1543 Invitation
"To think that you would come back after all these years…" Her detached voice contained a hint of emotion as her hand reached for his shoulder patting him. "Welcome back."
"It's good to be back," Rui smiled. "Thank you for looking after Mana and Max…"
"It was a pleasure, not to mention a duty," She replied. "They were earnest and driven. After you disappeared, their resolve had only grown stronger and sturdier, allowing them to graduate and become Martial Squires at quite a remarkable pace."
"Yeah…I've witnessed their growth after returning home," Rui smiled. "They're fine Martial Artists if a little green."
Squire Kyrie studied him, narrowing her eyes as her senses tried to evaluate Rui's current level of power. She was well out of her prime, but she was still a veteran high-grade Martial Squire with decades of experience.
"This…" Her eyes widened with shock as she managed to get a read on Rui's masked power. "This is impossible."
Rui smiled wryly. He had gotten that reaction many times in the few days that he had returned to the Kandrian Empire.
On one hand, he didn't like excessive attention, which is why he didn't flare his power about, announcing to the world he was a Martial Senior. On the other hand, it felt really good when people he respected and cared for recognized and appreciated the fruits of his effort.
"But how…?" She murmured. "How are you already in the Senior Realm?"
He shook his head. "I went through some extreme experiences, allowing me to break through to the Senior Realm this early."
"…" She simply stared at him speechlessly.
Suddenly, another figure barged into the combat facility. "Oh Kyrie, let's go get something to eat afte…"
The man turned to Rui, squinting. "…Quarrier?"
"Squire Dylon," Rui smiled, delighted to meet the old offensive training mentor. "It's been a while."
It didn't take too long for Squire Dylon to come to the same realization after they exchanged basic pleasantries and immediate topics.
"Hold on…wait a minute…something ain't right," He squinted his eyes.
His hands went to Rui's face. Pulling and tugging at it in different directions, squeezing it like it was clay.
"…What are you doing?"
"I'm using my secret grade-ten sensory technique to evaluate power."
Rui's expression morphed into skepticism.
"Holy shit! You're a high-grade Martial Senior!" He gaped, standing back.
Rui was actually more surprised that he managed to nail it. Was he really serious about the grade-ten technique part?
"I always knew that you were truly special, unlike any other Martial Artist that I had ever come across but this…" She murmured. "I did not ever expect this."
"My man…!" Squire Dylon slapped Rui on the shoulder, grinning. "You've been doing really well, eh? Good for you!"
He turned to Kyrie. "What say you and I get dinner together to celebrate him becoming a Martial Senior?"
"Rejected," She calmly replied. "There's no point in celebrating a breakthrough if the person in question isn't there."
"Damn,"
"I admire your perseverance," Rui laughed. "It's been thirteen years, and you still haven't given up. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't broke through to the Senior Realm with that kind of drive."
"Oh?" Squire Dylon's eyes lit up with an epiphany. "I think I've got it. The way to win her heart!"
Rui laughed as Squire Kyrie sighed in resignation.
Just then, a staff member approached Rui. "Senior Quarrier, the headmaster has invited you to meet him."
"That's nice to hear. I have been looking forward to meeting him after all these years," Rui remarked.
Headmaster Aronian had always shown an unusual interest in Rui. He met up with Rui more frequently than he did the others, inviting him more frequently than the others. Rui had never understood why, especially when he wasn't even the strongest Martial Apprentice back then.
Only now did Rui have a better understanding of why. He had already experienced the remarkable insight into other people that Martial Masters had. They could learn a remarkable amount of information just with a simple glance.
Every Martial Master Rui had run into displayed a usual interest in Rui like they could see something in him that nobody else could. It was only relatively recently that he learned that this most likely had not only to with his remarkable mind but also his VOID algorithm that had inadvertently been his Martial Mind prototype all this time.
"Go, you shouldn't keep the headmaster waiting," Kyrie told him, smiling.
"Besides, as long as you're sticking around, you can always visit again," He waved Rui away.
Rui bade them farewell as he headed on to the Headmaster's office. It wasn't too long before he found himself standing before the large set of doors leading to it. The doors opened before he could even knock on the leading to an incredibly large office filled with all sorts of books and documents.
Rui's eyes fell on the figure sitting behind the large table at the other end of the office.
"…You have truly grown." His elderly voice was calm and composed, instilling peace and harmony in those it graced. "Just as I'd foreseen in the distant past."
He looked exactly as Rui last remembered him. He had a long flowing white beard that he stroked. His eyes reflected his age, coupled with a twinkle of interest.
"You knew that I'd grow?" Rui immediately asked, without even bothering to indulge in formalities or pleasantries. "To this degree?"
"And more…What I hadn't expected was how early it would unfold," He remarked with an aged smiled. "You are truly extraordinary, Rui Quarrier. You are a testament that stands tall to everything we do to empower the growth of the younger generations. You are a testament to the world that Martial Art has grown even stronger. Your very existence is one of hope to we of Martial Art."
"I wouldn't have gotten here if not for the vital aid to my growth that the Martial Academy provided, Headmaster," Rui brought his fist to his hand, bowing with respect in accordance to Martial norms. "I'm grateful for everything that you've done thus far."
