Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2171 Orders

Mid Sector 99 – Planet Dunara

Theo opened his eyes gently, as if returning from a deep layer of thought, then turned back to face the glass house and spoke in a calm yet clear voice that carried across the quiet surroundings:

”Mission complete.”

”Oh?”

Sitting at a small table in front of the glass house, casually playing cards by himself as if nothing in the universe could disturb his rhythm, Robin opened his mouth with a relaxed smile:

”Which one exactly?”

”All of them.”

Theo stepped forward toward the table with steady strides and stopped directly before his father, placing his hands behind his back in a posture of respect and discipline.

”Consider every task completed without exception.”

Then he continued in the same composed tone, elaborating further:

”The planet chosen by the Tyrant Intiras to construct a major space gate in any sector is never random. It is always a massive world, carefully selected, filled with extravagant hotels and luxurious establishments designed for hosting, temporary comfort, and controlled security. On such planets, even if enemies encounter one another, they are unable to act… they can do nothing but observe each other from a distance under strict rules.”

He paused briefly before adding:

”That is why major gate planets are always peaceful on the surface, yet beneath that calm lies a different reality. They are a breeding ground for intelligence agencies, information brokers, and news networks… and of course, we maintain our own presence among them.”

”...I always position several Shadow Swords within the major space gate planets across nearby sectors,” Theo explained further, his voice steady and precise,

”first for surveillance, to track every movement, to know who arrives and who departs, and second to execute immediate orders the moment they are issued.”

”For example,” he added, ”just now, I used the interstellar communication network to reach our operatives stationed there and assigned them different tasks simultaneously. Each one moved in a separate direction, carrying out their orders without delay.”

”Hmm, thatʼs reassuring.” Robin nodded lightly, his attention still divided between the conversation and the cards in his hands. He drew another card and placed it on the table with a soft motion before gesturing toward it.

”Does this card look strange to you?”

”...” Theo tilted his head slightly to the side, examining the card with a thoughtful gaze.

The card depicted a figure wearing a crown, standing in an unnatural posture, balancing while jumping on one leg, as if caught between motion and stillness.

Theo looked back at his father:

”The Jumping King card?”

”How did you know?” Robin raised a brow, clearly amused, then glanced at the card again as if reconsidering it.

”Just a guess.” Theo allowed himself a faint smile before returning his focus to the real issue,

”Anyway… may I ask, why?”

”Which one are you asking about?” Robin chuckled, clearly enjoying the exchange.

”All of them!” Theoʼs brows tightened, his tone gaining a sharper edge,

”None of your orders seem logical to me, not a single one aligns with any standard line of reasoning.”

”Why?” Robin continued to manipulate the cards with practiced ease, a faint smile still on his face,

”They all seem perfectly logical to me.”

”Whatʼs logical about ordering Helenʼs rescue?” Theo pressed, his confusion turning more pronounced,

”I dispatched a Shadow Sword with urgent authority, mobilizing the Big Six themselves, along with a rapid- intervention vessel to extract her… but why?”

He narrowed his eyes further, his voice lowering slightly:

”Is revealing rapid- intervention vessels in front of the sons of the Cursed Behemoth a wise decision? And for whose sake? Helen?!”

”Hmm,” Robin paused for a moment, the cards in his hand going still,

”Well, that particular request is indeed not logical… at least not by conventional standards.”

He leaned back slightly before continuing:

”But in my defense, the Truth Omen gave me a glimpse about her. It wasnʼt a direct life-or-death warning, nothing that demanded immediate action… but I chose not to take risks when it comes to the future.”

He tapped the table lightly with a finger as he spoke:

”It seems her survival will play a role in what is coming. For some reason, her existence intersects with future developments in a way that is… beneficial.”

Then he added calmly:

”So allowing her to die during this years-long pursuit would have been, at the very least, an unnecessary loss.”

”A glimpse?” Theo repeated, his expression tightening slightly, clearly caught on the choice of words.

”Hmm, explaining what I saw would be easier.” Robin let out a slow sigh, his gaze drifting slightly as if recalling something distant,

”It was a dream… a very vivid one. I saw Helen running along a beach at sunset, the sky dyed in deep orange and fading crimson, and behind her were beasts chasing her relentlessly. Her eyes were completely white, empty of any light, and her skin was pale like that of a corpse, almost lifeless.”

