"I donât appreciate this sudden change in tone." Robinâs eyes glinted with a strange, otherworldly light. "I may be just a Martial Emperorâsomeone who relies on the Law of Truth, a law not known for its combat prowessâbut make no mistake, I am not someone who can be threatened or coerced so easily... Lord Morval."
"Who said anything about threats, Lord Robin?" Morval tilted his head slightly, his tone calm, even amused. "I merely stated a fact: you have nothing to fear from us. Weâve had full knowledge of your existence, movements, and growth for over 170 years now. So tell meâwhat difference does it truly make whether you deal with us directly, or through proxies and intermediaries?"
Robinâs lips curled faintly in distaste as he responded, "I donât like the idea of having to ask permission before making decisions that concern me. Thatâs what it would come to, wouldnât it? If I accepted your offer and joined your system? Letâs not sugarcoat it, Lord Morvalâif I took your first offer, Iâd be tying myself to your society, handing over full rights, giving you control over everything related to my creation."
Then he gave a soft, knowing smirk. "As for selling
Breath of Ages
independently... well, the difference between 400 million and 12 billion pearls is more than just a number. Wouldnât you agree?"
"Not quite as vast as you think." Lord Morval gave a slow, deliberate nod. "You see, the fairy assigned to youâTimariâoffered 400 million merely as an opening figure. It was meant to be a starting point for negotiations. With proper back-and-forth, we could have easily reached a billion or even 1.5 billion. That wouldâve been a fair, market-adjusted price for a martial technique, especially one intended for use by a single individual, not as a legacy to be passed on."
He then spread his arms slightly, as if unveiling a grand truth. "Now, compare that to your actual profits from todayâs auction."
Robin raised an eyebrow, his voice cautious. "What do you mean
actual
profits?"
"Of course." Morvalâs smile widened faintly. "This was a top-tier auction, one that spans the entire planetary belt. Normally, we take a standard 75% commission on any sale that happens in this environment." He let that sink in before continuing, "Which means your
actual
earnings from today amount to 3 billion. The other 9 billion? Thatâs our shareâthe Soul Societyâs fee for creating the kind of high-level platform capable of bringing buyers like the ones you saw today."
Robinâs expression hardened. "You seriously take seventy-five percent of the final sale? Thatâs absurd. Doesnât the discount for the Truth Chosen apply here?" He turned toward Morval sharply, seriousness flooding his face. It was clear this wasnât new informationâit had been told to him beforeâbut in the heat of the moment, he had willfully ignored it.
"The discount applies in other areasânamely in-store sales and purchases. There, the commission drops from 25% to 10%. Possibly in the Chamber of Truth too. But this?" Morval gestured to the grand auction hall. "This is an event that spans worlds. Entire star systems. Not some backroom trade. So no, it doesnât apply here."
Then, with a grin that teetered between generous and condescending, he added, "But tell you whatâIâll do you a favor. I wonât be stingy. Iâll lower the commission rate specifically for you by another 15%. Youâll only pay 60% instead of 75%. So out of the 12 billion... what does that leave you with? About 4.8 billion, right? Still think all this fuss and noise you made today was worth it?"
"...."
Robin didnât answer immediately. His brows furrowed deeply, his thoughts visibly racing. But he couldnât deny the logic in Morvalâs words.
The truth was clearâthe difference between this auction and a standard one was like the difference between a flickering candle and a supernova. Had Robin sold
Breath of Ages
in an ordinary auction hall in some planet, without the backing of the Soul Society or the presence of mid-belt Lords, he would have been lucky to get 100 million. Maybe not even that. These 4 billion was a miracle by comparison.
After nearly a full minute of thoughtful silence, Lord Morval leaned forward again, his voice lighter, almost teasing. "Friendship, Lord Robin, has its advantagesâas Iâm sure youâve begun to realize. Do you remember that Planetary Displacement Tool you purchased? We were selling it on behalf of someone with an enormous stockpile of Soul Society friendship points. He burned them all in one go, just to reduce our take from 75% to a mere 20%. Judging by the price you paid, heâs probably dancing around naked somewhere right nowâ
haha
."
Robin didnât laugh. His voice was low, firm. "So... what is it that youâre after? Whatâs your offer, really?" He looked Morval straight in the eyes. "If this entire speech was just a setup to get me to travel to the Dreamer Galaxy, then pleaseâsave your breath. Thatâs not my way."
There was a pause.
The amusement drained from Morvalâs face. He leaned back into his chair, exhaling through his nose as he scratched it absently. "Fair enough," he said finally. "We can revisit that another time." Then he straightened up slightly and pointed toward Robin with cool composure. "You wanted something related to the Curse of Eternal Stillness, didnât you? Then bring the afflicted person to the Dreamer Galaxy. I need to see them in person. Only then can I even begin to help."
