Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2316 Scaring the savage

Mid Sector 105 — Savage Galaxy

In the middle of an endless intertwined forest with neither beginning nor end, beneath colossal trees standing like pillars that upheld the heavens, upon dense green grass that seemed to conceal entire ecosystems between its countless blades, beside lakes so vast they resembled complete oceans whose tranquil surfaces stretched beyond the horizon, oceans inhabited by forms of wild life that existed nowhere else in the universe and had long since adapted to this isolated paradise as though it had become a world entirely detached from the rest of creation...

Zavaros The Savage stood there.

Within the Beast Garden, inside the relaxation area where he spent most of his time whenever he had no urgent affairs to attend to, he stood with a rigid posture, both hands resting behind his back, his purple robe carefully arranged without a single wrinkle out of place, his expression solemn and unusually restrained despite the peaceful scenery surrounding him.

It was obvious that he was waiting for something.

Several minutes later, he finally sensed something. The portal near his council activated, and several people emerged from it. Since it was still some distance away and hidden behind the enormous trees whose trunks alone could conceal entire fortresses, he could not make out who had arrived or distinguish their appearances... even so, he let out a long, tense sigh as though the mere activation of that portal had already confirmed the identity of the visitor.

"Hoooo~"

Whoosh

Those people flew forward for a short distance before stopping respectfully in midair, maintaining an appropriate distance without daring to approach any farther, all except one. That person descended to the ground with force, landing with the confidence of someone who had no reason to show courtesy beyond the absolute minimum.

Bang

Step. Step.

That person smiled leisurely, his footsteps unhurried as though he had entered his own residence rather than another Behemoth's territory.

"That was exhausting, Zavaros. Why didn't you wait for me in the throne hall, or at least somewhere suitable for guests? Or have you become such a barbarian that you've forgotten how a ruler is supposed to behave?"

He was a young man with long braided pink hair that reached well below his shoulders, dressed in loose clothing that left his entire abdomen exposed, revealing muscles that looked as though they had been forged from solid metal rather than flesh. Even if one ignored his strikingly handsome appearance and the aura that embodied nothing but killing, making the surrounding atmosphere feel noticeably heavier, it was impossible to overlook the three swords hanging from his waist, each of them radiating a presence that suggested countless lives had already been taken by their blades.

"My Lord Marlik, it is an honor." Zavaros gave a deep nod before gesturing toward his personal sofa with calm politeness. "I felt that welcoming you anywhere other than my favorite place would be an insult, so I thought it more appropriate to receive you here."

"Hmm. If that was your intention, then I won't blame you any further."

Marlik jumped onto the sofa without the slightest concern for etiquette and casually tossed his three swords beside him as though they were ordinary belongings instead of terrifying weapons. Then he closed his eyes, leaned back comfortably, and tilted his face toward the sky with a broad smile, leisurely taking in the countless sounds of life echoing throughout the forest.

"...There are even more living creatures here than during my last visit. I didn't think that was possible."

"It's just a small hobby." Zavaros pulled a nearby chair toward himself and sat down formally, maintaining the posture of a ruler receiving an important guest rather than relaxing inside his own garden. "Anyone who lives as long as we do must find something to occupy themselves with. Otherwise, with the passage of endless years and the absence of anything new to pursue, madness becomes their only destination."

"And you decided that living among animal droppings was the best way to pass the time?"

Marlik chuckled.

"The droppings that come out of animals are still better than those that come out of people's mouths." Zavaros waved a hand dismissively, his tone remaining calm despite the obvious provocation, as though he were merely stating an undeniable fact rather than deliberately mocking the person sitting before him.

"Wise!" Marlik slapped his thigh with an amused grin and looked toward Zavaros. "Then why didn't you listen to the order and carry it out? Do you also consider what comes out of my mouth to be droppings?"

