Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2246 Side issues

Poof

Supreme General Haros landed on the edge of the mountain, then immediately dropped to his two knees with utmost respect and caution. ”Greetings to Your Majesty.”

Haros did not dare raise his eyes from the ground before Robin, keeping his head lowered as though even a brief glance might be interpreted as disrespect.

After all, not so long ago, merely a few centuries earlier, Haros had been a Marshal serving within the Great Serpent Empire, offering advice regarding the destruction of Robin, the ruler of a young empire that possessed only four planets and whose name had barely begun to spread throughout the sector.

Back then, he had considered himself superior.

Stronger.

More important.

He had viewed Robin as a promising ruler perhaps, but ultimately one who existed far beneath him in status, influence, experience, and military power.

Yet today, despite becoming a Supreme General, a special title borne by the highest Deputy Marshal during the Marshalʼs absence, a position surpassed by only a handful of individuals throughout the entire empire and one that countless people could spend their entire lives dreaming of reaching without success, that very handful just happened to be gathered here before him.

As for the enormous row of Robinʼs children, grandchildren, and guards stretching across the mountain like an unbreakable wall, it made Haros feel as though he had been summoned to attend his final trial rather than a formal audience.

Stand before Robin?

Merely standing before Their Highnesses Caesar, Theo, Peon, and Zara warranted kneeling!

The atmosphere surrounding them, the strength radiating from them, and the countless accomplishments attached to their names made even experienced figures hesitate before speaking carelessly.

”Haros?” Robin smiled. ”Has Aro still not recovered?”

”I have reports stating that the Marshal has opened his eyes and is slowly improving. The Shadow Swords and the cities of Sky Opening City have spared no effort in providing every form of assistance, treatment, and comfort available to them.” Then he continued, a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead despite the cool air around the mountain. ”If Your Majesty desires, I can depart immediately and request that the Marshalʼs return be expedited.”

Haros could feel his blood turning cold.

Thousands of space beasts surrounded him.

Dozens of Royal Soul Masters stood nearby.

And the person seated before him was rumored to have fought an entire nest and survived, a feat that most people would have dismissed as impossible if they had not heard the reports from countless sources... while he himself was merely a Martial Emperor!

”No need. Youʼll do just fine.” Robin smiled, then carefully examined the kneeling man before him with calm eyes that seemed capable of seeing far more than they should. ”Rise, Haros. You donʼt need to feel inferior to anyone here. When I selected you to be Aroʼs deputy, I didnʼt choose you for your personal strength, but for your cunning. And your cunning is exactly what I need today.”

”...?” Haros raised his head and stared into Robinʼs half-open eyes in shock.

His words...

It felt as though he had read his thoughts directly from his mind and understood every insecurity that had appeared the moment he arrived.

”Hoo~” Haros slowly stood up, bowed once more, then straightened himself while trying to regain his composure. ”Your orders.”

”As you can see around you, Haros, this place has become a haven for nascent space beasts, and from what Iʼve witnessed, juvenile ones as well. A number of Law Dominators and seven-star or higher Royal Soul Masters will be arriving here. More Imperial Guards will come. More Shadow Swords. More spies from the surrounding planets. This place will become a focal point and a strategic anchor for the entire Mid Sector, a location that influences trade, military movement, intelligence gathering, and countless matters that will affect the future of nearby worlds.”

Then Robin smiled.

”And naturally, a place like this will attract many unwanted eyes, many greedy hands, and many who believe they deserve this wealth more than we do, whether out of arrogance, envy, ambition, or simple greed... Is there anyone more deserving than us of anything, Haros?”

”Iʼll cut out the tongue of anyone who says so!!” Haros replied in panic, almost shouting before he even realized how quickly he had answered.

”Thatʼs what I thought as well.” Robin smiled gently. ”Keeping Donara mysterious and hidden has become a distant fantasy in the long run. Therefore, Iʼll need several fleets constantly patrolling its surroundings, monitoring every route leading toward it, and enforcing an exclusion zone just like the safe region around Nihari. Anyone who approaches... is destroyed.”

”That is certainly possible, Your Majesty, but...” Harosʼs expression tightened slightly as a number of concerns flashed through his mind. ”As Your Majesty knows, the Grave Empire is facing many issues at the moment. The Marshal took hundreds of fleets with him, including a considerable portion of our most experienced personnel, and we are still expanding while using the remaining fleets to clear and secure a safe region around Nihari Galaxy. Every newly secured route requires manpower, escorts, patrol schedules, supply chains, and constant supervision. On top of that, I still have a powerful enemy remaining within the sector, one that cannot simply be ignored while our attention is directed elsewhere.”

