Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2249 Sovereignty Note Power

”...Should the Supremacy Note use nascent space beast crystals?” Robin shook his head before answering. ”In my previous explanation, I was referring to the Flood Note. Every single Flood Note will operate with the power output of seven nascent space beast crystals working together in harmony, and over time I want you to continue compressing the array, refining its efficiency, and expanding its capacity until it can comfortably operate on nine, eleven, or perhaps even more crystals without compromising stability or performance!”

He then continued without giving her much time to process the statement. ”I know this will be difficult, and I understand the scale of what Iʼm asking. Right now, we already possess a method that allows us to compress fixed crystal-based components so they can be compressed at merely one percent of their original size through applications of the Space Path, but arrays, cannons, energy conduits, and all supporting structures must evolve alongside that process. They must change, adapt, and grow while maintaining functionality, and that is where the true challenge lies. Even so, I believe youʼll find a solution without increasing the overall size of the Flood Note too drastically. It was designed from the very beginning for speed, mobility, rapid deployment, and individual engagements, so preserving those advantages is essential.”

”...In addition, I want you to assign a dedicated team to the development of specialized batteries created from the bones and hearts of space beasts. These batteries should be capable of storing vast quantities of crystal energy within our vessels for prolonged periods. Once completed, they will open entirely new horizons for you in the construction of planetary cannons, mobile arrays, larger and more sophisticated field hospitals, long-term support installations, and practically countless other applications that we have not even begun to explore yet. If you require assistance with the battery design itself, create a preliminary model, include all your assumptions and calculations, and send it to me.”

”...” Zara nodded several times in succession, her eyes already beginning to glisten as though tears were threatening to form.

The exact same thing had happened the first time she sent her designs for the Sovereignty Note to her father. Back then he had dismantled her ideas piece by piece with that same lofty attitude, casually exposing flaws she had never noticed and crushing the confidence she had built around the project. Yet by the end of that discussion she had genuinely benefited from every criticism, and the project itself had gained tremendous momentum as a result of his guidance.

Now it was happening all over again, almost in the exact same manner.

”That explanation makes sense regarding the Flood Note and the accompanying batteries, at least I can try. What about the Destruction Note and the Supremacy Note?” Zara asked once more after taking a moment to compose herself.

”We currently possess a number of young space beast crystals.” A broad smile spread across Robinʼs face as he spoke. ”Modify the core array inside the Destruction Note. The central crystal should be a young space beast crystal, while forty nascent space beast crystals are arranged around it exclusively for support functions, enhancement, stabilization, energy balancing, and reinforcement. With proper engineering and sufficient safeguards, that should be a reasonable configuration.”

”One young crystal... and forty nascent crystals?” Zara shook her head so forcefully that a few strands of hair shifted across her shoulders. ”What kind of vessel could possibly carry something like that, let alone operate it safely?!”

”Youʼll find a way, Zara. You always have.” Robin spoke with unwavering confidence, as though the outcome was already decided. ”And if the path becomes blocked, come to me and Iʼll open it for you. That is what Iʼve always done. The Note-5 family is what will open the universe before us, and it is what we will ultimately rely upon when the day comes to fight beyond the universe itself. Do not spare a single effort in its development, no matter how difficult the road becomes!”

Then he continued as though the previous proposal had not already sounded absurd enough.

”Similarly, the Supremacy Note vessel should carry an adult space beast crystal as its primary core, surrounded by no fewer than three hundred nascent space beast crystals. We already have several adult space beast corpses lying outside the gate, so you can harvest bones, scales, and any other useful materials from them. If additional resources are required, I can provide the incoming Law Dominators with extra funds and incentives. Theyʼll gather whatever materials you need and deliver them to you.”

”The Supremacy Note...” Zara lowered her gaze slightly as she repeated the words to herself. ”An adult space beast crystal... and three hundred nascent crystals?” Her expression grew increasingly complicated. ”What sort of array could possibly accommodate that level of power? What type of cannons could survive channeling it? How extensive would the supporting arrays need to be? How deep would the infrastructure feeding those systems have to run? And most importantly... what kind of enemies are these weapons actually meant to fight?”

”.....” Robin stared at his daughter silently for several moments, seemingly considering her questions more seriously than before. ”Iʼve been asking too much of you, havenʼt I? I can see that now.” Then he slowly turned his gaze back toward the gate and spoke in a calmer tone. ”Form a team using the brightest minds from every Sky Opening City. Gather engineers, array masters, researchers, craftsmen, and anyone capable of contributing meaningful ideas. Make them push their minds to the limit, then bring them all here. Iʼll personally lead this project from this point onward.”

”...Understood.” Zara lowered her head even further in acknowledgment.

Part of her wanted to raise her head, declare that she was capable of handling the responsibility, and prove that she deserved the trust being placed in her. Yet even as the thought appeared, she knew it wasnʼt true. The scale of what Robin was describing exceeded the limits of any ordinary project she had ever imagined.

