Lord of the Truth

"...What about the other aspect Deivos uses?" Robin's voice lowered slightly, his curiosity sharpening into something more pointed.

"You mean Permanence?" Rinara raised a delicate brow, her gaze briefly drifting skyward in reflection. "Time... unfortunately, is not one of the Nine Paths. I wish it were. What I needed from Deivos was only his affinity for Frost."

Clap!

Robin suddenly clapped his hands together with such force that the sound startled even the shadows in the room. "Then it's perfect. I'll give you a merged law—Frost-Permanence. That should serve your needs quite well."

"...?!?!" Rinara's expression froze in disbelief, her pupils dilating. "Frost... and Permanence? Are you telling me you're offering a merged law with a shard of Time itself merged into it?!"

"Yes," Robin said confidently, a glint of pride in his eye. "You have people in your bloodline with natural affinity toward Frost, don't you? It's very likely that a handful of them possess a latent or minor affinity toward Time as well. That merged law will resonate powerfully with them. And—if you'd like—I can sweeten the deal by selling you purified vials of Deivos's blood. We'll negotiate the price, of course, but those should elevate your clan's Frost-Permanence potential substantially."

"You're selling me Deivos's blood?" Rinara's tone darkened. Her golden brows drew together.

"Yes. He resides now on the planet Gudah, which is firmly under the jurisdiction of my empire. Deivos is one of my citizens—my subjects," Robin responded with calm certainty. Then, with a tilt of the head, he added, "If you still believe he belongs to you, for some sentimental or historic reason, then consider him part of the down payment for the Frost-Permanence merged law."

"...You don't think that's excessive?" Rinara's voice thinned, yet there was a dangerous, amused lilt underneath. "Do you have any idea what it means to own the blood of a beast with Time Affinity? Do you know the market value of even a droplet of that?"

Robin struck the armrest beside him with firm finality. "That's my condition. Deivos is a citizen of my empire now. What kind of emperor would I be if I let someone walk in and claim one of my people like they were some discarded artifact? You said you could use your pearls to purchase weapons and arts from the Soul Society—then by all means, do that. I, on the other hand, will take the Frost-Permanence law to them. Let's see what they offer me for something this rare!"

"DON'T!" Rinara's hands flew up, the air shifting around her. She gritted her fangs gently and let out a deep sigh through her nose. "...Fine. I concede. We have a deal."

"Haha! Excellent!" Robin clapped again, the sound echoing with victorious satisfaction. He stood tall, shoulders squared, as though the empire itself pulsed through his spine. "Today will certainly be etched into the histories of both our empires." He gestured toward the arched entrance ahead. "Come now. Walk with me a while."

"Gladly." Rinara's lips quirked into the hint of a smile as she stood and followed.

"As for the planet displacement tool..." Robin said, holding open the massive door as they stepped into the warm sunlight, "I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm on a rather tight and demanding schedule. I need that tool as soon as possible— I want it yesterday!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't promise a delivery date," Rinara said as they walked down the grand marble path between towering statues. "Planet displacement tool is in dangerously high demand—especially among planetary kingdoms and minor celestial empires. Each of them clings to what little equipment they have as their ultimate line of defense, their final card to play. No one parts with it lightly. And you're not just asking for any unit—you want one of third-tier capacity. That's a whole different challenge."

She shook her head slowly, hair catching the light. "In this case, I strongly recommend you pursue alternate avenues. My hands are tied. I can't guarantee anything—no matter how much I'd like to."

"...So there's no hope?" Robin asked, his voice low with frustration. His jaw tightened. Without that equipment, the second mission would collapse before it even had a chance to rise.

Rinara paused mid-step, then turned slightly to glance at him. "...Hope always exists," she said, her voice now as soft and cool as falling snow. "If it didn't, then what would be the point of seven million years of history and effort? I do have one or two ways to find such gear. But the real question is... what price are you willing to pay?"

Robin didn't respond immediately. The silence stretched between them until he finally stepped out fully into the sunlight, its golden warmth brushing his face like a whisper from the heavens. "...Lady Rinara," he said, lifting his eyes to the sky above his empire, "What did you think of what you saw here today?"

