"I never thought that wandering the galaxy would make my life so easy." With an unpredictable smile, Luthor said. "Acting with the Legion is not the same thing as measuring the stars we conquer with your own feet."

"What, have you become a poet now?" Carlil asked narrowly.

"Maybe—I'll really write something when I'm idle." Luthor burst out laughing.

His left hand reflected the Olympian sun, and the silver metal was very cold even in such a warm weather. Carlil noticed that Luthor was bulging under his cloak and that he wasn't wearing power armor, but that didn't seem to prevent him from wearing many weapons.

The old knight lifted his cloak and, as if by magic, took a roll of parchment from his breastplate and handed it to Carlil.

"Machado's hand." Luthor said. "He didn't lie to me, his eyeliner and spies are indeed all over the galaxy, and I can get help and support wherever I go."

"And the mission."

Carlil replied with his head down, his eyes calm as he read a few lines on the parchment. After a few seconds, he handed it back. Luthor folded it up and placed it in one of the compartments of his belt.

On the inside of his cloak hung a number of glittering knick-knacks, some of which looked like metal cans, others that looked like ordinary knives, deliberately made to be easily thrown.

He has two pistols on his belt, designed to look like ancient revolvers, but their sheer size and the energy coil at the barrel reveal their true nature.

"Good gun." Carlil said. "Where did Machado get these treasures for you?"

"These two guns? Technically, they're something I snatched from some prey. Luthor shrugged. It took me eleven years to track it down, and I finally found it on a certain moon near a dead world. This bastard hides deeply, but I'm glad I have this ring. ”

He raised his right hand and showed Carlil the ring he was wearing on his right index finger.

Its current color has evolved into a pure crimson. The black was almost invisible, and the red surged to make it look like a dull gem.

"You killed it?"

"Nope." Luthor blinked maliciously. "I took off its limbs and pinned it to the ground and watched it bleed. So strictly speaking, I didn't kill it. ”

With a slight smile, Carlil turned around and led Luthor back to the council house. Perturabo was busy on the curtain of light he had summoned with his bracelet, and the tyrant stood beside him, holding a bleeding bullet in her hand, her face pale.

"The gunman committed suicide." Peturabo said without raising his head. "The gun he fired under surveillance was a modified elephant hunting gun. The caliber is large, although not enough to work on Astarte, but it is more than enough to kill a mortal. ”

Carlil glanced back at Luthor and, unsurprisingly, caught some shock on the latter's face - it was clear that the Caliban did not expect him to see Perturabo here.

To add: he didn't expect to see one like this. Sane Perturabo.

And Carlil knew that the Iron Lord's sanity at the moment was only a façade.

"Are you alright?" He looked at the tyrant, who was still holding her scepter and was shaking her head rapidly. She also winked at Caril, hoping that he would answer Perturabo first.

"If I'm sitting here, she'll be fine."

Perturabo looked up in displeasure, and he glanced at Luther, his eyes figuring slightly. When he spoke again, his tone had already changed somewhat.

"I thought you left the council chamber in search of the truth, Carlil Lohals. Or rather, at least part of the truth. I didn't expect you to bring my brother's adoptive father. ”

Carlil didn't speak, just made a gesture to indicate that the truth you wanted was right in front of you.

"It's Luther, my lord." The old knight smiled and corrected, but his tone was emphasized. "Not an adoptive father, just Luther."

Perturabo looked at him for a moment, then withdrew his gaze when he saw Luthor's metal left arm and the ring.

"So, what are you doing on my planet?"

"Track." Luthor replied cautiously.

In fact, very cautious – he didn't want to anger Perturabo anywhere. Even if he had a way to make sure that the furious Primordial couldn't hurt him, he didn't want the atmosphere to be that horrible.

"Who to track? Or rather, what to pursue? Perturabo asked casually. When did Macado get you here? ”

"Half a year ago, my lord, I didn't come for long. I must say, I kind of like your home planet. ”

"False praise will not do us any help in what we are going to do, Sir Luthor." Peturabo said coldly. "Your activities across the galaxy are no secret, especially you, Sir."

"Me?" Luthor smiled in surprise.

"Yes, you." Perturabo bowed slowly. "Leon El Johnson has been very restrained over the years, he has even been a lot more cautious when traveling, he seems to be deliberately avoiding you."

Luther's smile faded.

"So I know what you're doing now, I'm very clear. I won't ask you about the mission Machado has given you, or the purpose of your visit to Olympia, but I ask for something in return. ”

"I am amazed at your generosity, and your request is very justified." Luther bowed slightly. "I'll know as much as I can."

