Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1354: Tension

”I don’t appreciate this sudden change in tone.” Robin’s eyes glinted with a strange, otherworldly light. ”I may be just a Martial Emperor—someone who relies on the Law of Truth, a law not known for its combat prowess—but make no mistake, I am not someone who can be threatened or coerced so easily... Lord Morval.”

”Who said anything about threats, Lord Robin?” Morval tilted his head slightly, his tone calm, even amused. ”I merely stated a fact: you have nothing to fear from us. We’ve had full knowledge of your existence, movements, and growth for over 170 years now. So tell me—what difference does it truly make whether you deal with us directly, or through proxies and intermediaries?”

Robin’s lips curled faintly in distaste as he responded, ”I don’t like the idea of having to ask permission before making decisions that concern me. That’s what it would come to, wouldn’t it? If I accepted your offer and joined your system? Let’s not sugarcoat it, Lord Morval—if I took your first offer, I’d be tying myself to your society, handing over full rights, giving you control over everything related to my creation.”

Then he gave a soft, knowing smirk. ”As for selling Breath of Ages independently... well, the difference between 400 million and 12 billion pearls is more than just a number. Wouldn’t you agree?”

”Not quite as vast as you think.” Lord Morval gave a slow, deliberate nod. ”You see, the fairy assigned to you—Timari—offered 400 million merely as an opening figure. It was meant to be a starting point for negotiations. With proper back-and-forth, we could have easily reached a billion or even 1.5 billion. That would’ve been a fair, market-adjusted price for a martial technique, especially one intended for use by a single individual, not as a legacy to be passed on.”

He then spread his arms slightly, as if unveiling a grand truth. ”Now, compare that to your actual profits from today’s auction.”

Robin raised an eyebrow, his voice cautious. ”What do you mean actual profits?”

”Of course.” Morval’s smile widened faintly. ”This was a top-tier auction, one that spans the entire planetary belt. Normally, we take a standard 75% commission on any sale that happens in this environment.” He let that sink in before continuing, ”Which means your actual earnings from today amount to 3 billion. The other 9 billion? That’s our share—the Soul Society’s fee for creating the kind of high-level platform capable of bringing buyers like the ones you saw today.”

Robin’s expression hardened. ”You seriously take seventy-five percent of the final sale? That’s absurd. Doesn’t the discount for the Truth Chosen apply here?” He turned toward Morval sharply, seriousness flooding his face. It was clear this wasn’t new information—it had been told to him before—but in the heat of the moment, he had willfully ignored it.

”The discount applies in other areas—namely in-store sales and purchases. There, the commission drops from 25% to 10%. Possibly in the Chamber of Truth too. But this?” Morval gestured to the grand auction hall. ”This is an event that spans worlds. Entire star systems. Not some backroom trade. So no, it doesn’t apply here.”

Then, with a grin that teetered between generous and condescending, he added, ”But tell you what—I’ll do you a favor. I won’t be stingy. I’ll lower the commission rate specifically for you by another 15%. You’ll only pay 60% instead of 75%. So out of the 12 billion... what does that leave you with? About 4.8 billion, right? Still think all this fuss and noise you made today was worth it?”

”....” Robin didn’t answer immediately. His brows furrowed deeply, his thoughts visibly racing. But he couldn’t deny the logic in Morval’s words.

The truth was clear—the difference between this auction and a standard one was like the difference between a flickering candle and a supernova. Had Robin sold Breath of Ages in an ordinary auction hall in some planet, without the backing of the Soul Society or the presence of mid-belt Lords, he would have been lucky to get 100 million. Maybe not even that. These 4 billion was a miracle by comparison.

After nearly a full minute of thoughtful silence, Lord Morval leaned forward again, his voice lighter, almost teasing. ”Friendship, Lord Robin, has its advantages—as I’m sure you’ve begun to realize. Do you remember that Planetary Displacement Tool you purchased? We were selling it on behalf of someone with an enormous stockpile of Soul Society friendship points. He burned them all in one go, just to reduce our take from 75% to a mere 20%. Judging by the price you paid, he’s probably dancing around naked somewhere right now—haha.”

Robin didn’t laugh. His voice was low, firm. ”So... what is it that you’re after? What’s your offer, really?” He looked Morval straight in the eyes. ”If this entire speech was just a setup to get me to travel to the Dreamer Galaxy, then please—save your breath. That’s not my way.”

There was a pause.

The amusement drained from Morval’s face. He leaned back into his chair, exhaling through his nose as he scratched it absently. ”Fair enough,” he said finally. ”We can revisit that another time.” Then he straightened up slightly and pointed toward Robin with cool composure. ”You wanted something related to the Curse of Eternal Stillness, didn’t you? Then bring the afflicted person to the Dreamer Galaxy. I need to see them in person. Only then can I even begin to help.”

