Grave Aftermath

Once the battle ended and the Martial Artist filed their reports, the aftermath began.

And the aftermath was grave.

The death of Sage Lauren, the native protector of the Shionel Confederation, was a deep and by far the worst blow to the nation.

Their geopolitical power had instantly halved.

Instantly, it became harder to bargain with nations and organizations alike.

Instantly, it became harder to deter their enemies.

Instantly, the difficulty of conducting business for all Shionel merchants had risen significantly.

It didn't matter if the Martial Sage was not directly involved in the businesses of Shionel merchants. 

His death caused grave harm to the entire nation.

After all, raising capital became much harder.