The Martial Unity

K’Mala tried her best to expect what was to come after she had made the life-changing decision to leave Vilun Island and join the Kandrian Empire.

She failed.

The Kandrian Empire exceeded her expectations.

No, it was more accurate to say that human civilization was beyond her expectations.

The scale and scope were beyond her wildest imagination.

Villages that stretched beyond what the eyes could see, continuing seemingly endlessly. Giant buildings, ships, and innumerable other products of human creativity and ingenuity seemed to be made in enormous numbers.

Esoteric technology blew her mind away the most.

To her, it was downright magic.

A defiance of the natural order.

Yet, it was everywhere, aiding the daily lives of the people of the Kandrian Empire.

Of course, Rui had informed her that the Kandrian Empire was far more advanced than most of human civilization, but it still beggared the imagination.

The moment she arrived at the headquarters of the Martial Union, she felt lost in the sheer scale of the premises.

It was far larger than the entirety of the G’ak’arkan Tribe’s village!

Inside, a team of managers and assistants bowed to her upon her arrival.

“Master K’Mala, formerly of the G’ak’arkan Tribe, we are honored to inform you that we are the staff dedicated to taking care of you in the Kandrian Empire for all matters that you may need assistance with. We will strive to ensure that you don’t find us lacking in any way whatsoever,” an elderly woman at the head of the team spoke with perfect fluency in the Vilun Dialect.

“…Ah, thank you.” She was taken aback.

“Then, allow us to guide you to the luxury suite that His Highness has personally arranged for you if you are so inclined.”

She stared at the woman with a mystified expression. They spoke the same language, yet K’Mala was unable to understand what she was saying.

“‘His Highness?’” She tilted her head. “What is that? Is that the name of a person?”

The head of staff smiled. “It is a manner of referring to Prince Rui Quarrier Silas Kandria, the greatest prince of the Kandrian Empire.”

She frowned. “I do not follow.”

“Rest assured that we have prepared a briefing to bring you up to speed on human civilization and the Kandrian Empire, as instructed by His Highness. You may take it right away if you are so inclined.”

She was too curious to wait for long, as soon as she recouped her Martial Mind with some sleep, she immediately opted for the briefing so that she could enhance her understanding of human civilization and the Kandrian Empire.

And what she learned blew her mind.

The scale of human civilization.

The scale of the Panama Continent.

The Vilun Island was so astronomically tiny that it didn’t even show up on a map of the Panama Continent!

She learned about the existence of not one but two ranks of Martial Art above her own, a fact that stunned her. She learned about the Age of Martial Art and the powers of human civilization. She learned that the Kandrian Empire stood at the very top of all of them. She learned that Rui was the son of the leader of this powerhouse of a nation and was once in line to become the leader himself.

He wielded an unfathomable amount of power and influence within the Kandrian Empire and over East Panama. It left her in a state of shock.

He had the power to bully her and her clan into submission.

He possessed such an enormous amount of power that she couldn’t help but wonder why he had reciprocated her advances as passionately as he did.

She was aware that she possessed very little of the feminine charm that the non-warrior women of her tribe possessed. She was certain that she held no candle to the countless women that someone of his power and status could attract with even the slightest bit of effort.

The revelation that she had slept with one of the most influential figures of East Panama left her thoroughly stunned.

“His Highness has gone to great lengths to ensure that you wouldn’t regret your decision to leave your home and live in an entirely different nation with different cultures, civilizations, and languages. We will thoroughly help you adjust during your time in the Kandrian Empire and ensure that you feel comfortable, as per His Highness’ will, Your Mastery.”

She couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach at the woman’s words, a rather peculiar sensation that she hadn’t experienced ever before. “It won’t be easy to adjust to everything, but we will do our best to help you get used to everything. There are many things that you will need to learn if you are to reside in the Kandrian Empire. You will need to grow accustomed to our norms and laws if you are to continue residing here for the rest of the war.” She nodded with a determined expression. “I will learn.”

“Of course, this doesn’t take priority over your Martial Art, by any means, Your Mastery. After all, we require your assistance to protect our great empire from those who seek to destroy it.”

“I will train and fight,” she confirmed. “I will also learn. I will do all of it beyond satisfactorily.”

Much to the surprise of her staff, she didn’t turn out to be exaggerating. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge, learning everything that they taught her and more. She didn’t just learn, she assimilated, inferred, and applied all her knowledge as well.

She was cognitively gifted, far more so than most Masters. She had managed to follow the strict math and science classes that Rui imparted to her. She was determined to not waste the opportunity that Rui had given her, gaining knowledge that she would never have gotten on Vilun Island. By the time she was done, she ensured that she would not serve as a point of shame to Rui.

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