Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2488 Keeping secrets

”....” Robin smiled again as he lowered his gaze toward the book in his hands, his attention returning to its contents as though the conversation with Billy could wait a little longer. ”This one is from Peon. He removed the restrictions imposed on the Integrated Laws of the Special Forces, discovered the method entirely by himself, wrote everything down here in detail, and implemented it before the current war even began. Now every single one of them can freely manipulate their Integrated Laws after previously being limited to around 3% of their actual capabilities. This alone will increase the combat strength of the Special Forces dozens of times over compared to before. No wonder we havenʼt lost a single planet yet.”

Then Robin laughed as he continued reading what Peon had written. ”The bastard says the whole world is already against us anyway, so thereʼs no problem giving them one more reason to be angry with us, haha. Heʼs actually right about that.” He then began rapidly flipping through the pages, scanning their contents one after another. ”The second part explains his methods for leading and organizing the Special Forces, along with everything heʼs learned from his experience in governance... Hmm?”

”Robin, Iʼm not going to let you evade this!” Billy took a firm step forward, refusing to allow Robin to simply bury himself in the books and move away from the subject he had raised.

”Really, Billy, itʼs extremely simple. Thereʼs no reason for me to evade it in the first place. Itʼs just that my childrenʼs writings are more important to me.” Robin then placed Peonʼs book beside Billyʼs book and reached toward the pile to pick up another one, immediately beginning to examine it as well. ”...As for what I said about using oneʼs mind, thatʼs simple enough and wonʼt take much time to explain.”

Then, while examining the new book in his hands and allowing his eyes to move across its contents, he continued speaking in the same calm tone, ”The Cosmic Elder chose me out of everyone to become the master of the Cosmic Academies... No one asked why he chose me. Then I publicly announced that I had begun conducting experiments on the plague, and everyone encouraged this new direction without anyone stopping to ask why I had suddenly chosen to experiment with something like that.”

Then Robin raised one eyebrow slightly, his attention still mostly on the book. ”And when some clown came out and said that I had killed the Cosmic Elder and was feeding the imps so that I could eventually rule the universe, everyone believed that as well, and once again no one stopped to ask anything.”

Robin then finally raised his head from the book and looked directly toward Billy, his expression calm as he asked him a single question. ”Why?”

”....?!” Billy was visibly taken aback by the sudden question, having expected Robin to continue explaining rather than turn it back on him. ”Are you asking me?”

”Yes, why?!” Robin asked again, this time pressing the question more directly. ”Why did everyone suddenly disregard the Cosmic Elderʼs praise for me and the fact that he personally appointed me to that position merely because someone came forward and said that I killed him? Why did no one first ask why the Cosmic Elder appointed me in the first place? Do they think Iʼd benefit financially from controlling the Cosmic Academies when Iʼm already among the wealthiest people alive? Or that Iʼd somehow gain more power from that position when Iʼm already the strongest of all creation? And why did no one ask Qarun how he even knew that the Cosmic Elder was dead in the first place, or where the evidence proving his claim was?”

Then Robin lowered his gaze toward the book once again and began slowly flipping through its pages, his voice remaining calm as he continued laying out the questions one after another. ”Why didnʼt people ask why I was using the plague in the first place? Do I lack soldiers when I already rule entire Sectors? Do I lack armaments when I possess enough wealth to buy entire Millennial Empires along with everything within them? Why would someone in my position willingly take the risk of dealing with creatures like them? To destroy the universe? Then why would I want to destroy the very universe where Iʼm loved and where I already reap as much wealth and fame as I do?”

Then he shook his head with a faint expression of disdain. ”Tsk~ Theyʼre afraid that Iʼm a follower of the Seer... Yet none of them even know who the Seer is in the first place. No one knows about the hundred-million-year catastrophe, nor the role the Seer and those on his level play within it. No one knows about the Executioners and Harvesters lying in wait for everyone... The Seer, the Seer—itʼs nothing but a word to them, a scarecrow used by Qarun, Sevar, and others like them who are backed by external forces to frighten people away from me, even though those people know perfectly well that he is the last person the inhabitants of this universe should be afraid of, and that their own patrons are the true source of all those evils!

”As for the people themselves... Heh~ They heard a couple of polished words about the Seer, heard that Iʼm supposedly his follower, and heard that there were others like me before who caused conflicts, so naturally they became afraid. Yet not one of them stopped to ask who the Seer truly is or what exactly he wants, and not one of them bothered to spend even a little effort investigating those destructive forces that the Candidates before me attacked and learning about their filthy history...”

”.....” Billy began sweating visibly as his legs trembled beneath him, then he tried to muddle Robinʼs words and steer the conversation toward the answer he desperately wanted to hear. ”You... Youʼre denying any connection to those on the list, right?”

”No, I really am a Candidate of the Seer, The All-Seeing god if I might say.” Robin replied with complete calm, as though what he had just admitted were nothing particularly remarkable. ”My first mission was to destroy Zavaros and bring down Helmor in a war, and my mission now is to protect the universe until the end of the cycle, meaning until we reach the hundred-million-year mark.”

”......?!” Billy began to feel as though his legs could no longer properly support his weight, and for the first time since all of this had started, he seriously began to feel that his entire idea of broadcasting what happened here had been an absolute disaster.

”What is it, Billy? Are you scared?” Robin chuckled when he noticed Billyʼs increasingly unstable condition, apparently finding his reaction amusing.

Then Robin raised the book in his hand slightly and looked at it again, a broader and purer smile appearing on his face as his attention returned to the gifts. ”This one is from Emily. Her gift is an explanation of the Empireʼs administrative and accounting system, along with how she managed to keep pace with every challenge weʼve faced recently regardless of what was required from her. Looking through all these details is truly inspiring. This book is nothing less than a priceless treasure for any rising or ancient power!”

Then the smile on Robinʼs face faded slightly as he continued looking over the gifts and raised one eyebrow, apparently beginning to notice something he hadnʼt paid attention to before. ”Huh... Iʼm starting to notice a strange pattern in these gifts...”

Then, without lingering on the thought for too long, he reached toward the pile and pulled out another book to examine.

”I... Iʼm not scared. I could never be afraid of you!” Billy swallowed hard as he tried to steady himself and deny Robinʼs conclusion. ”I just...”

”But you ARE scared.” Robin smiled as he interrupted him, without any mockery or anger in his expression. ”And thatʼs completely natural. Itʼs natural for humans to fear what they donʼt know, and itʼs also natural for those in authority to keep certain secrets among themselves when revealing those secrets would cause chaos and panic in the streets.”

He continued browsing through the book in his hands while speaking as calmly as before. ”For example, I canʼt simply go out and tell people that weʼre only one universe among hundreds of other universes, that our universe is called B-14, or tell them about the hundred-million-year catastrophe and that everyone will inevitably die when it comes, and that Qarun, Sevar, the Cosmic Elder, Intares, Morval, and everyone of any significance in this universe already knows about the matter and is trying to save themselves...”

Then Robin released a quiet sigh and shook his head as though merely imagining the consequences were enough to make his position obvious. ”...Exposing something like that would be irrational, and the reaction to such a revelation would be catastrophic. The consequences for everyone would be even worse than what happened to me personally when Qarun spoke publicly about the Cosmic Elderʼs death, and of course Iʼd never accept doing something like that under any circumstances... Donʼt you agree?”

”Ughhh....”