Princess Ranea's expression grew less fierce as she pondered his words. Indeed, the Martial Sages had been so attached to Rui and the group in general that they were unwilling to leave the Kandrian Empire after returning from the Beast Domain for a while. It was what allowed the Emperor of Harmony to perform his little coup detat over the Panama Continent.
While it was true that Rui had not done himself any favors by disappearing for a year, Martial Artists were also ultimately fundamentally Martialocratic; even if they were loyal to a nation or a ruler, they respected power more than anything.
She stole a glance at the Martial Sage diagonally behind her. While she herself had been stunned, she hadn't missed their reactions. It had not been a negative reaction, even though they had pledged their loyalty to her.
