The Martial Unity

Chapter 3380: Trading Services

Rui couldn’t imagine what it was like to be a hybrid that was considered to be a failed species due to incompatible paths. He was glad that the hemosapiens of human civilization were more compatible with the Martial Path; otherwise, they would have created a failed species that was doomed to be unable to pursue higher power.

He also realized that they needed to be careful with what combos of species they aimed for with their own species, homo martialus. It was likely that there would be incompatibilities with some species, perhaps even the elves. After all, if the Beast Path and Nature Path weren’t compatible, then perhaps the Martial Path and the Nature Path would also experience similar incompatibilities.

Of course, knowing his father, he would have undoubtedly accounted for such possibilities.

”So you turned to espionage because you weren’t able to realize the full power of either path?” Rui raised an eyebrow. ”You use animals and plants to spy on people from across the entire city, if not the entire continent, don’t you?”

She smiled with a hint of certainty. ”It was the only way to make use of my hybrid nature to achieve them, which very few people do. With flora and fauna itself being my spies, there is very little that is beyond my awareness on this great island.”

”I’m surprised that you haven’t been caught yet,” Rui remarked with sharpened eyes. ”I could tell that there was something off about your animals the moment I glanced at them. The same goes for your flora.”

”That’s because your senses are very powerful,” she remarked. ”In reality, even therianthropes and elves miss out on me spying on them. I use flora to spy on therianthropes while using fauna to spy on elves. On top of that, my signals are mixed between flora and fauna, making it impossible for any elf or therianthrope to discern them. Only druid hybrids like myself can possibly learn of my espionage, and only if they are skilled enough in both the Beast and the Nature Path.”

”...Interesting.” Rui’s eyes lit up with intrigue. ”So you found a way to utilize your genetic heritage to create a new means of espionage that only people of your species can detect. That’s quite impressive. It makes me more and more confident that you might have the information that I seek.”

”And just what it is that you seek?” She raised an eyebrow, leaning forward on her table. ”Why have you gone out of your way to seek the Whisperer? There are many information brokers in this country and town, as you would expect from a trade hub like the Hlakaschken Trade Empire. Why have you come this far to speak with me? I can only assume that whatever information you seek will be of great consequence to how the world will unfold.”

And she was right.

”...I need to learn more about Kiriket,” Rui replied with a more serious tone. ”I need to learn everything about the political struggle going on there. Specifically, I’m looking for a detail or two that can help me dismantle the War Coalition of the continent.”

”And what makes you think I’d know anything about something happening on a faraway continent?” she raised an eyebrow.

”I know that therianthropes from the Kiriket Continent have a strong presence here,” Rui remarked. ”I know you know a lot about them. I’m sure that you have access to information that my own people or the dark elves can’t give me. I need everything to help me with my goal.”

”You sure you want to put all your cards on the table?” she raised an eyebrow. ”Now that I know how important this information is to you, I can just charge you more.”

Rui scoffed lightly. ”We are not equal here. The power imbalance is in my favor. I can control not only all your animals, but also you. I’m sure you know what Authority of Alpha does to those with therianthropic features.”

Her expression darkened at the threat.

Rui would rather not have to use his Authority of Alpha to enslave her, but he didn’t mind using it as a warning to not push her luck.

She heaved an exhausted sigh. ”Fine. I’ll give you what you want at a fair price, but it will cost you a lot of money.”

Rui scratched his head. ”I don’t have much money on me at the moment, it will take a while if I were to arrange it with the Kandrian Empire back home. I can’t even contact them because we have synced up our radically different communication technologies with the rest of the world yet.”

She folded her arms with a defiant expression. ”I’m not going to give you the information, Authority of Alpha or not.”

”Relax, I don’t intend to force it out of you,” Rui raised his hands. ”How about this? I’ll do you a favor. Offer you my Martial services in return. You can commission me for a mission worth the information that you’re offering in return.”

Her eyes widened with shock. ”...A favor from the man who defeated Supreme Commander Anthea?”

Rui nodded. ”It can’t be excessive, though. I’m not waging a war on your behalf. But if there’s something that you need to be done that nobody here is strong enough to do, then sure, I don’t mind getting it done for you.”

She fell into thought at those words as her eyes wandered about for a few seconds before simply nodding.

”Then, I have a mission that only you can do at the moment.”

”Go on...” Rui coaxed her. ”Tell me what you desire. I don’t mean to brag, but there are very few obstacles that can give me even the slightest of challenges.”

”...That’s reassuring to hear,” she remarked with a serious tone. ”Then, my request to you is rather simple and straightforward.”

Her brown eyes sharpened as she gazed straight into his.

”I would like you to assassinate the Empress of the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.”