The Martial Unity

While Emperor Rael discussed the immediate future with the Sages and his son, the enemy alliance had plenty of considerations of their own in regard to the outcome of the Battle against the Shionel Confederation.

The deaths of Sage Shaia and Sage Stephen were extremely painful for the Republic of Gorteau and the Britannian Empire.

“WE LOST A PEAK SAGE!” President Raymond screeched at the top of his voice as his face was red with rage. “A. PEAK. SAGE. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH WE HAVE—”

“President Raymond.” The soft yet chillingly perilous voice of Prime Minister Edward cleaved through the emotional tantrum of the Gorteau President with ease.

The Prime Minister was not in a good mood. He had no patience to deal with the President’s nonsense.

“You were the one who insisted that he was not only Sage Damian’s equal but his superior.” A hint of cold fury accompanied his tone. “Did you forget your own words, and will you cease acting in a manner unbecoming of a head of state?”

President Raymond gritted his teeth. He wanted to bite back, but so long as he was helpless in bribing the Democratic Socialists of his nation, he would always contribute less than half of what the Britannian Empire contributed, giving him a lower voice in their alliance.

On top of that, Prime Minister Edward intimidated him a lot deep down.

He would never admit it, of course.

But everything from the way Prime Minister Edward was dressed and groomed to his conduct and body language to his manner and speaking, all of it projected power.

Domineering power that sharply contrasted with the nervous energy of the president of the Republic of Gorteau. He simply didn’t have the capital push back against the prime minister in this avenue.

Of course, at the same time, he couldn’t just let the death of a peak Sage slide. However, simply complaining about it would not get him anywhere.

Prime Minister Edward was not in the best of moods.

While the mission certainly wasn’t a failure, he could not consider it a complete success. One of the things that he hadn’t expected was the death of Sage Shaia at the hands of the Devil. The Kandrian Empire’s peak sage had truly grown stronger if he could down a foe that quickly.

He was deeply shocked at the revelation that Emperor Rael had been hiding a Martial Sage all this time. It grated on him that his opponent had managed to pull a fast one over him. Edward had no doubt that his opponent had put this secret Martial Sage to good use over the many years and decades that the two of them sparred with each other.

He couldn’t help but look back at the wars that they had fought over the many years and wonder where this secret hidden Martial Sage had been deployed. It was easier to figure it out in hindsight.

He shook his head lightly, heaving a dark sigh.

Not a success, but not a failure.

They had caused great harm to the Shionel Confederation with the damages in infrastructure and the death of their native Martial Sage. Every undecided potential ally was undoubtedly chilled by this outcome and would heavily consider it when thinking about allying with the Kandrian Empire. However, he knew that it would not be enough to win the war in and of itself due to all the things that the Kandrian Empire had gained as a result of this whole debacle.

A powerful ally.

The glory of prestige of the battle record. The Sage-level accomplishments were truly shocking, but what especially shocked observers was what the Dawnbringer had accomplished in battle by single-handedly holding off a peak Master and many other Masters as well. It was truly absurd to think that one Master could be strong enough to accomplish something like this all by himself. “The Void Prince…” Prime Minister Edward narrowed his eyes. “Is a problem. Based on his performance in this battle, I can see him single-handedly closing the quantitative gap between us and the Kandrian Empire as far as Master-level combat is concerned.”

This was not good.

Unless they found someone to neutralize the Void Prince in combat, it would be truly difficult to harm Kandrian allies in battle, as the Master-level force ended up being the actual strike force that attacked the nation.

His eyes turned to the clan leaders of the Sekigahara Confederate with a piercing gaze.

“Where is he?”

The clan leaders smiled knowingly. “We are still searching.”

The Britannian Prime Minister narrowed his eyes. “…Searching?”

“…We are retracing his steps over the many years,” they replied. “We are also consorting with the Beggar’s Sect and the Shadow Guild.”

“…And you think he is able to take on the Void Prince?”

Their smiles deepened. “Absolutely.”

Prime Minister Edward could feel their certainty and confidence.

It was rock solid.

The Sekigahara Confederate had grown more passive since their devastating defeat at the hands of the Kandrian Empire. Yet, when it came to this particular topic, they seemed to regain their ferocious confidence.

Their tales, however, seemed so utterly absurd that he almost waved them off as fiction.

A Martial Artist said to be born with infinite talent and endless potential.

A Martial Artist said to be born with the power to become anything.

An ungodly combination of boundless genius and one the most potent Martial Art that the Sekigahara Confederate had ever seen. From the moment he had beguntraversing down his Martial Path, he shot through what would take others years and even decades to reach. The youngest Apprentice and Squire in the history of the Age of Martial Art.

The chosen Martial Artist.

“The Lost Child is beyond all other Martial Artists in the history of the Age of Martial Art. He is beyond the very concept of talent.” Their tones grew profoundly ominous. “A convergence of countless extraordinary gifts within a single boy in a cosmic miracle.”

“…If he was that extraordinary, then why in the world did you let him go?” Prime Minister Edward’s gaze sharpened as his tone intensified.

Their expressions grew severe. “We let him go because… the Sekigahara Confederate was not worthy of nurturing his talent. He is beyond our ability. We let him go because only the entirety of Gaia herself was worthy of nurturing his infinite potential.”

Prime Minister Edward had heard enough. “Then find him as soon as possible. If anybody will be capable of matching the Void Prince, it will be an equally absurd Martial Artist.”

The clan leaders smiled mysteriously. What the prime minister didn’t know was that not only did they intend to have the Lost Child kill the Void Prince, but they also intended to have him copy his Martial Art so that they, too, could gain the power of breakthroughs and recuperate their lost Masters.

With that, they would be able to complete their own ascension to power after the defeat of the Kandrian Empire!

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