Lord of the Truth

"..."

Robin narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering on the sign ahead for several seconds.

A distant memory stirred.

Back during the start of the fourth bath, Shaddad had mentioned something — that there were people waiting for him in a place called the Guard Courtyard. But right after that, Robin had lost consciousness… and the matter had completely slipped his mind.

So… the Guard Courtyard was real? Not just a hallucination or a throwaway name?

Psshhh—

After a moment of hesitation, Robin gently turned the wheelchair, redirecting it onto the narrow side path that led toward the location mentioned. His pace was steady but unhurried, cautious even — his sharp eyes scanned his surroundings quietly as he rolled forward.

At first glance, the district looked almost serene — an elegant residential area tucked within the academy grounds. Rows of neat homes stood aligned, each crafted with clear attention to detail. Most of them were modest, only one or two stories tall at most, just high enough to rise above the white boundary wall that enclosed the zone.

The wall itself wasn't very tall — a young cultivator in the early stages of energy training could probably vault over it without much effort. But Robin had lived long enough to know that things were rarely what they seemed.

No… there was more here.

He paused momentarily as subtle, almost imperceptible ripples of energy brushed against his senses — faint, but certainly deliberate.

With a simple, controlled activation of his Eye of Truth, his irises gleamed with a dim inner glow, just enough to avoid attracting attention.

The result was immediate.

A soft shimmer unveiled itself before his vision — a cube-shaped energy matrix enveloped the entire residential area, anchored directly into the walls. It wasn't just for show; it was a proper energy formation, a real one.

"Interesting…" Robin muttered under his breath as he continued moving, his mind already at work, analyzing.

There wasn't enough time for deep study, but even with a quick glance, he could tell:

The formation was laced with functions of tracking, surveillance… maybe even deterrence.

It wasn't just security — it was containment.

"Stop!"

A sharp command cut through the air, severing Robin's chain of thoughts.

"Hmm?" Robin's head turned as he lowered his gaze.

Though the gate to the Guard Courtyard stood wide open, its iron doors swung apart in welcome, the place itself looked deserted at a glance — silent, calm, and unmanned.

Yet somehow, two figures had appeared before him, standing firmly in the path of his wheelchair, their postures alert and unmoving.

They weren't just random students — their uniforms and aura said otherwise. They were stationed here, intentionally.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

One of the two gave a dry chuckle, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking grin.

"Are you new around here, young man? This place — the Guard Courtyard — is a restricted zone. Entry and exit are strictly prohibited. The academy's higher-ups are quite paranoid about guards abandoning their neutrality and siding with their masters in internal disputes. Or worse, students sneaking in to provoke or manipulate another's guards."

He gestured broadly toward the compound behind him.

"To avoid all that, the administration randomly assigns two guards every week to monitor the area. This week, that would be us. If you want to go in, you'll have to do it properly — official request, documented permissions, the whole package."

Robin blinked. "…Oh. What exactly am I supposed to do, then?"

The other man stepped in, arms crossed.

"If you're planning to withdraw your guards to go abroad, you need to head over to the Guard and Servant Administration Building. File an official request — using their full names and housing numbers. Then, a group of staff will escort them out for you. Simple as that."

He pointed clearly in one direction.

"Go that way. You'll find it down the road."

Robin frowned slightly.

That was… the same direction as the Mission Hall.

He gave a small sigh and nodded thoughtfully, but then raised his head with a faint smile.

"I see. But you see… I'm actually a professor at this academy. Wouldn't it be reasonable to make a small exception, just this once?"

He leaned forward ever so slightly, voice low and persuasive.

"I only wish to speak to them briefly — a short conversation, nothing more. Once I'm done, I'll leave quietly. Help me out, and I'll see to it that you're both properly rewarded for your understanding."

As he spoke, Robin called forth two spatial rings from his soul sense, letting them drift lazily in front of the guards — gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

They floated silently, clearly filled with valuable items.

Still…

Should he really go through with requesting a withdrawal?

How was he supposed to provide their names — or even their housing numbers — when he didn't know anything about them?

In fact… he wasn't even sure if he had any guards assigned to him at all.

"Professor?"

One of the guards turned to glance at his companion, an unspoken question passing silently between them. It was obvious — both of them were skeptical. Robin didn't exactly look like a professor, at least not by the academy's usual standards.

But skepticism quickly gave way to something far more persuasive: the unmistakable gleam of wealth.

