The Martial Unity

Rui's head fell back as he stared at the ceiling.

He had gone back to Raul, looking for hope that he may have missed last time. But it was entirely pointless.

This fool of a saint was even more irrational than Rui had realized initially.

"You seem distressed." Prince Raul smiled. "Are you in such a dire need of a royal?"

"…Yes," Rui heaved a sigh.

"I don't quite understand," Prince Raul replied as he gazed into Rui's eyes with interest. "Why would a Martial Senior feel so pressured to find an emperor candidate that has earned his approval? What will happen if you don't find someone you approve of? Will something of note happen? Do you possess the power to make them Emperor or Empress?"

For some reason, Raul's sincerity seemed to coax a somewhat truthful answer from Rui.

"…I have much to offer," Rui replied, heaving a sigh. "It may not change the course of the Kandrian Throne War, but it can be impactful."

"So I've heard," Prince Raul smiled knowingly. "What kind of ruler do you seek?"

"…Someone who understands the importance of balance," Rui replied. "That has been the greatest shortcoming among you seven. There is no balance in your visions of the future. You cannot disenfranchise the greatest forces of Kandria for the power that is backing you in your faction. Kandria is built upon a delicate balance between all its stakeholders and power blocs."

The seven royals didn't understand the destruction awaited Kandria should the balance be discarded.

Largely because a war would be waged against whichever side the balance shifted to.

"That sounds like my father, the Emperor of Harmony" Prince Raul smiled. "Speaking of which, did you know that he's woken up?"

"I was not aware," Rui raised an eyebrow. "But at this point, it doesn't mean much, does it?"

"…I don't know," Prince Raul shook his head. "My father is more clever than any of the seven of us. It took a disastrous terminal disease that crippled him with sleep to finally shake his guiding hand off Kandria."

"There's nothing he can do at this point, can he?" Rui remarked calmly.

"I would be careful to say that," Prince Raul cautiously remarked. "My father…is not a man of inability."

"So I've heard, but since his disease is certainly bound to kill him at this point, what can he do?" Rui raised an eyebrow.

"…I don't know," Prince Raul shook his head. "As I said, my father is not a man of inability."

Rui stared at him skeptically.

What could an emperor who was inching closer to death by the day do?

This was especially the case when he was sleeping an overwhelming majority of the time for large periods of time in a single stretch. In fact, Rui was pretty certain he had been in a slumber since before he returned to Kandria two years ago.

Even if he tried exerting his power, there were limits because he had yet to be able to stop his own death, nor could he stop his children from preparing for war. He also couldn't change the political system of the monarchy with the power that he had left.

Such a political move would require the unanimous alignment of all power blocs across all of Kandria.

However, nobody would be receptive to the Emperor's lobbying attempts.

"…Because he's dying," Rui narrowed his eyes. "He has lost tremendous amounts of power as a result."

"He has accomplished much in even more dire circumstances," said Prince Raul. "As far as raw competence goes, he has reached what many would consider the pinnacle of statesmanship. Did you know that Kandria was actually weaker than the other three powerhouses during the Founding Emperor Ra's rule?"

"What?" Rui raised an eyebrow.

"I found it hard to believe as well," Prince Raul smiled. "But back then, there were only three powerhouses in East Panama, nations that existed before the Age of Martial Art. Kandria was extremely young compared to these millennia-old nations. As far as Martial Art and esoteric technology went, we were actually an entire Realm behind them. It seemed to be in our destiny to forever be inferior to them. That, however, changed after my father ascended the throne."

Rui's eyes widened with surprise.

"I am definitely not knowledgeable about history; thus, my recounting will be limited to the broader events…but my father allowed Kandria to catch up to the other three powerhouses by averting a Martial civil war that ravaged the other three nations," Prince Raul explained with mixed expressions of sorrow and pride. "By the time the other three civil wars had concluded in the Sekigahara Confederate, Britannian Empire, and the Republic of Gorteau, their nations had been ravaged. Kandria, on the other hand, was swimming forward with great speed, reaching extraordinary heights as my father harnessed conflicting forces, adeptly integrated them within a single system, and brought about harmonious synergy between them, producing a nation greater than the sum of its constituents."

Prince Raul met Rui's gaze. "That is my father, the Emperor of Harmony. And now he has awoken. Awoken amidst civil conflict. The only question is…"

"…whether the Emperor of Harmony can pull off one last miracle at death's door and avert a civil war for the second time?" Rui stared at Prince Raul skeptically. "I think you're giving His Majesty too much credit. Everybody has limits, and being crippled with sleep and permanently bedridden is enough to suppress anybody."

"…Maybe," Prince Raul relented. "I would firmly agree with that sentiment had it been anybody else. But…"

An expression of hesitation appeared on his face. "…I am unable to bring myself to believe that my father is someone who can be suppressed. I believe that now that he has awoken when the Kandrian Throne War is only bound to escalate in intensity…

Something will change."

His uncertain yet admiring tone made it clear that he had deep respect and fear for his father.

Rui, on the other hand, could not help but wonder if there was any truth to his words.