Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1093 1093: Looks like you finally decided... Huh?

Itʼs been a week since Aether and Lyirrs had been working tirelessly on the Thrusters.

Aether had summoned all of his puppets scattered across different worlds and pushed them to contribute to the construction without pause or rest.

The progress on the building of the Thrusters was much faster than Lyirrs had expected—especially coming from a human.

Of course, Lyirrs had never wanted to work with a human in the first place. Her pride wouldnʼt allow it. But the moment she realised Aether was Victorʼs friend, everything changed. She had reluctantly agreed, albeit with a stiff heart and narrowed eyes, to cooperate with him on the project.

”Youʼre really good at this... for a human,” Lyirrs muttered under her breath as she glanced at Aether, who was deeply immersed in work with his group of hooded companions. She added with a slight edge to her voice, ”And those guys... are they friends of yours? If you werenʼt Victorʼs friend, I wouldnʼt have allowed anyone to walk in wearing a hoodie, let alone touch anything under my project.”

Aether, who had been talking to his puppet about the next calibration parameters, nodded a few times, watching the puppet carry out his orders with perfect precision. He then turned toward her with a slight smile tugging at his lips and replied, ”Iʼll take that as a compliment. And yeah, theyʼre close friends of mine. Due to some complicated reasons, they canʼt really show their identities openly.”

Lyirrs studied his face for a moment, then looked away and shrugged lightly as she muttered, ”I never imagined someone outside of my Majesty would possess such deep and intricate knowledge of advanced technology.”

Aether grinned wider, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eyes. ”Oh? Miss, youʼre mistaken. Itʼs not that your Majesty has that knowledge... itʼs more like I was the one who taught him most of what he knows.”

Lyirrs frowned immediately, feeling her chest tighten with a mix of surprise and irritation. If he had said that at the very beginning, she wouldʼve beaten him senseless without hesitation.

She hated arrogance—especially from a human. But it had already been a week... and in that time, she had come to realise he wasnʼt arrogant. He was just naturally carefree, seemingly detached from consequences, and frustratingly jolly most of the time.

She kind of understood why He was her Majestyʼs friend.

Lyirrs let out a quiet huff and turned her head—only to see a group of people walking toward them again. She sighed long and deep, already feeling the weight of the scene that was about to unfold. ”Here we go again...” she muttered in a tired, almost resigned tone.

Aether glanced to the side and paused for a moment... a soft, uneasy smile tugging at his lips.

Ever since the news had spread—about him begging for their Empireʼs safety, and about him being chosen by their revered Mother—people had been coming from all corners of the Empire just to see him, just to lay eyes on him.

At first, it was just a few curious individuals. But as time passed... the number kept growing, expanding beyond control.

It got to a point where Sera and Helena had to create a powerful barrier around their workspace just to keep the overwhelming crowd at bay. The people werenʼt just curious citizens—they were believers.

Their devotion was intense, desperate even. Many would have gladly been crushed in the crowd if it meant seeing the one chosen by their Mother Goddess.

And the numbers didnʼt stop. Every day, more and more arrived. Some tried to climb the barrier. Others begged from outside it.

This kind of thing had never happened before... not even during Seraʼs time. And even her divine moment hadnʼt been this monumental. Aetherʼs presence was different.

So, Helena and Sera had made a decision: during Aetherʼs breaks, a few people would be allowed to meet him directly. And because of the constant footfall, even the nearby city—once abandoned, forgotten, and crumbling—had slowly begun to flourish again, brought back to life by the faithful who now walked its streets.

Aether, with his usual calm and innocent expression, walked toward the incoming group of people. His presence was serene—quiet and grounding—as if nothing in the world could disturb his peace.

Lyirrs, standing beside her workstation, glanced up and watched. She observed as people knelt before him, heads bowed in reverence, their bodies trembling with emotion.

It was like they believed they had reached divine enlightenment simply by being in his presence. And Aether... as always, responded not with superiority but with humility—patting their shoulders gently, speaking to them softly, urging them to stand up. Within moments, the visitors would burst into tears, clutching their hearts like his words had touched something deep and long-forgotten. Then they would turn and leave, their faces transformed.

