Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1886: Academy Burden-2

The Shadow Swords had taken advantage of the Academy to keep their profit for themselves, and use it infiltrate and expand into other sectors.

Even if everything else were set aside, the simple fact that the Academy had eased the burden on the Shadow Swords —and in doing so allowed them to expand at an unprecedented pace— was more than enough to prove just how vital the Academy had become in the current era.

But if Morgana were truly forced to establish a massive peacekeeping army, one that required enormous spending on weapons, equipment, and logistics, paid generous salaries to countless soldiers, and was continuously dragged into wars and large-scale conflicts against things called ANTI-LIFE...

That was precisely why academies were never counted among the absolute richest powers in the universe, despite their staggering sources of income. They poured most of their wealth into wars against anti-life, doing so willingly and without complaint, because those wars granted them immunity, protection, and prestige—and in return, that same prestige attracted even more Pearls year after year.

But Morgana did not care about any of that.

She cared about only one thing: securing the largest possible flow of Pearls to support His Majesty’s grand ambitions. Creating a peacekeeping army would mean draining that income source almost entirely. It would sharply reduce the surplus she could channel into His Majesty’s empires, leaving her with little to contribute—and that thought filled her with intense frustration and anger!!

Finally, after descending underground for more than twenty uninterrupted minutes, Morgana came to a halt before a small door, its surface surrounded by several powerful arrays layered one atop another.

The arrays activated instantly. Invisible waves swept across Morgana’s curvy body in a thorough scan, followed by a focused beam that flashed briefly toward her head. Moments later, a calm, artificial voice echoed through the corridor:

”Lady Headmistress Morgana — access granted.”

Then—click—

The small door opened only a narrow crack. Morgana pushed it open without hesitation and stepped inside. She moved directly toward a large black chair positioned before a dark, austere desk and sat down heavily. Resting her chin on her hand, she fell into deep thought...

This was not a situation she could resolve on her own. Yet the question remained—what exactly should she request from His Majesty?

Would he summon an army from beneath the earth itself? Or would he divert a portion of the forces of the Doubled Centennial Grave Empire to wage war against anti-life across the entire sector?

But the army of the Doubled Centennial Grave Empire was already under immense pressure, locked in a brutal war against the Millennial Holva Empire!!

She did not need commanders. She did not need elite, high-tier fighters. What she needed were sheer numbers—ground troops and fleets in overwhelming quantities. But where could they possibly come from? Even if she halted every distribution she made each year, it would still take centuries to independently assemble and equip an army of such scale.

”Agh...” Morgana let out a strained, pained breath, the weight of the dilemma pressing down on her chest.

”Teacher.”

”What now?!” Morgana snapped, lifting her head sharply, irritation flaring in her voice.

At that moment, Morgana was seated at the edge of a hollow deep beneath the earth—a relatively small underground cavity spanning several hundred meters in diameter. Only a handful of dim lanterns lined the surrounding walls, their faint light barely illuminating the space and casting long, wavering shadows across the stone.

Inside that hollow, there were approximately one hundred and fifty individuals seated on the hard stone floor. Each one of them had their eyes closed, sitting in meditative stillness, with an object resembling a deep dish placed in front of them. These dishes were filled to the brim with vibrant soul emeralds, into which the participants had submerged their hands.

Whenever the emeralds in a dish sank to about half their depth, a group of young boys and girls would circulate among them, carefully refilling each dish again. This cycle seemed endless, repeating continuously without pause, a rhythm that carried on as though it would never cease.

Afterward, the boys and girls —around ten in number— would retire to the far end of the hollow to read and study books for about an hour. Once their study session ended, they would return to the cycle once more, distributing soul emeralds, replenishing water, and ensuring food was available to all seated participants. The process was methodical and precise, a continuous loop designed for maximum efficiency.

The deep pots themselves were far from ordinary. They emitted strange, luminous patterns that affected the speed at which the soul emeralds could be absorbed. The entire hall was encased in layers upon layers of complex arrays: defensive formations, soul suppression fields, anti-leakage mechanisms, and multiple other protective layers. Every design element aimed to make the location utterly secret, impervious to intrusion, and impossible to destroy.

Of course, this was no ordinary classroom or lecture hall.

This was a preparation and leadership training hall for the Burton family and all families fully subordinate to them. Every single person seated here had taken an oath more rigorous than that of the Shadow Swords, comparable even to the elite Imperial Guard!

Indeed, these one hundred and fifty individuals were the reason Morgana did not care about requesting high-tier army units from outside sources. Because of them, she only needed ground troops and war fleets for logistics, travel, and support operations.

They represented the true power the Academy had painstakingly cultivated over decades: the elite of the elite in soul force talent, drawn from across every corner of His Majesty’s dominion. They were not just students—they were the living embodiment of the Academy’s decades of investment and training.

”Teacher.”

The young man who had called out earlier now stood fully, giving a respectful bow. As he bowed, he began to speak: ”I have completed my preparations.” He then lifted his head proudly, revealing a strikingly handsome face with firm, determined features. ”I am ready.”

If Zara had been present, or if anyone who had worked on the Nihari Arsenal a century ago had been here, they would have recognized him immediately. This was Adrian Barnett: the man responsible for making rapid arsenal construction possible, the one who had taken command of every aspect, from laying the foundations to overseeing all the arsenal branches currently in operation.

Adrian was also renowned as the strongest soul user in the Empire, a figure who had participated in multiple wars in the Middle Belt alongside Marshal Caesar, only returning to the Young Belt to assist Her Highness Zara.

Yet for reasons unknown, he had departed quickly back to the Middle Belt after completing the creation of the first Crucible of Greed, and then had joined the Academy immediately upon its founding, choosing Morgana as his teacher.

”...” Morgana’s irritation and sour mood eased slightly, though she continued to fix her piercing gaze upon him. ”Adrian, I understand that you’ve reached the limit, but why not spend a few years strengthening your structure, consolidating your skills, and building greater confidence? True, His Majesty has provided me with a method to assist you at this stage, but you must understand that this method only guarantees a reasonable chance of success—it is not certain. If it fails, you may sustain some injuries and your breakthrough will be delayed for many years.”

She paused briefly, allowing her words to settle, then continued with a serious tone: ”If you are willing to try it, we can proceed today. You will need only to wait for me while I make a brief visit to the Soul Society... think carefully during that time. And if you remain steadfast, you will be required to take a new soul oath upon the plate personally prepared by His Majesty himself.”

”I will do whatever is required of me,” Adrian declared firmly, his hands tightening as he gripped them. ”...Today, I will become a Royal Soul Master!”