The Martial Unity

Chapter 2338: Later Realization

Rui's eyes sharpened while the Britannian Prime Minister smiled at him.

RUMBLE...

Tremors spread through the ground as the six Martial Sages glared at their counterparts with fiery eyes.

Yet, none of them made a move.

They were bodyguards and only bodyguards on this particular occasion.

They absolutely could not afford to pick a fight with each other under these circumstances. Whichever nation sparked a fight of this magnitude would forever destroy their relationship with the Shionel Confederation unilaterally.

On top of that, the safety of their charges was the most important to both sides. Prime Minister Edward was the man who bore the will of the Transcendent Emperor and had been chosen by him to manage the entire nation. He was an extremely important asset to the Britannian Empire that they could not afford to lose.

Rui occupied a position of even greater significance in the Kandrian Empire; the Sages assigned to him would not allow any harm to come to him, no matter what.

The air tingled with peril.

The atmosphere grew electric as the six Martial Sages had a silent face-off.

"Well well well," Prime Minister Edward began, smiling as he stopped right before Rui. "What do we have here? If it isn't the great Dawnbringer of Kandria. The golden boy of the Martial Union. Heir to the throne."

Rui met his gaze with steely eyes. "Prime Minister Edward. It is a pleasure to meet the man who runs that bumbling alliance of fools and idiots. It must be difficult being their leader. You have my deepest sympathies."

The provocation merely evoked a mirthful chuckle from the man. "You are an interesting one. It is a profound shame that you did not have the opportunity to ascend the throne. I would have loved to spar with you and show you the ropes. But alas, it was not meant to be. So, I suppose that..."

His smile grew deeper, "...that I will have to be content with crushing you in the war for allies."

His tone was strong.

It left no room for doubt.

"Ah yes, if you can't beat him, pick a fight with his son," Rui's voice was filled with mockery. "The only thing more pathetic than that would be losing to the son as well. And you know how the saying goes."

A smile emerged on his face. "Like father, like son."

While Rui's barbs were witty, they weren't enough to give him a rhetorical victory or faze the man.

"Like father, like son, hm?" Amusement flickered in Prime Minister Edward's eyes. "Consider what that means when your father killed his father."

Rui bit his tongue as he just barely managed to suppress the urge to admit that he had absolutely no desire for the throne.

It was a trap.

One that Rui had almost fallen for.

If he admitted he didn't want the throne, then it would cast even greater suspicion on the mysterious recovery of his father coinciding with his breakthrough to the Master Realm. It would put his entire campaign to ascend the throne under scrutiny, which could potentially lead to some devastating consequences.

Prime Minister Edward smiled as he expertly cold-read Rui on the spot.

"You are indeed your father's son."

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He walked past Rui with an air of certainty.

"But you are not ready, and that will be your downfall."

He walked away with his bodyguards, uncaring for whatever Rui would retort with.

Rui watched his retreating figure with narrowed eyes.

"W-We deeply apologize for that, Your Highness. We will ensure that that unfortunate encounter doesn't occur once more."

Rui's sharp gaze shifted to meet the Secretary of State's eyes, causing the man to wince under the pressure. "...Let's go."

Rui narrowed his eyes as he followed the Secretary of State to the Guildmaster's office.

The man was lying.

They just so happened to arrive at exactly the right moment that allowed Rui to run into Prime Minister Edward while he exited his meeting with the guildmaster?

That was far too much of a coincidence.

It was most likely done on purpose.

In fact, judging by the man's mental state, Rui could deduce that he was merely in charge of executing the plan.

He most certainly was not its author.

As for who it was, Rui already knew.

"Guildmaster Bradt, it is a pleasure to gain the opportunity to speak with you after so many years," Rui greeted him with a courteous smile. "I come here as the representative of the Kandrian Empire in hopes of gaining your favor and your alliance. I hope that the Shionel Confederation will come to appreciate the sincerity of our good faith and the various offers we have prepared for you."

Inside the office stood Bradt Patrick, clad in ostentatious merchant attire, peering at Rui with a knowing look.

Just one glance at him was enough to confirm the truth.

He had timed that little run-in with Prime Minister Edward as a test.

A test was conducted to judge who had relative confidence and certainty as well as diplomatic capability. It was a litmus test that would help him make his decision.

Rui also realized that Prime Minister Edward had deduced this truth on the spot and had put on a performance with just that in mind, while Rui only made the connection after the fact.

Time slowed down in his eyes as he felt a flash of displeasure in his eyes.

This was how the game was played at the highest echelons of politics.

Had his father been there, he would have understood not only the truth on the spot but also exactly what to say to bring out the best outcome.

Of course, it wasn't that big a deal since Rui was not a career diplomat.

He was a Martial Artist.

Still, he understood that he wasn't acting optimally in this highly important juncture in the war for allies compared to veterans like his father, the Britannian Prime Minister, and even

Guildmaster Bradt.

"As the leader of this nation, I welcome you to the Shionel Confederation," the guildmaster began, offering a perfunctory smile. "We are graced by the Kandrian Empire's sincerity and goodwill and hope that we are able to come to an agreement in this historic meeting."