Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1860 The terms

”...You are no longer welcome in the Mid Sector 101,” Orion declared with a cold, unyielding tone that carried the weight of a final verdict.

”...?” Hedrick slightly furrowed his brows, confusion mixed with irritation flickering on his face. ”Are you pretending to be stupid now?” He slapped his knee sharply, the sound echoing like a challenge.

”When the rumors about the seed spread, I sent your people in the Bright Galaxy a clear message a crystal-clear declaration- that I would abandon the entire sector the moment Virillion ascends. I told you I would relinquish every single one of my planets-worlds I personally cultivated and developed for hundreds of thousands of years. I said I would leave them to you intact: with their mines, their natural resources, their industrial chains, their refineries, their factories, their palaces, their cities, their population, and even their standing armies. I made it clear that I would only take Virillion, my private vault, and a handful of my closest, most trusted followers, and that we would depart in silence. And still-none of you bothered to reply!”

”Something along those lines did happen,” Orion admitted with a slight nod. ”But your offer came far, far too late- long after your issue became public had spread across the entire universe. And beyond that, it wasnʼt sufficient. Not even close.”

”What do you mean not sufficient? Are you seriously joking with me right now?” Hedrickʼs voice rose, brimming with disbelief. ”Weʼre talking about five thousand fully-developed planets-five thousand! Can you even begin to assign a value to something of that magnitude?” He leaned forward, anger simmering beneath every word. ”And what do you mean the offer came after I was exposed? What does that change for you? Do you honestly believe I was trying to buy time? That I wouldnʼt have made the exact same offer had I succeeded in keeping Virillion hidden?”

He pointed directly at Orion, his gesture sharp as a blade. ”How exactly do you think I would have carried five thousand planets with me? Even now-at this very moment Iʼm not confident I can successfully take Virillion into another sector. Itʼs a gamble, a colossal risk, one Iʼm still somehow willing to attempt. The only difference lies in the condition in which I would leave those five thousand planets behind... Would I leave them pristine-developed, thriving, ready for production and service for generations to come? Or would I reduce their facilities to ashes and rubble before departing?”

A fierce gleam flashed in his eyes. ”Who could have imagined that you, of all people, would be the ones to destroy everything with your own hands.”

”Itʼs not as straightforward as you make it sound. Life isnʼt black and white. We have no obligation to believe your words simply because you uttered them,” Orion replied while shaking his head in stern rejection. ”Moving Virillion to another sector? You call it a gamble; I call it pure impossibility. No one has ever accomplished such a feat except the tyrant Interas. So yes, itʼs obvious-youʼre lying. Youʼre simply waiting for Virillionʼs ascension so you can place it beside Shathar and shift your headquarters there, creating two galaxies within a single sector”

”I have my own methods to relocate it,” Hedrick muttered, brows tightening in defiance.

”Even a two-year-old child can lie,” Orion scoffed, waving dismissively. ”And you yourself admit itʼs a gamble. So tell me what if you fail? When the Virillion seed remains stuck in Mid Sector 101, would you then graciously hand it over to us? Or would you cling to it, refine it, nurture it, and claim it solely for yourself?”

”... And that is why you decided to bring external enemies into our sector?” Hedrick asked, showing a thin, knowing smile.

”Theyʼre not enemies. You are the enemy.” Orionʼs eyebrow twitched with restrained fury. ”You command the strongest empire in this sector without contest. My blessed mother appointed you precisely because she foresaw what was coming. She smoothed the path before you, made your conquests effortless, because she saw you as a well-disciplined dog-a loyal hound capable of guarding her farm. Who could have imagined that the same dog would grow complacent, would dare to betray its mistress, and dream of abandoning both her and the farm!”

”Oh? Iʼm a guard dog now?” Hedrick let out a deeper, fuller laugh this time, as if genuinely entertained rather than insulted. ”How adorable... truly. For the first time in ages, I almost feel like Iʼm part of your little circle, even though I only ever see your faces during those grand, pompous ceremonies you hold once every few hundred thousand years.”

He leaned back without a hint of irritation. ”Letʼs imagine this: the guard dog grows weary-tired of endless vigilance, tired of a master who cannot even protect himself. So what does the master do? He brings two lions into the farm to simply to provoke the dog? Tell me, do you actually enjoy the chaos youʼve unleashed?”

”... We honestly did see you as our guardian-the shield and sword of the entire sector,” Orion replied, his tone carrying both disappointment and cold judgment. ”We believed you were someone honorable, someone who wished to repay the vast debt you owe my blessed mother. But now...” A slow, cutting smile formed on his lips. ”Now you have become the greatest threat of all. Not them. Theyʼre manageable-we can deal with them using whatever method we deem appropriate.”

He straightened, pointing sharply at Hedrick as his voice rose.

”You found a galaxy seed, and the first thought that crossed your mind was to refine it for yourself? And in the best, most generous scenario-take the seed and abandon the sector entirely? After everything my mother did for you?”

His finger trembled with restrained anger.

”She saved your life. She believed in you when you had already drowned in despair and lost every shred of faith in your own worth!” Hedrick released a long, slow breath, as though emptying years of buried

emotion.

”...No one understands the depth of the gratitude I carry for Kaylis The Pure. She showed mercy to a broken mind at its worst. She gave me life when I had none. I spent countless stretches of my existence building this mighty empire -shaping it, refining it, fortifying it- so that one day it would be handed to her, along with anything else she desired.”

His eyes hardened, voice dropping into a heavy seriousness.

”I would have fought for her without hesitation. Because for all those years, I was grateful that she gave me the chance to pursue my vengeance. That vengeance became the reason I kept breathing... and now she stands in the path of that reason. That is the point where our loyalties clash.”

Orion stared at him with visible contempt.

”Dwelling on the past changes nothing and resolves nothing,” he said coldly.

”Letʼs focus on the reality in front of us.”

He paused briefly before speaking again, tone firm and authoritative.

”A safe route will be arranged for your departure from the sector. You may take your followers with you, and we will even allow you to take your most seasoned, veteran soldiers-even if they number in the millions. The transportation costs will be covered entirely by Bright Galaxy.”

Hedrickʼs gaze sharpened. ”If you had listened to my request from the very

beginning and allowed me to leave peacefully, none of this would have erupted. You wouldnʼt be trapped in the mess youʼre drowning in right now.” He held his stare for several long seconds.

”Lord Hedrick, please focus on the terms,” Orion insisted, irritation seeping through. ”I do not want disputes later, nor do I want you claiming you

misunderstood anything.”

His voice stiffened.

”Do you agree?”

”No issue from my side,” Hedrick nodded casually. ”Once Virillion is upgraded,

Iʼll take my men and my vault and leave. Until that happens, Iʼll cease all operations and restrict myself entirely to the planet Shadhar. My forces wonʼt

leave it. I wonʼt leave it.”

”That-right there is why I asked you to pay attention to the terms,” Orion muttered with a shake of his head. ”Did you hear me mention Virillion in the agreement? Did I mention Shathar? Did I mention the vault?”

”No, no explain this to me slowly, very slowly.” Hedrick replied, a strange, unsettling smile spreading across his face.

”Very simply, Lord Hedrick,” Orion said, every word slow and deliberate, ”you

may save yourself and your men. And nothing else whatsoever. You can forget anything called Virillion. And you can forget the imperial vault as well-it will be used to compensate for the war damage.”