Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1255 1255: Sun of Justice

Several hours later — Deep within the Imperial Palace — The Grand Throne Hall

”…..”

Seated alone atop his majestic obsidian throne, Robin slowly pressed his fingers to the space between his eyes, rubbing gently as if trying to massage away a building tension. A faint sigh escaped his lips.

”It seems… that boy will never give me a moment of peace.”

(Who are you referring to, Chief?)

The calm voice of Evergreen entered his thoughts without warning.

”Who else?” Robin replied, eyes still half-lidded in thought. ”Richard. Didnʼt you hear what Emily said earlier about the internal situation in Jura and the rest of the S-Type planets? About the suppression measures currently being enforced there?”

(Yes, I did.) Nery chimed in this time, raising an elegant eyebrow. (But why is that bothering you so much? Itʼs obvious heʼs doing his part to help the Empire. Heʼs contributing to internal peace and stability—his impact is as critical as your top three Supreme Generals. Honestly, I never imagined youʼd be this sentimental—or even remotely democratic.)

”Donʼt be ridiculous, Neri.” Robin gave a tired chuckle and shook his head. ”Is there any emperor in history who ruled with absolute power and still cared about democracy at the same time? Iʼve been called contradictory before, but thatʼs way beyond even my worst moments.”

He leaned forward, voice growing heavier. ”My concern isnʼt about policy—itʼs about him. Richard. That child suffered so much in his early life. I always wanted him to have something better... something peaceful. A normal life, away from all the battles, away from burdens of power. Thatʼs why I never placed him at the helm of any army—I made him a Grand Advisor, someone who stands above the bureaucracy and military, untouched by politics. I gave him the one position that would allow him to guide without being devoured by the machinery of power…”

Robin paused for a moment, his voice faltering just slightly.

”And yet—he went out and founded that Stability Movement. He built an entire apparatus for enforcing internal control. He placed himself at the heart of social tension. Iʼm afraid… afraid that the wound within him never truly healed.”

(Youʼre reading too deeply into this,) Neri said with a casual wave of her hand. (Maybe he just wants to contribute. Even if he is… letting out some of that old pain in this way, so what? Let the man work. Your people are safe. Their quality of life has never been higher. Theyʼre fed, housed, educated. Whatʼs the harm in limiting their freedom of speech just a little? No one gets everything.)

”Tch~ To hell with freedom of speech,” Robin muttered, though the sharpness in his voice was gone—replaced by quiet concern. ”Thatʼs not what worries me. What worries me is the thought that maybe—just maybe—heʼs enjoying it. That he finds pleasure in dominance, in control... Thatʼs where it gets dangerous.”

Robin leaned back again, voice soft and resolved. ”But no matter. Iʼll know soon enough. Heʼs one of the names I included in the summons. Iʼll see him face to face and speak with him myself.”

CLANK—

The great hallʼs doors creaked open suddenly.

”Haha! My man!”

A voice full of warmth and booming confidence echoed through the hall as someone entered with both arms wide open. But he suddenly halted in place, as if remembering where he was. His tone changed.

”Ahem—I mean, Your Majesty, of course.”

”…Billy?”

Robinʼs serious face immediately broke into laughter. ”Ha-ha! That look suits you far too well. Come here, come sit.”

With a wave of his hand, a chair appeared before the throne—perfectly crafted, perfectly placed.

Billy, clad in gleaming white armor, strode forward with his usual charisma. The brilliant sheen of his polished blade in its elegant scabbard, the radiant insignia of the smiling sun emblazoned proudly across his chest—it all exuded openness, raw power, and confidence.

That was the image intended by the designers of the Swords of Light: protectors, symbols of hope and glory.

”Youʼve been gone too long, my friend. Far, far too long!” Billy shook his head with a hearty laugh as he sat down. ”There were moments when I thought you were going to hand the throne over to Richard and disappear into some hidden cave again!”

”To be honest… Iʼve considered it. Not once or twice—many times.” Robin sighed deeply, placing both hands on the throneʼs armrests. ”But unfortunately, things have changed. The empire is approaching a critical point. A turning curve that will decide its future. I canʼt walk away now… I need to remain at the helm, at least until things settle.”

Billy leaned forward slightly, his easy smile fading into a more serious expression. ”A turning point? What do you mean exactly? Iʼve read every report, followed every movement—everything within the empire seems to be running perfectly.”

”Iʼm not talking about the present, Billy,” Robin chuckled softly, waving his hand dismissively. ”I mean the future. Whatʼs coming... nine hundred years from now.”

Billy blinked, confused. ”Nine hundred—? What?”

But before he could follow up, Robin gestured toward him again.

”Anyway, enough of that for now. Iʼm sure weʼll have time to dive into the future soon enough. For now, tell me—how is the Burton family doing?”

”Everything is going incredibly well,” Billy said with a warm, confident smile spreading across his face.