Then he waved both hands helplessly, as though trying to physically display the scale of the responsibilities already piled upon his shoulders.

”Of course, these are your fleets and we are your men. I can rearrange everything, delay a number of projects, redistribute commanders, and make the blockade possible within a single day if that is Your Majestyʼs will, but... that would not be the sort of cunning Your Majesty just praised. It would solve one problem by creating several others.”

”Oh?” Robin chuckled softly, appearing amused rather than offended. ”And what would be cunning, in your opinion?”

”....” Haros remained silent for a few moments before raising his head and looking directly into Robinʼs eyes, carefully organizing his thoughts before speaking. ”The Millennial Holva Empire has fallen, and the Millennial Vast Ice Empire has submitted. The only one left is the Millennial Ever-Chaos Empire. If we can subjugate or destroy them, the entire Mid Sector will belong to us without exception. Moving fleets will no longer be a problem because the strategic situation itself will change completely. In fact, afterward we may not even need them in the same numbers. We could rely on the Wing Fleets for future conquests and unification campaigns while the main forces focus on maintaining order, strengthening infrastructure, and consolidating control over the sector.”

Robin nodded slowly as he listened.

”Sounds good. Whatʼs stopping us?”

”We sent Servon, the Seventh Prince of the Great Serpent Empire, and perhaps Your Majesty remembers him. He went there with the intention of negotiating quite some time ago, carrying our proposals and attempting to establish a workable relationship before matters escalated further, but he has been detained and his fate remains unknown. The Ever-Chaos Empire refuses to release him or even inform us of his condition. They also refuse to open any other channel of communication, whether diplomatic, commercial, or military.”

Haros slowed as he spoke, choosing his words carefully and avoiding any exaggeration.

”I had been waiting to request that Lord Theo personally investigate the matter, since very few people could uncover information hidden by an empire of that scale, but the incident that occurred three months ago brought everything to a halt and forced everyoneʼs attention toward more immediate concerns.”

”Remind me again, what exactly is making us wait in the face of such obvious provocation?” Robin frowned slightly, clearly finding the situation difficult to tolerate.

”It is a powerful empire.” Theo was the one who answered this time. ”They possess two Guardians, a military that has existed for millions of years and reached an extremely high level of armament through countless wars and campaigns, a vast number of fleets, and many Nexus State experts. Their industrial base is enormous, their command structure is stable, and their reserves are deep. They are not an entity that can be treated lightly or pressured without preparation. At the very least, the Supreme General cannot make such a decision on his own.”

”Thank you!” Haros bowed slightly toward Theo, genuine gratitude appearing on his face after hearing someone summarize the problem more effectively than he could.

”Hmm, Zargul sticking his nose into Mid Sector 99 slowed our rate of progress considerably.” Robin sighed.

”....” Haros nearly bit his tongue.

Slowed their progress?

Their original mission had been nothing more than building enough local strength to defend Nihari when it eventually advanced and drew the attention of the sectorʼs major powers. At the time, merely surviving the pressure that would follow had seemed like an ambitious objective.

Yet now, only a tiny handful of forces remained within the sector that could even hope to stand against them, and only a single millennial empire still remained unconquered.

The amount of progress that had been achieved, the extent to which every expectation had been shattered and surpassed, and the sheer speed at which events had unfolded were things Haros could not have imagined even in his most ambitious dreams. If someone had described the current situation to him centuries ago, he would have dismissed it as impossible fantasy.

”What about you, Caesar? Can you assist the Grave Empire?” Robin turned toward his side.

”I can send a few experts, but thatʼs all.” Caesar shook his head. ”The War of the Seven Thrones Empire is still raging, and another millennial empire within that sector has begun supporting them so they do not collapse completely before us. The conflict has become more complicated with each passing year rather than simpler. In addition, I am assisting Mid Sector 101 with an entire armada that includes several generals close to me, people whose absence would immediately affect ongoing operations. Because of that, I cannot fully commit to another front without weakening existing ones.”

”Oh... I had almost completely forgotten about the Mid Sector 101 front. Is it still ongoing?!”

Robin sighed.

After what had happened during his clash with the Executioner, and after continuously reflecting upon everything that existed on the other side, the terrifying scale of the forces lurking beyond his current reach and the implications of what he had learned there, nearly every matter around him had begun to seem insignificant by comparison.