Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1114 1114: Was

”It was Jabbaʼs voice.”

”What?!” Richardʼs eyes widened to their limits. Even though he had never had a proper meeting with Jabba —neither in the past nor in the present— he had heard countless stories about him.

His fatherʼs first disciple, the valiant general who single-handedly stood up to a warlord, the genius planner who came up with the idea of ​​points to reward soldiers, the brilliant engineer behind the idea of ​​using the Imperial Capital buildings to draw the arrays and even gave Robin the idea of ​​the arrays themselves, the researcher who managed to acquire the Eye of Truth and the person who delivered the superior energy control technique that human emperors used to use the fourth stage of laws, and much more!

Jabba was the undisputed second man of the Empire, he was even higher in status than Caesar during his time, but unfortunately the secret word here is: was.

”....” As for Robin, his entire body froze for a moment. His breath seemed to catch in his throat as if he had momentarily forgotten how to inhale.

When the explosions had erupted in such a catastrophic manner, hundreds of scenarios had flashed through Robinʼs mind. Jabba had been one of them… but out of all the possibilities, that scenario had seemed the least probable to him. And yet, it was the one closest to his heart— the only one he truly wanted to believe in.

Sakaar continued, his voice unwavering, ”He sent me a short message. In summary, he told me that we needed to escape or find shelter immediately—otherwise, he wouldnʼt be responsible for what would happen in ten seconds. The presence that contacted me was undoubtedly Jabbaʼs soul imprint.”

A faint smile crept onto Robinʼs face. ”Heh...” Then, it grew wider. ”Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA! Didnʼt I tell you?! Didnʼt I tell you, you fools?! He would never betray me!”

”...” Sakaar simply watched as his lord laughed hysterically, choosing to remain silent.

Meanwhile, Richardʼs lips curled into a small, satisfied smile. He nodded a few times as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. He knew how deep a wound Jabba had left in his fatherʼs heart. For Robin to finally receive a sign —on a day of victory, no less— was nothing short of a miracle. ”This is great. But how did he pull something like that off? When I went to retrieve Father, the entire area was obliterated— the ground itself had disappeared!”

”Haha! It must have something to do with Jabbaʼs research on blood techniques! Have you forgotten the report? He distributed a technique to some of their soldiers, making them stronger or something like that. Maybe he used a modified version of it somehow.” Robinʼs laughter remained loud and unrestrained. If he werenʼt currently pressing his hand against Caesarʼs forehead, he might have started clapping in excitement.

Richard nodded, still smiling, but then a thought seemed to strike him suddenly. His expression turned serious. ”But why? Why would he go through all this trouble? At the negotiation meeting, he openly insulted you, mocked Motherʼs name, and even—”

”...Yes, I nearly killed him before my battle with Pythor.” At the mention of that moment, Robinʼs laughter came to an abrupt halt. His gaze slowly shifted toward Sakaar. ”If it werenʼt for you asking me to stop… I suppose thatʼs one more thing I owe you thanks for.”

”Thereʼs no need.” Sakaar shook his head. ”You and I both noticed something… but for some reason, you chose to ignore it.”

Robin nodded knowingly. He understood exactly what Sakaar was referring to. It was that small yet significant moment when Jabba had mentioned that the Overlord had entered his soul domain and read through it as if he were skimming a newspaper.

That specific remark had not been the highlight of Jabbaʼs words at the time. If he had fully sided with the Empire of the Great Serpent, he would have phrased his statement in a way that glorified the Supreme Lordʼs power. But instead, the words he chose conveyed fear.

The statement had passed over most listeners like any other phrase uttered that day, blending into the heated exchange. But for individuals like Sakaar and Robin —who dissected every word with meticulous precision— it had stood out like a glaring anomaly.

As for why Robin had ultimately dismissed it…

”...I thought I was overthinking it. After he went on about my hatred for the Giant race, I assumed I was just trying to find an excuse to spare him.” Robin let out a heavy sigh and rested his forehead against his palm.

”Thatʼs what I thought as well, You wouldnʼt miss words,” Sakaar responded curtly.

