Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1311: Making Aether guilty: Part-4

Chuckk~

Drip...

No, it wasn’t the follower’s blood—rather, it was Aether’s. His hand had moved at the last possible instant, blocking the blade before it could claim a life.

Blood welled from the wound, dripping steadily down his arm. His eyes narrowed at Sandra and Sera.

How in the world did this man have a knife?

He hadn’t expected this!

Sandra frowned deeply... She hadn’t checked for weapons before allowing them entry. She had made a brutal mistake!

Sera’s lips twitched, her expression twisted in disbelief. She couldn’t accept that she had missed something so important.

Aether drew a shaky breath, controlling himself as his eyes grew even more teary with the sting of betrayal and fear.

”Oh my God! What have I done?! You’re bleeding... you’re bleeding!” The follower’s face went ghostly with horror.

He tore his robe, frantic, wrapping the cloth around Aether’s hand, staining it red with fresh blood.

Yet, Aether managed a warm, gentle smile through the pain. ”Are you alright?”

The follower looked up at him in pure awe, his soul shaken.

[+5000 AP]

[+6000 AP]

[+7000 AP]

Aether gulped inwardly, ’What the heck?’ then spoke with grave seriousness. ”You shouldn’t have done that... Look, now you’ve hurt me by trying to hurt yourself.” He gently patted the man’s trembling shoulder and quietly took the knife from his hand.

Still, Aether didn’t shout, didn’t scold or shame him for the attempt—he just worried if the man was injured.

Who could possess such a heart?

Aether sighed, exhaustion in his voice. ”Next time... please, think about your family first, alright?”

The follower’s eyes went wide with wonder. ”Family? My... family?”

His knees buckled as realisation crashed into him. ”How could I not have seen this... How blasphemous of me... My God...” His expression flickered dangerously, hysteria mingling with awe.

Aether felt a cold sweat prick his neck, ’What the hell is going on here?’ he wondered.

”Just as the Archpriestess said... You truly are our God,” the follower declared, voice thick with desperate adoration. The fervour made Aether step back, unsettled, glancing sharply at the Archpriestess.

/What have you been telling them?/

/.../

The Archpriestess avoided his gaze, her thoughts silent. She knew full well the secrets she’d sown behind Aether’s back—turning people’s hearts and faith toward him without his knowing.

Even the Zephyra Group was stunned; none of them had expected this madness.

The Elders frowned, the truth dawning on them—these people they’d thought were nothing but meek followers were, in truth, dangerous and fanatical.

They would do anything to have Aether... even kill themselves.

Was Aether truly worth so much to them?

And even more.... seeing Aether’s face twist with guilt, the entire assembly felt it in their bones: Aether was going to accept.

The way his gaze dropped, the sorrow welling in his eyes, spoke louder than any words.

That raw, vulnerable guilt was unmistakable.... he could never turn his people away, not when they begged so desperately.

The Elders glanced among themselves, tension rising between them like a sudden storm. They knew they needed to act, to find some way to steer the moment, to prevent the line from being crossed.

Just then,

A pure white light began to shimmer from the trembling palms of the devoted follower.

It gathered and pulsed, growing brighter... The follower’s head rose, his eyes shining with tears, yet his lips curved into a radiant, blissful smile, as if nothing in the world could frighten him now.

”I offer unto you all that I am, My God... Every righteous act I’ve ever performed, every heartbeat of devotion—may it all return to you, my living god, the flame that sanctifies my soul and body.”

His voice rang out, full of trembling devotion and awe.

The light he cradled in his hands rose up, lifting itself like a living thing. Before Aether could even move, before he could raise a hand in protest, the ethereal glow drifted forward and brushed his brow. Instantly, warmth flooded Aether—pure, sacred, overwhelming.

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 812↑]

[The virtue is 0.01, so the real value has not changed except for the decimal, which is not shown, but still, the Virtues you take shall reflect in the domain even if there is no visible change in the LOG.]

It was as if the world held its breath: the air trembled, thick with disbelief and ancient awe.

