"Heh~ if I rember correctly, the last loan amounted to ten billion pearls," Theo said, showing a rare, almost fleeting smile. "I'll leave it to you to decide whether this particular service was truly worth such a number."
"... Yeah. I didn't think so either." Hedrick lifted his chin slightly and stared straight ahead, his posture calm yet imposing. "Just make sure Robin Burton knows that I helped."
"Of course." Theo nodded without hesitation. "Thank you for ridding us of this nuisance, Lord Hedrick."
"No-thank you for granting the opportunity." Hedrick began walking toward the huge portal at an unhurried pace. "After the recent insane sales made by Lord Human, I'm well aware that you could have easily recruited nurous Guardians and Monarchs to carry out this task. I'm genuinely grateful that you chose to offer it to first."
He paused briefly, his voice lowering. "...I still don't know how I'll stand before your father after all that unconditional support. At the very least, if a discussion happens now, I can tell him that I killed a Guardian for his sake."
Hedrick let out a quiet sigh. Throughout his entire life, he had relied on no one. Even during the era when he fought beneath his father's banner, he had been the one leading the armies, conquering worlds, and expanding his father's dominion with his own hands. This-being indebted to soone else to such a degree-was sothing entirely new to him.
"The pleasure is mine, Lord Hedrick." Theo nodded once more and followed a single step behind him. "There is another conflict brewing against the Seven Thrones Empire in Mid Sector 100. We may require your support again in the near future."
Hedrick showed no sign of resistance or irritation. "That's fine. Just handle it the sa way you did today-arrange a ti when I'm free and when it doesn't interfere with my own war." His tone remained steady. "Even if the battles themselves are brief, traveling between Mid Sector 99 and Mid Sector 101 took several hours through the Great Space Portal. No one can predict what might occur during that span of ti in the middle of a cosmic war."
"Understood, Lord Hedrick." Theo replied imdiately. "Every ti we require your assistance, I'll personally ensure that the chosen day in Mid Sector 101 is cleared of any major events. As you already know, today's timing was not a coincidence."
"..." Hedrick rely nodded, never slowing his stride.
The influence of the Shadow Swords within Mid Sector 101 had reached a suffocating level. This was not an exaggeration or idle rumor-it was a developnt that had steadily unfolded over the past ten years.
Their numbers had increased at an abnormal rate. Their operations had grown bolder and more frequent. Their grip on the throats of every power in the sector-through secrets, intelligence, and unseen leverage-had beco
absolute. At this point, requesting services from any force within Mid Sector 101 posed no difficulty whatsoever for them.
The numbered swords no longer hid in the shadows as they once had. Instead, they began moving openly through the streets, much like the Syndicate itself, with no one daring to interfere or even look at them the wrong way. Their phantom vehicles gained widespread notoriety as well; rely witnessing one descend upon a planet inspired both instinctive respect and deep-rooted fear. Even with active operations targeting the forces of the Savage Behemoth and the Cursed Behemoth, the presence of the Shadow Swords in Mid Sector 101 had beco inseparable from reality itself-an oppressive, undeniable truth that no one could ignore.
Their thods had changed completely, and this transformation could not be attributed to money alone. Even if their benefactor had supplied them with astronomical sums, that alone failed to explain the total shift in how they conducted themselves and treated others.
What caused this sudden surge-this explosive growth in ruthlessness and intensity? No one could say for certain.
Before Hedrick's arrival earlier that day, for instance, Theo had deliberately arranged for all of his armies to withdraw. Imdiately after, he orchestrated carefully controlled wars of attrition, pitting the forces of the Savage Behemoth -and even the Cursed Behemoth-against the sector's various powers. These were battles designed not to annihilate their enemies, but to entangle them, to exhaust them, and to keep them occupied for no less than two or three full days.
Yes... Theo didn't wait for a suitable opportunity-he created one with his own hands. And that alone is terrifying.
Hedrick paused, then recalled sothing important. "By the way, have you truly studied the consequences of my appearance here... and possibly my appearance later in Mid Sector 100 as well?"
Killing soone who stood within the realm of a Law Dominator was never a light matter, nor sothing that could be swept under the rug. It was only a matter of ti before the entire cosmos learned of Hedrick's arrival-and of his killing of Silas. Even if Aro sohow succeeded in imprisoning or silencing every single witness, the laws themselves would eventually speak. "Trying to conceal the truth that the Double Centennial Grave Empire, the Double Centennial Cradle Empire, and the Millennial Crumbled Dreams Empire are, in reality, allies has beco naive-almost aningless," Theo said, shaking his head slowly.
"...Regardless of the information that reached the Sorcerer Zargul, the Cursed Darvion, and the Savage Zavaros about Lord Human being the supporter of those three entities-and the true backer of the Shadow Swords-the discussion surrounding the Note fleets in the three sectors has already beco unmistakable. Even if the outer hull designs differ slightly, even if their colors are entirely different, a Nota fleet will be recognized the mont it appears anywhere, especially the Gen-4 ones."
"So you're saying there's no longer any reason to hide?" Hedrick stopped walking for a mont and looked back over his shoulder. "Is your father finally
prepared to step into the open?"
Theo halted as well and answered in a calm, asured tone. "He's no longer interested in hiding the secret. But he won't step out yet. He still has important matters to finish, as you already know."
"...I understand." Hedrick nodded once and continued forward. "Those four massive projects he unveiled recently-he must have spent centuries planning them, refining them, and finally bringing them into existence."
"....." Theo didn't respond imdiately. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. "Don't you want to et him? You're in the sa sector right now."
"Did he say he wanted to see ?" Hedrick asked without turning around.
"No-but he wouldn't object," Theo replied, shaking his head slightly. "The choice is entirely yours."
"... Did he ntion that he could help win, at least?" Hedrick stopped again, this ti lowering his gaze. There was restrained anger there, mixed with a deep sense of helplessness. "Did he give you any hint at all? These escalations... they're starting to feel endless."
His war against the Cursed Behemoth and the Savage Behemoth had reached a complete stalemate. Every escalation he initiated-whether it was annihilating a fleet or severely injuring one of their Guardians-was t with an even harsher response, an even more brutal counterattack.
Over the last ten years, his montum had steadily eroded. The movents of the Behemoths' armies had beco erratic and elusive, making them nearly impossible to hunt down.
And even if he did manage to corner them-if he unleashed destruction so vast that it consud enemies and allies alike-what then? Wouldn't the Behemoths simply send more armies? Wouldn't they eventually descend personally?
Theo remained silent for nearly ten seconds, deliberately leaving Hedrick alone
with his thoughts and doubts. Then, at last, he raised his head slightly and
spoke with quiet certainty: "Of course, there is a way"
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