2251 - Assistance
“What do you mean by my inaction, you old man?!” Caesar pointed at his father. “What I’m doing in the sector is a hundred times harder than what that reckless bull is doing.”
Then he pointed toward Middle Sector 100. “The Cradle Empire there has become the most respected and dignified, surpassing even the other Millennium Empire in status. Anyone among the surrounding empires who has a problem comes to me to solve it for them.”
He began to list: “We have the lowest human casualties, the lowest equipment losses, the lowest local casualty rates, the highest rate of complete subjugation, the highest pay, and the highest stability rate among all the surrounding empires, including the Great Grave. The entire Human Forces Alliance has joined us with all their manpower, and based on the reputation I’ve built, they send daily offers to every small surrounding force, and they’re actually accepting. So now I own more planets than the Grave Empire, even after they annexed the Millennium Vast Ice as a wing!!”
Caesar was clearly on the verge of losing his mind.
In fact, even Peon, who was always by his side and knew all of this, let out a soft whistle when he heard it.
"This is not our concern." Robin waved his left hand. "What matters is actual control—how many enemies will appear within the sector to oppose something we want to do, how many enemies you have to take into account, and how many enemies refuse to submit, and by their disobedience, they defy the rest."
"And what would you even do with the sector to think of something like that?" Caesar furrowed his brows. "Aru is butting heads with everyone around him because he does what you say; he wants to completely dominate the arena to host the seed. He has sacrificed his reputation and a massive number of soldiers for unification. As for me, why should I rush?"
Caesar continued more calmly: "I have indeed calmed down and changed my approach after learning of the change in the seed's promotion location, but it's not out of inaction—it's adapting to reality. We don't need this kind of destruction and death in Middle Sector 100, where no Behemoth will appear anytime soon, and therefore, we don't need to unify it anytime soon."
"And who said it won't have a Behemoth soon?" Robin chuckled.
"...?" Caesar opened his eyes with hostility. "What are you planning, old man?!"
"I won't tell you how to handle your affairs, but I'll tell you this: speed up your pace." Robin turned to look ahead again. "We don't have time to negotiate with this one and calculate the reaction of that one... destroy."
“…” Caesar slowly looked down, furrowing his brows, then nodded. “I’ll see what I can do…” And he began to think of a strategy to change all his plans.
Was he asking about Robin’s plans? About the Behemoth he intended to deploy, or what he had in mind for Sector 100 Medium? He was too smart to ask and tire himself out—that person never explains himself.
He had lost his only disciple, Jabba, because he asked what Robin intended with Nihari.
But…
Destroy?
Destroy five Millennium Empires? He was dealing with only one, the Seven Thrones Empire, and still couldn’t destroy their capital or get rid of their master.
He sent people to negotiate and mediate to subdue them, but to no avail—their ruler had excessive pride.
If it weren’t for that person’s fear of Hedrick and the reach of the forces under Lord Robin, he would have come out and started personally dismantling the strongholds of the Cradle Empire, as Silas had done before him… but he saw what happened to Silas, so he preferred to huddle inside his capital and not move.
The war with them had ended—the war that had lasted for centuries. Currently, all his forces were crammed into a single planet, his capital, and all that remained of the fleets were around that planet, and around them were the fleets of The Note, besieging and monitoring them… but that was it.
There was nothing they could do in that situation; both sides were at a stalemate!
And he was supposed to repeat all of this with four others?!
“…” Robin noticed Caesar’s expression. “How are Renara and the Path of Heat? I sent her everything about it along with the entire Nine-Tailed Fox Family and the Dominant Nine-Tailed Fox Blood over half a century ago.”
Caesar was not the type to seek outside help. If he couldn’t do it himself, his followers would; and if he didn’t have capable followers, he would do nothing… It was that simple.
As for speaking with an external party and asking for their assistance, that was far from him. He would consider himself a failure if he did so, and he would see it as diminishing the Empire he led, even if it meant a halt in progress.
Robin couldn’t complain about this, as part of the problem was his fault. While he was in the cave, he would send Caesar on his missions alone as a child, refusing to help him, telling him to stay outside for two or three years if necessary before carrying out the mission, and not to return until it was completed perfectly.
"The last time I sent someone to contact her, they told me she's struggling to link all her minor laws to heat. If she could break through using the minor frost law, she would do so immediately, but she'll need more time with the main heat law." Caesar sighed.
They had invested a massive amount of money and resources in Renara. It would be a pity if she only broke through with a minor law, but it would be even more regrettable if she never broke through at all... It was truly a tragedy.
"Hmm, she's a genius when it comes to her laws; she'll find a solution." Robin waved his hand. "Use the Sixth Path Technique on all the special forces legions and free them from the constraints of the Third Path. Then proceed as we agreed. If you need help, just ask Theo, and he'll take care of it."
"I'll see what I can do." Caesar repeated, clearly having no intention of asking for anything.
"As you wish." Robin returned to observing the battle and the sky above it. "You may leave now for your tasks; you have much to do in the coming decades... Just summon Pitso for me before you go. I need a good meal after all this time I've spent asleep."
"Understood." Robin's grandchildren cast a quick glance at him before retreating, half of them reluctant to leave, the other half still trying to process what they had just experienced—and to grasp the world that had been hidden from them… a world centered around their grandfather and uncles.
Peon took Caesar by one hand and Zara by the other, pulling them along with him. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts; even Peon was considering that his special forces would be out of service for a long time to implement the Sixth Path.
"Theo." Robin raised his voice before Theo could leave to search for Pitso.
"Yes, Father?" Theo stopped, his expression serious.
"…" Robin remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke. "Help Aru finish his mission."
"…Understood."