For a moment, no one moved. Even Aether, his beloveds, who thought they had seen all his miracles, were transfixed, caught between reverence and terror at what they had witnessed.

Maelona, always poised and unshakeable, parted her lips, ”O-Only gods have the authority to accept virtues offered to them...”

Yes... among all ancient laws, this was the highest: only true gods could receive the virtues and devotion of mortals, could bear the weight of worship and become more for it.

Even the deepest devotion, if offered to a mortal, would pass away like wind in a field.

But a god could make it eternal.

The Elders’ faces turned from shock to utter horror.

One of them, trembling, muttered, ”Yes... now that I think of it... It’s always just been a legend from our old stories, but... this is the first time I’ve seen it with my own eyes...”

”Oh... goodness! The old tales—they’re true, then...”

”Our ancestors must have truly known. They passed it down in the stories, and we never believed...”

Aether blinked, dazed, the world spinning slightly as he tried to process what had just happened. This wasn’t what he had hoped for.... Around him, people murmured, their voices low and feverish, fear and awe mixing in every glance.

It was a miscalculation, a path he had never meant to walk.

’Tsk. I should have known... these Aurora people are more manic than any others,’ he thought, lips pressed into a weary, troubled line, ’At this rate... they might truly become a cult, and I’d be the idol they worship. I never wanted this.’

He could already feel their awe-struck gazes.

Aether tried to shake off the oppressive air, but his eyes filled again with tears—torn between gratitude, dread, shame, and a strange, aching loneliness.

”Oh... my goodness, I am blessed to receive this from you,” he managed at last, voice soft and broken as he patted the follower’s shoulder, offering the only comfort he had left.

The follower trembled, overcome. ”A-Are you still angry at us?” he stammered, afraid and hopeful at once.

Aether drew a long, trembling breath and shook his head slowly. ”I am not angry... I have already forgiven.”

”T-Then why, my God? Why do you still sound so sad?” The plea was raw, almost childlike.

Aether hesitated, pain and longing naked in his voice as he answered, ”Because... I will take care of you all... but who will take care of me?”

The words echoed, haunting the hearts of all who listened.

”OHHH!!” the follower wailed, voice cracking with raw anguish as he slapped himself again and again, red marks blooming across his cheeks.

’O-Okay calm down, man... calm down’ Aether thought inwardly, seeing those slapping.

His sobs echoed, ”What have we done!! What unforgivable thing have I done in my blindness and zeal?” He trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, unable to lift his head.

Aether watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart, his own breath coming unsteady and tight.

The High Priest, seeing the follower’s agony, moved swiftly. He placed a steadying hand on the man’s shoulder, whispering gentle words of comfort, and carefully guided him back to his seat, murmuring encouragement, doing everything he could to calm the shuddering man.

Aether slowly sat back, hands trembling as he wiped at the sheen of tears in his eyes. But the pain lingered, sharp and bitter, as he realised the Saintess still knelt before him, unyielding in her posture of devotion.

Aria’s face was a portrait of sorrow, a storm of emotions—regret, hope, longing—twisting across her features.

Sandra remained perfectly still, her body motionless but her eyes locked deeply on Aether’s, searching for something only he could provide.

Everyone was waiting for Aether’s answer.

Aether closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in raggedly, summoning the courage to face what awaited him. He rubbed his tired, aching eyes, then turned first to Aria, his gaze softening.

”I loved her... I still do... My first love could never disappear, not even with time, not even with fate pulling us apart.”

Aria’s eyes shimmered with unspoken feeling.

The Elders who had spent much of the meeting watching and judging shared a quiet, victorious smile, feeling destiny, at last, swinging in their favour.

Aether’s voice lowered, touched with memory and a trace of pain, as he shifted to Sandra.

”Aqua... Aqua is the reason I met so many people—people I never would have known, lives I never would have touched. If she had not intervened, if she had not taken me from the darkness of my old world... who knows where I would have ended up. Cast aside as trash, forgotten... lost to despair.” He gave a hollow, aching laugh, brittle and sharp, that made even the bravest in the room look away, hearts clenching.