”After our conquest of the Great Serpent Empire, the Burton family took a heavy hit. Their numbers were devastated, dwindling down to just a few thousand surviving members. But even in the face of that hardship, a spark remained. Now, thanks to the policies weʼve put into place—particularly the one encouraging rapid reproduction and offering substantial financial incentives for every child born into the family—weʼve managed to multiply that number dramatically. Today, the familyʼs population is approaching a hundred thousand strong.”

He paused for a moment, as if letting the weight of that figure sink in, then continued with a hint of pride in his voice.

”The children of the Burton family receive nothing but the best. From their earliest days, they are nurtured with top-tier instructors, unparalleled cultivation resources, and cutting-edge technologies. We make sure they grow up knowing they carry a legacy—that their lives are intertwined with a higher purpose. We teach them that they were born to assist Your Majesty in reshaping the world, even if that means sacrificing everything they have, even their lives.”

He chuckled softly, his eyes shining with a quiet pride.

”Most of them go on to become officers in the imperial military, some become researchers in Sky Opening City—one of our proudest academic and technological bastions—and even in the rare cases where they donʼt excel, they still find purpose as imperial messengers or as merchants facilitating trade across the vast territories of our empire.”

His grin widened as he leaned back slightly.

”But, as you probably guessed, since most of the Burton bloodline has a natural, almost instinctual affinity for the Fire Path, youʼll find a large portion of them serving in the armed forces. Specifically, many of them have gravitated toward the elite corps under General Martin Barnett. Theyʼve become essential to his command structure—they practically form the backbone of his army now. Hehe.”

”Thatʼs truly wonderful to hear...” Robin nodded, his expression softening into one of genuine relief and appreciation. Then his gaze sharpened, turning his attention directly to Billy.

”But what about you, Billy? How have you really been? Iʼve heard whispers that youʼve been considering stepping down.”

Billy let out a hearty, casual laugh—but there was a noticeable shadow behind it.

”Haha, well… even if I did resign, I doubt it would cause any major upheaval. With the central commandʼs support, Iʼve managed to establish Light Sword Headquarters on every single S-Class planet. Alongside the younger generation—and yes, with the support of the Crown Prince—weʼve worked tirelessly to fulfill our duties. Weʼve brought law, order, and peace to every world weʼve been entrusted with. In fact, weʼve gone even further. Weʼve begun intervening in recently conquered regions on R-Class planets to ensure that our new citizens feel secure and protected.”

His voice slowed, his smile fading as he looked down at the floor.

”But as for me, personally… I havenʼt really done anything noteworthy lately. Iʼve just been… fulfilling the requirements of the role. Performing the routine tasks expected of me, nothing more. Once I resign, any of the talented youngsters whoʼve been rising through the ranks will be able to take over—probably even surpass me. Thereʼs no reason to worry about the planetary police force. Theyʼll be in good hands.”

”Donʼt belittle your own contributions, Billy.” Robin said gently, a sincere smile on his lips.

”I just want to ask you one question. One honest question. No games, no half-truths—just look me in the eye and answer... Do you enjoy your work? Do you love what you do now?”

Billy inhaled deeply, as if drawing the truth from somewhere deep inside himself.

”…I do. I really do,” he finally said, his voice quieter but firm.

”I love it.”

”Then thatʼs all that truly matters.” Robin nodded, visibly satisfied. He then reached out and handed Billy a small, glinting metallic shard.

”Here—catch.”

”Huh?” Billy instinctively extended his spiritual sense into the shard—and his eyes widened slightly.

”…The Merged Law of the Sun?”

”Youʼve always been my guiding light, Billy,” Robin said, his voice filled with emotion and fondness.

”My only source of justice and reason when the darkness threatened to consume me. You were the steady flame that reminded me I was still human. Back in those days, I teetered on the edge of becoming something monstrous. If not for your presence, I might have destroyed all the empires on Jura instead of uniting them into what would become the true Beginning Empire. You held me back from becoming the very thing I feared.”

His voice was steady and full of warmth.

”Now, I want you to continue being that light. Not just for me—but for everyone. For the empire. For its people. Let your justice shine across the stars.”

”What you hold is a law that merges the power of Fire and the illumination of Light. Itʼs the Merged Law of the Sun—and itʼs made for you and you alone.”

Robin gave him a playful smirk and a wink.

”Now you wonʼt feel out of place when you sit among all those Light Path users while being a Fire user yourself, right? Just tell them this—you wield the sun itself, the source of all their radiance! Haha!”

Drip

Drip Drip

Tears welled up in Billyʼs eyes and slipped down his cheeks—tears he made no effort to hide.

He took two slow steps forward, then embraced Robin tightly, arms wrapped around his oldest friend.

”…Thank you, my friend. Thank you… Your Majesty.”

”Alright, alright, enough of this sappy stuff.” Robin chuckled, gently pulling Billy away. He turned him toward the door, gave him a little spin, and with a playful slap on the rear said,

”Now go! Begin adjusting your foundation with that new law—and send in the next person on the list, would you?”