The Martial Unity

”…And so,” Ria explained to her father. ”We need some help with figuring out how we can prove more well-disguised infected worlds are infected to third parties when we sell this information to them. Can you please help, Papa?”

CLINK CLINK CLINK…

The sound of spoons and forks hitting glass plates hung in an otherwise silent dining table in the royal quarters of the Vargard Royal Palace. Much to the surprise of most of Ria’s party, her father insisted on eating lunch with them.

The atmosphere at the table was relaxed despite his powerful presence, clearly something he put effort into ensuring. The warm light of the afternoon sun peered into the comfortable royal quarters of the palace while the delicious odor of food hung in the air.

”If we don’t have any way of proving that a distant world is infected, then we won’t be able to get our foot in the door, Uncle Rui,” Runark explained, stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth.

The other three still found it intimidating to sit at the same table as the most powerful man in all of human civilization. Rui simply drank some water before wiping his mouth with a napkin, while falling into thought. ”That’s a conundrum. If it were up to me, I would just use my power to…”

”We need a more grounded solution, Dad. We can’t have you running errands for us to check if a world is infected or not,” Ria cut him off with an unimpressed tone.

Rui smiled wryly. ”That actually doesn’t sound too bad, but I suppose that’s true. If you want a more practical, implementable solution that doesn’t make use of the Transcendent. Then I would actually recommend speaking to the Esoterist about this.”

Misha’s eyes lit up at those words. ”The famed leader of Esocline Federation, Your Majesty? One of the greatest inventors and innovators of esoteric technology in human civilization? An immortal sage?”

Rui nodded thoughtfully. ”He’s more obsessed than anybody else about finding more infected worlds because his whole gig is about esoteric matter. I’m sure he has something up his sleeve. Though I’m not entirely sure that he would be willing to share it with you since I haven’t shared with him Gargantian Reproduction technology. It’s a technology firmly controlled by me and can only be accessed through the Gaian Alliance under ordinary circumstances. But he will hear you out if you appeal to him. He might be able to give you advice or an imperfect solution. But he will not do it for free.”

Rui turned towards Ria with a gracious expression. ”Of course, if you want, I can handle him for you.”

”No, it’s fine.” Ria shoveled some fish into her mouth. ”We’ll head to the Esocline Federation right away. It has been a while since I traveled to Panama, so it would do us all some good.”

Rui smiled at his daughter. ”Very well then, I look forward to seeing what you accomplish. This plan of yours is very ambitious. You remind me of myself when I was your age.”

”You mean like when you and my dad dominated the Shionel Dungeon?” Runark grinned with excitement. ”I saw the movie; you guys were brilliant.”

Rui smiled as he nostalgically thought back to memories of old. ”Yeah, those were the good old days indeed. Just Kane and I taking on the world. We were around as old as Ria is, and we made a killing with our dungeon raids.”

He turned towards the five of them with expectant expressions. ”This era and the future belong to your generation, and it is your turn to leave your mark upon history. I am eager to see the heights you rise to. But there is one thing about this plan that does concern me.”

He turned towards Ria with a pointed gaze. ”This plan will put you in a position of great peril. You have managed to avoid your identity from being leaked because you maintained a low profile as one of countless Martial Masters. However, this plan will put you in the spotlight. You will command a great amount of attention and interest, both good and bad. You cannot hide your true identity with a flimsy alias with such scrutiny on you.”

Her expression grew concerned. She hadn’t even thought of that. She had managed to blend in well in the past two years in the frontier, growing comfortable as Ria Falken. But now that she thought of it, her father’s words were indeed right.

”Thankfully, there are solutions,” Rui remarked, glancing in a certain direction.

”Sayfeel.”

WHOOSH

The dark, hooded Transcendent Candidate appeared a meter away from Rui, kneeling before him.

”Your Majesty.”

His tone was frosty and unfriendly.

Rui simply smiled at him with a bittersweet expression. ”From this day forth, you will aid Ria not as a bodyguard, but rather as an identity masker. You will deploy your power of the shadows to ensure that her true identity remains in the darkness. However…”

His eyes grew pointed. ”You will not guard her in the field any longer.”

He turned towards Ria calmly. ”If you do this, then you will have to bear the risks that come with it. The risks that come with all operations and missions in the frontier and beyond the edge of human civilization.”

Her eyes sharpened with determination. ”I’m a Martial Artist, Dad. I can handle the risks. I’ve been prepared for the risks for a very long time.”

Rui nodded. ”Good to hear.”

”I hear your command, Your Majesty.” Sage Sayfeel spoke with an unmistakable tinge of gratitude. ”I shall stay by her side at all times that my services are needed outside the field.”

”Good, you are dismissed.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

WHOOSH

He disappeared just like that.

CLACK

Ria lifted her plate. ”I’m done. I’m heading back to book a meeting with the Esoterist. Take your time.”

Rui watched his daughter rush off with an enthusiastic expression before turning to her four remaining friends with a more serious expression, leaning forward on the table.

”Now then, time for some ground rules regarding Ria.”