"...And we still haven’t reached a level of temptation that would make him want to destroy us?" Theo wondered, brushing aside his father’s remark about the Cosmic Elder’s cake as if it held no real weight in the current discussion, then knitting his brows tightly while a faint tension settled over his expression. "I find that a bit hard to believe, honestly."

"And why do you think he hasn’t made a move against us yet?" Robin asked in a calm, unhurried tone, his gaze steady as though he was testing the depth of Theo’s reasoning rather than merely asking a question.

"Because our greatest secrets are still preserved," Theo replied with absolute confidence, his voice carrying a firmness that left no room for doubt. "Everything that could make the Behemoth’s stone mouth water, everything that could truly push him to act without hesitation, is still kept hidden, sealed away from sight until this very moment."

"Perhaps." Robin smiled faintly, the corners of his lips lifting with a quiet understanding. "I know the Shadow Swords are working tirelessly to conceal our interplanetary instant-transfer arrays, our rapid support vessels, and the rest of our exclusive innovations from prying eyes. I know the effort that goes into maintaining that veil."

He paused briefly, then added with a softer but more grounded tone, "But my little friend, those things are used in hostile zones, in environments where eyes are always watching and minds are always calculating. No matter how careful you are, no matter how tight your control seems, they’re bound to be exposed to some extent, even if only in fragments. You can’t bet on the stupidity of all your enemies... and certainly not for centuries without a single slip."

Then he gestured lightly with his hand, as if smoothing out the weight of the conversation. "I support you on the point that you’re doing everything you can, truly. But let’s assume the worst for a moment. Let’s push our thinking to its limit. Let’s say Interas discovered that we’re using the fifth stage of space to build out Note fleets, the very level he has forbidden to everyone without exception, and that he also learned about the mobile, miniaturized gate we’ve developed for the rapid support vessels. Would he attack us then?"

After a few brief seconds of silence that stretched just enough to emphasize the gravity of the question, he continued, "Does Interas have the power to attack us? Of course he does. Without the slightest doubt. In fact, if he truly wished for it, he could wipe us out completely, erase us without leaving anything behind." His voice remained steady, almost matter-of-fact. "But even so... we have two shields."

"The Cosmic Elder is one of them," Theo said, following the line of thought quickly despite the weight of the implications. "What’s the other?"

"Indeed," Robin nodded slowly. "Even though the Cosmic Elder stated clearly, in front of everyone, that he wouldn’t interfere in a personal war involving me, the Behemoths would still take him into account before making any major move... not out of obligation, but out of calculation. They would consider the possibility of his reaction, the possibility of his displeasure, the possibility of the grief he might feel over someone he calls a friend." A faint smile appeared on Robin’s face as he reflected on that moment. Despite how sly and self-serving the Cosmic Elder had been in that announcement, it hadn’t harmed him entirely... in fact, it had left behind a subtle layer of protection.

"...As for the second, it is the Soul Society."

"...?" Theo’s expression shifted, confusion and doubt mixing together. "Don’t you think you’re relying too much on your relationship with them, Father? It sounds... unstable."

"I know they aren’t allies. There are no formal agreements between us, no contracts binding their actions to mine," Robin nodded, acknowledging the point without hesitation. "But I’ve been following a certain system with them for quite some time now... a system that gradually positioned me in a place where I became an inseparable part of their structure, something that cannot be easily removed without consequence." He let out a quiet breath before continuing, "I abandoned the idea of competing with them or separating from them long ago. I hate to admit it, but trying to ignore, rival, or replace the Soul Society is nothing short of fantasy... at least for now, in the current state of the universe."

"So the Soul Society would defend you against the Behemoth Interas, then?" Theo asked, his skepticism now clearer than before, as if he was trying to find a flaw in his father’s logic.

"Not exactly," Robin replied calmly, his tone steady and free of illusions. "I’m not betting that they’ll come rushing to protect me out of loyalty or goodwill. That would be naive. What I’m betting on... is something far simpler and far more reliable." He tilted his head slightly. "I’m betting that Interas will take their retaliation into account if he cuts off a major source of their income, if he disrupts a flow that benefits them greatly. They might not fight for me directly, but they could respond in ways that inconvenience him... they might halt sales for a time, restrict certain exchanges, or create pressure in their own way. Hehe."