"Thereâs no need." Robin raised a single finger, summoning a glowing white orb that pulsed gently with spiritual energy. With a calm, almost casual gesture, he tossed it toward Lord Morval.
"I never forget anything Iâve studied. Once my soul got stronger, I was finally able to construct a foundational blueprint of the curseâs mechanism. Iâd appreciate it if you took a look."
Lord Morval made no move to resist. He allowed the orb to phase through his forehead, and then closed his eyes in concentration. Seconds ticked by in silence. Finally, he opened them again, the faintest smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"...Itâs remarkably detailed. Thorough. Not bad at all." His expression grew more enigmatic. "But even with all this, Iâll still require a considerable amount of time to fully decrypt the curseâs core structure... and more importantly, to locate its hidden key."
"And how long do you estimate that will take?" Robin asked, his eyebrows drawing together slightly, voice edged with impatience.
Morval tilted his head as though pondering the very laws of time itself. Then, with a faint sigh, he turned his gaze to the infinite horizon.
"A thousand years," he said calmly. "At the very least, maybe more."
Robin blinked, then chuckled softly with a hint of disbelief.
"You sure know how to stretch things out, donât you?" he said, shaking his head in mock amusement.
"Ah, donât misunderstand," Morval replied, lifting one hand lightly as if to wave away the accusation. "The actual deciphering wonât take a millennium. Realistically, seventy years should suffice. But understandâwhat Iâm attempting is to reverse-engineer the intricate work of a fellow master. A colleague. If I ever cross blades with him in the future, having this knowledge would give me an overwhelming advantage."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Thatâs how deep, delicate, and dangerous this work will be. One mistake, and the whole construct could collapseâor worse, lash back at me."
He gave a nonchalant shrug.
"But as for the rest of that thousand years, forgive meâI wonât be locking myself away for seven decades just for someone who doesnât even belong to the Dreamer Galaxy. I have other duties. Other realms. Iâll need to step out every now and then to manage my responsibilities."
Then he added with a sly grin,
"And donât take it personally. This isnât about you, nor is it vengeance for your refusal earlier. Think about itâwhat Royal Soul Master would chain themselves for seventy straight years to analyze something that brings them no benefit? To be honest, offering even a thousand years in total is already... uncharacteristically generous."
Robin sighed lightly and scratched his head twice, his fingers pausing thoughtfully.
"A thousand years... thatâs a steep price indeed." He smiledâthough it was the kind of smile that didnât reach the eyes. "Perhaps we should place this matter into stasis for now."
Without hesitation, he extended his hand toward Morval.
"Now then, as repayment for halting your bidding against Lord DrathanâIâm willing to authorize you to pass down the martial art to two individuals of your choosing."
"Oh?" Morvalâs brow lifted. "I withdraw a single bid, and now I get the rights to share it with two people? Thatâs rather generous of you... but tell meâarenât you gifting me something I already possess?"
Despite his words, he reached out and accepted the runes from Robinâwho handed them over willingly, without any embedded restrictions, seals, or curses.
"Youâre right," Robin replied coolly. "But Iâd be deeply disappointed if I discovered a third person using it."
His voice remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
"...And no one wants to make our dear Truth Chosen unhappy, do we?" Morval let out a hearty chuckle. "Very well thenâtwo it is. Thank you kindly for the permission!"
Robinâs expression remained neutral as he moved to the next matter.
"As for the ridiculous discount rate youâve forced onto todayâs auction... I reject it outright." He raised a hand slightly, his voice now colder. "In exchange, Iâll grant you one more usage permissionâprovided you lift the discount entirely from the
Breaths of Ages
auction."
Then, with a slight breath, he added, "And two more permissions if you remove all taxes, fees, and future deductions from any auction, trade, or transaction involving me."
He raised his open palm, fingers stretched.
"Five. Thatâs the number of total permissions Iâm granting you right now, Lord Morval. At current market value, thatâs the equivalent of 60 billion energy pearls. These five permissions will cover your earlier favor, increase your benefit in todayâs bidding, and eliminate any future taxation or restrictions when dealing with me."
Then he lowered his hand slowly, his tone firm.
"Do we have a deal?"
Lord Morval said nothing at first. He lifted his chin slightly, eyes narrowing in contemplation.
"We do... if you agree to supply me with one or two martial arts every so often. Weâll purchase them from you at a fair price. Otherwise..." his eyes gleamed, "keeping the taxes in place might prove far more profitable in the long run."
"Weâll revisit that matter when the time comes," Robin replied smoothly, stepping forward with a formal smile as he extended his hand.
"Itâs been a pleasure meeting you today, Lord Morval."
"Haha! I have a feeling this wonât be the last." Morval stood as well, grasping Robinâs right hand firmly with both of his.
Despite the polite smiles, the warmth that had accompanied Robinâs entrance was long gone.
Now, the very air seemed heavier, laced with tension so thick it could be sliced with a blade.