The Martial Unity

That wasn't the only information that Rui got from the Beggar's Sect. A separate document that he had received from Sian was related to the available missions in the Saiful Region to get him started.

Although the contract that he signed with the Beggar's Sect gave him remarkable latitude in regard to the schedule at which he wanted to fulfill his commission payment, he understood that it was best to reinforce their agreement by beginning immediately. It was a way of demonstrating that he was fully serious about their transaction and that they needed to get started on fulfilling their agreement of the deal.

Furthermore, he hadn't forgotten that the most important thing to him at the moment was gaining some experience as a Martial Senior. That priority trumped all others at the moment, thus fulfilling some missions was also in his general interests.

He opened the document only to find that the first page warned him that the document would incinerate itself the moment that he closed it.

'Strict.' Rui mused.

The Beggar's Sect needed to take such measures to ensure that its secrets never got leaked. Unlike the previous document which only contained the information that Rui purchased, this document contained sensitive information about the internal missions and operations that the Beggar's Sect needed to complete. They could not allow this information to spread.

Rui didn't mind the measure. Once he read it a single time, he would never need to read it ever again. Thus he quickly skimmed through it, before closing it.

FSSSHHH!

It instantly combusted into strangely transparent flames that didn't burn anything else, completely turning the entire document into trash.

Thorough, as expected of the Beggar's Sect.

'Now then.' Rui's eyes clouded in thought as he revisited al the data that he had just stored.

[Assault mission; Ferendul coup mission]

The title intrigued him, already revealing to him what the mission was going to be about. He recalled the Ferendul Republic, having visited it when he first entered the Saiful Region. A broken nation with impoverished and oppressed citizens who were ruled by a tyrannical military.

According to the intelligence provided by the Beggar's Sect, the Ferendul Republic apparently used to be a kingdom ruled by a Martial Senior queen. The queen had a son, the crown prince, who had gone on to become a Martial Artist as well. All was well until the queen announced her intentions to abolish the monarchy and instate a democracy in the Ferendul Kingdom at the end of her reign.

Her announcement had angered many in power.

According to various reports, the crown prince was also furious at this announcement, having grown to believe that he was destined to inherit the throne and rule Ferendul as the next Martial ruler.

He had refused to accept her decision, and instead, chose to usurp the throne from her hands.

There was only one issue; He was a Martial Squire, while his mother was a Martial Senior.

He was powerless before her, he would not be able to successfully defy her. That was why he had hatched a plan.

He waited for years patiently.

Waiting for the day that his mother grew pregnant once more so that he could attack her when she was vulnerable.

Ordinarily, even the burden of pregnancy was not enough to bridge the gap between the Squire and the Senior Realm.

Not even close.

However, in order to wield the full power of the Senior Realm, she would need to activate her Martial Heart.

In doing so, the Martial Heart would kill her unborn baby violently. Every Martial Senior possessed a body that was fundamentally and foundational able to withstand and wield the ferocious power of the Martial Heart.

The same, however, could not be said for a fetus who depended on the sustenance from the mother's blood. Instantaneous death was inevitable.

Ordinarily, not even this heavy restriction was enough to bridge the gap between the Squire and the Senior Realm, which is why the queen had never activated her Martial Heart.

Yet, her son did. Defying the odds, the crown prince managed to break through to the Senior Realm just moments before his mother defeated him, catching her off-guard.

The surprise breakthrough, as well as the extreme reluctance to harm her own unborn child, ensured that her Martial Heart had never activated that battle. She died on the spot, along with her unborn child.

The Ferendul Kingdom had gained a new ruler that day.

Yet the new king did not intend to follow through with his mother's promise. Instead, he chose to go in an even more authoritarian direction, imposing martial law, and ruling the country with the military.

Many of the queen's loyalists had fled the nation, taking refuge deep within the Derimont Bazaar that no nation dared to antagonize. With the help of the Beggar's Sect, they accrued power for several years and were now only one step away from returning to the Ferendul Kingdom to launch a civil war against the current establishment.

There was only one thing that was necessary; a Martial Senior.

They needed a Martial Senior to take on King Albus and defeat him.

That was where Rui would come in if he did decide to accept the mission.

"Sure, why not?" Rui mused.

He had no compunctions against killing the king. A son who would dare to kill his own pregnant mother was someone who he could kill without feeling even the slightest shred of guilt or remorse. He would even feel vindictive in the process.

Furthermore, the king was not too experienced as a Martial Senior either, having been in the Senior Realm for only several years for the most part, and being consumed with his position as king. He was the perfect opponent to baptize Rui as a Martial Senior.

He immediately accepted the mission, it was convenient and allowed him to fight a death battle with a Martial Senior with relative ease, and would allow him to repay the Beggar's Sect, for whom the Ferendul Republic was a strategically important intelligence gathering base as it served as a bridge for all those who wanted to enter the Saiful Region looking for the Beggar's Sect.

They had gained information on Rui in the same way as well, after all.