The Martial Unity

Chapter 2261  Changes

After all, while Ruiʼs contributions increased the affinity of Martial Artists with the Master Realm, the Gatekeeperʼs contributions would be a much more fundamental increment across all Realms. After all, all Realms required training, but not all Realms required thought.

Rui himself was quite intrigued by the manʼs Martial Mind and was curious whether he could benefit from it himself. When it came to training methodologies and things outside of his Martial Art, Rui had no qualms about mooching off of the Gatekeeperʼs great progress in that regard.

”…And all clear,” the Divine Doctorʼs voice broke him out of his thought. ”Youʼre good to go. Try not to die before you help me with my patient.”

He headed to leave unceremoniously.

”Wait,” Rui stopped him. ”How… how is Julian?”

Julian had been working under him for many years now, studying the alien specimen and regulating the manifold through it.

”Intelligent and competent,” the Divine Doctor remarked lightly. ”Anything else? My time is priceless.”

It was quite a praise coming from the Divine Doctor himself, even if that wasnʼt what Rui was referring to.

”…No.” He heaved a sigh, shaking his head as he watched the man nonchalantly leave the medical ward and head back to his work. He would need to check up on the orphanage village when he was done with more pressing matters. After all, he hadnʼt seen his family since the Kandrian Empire was declared to be in a state of national emergency, and they were evacuating to the Town of Hajin.

Of course, he had no real reason to be concerned, but that did not mean that he didnʼt worry about their well-being.

A national emergency and evacuation could be extremely scary for civilians.

”Lead the way,” he addressed the four Masters who stood guard for him. ”I would rather finish this right away than let it persist.”

Unsurprisingly, it turned out he was in the medical wing of the Vargard Royal Palace. His fatherʼs office was merely a two-minute walk to his fatherʼs office.

CLACK

The enormous gates to the ostentatious office that lay within opened, revealing his father sitting at his table, studying a large number of documents scattered about his table.

”How do you feel?” he smiled, getting up and walking over. ”My son.”

”Just fine, Father,” Rui calmly answered while his gaze shifted to many documents scattered over his table. ”You look…busy.”

A wry smile appeared on his fatherʼs face as the two took their seats opposite each other. ”I am the Emperor. I am never not busy.”

”You should take a break,” Rui offered lightly. ”I wouldnʼt want you succumbing to a heart attack of stress or something.”

”That is a rather ominous thing to say,” Emperor Raelʼs smile was one of amusement. ”If I didnʼt know better, I would have assumed that you were threatening me in an attempt to ascend the throne and become the true ruler of the Kandrian Empire.”

Rui glowered at his words. ”Donʼt even joke about that. After everything that Iʼve been through as a result of the Kandrian throne, just the very thought of a second throne war makes me feel nauseous and ill. In fact, I need you to ensure that I never have to get involved again. Get to having more heirs who arenʼt insane. I do not want to be the Final Prince anymore.”

His father chuckled at his sonʼs words, shaking his head lightly. ”Well, you might get your wish soon. I have recently forged an alliance with the Kingdom of Grahal. Soon, the first princess will be arriving in the Kandrian Empire to serve her duty as a concubine of the Emperor.”

His tone was matter-of-factly.

In his eyes, he was fulfilling his duty as the Emperor of Kandria to leave behind enough progeny to ensure that there was at least one worthy heir to the throne. It wasnʼt something that Rui was either familiar with or comfortable with. While he didnʼt have any parental aspirations, he didnʼt want to bring children into this world without being there in their lives like they deserved.

”I have learned from my mistakes in the past,” his fatherʼs tone grew soft as his eyes grew introspective. ”My approach to my children was…wrong. I do not intend to make the same mistakes once more. This time, I will seek to raise my children, not potential heirs to the throne.”

A sorrowful smile appeared on his face. ”It took me long enough to realize this, yet it was only thanks to you and the life you lived that showed me the error in my ways. You have my gratitude for that.”

Rui shook his head lightly. ”…I didnʼt do anything. I just lived my life the way I wanted to.”

”And that was enough.” His father spoke thoughtfully. ”Enough, yet necessary.”

He shook his head lightly as he put the thought away. ”Regardless, that isnʼt the reason that I called you here. I wanted to see how you were doing and speak with my son, of course, but also to talk about more pressing and important matters. For example…”

The air grew heavier as his fatherʼs tone grew more serious.

”The fact that our enemies now know about your ability to break Martial Artists through and the fact that theyʼve decided to go all-out in eliminating you,” Emperor Rael pulled a sheet out among the rubble of documents atop his table, putting the sheet of paper before Rui.

It was a picture of Rui with his name atop, as well as other basic details.

At the bottom, it read in a large font:

[Dead or alive: 10,000,000,000 gold coins.]

Ruiʼs eyes widened with shock. ”This…”

”A bounty.” Emperor Rael calmly informed him. ”The East Panamic Treaty Alliance did not even bother hiding that they were the ones to place the bounty; if anything, they have almost publicly announced it.”

Rui stared at his father as if he had just spoken a foreign language. ”The what alliance?”

His father heaved a soft sigh. ”Sit, Iʼll briefly go over everything that has happened since the battle with the Sekigahara Confederate.”

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