"How would I dare, Your Excellency?" Zavaros revealed a peculiar smile that concealed more than it expressed. "There is no doubt that I received the Syndicate's recommendation—to attack the Shadow Swords as a subversive organization, to resume the siege of Mid Sector 101 alongside Darvion, and even to ignore what Helmor is doing and leave Mid Sector 106 to him—but unfortunately, that does not align with my own policies or the interests I have spent countless years cultivating."

"A recommendation?" Marlik smiled knowingly, his eyes narrowing slightly as though the word itself amused him more than anything else.

"...." Zavaros looked directly into his eyes without the slightest intention of retreating. "My relationship with the Syndicate is not that of a superior and a subordinate, Your Excellency. You possess greater wisdom and offer me advice from time to time, and with my little brain, I simply follow whatever I find suitable after considering my own circumstances."

Marlik's expression gradually turned serious, the amusement fading from his face, "That's quite a polite way of saying, 'Go fuck yourselves!'"

"Lord Marlik, let's not escalate things." Zavaros raised one hand in a slow, calming gesture. "I have no intention of attacking Lord Robin at the moment. There is no hostility between us that justifies such an attack, especially when the consequences could severely damage my own interests and everything I've built over the years. I simply found no reason to follow the recommendation, so I chose not to. That's all."

"And what exactly could a Martial Emperor possibly do that would damage your interests?!" Marlik raised his voice slightly, the surrounding air growing noticeably heavier. "Don't let your head become as stubborn as Kiryan's. Surely you've heard what's happening to him right now!"

"...I have," Zavaros forced out a smile that looked increasingly unnatural. "I've also heard that the Syndicate has been supporting Helmor with money, weapons, intelligence, and transportation to quickly seize the sectors between Mid Sector 106 and Mid Sector 114. Then your assistance appeared once again during the invasion of Mid Sector 115 itself—the territory of the Behemoth of Oppression. That is a frightening degree of favoritism compared to your usual policies, the kind of favoritism that even outsiders have begun to notice."

"Times change." Marlik waved his hand as though dismissing the entire matter. "The front that the Elder Cosmic has been preparing has become obvious, and its influence has already begun reaching the ground. He is no longer some absent heroic figure whom everyone merely talks about. Through Robin Burton, he is now attempting to penetrate the very core of the ruling class itself. We can no longer continue relying on our old policy of neutrality and long-term benefits while pretending nothing has changed. There has to be a response, and a strong one at that."

"And the response Your Excellency speaks of is forcing the Behemoths to attack the Elder Cosmic's front, or using Helmor to humiliate them and swallow up their sectors one after another?" Zavaros tried to maintain a smile despite the tension between them. "Doesn't Your Excellency realize that you are pushing everyone who refuses to join the Syndicate's front toward joining the Elder Cosmic's front instead, even if they had no intention of doing so before?"

"Are you threatening me by saying you'll join that old man?" Marlik laughed loudly, finding the suggestion genuinely amusing.

"How would I dare?" Zavaros slowly shook his head, his expression remaining composed. "I'm merely wondering what exactly you're thinking by dividing the universe in this manner and forcing everyone to gradually choose a side... What if the Elder Cosmic's front decides to respond in exactly the same way? By supporting the Behemoths who refuse to obey you, and by killing those who choose to join your side?"

"Haha, that certainly sounds like an innocent question." Marlik laughed nonetheless before a dense killing intent quietly spread from his body, causing the atmosphere to become noticeably colder. "Let him try. His immature little front hasn't grown strong enough to accomplish anything worthwhile. They don't have enough armadas or armies. They don't have experts, Behemoths, or anyone worth mentioning who could alter the balance... There's only Arkail and Kailis. One is still neutral, and the other is completely useless. So who exactly could make any difference?"

"...." Zavaros lowered his gaze, suppressing the emotions that briefly surfaced in his eyes. "I was only trying to—"

Zavaros stopped in the middle of his sentence and furrowed his brow for a brief moment after sensing something in the distance. Then the seriousness on his face disappeared, replaced by a small smile as he looked back toward Marlik.

"Someone we both know has just appeared at the Grand Space Gate of Mid Sector 105. I believe he'll be joining us for the rest of this discussion."