The Martial Unity

"I thought you didn't care about the elections," Kane asked one day when the fateful day was arriving sooner, raising an eyebrow as he watched Rui reading one of the campaigning ads of Chairman Deacon.

"I didn't before, but…" Rui's eyes narrowed. "That was because I thought Guildmaster Bradt had it in the bag without any shadow of a doubt."

"You're telling me he doesn't?" Kane raised an eyebrow. "I thought Guildmaster Bradt was the most kick-ass merchant in the Shionel confederation and no one could possibly trounce him head-on."

"These things don't work like a Martial Art fight, you know," Rui replied, amused. "Political and economic competitions are such that their personal capabilities matter less than you think. Yes, Guildmaster Bradt is extremely competent as a merchant, but the same can be said for Chairman Deacon. They have their own strengths in the way that they operate. The differences in their personal capacities as merchants and political leaders are not going to be tie-breakers. There are other variables that are arguably far more important."

Kane glanced at him. "Like…?"

"Circumstances," Rui replied shortly. "Opportunities. Even plain old luck."

"Circumstances like the Shionel Dungeon?"

extremely elaborate long-term strategy to maintain political power over longer periods of time. The appearance of the Shionel Dungeon must have completely ruined each and every single one of those plans. It also threatened

to the Shionel Dungeon. The Shionel Dungeon empowered the man's field and

his opponent was highly

take extraordinarily bold risks, without willing to bleed for the sake

that was that Guildmaster Bradt's opponent was known to be a relentless bloodhound that never let go. He possessed the trait that Guildmaster Bradt

in the Shionel Dungeon, and his ability to create a dungeon map that allowed for efficient and swift dungeon travel, Guildmaster Bradt had found his

when he had signed the deal with the man. What he hadn't expected was

ore deposits suppliers like he was, they were fierce competitors and he was unlikely to have ever been able to gain their political support. After all, he dominated them in the market, they

Guildmaster Bradt, and that's just the

obnoxious enemy that was obviously partnering up with the Guildmaster that was dominating all of them, Chairman Deacon had managed to win over

he went all out with it as he aggressively bought over foreign stakeholders

vote in the Shionel Dungeon, their cooperation could be used to buy off voters inside the Shionel Merchant Guild

had not held back even one bit. He had employed his massive economic capital to gather as much of an advantage as

appeared to have paid off