Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1262 1262: Wound

Five Days Later —

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As the heavy doors of the grand throne hall slowly creaked open, a small silhouette stepped inside, accompanied by a familiar, steady voice. ”Father.”

”Theo,” Robinʼs eyes snapped open—bright, filled with life and warmth. He gestured toward the seat across from him, a smile playing on his lips. ”What kept you away, boy? I honestly expected you to be the very first to arrive.”

”My apologies, Father. Managing your empire has become more and more difficult with each passing day.” Theo took his seat, wearing a faint yet weary smile. ”Your announcement of the start of the Age of Conquest a hundred years ago has placed us all in a race against time. The pressure hasnʼt eased since.”

”Youʼve got what it takes!” Robin leaned forward enthusiastically and gave Theo a firm slap on the arm. ”Believe me, out of all the generals and followers I have, youʼre the one I never have to lose sleep over!”

”That kind of praise feels far too generous for me, Father,” Theo replied with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. In truth, maintaining order and control over the empire—especially on the highly contested Class-R planets—had become a logistical nightmare.

”Iʼm not joking,” Robin insisted, waving a hand dismissively. ”Among all your siblings—no, among the entire imperial ruling class—youʼre the one who fits his role best.” His expression softened into a warm smile. ”Do you remember when I first bought you? I asked what law you wanted to learn, and you started sketching images of darkness for me—haha! From that day on, youʼve never disappointed me, not even once.”

”That was a simpler, more innocent time...” Theo nodded slowly, his mind wandering back to the early days—when he was preoccupied with gathering firewood and raw materials so Robin could destroy them in various ways for his research.

”It had its challenges too, you know,” Robin added with a smirk, waving his hand as if brushing aside the sentiment. ”No use in clinging to nostalgia. Letʼs talk about whatʼs happening now—whatʼs the current situation?”

”My recent issues all revolve around the Class-R planets,” Theo explained, his tone becoming more serious. ”One of the newer responsibilities of the Shadow Swords involves deep infiltration among the native populations of these developing worlds. Weʼre tasked with learning about their local power structures, identifying significant individuals, and either neutralizing them through assassination or bringing them under control through private negotiations.”

He paused, then continued, ”Another crucial aspect of our mission is to constantly monitor local movements and report vital intelligence to the military forces assigned to those planets. We make sure they receive all the data needed to secure total victory.”

”Oh?” Robin arched an eyebrow, his voice thoughtful. ”You make it sound like the Shadow Swords have transformed into a full-fledged military intelligence division. Thatʼs not what I originally intended when I founded the organization.”

”Well, thatʼs what weʼve become, out of necessity,” Theo said, shrugging slightly. ”We had no choice but to evolve. Otherwise, we wouldʼve become irrelevant. Initially, our purpose was to keep a watchful eye over the internal affairs of the empire, acting under your direct orders to prevent any internal unrest or hidden threats. But those days are gone.”

”Things on the Class-S planets are perfectly stable now. They donʼt need intervention from us anymore. After a planet has been fully subdued through military conquest, Richardʼs Stability Movement takes over. They begin implementing their programs, backed by the Light Swords, and after that, we hardly ever hear of any problems arising. Especially once the Empire of Tomorrow initiative kicks off—cities begin to flourish, innovations roll out, and living standards improve dramatically.”

”Once again… the Stability Movement,” Robin murmured, tapping thoughtfully on the armrest of his throne. ”Tell me, Theo—what do you really know about it?”

”I know itʼs under the control of little brother Richard. That much is clear—no question there. Although, it stayed unofficial for quite a while,” Theo replied, choosing his words carefully. ”But his methods are... unconventional. He doesnʼt rely on trained soldiers or expert spies. Instead, he turns the people themselves into his tools. He uses the populace to suppress one another.”

He leaned forward slightly. ”I heard about the incident you faced before you arrived here—the one in the café, where people tried to silence you? That, more or less, is happening everywhere his movement reaches.”

”I see... But how exactly does he pull it off?” Robin asked, his tone turning more serious.

”I observed his tactics closely on one of the newer planets. His agents from the Stability Movement plant isolated cells of locals. These cells are completely unaware of each other. They operate independently but are unified in one thing—they gradually grow and spread until the people themselves begin enforcing order and suppressing dissent without any external interference.”

Theo allowed himself a rare, slight smile. ”And that, in turn, has rendered us—the Shadow Swords—mostly obsolete on fully conquered worlds.”

”Richard came up with that? ...Thatʼs a bizarre way to spread oneʼs influence,” Robin muttered, furrowing his brow slightly. He hadnʼt imagined Richard could be so shrewd—so subtly manipulative.

”I donʼt believe this has anything to do with expanding his dominance or spreading his political authority,” Theo began, his voice calm but laced with the weariness of years spent watching from the shadows. ”After the overwhelming success Jura experienced in terms of internal stability, I was the one who personally approached Richard. I traveled there myself, sat with him for hours on end, trying to persuade him that the experiment he unintentionally created on that planet could be refined—elevated—and extended to the rest of our expanding territories. And still… he kept denying any involvement. He rejected the idea that he had played any meaningful role in it, and he refused to take responsibility for what had happened there.”

Theoʼs brows furrowed slightly, a trace of frustration emerging. ”Even when I presented him with hard evidence, even when I outlined the steps clearly showing how everything led back to him, he kept brushing it off. It wasnʼt until Sister Zara and our eldest brother Caesar intervened that he finally relented. They told him plainly—directly—that every single one of those planets, whether newly annexed or long integrated, lies within his jurisdiction as Crown Prince. Not just Jura.”

