Chapter 714 Delayed meeting
It was as if time had stopped as if all the sounds of the world had disappeared...
The screams and wails of the giants disappeared, and the crazy celebrations of the demons fell silent...
In Richard's eyes, there was nothing but Robin, and in Robin's eyes, there was nothing but Richard.
This is their first meeting since that dark day when Robin first learned about what happened to his wife and son, the dark day that changed the history of several planets.
With a simple calculation, Robin found that more than forty years had passed since their first meeting. A lot had happened in those years, so much that Robin could not remember.
All he remembers is that he slaughtered tens of millions of lives to gather enough strength to save his son, all was for this day.
The awaited day has finally come... But tongue was left speechless.
Robin looked down and then to his sides, then gathered as much courage as he could and opened his mouth, "I---"
"There is no need!" Richard quickly raised his hand, "No need... there's nothing to say."
"No, there are many things to say," Robin replied quickly, then clenched his fists again, "I just... I don't know where to start."
"Don't start then. What are you going to say, for example? The best thing you can say is *sorry*, even though I doubt that you will say it, and even if you do say it, what would I do with your sorrow?" Richard laughed sarcastically, "Forget it, words will not bring back those who left us."
"I'm sorry." Robin looked directly into his son's eyes, "I'm sorry for your youth, which was wasted in the worst way, and I'm sorry for what happened to your mother. I know that my sorrow will not return anything to you, but it's all that I have, do not take this right from me."
"....." Richard looked to the side, his eyes shining with tears
"Perhaps if I had been present during that ordeal, the outcome would have changed. Perhaps I could have found a way to stop the Flame Empire's war, or perhaps I would have taken you and we could have escaped... Or perhaps everything would have remained as it was and the same events would have repeated." Robin was silent for a moment, "Just please be sure that I did not choose any of this, circumstances were stronger than me, I would not sacrifice you and your mother for anything."
"...I know," Richard responded with one word
"...What do you intend to do now?" After a long silence, Robin thought of something and spoke excitedly, "There is a war about to happen on Planet Nihari. I will turn the lives of all the inhabitants of that damn place upside down. Do you want to accompany me?"
"...No, I feel too weak, I've had enough of everything, I want to rest a little..." Richard lowered his head.
Before he passed through the space portal, he was still shaking with energy and thinking about future plans, how he would annihilate the giants, how he would pursue his revenge, and how and how and how~ But after he saw his father dealing with the prisoners, something inside him changed, he felt that... This heavy burden could be shared.
When this thought crossed Richard's head, he felt his body automatically relax. If he were still holding Peon, perhaps he would have dropped him by mistake... The fatigue of fifty years on Nihari's back came upon him at this moment.
The gaze in Richard's eyes made Robin's heart twitch violently and relax at the same time... This same look had crossed Robin's face before. This was when he saw Jabba at the academy after he had been kidnapped by the Fire Salamander Organization and tortured for several months.
This is the gaze of someone who has experienced hell and then saw a safe haven.
"That's... Good too." Robin forced himself to smile, "Why don't you rest in the Imperial Capital? It's safe and quiet there, and all the survivors of the Burton family and the Bradley family are there."
Richard thought for a moment and then announced firmly, "I want to go to Jura City first."
"...The city has changed since the last time you saw it." Robin swallowed hard when he recalled the view of Jura City, or one could also say *Jura Mass Cemetery*
Billy had previously ordered the corpses of traitors and Flame Empire soldiers to be collected and burned outside the city. All of the city's original residents had been buried, so there were no longer corpses in the streets as before, but it was still not accessible to any sane person.
The city was already covered in blood before Robin arrived with the demons that day, but after that massacre, there was no longer a drop of dirt in the city that was not mixed with blood, and there was no longer a standing building. The aura of bloodshed, anger, revenge, depression, and all the negative emotions accumulated there over a long period.
Although it is under heavy guard day and night and is considered a tourist attraction for the inhabitants of Planet Jura, Greenland, and even the Orphan's Blood planet because it is the point that changed the course of their history, this does not change the fact that it has become a ruin surrounded by a wall.
"I know, Third Brother told me what you did, but I want to take a look anyway." Richard nodded twice
"Alright then, I'll come with you!" Robin took two steps forward
"No!" Richard raised his hands, "You can continue your work, I want to be alone."
"..." Robin froze in place again and then smiled disappointedly, 'He couldn't find it in his heart to fully forgive me then...'
"It's okay, your old father will stay here, but I can't let you go alone to Jura City, your mind might not handle it." Robin shook his head and then looked at Caesar standing next to him, "Sorry, I'm going to bother you a little. Take your younger brother to Jura City yourself and to wherever he wants to visit, then take him to the Imperial Capital and introduce everyone to him."
"Alright!" Caesar laughed and patted Richard twice, "Come on, little brother, or will you refuse my company too?"
Richard had no reason to refuse again, but he remembered something and quickly pointed to the small rocky tent next to him, "But what about the third brother?"
"Huh? Come on now don't be arrogant, You are standing in front of the inventor of the Life Fire Technique, boy. As long as that reckless brat is clinging to life, your father will be able to force him back. Haha, let's go!" Caesar was not without this excuse, so he wrapped his arm around Richard's neck, laughing, then pulled him by the hand and jumped towards the south.
Robin stood there looking in that direction for an unknown time, celebrations spread around him, screams of pain rang out, everyone was running around in happiness or panic, and he stood there, delirious...
'...Was this the best way for the meeting to proceed? Foolish! What about all that speech you prepared?!' Robin hit his foot on the ground a few times. He had imagined this meeting many times. If he had said that he simulated this conversation every day, he would not have lied, However, everything went against all expectations.
'...Well, I could not have hoped for a better result than this.' Then he sighed and looked towards the stone tent, towards Peon, and began to advance towards him...