Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1915 Broken balance

”...Iʼve started to respect the decision of the Dawn Vanguard Stellar Academy and the Deep Mist Stellar Academy,”

Robin crossed one leg over the other, his posture relaxed but his tone sharp. ”Stepping away from acting in such a filthy, rotten play doesnʼt make them worse in the slightest.”

”Excuse me?!” Altheraʼs brows drew together tightly. ”Just because you disagree with the system, you now believe that the Plague spreading and people dying is something worthy of respect? Werenʼt you playing the role of a defender of the oppressed just moments ago?”

She continued coldly, ”What do you think would happen to a Plague that spreads and grows stronger every single day if all the stellar academies stopped this play, shut their gates, and focused solely on protecting themselves? Do you think the Syndicate, or the remnants of the Abyss of Doom for I care, or whoever is feeding those Plague nests would simply stop supporting them out of goodwill? It may be a farce, yes-but you are a forced participant in it if you wish to continue living.”

Robinʼs brows tightened even further as his gaze dropped toward the floor. Suddenly, the ambition of joining the stellar academy system no longer seemed inspiring, nor noble, nor even particularly appealing.

In truth, Robin had wanted the protection of that system in case he was ever forced to oppose the Syndicate-and, in one way or another, he knew he would eventually do so, especially as long as he had to deal with Sevar.

But to discover that they were, in fact, supporting one another?

Yes. The academies did not pay the Syndicate without reason; it was a shared interest, a carefully balanced exchange. The Syndicate served the academies by granting them a justification for existence, a pretext to expand their authority, a reason to play the role of the sectorʼs righteous police force, and a flawless mechanism through which the academies could continuously collect wealth.

That ”service,” however, could disappear in an instant. All it would take was for the Syndicate to support multiple nests within the same sector, or to manufacture artificial nests and rapidly empower them-destroying an entire sector without losing a single operative of their own, while dragging the academiesʼ prestige and legitimacy through the mud.

Likewise, the academies could choose to ignore the Syndicate entirely and devise alternative methods of assembling armies. It was not as impossibly difficult as Althera made it seem, even to herself. Yet they relied on this bribery as one would rely on a remedy for a chronic migraine-because it was convenient, and because they had no true desire to confront the Syndicate head-on.

Yes, if the academies ever truly united, they could confront the Syndicate without a doubt. A simple calculation made it clear: the academies possessed thousands of individuals within the Law Domination Realm.

Thousands.

Then how many did the Syndicate possess?

No one wanted to witness such powers colliding-not the academies, and not the Syndicate either. And so those agreements were born, forming a transparent barrier between them, a barrier built entirely on profit and mutual tolerance.

As for the Dawn Vanguard Stellar Academy and the Deep Mist Stellar Academy -most likely, Althera would never cease fighting the Plague. And that, precisely, was why those two dared to take such a step: withdrawing from the farce and cutting off the massive profits they had been funneling to the Syndicate and to the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies.

In any sector where academies had abandoned their stance, there would surely be at least one academy that remained active. Otherwise, that sector would truly be condemned to destruction.

A farce, yes... and yet it was no wonder that everyone pressured Morgana to fight, and no wonder Althera had come demanding funds with such desperation.

The playwrights behind this grand performance were not figures Althera could manipulate, pressure, or influence at will.

”Itʼs fine, Your Majesty, itʼs fine,” Robin said, forcing a faint smile onto his face. ”Iʼve gained a great deal from this conversation, and I understand that none of this is truly your fault.” He paused briefly, then added quietly, ”But what I still donʼt understand is this... where exactly is the Cosmic Elder? Why are the rumors about him still spreading and growing to this extent-so much so that even his own academies are abandoning his Laws?”

The Syndicate has Sevar firmly at their back, and that is precisely why they behave with such shameless, unrestrained arrogance, moving and acting without fear or hesitation. As for the academies, on the surface it appears they still have the Cosmic Elder watching over them, a figure of authority and guidance-but in reality, he has not intervened or taken any meaningful action for tens of millions of years. There are even persistent rumors circulating that he has long been dead. Who knows? Perhaps it is the Syndicate themselves who are deliberately spreading these rumors to keep pressure on the academies and exploit the situation.

This is what places the academies in an incredibly precarious position... whether it is the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies or even the individual academies themselves, the situation is catastrophic. The blow is so severe that most academies have completely withdrawn from the larger system and ceased performing any of their duties. Their authority has been hollowed out-they can barely even claim the title of ”academy” anymore without losing credibility.

”I donʼt know,” Althera replied briefly and tersely, showing her frustration and concern. ”The situation is exactly the same as before. I have attempted to reach out to him repeatedly, yet all my efforts are in vain. The Council itself has also tried, again with no result. He has simply vanished entirely, as if swallowed by the void.”

”Why in the hell?!” Robin raised his voice, a sharp edge cutting through the tension. ”You saw everything with your own eyes! I restored his vitality, you witnessed it-he is stronger than he has ever been before. No one in the entire universe could even disturb a single hair on his head except for Him or Her. And it is impossible that they would have fought each other during such a brief period, and absolutely impossible that we didnʼt notice it!”

”...” Althera lifted her shoulders slightly, a gesture that conveyed both helplessness and resignation. Naturally, she had no concrete answer.

”Hmph...” Robin rubbed his forehead, frustrated but attempting to calm himself. ”Fine, fine... no matter. Letʼs just start everything from scratch once again...” He gestured toward her with his palm, a subtle but serious command in his tone. ”Please, reach out to him and let him know that I wish to meet him personally.”

”Alright!” Unlike the last time, Altheraʼs reaction was one of genuine relief and hope. The likelihood of a response seemed to rise substantially at that moment. If there was anyone in the entire universe who the Cosmic Elder truly respected, who he wanted to keep alive and maintain a favorable relationship with, it was Robin-and no one else. His influence and capability had earned him a unique position that even the Cosmic Elder acknowledged.

As for Robin, he sank into deep silence, letting minutes drag painfully one after another as he attempted to process and understand what awaited him in the coming period. He was already grappling with the Plague in Middle Sector 99, even with the reliable presence of Althera, the extensive resources of the Holy Covenant Academy, and even the Grave Empire-the most heavily armed of all forces under his command.

But what of Middle Sector 100? Or Middle Sector 101? What actions were the stellar academies taking there? How could he possibly hope to contain the relentless spread of the Plague across these sectors with such limited

oversight?

Whoooosh-

At that precise moment, something extraordinary began to happen in the room. A glowing circle, roughly the size of a human head, materialized in the air near Althera. It hovered, suspended in the atmosphere, before slowly floating forward until it came to a stop directly in front of Robin, its luminescence casting shifting reflections across the walls.

From within that circle, Robin immediately recognized a familiar face. It was the face of a man in his fifties, distinguished yet rugged, with thin, graying hair and a beard intricately braided with red and blue ribbons.

The man lifted his hand with a booming, hearty laugh and waved at them, his

presence radiating confidence and familiarity.

”Yo-”