He gave a small shrug, lifting his hands slightly as if to suggest the futility of resisting further. ”Anyway, after that confrontation, Richard established the Stability Movement as a formal institution. And yet, he never disclosed its true objectives, nor its operational mechanisms. Everything about it remains cloaked in mystery. All that the appointed officials know is that these ʼStabilizersʼ now possess near-absolute control over the Class-S planets. And all that the population understands is that they must avoid them, never question them, and most importantly—never speak ill of them.”

A dry chuckle escaped Theoʼs lips. ”And as for us—the once-feared, once-essential Shadow Swords—weʼve been pushed aside, discarded like old tools that no longer serve a purpose. Thatʼs all we know.”

”…” Robin said nothing at first. He remained utterly still for a few seconds, digesting the weight of his sonʼs words. Then he slowly began to nod, a determined glint beginning to sharpen in his eyes. ”You wonʼt remain idle for long. Thatʼs the reason I summoned you here today.” He lifted his hand and pointed directly at Theo with unwavering intent. ”I want you to personally step into Mid-Sector 100. In fact, if the opportunity arises, I want you to move into Mid-Sector 99 as well.”

”Excuse me?” Theo blinked, his expression shifting to one of mild disbelief. ”And what, exactly, would I be doing there?”

”What needs to be done,” Robin replied, his voice steady and deliberate. ”Over the coming years—however long it takes—I want you to collect everything. Every detail. I want to know the balance of power within those sectors, the strength and reach of each faction, which groups we might be able to align with, and which ones we must avoid at all costs. Political structures, military strength, economic currents, religious influences—leave no stone unturned.”

He leaned forward, his gaze intensifying. ”I also want you to establish an organization. Not a secret sect. Not a hidden cell. I want something visible—an official group that takes on assignments for a price. Assassinations, information retrieval, tracking targets, intelligence sales. By doing this, youʼll not only gain access to valuable knowledge, but youʼll also generate revenue, influence, and a reputation. Slowly but surely, your roots will grow deep into the soil of those two sectors.”

”This… this is massive,” Theo breathed, his eyes wide with alarm. ”Why such a drastic mission? Why now? Iʼm already swamped handling the chaos of the Class-R planets. I barely sleep as it is!”

Robin laughed—a deep, thunderous laugh that filled the throne room. Then, without a word, he reached into the folds of his robe and retrieved a golden imperial decree. He scribbled something on it with a special ink, pressed his seal upon it, and handed it to Theo with a casual grace.

”Here. You now have an unlimited budget. Recruit as many Shadow Swords as you need. Expand their numbers as you see fit. Create a network. Build something real, something permanent.” His voice then dropped slightly in volume, but rose in gravity. ”Nine hundred years from now, we will face a true trial. One that will shake the very foundations of our empire. And when that moment comes, I must have insight into every corner of our domains. I can no longer rely on Rinara or others to predict what may come. I need hard facts. Reliable intelligence. Do you understand me, Theo?”

Theoʼs gaze lowered briefly. He took in a slow breath through his nose, held it, and exhaled through his mouth. ”...Hoo~ I understand.” His voice was calmer now, but laced with a new edge—one of acceptance, of resolve.

”Good,” Robin said with a proud smile. Then, almost casually, he reached into the dimensional ring on his finger and pulled out a large, gleaming metallic tablet. It pulsed faintly with cosmic energy. He handed it to Theo.

”Here. Take it.”

”Hmm?” Theo accepted it with both hands, reverently. He closed his eyes for a moment as he let his spiritual sense scan its contents. When he opened them again, they were filled with shock and disbelief. ”...?!”

”I call it: Darkness of space,” Robin said, almost like a sacred whisper. ”A fusion of the Major Law of Darkness… and the Major Law of Space. This is your merged law. As of today, it belongs to you.”

He gestured toward the tablet. ”The spatial element will enhance your stealth to an unimaginable degree. Youʼll be able to move in and out of shadows as if slipping between folds of reality. Offensively, your power will increase exponentially—there will be no upper limit. Spatial division, dimensional expansion—these will be part of your arsenal. Defensively? Youʼll be untouchable. Youʼll become a true phantom—an entity that appears only to deliver death and vanishes before retaliation is possible. And if ever you are cornered...” Robin smiled, ”...youʼll reveal claws sharp enough to split entire mountains in half.”

Before he could finish his thought, Thud! Theo stood up abruptly and threw himself into his fatherʼs arms.

”Thank you…” he whispered.

Robin blinked, surprised. Though he couldnʼt see his sonʼs face, he could hear it—the tremble in his voice, the uneven breath, the tight grip. Theo was crying.

It had been nearly 150 years since Robin first purchased him. In all that time… not once had he seen his son shed a tear.

He had always sensed it—that quiet shadow inside Theoʼs heart. That doubt. That gnawing belief that, perhaps, he was lesser than Richard or Caesar. That maybe… their father loved them more. After all, they had been given legendary laws, while Theo had been left to struggle and watch from afar like any other Shadow Sword.

But maybe today… just maybe, that wound had finally begun to heal.

Robin pulled him in tighter, the proud warmth in his chest spreading like fire.

”...Iʼm sorry,” he murmured, voice barely audible, ”I kept you waiting.”