Published at 20th of August 2026 7:41 am

Chapter 2344: Ignorance

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"...?!" Hedrick stared at Robin in utter bewilderment, his eyes fixed on him as though he were looking at an entirely different person from the one he had met before.

Faced with that gaze, Robin lifted his chin slightly with quiet pride, his posture remaining completely steady without wavering in the slightest, as though he had no intention of backing down from a single word he had already spoken.

"What exactly is going on...?" Hedrick asked, unable to hide the confusion in his voice. "You’ve never spoken to me like this before. The two or three times we talked, you were always cautious, respectful, and careful with every sentence. What suddenly changed for you to speak to me this way?"

"A lot." Robin answered calmly, without the slightest hesitation. "A great deal has changed while you’ve been sitting here, far more than you seem willing to imagine."

"What could possibly change in just a few decades to change you this much?" Hedrick raised his voice slightly, finding Robin’s confidence more unbelievable than his words.

How long had he been here? Fifty years? Sixty? Numbers like those carried no weight on the cosmic stage. They were little more than a brief nap to the ancient powers of the universe, no more significant than a single tick of a clock compared to the endless flow of time experienced by the billions of scattered planets across countless galaxies. By his estimation, the war between the Six Great Powers against Zavaros and Darvion should still be continuing at roughly the same pace, with neither side having achieved any decisive victory worth mentioning.

"What changed? Oh, where do I even begin..." Robin turned to look at the peculiar threads once more—or rather, at the black patches visible behind them that had captured his attention from the very beginning. "What have you heard about Donara?"

"Donara?" Hedrick repeated in surprise, the unexpected topic momentarily distracting him from everything else.

"Hmm. Back then, I was still under Althera’s protection at the Academy. Shadow Swords barely carried any weight beyond being somewhat competent at gathering intelligence. The name Lord Human was scarcely known outside the circles of a mere researcher, and both the Cradle and the Grave were struggling simply to survive each passing day." Robin lightly tapped his chin as though recalling a distant memory. "It was undoubtedly a difficult period for everyone involved."

"A century ago you were going through a difficult period?" Hedrick chuckled with obvious amusement. "So things are different now?"

"It’s a short period from your perspective. Someone like you, who’s spent millions of years crawling forward like a turtle, would naturally consider a century insignificant, hardly worth remembering. But to me, one hundred years is ten percent of my entire life. That’s a long time, and I happened to interfere with the universe enough during that time to change it in more ways than you could imagine." He then cast Hedrick a sidelong glance before continuing, "In fact, that’s the only reason this conversation has lasted as long as it has. If you knew my current status, if you knew what I did to Pink Marlik just before coming here, I wouldn’t have spent all this time talking to you. I would’ve simply given you two choices and left."

"Marlik?" Hedrick frowned in surprise at the sudden mention of the name, unable to understand how that notorious figure had entered the conversation.

Then he heard Robin laugh. "Do you remember the day we first met inside the Soul Society? I still remember your sighs and your patience. You kept trying to move the conversation along without directly calling me ignorant. You patiently explained what would happen when Nihari ascended. You even explained what was happening in Ferilion and told me about your dreams for the future." He then shrugged with a faint smile. "Of course, I know you weren’t doing it out of kindness. It was simply a way to use me and reach the Seer. That’s perfectly fine... because I wanted something from you as well."

"And because of the patience you showed me back then, I’ll return the favor today." Robin gestured toward Hedrick with a slight movement of his head. "Tell me, what is the greatest ambition you intend to achieve one hundred and five years from now, after becoming a Mid Monarch?"

"....." Hedrick glared at Robin in irritation, yet confusion remained in his eyes all the same. Ever since the conversation had begun, nothing had unfolded the way he expected, and every answer Robin gave only made the situation feel stranger.

It was as though a university student who had been tutoring a wealthy elementary-school child had gone to sleep for what felt like a short while, only to wake up and find that same child speaking to him as though he were now a senior professor at the Academy, calmly questioning everything he believed.

If there were one question that university student would ask himself in such a situation, it would be: exactly how long did I sleep for the world to change this much? And second... had the elementary-school child simply gone insane?

