Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2253 A new front

”...And support is exactly what you shall receive.” Marlik spoke with a strange smile that never seemed to leave his face, a smile so relaxed and natural that it felt almost out of place within a conversation concerning wars, empires, and the movement of countless fleets across entire sectors of the universe.

Beside him, both Zargul and Darvion exchanged glances for a moment, silently communicating thoughts neither of them cared to voice aloud before returning their attention to that terrifying face once more, as though afraid that looking away for too long might cause them to miss something hidden beneath that calm expression.

Marlik the Butcher...

He was a modified human with a type of giant sea-snail blood flowing through his veins, an exotic bloodline that had long ago become part of his body and existence. Even so, the effects of that blood only manifested in his thick, braided pink hair, whose unusual color stood out immediately against his otherwise ordinary appearance. Other than that, he looked like a human in his thirties,

Slim, dressed in loose white trousers and open sandals, with a white-and-red coat draped over his shoulders that looked as though it had been picked up randomly from a battlefield after being stained by countless campaigns and then worn without a care. The coat hung open, exposing his body beneath it, rough-cut abdominal muscles visible along with scattered wounds covered by bandages, old scars crossing fresh scars in a chaotic pattern that suggested a lifetime spent surrounded by violence and bloodshed.

Aside from that, Marlik was casually playing with a long sword, twirling it with absent-minded familiarity as though it were nothing more than a decorative trinket. Another sword hung from his trousers, while several more swords lay scattered beneath his feet, their positions so random that it seemed he had simply dropped them wherever he happened to be standing or sitting at the time.

Even the way he sat upon the throne was strange and lacking any trace of dignity expected from a ruler. One foot touched the ground while the other rested atop the throne itself. One arm leaned against the throne, while the other rested on his raised leg, loosely embracing one of the swords as if it were a pillow rather than a weapon capable of taking lives by the billions.

Yet what was truly terrifying was not any of those details, nor the scars, the weapons, the bloodline, or even the countless rumors attached to his name.

It was the smile on his face.

A small, comfortable smile accompanied by the sleepy expression of two weary eyes, eyes that appeared perpetually tired and uninterested in the world around them. Anyone who did not know him would assume he was some carefree bachelor uncle who loved surfing, traveling, and wasting entire afternoons doing absolutely nothing. Anyone who did not know him could never imagine the atrocities this man had committed, nor the oceans of blood that had flowed because of decisions casually made by the very person sitting before them.

Everything the cursed Darvion had done throughout his life, every sacrifice of innocents and children in pursuit of power, every horrific experiment and every crime committed to advance his own interests, was childʼs play compared to the man who ruled the criminal underworld of the entire universe, a man whose influence stretched across sectors, empires, organizations, and black markets beyond counting.

And that was the frightening part.

That man looked unbelievably at ease. It was said that he slept like a baby every single night, never troubled by nightmares, regrets, guilt, or the countless dead left behind in his wake. That man looked as though the mysterious Law of Karma had never even learned the path to his doorstep, as though all the invisible debts accumulated by ordinary beings simply vanished before they could ever reach him.

...After a brief pause, Marlik continued, running a hand through his smooth hair in an unhurried motion, seemingly unconcerned by the shock his words were about to cause.

”There are five thousand fleets currently on their way to Mid Sector 98, and another five thousand heading toward Mid Sector 102 to officially join your forces. Every fleet is filled with soldiers and admirals, experienced officers and veteran commanders who have survived countless campaigns, and everyone aboard will follow your commands.”

Then he looked to his right and left with that same smile, as though discussing something entirely ordinary rather than the movement of a military force large enough to reshape the balance of power between entire sectors.

”Those commands will, of course, consist solely of plans to wage war against the Cradle Empire and the Grave Empire, with absolutely no side missions, no hidden objectives, and no distractions unrelated to the conflict.”

”Ah, of course, of course!” Zargul leaned forward in his chair until he was nearly sitting on its edge, unable to conceal his excitement despite his attempts to remain composed. ”But... five thousand fleets? All of them are really coming to participate in the war?”

Zargul repeated the Butcherʼs words in the form of a question, still trying to confirm what he had just heard and wondering whether he had misunderstood some crucial detail, because the scale of what had been casually offered exceeded even his expectations.

Five thousand fleets was the standard number possessed by the Tyrants. Some had slightly fewer, while others possessed slightly more depending on their territory, resources, and history, but the total always hovered around that figure and rarely deviated by any significant margin.

Because, quite simply, that was the ideal number required to maintain control over an entire sector.

Any less than that, and a Tyrant would be unable to station subordinate forces throughout every corner of the starfields under their control, leaving remote regions vulnerable to rebellion, invasion, smuggling networks, and countless problems that inevitably emerged whenever authority failed to maintain a visible presence. Any more than that, and a significant portion of those vessels would simply become redundant burdens consuming resources, manpower, maintenance costs, and logistical support without providing meaningful benefits proportional to their expense.

