Chapter 1285: Video

The Ildoo family had expanded a great deal since one of their descendants could make his faction thrive under Prince Khan’s protective wing.

The descendant was no pushover, either. He had proven himself on multiple battlefields and wielded experience few in his generation shared. He was quite resolute, too, making him the prime candidate for the Ildoo family’s Patriarch seat.

The union with the Wildon descendant had almost sealed that promotion in stone since it established a tight and unbreakable alliance with another wealthy family. The Ildoo were bound to enjoy a radiant future, but George couldn’t dwell on those pleasant thoughts that night.

Many of the Ildoo family’s facilities on Earth featured training halls, and a few also came with specific features designed to improve a particular skill set. George sat on his knees at the center of one of those structures, with his eyes closed while his mind dealt with a challenging workout.

Beads of sweat littered George’s exposed, muscular torso, falling on his damp shorts. His wet, short black hair partially reflected the hall’s artificial illumination, and only the sound of his steady, deep breaths disturbed the surrounding silence.

George looked busy meditating, but his workout featured far more than caught the eye. His aura sharpened with each breath he took, condensing and thinning beyond what human minds could study in a process that seemed never-ending and partially pointless.

Humans employed their mana through specific martial arts and spells. They only focused on memorizing the activation process, smoothing it out as much as possible to perfect its reliability.

However, George’s spirit was quite a peculiar element, and his training stretched beyond humankind’s practices. He could rely on what he had learned on Nitis to bring qualitative changes to his aura, empowering himself in ways the Global Army couldn’t really understand.

Many would actually be surprised to catch George training at all. People in his political position rarely worked out, but he always made the time, and that practice had long since become a daily habit for him. He obviously didn’t advertise that, but a few people inside his family knew about it.

That was why the training hall’s door suddenly slid open, forcing George to exhale loudly and open his eyes, interrupting his workout. He seized the towel next to him, wiping his face and body, standing up while looking in the direction of the entrance.

“You actually brought me a drink,” George exclaimed. “It must be worse than I thought.”

“This means you’ve seen it,” Anita responded, her quick steps making her reach George in no time, where she could deliver the drink in her hands.

“I saw it,” George confirmed, seizing the drink before Anita could change her mind. “It would have been impossible not to see it with the entire network trying to contact me.”

“You already knew about it, didn’t you?” Anita questioned, and George diverted his gaze while making sure to empty the glass.

“Men and their secrets,” Anita sighed, her gaze falling on George’s toned, muscular torso and the sweat still lingering on it. “I get why you didn’t say anything, but-”

“It wasn’t anything deep,” George interrupted before Anita could start doubting herself. “Khan didn’t explicitly say I could reveal it to others, so I didn’t.”

Anita wanted to feel annoyed. After all, she was George’s wife. His secrets were her secrets, and they had vowed to always be honest with each other.

Yet, that feeling never arrived. Anita couldn’t deny how exemplary George’s behavior had been, both as a husband and a father. Anita couldn’t be prouder of the man she had married, so she could ignore those details, even if they involved a threat to the entire regulated universe.

“Did Michael see it?” George eventually asked, offering the empty glass back to Anita.

“I had put him to bed before the news arrived,” Anita shook her head, accepting the empty glass, “But he will learn about it. This is impossible to keep hidden.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” George decided. “It’s better if he learns about it from me.”

Anita couldn’t help but appreciate George’s dependable side. It had actually surprised her how easily and well he had slipped into that role, and his half-naked, partially sweaty state inevitably fueled more impure thoughts.

“It’s happening earlier than I expected,” George sighed, throwing the towel on his head to dry his short hair. “It’s good that he is with Liiza again. Though I don’t know if that will make him crazier or less reckless.”

George leaned toward the former. After all, he had seen how Khan had behaved on Nitis. Yet, the hands that reached for the towel on his head reminded him of something that needed to be addressed.

“Monica is my friend, too,” George exclaimed while Anita stepped behind him to deal with the sweat on his back, “But I want Khan to be happy, and you have never seen him with Liiza.”

“The video said that they are married,” Anita commented, “And that she is expecting his child.”

“The Niqols sure are something else,” George grinned, only for slight panic to rise to his mind when the towel on his back stopped moving.

“We are not doing it tonight, are we?” George wondered, peeking past his shoulder, noticing Anita’s scolding look.

Anita rolled her eyes but resumed wiping George’s back, changing the topic. “I tried to call Monica, but she isn’t picking up. She was even starting to do better.”

“Few can be as lucky as us,” George declared. “I wouldn’t worry about Monica. She never lacked suitors.”

“Suitors who have been too scared even to approach her ever since she broke up with Khan,” Anita added. “I can’t say I blame them. I’m just worried about my girl. She has focused on nothing but politics for almost three years.”

“Should we pay her a visit?” George suggested once Anita returned in front of him. “Seeing Michael should cheer her up.”

“Won’t you be busy after tonight?” Anita asked. She liked the idea, but the revelations in Khan’s videos weren’t something that someone like George could ignore while focusing on minor tasks.

“I had everything ready months ago,” George revealed. “I just had to give the final order today. Besides, my old man can cover for us for a while.”

“What order?” Anita questioned, frowning.

“Mostly resource management and official statements,” George summarized. “I also sent our special project in Khan’s direction to help him out.”

“You sent someone who embodies bad luck to help Khan?” Anita asked, incredulous.

“He has far more control over his element now,” George reassured, clearing his throat, “And can you think of anyone else who might keep up with Khan’s pace?”

“Men and their reckless plans,” Anita sighed, shaking her head. “Sure, let’s visit Monica, but can you accompany me to the Doctor first?”

“Is something wrong?” George promptly asked, his face instantly becoming serious as he checked Anita from head to toe.

“The timing is quite terrible,” Anita stated, a trace of hesitant shyness pervading her face, “But I think I might be pregnant.”

George’s eyes and mouth went wide. His brain stopped churning thoughts and ideas, freezing him on the spot.

“I would have been more careful if you told me earlier,” Anita muttered, her voice growing cuter. “It would be wiser to interrupt it until you sort this out, but I don’t think I want-”

Anita couldn’t finish her line since George suddenly lifted her from her waist, laughing like an idiot while waving her left and right. She initially gasped before falling prey to that genuine, happy outburst, sharing the happiness it conveyed.