Robin continued staring ahead, as though the vision was unfolding right in front of him once more,

”And as she ran, she passed by Caesar, who was sitting calmly with one foot dipped into the sea, unmoving despite everything around him. He turned toward her, his expression filled with a strange, quiet sorrow, then slowly looked forward again, as if accepting something inevitable… and while he remained there, she and her pursuers faded into the horizon until they vanished completely.”

”...” Theo remained silent for several long moments, processing the scene,

”That sounds like a very beautiful dream from my perspective.”

”Donʼt let your hatred for Helen blind you to the fact that your brother looked saddened by her fate.” Robin sighed again, his tone carrying a faint reproach.

Theo turned his gaze away, his expression indifferent,

”Heʼs most likely sad because heʼs not the one chasing her.”

”Huh?” Robin burst into laughter, clearly amused,

”So even you have learned sarcasm? Looks like Holakʼs disease is spreading faster than I expected, well, well.”

Then he waved his hand dismissively, still smiling,

”Anyway, I donʼt like taking unnecessary risks. Anything that shows even the slightest sign of going wrong with you siblings, I try to correct it before it grows, thatʼs all… even if youʼre right, then let him be the one to kill her himself so he doesnʼt carry that regret.”

”And what about revealing the rapid-intervention vessel?” Theoʼs tone sharpened slightly, a trace of frustration surfacing,

”Itʼs one of our greatest trump cards, one of our most guarded secrets, a secret that is no less important than the secret of the demons themselves.”

A vessel capable of moving freely anywhere within a sector without restriction, carrying hundreds of imperial guards ready for immediate deployment, was not merely a trump card, it was a blade hidden in the shadows, a dagger that could be driven into the heart of any enemy at any moment without warning, and exposing such a weapon to the world was anything but wise.

And worse still, if news were to spread among the great powers about the existence of a vessel capable of instantaneous movement, especially if it reached the ears of the Behemoth Antiras… it would undoubtedly place them in complications they had no need to face at this stage.

”Everything has its day to be revealed, that is the nature of secrets.” Robin sighed, his voice calm and unconcerned,

”As long as you and your siblings remain safe, everything else can be rebuilt, replaced, or recreated.”

He casually placed another card on the table, as if the discussion itself carried no real weight,

”And besides, Iʼm not particularly worried about Intiras.”

”....?” Theoʼs brows furrowed deeply, confusion and disbelief evident,

”Father, we are not at that level yet. Weʼre far from being able to ignore someone like him.”

”Well, all Iʼm saying is that we have already crossed many of his red lines, both in secrecy and openly, yet he has not made a move against us,” Robin replied with a faint smile,

”And more importantly, we are profitable to him… very profitable. We pay him billions of Pearls every year simply by using space gates across the sectors. The mere act of utilizing major space gates generates immense revenue for him. Iʼd even wager that the Shadow Swords alone are using them more than all the major powers of the universe combined at this point.”

Theo had already deployed multiple Shadow Swords across several sectors, and even a single coordinated movement like that had consumed millions of Pearls. When scaled to their daily operations, the cost became staggering, they were effectively pouring a fortune into those gates every single day without pause.

”Are you saying weʼre too valuable for him to act against us?” Theo asked, still trying to follow the logic,

”More valuable than the temptation posed by a rapid-intervention vessel?”

”Just accept it,” Robin raised both hands lightly in a relaxed gesture,

”All Iʼm saying is that, so far, the threat we represent and the temptation of destroying us have not yet outweighed the benefits of ignoring us. Intiras will continue to turn a blind eye until those two factors balance out… or until the idea of destroying us becomes too irresistible to ignore.”

He paused briefly, then added with a faint grin,

”Especially with the Cosmic Elder standing on our side, which complicates matters even further for him.”

Then, as if remembering something trivial, Robin suddenly chuckled,

”Ah, right… that old man has been inside the gate for more than two weeks this time.”

He leaned back slightly, still smiling to himself,

”Hehe, I should prepare a cake for him when he returns… it would be a shame to welcome him back empty-handed after all that.”