Rui listened patiently as the speaker of the Master Council quickly explained the conditions of the Master Council's proposal.
A gauntlet of three Martial Masters in rapid succession.
Three possible outcomes based on his victories and losses.
A slap on the wrist and a mild scolding if he achieved the best possible outcome.
A debt to repay all the losses he made the Martial Union incur through contributions for free if he won more than he lost. This is from .
And a harsh demand to concede any and everything of value he had in regard to Martial Art and to become a member of the internal corps in the chain of command, answerable to the very council he faced.
"Of course," Master Sera patiently continued. "Should you choose to refuse to accept this settlement offer and refuse to engage with it, then we shall simply assume that you are a hostile entity and press charges and prosecute you under the provisions and protocols of the Martial Judiciary Delegation Act on account of high fraud."
Rui simply stared at her.
Based on her tone, she didn't appear to know that his father had already been healed of the Eternal Dream Disease and would wake up in a few days.
The Emperor of Harmony possessed the power and authority to challenge charges under the provisions of the very same act she cited. It was why Prince Randal, Raemina, Ranea, and Rafia had turned to their father as the only person who could protect them from the wrath of the Martial Union after Rui secured proof of their crimes of murder consOriginal.
Still, he had no intention of going down that route.
"I accept the offer of the Martial Union."
His voice was firm and confident.
"I shall fight to earn my acquittal."
"…So be it," An eerie smile of excitement appeared on the Harbinger's face.
A wave of finality and conclusion washed across the entire Master Council.
It no longer mattered what one thought about the gauntlet duel and wager proposal of the Harbinger.
The Void Prince had accepted.
Unbeknownst to them, however, Rui had no intention of contesting their demands.
He had previously intended to give them access to some of his revolutionary trump cards for free or at a low price as reparations for his deceit and crimes of fraud against them.
However…
A smile crept up on his face.
How could he possibly let go of the opportunity to fight for real?
He had just arrived at the Master Council meeting after a discussion with his grandmother, where they agreed that he needed real combat experience against Martial Masters.
Ideally, genuine conflict rather than light sparring.
There was no greater opportunity than to pick three fights against Martial Masters who were genuinely pissed off against him.
At the moment, there was no quicker way to gain access to real combat experience within the Master Realm.
"What about the details?" Rui questioned. "Conditions for victory, manner of choosing opponents, time and location."
"They will be fleshed out in the contract that the Martial Union will offer to you," Master Sera calmly answered him. "This sort of duel and wager is hardly new, and the Martial Union will use standards templates. Rest assured, you won't be disenfranchised."
He shrugged lightly, accepting her words.
"This council has fulfilled the agenda of the meeting…" she remarked, glancing at Rui deeply one last time. "Council dismissed."
And with that, the meeting officially concluded.
The first to rise were the anti-Rui Martial Masters, who glared at him with resentment before departing from the council hall in a hurry.
Almost as if they couldn't afford to remain in his presence for too long.
Yet, the sight of it merely brought a wry smile to his face.
"Clever."
Rui's ability to gather data on his opponents was extraordinarily high and extraordinarily well-recorded by the Martial Union. With each passing second that they remained in his presence, they increased the probability that he would somehow snatch victory against them.
"Rui…"
His gaze turned to those who had arrived before him.
Master Ceeran, Master Zentra, Headmaster Aronian, Master Vericita, and many others had supported him enthusiastically and faithfully with the genuine hope that he would ascend the throne.
He deceived them all.
He betrayed them each time he made promises he knew were false.
He could see in their eyes and in their minds that while they still retained affection for him, they were also dismayed by his deception and deceit.
"My friends…" Rui addressed them as his expression grew apologetic and regretful. "I have wronged you. I don't deny that. I won't pretend that I didn't knowingly do what I did with full awareness of exactly what it was that I was doing."
He bowed his head lightly. "I am sorry for deceiving you. I am sorry for hurting you. I did what I deemed was best for me, and that has undoubtedly led to all of you being wronged. While I cannot undo the past, I certainly can do my best to make it up to all of you and compensate you for the losses you have suffered."
Their gazes softened.
"You already have." Master Ceeran shook his head. "I wouldn't have been a Martial Master without you. Honestly, I wish you had trusted me enough to share all your plans, but I also understand the more people you tell, the likelier an information leak will occur. I am not trained in intelligence security, so I can't really act in a manner that would not reveal the truth to the many prying eyes."
Rui gazed at Master Ceeran appreciatingly.
That was precisely the reason that he didn't tell Master Ceeran.
All of East Panama was watching him and his faction like hawks during the Kandrian Throne War.
Even the slightest whiff of suspicious words or actions and entire intelligence agencies would be on the trail.
He couldn't have that.
"While I was quite displeased by your deceit, I have ultimately decided to forgive you." Master Zentral remarked calmly.
"It takes a big man to admit his wrongdoings," Headmaster Aronian's gaze softened. "However, you do not need to apologize. There are some things that simply need to be done as a matter of inevitability."
Master Vericita simply approached him, patting him. "You've been a good son to your father. Family matters."
"Also." Master Ceeran grinned. "Congratulations on your extraordinary breakthrough to the Master Realm!"
Rui smiled warmly as he reaffirmed bonds with friends that he made in the Martial Union.
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