Two spatial rings hovered in the air before them, glowing faintly under the sunlight.

Whoosh

The first guard extended his hand and inspected both rings carefully, channeling a trace of soul sense into them. He raised his eyebrows almost instantly.

A thousand energy pearls in each.

His lips curved into a sly, greedy grin.

"Heh… you certainly know how to grease the wheels, don't you, Professor?"

His tone was sarcastic, but he didn't complain.

He tossed one of the rings to his fellow guard, who caught it and gave it a quick scan.

"So, what are your guards' names?" he asked, slipping the ring into his own pouch.

"We'll head inside and bring them out to you — straight to the gate, no fuss."

"I don't know," Robin replied simply, with a disarming smile.

"I was hoping you two might… assist me with that little part."

"…You don't even know the names of your own guards?"

Both guards froze for a moment, their expressions souring visibly.

Brows furrowed, jaws clenched — irritation flashing in their eyes.

It wasn't the first time they had encountered such treatment.

Unfortunately, many students — especially those born into noble bloodlines — treated their guards as if they were tools or pets.

Not comrades. Not humans.

Just nameless, faceless extensions of their status — useful only when commanded, and otherwise forgotten.

The idea that this so-called "professor" hadn't even bothered to learn their names stirred something unpleasant in both men.

"Doesn't matter!" the first guard snapped suddenly, waving the concern away, though his eyes remained locked on the ring like a hungry wolf.

"What's your name, then? We'll go in and look for any guard who recognizes it."

He stepped forward, eyes narrowing sharply as he added,

"But listen carefully — if no one knows who you are, don't even think about asking for a refund. Got it?"

Of course, he already doubted the outcome.

He had been stationed here for decades. He knew nearly every guard in the compound personally — not just their faces, but their names, their shifts, their masters.

The idea that someone new — especially someone in a wheelchair — could have guards here, and he wouldn't know about it?

It sounded absurd.

Still… he couldn't just ignore a thousand orbs.

"Oh, that would be ideal," Robin replied gently, nodding with grace.

"My name is Robin Burton."

CLANG!

The spatial ring slipped from the guard's hand and struck the ground with a sharp metallic sound.

"Hmm?"

Robin glanced down at the fallen ring, then back up, his brows drawing together in a frown.

"…Is there a problem?"

Something had changed.

The atmosphere shifted.

The first guard was staring at him — no, through him — like he'd just witnessed a ghost crawl out of the abyss.

Even the second guard, who had up to now been calm, took a full step backward. His hands trembled slightly at his sides.

"Y-You… you're Robin Burton?" the first guard asked, voice hoarse with disbelief.

"In the flesh," Robin replied dryly, the edge of annoyance creeping into his tone.

"What's wrong?"

Step… Step…

Without warning, the first guard backed away — then spun on his heel and took off running into the compound, feet pounding against the stone path.

"Kh—!"

The second guard didn't even hesitate.

He dropped the ring as if it were cursed and bolted after his partner, vanishing down the same road in a blur of panic.

"..."

Robin remained still, watching them disappear between the narrow residential alleys — two trained guards fleeing like terrified children.

He blinked once. Twice.

"…What in the world just happened?"

Was his reputation really that bad?

Had his students been spreading strange rumors about him behind his back?

Did someone forge his name on a bounty poster?

"…Doesn't matter."

With a quiet exhale, Robin extended his spiritual sense, summoned both rings back into his hand, and tucked them away neatly.

"If no one's going to help… then I'll just do it myself."

Vooooom—

The instant he passed through the open gate, a low pulse rippled through the air — like entering a new layer of reality.

He immediately sensed something shifting around him — a subtle awareness latching onto his presence.

It wasn't hostile.

There was no threat, no pressure, no killing intent… but it was definitely there.

It felt like he was being marked — not in body, but in space.

A mental map formed in his mind, instinctively. He could sense invisible lines being drawn around him, like he was now part of a grander schematic.

This part of the array wasn't designed to kill intruders — it was designed to track them.

A map. A registry.

A way to monitor every soul within the residential compound.

"Where should I even start?" Robin muttered, looking around slowly.

"Should I just knock on doors and ask whoever answers if they know me?"

"GYAAAAAAAAH!!"

"Hve mercy, Queen!!"

Suddenly, shrill screams echoed from deeper within the compound — shrieks of panic and desperation that rang out loud and clear.

Robin immediately turned his head in that direction.

"…Hmm?"