will relay a message for me."

Khan threw the severed head toward the corpse before calmly returning to his couch and taking a long sip from his bottle.

"I have the entire Thilku Empire behind me," Khan declared. "No faction, no matter how big, can match its force. You all also need my resources to keep up with the other families, so send proper representatives next time."

Khan took another long sip from his bottle before adding the last line. "Be sure to take that head with you."