"…I object."

The planetary emperor with dark bronze skin spoke with a deep, unshakable seriousness that rippled through the hall. His voice wasn't loud, but the weight behind each word made even the smallest motion feel like a declaration of war.

"Hm?" Robin raised his shoulders in a relaxed, almost playful manner before turning toward Harper. His golden eyes flicked toward the speaker as he gestured lazily in that direction. "And who might that be? I actually want to know about this one."

"…If I'm not mistaken," Harper replied carefully, "that's the ruler of the Empire of the Astray Predators, a descendant of the Black Astray Tiger Bloodline. Their empire is ancient—its roots go back more than thirty-two million years. They're one of the oldest and most profound powers in Mid Sector 99. It's said that the only reason they never ascended to the status of a Millennial Empire was because the Black Astray Tiger reached the very peak of his Nexus State at the moment he was slain. That death froze their progress for eternity—making any further advancement almost impossible."

Harper's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back at the dark-skinned emperor, his tone growing more respectful.

"Their domain may only include eight hundred seventy-five planets, but in terms of raw strength—number of fleets, planetary-class weaponry, and the sheer depth of their treasury—they're on par with an average Millennial Empires."

"Oh?" Robin smiled faintly, a dangerous glint flashing through his expression. "Well then… what exactly are you objecting to? If you refuse to buy, to ally, or to submit, you can simply leave. No one's holding you here. Just don't spread my work around when you go. So tell me—what's there to object to? Do you expect to take what I've made without paying the price?"

"Lord Ranther," Howard suddenly stepped forward, his voice firm and unwavering, "His Excellency here hasn't once pressured or threatened any of us into submission. He's merely offered a fair price for work that none of us could replicate in ten lifetimes. Even his offer of subordination—if we choose it—was something straight out of dreams! Don't twist this into theft. That would be unjust… and I'll have no choice but to stop you!"

Howard turned his head slightly toward Robin, the emblem of the Grave Empire glowing faintly on his armor. His stance made it clear—he was ready to act if necessary.

"Tsk~ stay in your lane and keep quiet."

The dark-skinned planetary emperor didn't even glance at Howard. With a casual flick of his hand, he brushed him aside as though dismissing an insect. His focus remained locked entirely on Robin.

"Hey… I'm not objecting to your offers. I'm objecting to who you are."

"…?"

Confusion spread across the room. Eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed, and tension rose like an invisible storm.

"Don't try to convince me that you're just some obscure teacher," Ranther continued, his tone sharpening with every word. "I've heard about the way you joined the academy. You didn't go through the normal channels, didn't pass through the Professors' Council like everyone else. You entered through a direct order from Her Majesty Althera herself. No one knew you then, and no one knows you now. Your name appeared out of nowhere."

He took a step forward, his aura pressing down on the entire room.

"Even before we came here, Her Majesty Althera sent a message—a warning, sharp and absolute. She declared that if even a trace of our aura drifted into the academy by mistake, she would destroy our strongholds without hesitation. That's the only reason Garagnakh has kept himself completely restrained… Tell me, why such extreme, almost obsessive protection? What are you really?"

Emperor Ranther lifted his arm and pointed directly at Robin, his expression twisted between suspicion and outrage.

"And second—how can a nameless man open the sealed bloodlines of our seven ancient families, bloodlines that have persisted unbroken for millions of years, read them like open books, and then rewrite them as if they were scribbles in a notebook? Do you take us for fools?"

"…Every single one of us has tried to increase the density of our bloodlines," Ranther went on, his voice deepening with the weight of experience. "I've personally summoned three Truth Chosen over the past few million years. I've built an entire city dedicated to researching the Black Astary Tiger Bloodline—and even then, the most we ever achieved was a five percent increase in blood density among one of the minor branches. Five percent! But you…" He paused, disbelief and fury mixing in his tone. "You raised the blood density of my own son by a hundred and ten percent! Do you understand what that means? That's not science. That's not technique. That's something else entirely."

His hand sliced the air like a blade as he roared,

"I didn't come here to buy, or to negotiate. I came here for one thing—an explanation!"

"…?!"

The four remaining emperors—and even Howard, who had just been insulted moments earlier—turned toward Robin with collective astonishment. Their expressions ranged from confusion to disbelief; it was as though the air itself had thickened, every eye now fixed on the calm figure sitting amidst them.

Ranther's voice broke the silence like thunder. "And I still haven't received my explanation," he said, his tone sharp, echoing through the hall with growing agitation. "Yet here you are, revealing yourself as some sort of hidden sovereign behind the Grave Empire, the same empire that's been tearing through the sector like a cosmic tempest! You speak of universal wars and grand alliances as if they were nothing but casual business deals? You talk about deploying the Black Wasps to assault Garagnakh's faction—even to strike at a Millennial Empire itself?!"