”There’s no need.” Robin raised a single finger, summoning a glowing white orb that pulsed gently with spiritual energy. With a calm, almost casual gesture, he tossed it toward Lord Morval.

”I never forget anything I’ve studied. Once my soul got stronger, I was finally able to construct a foundational blueprint of the curse’s mechanism. I’d appreciate it if you took a look.”

Lord Morval made no move to resist. He allowed the orb to phase through his forehead, and then closed his eyes in concentration. Seconds ticked by in silence. Finally, he opened them again, the faintest smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

”...It’s remarkably detailed. Thorough. Not bad at all.” His expression grew more enigmatic. ”But even with all this, I’ll still require a considerable amount of time to fully decrypt the curse’s core structure... and more importantly, to locate its hidden key.”

”And how long do you estimate that will take?” Robin asked, his eyebrows drawing together slightly, voice edged with impatience.

Morval tilted his head as though pondering the very laws of time itself. Then, with a faint sigh, he turned his gaze to the infinite horizon.

”A thousand years,” he said calmly. ”At the very least, maybe more.”

Robin blinked, then chuckled softly with a hint of disbelief.

”You sure know how to stretch things out, don’t you?” he said, shaking his head in mock amusement.

”Ah, don’t misunderstand,” Morval replied, lifting one hand lightly as if to wave away the accusation. ”The actual deciphering won’t take a millennium. Realistically, seventy years should suffice. But understand—what I’m attempting is to reverse-engineer the intricate work of a fellow master. A colleague. If I ever cross blades with him in the future, having this knowledge would give me an overwhelming advantage.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly. ”That’s how deep, delicate, and dangerous this work will be. One mistake, and the whole construct could collapse—or worse, lash back at me.”

He gave a nonchalant shrug.

”But as for the rest of that thousand years, forgive me—I won’t be locking myself away for seven decades just for someone who doesn’t even belong to the Dreamer Galaxy. I have other duties. Other realms. I’ll need to step out every now and then to manage my responsibilities.”

Then he added with a sly grin,

”And don’t take it personally. This isn’t about you, nor is it vengeance for your refusal earlier. Think about it—what Royal Soul Master would chain themselves for seventy straight years to analyze something that brings them no benefit? To be honest, offering even a thousand years in total is already... uncharacteristically generous.”

Robin sighed lightly and scratched his head twice, his fingers pausing thoughtfully.

”A thousand years... that’s a steep price indeed.” He smiled—though it was the kind of smile that didn’t reach the eyes. ”Perhaps we should place this matter into stasis for now.”

Without hesitation, he extended his hand toward Morval.

”Now then, as repayment for halting your bidding against Lord Drathan—I’m willing to authorize you to pass down the martial art to two individuals of your choosing.”

”Oh?” Morval’s brow lifted. ”I withdraw a single bid, and now I get the rights to share it with two people? That’s rather generous of you... but tell me—aren’t you gifting me something I already possess?”

Despite his words, he reached out and accepted the runes from Robin—who handed them over willingly, without any embedded restrictions, seals, or curses.

”You’re right,” Robin replied coolly. ”But I’d be deeply disappointed if I discovered a third person using it.”

His voice remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.

”...And no one wants to make our dear Truth Chosen unhappy, do we?” Morval let out a hearty chuckle. ”Very well then—two it is. Thank you kindly for the permission!”

Robin’s expression remained neutral as he moved to the next matter.

”As for the ridiculous discount rate you’ve forced onto today’s auction... I reject it outright.” He raised a hand slightly, his voice now colder. ”In exchange, I’ll grant you one more usage permission—provided you lift the discount entirely from the Breaths of Ages auction.”

Then, with a slight breath, he added, ”And two more permissions if you remove all taxes, fees, and future deductions from any auction, trade, or transaction involving me.”

He raised his open palm, fingers stretched.

”Five. That’s the number of total permissions I’m granting you right now, Lord Morval. At current market value, that’s the equivalent of 60 billion energy pearls. These five permissions will cover your earlier favor, increase your benefit in today’s bidding, and eliminate any future taxation or restrictions when dealing with me.”

Then he lowered his hand slowly, his tone firm.

”Do we have a deal?”

Lord Morval said nothing at first. He lifted his chin slightly, eyes narrowing in contemplation.

”We do... if you agree to supply me with one or two martial arts every so often. We’ll purchase them from you at a fair price. Otherwise...” his eyes gleamed, ”keeping the taxes in place might prove far more profitable in the long run.”

”We’ll revisit that matter when the time comes,” Robin replied smoothly, stepping forward with a formal smile as he extended his hand.

”It’s been a pleasure meeting you today, Lord Morval.”

”Haha! I have a feeling this won’t be the last.” Morval stood as well, grasping Robin’s right hand firmly with both of his.

Despite the polite smiles, the warmth that had accompanied Robin’s entrance was long gone.

Now, the very air seemed heavier, laced with tension so thick it could be sliced with a blade.