The Martial Unity

“You’re correct.” Emperor Rael nodded. “In this battle, no, in this war, the Martial Masters of the Kandrian Empire will be the most taxed and will have the most important role.”

The others in the war council stirred at his words.

“Finding and convincing seven crippled Martial Sages is far easier than finding and rallying hundreds of crippled Martial Masters,” Emperor Rael continued calmly. “Our ventures in finding and convincing international Martial Masters has not experienced the same kind of success that our ventures with Sages has. In other words…”

Rui’s eyes narrowed. “Martial Masters will experience the greatest hardships and will be the most decisive part of this war. If we are able to withstand the greater pressure that we will experience, we will win. If not, we may very well lose this war.”

“I’ll have to apologize for being unable to avoid mounting this pressure on you, my son.” The Emperor heaved a resigned sigh. “But yes, for better or for worse, war at the Master-level battles will be the most deciding factor for the future of the Kandrian Empire.”

Many of the members of the Kandrian War Council frowned as they digested the insights that the Emperor of Harmony and the Void Prince gave them.

It was highly counter-intuitive.

In any war between Sage-level powerhouses, the most important and deciding element was usually the Sage-level battles.

After all, Martial Sages were the strongest by far for all practical purposes.

Yet, in a strange turn of events, due to the strategic impacts of imbalanced demographics, Masters ended up bearing a much greater responsibility in this war than any other war in history.

“I am inclined to agree with your analyses, Your Majesty, Your Highness.” Director Shelmin nodded. “I will endeavor to have the analytical department produce a more precise, accurate, and data-driven analysis on the burden that Martial Masters will be facing in this war and provi—”

“It’s two-point-eight to one against us,” Rui instantly crunched the numbers. “When weighted for the impact of Operation House Divide on the effective war potential of the Republic of Gorteau, then you have a less extreme number. However, it still means that each Kandrian Martial Master will have to have to fight more than one Martial Master. Estimated probability of victory when taking into account weighted maximum deployment rate is still only eighteen percent.”

Everybody stared at him, dumbstruck.

“Your calculations are based on incomplete data.” Rael shook his head. “You are still not aware of the full extent of my grand plan and the many more measures that I have instated to increase our probability of victory. That is not your fault, of course. I have maintained a strict need-to-know basis for information dissemination. However, even considering that, the Martial Masters of the Kandrian Empire will have the most important and difficult role in this battle.”

The other Martial Masters sitting behind the Martial Sages of the Martial Union stiffened as their expressions grew grave.

It was to be expected.

They had just been informed that they would be experiencing the greatest difficulty and that their performance would end up deciding whether or not the Kandrian Empire suffered victory in not just this battle but also this war.

All because the Martial Sages had disproportionately greater numbers, making both the consequences of individual defeats and the probability of defeat much lower.

All because of that, Martial Masters suddenly experienced the burden of being the most deciding factor in the war.

It was deeply unpleasant.

Yet, Rui couldn’t contain his jubilation.

“This is everything that I desired and more.” The darkness in his eyes rumbled with vigor while an excited grin widened on his face.

He was tired of light sparring.

He was tired of duels that couldn’t stir his heart.

Stale battles devoid of even the slightest whiff of true peril.

The experience it gave him was meager in comparison to the experience he gained from a battle where his life was on the line. In comparison, his years in the Beast Domain made him feel more alive than being cooped up in the manifold despite its miraculous benefits. It made his Martial Art feel more real and validated his Martial Path. It elevated him closer to his greatest ambition than all the peace and harmony in the world did.

He only grew more excited at the additional war burdens and the additional pressure that he sought to adaptively evolve to in order to teach him more about himself than meditating in peace ever could.

“Ah…” A hint of realization dawned on him. “I see…”

He fell into a reverie as he gained deeper insights into who he was.

Grand General Aramoeous stood up with force. “Your Majesty! We can discuss the broader dynamics of the war at a later time. For now, we must immediately prepare for the incoming assault, lest our inadequate preparations fail us.”

Emperor Rael nodded. “You’re right. I hereby declare a national emergency. Ensure that the protocols are immediately executed. I have already authorized you and the Kandrian Border Patrol Force to have full discretion over the allocation of military resources in adherence to prior established goals. I appoint Sage Farana as the leader of the Sage interception squad consisting of the Sages of not just the Army but also the Sages of the Sage Council, who are obligated to partake in the operation under the provisions of the Martial Covenant. Be sure to coordinate the timings of your operations in accordance with protocol.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.” Grand General Aramoeous’s eyes flared with determination.

“Protect this nation.” Emperor Rael’s rich voice grew more severe. “Protect the Harmony we have cultivated together.”

His powerful gaze swept across the table.

“Protect not just the present but also the future our enemies fight to deny us. Do this, and I swear to all of you, in the name of Rael Di Kandria, that the Kandrian Empire will reach unprecedented realms of glory, harmony, and power.”

“I hereby declare this council meeting to be concluded.” His tone grew profound as his eyes closed. “Glory to Kandria.”

“GLORY TO KANDRIA!” –