Lyirrs narrowed her eyes slightly. ”Just what is he telling them?” she whispered to herself. She had wondered this every single day... but had never gathered the courage to ask. After all, she hadnʼt come here to get involved in any of this. Her purpose was strictly mechanical.

Still... after witnessing this every day for a week, her curiosity began to burn. And when Aether returned to her side, she hesitated for a second, then asked with a faint blush of awkwardness, ”W-What are you saying to them?”

Aether blinked at her question, then gave a soft shrug, his voice low and kind. ”Nothing too fancy... I just tell them they donʼt need to bow. Iʼm not a God. I just ask them to be themselves... to love themselves... and to take care of their families.”

Lyirrs blinked as she heard his response. ”And... they were crying for that? Really?” she asked with a skeptical look on her face, one eyebrow raised.

Honestly, Aether didnʼt fully understand it either. He had always felt those words were simple—nothing profound or philosophical. But somehow, for those people, it meant something far deeper than he could comprehend.

They both returned to their tasks, letting the silence settle around them once again. Time slipped by unnoticed, and before long... the bright sky had darkened, giving way to the calm embrace of night.

Aether and Lyirrs finally stepped back from the construction site, nearly reaching the surface level. Both of them let out a deep, shared breath of relief, their shoulders visibly relaxing after an exhausting day.

Lyirrs muttered under her breath, her tone laced with disbelief, ”I still canʼt believe we managed to finish almost seventy per cent of the entire job... in just a week...”

Aether nodded slowly, eyes still scanning the dim sky. ”Itʼs a good thing,” he replied with a steady tone, ”We donʼt really have much time left anyway.” His gaze lifted slightly—far in the distance, the outline of the Zephyra Empire began to appear, moving closer, inch by inch.

Yes... the second collision was approaching.

The next major clash would be between the Zephyra Empire and the Aurora Empire.

Lyirrs followed his gaze, her sharp eyes catching the distinct glow of Zephyraʼs structure slowly coming into view in the sky. She exhaled, her voice dropping, ”I guess youʼre right... The faster we finish, the better chance we have to save everyone from getting caught up in it.”

She paused for a moment... then turned to look at Aether. Her brows furrowed as she leaned in slightly, narrowing her eyes to zoom in on his face with scrutiny.

Aether tilted his head, caught off guard by her sudden shift. ”Is there something wrong?” he asked with a puzzled expression, blinking at her.

Lyirrs didnʼt answer immediately. There was a strange feeling bubbling inside her—an eerie sense of familiarity. She couldnʼt quite explain it... but something about Aether felt too close, too familiar. Maybe it was the way he moved, or how he smiled, or even the tone of his voice. Whatever it was... it stirred memories she couldnʼt clearly recall.

”Nothing,” she muttered at last, brushing it off as she straightened her back. ”Anyway, letʼs go...” she added, her tone flat as she cast a glance around the area.

His mysterious hooded companions had already vanished—just like they always did. It was something she couldnʼt understand. They came out of nowhere, worked like ghosts, and disappeared without a sound. She was sure of one thing—Aether was hiding something.

Something big.

Without speaking further, Lyirrs and Aether made their way toward the nearby city to find accommodation. The people there had been unexpectedly kind—especially toward Aether. Because of the reverence they held for him, they provided food and shelter without asking for anything in return.

”Howʼs your grandma doing, little guy?” Aether asked warmly as they stepped into the modest hotel.

The boy—whose grandmother had once mistaken Aether for the Archpriestess—smiled softly as he replied, ”Sheʼs sleeping. Itʼs midnight after all.”

The boy offered them some food, a gesture of genuine kindness, but neither Aether nor Lyirrs had much of an appetite.

They were shown to their allotted rooms. Lyirrs let out a long yawn, her eyes heavy with fatigue. ”Good night, Aether,” she mumbled with a tired expression before heading into her room without another word.

Aether gave her a nod and a soft smile. ”Good night to you too, Lyirrs,” he said calmly, then opened the door to his own room...

Only to find Helena already inside—sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for him in silence.

Aether paused for a moment, then smiled. ”Looks like you finally decided... huh?”

Helena nodded once, her face an unreadable expression.