Lord of the Truth

"Nice armor, and what a nice silky hair—do you use aloe oil?" A sarcastic remark rang out from behind.

Caesar and Theo instinctively turned around, even though they already knew exactly who the voice belonged to. When Theo saw his brother approaching, a faint, amused smile tugged at his lips. "Thanks, I'd return the compliment, but you look like you were forced to attend your father's coronation against your will."

The newcomer, of course, was Peon. He wore a full suit of black and gold armor, but unlike Caesar's freshly polished ceremonial set, his was worn, battle-tested, and slightly scuffed in places, evidence of constant use. He wasn't even wearing the regal cloak designated for him. His hair was short, untamed, and unkempt, while a light beard covered the lower part of his face—at least, the part that wasn't marred by scars.

"Hey, don't throw around weird accusations, kid," Peon said as he stepped forward and casually wrapped an arm around Theo's neck, squeezing playfully but firmly. "It's not like I was dragged here against my will. I just didn't bother much with my appearance since today isn't about me, that's all."

Caesar studied his brother for a long moment before speaking with clear irritation. "...Excuse me, but how in the hell are the scars on your face increasing when we're supposed to be in a time of peace?!"

Peon simply smirked, crossing his arms. "Does peace mean stopping training?" He spread his hands dramatically, as if the idea itself was ridiculous, then took a step forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brothers. "I'm just keeping myself in a constant state of readiness~ Besides, I've fulfilled my duty as assigned by Father. The First Army has been restored to its peak condition from before the war—no, actually, it's stronger than ever! I reopened recruitment, restructured all the battle formations, and ordered the creation of more Warlords to ensure our forces remain unmatched. What I choose to do beyond that isn't something you, as the Supreme General, have the right to reprimand me for… right?"

Caesar sighed, "Right. But I can reprimand you as your older brother" running a hand through his hair before raising it and smacking the back of Peon's head. "Now go let Zara fix your damn face. You're a prince, for crying out loud!"

"Hehe, please, tell him, dear elder brother," a feminine voice suddenly chimed in, carrying a mix of amusement and mild exasperation. "I heard that every single day, he sends anywhere from ten to thirty different men for medical treatment because of what he puts them through in training. Meanwhile, he just uses energy to seal his own wounds and deliberately leaves the scars as they are."

"Sister Zara." The three men instinctively smiled as soon as they heard her voice.

Zara approached gracefully, holding the hem of her elegant dress as she walked. Her attire was a perfect blend of beauty and practicality, adorned with jewels and small pieces of lightweight armor that hinted at both her royal status and her martial upbringing. She gave the trio a polite, formal greeting before turning to Peon with an expression of playful mischief.

"Brother Richard once took the time to restore your face, making you a handsome young man again, yet you keep scarring yourself over and over. At this rate, I'll never be able to find a decent woman willing to marry you!"

Peon scoffed, rolling his eyes before shrugging dismissively. "You should get married first, then we can talk." His interest in the conversation instantly plummeted the moment Zara mentioned marriage. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Destruction Note-1 vessel in the distance, examining it with clear fascination.

Caesar, however, burst out laughing. "Haha! We men have the luxury of choosing any girl we desire no matter her status, while women can't. among the thirteen planets, who is truly worthy of our little sister?" He chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Zara's hair affectionately before giving her a light slap on the back of her head.

Then, his expression turned serious as he looked at her expectantly. "Hey, girl, where's the asteroid-mining vessel? Didn't we agree it would be the first production model to roll out?"

"Ouch! Your hand is too heavy!" Zara smacked her brother's chest with a playful glare. "So, what you're really saying is that you want me to stay single just to keep working, not because no one is worthy of me, huh?" She then chuckled and moved to stand beside them.

"...Believe it or not, the mining vessels are proving to be even more troublesome. Unlike the transport and warships we've tested before, the Great Serpent Empire never had anything like this. But I don't think it will take too long before the first prototype is ready."

She then turned to Caesar. "Second, don't forget how many different fields we're currently tackling—weapon development, the advancement of various spacecraft models, the refinement of war and peace matrices, and even breakthroughs in chemistry to create better affinity-enhancing elixirs and more efficient medicinal compounds. And—"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Caesar waved both hands before she could continue. "But it's not like you're lacking manpower or suffering from budget cuts. You've received a budget bigger than the entire Empire of Tomorrow execution plan!"

"Hehe, research is expensive!" Zara laughed before turning her gaze back to the Destruction Note-1, the massive combat vessel before them. "So, what do you think of our first production model? Isn't it magnificent? I chose this design specifically because it's versatile—it can serve as a transport vessel, a command ship, and a warship all at once. It'll compensate for the entire fleet until the specialized models roll out."

"It's good… but I don't like the color. Where's my gold?" Caesar slowly turned toward Zara, displeased. The ship gleamed in a sleek silver hue, but his signature golden finish was absent.

"Hehe, do you think you're the only target of production?" Zara chuckled, her voice filled with mischief. "Don't forget, there are two other armies in need of ships as well. What you see now is the barebones prototype. The dwarven planet will mass-produce this version first. After that, each ship will be customized for its assigned army with an additional external armor layer— gold, red, or blue!"

"Blue?" Caesar raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, a voice came from behind them. "I believe that would be us!"

"Hmm?" Caesar and Zara were the only ones who turned to look. Caesar's gaze narrowed slightly. "Aro?"

"Oh, what a majestic sight. This is the first time I've seen all four royal siblings gathered together." Aro clapped his hands once, his eyes sweeping across the scene. Then, with a smirk, he asked, "...But where is the Crown Prince?"

"Third Supreme General, Aro…" Caesar spoke slowly, his voice calm but laced with a subtle edge. "I won't sugarcoat my words. Listen, I acknowledge that you're an excellent politician—probably the best in the empire. But in my eyes, you are not a general yet. Your record in leading the army against Sakaar, and your defending against the Great Serpent Empire's invasion on that planet… was, to put it mildly, abysmal."

Aro let out another hearty laugh. "Haha! I appreciate your honesty, Your Highness. I suppose His Excellency sees something in me that many others don't, considering he appointed me personally. I will do my best to live up to his expectations."

Caesar exhaled sharply, clearly unamused. "…I don't have time for mind games or your political chess. I've told you exactly how I feel, and this will be the last time I discuss it with you. From now on, my treatment of you will be dictated by your results—either I will respect you for your success, or I will burn you for your failure."

Then, his gaze slowly shifted past Aro to the figures standing behind him. His expression darkened. "…Did you adopt all of the Great Serpent Empire's fuckin' prisoners into your entourage?!"