The Martial Unity

"Be specific," Commissioner Reze," Rui replied.

"We have indications that the Underworld of the Kandrian Empire is working with Chairman Deacon," Commissioner Reze straightforwardly revealed.

Rui's eyes narrowed as he considered the Martial commissioner's words carefully, perhaps he ought to be a bit more aware of the matter. "That doesn't sound right. Chairman Deacon wouldn't do something that would hurt his reputation. If it comes out that he's colluding with the mafia, then it would severely hurt his image amongst the population…"

Rui slowed down as he instantly understood what Commissioner Reze was getting at.

The latter smiled. "It seems you have already realized why that doesn't matter."

Rui paused for a moment, before nodding. "The Shionel Confederation is a rare example of a nation with a democratic electoral system where ordinary citizens are not allowed to vote. Thus their opinions don't matter."

"Correct," Commissioner Reze nodded. "Even if word spreads of his interactions to the merchant members of the of the Shionel merchant Guild, and even to the Shionel merchant Cabinet, the detriments will be rather limited."

Rui nodded. "Because the Shionel Confederation has highly libertarian and capitalistic policies. No form of goods or services is illegal here. What would be part of the black market in the Kandrian Empire, would simply be part of the ordinary market here."

"Correct again," Commissioner Reze nodded.

"But this isn't too significant to me," Rui nodded. "At the end of the day, as long as my identity is not revealed, it doesn't really matter whose on his side, or whose side the Underworld is on."

"I don't think you understand, given your limited awareness of how the Underworld functions in the Kandrian Empire," Commissioner Reze shook his head. "You yourself are not just at risk, everything you love and care about is at risk."

Rui's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I'm sure you have entertained the idea of what will happen to your family if you were to be revealed in any way," Commissioner Reze calmly continued.

"I am aware, there is a non-zero chance that Chairman Deacon will go as far as to deploy operatives to kidnap and smuggle them to him to then employ them to leverage against me," Rui coldly replied. "Using them to get me, and then extracting my mining methodology in exchange for their safety, before killing me."

"You have understood the risks associated with Chairman Deacon well," Commissioner Reze nodded. "However, he isn't the biggest threat to everything you care about. At the end of the day, you are a member of the Kandrian Martial Union, an organization with Martial power that is nearly an entire order of magnitude greater than everything that Shionel Confederation can muster up. Chairman Deacon will be quite wary and restrained about what he can do to you. Make no mistake, he will get you killed. But he cannot do so in a manner that can be interpreted as an act of war against the Martial Union and the Royal Kandrian Family. He will not be willing to take such risks especially if he wins, representing the entirety of the Shionel Confederation."

"I am aware of that," Rui nodded. "It's why it's a moot possibility. He's a small fish compared to the Martial Union, and the Martial Union is already deeply exposed and involved with the investigation, he cannot do as he pleases. He can at most reveal my identity to give all the people who hate me a chance to get rid of me, and work to get rid of me swiftly and cleanly."

"Correct, and among those people will be the Underworld," Commissioner Reze narrowed his eyes. "They do not play by the rules that the Shionel Confederation plays with."

Rui realized where this was going.

"The second they discover your identity…" Commissioner Reze paused for a second. "Your family has perhaps a few hours to live."

He didn't need to say more. For those words conveyed all of the severity of the risks involved. He almost reconsidered the matter surrounding the dungeon, before growing frustrated at that.

This was the first time he felt like his family was an impediment.

The very next moment, he felt like an absolutely horrible person for even conceiving that thought, but unfortunately, that did not mean it was without substance. This was the first time that his considerations of his family's well-being had actually clashed with his personal interests.

He did not want to lead a subdued life. Perhaps it was because his previous life was forcefully subdued, a fate that made him heartache, but he almost felt as if he had to make up for his previous life's suffering. That involved taking risks and clashing against hurdles that stood in the way of his previously unfulfilled personal ambitions.

Sometimes those risks and hurdles involved other people, who could end up dragging more than just him into a mess.

This was the first time he had ever felt it so clearly. The stronger he grew, the greater the weakness his family represented.

Perhaps it hadn't affected him so much since he was always completing personal missions and commissions. But the previous two major endeavors had intoxicated him with autonomy and independence respectively. The diplomat mission with the G'ak'arkan Tribe had shown him how freeing being in charge was, and had directly created the desire to embark on an endeavor that gave him that freedom, which was why he and Kane had set out for the Shionel Dungeon.

And now that he had spent more than half a year fighting for his own ambitions, he couldn't even imagine going back to undertaking ordinary commissions on a day-to-day basis.

He would be acting as his own agent, but that also meant that any enemies he made would be his own enemies and not the enemies of his clients, or enemies of the Martial Union. That inevitably meant that his family was liable to be dragged in depending on the matter.

And with enemies like The Underworld and Chairman Deacon, he needed to be quite careful.