Lord of the Truth

Caesar was momentarily stunned before he burst into laughter, shaking his head in amusement. Aro had struck precisely where it hurt the most—and then rubbed salt into the wound.

The humans of Planet R-2 had achieved remarkable advancements in weaponry and possessed an exceptional level of ingenuity in that field. However, they had never been able to overcome the limitation of the fourth stage of the Heavenly Laws. Not because they were foolish or lacking in talent, but because the creation of elixirs —especially those capable of manipulating affinity— was a challenge bordering on absolute impossibility!

The Temporary Affinity Elixir was only made possible due to a perfect storm of circumstances:

Jabba's extensive research on bloodline composition and genetics. Robin's groundbreaking studies on the nature of laws.A planetary empire's treasury overflowing with rare, high quality materials necessary for alchemical refinement.

If even one of those three critical elements had been missing, His Excellency would never have even considered creating the elixir, let alone succeeded. And without the enormous financial reserves of the empire, he wouldn't have been able to establish mass production facilities to manufacture these elixirs on a large scale!

While the idea of temporarily increasing affinity might sound like something any child could come up with in a moment of whimsy, actually making it work was practically impossible. Even among the most elite alchemists of the known universe, the creation of an elixir capable of temporarily boosting affinity was seen as nothing short of a fantasy. And whoever did possess such a formula would never give it away—no matter the price!

In fact, it was highly probable that the sole reason the people of Planet R-2 surrendered to Peon without a single battle was that they witnessed them freely wielding the Fourth Stage of their Laws in their battles against the Great Serpent Empire's soldiers! To them, it must have seemed like Peon's forces had miraculously overcome the very limitation that had shackled their own kind for centuries!

These elixirs were originally meant to be distributed in controlled amounts each month to every Martial Emperor affiliated with the True Beginning Empire. The system was strict—anyone who wanted additional doses beyond their allotted supply, for those who wanted to improve their affinity permanently, had to purchase them using a specific number of contribution points earned through meritorious service.

Yet Aro… that bastard had weaponized the Elixirs! He had used them as wages! That scheming bastard had leveraged what was supposed to be their rightful supply as a bargaining chip in negotiations!

Caesar's laughter faded into a smirk, and he muttered under his breath, "Clever bastard…" He then let out a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking with a more composed tone.

"There is no argument to be made when it comes to the development of the Empire's weaponry," Alexander stated firmly, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Whatever budget they have received is fully justified. While our Golden Armament is undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions of the modern era, it was only ever on par with the Great Serpent Empire's weaponry at best. And we cannot rely solely on our Epic-Class weapons, as mass-producing them on a scale sufficient for our entire military is impossible."

He then crossed his arms, his expression growing serious. "If we want to maintain superiority over any future enemies, we must invest heavily in the development of high-grade energy weapons." His words were direct and pragmatic, leaving no room for argument. After delivering his short but impactful statement, he turned his sharp gaze toward Marcel Burton and continued, "Now then, what other projects have been absorbing such a massive portion of the Headquarters' funds?"

Marcel Burton, ever calm and composed, nodded slightly before replying, "In response to the Governor—the second project that has consumed more than half of the Great Serpent Empire's war spoils is the Spaceship Development Division. It is currently the largest and most heavily funded branch—without question."

He then elaborated further, his tone carrying an undertone of pride. "This division was established as a sanctuary for the genius dwarf engineers of Planet S-1, allowing them to finally complete the unfinished blueprints that had been gathering dust for generations. Additionally, a number of veteran scientists from the R&D Department's Space Division have been assigned to the project to enhance ship speed, maneuverability, and energy efficiency. Lastly, individuals from the Weapons Development Division, specifically from the newly integrated Planet R-2, have been brought in to design and develop a new arsenal of weapons and specialized equipment for our battleships."

A flicker of intrigue passed through Alexander's eyes. "Dwarven engineers, veteran space researchers, and the most innovative weapon designers from R-2… all gathered in one division?" His voice carried a note of appreciation. "That explains why the funding is so massive. If all three groups can work together seamlessly, the results could be revolutionary."

Marcel gave a small nod. "That is precisely the hope, Your Excellency. The integration process is still ongoing, but the initial progress reports are promising. With the proper level of funding and oversight, the fleet's capabilities could reach heights exceeding anything we have previously imagined."

