Published at 26th of January 2026 9:35 am

Chapter 3801: Laying the Groundwork

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His sudden teleportation into the banquet hall startled several Martial Sages, especially because of the unfathomable depths of power he now possessed.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Divinity!"

"Sir...!"

They immediately began to rise in a gesture of respect and deference.

"Relax." Rui gestured to them with his arms. "No need to get up. You can completely chill and unwind while you indulge in our hospitality. You are warriors who have risked your lives to protect my nation, and for that, I will always be grateful."

He bowed his head to all of them. "As the Void Prince of this nation, I, Rui Quarrier Silas Kandria, thank you on behalf of every citizen of the Kandrian Empire for protecting us from forces that sought to destroy our nation."

His tone was sincere.

They could all sense the earnest gratitude he conveyed to them with his words and his body language.

"We merely did as we were obliged to as fellow members of a great alliance." The Reverend of Reckoning remarked with a softer tone. "It is you who has saved your nation from the greatest threat."

Rui’s expression darkened at those words, contrasting with the golden tint his ethereal body had taken because of the chandelier lights that permeated through his translucent body. "Unlike all of you, I failed to protect Kandria when it was my turn. Our East Coast is completely destroyed, and we have lost many people, including my father."

He heaved a deep breath. "Perhaps things could have unfolded differently if I had been wiser and more responsible. If I had been stronger, perhaps we could have achieved a perfect victory, but alas."

His ethereal eyes shifted back to them. "What has happened cannot be undone."

The air in the banquet hall grew heavier at those words. It was a simple truth that everybody was aware of, but it truly struck them hard in moments of great sorrow, as if demanding acknowledgment.

"I know that there are many among you who are dissatisfied with my absence over the past year or so," Rui began with a serious tone. "I know that there are those of you who think that I’m responsible for the disasters that have unfolded. I know some of you might even believe that I was too selfish."

The air tingled with a hint of tension as some Martial Sages gazed at him with mixed expressions. It was true that it was very difficult not to levy at least some of the blame for what had happened on Rui.

"You... are not wrong."

They stirred at his heavy voice.

"Indeed, it is my pursuit of power that has given rise to these tragedies," he continued with a knowing tone. "I have paid a deep price in order to obtain the power that you can all plainly see before you."

Not a single Martial Sage had missed his ethereal presence, of course. His translucent body gave them the impression that he belonged to a higher dimension, merely lowering himself to their lesser plane to interact with the mortal world.

"I intend to take responsibility for the consequences of my actions," Rui continued with a serious tone. "Rest assured, I don’t intend to simply continue on as if nothing happened. Right now, our continent and our civilization are undergoing many changes, including the death of my father. The power that he had a firm grip on has suddenly become untethered, creating a storm that could threaten to collapse our entire civilization."

He clenched his fists as his ethereal eyes sharpened. "Rest assured, I have no intentions of allowing that to happen. I hope that we may work together to make this continent and this civilization a better place for everybody within it in the future."

He chose his words carefully, laying some of the groundwork for his vision of the continent without giving his intentions away.

The first one to react to his words was an old, but familiar female figure.

She got down to one knee, bowing her head to him.

From her, he sensed a deep, familiar reverence.

"We will follow you to the ends of Gaia and beyond, Lord Virodhabhasa." She spoke with a pious tone.

Rui’s eyes sharpened.

"Sage Sariawar."

She had changed in many ways, especially in her power, having become the most powerful peak Martial Sage in the Virodhabhasa Theocracy in the many years since she had pledged loyalty to him in his visit to the Virodhabhasa Theocracy.

The extravagant multi-layered pitch-black attire that covered almost every inch of her body, as well as the gold-silver badge pinned to her chest, reflected her status within the theocracy.

She was the new Martial Pontifex, with authority that was second only to Rui himself.

His intense gaze remained fixed on her.

He still hadn’t forgiven her for killing Master Deivon all those years ago when she began her machinations to push Rui to his divine status, including supporting the Anti-Life, Sage Nathen, who was also present among the crowd, seated with other Virodhabhasan Martial Sages.

But he no longer deemed that reason enough to kill her. She was a powerful asset to human civilization and, frankly, to him. It would be a waste if she died for something so long ago.

"I told you to relax," Rui remarked with a stern tone. "I didn’t come here to have you demonstrate your reverence for my divine status in your religions. This is a banquet meant to express gratitude to all of you. Get back into your seat."

"Yes, My Holy Lord."

Rui heaved a sigh before turning his gaze towards the gathered Martial Sages.

"I will not take any more of your well-deserved relaxation and celebration," Rui remarked. "I merely came here to express my gratitude and sorrows, and also to extend an invitation to all of you to the Royal Funeral. I hope that all of you will partake in it. I can promise that, in addition to honoring my great father and his many contributions to Kandria and our civilization, I will also be conveying a message to the world that pertains to all of you. So do keep that in mind. For now, I hope you enjoy your meal."

WHOOSH

He disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving all of them to fall into deep thought at his words.

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