Lord of the Truth

"…Why would we continue buying more slaves," Robin's voice rolled like thunder in the chamber, "when we already command a force capable of crushing World Cataclysms outright?" His lips curved into a calm, almost playful smile as his golden gaze shifted to the left.

"…?" Malek, Wade, and Latania all stiffened at once, their brows rising in unison. The moment they realized Robin's eyes were fixed on them, a ripple of unease passed between them. Wade was the first to speak, his tone edged with confusion. "You mean… the Imperial Guard, Your Majesty?"

"No," Robin replied, his smile widening with unshakable confidence. "I mean the Black Wasps." He paused just long enough for the weight of the name to sink in, then continued smoothly, "Though Holak never intended it, those impossible missions he forced upon you forged a legend. Now, your reputation has spread across every corner of Mid Sector 99. There is not a noble, not a warlord, not a single power of importance that does not know of the Black Wasps. Even within the great Stellar Academies, your portraits hang upon their walls."

He leaned forward slightly, the light of ambition sparking in his eyes. "…If the Black Wasps were to announce their official allegiance to the Grave Empire, the effect would be explosive. It would not only add a terrifying edge of combat strength to that empire but would also cloak it in an aura of danger, giving it a fearsome reputation that would ignite Mid Sector 99 overnight." Robin then turned his gaze toward Aro, his smile turning sharp. "And I have no doubt that you would know how to wield such renown to its fullest, would you not, my Third Supreme General?"

"With the greatest benefit, Your Grace." Aro's joy could not be hidden. He rose swiftly from his seat and bowed low, his face practically glowing with excitement. "I will use their name to subdue empires and force kingdoms to bend their knees without the need to fire even a single arrow. That is my promise to you."

The hall erupted into silent shock.

The Imperial Guard… under Aro's command? This was madness!

Just four days of Latania's presence on his warfront had solved one of his most pressing crises, allowing him to seize half a planet with a single stroke. And that was only one of them. What would happen if Aro marched into battle with nine hundred such individuals at his side? The thought alone was terrifying.

"Your Majesty," Wade muttered, his voice tight, his brow deeply furrowed. "Are you saying we will have to submit to the authority of Supreme General Aro? That falls outside the scope of the Imperial Guard's duties. This is…"

"..." Robin turned his gaze back upon the three guards, and his expression hardened. The warmth in his tone vanished, replaced with the stern authority of a sovereign. "Imperial Guards, Shadow Swords, Supreme Generals—whatever names you carry—all are titles I created. They are tools to anchor my reign and extend my dominion. If the interests of the empire demand changes to your assignments, then changes there will be. Do you have any objection to that?"

"No," Malek raised his hand before Wade could protest further, his voice calm though his eyes betrayed unease. "We hear and obey, Your Majesty… We only ask that the Supreme General does not humiliate us by treating us as lesser followers. That is all Wade meant."

"Oh, that is a simple matter then." Robin clapped his hands once, the sound sharp in the silent chamber, before turning his gaze back to Aro. "The Supreme General knows well enough that you are being sent as support. He knows that once the Grave Empire stabilizes and secures World Cataclysms of its own, you will return to your rightful duties as Imperial Guards. Is that not so?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Aro pivoted smoothly, turning toward the trio. His voice was quick, almost reassuring, but carried the force of command. "All I ask of you is the public declaration of your allegiance under the banner of the Black Wasps, and the occasional battle here and there, so that all may see you still stand with me as a force of deterrence. Nothing more."

"What His Majesty commands will be done," Malek, Wade, and Latania answered at last, their voices low, their heads bowing in reluctant unison. The thought of serving under anyone but Robin was bitter, painful even, but his command was absolute. If this was his will, then their only choice was obedience.

"Good." Robin nodded, satisfied. His tone softened just slightly. "Only a few days ago, I told Latania that you guys required better means of training that doesn't make your reputation worth, rather than stirring up trouble wherever you went. Supporting the Grave Empire, striking down its rival directly and politically—this will give you the tempering you lack."

Then, as though remembering something suddenly, his eyes sharpened. "By the way, where is the Serpent's Head?"

