The evening spent with his friends gave him perspective, reminding him of what normal looked like.
Yet it didn't fix the problems he was facing. Problems that were certainly not normal.
While meeting up with his friends was soothing and relaxing, when he returned home, his thoughts returned to the royal addressal ceremony.
'Only a few more days now,' His eyes narrowed.
He distracted himself with working on the Angel of Laplace during the time, at least trying to make it more combat-applicable, but it wasn't easy.
His revelation that the key to the Master Realm was the Angel of Laplace was true, but it was also true that only the Master Realm could help him use the original Angel of Laplace that could allow him to see the past of the entire world.
Essentially, he was trying to create a Senior-level version and save the original Angel of Laplace for the Master Realm.
Because really, it was a Master-level technique based on the sheer scope of the information processing.
Once he reached the Master Realm, he suspected that he would be able to use the full technique without any problems.
Few days passed quicker than he noticed even as he immersed himself in the Angel of Laplace.
The time had arrived.
The event that the entirety of the Kandrian Empire had been waiting for.
The Royal Addressal Ceremony had arrived.
The political landscape of the Kandrian Empire and perhaps all of East Panama was watching this event with bated events.
A single thought flashed through everybody's mind.
Something is going to happen.
FLICK
Rui put the comb aside as he finished his brief grooming session, looking over his custom-tailored Martial attire.
"Looking crisp, Rui!" Alice flicked him a thumbs-up with a wink. "Be sure to leave a good impression of the Kandrian Emperor."
Rui chuckled. "He has more important things to do than to pay attention to a single guest among a sea of hundreds of other important figures."
"You never know!"
"Yes yes," Rui shook his head with a chuckle and a resigned smile.
His thoughts went back to the Royal Addressal Ceremony.
"Rui baby?"
"Yes, Mom?" Rui asked as he heard Lashara call him.
"The carriage is here."
"I suppose my ride is here."
It wasn't too long before he wound himself heading out the door.
"I'm sure you'll do just well, Rui," Lashara smiled affectionately.
"I'll be fine; see you all later!" Rui waved at everybody who had come to see him off.
He headed to the extravagant, ostentatious carriage that was waiting outside the Quarrier Orphanage quickly taking a seat after presenting his invitation.
WHOOM
"As expected…" Rui murmured as the carriage took off into the air before zooming away through the sky. He could sense the presence of several Martial Seniors with active Martial Hearts securing his safety as they traveled south towards the center of Kandria, where its capital resided.
He felt tingly on his ride there.
Something prickled at his instincts.
He wasn't sure what it was.
Despite the incredibly high speeds at which they zoomed through the air, it took more than an hour to cross even a portion of the vast expanse of Kandria.
Yet once he arrived, he could sense many flying carriages converging into the center of the vast landscape of the town of Vargard.
THUD…
The carriages landed smoothly, leading him right to the entrance of the Vargard Royal Palace.
Each person exiting the carriages was clad in truly extravagant attire. Shining fabric, embroidered with precious esoteric materials, made them look like they were each fit to be considered rulers of their own states.
"Well well, if it isn't Rui Quarrier," A familiar voice called out to him, earning a look in his direction.
"Minister Varay…" Rui's eyes lit up. "It's been quite some time."
"Indeed, much has happened since our first meeting in Princess Raemina's gathering," The Minister smiled warmly. "I was deeply pleased to learn that you heeded my suggestion and request regarding your own sect."
"…I ultimately decided hat it was in my interests," Rui confirmed, smiling wryly.
"And in the interests of everybody around you," The minister added. "You have risen to even greater prominence since then. I look forward to seeing not only how far you go but also how far you take this great nation with you."
The two conversed lightly as they entered the Royal Palace.
It was his first time entering the prime palace of Vargard.
He wasn't a fan of extravagance, but when he beheld the throne room of the Kandria Emperor he could not help but admire the sheer brilliance of the throne room.
The tall, ostentatious platinum-gold walls of the massive throne room converged towards the Emperor's throne from the entrance, growing narrower and narrower as it approached the throne.
This architecture conveyed a simple but strong message: The Throne was the center of attention.
And center of attention it was. Its workmanship was beyond anything Rui had ever seen in his entire life. Even to his sharp senses, he was unable to spot even the tiniest flaw, flawless on even deeply microscopic scales.
It was made with breathtakingly beautiful esoteric substances, the likes of which Rui had never seen before.
It was as though it was ethereal.
Not of this world.
Once fully entered, however, it was no longer the magnificent throne hall or the glorious throne that drew his attention.
No.
It was the people occupying it.
Rui's eyes narrowed as he bore witness to the forces that drove Kandria.
The forces that decided what Kandria was.
Or what it would be.
Or what it would do.
Or what would be done to it.
An ocean of Martial Masters, powerful merchants, chairmen, and CEOs of corporations, firms, guilds, and banks, as well as wealthy capital owners, and high-profile government officials of all branches, the most knowledgeable of scholars, the leaders of powerful organizations and institutions were spread across the Throne Hall.
This was the very pinnacle of what the Kandrian Empire had to offer.
