After all, while Rui's contributions increased the affinity of Martial Artists with the Master Realm, the Gatekeeper's contributions would be a much more fundantal incrent across all Realms. After all, all Realms required training, but not all Realms required thought.
Rui himself was quite intrigued by the man's Martial Mind and was curious whether he could benefit from it himself. When it ca to training thodologies and things outside of his Martial Art, Rui had no qualms about mooching off of the Gatekeeper's great progress in that regard.
"…And all clear," the Divine Doctor's voice broke him out of his thought. "You're good to go. Try not to die before you help with my patient."
He headed to leave unceremoniously.
"Wait," Rui stopped him. "How… how is Julian?"
Julian had been working under him for many years now, studying the alien specin and regulating the manifold through it.
"Intelligent and competent," the Divine Doctor remarked lightly. "Anything else? My ti is priceless."
It was quite a praise coming from the Divine Doctor himself, even if that wasn't what Rui was referring to.
"…No." He heaved a sigh, shaking his head as he watched the man nonchalantly leave the dical ward and head back to his work. He would need to check up on the orphanage village when he was done with more pressing matters. After all, he hadn't seen his family since the Kandrian Empire was declared to be in a state of national ergency, and they were evacuating to the Town of Hajin.
Of course, he had no real reason to be concerned, but that did not an that he didn't worry about their well-being.
A national ergency and evacuation could be extrely scary for civilians.
"Lead the way," he addressed the four Masters who stood guard for him. "I would rather finish this right away than let it persist."
Unsurprisingly, it turned out he was in the dical wing of the Vargard Royal Palace. His father's office was rely a two-minute walk to his father's office.
CLACK
The enormous gates to the ostentatious office that lay within opened, revealing his father sitting at his table, studying a large number of docunts scattered about his table.
"How do you feel?" he smiled, getting up and walking over. "My son."
"Just fine, Father," Rui calmly answered while his gaze shifted to many docunts scattered over his table. "You look…busy."
A wry smile appeared on his father's face as the two took their seats opposite each other. "I am the Emperor. I am never not busy."
"You should take a break," Rui offered lightly. "I wouldn't want you succumbing to a heart attack of stress or sothing."
"That is a rather ominous thing to say," Emperor Rael's smile was one of amusent. "If I didn't know better, I would have assud that you were threatening in an attempt to ascend the throne and beco the true ruler of the Kandrian Empire."
Rui glowered at his words. "Don't even joke about that. After everything that I've been through as a result of the Kandrian throne, just the very thought of a second throne war makes feel nauseous and ill. In fact, I need you to ensure that I never have to get involved again. Get to having more heirs who aren't insane. I do not want to be the Final Prince anymore."
His father chuckled at his son's words, shaking his head lightly. "Well, you might get your wish soon. I have recently forged an alliance with the Kingdom of Grahal. Soon, the first princess will be arriving in the Kandrian Empire to serve her duty as a concubine of the Emperor."
His tone was matter-of-factly.
In his eyes, he was fulfilling his duty as the Emperor of Kandria to leave behind enough progeny to ensure that there was at least one worthy heir to the throne. It wasn't sothing that Rui was either familiar with or comfortable with. While he didn't have any parental aspirations, he didn't want to bring children into this world without being there in their lives like they deserved.
"I have learned from my mistakes in the past," his father's tone grew soft as his eyes grew introspective. "My approach to my children was…wrong. I do not intend to make the sa mistakes once more. This ti, I will seek to raise my children, not potential heirs to the throne."
A sorrowful smile appeared on his face. "It took long enough to realize this, yet it was only thanks to you and the life you lived that showed the error in my ways. You have my gratitude for that."
Rui shook his head lightly. "…I didn't do anything. I just lived my life the way I wanted to."
"And that was enough." His father spoke thoughtfully. "Enough, yet necessary."
He shook his head lightly as he put the thought away. "Regardless, that isn't the reason that I called you here. I wanted to see how you were doing and speak with my son, of course, but also to talk about more pressing and important matters. For example…"
The air grew heavier as his father's tone grew more serious.
"The fact that our enemies now know about your ability to break Martial Artists through and the fact that they've decided to go all-out in eliminating you," Emperor Rael pulled a sheet out among the rubble of docunts atop his table, putting the sheet of paper before Rui.
It was a picture of Rui with his na atop, as well as other basic details.
At the bottom, it read in a large font:
[Dead or alive: 10,000,000,000 gold coins.]
Rui's eyes widened with shock. "This…"
"A bounty." Emperor Rael calmly inford him. "The East Panamic Treaty Alliance did not even bother hiding that they were the ones to place the bounty; if anything, they have almost publicly announced it."
Rui stared at his father as if he had just spoken a foreign language. "The what alliance?"
His father heaved a soft sigh. "Sit, I'll briefly go over everything that has happened since the battle with the Sekigahara Confederate."
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