'She didn't tell me that he was so into her,' Khan commented in his mind as his annoyance increased.

Khan didn't understand the entire speech, but the few words that he could translate in his mind had allowed him to get its general meaning. The Niqols was clearly trying to date his girlfriend, and he couldn't do anything about the situation.

The Niqols remained on his knees, and his expression didn't even flicker after Liiza's firm refusal. His face remained solemn as if he were in the middle of a deadly battle.

"[You will acknowledge me one day]," Ilman exclaimed before straightening his position and leaving the flowers at the base of the tree. "[I won't give up on us until then]."

Ilman's romantic words made some of the female Niqols gasp. Some even stood up to approach him with consoling words, but he ignored them until they started to offend Liiza.

"[You should imagine yourselves in her position before speaking so poorly of her]," Ilman defended. "[Her mother wanted to sell her away for the Niqols' greater good when she was nothing more than a kid. Her anger is completely justified in my eyes]."

"[Give up on her then]!" One of the female girls complained before blushing and playing with her hair. "[You can go out with me. I'll make you happy]."

"[You can't tempt my love]," Ilman promptly refused her. "[I can't betray my feelings]!"

The girls took a step back after that remark. They appeared disappointed, but their blush didn't disappear. It seemed that they liked how dramatic and driven Ilman was about the matter.

Khan failed to understand most of that interaction again. He only got some of Ilman's words since he spoke simple lines, and that fueled Khan's irritation even more.

'I need to learn the Niqols' language as soon as possible,' Khan decided as his expression grew colder when he saw that Ilman had started to walk in his direction.

"You must be the new students!" Ilman exclaimed while wearing a broad smile. "I hope that your stay in [The Pure Trees] will bring species even closer together."

Ilman's manners were perfect. His smile didn't show any flaw and highlighted his innate beauty. His human accent was excellent, and a gentle aura seemed to cover his whole figure.

'Don't tell me that he is a good guy,' Khan cursed in his mind. 'World, can you give me something easy to hate this time around?'

"I'm Ilman," The Niqols continued. "My tribe has benefitted immensely from the cooperation with the humans. Allow me to express my gratitude."

Ilman performed a polite bow, and the recruits didn't hesitate to imitate him. Only Khan hesitated for an instant, but he forced himself to bend forward while joining his hands when he sensed Liiza's intense gaze on him.

"Allow me to escort you to your habitations," Ilman proposed. "I wouldn't mind giving you a tour of the camp if you aren't too tired from the long travel."

It was only late afternoon, and Khan's group had basically spent the entirety of the travel on their Aduns. They were full of energy, and Ilman's offer was tempting.

"It would be an honor to have you as our guide," Kelly quickly replied.

Brandon found himself with his mouth open and words stuck in his throat. Kelly had been faster than him in giving a polite answer. The boy could only curse in his mind and prepare himself for the next chance to show off.

The other recruits shared the same mood. Their stay in the academy was a critical political mission, so those who managed to establish a good relationship with the Niqols would gain more value inside the Global Army. Also, they had to do their best not to remain inside Khan's shadow. Luckily for them, the latter didn't seem interested in exchanging polite words with Ilman.

Khan's eyes never left Ilman. He would have normally done his best to get closer with the Niqols, especially since he appeared as a famous and respected figure inside the camp. However, his feelings made him unable to think about the matter politically. He could only stare at the alien and curse silently whenever his beauty became impossible to ignore.

'Taller than me, good-looking, rich,' Khan commented in his mind, 'He even belongs to the right species, and his feelings are intense.'

Khan found himself unable to win against Ilman in any aspect. He clearly was a worse pick, but feeling Liiza's constant stare helped him remain in control of his pretense.

"Let's not waste your precious time then," Ilman laughed and walked toward the two envoys to lead the group back to their habitations.

Khan got the chance to sneak a peek at Liiza while the group turned to follow the three Niqols. Her eyes widened in a glare when she saw his action, but both of them quickly returned to their pretense before anyone could see them.

