Lord of the Truth

Gulp.

Once again, King Aiko found himself unable to maintain his royal composure.

Joseph hadn't explained anything about the cannons, the ship's speed, or even how many troops it could carry.

But he didn't need to. Everything was clear just by looking at it… So then, what about the hidden technologies inside?

What about the power of that central cannon?

And this was merely a "tiny monster" compared to the mothership?!

Just imagining the scene —a colossal central command ship, surrounded by just ten of these escort vessels, with a hundred of the 20-meter attack crafts swarming around them...

The sheer scale of it all was unfathomable.

How many worlds had spent centuries building fleets that paled in comparison to this single prototype?

And this was just the beginning. It wasn't just the firepower or the size that made his skin crawl…

It was the implication—the might of the True Beginning Empire was still in its infancy, yet it already stood leagues above anything he had ever encountered.

Gulp.

King Aiko noticed that he had swallowed hard again.

He quickly wiped his face with his hand and glanced back at his followers.

He saw it in their eyes—the same disbelief, the same subtle dread creeping into their expressions.

For warriors who had once ruled battlefields, it was unnerving to feel like ants standing before a storm.

No… not just a storm—a machine. A system.

Something far beyond their understanding.

"What are you all waiting for? Go take your seats in the stands next to your brothers! Find spots where your wings won't bother anyone—I don't want any fights or shoving, understood?"

His tone was severe as he commanded his thousand followers.

The last thing he wanted was for one of those fools to shove a high-ranking military officer…

Or worse—step on the foot of a Burton family member!

"Haha, no need to worry, Your Majesty. Your esteemed guests will be just fine—look!"

Joseph chuckled as he patted the King's left wing.

And soon, King Aiko understood what he meant.

"...."

The seats in the stands were shifting—compressing or expanding to accommodate the newcomers.

His followers passed through smoothly, and no one in the crowd was bothered by their large wings.

And once they settled, the stands returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

There was no chaos, no shoving, no annoyance from the seated citizens.

It was seamless—as if the entire stadium itself was alive, "…Living seats?"

"Living seats!" Joseph laughed and nodded.

Aiko took a deep breath. "Hoooh~"

It was a small thing, but it only further reinforced the difference between their worlds.

Their attention to detail, their control over every aspect of their environment…

It was absolute.

King Aiko sighed, almost giving in to the idea of simply joining his men and taking a humble seat among them.

For a brief moment, he didn't even dare to consider that he deserved a spot on the VIP platform across the grand street.

But then…

Something caught his eye.

On the opposite side, he saw a young man wearing black and gold armor, observing everything with furrowed brows.

Whoosh!

King Aiko spun his head away so fast it nearly snapped his neck.

Whoever that man was, if he was standing over there… Then he was definitely someone King Aiko did not want to see or deal with.

And more importantly… He did not want to be seen by him.

Was it one of the princes?

A general? A high-ranking officer?

The air around him felt different from everyone else. He wasn't just strong—he was someone who mattered. Someone who could erase entire kingdoms with a single command.

And Aiko wasn't ready to meet a man like that.

"Hmm?" But his sudden turn wasn't for nothing.

He immediately noticed a group of figures standing at the edge of the stands, hesitating to enter.

Their expressions were tense, their conversation seemed heated, and their foreheads were covered in sweat—just like his own.

They were kings. And they were terrified.

"…Brother Joseph, who are they?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's King Shamshun, King Volb, and King Asnasio of the R-2 Humans, along with King Fogun and several other domestic major rulers..."

Joseph raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, then pointed twice.

"And standing with them is King Orzon, from planet Néhari. He and a large number of prisoners from the Néhari Union Sect were recently released."

Aiko's eyes narrowed.

"So those are the local kings…"

He nodded twice, then leaned slightly toward Joseph.

These were the rulers of their own territories, once mighty, once feared. Yet now, they were frozen at the threshold of this empire's grand stage, unsure whether they had the right to step forward.

How humbling. How terrifying. Aiko took a deep breath.

He had felt it the moment he stepped foot on this world. The weight of an empire that had no equals. It was suffocating.

But if he was going to survive in this new world… He had to adapt. He had to learn. And most importantly—he had to know his place, "If you'll excuse me, I believe it's time I introduce myself to my peers."

And with that… King Aiko stepped forward.

"Ha-ha, please, go ahead." Joseph also bowed slightly and watched as King Aiko walked away. His heart swelled with enough pride to last a thousand years... He—just a mere merchant barely at level 22—was speaking on equal terms with a king at level 47, all because his last name was Burton!

Boo Boo Booooo!

A Light Sword officer, clad in gleaming white armor, soared high above the crowd and blew into a grand ivory horn inlaid with gold. Then—Swoosh!—something massive began to cast a shadow over the horizon. Upon closer inspection, the figures started to take shape—it was a vast flock of flying creatures!

No, not just any flying creatures. They were four-winged Dracos—thousands of them! Each one was fully armored in brilliant white, carrying at least one Light Sword officer on its back.

"We proudly present to you the Roaming Division of the Light Swords Police Force!" The Light Sword officer strapped his horn back onto his radiant golden belt and pointed to the skies with pride. "Riding upon the backs of the Draco beasts, which His Excellency personally saved from the brink of extinction—providing them with food and offering them to us as the perfect mounts—we shall traverse the planets, ensuring the well-being of all citizens and serving them with honor!"

"AMAZING!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

------

On the Other Side of the Grandstand – The VIP Platform

"Tsk~ Where's Uncle Billy? Wasn't he supposed to introduce the Roaming Division?" Standing at the edge of the royal viewing box, Caesar watched the scene unfold, his brows furrowed in mild annoyance.

After taking on the task of forming the Light Swords Police Force, he had struggled with finding the right person to lead them. All the current Light attribute users were either too young or too weak—the best among them barely qualified as a low-ranked Sage. None had the experience or reputation required to handle a responsibility of this magnitude.

But then... he recalled a particular individual, and as soon as he did, he nearly smacked himself in the forehead. How did I not think of him first?

Who could possibly be more suited to lead a planetary police force than Uncle Billy—the man who had been playing that very role unofficially for decades?!

Today was supposed to be his official introduction... yet for some reason, he was nowhere to be seen!

Swoosh!

A shadow emerged from the ground beside Caesar, shifting and solidifying into the form of a man—Theo. Clad in his custom-tailored black combat armor, he reported in a low, steady voice, "...There was an incident on Poison Rock Planet. We delivered the report to him, and he took 300 Light Swords and left two hours ago. He should be back anytime now."

"Seriously, Theo? Today, of all days?!" Caesar waved his hand in frustration.

"You were the one who said we shouldn't intervene in local disputes anymore and that any issues between the native factions should be handed over to Uncle Billy and the police force," Theo replied indifferently, shrugging his shoulders before stepping up to stand beside Caesar. "He didn't have to go himself... Maybe he wanted to prove something to himself before his official appointment."

Caesar sighed, then turned his gaze back toward the ongoing event.

"....The armor suits you."

"...Thanks."