Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1975 rumors

After ten long years - Year 660 After the Coronation

-Kshhh-

The massive screen inside one of the inner chambers of the fourth-generation Supremacy Note vessel suddenly came to life. Streams of light rippled across its surface before stabilizing into the calm, familiar image of Theo.

”Whatʼs the matter, my little brother?” he asked, his tone casual, almost amused.

”Iʼm sorry I know you are busy, but... What I heard... is it true?!”

Richard, standing alone in the vast hall, fixed his gaze on his brotherʼs projection with unmistakable anxiety. ”Thereʼs a rumor spreading everywhere- that Zarghul the sorcerer is preparing to receive Serene as a concubine, and that an agreement is about to be finalized any moment now. Tell me this isnʼt true, Theo!”

”Oh?” Theoʼs lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. ”So the news has already reached you inside the armada? Not bad at all, that man truly doesnʼt waste a single moment, does he...”

”Please, donʼt dodge the question!” Richard snapped back immediately. ”Is it true or not?”

He turned and pointed toward the enormous window overlooking a distant, star-drenched horizon. ”They say Damir, son of the Curse Behemoth, completely lost his sanity when he heard these rumors-and thatʼs why the most recent war erupted in the first place!”

After the sector powers declared Hedrick their temporary king and handed over every one of their armadas to him, granting him absolute authority to deploy them as he saw fit, the situation had calmed considerably.

The forces of the Savage Zavaros and the Cursed Darvion withdrew their fangs, focusing instead on rebuilding shattered strongholds and reinforcing their military arrays. Expansion resumed, but at an agonizingly slow pace, carefully avoiding any large-scale confrontation beyond the protective boundaries of their fortified bases.

All the while, Hedrick remained still-watching from afar, silent and patient, like a predator waiting for the smallest slip it could exploit.

Yet a few years ago, the balance shattered once more.

The forces of the Cursed Darvion erupted into motion again, advancing with a haste that bordered on desperation. Even so, their lingering fear of Hedrick kept them from completely losing control. They abandoned their safe zones and returned to conquest, but they did so in a single, unbroken line-no divisions, no splintered fronts-marching forward with their entire might concentrated together, shielded by every Dominant and the most formidable Soul Lords under their command.

That unyielding, straight advance pointed directly toward the Bright Galaxy. The commander of the Cursed Behemothʼs forces declared, with absolute conviction, that the Bright Galaxy had violated a sacred and binding covenant- and that such a transgression demanded punishment!!

Even after all these passing years, that colossal armada continued its relentless advance toward the Bright Galaxy, occupying or erasing everything in its path. The sector itself was nearly split in half, yet the response to such overwhelming tyranny was almost nonexistent.

Hedrick did not move to stop them.

The sector powers did not even demand that Hedrick intervene.

Instead, they limited themselves to issuing warnings-alerting the inhabitants of doomed planets lying along the path of destruction-and assisting in their evacuation using civilian and commercial vessels.

And, of course, the Bright Galaxy itself deployed no army to confront the oncoming threat.

Almost every single day, official statements were released claiming the rumors were false, insisting that communication with the Cursed Behemothʼs galaxy was possible, that explanations could still be given...

But the forces of the Cursed Behemoth never slowed, never halted, and no one truly knew what those rumors were-rumors powerful enough to set an

armada of this magnitude into motion.

Soon after, even the forces of the Savage Behemoth began to stir. They returned to indiscriminate, heavy assaults against all neighboring powers, clearly attempting to draw the attention of Hedrickʼs alliance and the surrounding kingdoms.

And they succeeded.

Thousands upon thousands of fleets mobilized to encircle them-among them,

the very fleet in which Richard was stationed at this very moment.

All of this unfolded without anyone truly understanding why...

Until, at last, the rumors reached the public.

The Sparkling Serene was to become a concubine of Zarghul, the Sorcerer Behemoth.

Serene-the woman who was supposed to be formally engaged to Lord Damir, son of the Curse Behemoth!!

When this revelation spread, shock rippled across the stars. Confusion reigned within the Bright Galaxy. No one could tell who stood with whom anymore.

Some laughed in schadenfreude.

Others wove endless theories and conspiracies.

