Published at 6th of January 2026 8:49 am

Chapter 3742: What Will Rui Do?

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This was an outcome that the Martial Sages of the Kandrian Empire desperately wanted to avoid, but what could they even do?

The Emperor of Harmony was already dead, and there was no doubt that the various princes and princesses had already begun approaching the Martial Sages and Artists of different nations, asking them to support them for their bid to the throne.

The Kandrian Empire indeed had the highest number of Martial Sages at almost forty Martial Sages at this point, but even that didn’t compare to the total number of Martial Sages present in the Kandrian Empire, amounting to around three hundred and thirty-six.

Even if the Kandrian Empire immediately booted all these Martial Artists and sent them home, it would still take time, and even a small amount of time would be enough for the various princes and princesses to secure massive support from these Martial Artists and the nations they represented to make immediate bids for the throne.

Especially since the Martial Masters and Martial Sages needed to rest. The other Martial Artists also needed to be healed and treated with honor and dignity after supporting the Kandrian Empire.

They needed to be appreciated and formally thanked for spending a whole year fighting for Kandria; they couldn’t simply be thrown out like unwanted guests, even if they were extremely unwanted in the current political crisis that had descended upon the Kandrian Empire.

Even if the Kandrian Empire reduced the time they spent to merely a week, the damage that this would do to the Kandrian Empire was incalculable.

"...Of all the times this could have happened," Sage Vericita clenched her fists with a grim expression. "This was probably the single worst moment conceivable. At this rate, our empire will be destroyed by external forces ravaging and infiltrating our politics. The next Emperor or Empress will be nothing short of a thinly-veiled traitor who will have sold their soul to whichever nation or nations offered the most support."

None of the current Martial Sages were familiar with the most powerful princes and princesses at the moment. The next generation had largely become irrelevant because the Emperor of Harmony had been very much in power and was bound to stay unless an unforeseen death occurred.

And it had.

Now they needed to familiarize themselves with the most powerful princes and princesses in the current generation. Many of the old ones had passed away, and many of them had been thrown behind bars by Rui’s political machinations.

Still, there were princes and princesses who had managed to maintain power over the span of twenty-five years that had passed since the old Throne War.

Princess Ranea had not only managed to hold on but had also managed to gain even more power from twenty-five years ago, becoming the Minister of Maritime Affairs.

Of course, she had lost a lot of power with the destruction of the maritime industry in the Kandrian Empire just hours prior. But given the renewed astronomical importance of naval power, especially deep-sea naval power due to the negatron matter, she was still in a powerful position to make serious bids for the throne a second time.

"Prince Raijun has... managed to become Martial Senior. He might try and leverage the Martial Union a second time to bid for the throne," Sage Ceeran noted. "I dislike him, though. The bastard treats Martial Art as a tool to gain political support."

Prince Raijun was one of three princes who had managed to retain his power, along with Ranea.

"There’s Prince Raul, as well, although I’m not sure if the Kandrian Empire needs an old man to sit on the throne at this point in time, especially one with his passivity, but he does have the support of the people as always."

"There are other princes and princesses, younger ones who have managed to rise to prominence in the many years since the previous throne war," Sage Kole noted. "It all depends on how well they play their cards, but... there’s no doubt that they will all try and gain support of the dominant presence of foreign powers in the Kandrian Empire."

It was a disgusting notion to the Kandrian Empire Martial Sages, regardless of their affiliation within the Kandrian Empire. Neither royal Martial Sages nor Union Sages wished to see foreign powers interfere in their throne war to such an extent.

The conflict between the Royal Government and the Kandrian Martial Union had almost entirely faded thanks to the Rael and Rui, leaving them all united in their unwillingness to allow their nation to be destroyed.

"Yet... we don’t have the power to stop the forces of our civilization from doing so There is only one man who has the power to tame the chaos that will soon ensue, but... he has no intention of ascending the throne."

Rui’s deep unwillingness to become Emperor was well-known in Kandria. It was a selfishness not befitting a man of his status and power, but he refused to take his rightful seat at the throne of the Kandrian Empire.

"There is no way he is going to change his mind." Kane shook his head, heaving a great sigh. "It really sucks, he could spare the Kandrian Empire a lot of suffering and damage if he agreed to, but... I know him well enough to know that it is hopeless."

Sage Sayfeel’s aggrieved expression crumpled with a hint of rage.

"This is his fault."

His voice quivered as he remained on his knees, gazing at the floor of the World Bridge facility with dead eyes.

"His Highness... is responsible for His Majesty’s death."

A hint of danger crackled in the air as not a single person dared to utter a word in response to that. It was a heavy, dangerous accusation levied at the most powerful person on the continent. Even if Rui was not the most heavy-handed with how he wielded his power, he was still not someone they wished to antagonize.

But deep down inside, not a single person could bring themselves to disagree with those words.

There was only one question that rang in everybody’s mind.

"What will Rui do?"

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