But after a breath, he offered a faint, gentle smile, ”So I love her. I really do. She is... irreplaceable.”

Turning his focus to the Saintess, he knelt to meet her at eye level, reaching out to gently rest his hand atop her bowed head, voice trembling, ”I hav—”

The Saintess interrupted, raising her face with strength and dignity. ”Love can come at any time... even after marriage. Even after the world has shattered and rebuilt itself a thousand times, love can still be born.”

Aether’s own tears spilled freely as he smiled at her, full of warmth and gratitude. ”I understand your devotion, and... I am truly, truly grateful to have someone as gentle as you as my wife, even if fate is not kind to us.”

The Aurora people, watching every word, looked to each other in surprise and hope.

Aether nodded slowly to himself, gathering every ounce of resolve, then closed his eyes. For a moment, the world seemed to still. When he opened them again, his gaze was brighter but heavy with sorrow.

”Yeah... I cannot marry anyone then.”

”WHAT?!”

The collective cry rose up, shock and disbelief painting every face in the room.

Aether offered a weak, apologetic smile, tears trembling on his lashes.

”I am sorry... I-I cannot choose one among them!

N-Not when each of you has given me a piece of your soul, your future, your love.” His words were heavy, each one seeming to cost him dearly.

”Naiadae... she’s the one who fed me, who gave me food and warmth and a place to rest, who nursed me back from nothing and taught me what it meant to be seen.” He looked at Sandra, the tears streaming openly now. ”She... without her kindness, without her grace, I would be nothing. For that, I could never wound her, never turn my back on her sacrifices.”

Sandra’s expression melted, her fierce demeanour softening into something tender and vulnerable.

Aether turned, voice trembling, to Zephyra. ”Zephyra... is the one who let me grow. My powers, my skills, even my capacity for love—all of it, she showed me that life could be more than just pain, more than just old scars. She taught me what it meant to heal, to move forward, to trust in something better.”

The Elders, listening, could not hide their awe.

That a human could feel so deeply about their Empire, could say such things with such conviction, was both humbling and frightening.

Then, at last, Aether turned to the Aurora Group. His voice was barely more than a whisper, choked with feeling.

”Aurora... is...” He smiled gently through his tears. ”I... I don’t even have the words. You gave me purpose. You found a nobody and gave him a name, a title, a chance at life. You cared for me like I was your own child. For that, I am honoured beyond measure—beyond what words can capture.”

The Aurora group could not contain themselves. They wept openly, some burying their faces in their hands, others reaching for one another, united by their shared devotion and heartbreak.

”That’s why... I cannot choose one above the others... I am sorry if I have disappointed you all.” Aether’s face crumpled, defeat etched into every line as he rose slowly to his feet.

Each movement seemed heavy, as if gravity itself fought to keep him rooted in place. He turned, head bowed, to leave the meeting.

His legs trembled, barely able to carry him beneath the unbearable weight of abandonment and guilt pressing into his bones.

All eyes followed his slow, halting steps. They watched, breathless, as the man who could not choose love over loyalty, or loyalty over love, tried to walk away from everything.

What a man, they all thought, silent awe mingling with their grief and admiration.

Aether’s steps were painfully slow in their eyes... well, he was walking in very slow motion!!

One Elder watched Aether, old eyes glittering with sudden inspiration. Abruptly, the Elder lunged to his feet and shouted,

”Then... take them all!”

The words rang out, shattering the air and turning every head in the room.

Especially among the Aurora Group, shock rippled like a wave, leaving them frozen, breathless.

Aether stopped dead in his tracks, body stiffening. For a split second, a dangerous, wicked grin curled his lips—so quick and subtle no one could have noticed.

Cunning, sharp, and predatory, the look vanished before anyone could see.

Sandra, Maelona, and Sera blinked, startled by the sudden turn. In truth, they had expected to be the ones pushing that solution, to be the ones cornering Aether into such a fate.

To think that an old, stubborn Elder would be the one to suggest it!!!

Their surprise melted into sly, knowing smirks~