"This whole thing—" Perturabo stood up from his stone chair, his eyes as cold as glaciers. "—does it have anything to do with your mission?"

"No, sir." Luthor said. "My arrival was just an accident."

"But you stayed for half a year."

"We were on a mission. It's not always about efficiency, and sometimes, waiting patiently can make things turn around more. But I assure you, I didn't expect a civil strife to develop into what it is today. ”

Luthor said, glancing at Perturabo's left hand. The Iron Lord looked at him expressionlessly, and shook his head slowly but forcefully.

"So, you watched civil strife erupt in my world?"

"Would you be happy if I intervened?"

"No, but it doesn't matter." Peturabo said. "I need more information, what do you know, Sir Luther?"

Luther looked up and glanced at Carlil.

The latter bowed his head just right and gave him a calm look in return. Luthor also noticed that something was floating in the shadows of his colleagues—no, no, maybe it was the shadows themselves at work.

It barked wildly in a world that didn't belong to the living, and Luthor felt a tingle in his ring, a sense projecting into his mind in ways that ordinary people couldn't understand.

"Blood ——!" The shadow screamed. "His blood! Desire! ”

The old knight immediately forced himself to forget about it, and he pondered for a moment before he spoke slowly.

"I know a lot, such as the causes and circumstances of the outbreak of civil strife. I'm so curious that sometimes I don't even realize I'm looking into these things. Judging by my findings, your world is divided, and Olympia is suffering from several different currents of thought. ”

"There are those who advocate the pro-emperor far empire, those who advocate the pro-imperial far emperor, those who advocate that the Olympians themselves elect a new leader and leave the empire, and there are those who want you to be the sole ruler of Olympia."

Luthor paused deliberately, he had to, he was trying to give the other three a buffer.

Others are even more extreme, and they are even trying to resurrect your adoptive father." At the end of the pause, he said.

"Click-"

Perturabo exhaled a long breath of air calmly, letting go of his right hand, allowing the corner of the crushed stone chair back to slide slowly off his hand. The stone fell to the ground, the sound was messy, and Califon, who was standing beside him, opened his mouth with a look he had never seen before.

"-What did you say?!" The female tyrant asked sharply. "What do they want to do?!"

"What I said was horrible, so I probably won't say it again, ma'am." Luther shook his head slightly apologetically at her, the etiquette was impeccable, and he looked at Perturabo again and pursed his lips.

"That's actually one of the reasons I'm here today, I'm leaving, and I want to figure something out before I leave, so I walked around the city and happened to smell the blood."

"Although, I don't know that the owner of Olympia has returned to his planet, I do intend to write a letter to Machado after today, asking him to hand it over to those who need it."

"You have a heart, Sir Luthor, and Olympia will thank you for it." Perturabo replied reluctantly. "But I need proof, every word you say above, if I'm going to do something with them, I need proof that they exist."

"I'm afraid I can't provide any evidence, my lord, my investigative methods are not so trustworthy. In other words, not trusted by the public. Luthor shook his head regretfully and showed the ring on his right hand.

"I see." Peturabo said.

He was silent for a moment, remaining thoughtful.

There was silence in the council chamber, and Carlil thoughtfully rubbed the blade he had condensed with psionic energy, but did not speak.

Luthor waited patiently for the rest of the text, his right hand resting on top of his left, feeling the coldness of the metal.

Califon gasped, unbelievable, given what she had been through today, that the tyrant could still stand in her frail body.

After a few minutes, Perturabo finally spoke.

"Carliphon, my troops are landing, and one of the detachments will be dedicated to escorting you back to my ship. I beg you not to argue with me at this time, I don't have time to do this. ”

"Carlil, I need the help of the Midnight Blade. I want an army of more than 500 men to deal with the civil strife in the city-state, and if you agree, I will give them the highest law enforcement powers, and I ask them to deal with this matter as quickly as possible. ”

"Sir Luthor, if you may, I would like you to stay for a while. I have more details to ask you. ”

Carliphon nodded gloomily, her hands resting on her cane.

Carlil calmly responded: "I will contact a company of a thousand men." ”

Luthor frowned and thought for a moment before replying, "I don't think staying a little longer will have any problems with my mission."

"Good." Peturabo said. "I'll take care of everything in the next twenty-four hours, and then you'll be able to leave, Sir Luthor."

He looked sideways at Carifon.

"Don't panic." He said. "I'll take care of everything."

Also, yards.

(End of chapter)