"What? You're telling me you didn't play around with the attendants I sent to you?" Master Zeamer asked, shell-shocked.
"I did tell you refrain from such measures." Ieyasu coldly remarked.
"I'm not really someone who enjoys that either. Besides, I'm somewhat committed." Rui mentioned.
The three of them were eating a simple meal atop a hill on one of the many cloud islands surrounding Cloudia. Rui had been quite fascinated to see that there was an entire ecosystem of life atop the cloud islands. Trees that sucked in nutrients and the abundant water from clouds and fauna that had adapted to living atop clouds.
"Oho, you have a committed partner, hm?" Master Zeamer asked, curious.
"I wouldn't call her a commited partner just yet, unfortunately," Rui murmured. As much as he enjoyed spending time with Xanarn, their worlds were starting diverge increasingly more. Rui required an active life with tribulations, self-inflicted or natural, to overcome as he forged on about his path fulfilling Project Water. It was almost necessary that he be exposed to the entire world if he wanted to be able to adapt to the entire world.
On the other hand, Senior Xanarn preferred a stable and passive lifestyle where she committed herself to one thing and place. immersing hersef in a unfirm lifestyle protecting Ajanta Island, or protecting the the Orphanage.
Rui didn't have any real romantic experience, which was he didn't realize how big of an issue this was. The type that prevented relationships from working. Affection, love, trust, physical and emotional intimacy alone were not enough. There was a bare minimum level of lifestyle compatibility required.
It was depressing to think about, but he knew he could not compromise his lifestyle for her, and he knew that she wouldn't either, or at the very least she would be miserable even if she tried.
Eventually, the conflict between him and Chairman Deacon would be resolved, either he would die or Deacon would, regardless, the threat to the orphanage would end.
After that, assuming he would be the alive one, there was hardly a bond that would keep them together.
"Relationships sure are tough." Master Zeamer laughed. "I too tried to have a relationship with a woman who once tried to kill me-"
"I don't care," Ieyasu coldly snorted, interrupting him. "I came here to spar and get revenge for yesterday, not gossip about love."
"Honestly, this is why you haven't experienced love. We're sharing a special meal between Master and students. Of course we should open up and grow more intimate with each other." Master Zeamer declared.
"I' only eating here because you threatened canceling sparring session otherwise," Ieyasu glared at the Master with frosty eyes. "
"If I didn't do that you wouldn't come!" The Master protested. "Tsk, not even wanting to have food with men let alone women, this why you're still a virgin!"
Rui raised an eyebrow, glancing at the man.
"I cannot be bothered to engage in frivolities," Ieyasu tone chilled.
"Hah, frivolities, he says," Master Zeamer turned towards Rui with an incredulous look, looking for validation.
"That reminds me," Rui smirked. "He was confessed to by the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. But not only did he reject her, but he exploited her love for him to make her slave away as a mere scout all to find a simple thing he was looking for."
Rui took the liberty of rephrasing the story of Mira and Ieyasu
"Hooo?" The man turned towards Ieyasu with a perilous expression.
If looks could hurt, then Rui would have been frozen into a popsicle by Ieyasu's cold eyes fixed on him. "That's an incredibly misleading recounting of what happened."
"Tsk tsk, cursed is a man who is unable to enjoy feminine charm," The man sighed, shaking his head. "It was the whole reason I became a Martial Master in the first place."
The two of them raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"Oh, I didn't tell you?" The man smirked. "The reason I became a Martial Artist was... to get as many women as possible! Hahaha! When you're a Martial master, women flock to you like moths to light, you see? Hohoho!"
The man laughed triumphantly as Rui stared at him and his mouth began to curl with disdain before he turned towards Ieyasu slowly.
"...Why are you giving me that look?"
"..."
"I didn't choose him as my Master, he chose me," Ieyasu snorted, resigned.
Rui turned back to the Martial Master, giving up. "You became a powerful Martial Master renowned within the Martial World... all because you wanted to be popular with women?"
"Of course," The Master nodded, proud. "And popular, I am. However, I'm sure I can get even more if I become a Martial Sage. Maybe I can even get the thirteen Celestial Beauties to become part of my harem when I become a Martial Sage."
Rui stared at him with a lost expression. He knew that different Martial Artists had different Martial drives that could get them to grow stronger as long as the drives were both large in their scope and great in their intensity, but he didn't think he would genuinely run into a Martial Master who grew stronger to get more women.
In the first place, one did not need to be a Martial Master if one wanted to attract women. That was overkill. Being a Martial Artist of any Realm alone was enough to satisfy this goal. This meant that his lust was so strong that not even being Martial Senior could satisfy it.
'How can one man be so horny?' Rui frowned as he gained a clinical interest in the Martial Master. 'There must be something wrong with his endocrinological system that it makes him so horny.'
Rui understood full well what it took to activate the Martial Heart. An intense drive that fueled one's Martial journey.
"So you still want to grow stronger to get more women?" Rui asked.
"Of course," The Master nodded. " Hehehe, if I'm a Martial Sage, I bet I can get Martial Masters as well. Then I can finally bag Reina and some others that I have been eying for centuries."
"You're incorrigible." Ieyasu snorted.
Rui was inclined to agree.
