Chapter 817 Stability

Chapter 817 Stability

"I swear," Khan promised. "It isn't my fault this time."

"And yet it always happens to you," Monica commented.

"I'm completely innocent," Khan swore.

"On this," Monica said, "You never are."

The couple was standing on the mountain where Khan had spent the night. Morning had arrived in the quadrant, filling the air with a cold breeze. Faint light also shone on the area, highlighting many details. However, the cave was nowhere to be found.

Khan didn't change location during the night. Instead, the cave did, or rather, something else had taken its place. That damp cavity had turned into a vast crater that still crackled from time to time.

The explosion had been big enough to alert Monica and make her jump on a ship. Yet, a glance at her destination told her everything she needed to know, which she decided to handle personally.

"We should consider ourselves lucky you didn't try to create weapons inside the city," Monica sighed.

"I was creating defensive gear," Khan revealed.

Monica couldn't help but look at Khan, her eyes blank. She didn't know which emotion to wear. Helplessness tried to win that internal contest but couldn't appear since Monica gave up on understanding her fiancé's experiments.

"Do you know how bad it can look?" Monica questioned, her mind reviewing her political education as she inspected the crater.

"I know," Khan confirmed.

Khan and his allies worked day and night to appear reliable. The cities, quadrants, and the planet as a whole had to feel safe. External parties wouldn't invest money and equipment otherwise.

The explosion had been minor and in an isolated area, but it had happened nonetheless. Khan had chosen a relatively distant spot on purpose, but Monica had noticed the event, so it was safe to assume others also did.

The Scalqa wouldn't spread gossip, but the city had many human assets. More were also inbound, and the same went for soldiers from the Thilku Empire. As that trend continued, leaks would become more likely, and many couldn't wait to purchase information about Khan and Baoway.

"If someone asks," Khan announced, "Say that I was testing spells. This explosion was no random event."

"I will," Monica nodded. "Still, dear, I'll use my countermeasures if this happens again."

Monica's words would sound like a threat to an external party, but the couple knew what she implied. Her countermeasures were quite enjoyable for Khan, but he couldn't indulge in them right now.

"I won't get anything done if you sleep on me during my experiments," Khan said.

"Then," Monica replied, "Stop blowing things up."

"I'm innocent," Khan declared.

Khan was obviously to blame for the explosion, but his words carried some truth. The night had proceeded smoothly until the experiments demanded more grit. He had been on the right path, but something was missing.

"You know how amazing your fiancé is," Khan stated, attempting to justify how a big cave had turned into a vast crater. Monica chuckled but still delivered another jab.

"Is that new?" Khan asked, lowering his eyes to inspect Monica's clothes. He didn't recognize her skirt.

"The Princess brought some clothes," Monica explained. "We traded a few pieces."

"Someone had fun yesterday," Khan teased.

"I was working," Monica declared, "Working for both of us."

"I can definitely see the effort," Khan uttered. "So, when do I get to enjoy it?"

"Later, dear," Monica giggled, "If you aren't too busy blowing stuff out."

"I probably will," Khan admitted. "I need to find a new location. This is too close to the city."

"Don't ruin the river," Monica warned.

"I'm not touching the river," Khan reassured. "I just need somewhere close enough to have a connection to the network."

"It won't take long until the entire planet is covered," Monica explained. "Well, you'll have to store all the equipment you made for the Scalqa to get perfect performance."

"I'll rip off some nobles for connection enhancers," Khan said. "They all want to have lunch with me anyway. The topic will pop out."

Monica's head snapped up, shooting a glare at Khan. She instantly grew livid and anxious, and her grip on Khan's hand tightened as her brain summoned her genuine scolding tone.

"When were you planning on telling me that?!" Monica snapped. "I have to choose a dress. Wait! Princess Montares will probably want us to dress up together."

"Take Felicia, too," Khan added. "You girls should bond."

"Lunch," Monica cursed, her eyes darting left and right. "I only have half a day to prepare."

"Yeah," Khan sighed. "You'll never make it in time."

Monica promptly jabbed Khan's side again, but he picked her up afterward, princess-carrying her while rising into the sky. She had gotten so used to the process she continued to glare at him while securing her position. Nevertheless, Monica soon forgot about her anger and enjoyed the flight.

The political lunch happened, and more meetings followed. Khan established new deals with the nobles, deepening his familiarity with the various representatives. Those chats only had fake friendliness, but that was the best Khan could achieve in the current situation.

The time spent with Monica shrunk since the nobles often requested her presence. The couple's private moments grew scarce, but both Khan and Monica couldn't do much about it. The representatives' presence was a crucial period for the planet, demanding their full attention.

However, the nobles eventually departed, and the expansion resumed. It took a while and a lot of effort from a management standpoint, but all the quadrants ultimately reached their intended shape. The allied descendants established a stable foothold on the planet, fully colonizing it as they developed their agreed-upon assets.

Baoway witnessed some well-deserved stability afterward, and Khan let it solidify for a while before moving to the next goal. He could finally depart without worrying about seeing his domain fall apart, so he contacted Rebecca. She had promised him the Nak, and he couldn't wait to lay his eyes on them.