There was a limit to the amount of militaristic capital that each of the nations was willing to spend on the expansion endeavors in the Serevian Dungeon. This limit had to do with the loss of the assets suffered by nations in conflicts with other nations weighed against the profits made by the extraction of the esoteric resources from the territories in the Serevian Dungeon.
Although Martial Apprentices were meant to be deployed in conflicts, no nation was willing to stake too much. The number of Martial Apprentices that were qualified to be deployed in the Serevian Dungeon was not too high. After all, only the Martial Apprentices above grade seven were qualified to be deployed in the Serevian Dungeon. Otherwise, they were simply too weak.
These Martial Apprentices were valuable in and of themselves, after all, it took time, energy, dedication, and resources to train a Martial Apprentice to become grade seven. Each Martial Apprentice was valuable, they certainly weren't disposable or replaceable.
That was why every nation didn't harbor grand plans of trying to dominate the Serevian Dungeon territorially. Not that they didn't want all territory, but the cost of even attempting to fulfill such an extravagant ambition was simply not worth the reward. The losses would far outweigh the gains.
This was why Commissioner Feristen and Colonel Carnes grew shocked when Rui had informed them he knew of a way to defeat a large number of Martial Apprentices and other enemy militaristic assets rather swiftly all by himself without needing their forces to suffer any losses.
They didn't believe him at first.
How could they? It was too ridiculous to believe, even though they knew of Rui's accomplishments. But as Rui began explaining his plan to them, their eyes widened in shock as they realized, he just might be onto something!
"How sure are you of this?" Commissioner Feristen asked with a stern voice.
"Quite," Rui confirmed. "I had confirmed this when I first discovered the Serevian Dungeon in a mission. I have documented it as well using the eco-survey device that the Ministry of Environment and Ecology had given me so you can verify it through that as well."
"Are you able to exert as much control as you profess?" Colonel Carnes asked.
"Yes, I have mastered the technique quite well. I haven't used it in a while, for obvious reasons, but there is no problem in that regard."
"It's extremely risky." Commissioner Feristen told him. "You could die so fast that no potion could possibly save you!"
Rui thought about his words for a moment. "It's not impossible. But I have reason to be confident. Because of my mastery of the Mindmirror Symbiote, my reaction and processing speed greatly surpass what it would normally be. Furthermore, in my initial mission, I applied my Martial Art to become very familiar with them so that I can predict them very well. I am more than equipped to successfully undertake and complete this task."
The two leaders paused at those words, deep in thought. The plan that Rui proposed was bold and risky, yet if succeeded it would allow a single Martial Apprentice to annihilate an entire army!
The best part was that there were no chances that the losses would extend beyond a single Martial Apprentices regardless of whether it succeeded or failed.
"This is a great plan." Colonel Carnes nodded. "I have heard tales of your brilliance, it seems they were not exaggerated. We will, of course, pass this through with the joint strategic department of the Kandrian Empire and the Kandrian Martial Union just to be sure, of course."
Commissioner Feristen was not as enthusiastic.
Their positions were different. The Kandrian Royal Army did not lose anything even if Rui died. He was not a member of the Royal Army, after all.
Commissioner Feristen wasn't in the same situation. The Martial Union valued Rui immensely. They did not want to lose him if possible. He was their most powerful Martial Apprentice and that had become evidently clear even before his current proposal was put forward. Now, the value of him as a Martial Artist in the Serevian Dungeon wars had risen once more.
But the risk of the plan he had proposed was not light.
"...I'll pass on your plan to the higher-ups. If they approve it, then we can deploy it to implement your plan, otherwise, I cannot allow it." He explained.
"I understand." Rui nodded. "It was just an idea that hit me when I tried to think about what I could be doing better, and this is the plan I quickly created in response."
"You have a brilliant mind." Commissioner Feristen sighed. "Not even the strategic department had thought about this despite having access to this information. You're quite the Martial Artist, young man."
"Thank you, commissioner Feristen. But you flatter me." He smiled awkwardly. "Well, I've come to convey what I wanted to. If there's nothing else, I'll get going."
He bade the two men farewell as walked out of the building.
"What do you think?" Commissioner Feristen asked colonel Carnes.
"It seems like a viable plan." Colonel Carnes nodded, revealing a hint of eagerness. "If executed well, it could allow us to demolish all three of the other nations and monopolize all of the remaining territories. The Serevian Dungeon will soon be fully colonized for the most part. Only the core is left uncolonized, but not for long. This could allow us to win the scramble for the Serevian Dungeon."
"He's going to be facing the three armies of the three nations all by himself." Commissioner Feristen replied. "The risk is too high."
"His accomplishments are high. We've both gone through his file. He's accomplished things that would be dismissed as a fairy tale if he hadn't brought back irrefutable proof."
Commissioner Feristen remained silent. The body of the Martial Squire Caella Freelia had raised waves of shock as they absolutely corroborated the testimonies surrounding that mission. Testimonies at the center of which was Apprentice Rui Quarrier.