"You mean Supreme Guard Holak, Your Majesty?" Malek answered quietly, his voice still carrying a trace of unease. "We have neither seen nor heard from him in some time. We fear we do not know where he is."

"Hm?" Robin arched his brows slightly, his golden gaze sharpening as it shifted toward Theo. "Where is Holak?"

"He is on planet S-280," Theo replied at once, his voice steady, as though he had anticipated the question and prepared the answer long ago.

"He's in the Young Belt? On one of the S-class planets?!" Robin's frown deepened, his tone carrying both surprise and curiosity. "Why would he be there?"

Theo exhaled slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. "He told me that there is nothing more he can teach to the surviving Imperial Guards. In his words, those who endured the trials have already absorbed everything he can offer. And as for himself, he believes he can no longer improve his strength—he reached level fifty after the modifications Your Majesty granted him, and beyond that, there is no path he can take alone. So, rather than waste his time stagnating, he began traveling across the S-class planets, aided by scouting teams from Sky Opening City, searching for new candidates who may be worthy of becoming Imperial Guards."

"Oh?" Robin's expression softened, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But why did he go himself this time? Was it not Zara and the forces of Sky Opening City who gathered the candidates for him the first time?"

"He said that familiarity and background checks alone are not enough," Theo explained. "He refuses to waste the empire's time and resources training people destined for death. This time, he wishes to meet the candidates personally, to read their characters, their instincts, their very cores—before approving them and beginning the brutal cycle once more."

"...." The three guards who stood nearby raised their eyebrows ever so slightly. They said nothing, but the news struck them deeply. Once, they had been more than eleven thousand strong. Before their appointment as guards, they had watched over ten thousand of their brothers die in the most horrific of ways, cut down before they could be tempered. Perhaps, this time, Holak's direct involvement might spare future candidates from such meaningless slaughter. A dangerous journey, yes—but also one filled with hope. And in the silence, a flicker of excitement sparked within them. Could their three squads soon swell with new blood?

Robin's smile grew wider, his head dipping in a series of approving nods. Holak reaching level fifty in body-forging placed him above every living warrior in the empire save for Robin himself.

And yet, instead of seeking comfort, instead of resting upon his laurels or chasing selfish ways to climb higher, Holak had left the puzzle of his future strength in Robin's hands and marched off to recruit more protectors for the throne.

His loyalty, once so hard to win, was now unshakable and absolute.

"Since you are in contact with Holak," Robin said suddenly, his tone sharpening again as he addressed Thio, "I want you to deliver him a message. Tell him that I am watching his tireless efforts closely—and that I have already discovered a method that will allow him to ascend to the rank of a World Cataclysm in body strength. I keep it in reserve, for the right time."

For years, strengthening Holak had seemed like an unsolvable riddle. Yet now Robin knew that Shaddad's ancient methods contained an answer—costly, yes, but real. And for a man who poured his soul into forging the empire's defenders, Robin would not hesitate to spend a billion, or even two to see him rise higher.

"He will receive the message, Your Majesty." Thio bowed, his voice solemn, accepting the weight of the words.

Robin leaned back in his throne, then shifted his piercing gaze toward the three guards and Aro. His tone dropped into one of iron command. "Six hundred years—that is all you have. When this time expires, I expect to see nothing less than a Centennial-class Empire flourishing in Mid Sector 99." He paused, letting the enormity of his demand sink in, before his voice hardened further. "I know there are empires that linger for millions of years without ever earning that title. But we are not an ordinary empire. And you are not ordinary men."

"Understood!" All of them nodded fiercely, their voices ringing as their resolve burned bright in their eyes.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Robin's hand cut through the air like a blade as he gestured toward the towering gate of the throne room. "Go—bring down governments, topple kingdoms, and carve our name into the marrow of that sector!"

"Your Majesty!" The six figures within the hall moved as one. They stood tall, bowed low in reverence, and strode with purposeful steps toward the radiant gate of the throne hall.

"Theo, you remain." Robin's voice called out firmly, halting him mid-step. "There is something I wish to speak to you about."