Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2237 Lordʼs Affairs

”…Congratulations to the universe on your safety, Lord Robin, I have been praying to see you once more.”

”....!!!”

Every eye atop the mountain widened to its limit.

Even Zara, who had been comforting Althera only moments ago, completely forgot what she was doing and stared at Blokan with her mouth hanging open.

Robinʼs descendants knew very well who this person was.

The mere sight of him made their hearts tremble.

The only reason they remained standing instead of bowing beneath his overwhelming aura and presence was because their grandfather stood among them, their pillar and shield, and his presence gave them the courage to hold their ground.

But...

Blokan had knelt?

Knelt on all four limbs?!

Even Holak and the squad leaders were struck by intense shock, though their heads soon rose with pride.

They treated Blokan as a major figure.

They called him Lord.

They listened to his instructions.

They regarded him as one of the universeʼs well-known pillars.

And that very same person was kneeling before their Master!

Once again...

The only ones who maintained their complete composure were Caesar, Theo, and Peon.

To them, this was hardly surprising.

Blokanʼs status might be unimaginably lofty in the eyes of the others, but they had witnessed what Robin had done through out his life with their own eyes.

They had seen the impossible, HE is the impossible.

Compared to that, a kneeling Blokan seemed only natural.

”Rise, Lord Blokan. There is no need for this.” Robin showed a faint smile.

”What happened three months ago has not been leaked yet, and what you did for the sake of the entire universe...” Blokan slowly stood and brushed the dust from where his knees had touched the ground. ”If the full truth became known, every living being would be obligated to kneel.”

Then he looked directly into Robinʼs face.

”And please, you may dispense with the titles. Blokan is enough.”

”Then forgive me, Blokan.” Robin nodded. ”Iʼm simply glad you donʼt blame me for opening the portal in the first place.”

”I am not a child.” Blokan shook his head. ”There are many reasons that justify your decision to break the shell and make blame meaningless. The simplest is that I would have shattered it myself had I possessed sufficient power. Which one of us does not wish to look beyond the walls of his own prison?”

A complicated light flickered in his eyes.

For countless years he had lived beneath that shell.

Protected by it.

Restricted by it.

The desire to know what existed beyond it was something every true powerhouse carried deep within their heart.

Then he stared into Robinʼs eyes.

”Everything that happened before The executioner appeared was something anyone in your position could have done. Breaking the shell, taking advantage of the Reapers, experimenting with new methods to kill them... all of that was rational. Even the Cosmic Elder agreed with you and supported you in that.”

Then he continued in a more serious tone:

”But standing your ground before the Executioner, fighting her, and forcing her to retreat in such a manner... that is something no one but you has done, and most likely no one else ever will. You wielded tremendous power and nearly sacrificed your life to defend the universe while I could do nothing but watch helplessly. For that, you have my respect... and my services.”

His voice remained steady, but everyone present could hear the sincerity within it.

This was not courtesy.

Nor was it diplomacy.

Blokan truly meant every word.

A look of unmistakable regret then appeared on his face.

”But your body...”

Blokan was able to examine Robinʼs body with ease.

The latter raised no defenses.

Nor did he attempt to hide anything.

Robinʼs body appeared healthy and intact in theory.

His organs were functioning.

His blood circulated normally.

There were no wounds.

No visible injuries.

No lingering traces of destruction.

And yet...

With a single glance, one could tell that he had been afflicted by severe frailty.

It was as though one were looking at a three-year-old child.

A healthy child...

Yet so weak that you would expect nothing from him.

Even the faint movements of Robinʼs fingers seemed to lack the natural vitality one would expect from a cultivator of his stature.

It was not damage.

It was exhaustion pushed to an absurd extreme.

”This?” Robin spoke calmly. ”I simply overused the Master Laws through a body that was never meant to withstand even one of them in the first place. But itʼs fine. My body will gradually return to normal. It is only a matter of time.”

”....” Blokan nodded slowly.

/I simply overused the Master Laws.../

Who in all of history could say such a sentence?

Yet when one thought of the sight of him fighting the Executioner, and of those five symbols revolving around him...