He frowned deeply, his brow creasing as he swung his arm toward Aro. "And that one there dares to talk about handing over the Grave Empire and 'focus on the things that matter'? Tell me, what in the endless heavens could possibly be more important than an empire that shakes the foundations of the sector?"

His voice rose with each sentence, emotion spilling through. "Then you make promises—promises so absurd they border on madness! You offer anyone who joins you as a subordinate the legendary Note fleets, a total of ten billion Pearls, and even unrestricted permission to expand their planetary territories as they wish?!" His hand clenched into a fist. "Those are not the words of a man bound by reason. That's the talk of someone who either places no value on wealth… or has no tomorrow left to live for!"

He slammed his hand against the table, the sound echoing like a gunshot. "I object!" he declared, pointing straight at Robin with an accusing finger that trembled from anger. "I object to leaving this place without knowing who you really are—or who's hiding behind you, pulling the strings from the shadows!" Then with a second of wait he shouter, "Who the FUCK are you?!"

"…I support Lord Ranther's demand."

The antlered planetary emperor finally spoke, his voice low but firm, filled with restrained power. The calm tone he used made his words even more unsettling. His usual arrogance was gone—replaced by something colder, something analytical. His gaze toward Robin was now entirely different, no longer seeing him as a simple teacher but as a mystery cloaked in layers of danger and influence.

"..."

Robin smiled faintly. He didn't rush to speak; he simply leaned back, silent, as if considering whether it was even worth the effort to reply.

In truth, Robin had many answers—each one sufficient, each one dangerous in its own right.

The first explanation he could give was simple yet world-shaking: to claim he was connected to the Cosmic Sage. That alone would justify everything—the reason for his acceptance into the Academy without approval, the unnatural protection that surrounded him, and the unfathomable abilities he displayed. After all, who but someone touched by the Cosmic Sage could move with such certainty through the unknown?

The second explanation was darker, more subtle: he could say he was a candidate chosen by that mysterious entity, the one whispered of only in forbidden circles. Most of those in the hall wouldn't even recognize the reference, but Ranther and the Antlered Emperor surely would—and the moment they did, silence would descend like a shroud. They would never dare to question him again.

And then there was the third explanation—the most devastating of them all. He could reveal himself as Lord Human, the next Great Truth Chosen, the one destined to guide the flow of this entire cosmic era. That would be enough to explain his resources, his unnatural mastery over bloodlines, and even his calm confidence before the emperors themselves.

But instead…

"Ranther, isn't it?" Robin's voice finally came, soft yet filled with the kind of certainty that crushed opposition. His tone was smooth as still water, but his words struck like thunder. "I don't need to explain anything."

He waved one hand lazily, his movements unhurried, almost dismissive. "And certainly not to someone who has no connection to me. Why would I waste my breath on a stranger?" He leaned back even further, placing his hands behind his head with an expression of casual indifference that made every emperor in the room tense instinctively. "I didn't sit here to bare my secrets and then let you all walk away, carrying knowledge that could reshape the balance of the sector. The fact that you even know my name and face is already a problem in itself. The amount of trust I've granted you should be enough of a gift."

Before anyone could react, Robin's hand shifted slightly, pointing toward Howard.

"He'll know," Robin said simply. His voice carried no emotion—it was a statement, a verdict. "When he completes the deal with Aro and swears allegiance as a Wing for ten thousand years, then he'll know who I am."

The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.

"Oh—thank you, Your Excellency!"

Howard bowed deeply, nodding several times in gratitude, his chest swelling with pride. He hadn't expected such acknowledgment, and for a brief moment, it made him feel as though he'd risen several ranks in importance, as though the stars themselves had turned their gaze toward him.

"..."

Merina, standing off to the side, stared at her teacher in awe and growing unease. Her hands tightened unconsciously at her sides. She had wanted to take him as her mentor—to learn from him, to understand him—but now, even her father addressed him as Your Excellency. That realization made her heart sink and her thoughts whirl.

Her gaze flicked to Jabba, a trace of disbelief flickering in her eyes. What right does he have? she thought bitterly. What qualifications make him worthy of a teacher like that?!

"This is neither fair nor reasonable!" Ranther suddenly roared, his patience finally breaking. He rose from his seat so quickly that his chair crashed backward, the sound echoing like thunder in the hall. His aura exploded outward in fury, shaking the air itself. He pointed once again at Robin, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief.

"I don't care about all those promises or the endless riches! But I will join you—yes, even as a Wing—if I can just know who I am truly dealing with! Tell me, who stands before me? What am I pledging myself to? I deserve to know what lies ahead before I take that step into the unknown!" Then he pointed at himself, "If I'm satisfied, then I, Ranther, shall fight for you!"

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