Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1901 More demands?

”.....” Robinʼs expression twisted instantly, his jaw tightening as frustration surged through him. He sprang to his feet, spun toward the nearest purple bubble, and kicked it with all his strength. ”Damn it!!”

The bubble rippled violently but held firm. He delivered a second kick -”Damn it!”— and then a third -”Damn it!!”- before turning back, pointing at Aroʼs smiling face on the screen. ”Look at that smugness!!”

Neri glanced first at Aroʼs image, then back at Robin. ”...It is a ridiculously smug smile, I admit, but did he actually say anything wrong?”

”Heʼs an arrogant, pompous bastard, just like Caesar,” Robin spat out. ”Both of them expanded irrationally, recklessly even, until they provoked and stirred up an entire Millennial Empire.” He spread his hands in exasperation. ”But Caesar learned from the swamp Aro fell into. He asked for permission first. This one, on the other hand, throws himself headfirst into chaos and only afterward asks to be rescued!”

Robin kicked the bubble again, sending it wobbling. ”That bastard has the audacity to talk to me about victory! The truth behind his so-called ʼvictoryʼ is painfully clear in every word he writes: planetary arrays damaged, the Pearls he possessed drained almost completely, and the Wings themselves have lost confidence in him. He is inching closer to defeat, yet he dares to flaunt that insufferable, smug smile directly at me!!”

”I donʼt think your anger at him makes any sense,” Neri said, stepping closer to Robin. ”He is expanding for your benefit, and this entire war is being waged on your behalf. I donʼt believe blaming him-or blaming Caesar, or even your own followers under such circumstances-will produce anything positive. You must support them first, and only then, after victory, can you reprimand them... assuming the thrill of triumph doesnʼt make you forget all else.”

”....” Robin took a deep breath, calming slightly, and began massaging the space between his eyebrows.

He knew both empires would encounter serious problems without his direct support-and indeed, that had already happened-but the scale was far greater than he had anticipated. Each one demanding 20-30 billion Pearls at least? Madness!!

Of course, he could refuse, and the war would continue regardless. Even if he withheld any financial aid from the Shadow Swords due to the Syndicateʼs restrictions, the Academy still existed-the Academy that supplied all of his empires with hundreds of millions of Pearls each year.

Every single year, it provided funds equivalent to the contents of the treasuries of Centennial Empires!!

But as everyone wisely said, this was not the time to teach hard lessons. Only about three centuries remained. This was no moment to accumulate losses, or to gamble recklessly with what little leverage remained.

”Tsk-show me another message,” Robin said sharply, waving his hand while turning his back on the small sapling at his side.

”Understood!” Timari accepted the command instantly. ”Hereʼs the next message. Itʼs from: the Boogeymanʼs Fist.”

”.....” Hearing the name and having already received messages from Caesar and Aro- Robin felt a chill of recognition. He had a distinct sense that he knew who this person was...

”Oh, for hellʼs sake-is this mule going to ask for Pearls too? Has everyone completely lost their minds?!” Robin turned quickly, only to see Holak grinning widely at him from the screen.

Holak began rubbing his chin thoughtfully in the moving image.