Lord of the Truth

"...What is the good surprise?!" Robin asked with burning eagerness, his voice echoing through the golden arches of the throne room.

Perhaps the 125 R-class planets should not truly be counted, since they could not yet be bound to Nihari. They were still active and bloody battlegrounds, places where flags of different empires clashed daily. And yet—even putting those aside—Robin's empire already commanded 877 planets fully subdued and assimilated into his dominion. Any surprise beyond that was not merely good. It was monumental.

Emily, ever composed, raised her glasses with a delicate push of her finger, her tone calm and measured like a judge delivering a verdict.

"The surprise, Your Majesty, lies in the profound evolution that has reshaped the three armies of the Young Belt. If I may, let us begin with the First Army—the Human Army. After the departure of His Highness Caesar and His Highness Peon, no commander of the old guard was left behind. Only fragments of garrisons remained scattered across the S-class planets, holding territory but lacking direction."

"…But such a fragile state did not endure for long. The Burton family, unwilling to let the empire stagnate, released a wave of young men and women, educated and drilled under a new, intensive system—programs that honed their abilities in politics, commerce, and, most importantly, military command. The influx was so great that their numbers swelled into a full corps of officers, each one hungry to test their newly forged blades of knowledge. This rise coincided with the explosive growth of the human population within our territories, whose children flocked to the army not only out of duty but also to seize the privileges and prestige that came with service. Under the guiding hands of General Gu and Generaless Elizabeth, the First Army resumed its conquests—at first with slow, steady strides."

"…." Robin's eyes widened with awe. These youths—this entire generation—had never fought at his side, never marched beneath his direct command. And yet they were carrying his banner forward.

Emily's voice sharpened slightly, though still even, like a finely honed blade.

"It did not take long for the programs to prove their worth. With only sparse strategic instructions from their mentors General Gu and Generaless Elizabeth, the new generation began advancing across planets on their own initiative. Within but a single decade, several individuals of exceptional promise emerged and were elevated to the rank of General, each entrusted with conquering a planet independently. Their eagerness burned like fire, and the empire provided them with tinder."

She paused for effect, then pressed forward.

"Now, after three full centuries of welcoming wave after wave of graduates, the count of new independent planetary generals has surpassed twenty. Alongside them, seven million soldiers are fully equipped with golden armaments. Eight fleets, fully operational, fly the banners of the empire. The elite forces trained with the Four merged Laws number over one hundred thousand, spread across multiple levels of mastery. And as for martial emperors—our ranks now boast one hundred and thirty-seven thousand newly risen."

Emily's words landed like thunderbolts. Robin's heartbeat quickened, each thud pounding against his chest like war drums.

"At present," she continued, "the First Army in the young belt has divided into twenty sub-armies, each under the command of a newly appointed general. These twenty forces strike simultaneously at twenty different worlds. And whenever they encounter an obstacle too great, they fall back upon the wisdom of General Gu or Generaless Elizabeth, who remain as the twin pillars of oversight."

"This…" Robin's eyes shone with raw light, his entire being alight with satisfaction.

This army—his army—was now greater in power than Caesar's force had been when it first stormed into the Mid-Belt. They lacked only a towering figure like Caesar or Peon to unify them, and they would be capable of annihilating the original First Army without effort!

Zara, who had been quietly observing, suddenly let out a girlish laugh, her smile bright yet sharp.

"Hehe, perhaps you don't realize, Father, but the training programs crafted by the Prime Minister are truly the highest of the high. Some were distilled directly from the experiences of the generals who once marched beneath your banner. Others were purchased from renowned Mid-Belt academies at outrageous sums by Second Brother Theo. And of course, a portion were… acquired from the black markets—stolen treasures of ancient civilizations repurposed for our own youth."

Her tone softened, but her words carried pride.

"And beyond that, there are the energy- and soul-cultivation methods you yourself bestowed upon us, the ever-innovating brilliance of Sky Opening City—where every day new inventions are tested first upon the academy's students—and the live deployments of cadets to S-class planets, where they gain experience in the fires of real war under hidden protection. With such foundations, it is no wonder that the graduates of Burton Academy have become paragons of efficiency and power."

"…Graduates of Burton Academy, hmm?" Robin's lips curved upward, his smile deepening into something equal parts joy and pride. The phrase itself seemed to please him immensely.

"Ahem." Emily cleared her throat lightly, waiting until the father-daughter exchange ebbed away before continuing her report. Her voice regained its precise, professional tone.

"If Your Majesty permits, I will proceed to the other armies. As for the Third Army—Supreme General Aro entrusted Assistant General Servon, along with the Three Witches, to take charge of claiming the remaining R-class planets and guarding the S-class worlds already under our protection. This led to stagnation, a stalemate that stretched across several decades. But eventually, General Servon made a bold move: he demanded more armor, more weapons, and reopened recruitment to the army once again…"

"Servon…?" Robin's brows knitted tightly, his voice dipped in thought.

Servon—the Seventh Prince of the Great Serpent Empire. Not just another officer, but the foremost military strategist of that empire, a mind ranked on equal footing with the famed Harus. The only difference was that Servon carried royal blood, which made his voice weightier in councils and his commands harder to challenge. He was one of the very cornerstones upon which the Third Army had been built. And yet, Robin's heart stirred uneasily at the thought of him holding command.

Emily caught the flicker of doubt upon Robin's face with perfect clarity. She gave a quiet, deliberate nod, her tone steady as steel.

"I formally resent the matter to both Supreme General Aro and His Highness Theo. Both gave their approval—clear green lights and personal guarantees sent back to headquarters. With their endorsements, I had no grounds to resist; I began recognizing Servon as the acting commander of the Third Army."

Having absolved herself of any suspicion, she pressed onward.

"Assistant General Servon wasted no time. He reorganized the Third Army within Sector 99, breathing new order into its ranks, and he resumed aggressive campaigns of conquest at once. Alongside the Three Witches, his advance was relentless. His methods differed greatly from Supreme General Aro's but effective beyond question. Under his banner, several promising new generals emerged, handpicked from the crucible of war, and the Third Army surged back into motion, delivering fresh planets into Your Majesty's empire."

Robin leaned back slightly, a half-smile forming as he tapped a finger against the throne's arm.

"Hmmm… very well. I suppose Harus' praises of him were not born from emptiness." His smirk broadened, and he nodded several times in approval.

Then, raising a hand toward Emily, Robin gestured for her to continue.

"So, one could say the First and Third Armies have both returned to their original stride after the ascension of their successors? With the demon awakening you mentioned earlier, the current count of S-class planets becomes… logical at last."

Emily adjusted her glasses, her tone gaining subtle emphasis.

"They have not merely returned, Your Majesty. Their average pace of subjugation has far surpassed what it once was. In addition, Supreme General Aro and Supreme General Caesar have begun exchanging officers and generals between their forces across the belts, refining the quality of their branches individually while fostering adaptability. When difficulties arise in the Mid-Belt, they do not hesitate to summon specialized detachments from one another's legions to break through obstacles."

Then her voice lowered, her expression tightening, as though preparing to wield a blade of truth.

"And as for the third and final Demon Awakening that spanned half a century…" She paused, her brows furrowing. "There is something we must discuss in greater detail, Your Majesty."

Robin, who had been smiling from ear to ear mere moments ago, felt his expression harden. His brows pressed closer together, the warmth in his face cooling into a sharp edge.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone clipped, wary.

Emily delivered the blow with unflinching calm, her words heavy with consequence:

"We fear that divisions… and even outright rebellions… may already have begun festering within the Second Army."