Some began to mock them openly, others started weaving theories and conspiracies with eager tongues... but one person, in particular, felt as though his head was burning, as if invisible flames were licking at his thoughts.

”Calm yourself, little brother,” Theo gestured calmly from within the screen, his tone steady despite the gravity of the situation. ”Itʼs nothing more than a false spark. If the agreement had truly been finalized, it would have served no oneʼs interests for its inner details to surface. Everything would have been conducted in absolute secrecy, buried beneath layers of silence. The very fact that these details have spread tells us one thing clearly-the sorcerer himself is deliberately leaking them, using them as a crude but effective tool of pressure.” ”All thatʼs really happening,” Theo continued, his eyes sharpening slightly, ”is that the Sorcerer Behemoth is tightening the noose around the Pure Kaylis, forcing her toward accepting his irrational and inflated conditions. He knows these rumors hand the Cursed Behemoth a perfect justification to launch a direct assault on Kaylis. And heʼs betting that, once she sees the danger closing in from every direction, sheʼll agree quickly-without dragging negotiations any further. To put it simply, he wants to maximize his gains.”

”...It seems to me that heʼs already succeeded,” Richard replied bitterly, his fingers curling as he clenched his hands. ”At this pace, the forces of the Cursed

Darvion will reach the Bright Galaxy before long. When that happens, Kaylis will be left with only two choices-either she agrees and sends Serene away...

or they both

die.”

”She wonʼt reach an agreement with Zarghul no matter what happens. That much is certain,” Theo said, tilting his head slightly, his confidence unwavering.

”So donʼt trouble yourself with that outcome.” ”Huh?” Surprise spread clearly across Richardʼs face, his voice betraying disbelief. ”And what makes you so certain of that? Are we... are we going to help

them?”

”Of course not,” Theo replied immediately, shaking his head. ”We wonʼt lift a finger unless our own conditions are accepted first. And donʼt misunderstand- Zarghul the sorcerer wonʼt help them either. Iʼll personally make sure of that.”

”...Couldnʼt we just simplify our conditions?” Richard asked quietly, his voice almost drowned by the weight pressing on his chest.

”This is a confrontation between Behemoths, Richard,” Theo said firmly, his brows knitting together. ”This isnʼt a dowry being offered to a family in good faith. They claimed a standing that was never truly theirs. If they refuse to make concessions in a situation like this, then theyʼre the ones detached from reality not us. Should we protect them, spill our own blood, and lose our men simply because they happen to possess a good girl?”

”...Did you do as I told you?” Theo sighed softly when he saw Richard lower his

head. ”Did you speak to your father? Did you ask him to work toward marrying Serene to you? Or at the very least, to smuggle her out so she can be free again -just as youʼre always shouting about? If you asked personally, the conditions might be lowered.”

”...I have no standing,” Richard said, shaking his head slowly. ”I... Iʼm far too weak, Theo. Far too weak...” Tears began to gather in Richardʼs eyes, trembling but unfallen. ”In a war of this scale, I have no influence whatsoever. Iʼm a mosquito compared to world cataclysms roaming the skies freely-let alone Nexus States, and not to mention someone with power like Lord Hedrick!” ”Iʼve contributed nothing to the Empire... nothing to this war,” he went on, his voice tightening. ”My presence or absence makes no difference at all.” Richard raised his hands slightly, then clenched them with force, his knuckles whitening. ”And with this strength-this complete lack of influence-Iʼm supposed to go and ask him to halt his schemes for my sake? In the grand scheme of things... what am I, really?!”

”...Heʼll agree if you ask,” Theo said with quiet certainty, his voice firm and

unwavering.

”...I wouldnʼt ask. If I get what I want, then thatʼs good. And if I donʼt, then thatʼs

nothing new,” Richard replied, shaking his head slowly before forcing a thin, brittle smile. ”Youʼve reassured me about the rumors, at least. Thank you.”

”Donʼt despair,” Theo said, nodding once. ”Iʼll see what I can do.”

Then-kshhh-the screen went dark.

”.....

After the screen shut off, Richardʼs forced smile slowly faded, dissolving into an

unsettling, hollow calm that lingered on his face.

Moments later, he removed the sound ring from his finger, placed it carefully on the table, and left the room without another word.