Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1907 The truth about the Behemoth of Sector 98

”Across all three sectors-99, 100, and 101- no, across all six sectors if we also include the powers of the young sectors as well-everyone firmly believes that he is the one attempting to expand his influence, poison the atmosphere of the sectors, and plunder their resources. In reality, however, he has gained absolutely nothing from carrying that reputation on his shoulders. With all that hostility and suspicion directed at him for no real benefit, itʼs hardly surprising that heʼs furious.”

Robin let out a low chuckle as he folded his arms across his chest.

He then continued, ”Aro, Caesar, the Academy, and all forces affiliated with me have standing instructions: they are not to deny these accusations no matter how openly or aggressively they are directed at us-but they are also not to confirm them under any circumstances. This deliberate silence must have aggravated the Sorcerer Behemoth even further when he became aware of it.” ”So...” Niri said hesitantly, genuine surprise clear in her voice, ”does that mean heʼs the victim in this whole dilemma?!”

”Not exactly. Heʼs no angel, Robin replied with a shrug. ”Even if we set aside his complete monopoly over spells of every type and school, he-like most Behemoths-failed to abide by the law that restricts him to controlling only his own sector. The truth is far less innocent: Zarghol maintains a number of followers operating within sectors 97 and 99, whom he secretly supports from the shadows.”

He then turned toward Niri and added, ”Do you know the Millennium Holva Empire-the one currently attacking Aroʼs Grave Empire? They are his followers.””

”What?!” Niri exclaimed, utterly stunned.

Although she could not read Robinʼs thoughts directly, she was capable of seeing through his eyes whenever she wished. She could also hear certain messages that arrived straight into his soul domain, bypassing normal channels entirely. At times, she even overheard his casual conversations with Arkalon- even when, more often than not, he was technically just talking to himself. Because of this unique connection, she was already aware of some of the events unfolding beyond their immediate surroundings.

After recovering from her initial shock, she asked, ”Wasnʼt the Holva Empire the very one that accused the Grave Empire of working for the Sorcerer Behemoth?”

”Exactly-wine in their hands while they mock those who drink juice,” Robin said, shaking his head slowly. ”The Shadow Swords uncovered evidence that the Holva Empire had been supported by the Sorcerer from the very beginning. Through their actions, several ambitious Centennial Empires were wiped out entirely under their hands. Because of them, the sector ended up maintaining only three Millennium Empires, even though it could have supported a far greater number-especially considering itʼs a sector without any Behemoths of its own.””

”...At first, they ignored the Grave Empire because it was small and seemingly insignificant. Then they began harassing it once it started expanding at an unusually rapid pace. When it suddenly leapt into a double Centennial Empire, they openly declared hostility and were on the brink of launching official action against it-if not for the Shadow Swords preventing the alliance from moving forward. And if not for their fear of the immense losses that would result from clashing with the Blue Army and Note fleets, they would have acted independently to erase the Grave Empire completely.”

”And this situation isnʼt exclusive to mid Sector 99, by the way” Robin added with another slow shake of his head. ”Zarghol also controls a Millennium Empire in mid Sector 97, along with multiple Centennial and multiple empires, all of which he uses to carry out the same strategy. On the surface, he appears not to interfere directly in the sectors closest to him-but in reality, he suffocates them entirely, tightening his grip until nothing can move without his unseen consent.”

”...I do blame Aro for his recklessness in attacking the Holva Empire instead of taking the time to prepare properly beforehand. His move was rushed and costly,” Robin said calmly. ”But if our goal was true stability in mid Sector 99, then eliminating them was inevitable one way or another.” He shook his head slowly, then turned his gaze back toward Zargholʼs face. ”And now-after Aroʼs message, in which he confirmed that the war is still ongoing and insisted that he is the victor-even though I completely doubt the truth of that claim, the Holva Empire has undoubtedly suffered enormous losses. Those losses alone were enough to provoke Zarghol into acting personally.”

He then smiled faintly, a sharp glint passing through his eyes. ”Because once we remove the Millennium Holva Empire from the sector, most of his indirect influence there will collapse. He wonʼt be able to control roughly a third of the sector anymore. He wonʼt be able to crush any newly emerging powers, and he wonʼt be able to suppress or prevent the rise of a new Behemoth appearing directly beside him... and thatʼs the second reason heʼs furious with me.”

”So thatʼs how it is...” Niri nodded several times in quiet understanding. ”But then-why did he bring up the Shadow Swords?”

”Because clashing with the Holva Empire inevitably means they will request support from the Sorcerer Behemoth,” Robin explained. ”That support would come directly from mid Sector 98. Which means a war no less severe, no less destructive, than whatʼs currently unfolding in mid Sector 101... and thatʼs not even accounting for the day Nihari emerges. When that day comes, the most eager and aggressive contender targeting us will be Zarghol -and no one else.” Robinʼs eyes gleamed brightly. ”If that future is unavoidable, then why shouldnʼt we prepare for it early?”

”Theo sent a number of elite Shadow Swords to mid Sector 98 and mid Sector 97 more than five hundred years ago,” he continued. ”Their numbers were extremely limited, but the budget allocated to them was absurdly high. Their mission was simple but dangerous: monitor any forces affiliated with Zarghol, evaluate the strength of his galaxy, track the scale of his followers, and gather every fragment of usable intelligence they could find, and more~”

He then laughed softly. ”But judging by what Zarghol said about the Shadow Swords, itʼs obvious their numbers have increased so dramatically that their movements were exposed. It seems Theo has officially decided to expand- establishing permanent Shadow Sword bases in that direction in order to initiate the next phase.” His smile widened slightly. ”That would be the third reason for his anger.”

”...” Niri studied Robinʼs face from the side for a long moment. ”Are you saying that you donʼt care about a Behemothʼs anger?”

”Donʼt care?” Robin replied quietly, lowering his gaze to his hands, which were trembling violently. ”Iʼm terrified.” He exhaled slowly. ”But what exactly am I supposed to do? If hostility is coming no matter what we choose, then why shouldnʼt we be the ones to start it-on our own terms, in our own way? The Shadow Swords must have interfered with him quite severely over there for him to send me a message like this.”

”Even if we avoided the Holva Empire for all the remaining years,” he went on,

his voice firming, ”even if we denied any connection to him, sabotaged his external relations with the other Behemoths, and even if we restrained the Shadow Swords from meddling in those sectors... we would still be dragged into a large-scale war the moment the seed appeared.” He clenched his fists tightly. ”I really am afraid. But as long as a direct clash between us is inevitable, then Iʼm ready to face it.”

From the side, Niri fell silent and did nothing but stare. The way Robin looked at his trembling hands was not the look of someone gripped by fear, no matter what his words claimed. His eyes were wide open, blazing with intensity, and a broad smile stretched across his face.

Those were not the expressions of a frightened man.

They were the expressions of someone genuinely excited.

”Heh~ I donʼt know about all that,” Niri said softly at last, ”but as long as youʼre thinking about protecting me, I fully support everything youʼre doing.” She nodded several times in agreement. ”But...” her expression suddenly shifted, ”... Is it really normal for him to call you by your name?!”