2276 - The Lock
"Sakaar? I was just thinking about him a short while ago..." Robin was surprised by the appearance of the name. "What does Sakaar want?"
Harper quickly replied, "The Marshal asked to deliver a short message, which is: 'Please do not forget us; the playground has become far too small.'"
"Hmm." Robin leaned back against his chair. "Give me a brief update on the state of young Sector 101."
"In response to Your Majesty, things there are better than good," Harper answered. "There is no longer any notable hostile force in the sector. Any empire or even planetary kingdom we found had its coordinates handed over to the Marshal, and he handled it himself. Some surrendered, and some were completely converted. The Shattered Meteor Empire itself now officially possesses nearly ten thousand planets, but in truth, the royal family and the entire army bow to the Marshal... The sector is currently almost empty, and the Marshal is its de facto ruler."
"...?" Glacion's eyes widened to their fullest.
He had heard about the Virillion Seed War and the return of the Shattered Dream Empire with overwhelming power.
Of course, he had heard.
Everyone had heard and marveled.
And it turned out there was a Marshal working for Lord Robin who was leading everything himself?
This Sakaar...
A person of the same standing as Marshal Aru himself?!
"Heh~ No wonder he says the playground is too small." Robin chuckled, then cast a glance toward the gate leading to the Void. "Tell him to come. I'll invite him to dinner here, and afterward, we'll decide his future."
"Come... here?" Harper shot a sidelong glance at Glacion.
"...?" Glacion looked puzzled.
"Planet Donara is teeming with space beasts. Would it be strange for a Crimson Plague to appear among them?" Robin waved his hand. "Go and bring him."
"Plague?!" Glacion exclaimed. "One of your Marshals is a Crimson Plague?!"
Ignoring Glacion's outburst, Harper bowed slightly toward Robin. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I will send your orders immediately."
Then he took a step to the side and vanished.
"Plague?!" Glacion repeated, raising his voice.
"What?" Robin chuckled. "Are you going to report me to the authorities?"
"No, no, but..." Glacion furrowed his brow. "Not long ago, rumors started spreading that Your Majesty was working on a way to subdue the plague. Could it really have succeeded? But at this speed..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted his haste.
How could His Majesty have started and finished so recently, while the war in Virilion had been raging for centuries?
He then shot a look at Robin...
Had he possessed a method to control the Crimson Plague for centuries?!
"Heh~" Robin understood Glacion's questioning look. "Don't strain your brain too much, Glaci. The amount of information you've gathered today is enough to keep you awake for years."
"..." Glacion bowed slightly. "Thank you for your trust. Not a word will leak."
Of course, Glacion understood that Robin was giving him an enormous opportunity and showing him great trust; otherwise, he would have simply asked him to leave from the start. He wasn't obligated to answer anything or allow him to hear anything.
"I know..." Robin smiled. "I know you won't leak a thing." Then he waved casually. "Now you can sit or leave, do as you please. I want to focus a little on this painting."
Without waiting for a reply, Robin rested his forehead on his left hand, held the painting with his right, and returned his focus to it.
"..." Glacion had seen him try to look at the painting more than once throughout their conversation.
His longing for it was obvious.
But this time, he didn't dare to ask or add another word.
Because this time, His Majesty had asked him to be silent.
So he sighed inwardly and prepared to turn and leave quietly...
Staying any longer would give a bad impression of him.
Until orders or commands come from the Grave Empire or the First Sword, Theo, it is best for him to stay here and assist with the Space Beast issue for free.
This will give him another chance to speak with His Majesty and broaden his horizons once more.
Crack
Crack
"Hmm?" Glacion looked in a certain direction.
The Golden Sphere carrying Althera began to crack at that moment.
Then, without delay—
Poof
The sphere collapsed, and the golden light faded before it touched the ground.
But something else touched the ground.
And with force.
Thud
Althera fell hard on her backside.
"Ouch..." With a slight movement, she began to slowly rub her back. "Tsk, tsk... That was painful."
"Lady Althera, are you alright?" Glacion swiftly moved to Althera's side and began helping her stand up.
"I'm fine." Althera stood up and gently stretched her body. "What a terrible feeling, I felt like I had absolutely no control over my body."
Althera let out a sigh of relief when she felt that both her body and consciousness were fine.
She had nearly lost her mind when the sphere of Master Laws swallowed her and she felt that weakness inside.
"What exactly happened to you?" Glacion's curiosity flared instantly when he found no physical injuries or spiritual issues. "You spent about ten minutes inside!"
"Only ten minutes? It felt like an eternity..." Althera sighed, then raised an eyebrow at Glacion. "Aren't you Lord Glacion, the leader of the Vast Ice Empire? Why are you on Lord Robin's mountain?"
"..." Glacion stared at Althera from bottom to top. "I think you have something more important to worry about."
"What's wrong?" Althera raised an eyebrow. She didn't like that look at all.
So she began to examine herself again.
"...This?!"
Her energy gathering center...
It was empty.
Literally empty.
No energy core.
No foundations.
No law engravings inside the gathering center.
Nothing at all.
"What's going on?!" Althera stepped back two paces, clutching her stomach in shock.
Had she returned to zero?!
"Hmm?"
At that moment, a voice echoed in the ears of both Althera and Glacion.
It was Robin's voice.
"Althera..."
Robin set down the painting and focused on Althera's head.
Or rather...
Above her head.
"...Why is there a golden lock spinning above your head?"