"...You’re hoping for a lot, Father." Theo kept staring at his father from the side, his gaze lingering as if trying to measure just how much of this was calculated strategy... and how much of it was a gamble resting on uncertain ground.

"I console myself with whatever I have." Robin chuckled, a low, almost careless sound escaping him as if he had long grown accustomed to such circumstances. "When you are weak, my son, when you want to hide from the wind yet have no shelter to call your own, you gather whatever scraps you can find, leaves scattered by chance, fragile threads of a spider’s web clinging to the air, anything at all, and you piece them together into a cover, no matter how thin it is, no matter how easily it could be torn apart by the slightest force."

Then he turned to his son with a clear, almost reassuring smile that carried a strange calm. "Don’t worry, we won’t remain weak for long." He gestured lightly in front of him, as if inviting him into something inevitable. "Sit."

"..." Theo stepped forward after a slight hesitation, the weight of the moment pressing faintly on his shoulders, and took a seat in the Cosmic Elder’s chair, aware of its significance yet choosing not to comment on it. "If you truly believe we are as weak as leaves and spider threads," he said after settling, "then why did you insist on carrying out the rest of those orders?"

"..." Robin remained silent for a brief moment, as though arranging his thoughts like pieces on a board, then played a card between his fingers with a subtle flick before speaking. "How much time remains before the Syndicate’s two-hundred-year deadline ends... before they breach the forbidden zone?"

"Ninety-five years." Theo replied, his tone steady but carrying a trace of quiet anger beneath it, as the memory of that humiliating day still lingered vividly in his mind, refusing to fade no matter how much time passed.

"There’s your answer." Robin chuckled again, softer this time. "Do you think the Syndicate would renew the pact if we simply paid them more? Right now, when they have practically declared hostility toward us, when their stance is already leaning toward open confrontation, and Sivar wants me dead?" He shook his head faintly. "It’s already a miracle that they are still honoring their promise not to approach the forbidden zone."

"...?" Theo frowned deeply, his brows tightening further. "Then what exactly do you intend to do during the remaining years?"

"Before the year 850 of the coronation," Robin raised his gaze and looked directly into Theo’s eyes, his voice turning firm and resolute as he declared, "the Nihari Galaxy will honor the Mid sector with its presence."

"What?!" Theo jolted upright, unable to contain his shock, his reaction immediate and unfiltered. "Didn’t you say the timing would be at the end of the millennium? What changed?" Then his expression shifted as realization began to settle in. "...The Syndicate entering the forbidden zone? That’s what’s pushing you to accelerate the ascension?"

"Of course," Robin resumed shuffling the cards in a deliberate, almost rhythmic motion, as if every movement carried intent. "Revealing the galaxy means revealing all our cards. It means selling information, exposing what we’ve built piece by piece. It means constant visitors, individuals at the Nexus State or beyond, surrounding the galaxy, scanning our planets with their soul sense until nothing remains hidden and we stand exposed before everyone... or worse, they may choose not to observe, but to act, to directly attack the planets themselves." He paused slightly, letting the implication settle. "And that’s not even considering the wormhole over there, which could complicate matters even further."

"...Will any of that change once we enter the Mid sector?" Theo clenched his fists tightly, tension visible in the slight movement of his arms.

This was one of the problems that weighed heavily on his mind. The galaxy was safe for now in the Young Belt, shielded from the attention of greater forces, but once it stepped out into the vast ocean among true giants, among beings who could decide its fate with a thought, nothing could be predicted with certainty.

"Of course it will make a difference!" Robin laughed, this time with a hint of excitement underlying his tone. "The army will finally have the chance to break from the Martial Emperor realm and step into a World Cataclysm at last! We’ve given them an enormous amount of time to solidify their foundations, to gain vast field experience through countless wars, and we’ve granted them pure bodies free of any impurities thanks to arrays and near-perfect techniques. On top of that, they’ve had access to resources that most factions could only dream of, resources without meaningful limitation."

Then he continued, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, almost reflecting a vision only he could fully see. "I’m expecting many breakthroughs... and fast ones. If that doesn’t happen, then all my work would be meaningless." His voice dropped slightly, then rose again with quiet confidence. "Within just a few years after the ascension... no, within months... we will have an invincible army of World Cataclysms, a true army, one forged not just in power but in stability and control, an army that will allow me to press my finger into the eye of even the fattest Behemoth out there, hehe... heheh!"