Chapter 1339: Loyalties

As understandable as it was, the news couldn’t help but sound terrible.

The sunlight from ten years ago had devastated Nitis, crippling the Niqols’ development and setting their society back by more than a few decades.

After all, the Niqols had to undo the harm that accepting the human ways had done, which required more than learning from scratch. The fact that they had managed to improve the old ways in such a short period was a miracle by itself.

Still, some things couldn’t be controlled. The birthrate and maturity of the new generations weren’t something the Elders could affect. The Niqols were probably still recovering from that decade-old tragedy.

The war against the Scarlet Eyes promised to be bloody, and the Niqols couldn’t let it affect their recovery. They risked disappearing as a species if they suffered too many losses, too, which couldn’t be allowed.

Khan didn’t mind the absence of the younger generations from the battlefield, but the Elders’ decision not to fight was problematic.

The old ways had already proven themselves capable of holding their ground against the Scarlet Eyes’ True Chaos, so Khan had hoped to gain allies of Liiza’s caliber at his side.

At least, Khan had hoped for those evolved warriors’ support until he found a way that everyone could use to fight against the True Chaos. Yet, the matter already sounded hopeless, and he had no right to argue any further.

If anything, the Niqols’ decision promised to be a common trend. A few exceptions aside, most species had their own well-being in mind, so they wouldn’t risk their best assets in that joint war until it was strictly necessary.

Someone would have to deal with the initial phase of the war and bear its full might almost on their own before the others understood how serious the situation was. Khan already knew that role would fall on him and silently accepted that inevitability.

In a way, Khan had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be the regulated universe’s primary weapon in that imminent war. Savdat’s revelations were merely another problem he had to overcome through sheer might.

“[The Elders will decide to fight once they see what we are up against],” Liiza coldly announced, her face growing aloof. “[And many Niqols will join the frontlines earlier than that].”

“[The Elders will probably explicitly forbid that],” Savdat pointed out.

“[The Niqols are an emotional species],” Liiza claimed. “[They won’t stand aside while the universe of mana fights and bleeds together].”

“[I’ve seen far more wars than you, Liiza],” Savdat sighed, a faint smile broadening on her wrinkled face when her red eyes fell on the baby between Liiza’s arms, “[But I hope you are right].”

Savdat glanced at Khan at that point, and he drew something from his pocket without needing an explicit request. A phone-like device ended up in his hand, which he offered to the old Niqols.

“[The footage is there],” Khan explained. “[You’ll have to switch through its different perspectives to highlight all the details my soldiers captured. If you lack suitable consoles, you can use mine].”

“[The Niqols aren’t as hopeless when it comes to technology as you might think],” Savdat chuckled, accepting the device and storing it in her robe. “[You can return to your party or stay here if you want. It might do the baby good to experience a piece of Nitis].”

Liiza already seemed to have made her decision. She slowly lowered herself, sitting on the dark-grey snow while lulling Yeza. Khan soon followed, placing himself behind her to wrap her in his arms and legs. Snow came last, but its feathers acted as a mattress that the couple didn’t hesitate to use.

Savdat had been on the verge of turning, but that loving, sweet scene dispersed the coldness of her old age and status, putting a genuine warm smile on her face, which grew pensive when she focused on Liiza.

“[You would have been a great Elder],” Savdat exclaimed. “[You might still be, especially now that the Niqols’ future is something I can’t envision].”

The statement tackled Yeza’s interspecies nature. The Niqols were the very opposite of xenophobic. They took pride in their ways and species, but also followed their feelings, and they didn’t have any biases. Liiza and Ilman were proof of that, and the same went for the human team on Nitis ten years ago.

“[My loyalties lay with my family now],” Liiza responded. “[I still love the Niqols and will help them if I can, but my family takes priority].”

Leaders usually had the chance to avoid forsaking either side, but Khan had long since realized that the Niqols’ Elders were somewhat different. His few interactions with Savdat had also proven how she only viewed the Niqols as a whole instead of considering their individual cases.

Liiza simply couldn’t follow in those footsteps. She might have done so if Khan had never kidnapped her, but that ship had sailed now.

“[I understand],” Savdat exclaimed, her figure floating upward, leaving the snowy surface to head toward a mountain peak.

Liiza quickly lost interest in the disappearing Elder, and Khan felt forced to lower his gaze, too, since Yeza woke up and started crying. The event seemed to startle Snow, who peeked past the couple to inspect the baby.

Nevertheless, Liiza swiftly pulled aside her sleeveless, white robe, revealing her braless chest, bringing Yeza toward it. The baby quickly stopped crying, fulfilling her hunger.

Naturally, Khan considered the fact that Liiza had drunk, but those thoughts immediately vanished. Liiza had to have a way to lactate safely despite the booze in her system. She would have never approached the cauldrons in the first place otherwise.

Instead of questioning Liiza, Khan laid his mouth on her shoulder, kissing the robe above her cold skin while inspecting his famished daughter.

Liiza also relaxed, laying her head on Khan’s while following his bright gaze. The two enjoyed that silent, cozily cold moment, which even Snow didn’t dare to disturb.

“[Let’s take our time],” Liiza suggested. “[I’m not done showcasing our family around, but I do want a moment when it’s only us].”

Khan didn’t need words to accept that offer, especially since he shared Liiza’s sentiment. His arms went around her waist, holding her closer while Snow kept acting as a feathered mattress.

Somehow, on a planet that had nothing but metallic grey sand, Khan and Liiza were managing to enjoy something that only Nitis could have offered, almost pretending to be on a family trip to her home planet.

Needless to say, Doku had to wait close to an hour before he could see his old friends again, and part of him felt lucky he had reunited with them at all that night.