Chapter 2283: THE master law
"I want you to become my personal bodyguard."
"...Me?" Althera pointed at herself with difficulty, almost doubting that she had heard him correctly. "Your... personal bodyguard?"
"Mm." Robin nodded. "Holak will probably be upset, but I can’t think of any other position that truly suits you. You’re like him—you’re only good at close-range combat, and I can’t just throw you into some distant battlefield to serve as a spearhead in a place like Renara or Hedrick. Your nature as a candidate means you’ll first need to receive a Master Law, then spend a long period studying it and making progress before you possess any real combat strength. After all that, it would simply be a waste to send you off to fight a bunch of insignificant trash. The best place for you is by my side, and the most suitable role beside me is either protection or service... and I think protection suits you far better."
"...." Althera stared at Robin, feeling as though her heart had sunk all the way to her heels.
His reasoning was painfully simple.
One plus one equaled two.
Every conclusion naturally followed from the one before it.
But that wasn’t how she viewed the situation at all.
Only a few centuries ago, Robin had been working under her administration as an instructor within the Academy.
He had held his meetings there.
He had conducted his research there.
He had used the Academy as a refuge where he could enjoy at least a little peace from the enemies constantly pursuing him.
And now...
He wanted her to become his personal bodyguard?
How had everything been turned upside down like this?
How had all those years slipped away so quickly?
And how had that strange instructor who seemed destined to cause trouble wherever he went become someone capable of distributing Master Laws as casually as though they were ordinary gifts?
"..." Robin tilted his head slightly while patiently waiting for her answer, completely unable to understand the complicated emotions reflected in her eyes.
Glatheon noticed the distant look in Althera’s eyes, stepped forward, then crouched beside her until he was close enough to speak quietly near her ear.
"If the Elder Cosmic had asked you to become his bodyguard, no, just running errands for him—and without even offering you a Master Law—would you have hesitated like this?"
"N-No, but he...!!" Althera instinctively pointed toward Robin, only to realize she had no words capable of explaining the enormous difference she felt between the past and the present.
"I don’t know everything that happened before I arrived," Glatheon said calmly, "but I heard he fought off the ancestor of a Space Beast and forced it to retreat. His standing isn’t nearly as far from the Elder Cosmic’s as you still imagine."
He gently raised a hand, calming her while giving himself the opportunity to finish speaking.
"This is your opportunity. An opportunity that will never come again. Even if you refuse and continue walking your own path, you’ll eventually find yourself standing behind him and behind the Elder Cosmic anyway. I know you, Lady Althera. You’ll always choose the side that fights to protect Life."
Then he gave her a playful wink.
"And if you’re going to stand behind them and follow their decisions regardless... why not obtain a Master Law while you’re at it?"
"...."
When Glatheon noticed that Althera remained silent, he continued in an even more serious tone.
"Lady Althera, I still mention the Elder Cosmic in the same sentence as Lord Robin out of respect for everything he has done, and because it makes the comparison easier for you to accept. But let me tell you something..."
He pointed directly toward Robin.
"The Elder Cosmic never could—and never will—be capable of distributing Master Laws."
Then he lowered his hand once more.
"But that man can."
He leaned back slightly, resting both hands upon his knees.
"That man casually took the place of the very being that terrified and confused the universe for ninety-eight million years, and he doesn’t even realize exactly what he’s accomplished... and he achieved all of that while only one thousand years old."
Then he continued.
"Honestly, Lady Althera, if you refuse, it actually works in my favor. We have no idea how many candidates Lord Robin is capable of supporting or how many people he can grant the Golden Honor. If you decline, I’ll devote everything I have toward obtaining that honor myself, even if it means serving as nothing more than a servant instead of a personal bodyguard. But out of respect for everything I’ve watched you accomplish over such a long period of time, I’m simply trying to show you the entire picture. After that... make your own decision."
Then he stepped away from her once more, stood upright again, and released a long sigh.
"A servant, huh?" Half a smile appeared on Robin’s face.
"Hehe~" Glatheon laughed awkwardly. "I’m honestly not much of a fan of fighting. Give me the Law of Creation, and I’ll prepare the finest tea set the universe has ever known."
"Hahahaha!" Robin burst into loud laughter.
