The Martial Unity

"From what I understand, Her Excellency is not a part of your faction," Rui replied. "Even if she was, you wouldn't trust her with your memories if you had any sense. Martial Sages possess the sheer power to get away with anything short of high treason against the Royal Emperor himself. Even if she wipes your memories and turns you into a vegetable, she will most likely not face too much trouble. She is infinitely more valuable to the nation than you are."

His words cut sharp, but they were true. There was absolutely nothing that Prince Raijun could do for or against a Martial Sage that didn't align with his ideals.

The prince heaved a sigh as he fell deep into thought.

He did not like his current position.

Rui had exploited the chinks in his armor, such as his lack of loyalty from his faction, to get away with making absurd demands that he could not dismiss. He had also cleverly leveraged his sheer value to the Martial Union, and how much the organization clearly adored Rui despite the fact that he did not choose to become an internal member and join their corps.

He would not be able to convince the Surgeon or any other Martial Master in his political faction to try and pressure Rui into helping him refine his Martial Art. They would straight up refuse.

They both knew that.

If Prince Raijun tried bullying Rui with a few Martial Artists of his own then…

'You'll lose support from the Martial Union. You managed to reel in the Martial Supremacist Faction because you espoused their ideals and agreed to elevate Martial Artists to the head of the nation,' Rui mused inwardly. 'Once they find out that you used your authority to suppress a Martial Artist two Realms above you, then everything will come into question.'

That was why Prince Raijun, despite being shocked by Rui's demand, had been careful not to antagonize Rui in an attempt to try and squeeze his services out of him.

Everything thus far has gone according to Rui's plan.

"I don't see why you're hesitating, Your Highness," Rui shrugged. "Are you perhaps lacking in confidence in your ability to surpass His Highness Prince Raul and Her Highness Princess Ranea without sabotage and counter-operations?"

The Martial Prince simply stared at Rui imperiously. "They are an integral part of any campaign. Perhaps you do not realize the magnitude of what you are demanding in return. Crippling me of an essential tool in Kandrian Throne War is debilitating."

"But is it debilitating enough to overwhelm the additional surge in support that you will gain from the Martial Union by becoming a Martial Squire?" Rui smiled. "Just imagine Your Highness. You will have proved all your naysayers wrong. You will have proved that you are indeed a fine Martial Artists who still pursues his Martial Path. You will have proven that you are worthy of greater support."

There was the hook. Try as he might, the Martial Prince was unable to deny the sheer attraction of Rui's proposal. Everything that Rui had just outlined was like a dream come true to him. It was extremely attractive and alluring to him.

He breathed deeply, exhaling heavily before shaking his head lightly. "Your proposal crosses many lines. It's an outrageous demand. However…the reward is just that alluring, assuming you are accurate about your capabilities. My Martial Masters have yet to verify that."

Rui shrugged. "I don't mind making some demonstrations. However, you haven't gotten to the point yet, Your Highness. What will you do if I am indeed able to what I say?"

The Martial Prince stared at Rui for several seconds, before shaking his head. "I cannot give you an answer here and now. You are asking for far too much for me to make a decision right away, there are far too many patrons who have a stake in my campaign for me to make such a decision lightly. I will have to take into consideration everything that you have said and consult with various experts and stakeholders before I make a decision."

Rui smiled lightly. This was the best response that he could hope for at the moment. It was impossible for Prince Raijun to rely on his extensive faction and administration to help him come to a decision regarding this matter.

"Do you support Ranea and Raul's visions for the future?" Prince Raijun asked, narrowing his eyes. Rui heaved a sigh. "Not as much as you'd think. I just think their philosophy of them is by far the most palatable among all. That's not to say that it's perfect, but I don't find them disagreeable. However, I have not yet met either of them, let alone thrown my support behind them."

Then again, he would be meeting Princess Ranea soon enough.

"You are bolder than I ever imagined, Senior Quarrier," Prince Raijun remarked with a hint of grudging admiration. "I would have never imagined that our first training session would have unfolded in this manner."

"Neither did I, Your Highness," Rui smirked. "But we can only play the cards we have been dealt. That is all I did."

"You could have just agreed to make me a Martial Squire in exchange for normal rewards." Prince Raijun remarked. "Wealth, resources, territory, resources, and information. You could have capitalized on this opportunity to get as much of those as you wished. Yet you wish to cripple some of my tools in the Kandrian Throne War."

"Well, I did ask for wealth," Rui replied. "However, if you must know, it's because the outcome of the Kandrian Throne War is important to me. I took this opportunity to influence it."

"If you find the Martial Supremacist philosophy that disagreeable, then why even offer to help me?" The Prince asked, probing Rui's philosophy. "You would be better off simply paying the expensive severance pay and breaking away quietly."

"To protect my long-term personal interests, Your Highness" Rui replied with a wry smile. "The best way to avoid irking the non-Martial power bloc of your faction is to engage in a transaction where they gain what they want. I'm not interested in making a powerful enemy after being exiled due to being making powerful enemies. That is why I have chosen to avoid antagonizing you by refusing you, and have decided to pursue cooperation instead. Thus I truly do hope we can engage in a transaction, Your Highness, for both our sakes."