Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1229 1229: Good girl!

A few moments earlier—

Whoosh —with a gentle wave of his hand, the All-Seeing god gracefully restored all that had been disturbed in the sky back to its original state. The Sky, once trembling from his presence, now calmed as if nothing had ever happened. Instantly afterward, the radiant figure—known as the Man of Light—began to shimmer, his form collapsing inward into itself until he condensed into a glowing, golden orb. Without hesitation, it surged forward once more, zipping straight toward Robinʼs forehead like a comet returning to its destined path.

From deep within his soul domain, Robin heard a firm, solemn voice resonate through the very fabric of his soul.

”Robin,” the voice echoed, layered with authority and a chilling undertone, ”the agreement has been sealed, and both missions have officially begun from this very moment. I am leaving this shard here for three specific reasons. The first: to maintain a channel through which I can contact you if you complete the missions in the exact manner I desire and deem acceptable. The second: to abduct you without warning in the event of failure, so that your eternal torment may begin without delay. And the third: to obliterate your soul domain completely should you dare utter a single word to anyone about what has transpired between us. Is that understood?”

”I understand... I will erase the memory of your existence from my mind entirely.” Robinʼs soul avatar nodded multiple times, an instinctive gesture of compliance. He knew this was the answer the All-Seeing god expected—and demanded—to hear.

”Excellent.” The golden soul orb twirled gently in the air for a brief moment, then floated toward an unoccupied corner within Robinʼs soul domain. It hovered for a second, then quietly sank into the spiritual terrain, disappearing as though it had never been there at all.

”Whew~”

With the departure of the All-Seeing godʼs shard, Robin exhaled deeply and began massaging the bridge of his nose with care. Dealing with a being of such incomprehensible power was utterly draining—on a mental, emotional, and even soul level.

”Neri… Evergreen… your gifts helped me more than you can imagine. Thank you, trul—”

But as he turned around to face them, Robin froze in shock. What met his eyes was a scene as bizarre as it was disturbing.

Neri stood directly in front of him, her expression locked in an exaggerated, painfully obvious fake smile. Her entire body was trembling uncontrollably, shaking from head to toe.

”Thereʼs… no need… to thank us… owner… itʼs simply… why we exist…” Her voice was trembling as much as her limbs, barely escaping her lips as more than a whisper.

And behind her… the situation only grew stranger.

Evergreen was suspended in mid-air, bound by ropes woven from threads of pure soul force. Her mouth was sealed with a big leaf, her cries muffled and desperate. She swung back and forth from one of the nearby trees like a pendulum, letting out barely audible screams through the improvised gag, ”Mmff! MMMMFFFF!!”

”…Should I even ask?” Robin muttered, his voice low as he cast a sideways glance toward Neri, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer.

”Ask… about what… Owner?” Neri forced an even broader grin, her face twitching from the tension. The strain in her voice was unmistakable.

”…Ugh.”

Robin groaned, this time raising both his hands to massage his temples. The headache was growing by the second.

From what he remembered, Juri had once explained to him the real reason she turned him away. It wasnʼt personal, not entirely—it was because she had witnessed his secret conversations with the All-Seeing god. She knew exactly who he was. She had warned him to never meet the All-Seeing god outside Planet Jura if he wanted to convince other planetary spirit to follow him, She specifically urged him not to let any other planetary spirit catch sight of the All-Seeing god.

Clearly, that plan had fallen apart today.

Even more alarming, both Evergreen and Neri also appeared to recognize him. But that didnʼt make sense—not even remotely. They had always claimed they only knew the general knowledge that circulated throughout the Middle Belt. The All-Seeing god, however, could not possibly fall under the category of ”general knowledge.” That was unthinkable.

Had they seen him before they truly understood who he was? Or worse—had they been born from the primal chaos already knowing of him?

Either possibility was terrifying.

And Robin wasnʼt nearly foolish enough to ask. The threat he had just received still rang in his ears— eternal torment if he so much as mentioned a word about the All-Seeing god to anyone.

”…Get some rest, both of you. Everythingʼs going to be alright.” Robin cast a final glance over the two shaken girls.

”…I wonʼt fail again.”

And with that, he vanished from his soul domain.

---------

Above the platform—

”Oh… so youʼre still here.”

Robinʼs voice was calm, almost affectionate, as he offered a gentle, disarming smile. His tone carried a trace of amusement.

