The Martial Unity

Rui stared at him, puzzled.

It wasn't every day a stranger said that to him out of the blue.

"You know me?" Rui asked, raising an eyebrow.

The fact that he made some strange reference to the void when he saw him suggested that he may have recognized Rui.

"No," The man shook his head, smiling. "But I do know hunger when I see it. I have worked hard to assuage it my entire life, after all. Your hunger is deeper than that of anyone else I have ever seen."

He eyed Rui's muscular form. "Yet your hunger is not of food, clearly. It does not lie in your stomach. It is present deep within your eyes."

His bright, brilliant blue eyes, devoid of darkness, reflected the seemingly endless void of darkness that hid deep within Rui's eyes.

"…Uh huh," Rui stared at him with quizzical askance. "Say, where can I find the headquarters of the Kandrian Ruffians."

"At the center of the town," The man helpfully replied with a serene smile. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thanks," Rui turned, heading straight into town.

He didn't think much of the encounter. Or the man who said strangely profound things. His eyes wandered about as he beheld the state of the people of the town. None of the citizens of the Varmaria seemed hungry or malnourished. If anything, their skin had a healthy luster. Their eyes had a glint of drive and hope. Most of the men seemed to be working manual labor for the construction and maintenance of the town, while women worked in large communal kitchens that prepared food for everybody in the town. He even saw agricultural plots eagerly tended to by plenty of people across the entire town. It had appeared that the town had taken on a bit of a communal approach so that everybody could help each other up from abject poverty.

That was a good approach as far as Rui was concerned. When survival and basic necessities were a struggle, coming together and pooling their efforts allowed them to accomplish things and overcome hurdles that they would never be able to do by themselves.

and security, they could think about liberalizing the town and establishing property rights

of the

it was the most humble abode for a member of the royal family that he had ever seen. Princess Raemina, Ranea, Rafia, and Raijun lived

the People's Prince

of Visit?" One of the guards asked

informed that High Highness accepted to meet all

Ms Kaylin was kidding about that part. "He does but…he's not in

Then where might

"He's playing.

Rui tilted his

Varmaria," The guard

surprised frown. Turning back to the southern gate that he had entered from. His senses could easily stretch to

as he beheld the commoner middle-aged

WHOOSH!

disappeared, weaving through town at rapid paces,

STEP

blond man, killing the noise

"That was rather quick. Have you found

yet," Rui remarked, eying him more carefully. "What's your

wryly. "Can I