Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1477: Official Engagement of Aerionis Zephyra: Part-4

What was happening here?

That single thought filled every mind present.

They could not understand why, nor could they fully accept what they were witnessing.

Yet one thing felt undeniable. The man standing before them now felt profoundly different from the man who had stood in the same place only minutes ago.

His aura alone made bodies flinch without conscious thought. His quiet charisma stirred hearts, forcing breaths to hitch and pulses to falter. Sharp eyes swept across the gathered crowd, leaving skin prickling as if stripped bare under his gaze. Then there was his voice. Dangerous, calm, and heavy with authority, yet gentle enough to steady trembling hearts. Without realising it, they found themselves breathing easier.

Aether looked over everyone slowly, allowing the silence to settle. A gentle smile formed on his lips. He lowered his head in a respectful bow,

”I did not mean to show disrespect toward this sacred ceremony. My actions were thoughtless, and for that, I ask you to accept my apology.”

A brief pause followed.

Then one by one, people blinked, tension loosening as awkward nods spread through the crowd. Heads shook lightly, gestures unspoken yet clear... It was fine.

They would accept it.

After all, they were the ones who needed him, not the other way around!

Still, glances were exchanged from one person to another... Why did this man feel so unlike before?

Why did his presence now carry such weight?

Anyway,

Aether turned toward Aria, whose eyes shimmered, tears threatening to spill at any moment. Then his gaze shifted to Liora, who grinned openly with teary eyes, her tail swirling behind her like an uncontrollable storm. Both stood on the edge of breaking, hearts pounding after so long seeing their husband standing before them once more.

They wanted to run to him. To bury themselves in his arms, to kiss him, to cry against his chest and confirm that he was real.

Every instinct screamed for it!!

Yet,

Maelona’s voice cut through their thoughts instantly through their shared connection. She ordered them to stay where they were, fully aware they would abandon all restraint without hesitation, even before the entire world.

She understood them too well, because... the same impulse burned within her own heart.

Aria and Liora’s lips trembled as they swallowed their emotions. They nodded silently, forcing themselves to remain in place. Aether watched them with softened eyes, a quiet smile touching his face before he turned toward Kaelith.

”Please forgive my impudence. I did not intend to disrupt what is holy to your people.”

Kaelith stared at him without speaking at first. Though he and Aether had never been particularly close, he could see it clearly now. This presence, this composure, this gravity.

The man before him was genuine.

A small smile broke across Kaelith’s face, worn yet sincere.

”It is alright. Sometimes, time does not stand on our side,” he said, releasing a soft chuckle as he gestured for Aether to stand beside Aria.

Before he could finish the motion, Liora had already stepped forward, planting herself firmly next to Aria with her hand raised high, eyes blazing with resolve.

Kaelith blinked, surprise flickering across his features as he looked at her. Amusement followed soon after, mixed with understanding. At last, he saw what had changed within her all this time.

”I thought you had no interest in our traditions,” he said lightly.

Liora frowned, lips twitched with impatience,

”Just do it already.”

Kaelith laughed quietly, shaking his head as he observed her barely contained urgency. It was obvious.

This woman loved Aether as fiercely as his own daughter ever could.

His gaze drifted briefly toward Aether, a hint of disbelief crossing his mind. This man had accomplished what neither Kaelith’s father nor his forefathers ever had. He had claimed the hearts of two women from different tribes, bound by devotion rather than conquest.

The two long-lasting rivals, years of jealousy, years of pain, years of secrets, years of hatred... had finally calmed down before a single man.

It was... amazing by the way!

Drawing in a steady breath, Kaelith raised the wooden knife high, his voice booming with solemn authority.

”FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Chuck~

The blade cut cleanly into her palm.

”FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Though confusion still lingered over Liora’s sudden resolve, the people answered without fail.

Dora remained frozen in surprise at Aether’s sudden presence. Her eyes stayed fixed on him for a moment longer as she asked,

”When did he wake up?”

No answer came.

Instead,

Sniff... sniff...

Dora blinked, confusion crossing her face as she turned to the side. She was surprised when she saw Kaelen. He was openly bawling, shoulders trembling as tears streamed down his face, eyes locked onto Aether as if afraid he might vanish.