Rinara stood beside him in silence, letting the wind carry her thoughts. "...Magnificent," she said at last. "Truly. There is no other word that does it justice."

A living city, pulsing with energy and boundless life... three ancient Beast Kings whose mere presence warped the air with suppressed might... generals of fearsome strength, each mastering an arcane and bizarre heavenly law that defied logic… a highly advanced warship forged from materials that shimmered with sovereignty… an enormous golden army that marched with unwavering unity… and above all, a War Domination Array humming with raw, destructive potential.

Everything Rinara witnessed today wasn't just impressive — it was legendary.

Yet, among all these marvels, the most enigmatic force by far was none other than their ruler — Emperor Robin himself. The man who, with unsettling calm, promised her a merged law of Frost and Permanence… something others would cause the death of entire star systems to obtain.

"Hearing that brings me genuine joy, Lady Rinara." Robin smiled, a calm confidence glowing in his eyes. Then, without warning, he turned to her, standing tall like a mountain. "But tell me… what would you say if I told you that the true age of the Beginning Empire is only thirty-three years?"

"...WHAT?!" Rinara spun around as if struck by lightning, her pupils dilating, her soul senses going wild in disbelief.

If he had told her that he was the tenth sovereign in a long lineage of emperors stretching back millennia, she would have believed him without a sliver of doubt. The grandiosity, the might, the cohesion — it all screamed ancient supremacy. But thirty-three years? That was the duration of a cultivation session for someone of her level!

"Listen carefully, Lady Rinara," Robin continued, now placing one hand calmly behind his back, the other gesturing slightly as he spoke with regal poise. "If you manage to find a solution for either of my first two requests, I will not lock our agreement with a fixed price. Instead... I will offer you something far more valuable — my friendship. And believe me… that is worth more than you likely imagine."

"…Then I shall look forward to such a friendship, Lord Robin," Rinara replied with quiet grace, her voice tinged with intrigue. She stepped forward and extended her hand in formal recognition.

Robin shook the hand of the soul shard firmly, a symbolic seal of a potential alliance. Then, he closed his eyes for a heartbeat, sending out a precise mental transmission across his empire. Once done, he opened them again with a light grin.

"Right. Now, one more thing. Among the offerings you dangled before me — to entice me into your grand Nine Paths Empire — was a war academy to train generals in the arts of cosmic warfare… and access to the mid belt training methods for my troops. I have to admit… that offer has caught my attention."

"That's easily arranged," Rinara answered smoothly. "Your daughter is going to prepare the trade proposal and deliver it to me personally, yes? I'll treat both offers — the academy and the training belt — as a method of payment. Fair trade, wouldn't you say?"

"That's more than acceptable," Robin nodded several times, genuinely pleased.

Whoosh!

A girl robed in elegant white landed gracefully beside Robin, the wind tugging gently at her attire. "Father, did you call for me again?"

"Yeah," Robin said as he placed an affectionate arm around her shoulders. "Lady Rinara's soul fragment here lost its host — Deivos. I want you to temporarily host her within your soul domain until you journey to the Nine Paths Empire with the finalized list. Once there, the fragment can safely reintegrate into Lady Rinara's true body."

"Of course. It would be my honor." Zara smiled softly, performing a gentle curtsy toward Rinara.

Rinara nodded with cool civility, then turned back toward Robin. "Now, regarding your part of the agreement…"

"No need to worry," Robin reassured her with a wide, confident smile. "The merged law — Frost of Permanence — will be delivered to you the moment its construction is complete."

Rinara didn't reply this time. She simply gave a final silent nod, her expression unreadable. Then, her form dissolved into radiant particles, condensing into a glowing sphere of light that zipped forward and vanished into Zara's forehead.

"Huh… so that's what it feels like when a foreign soul shard enters your soul domain?" Zara raised an eyebrow, mildly disappointed. "I expected a jolt, a headache, maybe even a soul spasm. But I felt... absolutely nothing. In any case, do you need anything else, Father? I was just about to go finalize the commercial draft."

"Wait." Robin raised his hand sharply. "There's one final urgent meeting we need to have before I enter my next seclusion… Bring everyone."