Chapter 1639: One of the them
"...."
Everyone furrowed their brows without exception; each of them felt the gravity of the situation even more than before, as if the very air in the throne hall had thickened. Prior intelligence was critically important — the doubled support from allies who had risen from underground, the advantage of striking first, the initial use of a revolutionary communications mega array, and massive backing from Lord Human...
All those strategic advantages stacked together, and yet they only yielded the slim chance of an even fight of 600 vs 600? The thought settled over the room like a cold stone. Were they really in such a dire state?!
But amid that pressure, Marshal Tharn’s eyes flicked, then he glanced quickly at Hedric with an edge of disbelief and a sharpened curiosity. "Did you just say — the enemies the Shadow Swords could not unsettle?" His voice was low but carried across the hushed chamber, slicing through the tension like a blade.
"...?!" The other generals and attendants snapped their heads back to Hedric after their focus had been fixed on the map, and of course most of them stole a quick, searching look at Theo, measuring him with sudden suspicion and reluctant admiration. Under those heavy stares, Hedric closed his eyes and rested his brow on both hands, the gesture small but revealing, then signaled quietly to Draice to explain further.
"In truth, the Shadow Swords interfered on the intelligence front against a number of our enemies’ allies," the Royal Soul Lord began, his tone precise and controlled as he filled the sudden silence. "Seventy-eight of them withdrew directly and completely — they left without excuses, without bargaining, and without waiting for replacements to take their place. Twenty-nine others collapsed into brutal internal wars for power; their fleets and armies, once poised to attack us, turned inward to stabilize collapsing regimes and shore up broken thrones, or to support rival factions in bloody civil struggles. While twenty-two more had been poised to mobilize and depart for the front but remained rooted to their worlds — afflicted by catastrophic ship malfunctions, bitter divisions within their councils of elders, and outright refusals from key nobles to participate in the war!" His words painted a picture of chaos and failure on the enemy side.
"...."
"....?!"
"That number together... 129? Lord Draice, are you saying that 129 enemy forces have in fact withdrawn completely?" A ripple of stunned disbelief ran through those gathered, voices hushed as the implication sank in.
"That is exactly what I am saying." Draice nodded, his face grave but steady. "And Mr. Theo here reports there are another thirty who will likely withdraw the moment open hostilities begin — though that second figure is not yet confirmed."
Silence returned to the throne hall like a heavy curtain. Expressions shifted rapidly: pressure melted into brief astonishment, astonishment hardened into stunned disbelief, and then many faces went pale with pure, raw shock.
Around the table, only Hedric did not appear outwardly stunned like the others; he was not smiling as Draice and Heigra were either... instead he had closed his eyes and drawn his face into his hands, hiding the bulging veins that threatened to betray the fury and relief warring just beneath his skin.
They were hearing that 129 forces had withdrawn, while he was hearing the louder, crueler tally in his mind — the sound of 387 pieces of planetary-grade artifacts flying off into the void, gone from his grasp!
How could he ever bring himself to tell those missing allies about the news after the war? How could he order them to surrender their arms when their contributions had already slipped away? ...Well, perhaps they should be quietly thankful that there was even a possibility of an after the war at all — a future in which bargaining could still occur.
"...." Marshal Tharn turned slowly toward Theo, studying the young human with a new intensity, cataloging the details of a youth who had risen faster than reputation allowed. The young man who had barely scraped to the heights of an imperial warlord yet stood confidently beside them; the same young man whom the Royal Soul Master had addressed with four-star courtesy like Draice, respectfully calling him Mister Theo...
Tharn raised his brows slightly, an unreadable blend of respect and suspicion. "Informing us of the attack early with a detailed report of the enemy strongholds and numbers, supplying us with the interstellar communications system, gear and fleets and allies, and forcing 129 enemy empires to withdraw... it seems that while we were unaware, Mister Theo and the Shadow Swords have already won half the war." His assessment hung in the air, part accusation, part reluctant praise.
"..." Marshal Livia and the others also turned to Theo with faces that shifted through a turbulent mix of doubt, gratitude, awe, and unease.
