2293 - A Good Young Man
".....?!?" Sahir's eyes flew wide open, and his body went rigid from the sudden appearance, but his mind instantly shifted into a state of hostility and combat readiness!!
"....?!" Arkail the Temporal placed his hands on the armrests of his seat and slowly raised himself, his eyes wide open: "Lord Robin, is that you?"
"Lord Robin?!" Sahir's mind collapsed on the spot.
He had spoken with
Lord Human
several times before the Spirit Society, but what he always saw was
The Metallic Face
, for that mask never left Lord Robin's face for a single moment.
As for the establishment of the Sacred Covenant Academy? The spread of rumors about his friendship with the Cosmic Elder? The growing talk of an empire called "The True Beginning"? None of this had anything to do with Lord Robin's face; until this moment, only his followers had seen it!
"Oh, it seems I'm famous here. Good." Robin smiled and began walking toward Arkail with a reserved smile: "Apologies for the sudden arrival."
"....." Arkail nodded with difficulty: "No problem at all. In fact, we were just discussing the state of the war moments ago."
Then he turned his face toward Sahir: "Bring a seat for Lord Robin!"
"At once!" Sahir replied quickly.
He already had several thrones and seats stored in his spatial ring, but of course he understood his father's intent; he had been ordered to go and bring a throne equal to the one he was sitting on, as any different seat would be an insult to someone who had declared himself his partner.
"No need," Robin said calmly, and then—
*Poof*
Something happened as he placed his next step on the ground.
The desert sand directly in front of Arkail began to part, and from beneath it emerged a stone throne, identical to the one Arkail was sitting on, facing him.
Not only that, but a small table appeared in the middle, made from the same stone and carving technique, as if the artist who had first crafted the throne had also created it.
To the side, three adjacent seats emerged, less grand than the two thrones but not by much, each with its own small table in front.
"...?!" Sahir stood frozen in place, unsure of what to say or do.
Some experts and veteran fighters, including himself, could use their immense energy to influence the ground and shape it into a certain form. For example, he too could stomp his foot on the earth and produce a seat, but it would be a seat made of compacted sand, as if a child had made it while playing on the beach.
But this... no, this was not something that could be achieved through sheer force!
"...?" Arkail cast a downward glance with only his eyes before returning his gaze to Robin's: "Fundamental Formation, or Master Creation?"
"Master Creation." Robin replied frankly, and at that moment, he had arrived beside his throne, gesturing for Arkail to sit: "Please, our meeting may be lengthy, no need to stand." He sat down as well.
"...?" Arkail furrowed his brows for a moment, then sat down calmly, after which he nodded toward the small gate: "Fundamental Space, or Master Spacetime?"
"Master Spacetime." Robin nodded.
".....?!" Arkail's look toward Robin became extremely strange, but it was no stranger than Sahir's expression!
Hmm
At that moment, Glacion crossed through the gate, accompanied by Richard, who was leaning on him and advancing slowly.
"Oh," Robin gestured behind him, "I've brought my son to get some fresh air and another companion, I hope this won't cause any trouble."
"...No, not at all." Arkail spoke calmly, his eyes immediately falling on the two arrivals as he examined them.
One showed no external physical injuries but was tired, exhausted, and his very spirit was drained.
The other was strong, seemingly a Guardian, with skin that shimmered like an ice sculpture, a natural crown adorning his head, and a cold aura.
Immediately, Arkail furrowed his brows slightly: "Glacion?"
"Oh, Your Excellency, one moment." Glacion continued walking beside Richard until he gently seated him on one of the three side chairs, then placed his hand on his chest and gave a slight bow toward Arkail: "It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Excellency."
"Hmm? It seems you two are old friends." Robin smiled.
"I wish." Glacion replied quickly, "Some time ago, I was invited to attend Your Excellency's ten-millionth birthday celebration, and I had the honor of meeting him that day."
"Ten million?" Robin let out a whistle, then turned back to look at Arkail with a faint smile: "That's a lot of candles."
"They're just gatherings for networking and aligning perspectives." Arkail gave one last glance at Glacion before turning back to Robin: "It's a valuable catch that you've secured the loyalty of this young man. He's a genius in analysis and planning—even I once wished to recruit him as an advisor. I heard a while ago that he joined you as a Wing, but I thought he was just doing it to relax his mind, as usual. I didn't expect you to genuinely have him as a companion."
"Hehe, don't be so serious, Your Excellency. Who am I to be a companion or minister to Lord Robin?" Glacion felt a bit tense, then went to a corner and began gathering any scattered old pieces of firewood.
He then gestured to Sahir: "I'll take you with me for a bit. Build a site here with sand, a good one."
"….?!" Sahir pointed to himself in surprise, then toward his father, who nodded after some hesitation.
Sahir rolled up his sleeves and went to help Glacion.
Only the calm Arkail, the smiling Robin, and the pained Richard remained at the site.
"So…" Arkail was the first to speak, like a host: "Creation and Spacetime?"
"Your son was killed before my eyes."
Robin replied directly, with no emotion showing on his face:
"My deepest condolences. He was a good young man."