Lord of the Truth

Planet Jura — Sky Opening City

Step Step

"Continue your diligent work." Zara nodded gently when she saw several young women carefully extracting silk from a massive worm.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" the girls bowed slightly in unison, their voices filled with respect.

At that very moment of distraction, the enormous worm suddenly twitched and released a flood of sticky silk, showering the group entirely. Yet, none of them seemed bothered in the slightest. Instead, their laughter and bright smiles remained, as if being drenched in silk was a blessing, especially with Zara standing nearby.

"Ah, Her Highness is as kind as ever."

"Not only kind… she's breathtakingly beautiful, graceful in demeanor, and blessed with both lineage and noble standing. If she isn't the ideal maiden every girl envies, then who could be?" one of the girls sighed, nearly on the verge of tears at her own misfortune.

Another girl exhaled a long breath for her friend's sake, adding, "Her father is the Planetary Emperor himself, her eldest brother the First Supreme General of the empire, her second brother the Lord of Shadow Swords , and her blood brother the Lord of the special forces, wielder of the mighty Law of Corrosive Winds. Tell me—who would dare to step forward and propose marriage to someone like her?"

"I suppose she's destined to remain an eternal maiden…" another whispered, half in awe, half in despair.

The Sky Opening City was not a city in the ordinary sense of the word. It was not a place filled with residential towers, crowded markets, or lines of busy shops. Instead, it was a strange blend of colossal warehouses, vast open structures, and wide gardens where scholars and artisans sat openly, raising their voices at one another as heated debates turned into storms of ideas.

Everything in this city was exposed and transparent. No doors were barred, no secrets too tightly hidden. A researcher from the Bill Division could casually stroll into the Department of Arrays, examine their work, breathe in a change of scenery, and perhaps walk away carrying fresh inspiration before leaving again.

Of course, such openness was balanced with strict control. Everyone who set foot inside the city swore a heavy oath and was constantly monitored by layers upon layers of magical arrays. Not even the smallest insect could crawl through without being noticed by the unblinking eyes of the surveillance system. And if anything suspicious were ever to happen, a full legion of the Light Swords was stationed just outside, waiting to descend like blades of judgment.

Step Step

Zara continued walking with serene grace, greeting some with a kind word and chastising others with a firm tone.

Though she was known for her gentle temperament, her reputation for merciless discipline was equally renowned. When it came to scholars researching new paths or innovative discoveries, she gave them her full support, leaving them free to create and explore. But for the researchers and manufacturers of war… if a single project or weapon missed its deadline, disaster would swiftly follow.

Punishments ranged from heavy salary cuts to brutal public floggings at the center of the city, carried out by the very Light Swords who guarded its walls. Because of this, earning even the faintest look of approval from Zara was considered the highest dream for many who worked here. Even being scolded by her was regarded as a blessing, a stern warning to return to the proper path before worse consequences arrived.

"Hm?" Zara paused as she arrived at a particular warehouse, her steps slowing. Her gaze lingered, drawn by something unusual.

Inside, there was a woman in her mid-thirties. Her long hair was streaked with strands of white that betrayed years of strain and dedication. She was so deeply absorbed in her work that she failed to notice Zara standing only a few paces away.

Both of her hands were extended toward the ground.

With one hand, she gestured toward a chaotic pile of assorted items—among them, a crimson block of metal that looked as though it had been dragged up from the very depths of hell. Surrounding it were no less than seventy or eighty different kinds of minerals, powders, and even exotic plants.

With the other hand, she pointed toward what seemed to be the unfinished piece of a leg armor plate, crimson in hue and veined with external tubes that pulsed faintly like blood vessels.

"Ughh…" The woman's strained voice broke the silence. Sweat streamed heavily down her forehead, dripping in steady lines. It was obvious she was in pain, forcing herself to hold on, as if whatever process she had engaged in was draining her body and soul at once.

But then, something almost otherworldly began to unfold before their eyes… The piece of leg armor was growing. Slowly, painstakingly, yes—but undeniably so.