"That’s an interesting question." Hedrick finally decided to answer in a low voice, still trying to make sense of everything that was happening around him. Part of him was even wondering whether Robin had somehow taken control of his body outside and could harm him from there, which would at least explain why he was speaking with such overwhelming confidence. "First... I’ll drive the forces of Zavaros and Darvion out of Mid Sector 101. I’ll continue isolating Kaylis and convince the other Millennial Empires to submit to me here. Once that happens, the sector will unofficially belong to me." He continued without pause, "After that, I’ll help you during Nihari’s ascension, and then each of us will go our separate ways." Hedrick’s eyes gleamed brightly as he spoke of the future he had envisioned countless times. "Afterward, I’ll wait until Ferilion ascends and use it to become a second galaxy within Mid Sector 101. With my own strength and that galaxy supporting me, I’ll finally fulfill my lifelong dream and become the Behemoth of Destruction."

He then revealed a broad smile filled with confidence. "So? What do you think of my grand plans? Do you think you can stop them?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Robin chuckled without the slightest hint of hesitation. "Because of me, you won’t be able to accomplish a single one of them."

"Would you like to make a bet?" Hedrick spoke with absolute confidence, as though the outcome had already been decided in his favor.

"Haha, come on then—let’s bet my life if you want!" Robin burst into loud laughter.

"...?!" Hedrick’s expression changed instantly, the confidence that had been covering his face faltering for the briefest moment as he tried to determine whether Robin truly believed every word he was saying or had simply lost his mind.

"You don’t understand. Your ignorance blinds you, but that’s understandable because of your seclusion. The real problem is that your pride makes you refuse to learn, and once someone reaches that point, even the truth standing right before his eyes becomes impossible for him to acknowledge." Robin raised a single finger as though beginning a lesson. "Now then, how exactly are you planning to drive Zavaros and Darvion out? Zavaros has already sworn absolute loyalty to me, while Darvion will be killed before long by one of my subordinates, so before your plan can even begin, the people you intend to fight will already have disappeared from the board."

"Oh!" A broad smile spread across Hedrick’s face as though he had suddenly understood something amusing. "Did they watch your meeting with Marlik as well?"

"Are you mocking me?" Robin chuckled, completely unfazed by the question. "Zavaros did witness that meeting, yes." He then continued as though mentioning nothing more extraordinary than the weather, "Kiryan has also sworn his loyalty to me."

When he noticed Hedrick was already preparing to laugh, Robin calmly raised his palm to stop him before a single sound escaped. "Let me finish every point first, then you can laugh all you want afterward if you still feel like it." He slowly lowered his hand again without changing his composed expression. "Now, what was the next point? Ah, your plan to take control of the sector. In reality, the Six Great Powers are all working like dogs under Shadow Swords now. All it takes is for Glatheon to speak to them for a few moments, and every last one of them will swear loyalty to me without requiring any further persuasion."

He continued without leaving Hedrick any room to interrupt. "Kaylis is under my protection as well. She’s now the guardian of my son. That galaxy will belong to my son and his wife, and no one will be allowed to disturb their peace or interfere with their future." Then a faint smile appeared on his face. "Help me with Nihari? Nihari will ascend ten years before you even come out of seclusion, so even that is something you won’t be of any use for. By the time you return, that matter will have become nothing more than history."

He raised his voice slightly as he moved on to the final point. "Gather your strength and challenge your father? Even if we assume you move Ferilion somewhere else and decide to press forward exactly as you’ve imagined, just three or four Second Row Scions would be enough to deal with you without much difficulty. That is, assuming they’re still alive. I’m planning to use Kiryan and Zavaros to kill every last one of them, including your father, so the obstacles standing in your way may very well disappear before you even have the chance to face them yourself."

"Are you finished?" Hedrick slightly lifted his head, his expression gradually regaining its composure despite the increasingly unbelievable claims. "You asked me about my dreams, only to answer with fantasies even more absurd than mine?"

"No, no. You’re the one who’s finished." Robin pointed directly at him without the slightest trace of hesitation. "Everything I’ve said is the truth. I don’t dream—I execute. While you’re still planning what you’ll do more than a century from now, I’m already carrying those plans out. And now that you’ve heard the truth, you can no longer pretend to be ignorant simply because reality doesn’t fit the world you’ve imagined."

He then clasped his hands behind his back in a relaxed manner. "Based on the truth you’ve just heard... I’m willing to give you an opportunity." He looked directly into Hedrick’s eyes without blinking, his calm gaze carrying an unmistakable certainty. "I want to see whether intelligence or pride will have the final say."

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