Faced with those looks, Theo did not flinch or shrink; instead of leaning on the column he had been resting against, he stepped forward to stand straight, placed one hand over his chest in a composed gesture, and offered a faint, almost humble smile. "We did nothing more than prepare the stage and remove the unimportant pieces," he said softly, his voice steady. "The true hero of the tale remains the great millennial Crumbled Dreams Empire — soon you will etch an epic into history by meeting more than three thousand fleets face to face. Once you secure a certain victory in that confrontation, you will broadcast a warning to the far reaches of the cosmos: that to meddle in your affairs is to invite annihilation."
"Heh~"
A low chuckle escaped from Tharn’s lips, a sound that broke the tension like a spark in the quiet air. The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, showing clear satisfaction. "To have an ally such as the Shadow Swords... that is truly an extraordinary advantage and a great blessing." His tone carried admiration mixed with a soldier’s envy, the kind that came from years of knowing how rare true allies could be in the chaos of war.
He raised his hand and motioned toward Theo. "Come, stand with us. I wish to hear the perspective of the Shadow Swords on today’s plan." Then Tharn leaned slightly toward Hedric, his voice soft but respectful. "If His Majesty has no objections, of course."
"No problem." Hedric nodded calmly, though his fingers tapped faintly on the arm of his chair. "He stood over there of his own will — only so his presence wouldn’t unsettle your emotions."
"There’s no offense taken, not in the slightest."
"Come, little brother," one of the generals called out with a broad grin. "I’ve saved you a place right here."
The generals surrounding the large holographic map platform welcomed him with wide, almost relieved smiles. Anyone who had carried half of their war for them, who had shattered the enemy’s balance before the first shot was fired, deserved not just to stand beside them — but above them.
"Thank you, all of you." Theo gave a polite nod and performed a short salute, his movements refined and deliberate. Then he advanced toward the table, each step steady and unhurried, until he stopped beside the Royal Soul Master, Draice.
Once Theo joined them, the war council resumed. One after another, the commanders began sharing their views — discussing deployment schedules, the order of command, and the assignment of each leading division. They went over the updated weapon manifests and the logistical chains for supplies and fuel.
The conversation shifted seamlessly from the physical to the strategic — from the newly designed planetary armaments to the efficient use of the interstellar communications network, that revolutionary creation which could link fleets light-years apart in perfect synchronization.
Soon the discussion turned to more dangerous subjects: the planets under the dominion of the Behemoth of Curses and the Savage Behemoth. The commanders spoke with cautious tones, mapping the safest methods to confront those monstrous forces without triggering catastrophic losses. Afterward, they shifted again to the hundred and fifty other planets scattered across enemy-controlled sectors — worlds where enemy detachments hid like lingering shadows — and how to break them apart one by one before they could unite into a single overwhelming front.
When the meeting had first begun, every soul in that hall had been burdened by despair. They had gathered expecting nothing less than the grim confirmation of their doom — to be told the day and hour when their empire would be erased from the stars. Yet now... something had changed. Hope — faint and fragile at first — had appeared among them. And soon that faint light began to burn brighter, stronger, almost tangible. The balance of fate had shifted — not entirely, but enough for them to feel it in their hearts.
And all of that... was because of the Shadow Swords. Because of the silent young man standing among them, calm as a mountain while storms raged around him.
None of the generals could stop themselves from glancing at him again and again. Every time Theo’s faint smile flickered in the glow of the holo-map, they wondered what he was thinking. They waited for him to speak, to give direction, to reveal some hidden wisdom that might guide them further — yet he remained silent.
That silence and this smile were, strangely enough, spoke louder than words. It gave them reassurance. It told them that the Shadow Swords trusted their leadership.
The young man had done exactly as he promised: prepared the stage, set the lights, arranged every unseen thread... and then stepped back, leaving the performance to them.
Theo’s gentle smile did not fade. He had no reason to object; every strategy they chose, every decision they debated, had already been foreseen by him and by the Shadow Swords’ council at least a decade ago. Each was the natural, logical conclusion to the circumstances he had engineered long before this day.
But the illusion — that they were the ones making the choices — was a necessary one. It would feed their morale, forge pride in their independence, and strengthen their faith not only in themselves but in the Shadow Swords who had silently paved their path.
And so, with one subtle display of power followed by an act of deliberate humility, Theo had been accepted among them completely. Not as a distant strategist or a mysterious benefactor... but as one of their own.