It didn't take Rui long to co up with an answer.
"No."
His tone was clear and certain.
Not a hint of hesitation could be heard in it.
"I'm going to transfer all my political power and influence back to you as soon as possible," Rui calmly stated. "After that, I'm done with politics. I am not a politician. I am a Martial Artist."
His father was stumped, speechless.
"The whole reason I sought to find the Divine Doctor was so that you could do all this stuff, not ," Rui firmly asserted. "I refused to be dragged back into sothing I have worked so hard to leave.
For a mont, Emperor Rael simply stared at his son before closing his eyes with a wry smile. "I see…" Rui simply awaited his response warily.
"Forgive ; I should have never asked," his father shook his head. "It was a foolish question. You have put much effort into avoiding taking the throne, and I should have foreseen that getting even more involved would be against your wishes."
Rui nodded with relief. "…I don't have ti for this stuff. I need to focus on Project Water and getting stronger quicker."
His father smiled at those words. "Your single-minded determination to fulfill your ambition is inspiring. I see now that relying on a son who has already done so much for and the empire is a weakness on my part."
His tone grew heavier.
Rui peered at his father upon those words. He wasn't able to sense his emotions, but that was probably on account of the invisible Sage Sayfeel, who was always in the Emperor's vicinity.
"You an to say…" Rui narrowed his eyes. "You're going to go through with it? Do you really think you can elevate Kandria far above everybody else with the power of priceless treasures and endure the consequences that co from it?"
Even if Rui did accept his father's offer and request, he wasn't sure if they could succeed together. The mont Kandria crossed the acceptable threshold of power, the other powerhouses would imdiately swoop in like sharks to drag it down before it forever escaped their reach.
Yet, when he beheld the Emperor of Harmony, he couldn't help but pause. Ironically, the man radiated an even greater aura of confidence and a sense of certainty after Rui rejected him. This was the man who had raised Kandria from just another nation to a continental powerhouse.
He seed to grow larger than life by the mont his powerful gaze t Rui's eyes.
A single word escaped him.
"Yes."
Rui's eyes widened.
"In my stead, any other ruler and leader would fearfully keep the Divine Doctor, the ti-accelerated dungeon, and the Elder Tree network hidden, never to be exposed, but I…" Growing more certain by the second, the Emperor continued, "…I do not intend to settle for a sub-optimal option. I believe that it is possible to maximize the benefits of the Divine Doctor, ti acceleration dungeon, the Silas Clan, and the Elder Tree network without suffering dire consequences."
Rui stared at him, stunned. "…This is going to be far more difficult than the two East Panamic Wars, Father. Back then, you fought for the acknowledgnt and acceptance of being equal. But this ti…"
His eyes narrowed. "This ti, you're fighting for the acknowledgnt and acceptance of Kandrian supremacy. None of the other three Sage powerhouses will accept Kandria as far superior to them. They will never tolerate and never allow it. Even if you do not sohow succumb to the sheer amount of hostile pressure you will be inviting, war will never end unless Kandria does sohow beco powerful enough to overco all three of our peers—"
He froze as it suddenly clicked.
His father's true intentions.
"You…" Rui's eyes widened. Emperor Rael smiled. "It is rely a matter of ti for any nation possessing the treasures that you have brought us to elevate itself above others should it employ these treasures to their absolute fullest."
"…As long as it can withstand the hostile pressure from elevating itself above others for long enough." Rui's tone grew more severe.
"That is correct," Emperor Rael calmly affird Rui's words. "Should I employ these resources for the maximum benefit and utility, their effects will soon be widely known, triggering wars from those that will not allow us to elevate ourselves far beyond them. However, if we can weather these wars long enough for the resources to take full effect, then we will have gained the power needed to stalemate them and, eventually, end them."
His father intended to start a race.
A race that he intended to win.
"…Are you really planning to do this?" Rui gazed at him, stunned.
His father gazed at him with a confident smile. "Not right now, no. My greatest priority at the mont is regaining all my lost political power. Only after that will I begin planning and preparing to fulfill the ambition that I have just inford you of. It is very easy to talk about dreams in a conversation, but manifesting them takes imnse ti and effort."
"…I see," Rui murmured. "In the anti, my return will most likely alarm my counterparts," the Emperor remarked with a knowing tone. "In my projection, tensions will continue rising. I will need to plan a scrupulously flawless long-term strategy for maximizing the benefits of the treasures you have given Kandria while also planning our resistance against the hostile pressure that will undoubtedly converge upon us from the rest of the world. However, the probability of a great war is…"
He grew more severe. "…extrely high."
Rui stared at his father wordlessly.
"Well, all the more reason to get stronger."
His father's powerful gaze softened as a smile cracked at the edge of his mouth. "I suppose that's true. Prepare yourself, my son. If you wish to pursue the Martial Path at the cost of all other paths, then so be it. You will learn what it ans to partake in a war as a Martial Master."
On the one hand, Rui was concerned at the prospect of his father leading Kandria to war because of his desire to maximize its potential for greatness.
On the other hand, the prospect of war excited him as a Martial Artist and a newly ascended Martial Master.
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