It was like watching a fragile seedling push through the soil after being watered, except here the soil was replaced by raw crimson metal and the sprout was a weapon of war. Anyone with senses attuned to energy would immediately recognize the truth—the armor itself was expanding and taking shape, alive with power!

Zara froze mid-step, then quickly veered from her path and entered the warehouse without hesitation. Her movements were brisk, elegant, yet tinged with urgency. Her brows lifted high, her eyes gleaming with genuine astonishment.

"Zoha," she breathed out, her voice carrying both disbelief and exhilaration, "are you truly capable of channeling the Fundamental Law of Reshaping to construct pieces of mid-tier epic armor piece all on your own?! This… this is awesome!"

"…?" The woman addressed as Zoha jolted as though struck by lightning. For a moment her hands trembled—she had been so deeply absorbed in her work that she hadn't sensed anyone's presence. When her gaze finally met Zara's, her chest loosened, and relief blossomed into joy.

"Your Highness," she said, voice bright with pride, "I had intended to finish this first and then bring it before you personally, so that you could be the one to witness the results."

Clang! Without hesitation, Zara reached forward and seized the unfinished armor piece. She lifted it high into the light, her fingers tracing along its grooves with reverence, rotating it from side to side as if she were examining a priceless artifact. Her lips parted in wonder.

"Incredible… simply incredible. You're following the imperial blueprint flawlessly! Even the hidden function that vaporizes the corpse of the wearer upon death—it's etched into the structure with such precision that it's unmistakable!" Her tone sharpened suddenly, the weight of command returning to her voice. "Zoha, tell me at once—how many months did it take you to create such a masterpiece?!"

Zoha's chest swelled with both nerves and pride. She was not just any craftsman—she was one of the first generation to ever embrace the Fundamental Law of Reshaping, the sacred law delivered to the Empire by His Majesty Robin himself more than four centuries ago. And among that pioneering generation, she had risen to become one of the most gifted.

"Only thirteen days, Your Highness," Zoha declared with quiet triumph. A proud smile touched her lips as she straightened her back. "I've devised a new method—an approach that divides the overwhelming steps of complex projects into manageable phases. I call it the Mold-Work Method. With it, we can abolish the old reliance on medium-epic armor factories entirely. Production can be accelerated by magnitudes, powered solely by the Fundamental Law of Reshaping. This same method could be adapted to construct fleets, cannons, and even weapons of higher sophistication, all in less time, with fewer resources, and at a fraction of the cost!"

"..." Zara's smile widened as Zoha spoke, first faintly at the mention of days, then brighter and brighter with every detail that unfolded before her. By the end, her expression was radiant—almost blinding.

At that very moment, a realization thundered through her mind. The Sky Opening City already commanded over a thousand individuals trained in the Fundamental Law of Reshaping. All of them labored tirelessly, most concentrated on the daunting task of forging motherships, whose endless parts made them notoriously difficult to complete.

But if this Mold-Work Method was embraced by all… If every one of those thousand craftsmen adopted it, the results would be staggering. The number of armor sets and epic equipment produced annually would explode beyond measure. The fleets of warships would multiply not only in quantity but in capability. The very pace of technological innovation would surge forward at an unprecedented rate.

The era of furnaces, crude hammering, and grueling manual fusion had come to an end. A new dawn was breaking before their eyes.

"…Zoha," Zara whispered at last, her voice low yet filled with something dangerous, "I don't think you truly grasp the magnitude of what you've achieved today…"

She stepped forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat, and with one arm, she draped herself casually yet firmly around Zoha's neck. The gesture was both affectionate and suffocating, the weight of power pressing down on the young woman.

In that instant, Zara's smile transformed—it became sharper, eerily familiar. It was the very same kind of smile once seen on the lips of Robin himself.

"I sincerely hope," she murmured, her tone equal parts promise and warning, "that you are prepared for a fortune so vast… that even a hundred generations of your bloodline could never squander it."

Gulp.

Zoha swallowed hard. Her heart raced violently, torn between joy and dread. She couldn't decide whether she should rejoice at the thought of her unimaginable reward… or tremble in terror before that smile, a smile that promised glory and danger in equal measure.