Sakaarʼs trust in the Lordʼs intelligence had long surpassed all limits. His deep insight and meticulous way of thinking had led him to the same conclusion: the Lord was forcing himself to kill his disciple, despite having doubts about his betrayal. That was precisely why Sakaar had shouted at him— to let him know that he, too, had noticed that small yet significant detail, and that he should reconsider before making such a final decision.

”Heh~ That boy owes you his life,” Robin nodded several times, his voice laced with something between amusement and contemplation. ”Since he chose you to deliver the message, that means he understands what you did for him... Get in touch with him and tell him to come. Let him know that I wonʼt hold anything against him. Heʼs free to go and do whatever he pleases once we exchange a few words.”

Sakar remained silent for a few moments, his lips pressed into a thin line. ”...About that,” he finally muttered.

Robinʼs sharp eyes immediately locked onto him, his eyebrows furrowing. ”Whatʼs the problem?”

Sakaar inhaled deeply before answering, ”Jabbaʼs message… there was something else in it.” His voice was unusually heavy. He hesitated for a second but then decided to just say it. ”At the end of the message, he said… ʼGoodbye.ʼ”

Robinʼs expression shifted. His eyes darkened, and his voice carried an edge of urgency. ”What do you mean, ʼgoodbyeʼ?” He raised his voice slightly.

”I donʼt know!” The imp felt like he was being interrogated. ”What he said, word for word, was that you —Master— were lucky to have me beside you. And then… he said goodbye.”

”...He called me ʼMasterʼ?” Robinʼs confusion deepened, his gaze clouded with thought. After a moment, he muttered, ”...Maybe heʼs planning to run away somewhere, thinking that Iʼm still angry with him. Just contact him and tell him to come back. He chose you to contanct, so it wouldnʼt be appropriate for me to speak to him directly.”

Sakaar nodded and pulled out a spatial ring from the blue leather pouch at his side. He stared at it in silence for a moment before lifting his head and looking at Robin again. ”His soul imprint… itʼs inactive.”

Robinʼs breath hitched. His entire demeanor shifted as he frowned. ”What do you mean by ʼinactiveʼ?” His voice grew sharp, laced with disbelief. ”A soul imprint remains active as long as the soul exists! Even if he traveled to another planet, he might not receive messages, but the imprint itself should still be active! Or are you saying heʼs just ignoring it?!” Robinʼs tone turned accusing as he snapped at Sakaar.

But when he noticed Sakaarʼs silence, a horrible feeling gnawed at his chest.

Without another word, he hastily injected his soul sense into his own communication ring, frantically searching for Jabbaʼs soul imprint.

It was there— registered. But it was dimmed. Unselectable.

An eerie silence fell over the cave, suffocating and thick with an unspoken dread. Robin stared at his ring in shock, his fingers tightening around it. Sakaar and Richard stood frozen, unable to form a single word.

”...What does this mean, huh?” Robin lifted the ring, first toward Richard, then toward Sakaar. ”One of you, tell me what this means!!”

Sakaar lowered his head, avoiding Robinʼs gaze. ”There is no one more knowledgeable about the voice rings and soul imprints than their creator, you my Lord.”

Robinʼs grip on the ring tightened, his voice filled with raw frustration. ”Even creators make mistakes! I am not a god! I donʼt have answers to everything!!” He shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern, trembling with restrained emotions.

The temperature within the small cave fluctuated wildly—one moment unbearably hot, the next chillingly cold. Sakaar and Richard swallowed hard, their throats dry. Neither of them dared to voice the obvious truth, fearing it would be like throwing oil onto an already raging fire.

Robin remained still for a long moment, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him like an iron shackle. Finally, he took a slow breath and removed his hand from Caesarʼs forehead, shifting his gaze toward Richard. His voice, though calmer, carried a heavy finality.

”His soul domain has stabilized. His life force has also steadied. Let the field hospital formations do their work… and go to the Lava Sea to gather life energy from there. I have a short trip to make.”

With that, he stood up. And in the blink of an eye— he vanished.

Richard and Sakaar stood in silence for a long moment, the situation took many turns during their short conversation, and now they could only obey their orders and hope for the best.

In this dark moment, Holak raised his head ever-so-slightly and muttered: ”...Hey, what about that pillow?”