Then, with pride evident in his voice, he declared, "These three divisions will unite to design and produce the prototype by the time of the coronation. According to Her Highness Princess Zara's vision, that prototype will surpass anything the Great Serpent Empire has ever created!"

"...!" A broad, satisfied smile appeared on both Caesar and Alexander's faces. Once again, they found themselves at a loss for words.

They fully understood the importance and sheer power of warships, especially the colossal mother ships—floating fortresses that served as mobile command centers, battle stations, and city-sized armories. If they could secure their own fleet, it would be an unprecedented boost to their empire's strength, ensuring both offensive and defensive supremacy across multiple battlefronts.

Then, as if recalling something, Caesar's expression shifted. His brow furrowed slightly before he asked, "Wait a moment… the dwarves have actually started working? How did Aro manage to convince the dwarves of Planet S-1 to comply? Weren't they on strike with a list of absurd demands? I remember one of them being unlimited maternity leave, another was an eight-hour workday—completely unreasonable requests! …How did Aro pull it off this time? Did he promise them a potion to increase their height or something?"

Marcel let out a hearty chuckle before replying, "In truth, Supreme General Aro tied the Dwarven King to the top of a metal pillar and struck him with lightning until his mustache was completely burned off. The moment he came down, he got straight to work as if nothing had happened."

A brief silence filled the room as the information sank in. "...?!"

Caesar's eyes widened to their limits before he suddenly burst into laughter. "Ahahaha! Amusing! This is highly amusing!" His voice rang through the tent, his amusement genuine. He could easily imagine the scene—the proud, stubborn Dwarven King, clinging to his resistance, only to be overwhelmed by Aro's absolute authority and brute-force persuasion tactics.

Alexander, however, narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's clear that Supreme General Aro gives each person exactly what they deserve—no more, no less."

In fact, Aro had just left Planet R-1—the very planet Alexander had been overseeing—a few days ago, right after concluding negotiations with the local population. Somehow, he had sold them on Caesar's grand plan, which involved establishing imperial cities, implementing a system of self-governance, and providing economic incentives. He had lured them in with the empire's point-based system, advanced law techniques, and access to rare goods—all while making it seem as if he were sacrificing his own interests for their sake!

Caesar sighed, rubbing his head gently. "To be honest, I was both worried and shocked when my father announced the formation of the Second Army and placed Sakaar on equal footing with me. But time has proven my concerns to be unfounded. In a one-on-one fight, I fear I wouldn't stand a chance against him."

Then, his tone grew more relaxed. "And since he chose Aro to be our third, that must mean he has some skills as well… I just hope his strengths aren't limited to racial manipulation and smooth negotiations."

Alexander shook his head, attempting to lift his commander's spirits. "You underestimate yourself, Your Highness. While you may be below Supreme General Sakaar in terms of energy level, if you close the gap even slightly, victory will be yours."

Then, he turned his gaze back to Marcel. "Aside from weapons development and warship production, what else is consuming such a large portion of the budget?"

Marcel gave him a meaningful look before responding, "We must rebuild everything the war has destroyed, Governor."

His voice was steady, but his words carried heavy implications. "Not a single city remains standing on any of the empire's planets. We must rebuild them from the ground up. Furthermore, the countless people who have now come under our rule haven't known civilization for thousands of years. They have spent their entire lives hiding underground or dwelling in treetops, never experiencing the security of a proper city. We must establish habitable settlements for them."

Then, he gestured upward. "In addition, we need to deploy miniature space portals across all planets to facilitate transportation and resource collection. We must also distribute the Law Techniques that His Excellency obtained from the Second Heaven's Chosen, ensuring that the locals on every planet receive proper guidance in learning them."

His gaze sharpened slightly. "In other words… infrastructure. We need to develop infrastructure across 13 planets—and in most cases, we're not just improving it; we're building it from scratch. We must provide comfort, security, and stability for our citizens. We also need to rapidly establish the Light Sword Police Force to maintain order."

Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Unlike His Highness Caesar's Empire of Tomorrow plan, which requires high-grade matrices and rare metals, the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Plan operates on a much broader scale. While it may not demand as many specialized resources, the sheer volume of materials and manpower required will be just as substantial."