The three Niqols led the recruits away from that central square and among the trees. It seemed that the membrane covered a large area at the center of the forest, so they could remain inside it while they moved toward the structure meant to accommodate the humans.

It turned out that the academy didn't have many buildings. The few structures inside the forest all had specific purposes that required a closed environment or unique tools. Moreover, Ilman explained how the trees created a special aura that covered the entire academy and helped with the training.

The Niqols didn't want to risk ruining the aura by adding too many buildings. Yet, that didn't prevent them from expanding the academy. They only had to stretch it downward instead of upward.

The habitations were in a large underground hall connected to the surface with a large and steep staircase. Azure symbols and smooth walls created a cozy and warm environment that featured eight beds and four separate bathrooms.

The Niqols had brought the temperature to human standards, and the menus were in their language too. The only awkward aspect of the area was that the beds were all in the same room since the aliens didn't see any issue with girls and boys living together.

The recruits didn't voice any complaint, and some of them didn't really care about that. Others even looked forward to sleeping together, especially the boys since they would have more chances to be with the girls.

All their belongings were next to the beds. Khan could find his knives quickly, and a tinge of concern filled him when he thought about leaving them in the open in front of the other recruits. The two null-grade weapons didn't matter too much, but he wanted to hide the first-grade blade from the others.

That concern vanished when he noticed that the Global Army had sent lockers calibrated to their genetic signature. Khan could keep his knives there without worrying about the other recruits.

The Global Army had sent some uniforms, but the Niqols had also left white robes on the clean ground next to them. It seemed that the alien wanted to give them a choice to wear what they preferred.

The tour continued afterward. The academy didn't expand too much inside the forest since the Niqols preferred to use the underground world to enlarge it, but that approach didn't stop them from using specific areas that carried unique features.

The academy had a small lake filled with transparent waters that spread a peaceful vibe throughout its shores. Risky lessons that required complete control over mana happened there due to the obvious benefits connected to that aura.

Another unique area was under the surface. The roots of many trees came out of the ceiling and created an environment almost devoid of mana. It was easier to focus and check certain improvements and features of the mana there. Many medical lessons happened there since the lack of interferences made diagnoses quicker.

The academy had similar structures spread inside the area inside the barrier. Overall, the site was far smaller than Ylaco's training camp, but it successfully held almost one hundred Niqols.

Ilman acted as the perfect envoy during the tour. He never failed to give complete explanations of each area, and he added details even when the other two Niqols tried to stop him.

The boy never revealed classified information, but he always had the chance to hold something back to make things harder for the humans. However, Ilman wanted the humans to experience the entirety of their stay inside the academy. He didn't care about giving advantages to his species.

Kelly and Brandon basically fought each other for Ilman's attention. The other recruits also managed to say gentle words or polite remarks from time to time. Only Khan remained completely silent during the entire tour. He didn't fail to memorize everything and study the various interactions, but he couldn't force himself to speak with the alien.

"That's it for the tour," Ilman announced while wearing a broad smile after bringing the group back to the central empty area. "I'm often away during the day since the second year only has specific lessons, but you can find me around this time since I have a high chance of finding Liiza in these hours."

"I wish you the best of luck with her," Brandon promptly exclaimed. "Don't hesitate to contact us if you ever need help with her or other matters."

Ilman appeared quite easygoing. His dramatic behavior made it hard for the group to notice his real character, but they slowly uncovered it during the tour. The Niqols appeared honest and joust. He was the type of person that would always choose to do the right thing.

Khan hoped to find something worth hating, but Ilman kept disappointing him. The Niqols' character was so flawless that it almost felt unreal.

Needless to say, that only worsened Khan's mood, and George eventually noticed that. Khan wasn't the type to miss so many chances to establish a relationship with a seemingly important figure in the camp. Something seemed off with him, so George decided to help him after Brandon's remark.

"You can talk with Khan about girls," George laughed while patting Khan's shoulder. "He has a real talent with them. I bet he can help you with Miss Liiza."

****

Author's notes: The second chapter should arrive in less than an hour.