”I… I saw what happened!”

Renaraʼs voice cracked as she pointed with urgency toward Robinʼs forehead, her entire posture trembling.

”That was a shard! A soul shard! I saw it return into you—back inside your body! I saw it with my own eyes, it… it wasnʼt my imagination!”

Her words were scattered, tumbling out in frantic disarray. She could barely form complete thoughts. Just moments earlier, her eyes had been locked on Robin as she prepared to unleash a technique—something significant, something that required intense focus. But then, in the blink of an eye, she had witnessed the impossible.

A being made of pure light—majestic and terrifying—had emerged from his forehead. This being had cleansed the skies, stabilizing the very atmosphere. He had, with a mere motion, prevented the complete destruction of the planet. And as if that wasnʼt enough, he had flung Helen away with incomprehensible ease. And then… he returned—folding back into Robinʼs forehead like a ghost disappearing into the mist.

But before he did… in that impossibly brief moment, less than a breath, less than a heartbeat…

That being looked at her.

That look—that single glance—shook her to the core.

She was no child, no inexperienced novice. She was the reigning sovereign of a near-centennial empire. long past the stages of fear. And yet, her body had shuddered.

When was the last time she had felt that kind of primal dread? That involuntary, soul-deep reaction that told every fiber of her being to kneel?

She, a woman who could command armies and silence halls with a word, had just quivered under the gaze of… a soul shard.

”Please,” Robin said softly, raising his hands and motioning downward with calming gestures. ”Take a breath. Iʼm not entirely sure what you saw, but maybe… it was nothing more than a hallucination. A trick of the mind under stress. The whole situation was intense.”

”Hallucination?!” Renaraʼs voice rose, tinged with offense and disbelief. ”Are you saying Iʼve gone insane?!”

Deep inside, a part of her was beginning to wonder if he was right. How else could she explain what had just unfolded before her eyes?

”Hey, woman!”

A deep voice broke into the scene, raw and unfiltered. Holak stepped forward, his massive frame imposing, and held out his hand in warning, fingers spread wide like an unspoken threat.

”Your shard wouldnʼt survive a single strike. Calm the hell down.”

”…Who is this thing?” Renara recoiled slightly, eyes narrowing. ”And why is he speaking to me like that?!”

”This guy?” Robin stepped forward, his tone turning casual as he clapped a hand on Holakʼs broad back.

”This is Holak. Heʼs… painfully honest, to the point of being the rudest man alive. Awful at making friends, terrible with politics, and probably the worst candidate for leading any organized military—”

Then Robin gave a small, warm smile.

”—But loyal to the bone. Every time I need him, without fail, heʼs there.”

He moved to stand beside Holak, looking up at the towering figure with sincere admiration.

”If he wanted to… he could be the founder and commander of the Imperial Guard.”

Holak looked at Robin for a long, heavy moment. No words passed between them, only silent acknowledgment.

Then—without hesitation—he dropped to one knee.

”I will protect you.”

”Ha! Thatʼs what I like to hear!” Robin laughed heartily, spreading his arms and pulling the long-haired giant into a fierce embrace, wrapping him like a little brother.

”Now get up! You donʼt need to kneel in front of me or anyone ever again. Keep your head high. As long as you follow me truthfully and with heart—you will see entire worlds bow at your feet.”

”…Robin Burton,”

Renaraʼs voice cut through the moment like a blade, calm yet sharp.

”I hate to interrupt such a heartfelt moment between comrades… but we need to talk.”

Robin looked at her silently for a while, reading her expression, sensing the storm behind her composed exterior. Finally, he exhaled a long breath.

”…Weʼll talk,” he said. ”But not now. First, Iʼll finish my coronation. After that… Iʼll hear what you have to say.”

”I donʼt have the—!!”

Renara began to protest, ready to declare she had no time, and certainly no interest in witnessing some symbolic crowning in a fledgling province with little significance.

But she bit her tongue.

She remembered how Robin had reacted with Helen. How he had rather died than suffer a moment of perceived humiliation. Confronting him directly—especially now—would get her nowhere.

And besides… there was still that shard.

”…Fine. Iʼll wait.”

She brought both hands together and rested them gently at her abdomen, her posture elegant, composed—like a queen showing restraint.

”Good girl,” Robin said with a light chuckle. Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the balcony of the platform.

Watching the masses who began to return in scattered waves.