No single person could realistically shoulder responsibility for something of this magnitude.

For several moments afterward, silence returned to the area once more. Zara squeezed her own hand unconsciously, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and pressure, while Robin stood with furrowed brows, his attention fixed on thoughts so deep that even his expression seemed distant.

Amid that tense atmosphere, Peon slowly turned toward Theo and lowered his voice.

”...Did Father just say he wants to power a Flood Note vessel using nascent space beast cores?”

”Is that seriously the part that surprised you?” Theo let out a quiet laugh while keeping his voice low enough that neither Robin nor Zara would hear. ”Were you not listening when he started talking about the Destruction Note and the Supremacy Note?”

Peon blinked several times in confusion, ”Oh? Did he say anything after that?”

In truth, everyone around Peon was looking toward Robin and Zara with increasingly strange expressions, including Caesar, whose gaze remained fixed on them for quite some time as he tried to determine whether he had misunderstood part of the conversation.

Those numbers and those words sounded utterly bizarre to them, so bizarre that none of them knew how they were supposed to react. They had come here simply to check on the old man after everything that had happened, spend some time by his side, make sure he was recovering properly, and perhaps lift his spirits a little. Instead, they had somehow become spectators to a discussion involving projects and resources so absurdly grand that they barely sounded real. Why had they suddenly found themselves listening to plans that seemed impossible even by the standards of their family?

An adult space beast?

...Wasnʼt that the kind of creature capable of standing against a Behemoth in direct combat, a terrifying existence that countless civilizations would rather avoid than provoke? And now they were casually discussing taking the crystal of such a creature and installing it inside a vessel as though it were merely another engineering component?!

”...” Caesar furrowed his brows deeply, the lines on his forehead becoming more pronounced as he thought about everything he had just heard.

He had always known that his father was insane, the sort of person who constantly thought about things others wouldnʼt even dare to dream of, much less attempt to create with their own hands. Robinʼs ambitions had always existed on a scale that made normal people seem small by comparison. But this was simply excessive, even by Robinʼs standards. The conversation had long since moved beyond difficult projects and entered a realm that sounded completely unreasonable.

After a longer stretch of silence, Robin quietly extended his soul sense and drew a small box toward himself from the distance.

The Sun Seal Box.

He placed it carefully upon his lap, adjusted its position slightly, and then opened it with deliberate movements.

After spending a short while examining its contents, his eyes moving across whatever was hidden inside, a faint smile gradually appeared on Robinʼs face. Then he reached into the box and slowly retrieved something.

Whoosh.

It was half an arm.

Only the section extending from the fingers to the elbow remained intact.

A pitch-black arm so dark that it seemed to absorb and suppress the surrounding sunlight itself, as though light instinctively avoided touching it. Fragments of torn clothing still wrapped around portions of it, remnants that had clearly been severed together with the limb during the battle. Thick, heavy droplets of blood continued to fall from the wound at an unnaturally slow pace, each drop carrying a frightening aura, making it appear as though the arm had been cut off only moments ago.

”This is...?”

None of those present had participated in the battle personally.

None of them had witnessed what had happened.

None of them truly understood what this arm represented.

What the Executionerʼs arm represented.

Yet despite their lack of knowledge, merely looking at it was enough to make their instincts react. Merely sensing the aura radiating from it was enough to make their expressions stiffen. They could feel, without needing an explanation, that this was something dangerous beyond reason.

Something terrifying enough that even after being severed from its owner, it still seemed capable of influencing its surroundings.

After removing the arm, Robin placed it beside him without ceremony, then lowered his gaze toward the interior of the box once more and stared into it for a long moment, as though evaluating countless items hidden within.

He did not remove anything else.

Instead, he eventually closed the box and passed it toward Zara.

”Inside are all the crystals gathered by the Tree Father during the battle. Hundreds of thousands of them collected from the battlefield. There are dozens of young crystals, a few adult crystals, and an Executionerʼs crystal as well.”

Then he continued in the same calm tone.

”I want you to examine everything inside thoroughly and understand exactly what resources are available to you. Afterward, place the box within the vaults of Planet Donara so you can access whatever materials you require whenever you need them. At the same time, it should remain close enough to me that I can summon it through Space-Time immediately if another Executioner ever appears. Everything inside is available for use in the Note Family Program to whatever extent you deem necessary, so donʼt hesitate to draw upon those resources.”

”Everything?” Zara accepted the box with extreme caution, almost afraid of gripping it too tightly. ”What about the Executionerʼs crystal? I...”

Within this single box was a fortune beyond anything that could be purchased with all the wealth of the universe, a collection of resources so valuable that entire powers might wage wars for a fraction of what it contained.

”...” Robinʼs expression froze for a moment, as though the answer was so obvious to him that he found the question itself strange.

”Study it carefully. The Executionerʼs crystal will be the core engine of the Sovereignty Note-5.”