Chapter 1613: Illusioned

Rui didn't disagree with her evaluation.

Frankly, he was surprised that some of the prime princes and princesses believed that they could be Martial Artists and suppress the Martial Union despite their extravagant education.

It showed that education correlated more with knowledge than it did wisdom.

The princes and princesses appeared to believe in the throne, perhaps a little too excessively. It appeared that they truly thought they could achieve their ambitions or ideals as long as they ascended the throne and gained the power of the crown, no matter what.

As children of the Emperor, they were undoubtedly surrounded by those who were fervently loyal to the Emperor and believed in his absolution.

Was that why Prince Raijun thought he could get away with using the power of the Emperor to alter the fundamental nature of the Kandrian Empire and elevate Martial Artists to be the ruling class of the nation?

It was funnily contradictory in his case, yet also deeply concerning. If that was the mindset that the princes and princesses had regarding what was possible with the power of the Crown, then it was no wonder that some of these princes and princesses had crazy ideas!

Regardless, he could understand Master Vericita's argument. The abolition of the Martial Union was essentially effectively impossible and any attempt to do so would lead to a war between two forces that would tear apart the very fabric of the nation, sending ripples of war and chaos across not just the nation but also the entire world.

That was the influence that the Kandrian Empire had across East Panama. A civil war would leave the Kandrian Empire in a delicate state of weakness that would in turn invite its rival powerhouse Sage-level nations to wage war on the weakened nation.

The Kandrian Empire was a highly desirable nation to colonize and take over, the fact that it bordered the Great Nam Ocean alone made it worth acquiring.

"The risks of conflict are high with the Corporate Princess," Rui remarked. "Are you willing to bring war to this land for the sake of the Breathing Sect's ambition?"

"Yes."

Her voice was soft, but her tone was firm.

"War is inevitable, young one," She remarked with a tone of resignation. "Take it from someone who has lived more than a dozen times longer than you have. War is inevitable. Human greed. Human fear. Martial drive. As long as these exist, there will be always war. The Great East Panamic War may have ended eighty years ago, but it will reignite once more. War will come, one way or another. It is better to be prepared for it than to try and prevent it."

"One can do both," Rui calmly replied. "I have taken great measures to protect my loved ones from it while doing my best to prevent its coming."

"That is an admirable sentiment but I fear that you may be a bit naive, young man," She heaved a soft sigh.

Rui simply stared at her. He was aware of the inevitability of war more than anyone could imagine. In his previous life, he was born during the Cold War and in an age when the world was cooling down from the world wars.

He knew that war was like weeds, it would just keep coming back even after it was gone. However, he didn't care to postpone war forever. He wasn't even strictly against war either.

What he was against was a war that would disaffect his family, which a civil war would most certainly do due to its proximity to them. If the Kandrian Empire fought a large war a great distance away that did not affect the Quarrier Orphanage, he would not give a damn.

Rui heaved a sigh. "Oh well, we can only do what we can."

"You ought to consider following suit if you are truly serious about spreading your Martial Art," Master Vericita remarked, smiling invitingly. "Creating a Sect requires capital, rest assured. Maintaining it requires just as much capital. Joining the Rafia Faction will take care of those concerns and more."

Rui scoffed inwardly.

Of course, she was trying to rally him to the Rafia Faction.

"I appreciate the suggestion," Rui replied in a non-committing tone.

"Hear me out, Senior Quarrier. Her Highness is quite eager to gain your support. She has a proposal for you," Master Vericita replied. "It is...controversial, but her reasoning is sound in theory. It may be in your interests to accept it."

He wasn't surprised that an initiative had already been taken to earn his allegiance. "What proposal?"

"Her Highness will convey that to you herself," Master Vericita replied with a soft smile, firmly refusing to divulge it.

She stood up, opening her palm before breathing in a particular manner

Suddenly, a well-embellished envelope appeared in her palm.

On it was the seal of the Royal Family.

Rui heaved a soft sigh.

"Her Highness invites you to a corporate convention," She informed him. "While she is not present at all times, you will be treated with the utmost hospitality for as long as you wish before and after you meet with her. She may also "

Her hands stretched out, offering the envelope to Rui who accepted it.

"I look forward to meeting with Her Highness," Rui replied.

Master Vericita smiled. "We have spoken on many a topic, Senior Quarrier, why don't we get to why we are here."

"Ah..." Rui smiled wryly. For a moment, he had forgotten when he had come to speak to Master Vericita. "Right. I wish to inquire about the effects of the Roaring Dragon Blood Potion. While there is documentation that talks about the effects, it is clinical and does not include the Martial perspective, thus I was advised to speak to a Martial Artist who has consumed the potion."

Master Vericita considered his words for a moment before she began. "The roaring dragon is a species of dragon that is known for its lethal roars that produce a sound that can kill everything within a town as a result of an extraordinary breathing capacity. It is esoteric in that we do not understand the principle, yet through sheer trial and error, we have managed to glean a portion of the truth and harness its mysterious power."