The Martial Unity

The conversation with the Beggar Sage did not last much longer. Rui managed to extract several more tidbits from the Beggar Sage, including the Divine Doctor's modus operandi in the Human Domain.

But alas, it wasn't as helpful as Rui had hoped. The Beggar Sage had a lot of information about how the Divine Doctor operated in the Human Domain, but not so much in the Beast Domain.

Still, it was certainly far better than nothing.

"Huff…" Rui heaved a sigh, shaking his head once the meeting with the Beggar Sage was completed and the delegation left, returning to his office. The information had yet to reach him as the Beggar Sage would be personally compiling it as the sole man who knew half of the things that he was selling to Rui.

He still had things to do before that arrived.

"Have the appointment with the guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild been booked?" Rui asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," his secretary replied. "Miss Mikhaila has just finished the arrangements. They are due exactly a week from now."

His heart grew heavier.

A week from now, he would be departing from the Kandrian Empire and probably wouldn't return for months and years.

He had many things to do before departing from the Kandrian Empire.

"Have Mikahila a carriage to the Vargard Royal Palace," Rui instructed her.

His tone grew serious.

"I wish to see my father."

"Yes, sir," his secretary quickly complied with his order.

It wasn't long before he rode a fast carriage to the Vargard Royal palace, along with four vetted Martial Masters who had pledged loyalty to him. Yet, he asked them to wait outside when he reached the medical ward of the royal palace where his father was being overseen.

"Don't let anyone enter."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Outside the medical ward that was solely dedicated to his father were more than a dozen royal Martial Masters who oversaw the protection of the Emperor. Many layers of extremely powerful protection and security were instated to ensure that nothing could possibly approach the slumbering Emperor of Harmony.

Just passing through all of them took several minutes.

Before long, he had entered the medical room that housed his father.

He took a good look at his slumbering father.

A multitude of apparatuses poked lay around him, each serving some function or the other.

His hair had whitened more than he last remembered, and his skin complexion had become an unnatural darkness. His face and body had grown more gaunt in the past year, looking even more unhealthy than he did before.

Rui stared at him with mixed feelings.

On one hand, he disliked his father for revealing his true identity and giving him the power to ascend the throne. On the other hand, he was deeply grateful for being given the Quarrier Orphanage as his family.

He wasn't quite sure on he ought to feel looking at his father lying before him, approaching death by the day.

The medical staff had been instructed to leave at his instruction.

Only three people were left in the room.

His father, himself and…

"Why have you come, Your Highness?" Sage Sayfeel calmly asked, standing behind the Emperor.

He had revealed himself as soon as they were alone.

While the others thought that Rui had simply come to pay his father his regards and respects, Sage Sayfeel knew that he had come to speak to him specifically.

"I need to know where the Silas Clan is," Rui replied.

Sage Sayfeel understood his intentions. "You seek to make use of the Eye of prophecy technique to find the Divine Doctor."

"As much as I can," Rui replied. "Considering that they left on good terms and that they would want to maintain contact with their daughter and grandchild, they undoubtedly allowed my father to be able to meet them whenever."

"A keen deduction," Sage Sayfeel remarked. "You are correct. However, their relationship broke down after Madam Miriam passed away. They refused to speak a word to him when he met them a second time."

Rui narrowed his eyes. "Which means…"

"I can enable a meeting if you so desire," Sage Sayfeel replied impassively.

Rui's eyes lit up. "Great. Let's do just that."

"However, they may not want to speak with you," Sage Sayfeel remarked. "Especially if they learn of your ultimate objective."

Rui was already aware of that. "My father did not tell them that he was looking for the Divine Doctor, right?"

"He did not," the Sage confirmed. "However, they are aware of his condition. Thus, if they learn that you are trying to heal him, they will not help you."

It appeared that the Silas Clan harbored great resentment towards Emperor Rael for the death of their daughter.

"…Hm," Rui narrowed his eyes as his mind flashed into thought. "Tricky but surmountable. The fact that I am the son of their daughter should help, right?"

"It certainly does," Sage Sayfeel admitted. "Especially because Miriam was the daughter of the matriarch of the Silas Clan."

"…What?"

The hostility that the clan had for the Emperor became even more understandable. He highly doubted that his grandmother, the matriarch of the Silas Clan, would be greatly displeased by her daughter's death.

"One of the reasons that the Silas Clan agreed to the marriage was that a marriage between the Emperor of Kandria and the daughter of the chief was a powerful political bond with a Sage-level powerhouse," Sage Sayfeel replied. "They found it rather fortunate that the Emperor had fallen in love with your mother while the lengthy deliberations ensued. Thus, while they grew to hate the emperor, as someone with the blood of the matriarch of the Silas Clan, you might be able to get them to regard you as a son of your mother than a son of your father."

Rui's eyes swam around in thought as he considered how to go about this.

"…I'll chart out the optimal manner to approach them, but more importantly, how soon can you get me before the Silas Clan?"

Sage Sayfeel shrugged.

"Today, if you wish."