Blokanʼs body trembled involuntarily.

Not because he doubted Robinʼs words.

But because he believed them.

Every bit of it.

That was precisely what made it terrifying.

The five symbols had not been illusions.

They had not been formations.

Nor some temporary artifact.

They had been Master Laws.

Five of them.

Even now, recalling that scene made his scalp tingle.

”It seems youʼre taking the Executionerʼs threat extremely seriously, Blokan.” Robin chuckled lightly.

He could easily guess what was going through the manʼs head.

There was no such thing as blind loyalty.

Nor was there such a thing as absolute recognition of superiority.

Loyalty was tied to what one had to offer.

And recognition of superiority was tied to what one compelled others to do.

Blokan understood that if the Executioner had retreated, then one day she would return with greater strength.

A being like that would never simply let the matter go.

The universe had entered her sight.

And once something entered the sight of such monsters, forgetting it was impossible.

And who could stand against her again if not Robin?

Sefar?

Athena?

Or the Cosmic Elder, who had vanished months ago?

None of them inspired the same confidence.

None of them had driven the Executioner away.

Blokan wanted to push him to stand before the cannon once more.

He wanted to use kneeling, respect, and the saintly aura he was trying to paint around him to ensure that he would stay and defend the universe rather than flee or abandon his responsibilities.

To keep him at the center.

To keep him invested.

To keep him carrying the burden.

And that...

Was perfectly fine.

Because Robin had never intended to run in the first place.

There were still far too many unresolved matters in B-14.

Too many unanswered questions.

Too many debts.

Too many enemies.

And as he thought about it, he slowly turned toward the gate.

Right...

What had happened to that old man?

And why was his shard not responding?

The silence coming from the shard bothered him more than the conversation in front of him.

”We must take everything that happened with the utmost seriousness.” Blokan clenched his hands tightly. ”Breaking the shell exposed us to a world we were never meant to confront. Fantastical powers and figures, concepts and terms we had never even heard of. But what has happened cannot be undone. Now we must either become participants in this conflict, or be silently erased.”

A trace of frustration appeared in his voice. Then he looked directly at Robin.

”Your existence is our only hope of becoming a force in this struggle, our only hope of posing a threat to those invaders. Therefore, I ask that you take care of your health, rise above personal wars and grudges, and lead us, the Cosmic Academies, in defending the right of life itself.”

”Hmm?”

Robin turned back to look at him.

This time, his smile was neither calm nor gentle.

It became sharp.

Questioning.

The kind of smile that made people realize they had stepped into dangerous territory.

”Are you telling me now what I should do, and who I should fight?”

”...I am merely reminding Your Majesty that battles are no longer personal.” Blokan replied steadily. ”Your existence has become far greater than leading planetary empires and expanding territories.”

Then he glanced toward Caesar and the others before returning his gaze to Robin.

”What we must do is focus on the true threat. On what is coming.”

The mountain fell silent.

”We? Like you and me?” Robin slowly shook his head. ”Youʼre exactly like Althera. You still donʼt understand... none of you understand yet...”

His tone was calm.

Yet something within it caused Blokanʼs brows to tighten.

”What do you mean, Lord Robin?” Blokan frowned slightly.

”He means you should mind your own affairs and receive your orders silently like a good subordinate.” Caesar spoke with an annoyed expression. ”Whether he fights, expands, creates enemies, or sits around playing... thatʼs none of your business.”

”...?”

Blokan stared directly into Robinʼs face.

He did not even glance toward Caesar.

”And is such behavior befitting the ruler of the Cosmic Academies and the bearer of everyoneʼs hopes?!”

A faint trace of anger had finally appeared.

Not anger for himself.

Anger for the universe.

From his perspective, Robin had become too important to be allowed complete freedom.

”.....”

Robin laughed weakly.

The sound carried neither offense nor annoyance.

Only amusement.

As though he had heard this argument countless times before.

Then he changed the subject immediately.

”I will not close the gate, nor will I reduce its size. I will leave the responsibility of providing Dominators to guard it to the Cosmic Academies.”

Then he tilted his head slightly.

”Can you do something like that?”