The Martial Unity

Sage Sayfeel narrowed his eyes.

The weight of his gaze pushed down on Rui.

A single question escaped his mouth.

"Why?"

Rui stared at him silently for a moment.

"I believe that I can find him."

His eyes grew more intense.

"I believe that I can compel him."

His tone grew stronger.

"I believe I can end this war by ending what caused it," His clear eyes met those of Sage Sayfeel. "I believe that I can get him to heal my father."

Sage Sayfeel's eyes sharpened into slits.

The air seemed to shift.

It seemed to be wrung taut by the escalating tension.

"End what caused it?" Sage Sayfeel whispered.

The displeasure in his voice was clear.

"Compel the Divine Doctor to heal the Emperor?"

His eyebrows furrowed sternly.

"That is not the destiny that your father bestowed upon you."

His mouth curled with displeasure. "That is not the will that your father bequeathed to you."

His tone grew more intense. "Your father entrusted the throne to you. He entrusted you to rule Kandria in a manner befitting the Emperor of Harmony."

Rui met the Sage's powerful gaze for a moment before closing his eyes. "I am aware."

"I am aware, but…" His eyes opened.

Clarity glinted in their eyes.

"…but that does not mean I have to accept the destiny or the will that he bequeathed me," Rui narrowed his eyes. "He said the choice was mine. And this is my choice."

Sage Sayfeel's displeasure grew more pronounced. "Your father gave you power that many in this world would kill and die to have…"

STEP

He stepped towards Rui, peering into his eyes deeply.

"…Yet you choose to reject that power that he graciously gave you?"

"The only power that I am interested in is Martial," Rui calmly replied. "Political power…Economic power…Authoritative power…"

He shook his head. "These are not for me."

He turned back to the Sage, meeting his powerful gaze. "My only path is Project Water…"

His tone grew more firm. "…In this life and in any other."

"You would reject your father?" Sage Sayfeel narrowed his eyes. "You would reject this Empire? You would reject save it from the flames of war poised to consume it…?"

His eyes peered into Rui's.

"…Even at the cost of your family's peace?"

Rui narrowed his eyes. "I won't allow that to happen."

"Then ascend the throne," Sage Sayfeel's tone grew stronger. "Ascend the throne and rule over Kandria, just like His Majesty foresaw."

"…It was my mother who had the power of prophecy, not my father," Rui's tone was calm yet solid. "He didn't foresee anything. He used the revelation of the truth and the threat against the peace and harmony of my family that I value to try and manipulate me into the throne."

Rui shook his head. "I cannot do justice to Project Water as Emperor."

"I cannot tread my Martial Path as Emperor."

"Every second upon the throne is a second away from my Martial Path," Rui narrowed his eyes. "No amount of thought can change that."

His eyes grew more intense.

"It was always an impossibility from the very get-go. I know you know that."

Sage Sayfeel didn't respond.

Yet his silence was telling.

"It was always an impossibility, and not even my father pretended otherwise," Rui closed his eyes. "The only reason I ever considered this choice, the choice to tread the path of the Emperor at the cost of my Martial Path, was for the sake of my family, but…"

He opened them, meeting Sage Sayfeel's powerful gaze. "…my family is not nearly as absolutely central to the very essence of my identity in the manner that my Martial Path is."

He placed his hand on his heart. "Abandoning them…the very thought of it is excruciating. Just imagining it is soul-

agonizing. Yet when I abandon my Martial Path…"

His hand twitched with pain, clawing at his chest. "…there's nothing left. Just a…

The darkness in his eyes rumbled.

It seemed to come to life.

"…a void."

Sage Sayfeel narrowed his eyes.

"So you've abandoned them."

His tone grew tumultuous.

"You chose to abandon the family that accepted you, raised you, and nurtured you with love and affection."

Rui shook his head.

"No."

His tone grew stronger.

"I will protect their peace without sacrificing my Martial Path," His eyes grew intense. "And I will tread my Martial Path while protecting their peace."

He clenched his fist. "I will not ascend the throne."

Sage Sayfeel closed his eyes with resignation. "Then why did you declare your bid for the throne?"

"For the sake of the Empire," Rui replied.

Sage Sayfeel stirred at those words. "I do not understand. You just said that you would not ascend the throne."

"I announced my bid for the throne," Rui smiled. "That does not mean I have any intention to ascend the throne."

"…What?"

"If I did not announce a bid for the throne and Emperor Rael died while I was away looking for the Divine Doctor," Rui narrowed his eyes. "Then one of the princes and princesses, probably Raijun, will ascend the throne and become Emperor or Empress. If that were to happen, my efforts to find the Divine Doctor would be wasted."

Sage Sayfeel's eyes widened as he understood the extent of Rui's plan. "So you intend to announce your bid for the throne and create a faction that is powerful enough to curb any individual prince or princess from ascending the throne while you're away."

"That's right," Rui smiled. "As long as I do that, none of them will be able to ascend the throne if my father dies before I return with the Divine Doctor."

Sage Sayfeel narrowed his eyes as he beheld Rui. "But how are you going to maintain a faction while spending months, potentially even longer, away from the Empire? Prince Raul was able to do so because he earned fanatic loyalty from his people. While forces of the martial Union will be deeply loyal to you, they will question your absence."