Tech Hero in Another World
Chapter 83: [82] Yeah, that’s Khan (2)

Chapter 83: [82] Yeah, that’s Khan (2)

"Is Ryul in trouble right now?" Khan asked, his voice growing heavier with a trace of worry threading through his otherwise stoic tone. "Did he send you with a message? Or was it just a friendly drive-by ’hello’?"

Ren took a slow breath. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy news for the man standing before him. "Actually, Ryul—or more precisely, the Elven kingdom he lives in—was attacked a few weeks ago."

"What!?" Khan’s voice rose sharply, his ears perking instinctively as his fists clenched, like he was resisting the urge to punch something.

Ren raised one hand slowly, signaling him to calm down. "Just... let me finish, alright? It’s important."

Khan recognized his own reaction, then let out a short sigh. "Ahem... go on."

"In short, they were attacked by the Kingdom of Yordan, backed by some unknown force," Ren explained, voice steady but firm. "Big army. Total chaos. I happened to be there and... yeah, I helped out. You could say I played a role in ending that little war. If you heard about it, great. If not... I don’t mind."

Khan listened intently, not interrupting again. His eyes regained that razor focus, but now filled with quiet concentration.

"Ryul gave me this pendant right before I left," Ren continued. "He knew I’d be crossing this desert. Told me if I ran into trouble in Mandaley, you might be someone worth turning to."

A weighty silence hung in the air for a moment, and then Khan exhaled deeply. His eyes dropped to the ground, his expression turning contemplative.

"Untie them," Khan ordered, no hesitation in his tone. "If Ryul entrusted you with something... then I’ll honor that."

"Yes, Boss," one of his men replied, stepping forward with sharp precision. He unfastened the magical bindings on Ren and Nea, and in an instant, the glowing restraints unraveled like threads of fading light, vanishing into the air.

The moment her hands were free, Nea practically leapt toward Khan, her eyes sparkling with emotion. "Khan! Do you remember me!?" she cried, nearly crashing into the towering man.

Khan looked surprised for a moment but quickly responded with a soft chuckle and a gentle hand ruffling her hair. "Yeah, yeah... of course I remember," he said with a rare warm smile. "Surviving those desert worms? Not bad. Most don’t live to tell the tale of Ruh’al-Turab."

"Hehehe... I was with Nico," Nea said, casting a glance toward Ren, her tone both proud and slightly shy.

"By the way... how’s your grandmother?" Khan asked, his tone softening as his eyes met Nea’s more seriously.

Nea fell silent for a beat, then lowered her gaze. "She’s gone. Two weeks after you left the village."

Khan drew a long breath, his shoulders tightening briefly before relaxing again. "I see... My condolences. She was a strong woman."

"It’s alright," Nea said, shaking her head gently. "I don’t have any reason to stay there anymore... So, will you take me in?"

Khan paused, glancing toward one of his trusted lieutenants—a broad-shouldered man named Denon, who was leaning casually against a stone pillar with a flat expression.

"Ahem... Denon, we got space?" Khan asked without shifting his tone.

Denon raised an eyebrow and answered without hesitation or ceremony. "If you say so, then we’ve got one bed and a warm blanket to spare."

Khan nodded, then turned back to Nea. "You heard him? Welcome back, Nea."

Her face lit up instantly, eyes shining like a kid receiving a long-awaited gift. "Yey...!"

But before the mood could turn too sweet, Ren’s voice cut in—light, but tinged with sarcasm. "Sorry to interrupt your little reunion—wolf and bunny, what a charming combo—but can we get back to the big stuff? I think there are some... other people who also want a word with you, Khan."

Khan turned to Ren, his smile fading into a more serious expression.

As the room settled again, Khan shifted his attention to the two individuals who had been caught tailing Ren and Nea. His gaze turned sharp, cold, and demanding as he crossed his arms and slowly stepped toward them.

"Now it’s your turn," he said firmly. "Who are you... and why were you looking for me?"

The two, now seated on the cavern floor with their hands bound behind them, exchanged a nervous glance. The silence stretched for a long moment—too long—until one finally spoke up, her voice stiff, like she was struggling with something.

"K-Khan!? It’s me... Susan!" she blurted out, her deep tone suddenly flipping into a distinctly feminine voice. Her face turned red, like she was only now realizing how awkward this all looked.

Khan blinked in surprise—not because of the name, but because of how wildly the voice clashed with the image they’d presented earlier. "Huh? Susan...?" He stepped forward, leaned down, and with a swift pull, yanked off the woman’s hood.

Brown, wavy hair spilled out, revealing a mature woman’s face—strong yet soft, with Persian features. She looked to be in her early thirties, her warm brown eyes now filled with worry.

