The post-mission wing of Martial Union headquarters was large. It had to be, after all. Many, many missions were completed every day and each mission had post-mission protocols that needed to be completed. The Martial Union needed to procure reports and statements from the Martial Artists before official confirmation could be provided.
A lot of Martial Artists returning from missions usually gathered in the wide wing as they handled the final protocols after the mission ended.
The wing was divided into different sections for different Martial Realms, each Realm of Martial Artists had its own dedicated post-mission facility.
That was why all the Martial Apprentices in the Apprentice post-mission facility were surprised when they felt the faintest Squire-level aura in the facility.
That was strange.
They all frowned.
Squire-level Martial Artists were not supposed to be in the Apprentice post-mission facility.
What was even more strange was that it was muffled. As though someone had snuffed it. Yet, they could sense it. It was unmistakable, every Martial Apprentice knew the aura of a Martial Squire quite well, after all.
Yet, when they turned around to see what was happening, they only saw five Martial Apprentices walking towards them. None of them were emanating the faint Squire-level. No. Instead, the Squire-level aura came from a bandaged corpse that one of the Martial Apprentices dragged along the floor.
It took them a few seconds to process.
Corpse. Squire-level aura. Martial Apprentices.
The entire facility froze. Every Martial Apprentice stared at them with bewildered shock and confusion.
The one carrying the corpse had strange hair and strange eyes. They were pitch black. It was what allowed him to be recognized.
"Excuse me." Rui said to one of the support staff. "I need to deliver the target of the mission." he pointed to the boxes they had procured.
"Right here..." She managed to reply, before glancing at the corpse, unable to recognize the aura. "I'm afraid that trophies such as that are not allowed into the facility."
"It's not a trophy." He replied. "It's evidence. I would like to enter it into evidence."
"Evidence of...?"
"Of the fact that we killed a Martial Squire."
Rui ignored the commotion that his words sparked as they all quickly finished up their reports and statements and signatures.
"I'm done." Rui got up. "Catch you guys later."
Once Rui had completed the post-mission protocols, he moved on after bidding them goodbye.
He had a lot of thinking to do.
"What should I do now?" He wondered aloud.
It actually had only been ten or so days since he came out of training. Yet, it felt a lot longer.
He shook his head a bit. ('I don't want to jump into training immediately.')
He wasn't entirely done garnering experience with his current skillset. He also wasn't as smooth and comfortable using his skillset as perhaps he would like to be.
Solidifying his power with experience was just as important as learning new techniques. If he went on learning techniques without the minimal amount of experience supplementing them, his awareness and control of his power would slip. He would be ineffective and even unstable. Just like the Martial Squire that they fought was.
Besides he also had other things he wanted to do.
('I need to learn to read Vinfranese.') Rui mused. He absolutely intended to get to the bottom of the research data. He was even willing to go as far as to transcribe all of it into the Kandrian dialect so that Julian could help him understand the esoteric science unique to the world of Gaia. It would give him an idea of what was in store for him immediately after once he fulfilled the Squire candidacy condition.
It was also possible that Rui could optimize his breakthrough using the scientific foundation that he had inherited from Earth. If that were the case, he would be a fool not to look deeper into the research data procured from the facility.
It was especially valuable because the truth of the breakthrough to the Squire Realm was still something that was concealed from him by the Martial Union.
That more or less decided the path he would immediately take. Continuing his mission and understanding the research data that he had procured from the research facility would be the two things he would immediately focus on. Once that was done, he would go into training with the knowledge of the Squire Realm.
"After that..." Rui muttered. "I'll probably leave the Martial Academy."
As time passed, the Martial Academy mattered less and less to him. Even if he left at this very moment, he would be able to manage just perfectly fine. The only reason he didn't immediately leave was that it was convenient and also, he would be faced with a large amount of debt that he would need to pay off.
Still, that debt was growing by the day, and he didn't want to prolong it for much longer, especially since it no longer offered him anything he wouldn't be able to get once he became a full-fledged Martial Artist. He would gain more freedom once his license upgraded to that of a full-fledged Martial license rather than the learner's license he currently had at the moment due to still being a student.
"I have much to do." He mused.
That day, a small rumor spread across circles. Certain circles in the town of Hajin, the Mantian Region, and even across the Kandrian Empire. Circles of the high upper-class elite, circles in the Kandrian Government, and even circles in the Martial Community.
The rumor was outrageous.
Five Martial Apprentices of the Academy defeated a Martial Squire.
Many of them had managed to get their hands on the names, recognizing the prominent heirs of the Martial Community, as well as the finalist of the Martial Contest.
Many scoffed at the notion. Yet even they choked when they heard the body had been retrieved.
It sparked more than ripples once the legitimacy of the news was verified. It sparked waves.
The legend of Rui Quarrier spread.