Only someone whose skin was as thick as the an Imperial Capital walls could ask for a Master Law merely to prepare drinks!
"...I accept."
Robin’s laughter was abruptly interrupted by a serious feminine voice.
Althera slowly raised her head and looked directly into Robin’s eyes without avoiding his gaze.
"I’ll become your personal bodyguard."
Then her eyes gradually filled with tears.
"But I won’t tolerate any humiliation... Lord Robin."
"I’m not going to give you a Master Law today only to humiliate you tomorrow." Robin casually waved a hand. "Stand up."
Then he once again placed one hand behind his back, wearing a relaxed smile.
"Which Master Law do you want?"
"...."
Glatheon’s heart pounded violently inside his chest.
How many people throughout the entirety of history could utter those words in that exact order and with such effortless simplicity?
Robin continued, raising five fingers.
"Spacetime, Causality, Creation, Balance, and Primordial Chaos."
Then he lowered his hand once more.
"I can give you any one of them except Truth right now. Master Laws don’t possess innate affinities the way Heavenly Laws do, so there isn’t a predetermined correct answer. You can simply choose whichever one feels closest to your heart."
Glatheon raised one hand to catch their attention.
"In my opinion, Causality would be perfect for Lady Althera. As someone who’s already accustomed to the Fundamental Repetition Law, Causality would be an ideal upgrade while preserving almost the same combat style she’s spent her entire life refining."
"Spacetime is a good choice as well." Robin nodded in agreement. "The time aspect would benefit her tremendously when it comes to repetition."
Then he looked directly into Althera’s eyes.
"So... what do you think?"
"..." Althera rose to her feet, brushed the dust from her clothes with one hand, then lifted her head and answered with complete seriousness, leaving no hesitation in either her voice or her expression.
"I want Balance."
"....." Robin looked directly into Althera’s eyes, remaining silent for a brief moment before speaking. "The repetition of events belongs to the historical applications of the Law of Balance, and you’ll be able to develop excellent methods of using it in that manner. The Law will also grant you tremendous power with every sacrifice you make... but..."
In truth, Balance had been the very first Master Law Robin had wanted to recommend to her.
But he had abandoned that idea because of its side effects.
"I’ll take Balance," Althera replied without changing her answer.
Then she lowered her gaze.
"...When you were speaking with the Elder Cosmic about taking disciples, and he wanted to accept Jaba as one of them, I was being torn apart by jealousy from the inside. Even then, I understood perfectly well how impossible an opportunity like that was for someone like me, so I forced myself to give up on it... But now that the opportunity is finally standing right in front of me, I won’t even look toward another Master Law, no matter how suitable it may seem."
Robin smiled before taking several steps toward Althera.
"We’ll find a way together to avoid the physical sacrifices."
Then he slowly raised his hand and gently placed it against her forehead.
"Now... clear your mind."
Ooooooooooom—
Golden light poured from Althera’s eyes and mouth in an endless stream, illuminating the entire mountain for nearly an hour. The radiance spread in every direction, bathing the surrounding land in a warm golden glow before gradually settling down once the process neared its conclusion.
Only after that did Robin slowly withdraw his hand.
Then, with a whoosh, he caught Althera before she could collapse onto the ground.
It was immediately obvious that she had completely lost consciousness.
He then gestured toward Glatheon with a slight movement of his head.
"Help me lay her on the bed inside the remaining Glass House. I injected the First Grade of Balance directly into her soul domain, together with all of its inscriptions and every one of its fundamental interpretations. It’ll take her a very long time to digest everything I just gave her."
"At once." Glatheon did not hesitate for even a moment.
He carefully lifted Althera into his arms while looking down at her with unmistakable envy, making absolutely no effort to conceal the expression on his face.
Several minutes later, Glatheon returned wearing a broad grin.
"Your bed doesn’t belong to you anymore. If I had the Law of Creation, I’d build you a brand-new one."
"Hehe, I won’t be needing it anyway." Robin looked off toward a distant direction, his eyes carrying an unusual sense of anticipation.
"I’ve spent far too much time in seclusion."
Then he slowly clenched his fist, as though confirming with his own body the power that now rested within it.
After that, he smiled.
"It’s time to stretch my feet a little."
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