Khan froze. "Wait... don’t tell me—"

He turned to the other stalker and without hesitation, ripped off his hood as well. Beneath it, a weathered man with a short beard and a face etched with fatigue stared back at him.

Khan’s eyes widened. "M—Mr. Amir!?"

The older man gave a slow nod, the exhaustion on his face clearly more emotional than physical. "Khan... sorry. No time for pretty explanations."

Ren, who’d been quietly observing, narrowed his eyes. He was starting to feel this wasn’t just some random reunion—something bigger was in motion. His gaze moved quickly from Susan to Amir, then back to Khan, whose expression had shifted into tension.

Susan stood up with Amir’s help and spoke quickly, voice low but urgent. "Khan... your mother..."

Khan’s entire body stiffened. "Mother...? What happened to her?!"

Amir followed up with a calm, deep voice that carried immense weight. "There’s been an uprising, Khan. The Sultanate... Samsara has fallen into your cousin’s hands."

The words hit the room like a boulder thrown into a still lake. Even the air felt heavier. Members of the Band of Massiah standing nearby exchanged glances, some gripping their weapons tighter.

Ren took a step forward, leaning against a stone pillar, his expression far more serious now. "Okay... sounds like our little chat was just the prelude. This—this is the real beginning of the story."

---

The atmosphere inside the cave suddenly turned tense. The casual laughter and friendly smiles vanished the moment news of the rebellion was shared. Khan stood frozen at the center of the room, his expression unreadable, but his eyes now burned with emotions he hadn’t displayed since the beginning of the meeting.

Ren watched him closely, trying to decipher Khan’s reaction beneath his composed exterior. He knew from personal experience that people who remain silent under pressure aren’t necessarily calm—they’re often suppressing a storm within their minds.

Susan stepped forward and began to explain, her voice steadier now, though her eyes still glistened with unshed tears.

"It all started two months ago. Your cousin, Malik, began spreading his influence among the old nobility. He bribed officials, swayed public opinion, and... he slandered your mother."

Khan closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them with a heavy sigh.

"What did he accuse her of?"

Amir responded swiftly, his deep voice carrying the weight of experience.

"He claimed your mother used beastkin powers to manipulate the throne, that she hid an ’illegitimate child’ outside the palace, and that the royal bloodline had been tainted by beast blood."

Everyone present couldn’t hide their shock. Even some members of the Band of Massiah reacted with low growls and incredulous hisses.

Khan showed no physical reaction, but his voice turned colder.

"And it worked?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Susan lowered her gaze. "With the support of conservative nobles and the palace guards’ loyalty wavering... the palace fell into Malik’s hands. Your mother was imprisoned, and loyalists were exiled. We... fled because you are the last hope."OpenNovel

Ren crossed his arms, glanced at Nea, then turned back to Susan.

"Okay... hold on. When you say ’last hope’... what do you mean? Khan isn’t just the leader of this elite bandit group, is he?"

Amir nodded slowly.

"It’s time everyone knew. Khan—his current alias—is his rebel name. His birth name is Farid al-Samsara... the legitimate son of Sultanah Diana binti Raheem."

A heavy silence enveloped the room. Only the crackling of torches against the stone walls could be heard, and it felt as if everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.

Ren’s eyes widened.

"Wait... he’s a prince?"

Even Nea covered her mouth in shock. Some newer members of the Massiah, who had joined in recent years, also appeared stunned—not all were aware of this truth.

Khan stared straight ahead, then gave a single, slow nod, filled with meaning.

"Yes... I carry royal blood," he finally said, his voice heavy but steady. "It’s hard for me to say this without bitterness... because even though I was born of noble lineage, I was never truly accepted there."

Everyone in the room remained silent. Even Ren, who usually interjected with sarcastic remarks, chose to stay quiet this time. The mood turned somber, as if Khan’s words had unearthed long-buried wounds.

"I am the child of a love deemed unworthy," Khan continued. His gaze was vacant, but his eyes hinted at a long, unspoken struggle. "My mother... the Sultan’s sister. She fell in love with a beastman—a warrior from the northern tribes who happened to save her during a riot on the palace outskirts. Love blossomed in an unexpected place... and I was born."

His words hung in the air like a dense fog, difficult to dispel. Some members of the Band of Massiah bowed their heads in silence, while Nea clutched the hem of her garment, her eyes shimmering.

Khan continued, his voice now softer.

"I survived not because of any right... but because of mercy. My mother... she knelt before her brother, the Sultan, pleading for my life after my birth." He looked up at the cave ceiling, as if seeing painful memories from the past.

"And the Sultan... agreed. Not because he acknowledged me, but because he still loved his sister."

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