After all, according to the laws established by the Cosmic Elder and enforced throughout the universe for countless generations, they could not invade another sector anyway, meaning that accumulating excessive military power beyond what was required for defense and governance rarely produced practical advantages.

Therefore, when someone claimed that reinforcements equivalent to the full military strength of a Tyrant would be dispatched, enough warships to rival the forces of one of the universeʼs supreme rulers, something was clearly wrong.

And not only that, but each of them would receive such support? In other words, the reinforcements amounted to ten thousand fleets.

Ten thousand fleets just like that.

”Of course theyʼre all coming to participate in the war.” Marlik laughed, looking thoroughly amused by Zargulʼs reaction. ”But if I were you, Iʼd start preparing plans for how to use them. Those fleets were assembled rather randomly from forces that failed to pay what they owed, and collecting them was far easier than organizing them.”

”....”

Zargul and Darvion fell silent before nodding slowly.

That meant it was a patchwork army with no standardized formations, no unified command structures, and little experience working together under a single banner. Some of those vessels would be ancient relics nearing the end of their operational lifespans, ships that had survived countless battles and repairs, while others would be cutting-edge warships fresh from the shipyards and equipped with modern systems completely different from those used by older fleets. It was still an enormous force by any reasonable standard, powerful enough to overwhelm most enemies through sheer numbers alone, but they would have to invest considerable effort if they wanted to make proper use of it and transform it into something capable of fighting efficiently on a large scale.

”With that support, Iʼll be able to wipe out Mid Sector 101 with ease, then Mid Sector 100, and if necessary, Mid Sector 99 as well.” Darvion clasped his hands together gratefully, unable to conceal the relief that surfaced within his eyes.

His own forces had been utterly devastated during the war. Entire fleets had vanished, countless commanders had died, and the military foundation he had spent centuries building had been torn apart piece by piece. All he had left were two or three hundred fleets hidden within his galaxy, fleets he did not dare deploy because losing them would leave him completely exposed.

That limitation had effectively shackled both his hands and feet during the conflict against the Six Great Powers and their fragile alliance. Meanwhile, his descendants continued causing chaos throughout those territories, launching raids and stirring unrest wherever opportunities appeared, but their actions alone would never grant them meaningful control over the ground they occupied or allow them to establish stable authority over entire sectors.

Those fleets had arrived at exactly the right time!!

”No!” Zargul slammed a hand against the armrest of his seat with enough force to make it tremble. ”Mid Sector 99 belongs to me. Iʼll turn every inhabitant there into raw materials for my spells. Theyʼll become fuel for my arrays!” Then he looked toward a certain direction, his eyes blazing with anger and obsession. ”We must free the children of the universe from the tyranny and oppression of the Cosmic Elder and his followers!”

”Heh~”

Marlik let out a small chuckle at the sheer hypocrisy of what he had just heard, finding it difficult not to laugh when someone discussing the conversion of entire populations into magical fuel spoke so passionately about liberation and justice.

”With such substantial support, Iʼll be expecting a great deal from both of you.” Then his expression became slightly more serious, though traces of that lazy smile still lingered around the corners of his mouth. ”The Archon... expects a great deal from both of you as well.”

”.....”

”A front is gathering strength and momentum. A front led by the Knower himself. Beneath him stand Robin and Zolan, and beneath them stand Kailis and Arkail. That front is expanding rapidly and unexpectedly, growing far faster than anyone anticipated. In only a few centuries, their influence has spread across dozens of sectors. They have already reached the territories of the Tyrant of Relativity and the Tyrant of Oppression to the east and west, establishing contact and influence across an increasingly vast portion of the universe, and they would have continued advancing even farther had the Archon not decided to intervene.”

”...”

Zargul swallowed hard, while Darvionʼs brows tightened sharply.

The Knower, or All-Seeing God, was a legendary existence who had supported countless geniuses in missions intended to destroy the universe itself. Throughout history, many of the most dangerous figures ever recorded had been linked to him in one way or another.

The Archon had once been one of those individuals, yet according to the stories, he had escaped the All-Seeing Godʼs control and chosen to live peacefully instead, abandoning the path that had once made him feared throughout existence.

Naturally, many questioned whether the words Archon and peace could even belong in the same sentence. The mere mention of his name was enough to make entire generations remember catastrophes and disasters recorded within ancient histories.

Yet compared to the things the All-Seeing God was attempting to accomplish and the scale of the forces gathering beneath his banner, the Archonʼs continued existence inside whatever hidden refuge he occupied, wherever that place might be, was practically the very definition of peace.

If he ever emerged, abandoned whatever self-imposed isolation currently restrained him, and chose to involve himself directly in the affairs of the universe once more, he would wipe them all out.