In fact, the fact that Rui was ever able to speak to him as an equal was a feat that was actually far more impressive in hindsight.

"He must be quite impressive if you have chosen to patron him," Guildmaster Bradt remarked.

Rui made sure to control his demeanor and non-verbal communication. He did not want the man to even consider the possibility that he was someone he knew. As far as Rui was concerned, they were just two strangers that had never met before, and that was how he should act about it. Unless he did something incredibly stupid, there was no way for the guildmaster to know what he was up to.

"He indeed is," Master Deivon smiled back. "I am certain he will perform extremely well in the Martial Contest, and given his age, he has a lot of future potential."

"Hm," The man considered Rui with a hint of interest. "If Master Deivon is vouching for you, then you must surely be quite impressive. What do you say, young man? Are you interested in working for me in the Shionel Confederation?"

This took both Master Deivon and Rui and aback momentarily. Rui did not think the man would openly try to poach a Martial Squire given his status and power. It was like an arms manufacturer that manufactured tanks, fighter jets, and battleships trying to negotiate a deal for a simple gun.

This was especially true when Master Deivon had already pretty much expressed that Rui was his heritor, it was almost disrespectful. He did not think Master Deivon would have tolerated any of the Martial Masters trying to poach him, but when Guildmaster Bradt did it, even someone as powerful as him had no choice but to tolerate it.

Guildmaster Bradt was accompanied by Martial Masters protecting him, he also had the ability to command the Martial Masters of the Shionel Confederation and had the ability to persuade the Martial Sage of the nation.

Furthermore, he was important to the Virodha Theocracy even based on what little Rui had gotten from this conversation.

Regardless, that didn't matter now. The man openly expressed an offer to Rui that clashed with Master Deivon's interest.

"I am honored that someone as high as yourself has personally sought me," Rui bowed. "However, I am already patroned by Master Deivon. Thus, it would be inappropriate for me to accept your offer. I hope you understand."

There were no pleasing both sides, but he already had a decently good relationship with the guildmaster. He would instead be stifling his relationship with Master Deivon if he accepted the man's offer.

"Hm," The man nodded with approval, turning towards Master Deivon. "It seems you have found yourself a good seed."

"Indeed," Master Deivon smiled. "We hope you will consider attending the Martial Contest if you haven't already."

"I will attend it," Guildmaster Bradt replied decisively. "I intend to partake in the rest of the Martial Festival in honor of the greater ties that have recently been established between the Bradt Distribution Service and the Virodha Theocracy."

Rui found this comment to be particularly illuminating.

('Greater ties between the Virodha Theocracy and the Bradt Distribution Service, instead of the Shionel Confederation?') Rui considered those words. ('He also mentioned the Bradt-Virodha Treaty… That too is specifically him, and not the Shionel Confederation as a whole.')

With just these subtle clues, Rui sharply pieced together a story that matched the truth of what was happening.

After Rui defeated the Root, it was quite likely that the Shionel Dungeon died. The Squire-level aura would most likely have disappeared, and given that most monsters were dead, the dungeon would have been open to more extensive exploration and colonization by human forces. At that point, the question of what to do with the dead and benign dungeon as a resource would most likely have arisen.

Ordinarily, it would have been owned by the governing body of the state and be used for national interests.

Ordinarily, that is.

The Shionel Confederation was a bit extreme compared to the norm. It was essentially a large association of merchants of all sizes that owned land and had a population. Thus naturally, the dungeon would most likely have been commodified. Given how libertarian and capitalistic the society was, the notion of government ownership and intervention was highly unlikely. According to Rui's estimation based on the profile he created of the Shionel Merchant Guild, the probability that the Shionel Confederation opened up the dungeon for colonization and was probably high.

In the past three years, it was likely that a new phase of dungeon colonization similar to the Serevian Dungeon would occur.

Guildmaster Bradt most likely welcomed this since he had a gigantic advantage over others thanks to the map that Rui gave him. He could not only monopolize an overwhelming majority of the floors of the Shionel Dungeon but also offer specialized transportation services to other colonizers that would allow for smooth back and forth through a gigantic complex maze that was dark to the senses ordinarily.

That would explain why he had ownership over the floors of the dungeon privately instead of the Shionel Confederation and was able to sell one of the floors to the Virodha Theocracy. The question was why would he give up such a powerful strategic resource within the Shionel Confederation that could be used to ensure that he never loses against any other merchant?

('It's definitely not for mundane exchanges like wealth, ordinary goods and services, and other regular commodities.') Rui narrowed his eyes. ('He said he was negotiating with 'her excellency', most likely referring to Sage Sariawar… Could it be?')

Could it be that he had procured the permanent service of an additional Martial Sage for the Bradt Distribution Service?

Rui narrowed his eyes, he had a strong suspicion that this was indeed the case. Sage Sariawar, based on the brief time he witnessed her, was someone who was wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause of the Virodhabhasa Faith. It was quite likely that she was willing to sell her services entirely if it meant furthering the reach of the Virodhabhasa Faith. owns this.