Once Rui got those main concerns and issues out of the way, he was much less resistant to the idea of being patroned by Bishop Master Deivos. They quickly sorted through all the details, making sure they both got out of it what they wanted.

Rui quickly realized that what Master Deivos was getting out of their deal was rather flimsy, most certainly not as concrete as the benefits that Rui was getting. At first glance, it seemed like Rui was gaining more from the deal than the Master was, however, it was also true that Master Deivos was hardly losing anything.

The training and growth resources that Rui was gaining from the Virodhabhasa Faith were quite palpable, but they were also not that big a deal to the church. The losses were well within acceptable limits of what a Martial Master like Master Deivos could probably exercise with his power.

If Rui was indeed a Virodhabhasa seed, then it was worth every ounce of resource that the religion expended on Rui, if it helped him bloom and become a more powerful Martial Artist.

It was true that Rui was a Martial Squire, and there were many seeds in the Squire Realm when one considered the number in a vacuum.

However, in the grand scheme of things, with the number of Martial Squires that the faith constantly came in contact with, the fact that there were less than a thousand Virodhabhasa seeds meant that it was uncommon enough for a new seed to be found.

This was especially true in the Senior Realm. There were less than a hundred Virodhabhasa seeds in the Senior Realm, it made each of them quite precious.

Master Deivos knew that Rui was very young, even if Rui hid his appearance and face with a powerful anti-sensory mask that he had procured from Guildmaster Bradt back when he was leaving the Shionel Confederation.

The fact that Rui had reached the very upper echelons of the Squire Realm in his early twenties was an especially optimistic sign. That was one of the unspoken reasons that Master Deivos was interested in Rui.

Most Martial Squires that had reached the upper echelons of the Squire Realm were long past their youth. Rui had not missed the fact that he and Kane were by far the two youngest Martial Squires in the Floating Sect. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu, whom Rui sought to surpass, had achieved his power after spending more than a decade in the Squire Realm alone.

Rui had only been a Martial Artist for nine years in totality.

It made both Rui and Master Devos quite optimistic about his chances of breaking through to the Senior Realm.

"And… with that, we're done," Master Deivos and Rui signed a couple of documents each after spending an hour hashing out all the minor details of their agreement.

Master Deivos directed a smile at Rui. "I am now your patron, young man. I expect you to work hard to justify the investment of resources that I've invested in you."

"I always strive to make the best use of what I have," Rui replied. "I cannot promise anything about being qualified as a Virodhabhasa seed, but I will perform to my very best in the Virodhabhasa Martial Contest."

"Good," The man smiled. "Do you know how you are going to spend the next year training?"

"…I intend to complete an ambitious project that I have set out on," Rui reluctantly explained. "As long as I can successfully complete it, I will become far stronger."

The Master nodded. "You have displayed an abnormally high degree of productivity when it comes to developing the individuality of your Martial Body, that is a great sign. Developing individualistic techniques that make the very best use of the potential of your Martial Body is the key to bringing out the very best from your Martial Body; your Martial Heart. You do not necessarily need too much out of your way, but do not neglect it."

"I understand."

"Furthermore, given that I have invested in you as a patron. I don't mind aiding in your training if you are so inclined. From insights to corrections, a Martial Master is not to be underestimated."

Rui paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "I am not doubting you at all. However, I simply do not require such aid. I am accustomed to overcoming problems with my own merits. It is not beneficial to me if I develop a psychological dependence on external aid to overcome any problem."

To his credit, the Master graciously nodded in approval. "Spoken worthy of someone who has progressed their Martial Art at such a young age. Regardless, this option is always available."

The two of them discussed a bit more before they began wrapping their meeting up.

"I hope the Virodhabhasa Church will deliver the stabilizing treatment potion to the Floating Sect immediately," Rui pointedly told Master Deivos.

This was one of the agreements that Rui had managed to secure for Senior Xanarn. The church was to give the Floating Sect what it needed to make sure that she didn't inadvertently die before he got the actual treatment to heal her. This was something that Rui was guaranteed regardless of the upcoming Martial Contest.

"Of course, young man" Master Deivos nodded. "I will have that done immediately."

Rui nodded. "I suppose that concludes our business here. I appreciate your solicitation and your patronage." This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

The bishop smiled, getting up. "You most likely will not see me for a while, I have some external operations to tend to. However, the priests of the church will be made aware of our agreement. You may ask of them what you would of me during that time."

They bade farewell before Rui left his residence, heading out.

The streets were filled with Martial Artists across the three Lower Realms.

('Now that the annoying stuff is finally out of the way, I can focus on getting stronger,') Rui sighed.

He had sold some of his techniques to gain training and growth resources in the first place, and now that he had gotten it. It was time to focus on growing stronger.