551 When the Emperor shed tears
*knock* *knock*
"Hmm, your meeting with Theo had been going on for a long time so I thought I should come in to see if you two needed juice or something like that..." Billy opened the huge hall door and stuck his head in looking around until finally, his eyes fell on Robin's back, "Aha, I knew I would find you alone, That bastard Theo is used to being mute, and one has to force the words out of his mouth with a hook, I knew he won't talk to you for that long."
"...."
When Billy did not find any reaction from Robin, he entered the hall and closed the hall door behind him, quieting the loud noise coming from outside as if it were a beehive. Then he took a few steps towards Robin until finally he was able to see his features... Robin was still placing his elbows on his knees and resting his head on his palms
Billy furrowed his eyebrows at this sight and tilted his head down to see Robin's face. If there was one thing that could describe Robin's features now, it was *Helplessness*
"The hell?! Brother, you just conquered a planet and won your first war, what could put you in this situation? Are you okay?!" Billy quickly reached out and patted Robin's back frantically
Billy has been beside Robin for a long time and over the years he saw a lot of emotions taking over his face. In the end, Robin is just a human being who makes mistakes and learns from his mistakes, but he has never seen features like the one on his face now... What could make him feel so helpless and weak? Even when he learned of his wife's death, he returned with the Demons to take revenge, his face and actions were full of rage that burned the entire planet of Jura!!
"...I'm fine, Billy." Robin merely responded with these words
"No, you're not okay! What did that little bastard Theo say to you?" Billy shouted and then seemed to remember something. "...Did something happen to Richard?!"
"No, he is fine... better than even my best expectations actually. He still maintains his will and personality. It makes me proud that someone like me managed to have a child like that." Robin shook his head, still resting it on his hands
When Billy heard this, his eyebrows furrowed even deeper as he sat in Theo's place, "...Listen, we may have been separated for more than one hundred and seventy years if we count the time you spent on the planet Nihari, perhaps your status precedes mine by miles, perhaps I even have to treat you like an Emperor and fear you now, And I know I disagree with you a lot, but that is because I know who you are and I do not want you to take a path that you will surely regret, I just want to give you more options and you know that I will never against you. Robin, you are still my only true friend, and I know very well that I am your only friend in this world since I know how much of a failure you are in making friends... Robin, tell me, what concerns you? If you don't speak to me, then who?"
"...Billy, Did I ever tell you how Mila died?" Robin finally said something
When he heard this, Billy raised his eyebrows and quickly answered, "This is the state of war, my friend. No matter how much of an overwhelming victory you achieve, you must lose something. Mila was a good woman, she preserved your honor in your absence and stood with your family until the end, And it is clear that she protected your son, losing a woman like her is a shame... But, she is still a woman. Who among us has not lost a family member? Many years have passed since her death, so pull yourself together already."
Robin seemed like he didn't hear anything, "I won't tell you the long story since it burns me. I'll just tell you the end. The Nihari giants cooked and ate her."
*Ba-Dum*
"...Why are you telling me this?" Billy spoke slowly, it's not easy for a man to say something like this
"Because Richard was there that day, he saw everything."
"Richard saw them while they were--?!" Billy opened his eyes to the end and grabbed the handle of his chair. Technically, he was the one who raised Richard and knows very well how attached he is to his mother.
For a ten-year-old to see something like this...
"...When I met him in Planet Nihari, there was one step between me and him, but I did not dare to tell him that I was his father... Ever since I laid eyes on him I knew that he went through torment that no human being could bear. He used the Fire of Life Law technique to treat his body over and over until I felt that his body was completely changed more than once..." Robin leaned his body forward more and tears began to fall to the ground, "That day, after I had heard enough from him, I stood up and ran away like a coward, leaving him in his hell alone... I thought I would run away temporarily until I found something to say to him, but I now know from Theo that Richard knew who I was *sniff sniff* I can't even imagine how frustrated he was with me."
for my worst enemies, my family that I was trying to strengthen was destroyed because of me... and 17:47
all of this for the sake of a mission... And what a mission, hehehe, hahahaha." Robin looked up and Robin took a few deep breaths and then continued, "..But what should I tell him? I am your father who caused a war that destroyed your home, I am your father who caused your mother to be killed because I was not there to protect her? I am your father who let you be tortured for eleven years and did not I even know that you are alive? I am your father who will leave you to suffer even more because I do not dare to make any move now!? What should I have said to him, Billy? What should I have said... I am afraid to face him..."
Billy straightened up in his seat and his eyes began to fill with tears as well. How could he console Robin? Rather, who will console him, since he was the one who raised Richard since he was a baby!!
Billy ran his hand over his eyes, wiping away the tears and forcing a smile to appear on his face, "Don't do this to yourself. You were on a mission and couldn't come back. No one can blame you for what happened."
"...Not true. After two to three years of my absence, I was able to establish the foundations of the sect. I had Jabba's protection and a vast amount of resources. I had the resources, save place, and enough men to create a space portal, but I chose not to do so." Robin muttered in a low voice
"WHAT?! You... YOU!!" Billy shouted, if Robin had returned for even a few minutes every now and then, everything would have been different!!
"...I have been through some bad situations on Planet Nihari since my arrival that made me hate that planet to the bones. I was afraid that if I returned and saw you all again, my resolve would die and I would break my promise... Hehe... What a weak bastard I am... What I went through there was nothing compared to what happened to my son... What a weak coward I am...
"..." Billy was silent, not knowing what to say.
Billy wanted to scream and say something but he stopped his lips from parting every time, what would he say? Should he blame him? Maybe tell him how bad his decision was? It is not like Robin does not know the consequences of this decision, and worse, it is clear that the decision not to return until the mission is completed still haunts him to this day and burns his heart with remorse, any inappropriate word now Will do much harm...
"WHY DON'T YOU SAY SOMETHING? Curse me! Get up and punch me!! What kind of Emperor am I? I am just a cowardly failure. I don't even have the guts to look at my son's face... My wife was killed in a horrific way, My only son is still subjected to psychological and physical torture that I would not want for my worst enemies, my family that I was trying to strengthen was destroyed because of me... and all of this for the sake of a mission... And what a mission, hehehe, hahahaha." Robin looked up and started laughing hysterically, then slowly opened his red eyes and let the tears fall down his cheeks
Then continued weekly, "...All of this was because of a mission on a planet that I hate and a war between two individuals that I don't even know... And you know what's worse? I'm still doing that mission against my will and killing countless creatures for it, hahaha.. hehe.. what kind of Emperor am I? *sniff sniff* I'm just a clown, just a puppet that doesn't have the ability to decide for itself! I wish I had died in that cave, Billy... I wish I had died."
Billy did not speak again. He did not try to console Robin or blame him. Rather, he sat there, looking at his friend and listening to him. Every now and then, he would ask a small question and let Robin speak at length and relieve what was on his chest.
He didn't know what to say to comfort him, and he didn't have to say anything either... His mere presence that day gave Robin a chance to finally reveal what was on his heart.
His mere presence prevented Robin from falling into the abyss that slowly pulled him down every day.