”D-Dad...” he choked out, sniffing hard as his voice broke again.

Dora parted her lips, then slowly closed them. She shook her head once, choosing silence over words, and turned her gaze back toward Aether. Her brow furrowed when she noticed his left hand appearing whole once more.

’Did they manage to heal his hand?’ she wondered.

Her pink eyes glowed faintly as her perception sharpened... The hand was no more than a carefully crafted illusion.

A low hum escaped her lips as she processed it thoughtfully.

”Excuse me.”

The sudden voice made her stiffen. A hooded figure stepped into the first row and calmly took the empty seat beside Kaelen. Dora and Kaelen both frowned.

Then the hood was pulled down, revealing... Ashara.

”Haha... we changed our clothes,” Ashara said with a soft, awkward smile.

She glanced around briefly before adding nothing more.

Since Nightfire could not reveal her true form here, Ashara took over.

Meanwhile, back on the platform, the ceremony continued.

Kaelith had the seed for Aether earlier and carefully placed it into Liora’s bloodied palm. She clenched her fist tightly around it, bowing her head with solemn resolve.

Kaelith mirrored her gesture, bowing his head in return. Then he straightened and motioned for Aether to step forward.

Aether nodded and stepped forward, and without hesitation, he placed his right hand firmly on Kaelith’s shoulder, his grip tightening. Kaelith raised an eyebrow in surprise before a small, warm smile spread across his face. He lifted his own right hand, put it on his shoulder and leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

”Please take care of my daughter,” Kaelith said, his voice soft yet trembling, ”And protect the future of this Empire.”

Aether smiled, ”I will protect it,” he replied firmly. ”Father-in-law.”

Kaelith’s smile deepened as he looked into Aether’s serious gaze. Stepping back, he raised the wooden knife once more.

Aether raised his right hand in response and opened his palm.

Kaelith shouted,

”FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Chuck~

The wooden blade grazed Aether’s palm, slicing cleanly through flesh.

”FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Kaelith then carefully took the final remaining seed from the tray. Unlike before, he did not simply place it in Aether’s hand. Slowly and gently, he pressed it directly into the fresh cut, ensuring it touched flesh and blood alike.

Aether winced slightly as the seed met his wound, a sharp sensation coursing through him. Before he could adjust his grip, Kaelith closed his fingers firmly around Aether’s hand, forcing him to hold it tight.

”Do not let a single ray of light touch it,” Kaelith instructed in a low, commanding tone. ”Hold it firmly until I say otherwise.”

Aether nodded in understanding.

Then suddenly, a strange sensation surged through his palm. A deep pulling force tugged from within, as if something was entering him while simultaneously trying to tear itself free.

/Are you guys feeling something strange?/ he asked telepathically.

Liora and Aria tilted their heads in unison, with a confused expression. Neither of them felt anything unusual, nor did they understand what Aether was experiencing.

Aether shrugged softly, though the strange sensation refused to subside. Beneath his skin, within the wound on his palm, something continued to itch, to pull, then push back as if testing its place. The feeling was subtle yet persistent, impossible to ignore, and deeply unsettling in a way he could not explain.

Kaelith bowed his head with deliberate calm, and Aether bowed as well.

The empty tray was closed carefully, with sliver cloth, and the elder who carried it stepped back into formation, retreating without a sound.

Kaelith brought his hands together in a single, sharp clap. The sound echoed faintly across the platform. At once, the remaining two elders stepped forward, trays balanced firmly in their hands.

Kaelith reached out and lifted the silver cloths from the trays. One revealed a single chalice, its surface faintly shimmering under the bright sunlight. The other revealed a large wooden bowl filled to the brim with transparent water, so clear it reflected the sky above. Resting within the bowl lay a long, thick wooden spoon, its handle darkened and polished smooth from centuries of use.

With a slow motion of his hand, Kaelith gestured for the trio to kneel.

Aria, Liora, and Aether lowered themselves before him, knees pressing firmly against the platform. Their heads bowed slightly, shoulders squared sharply.

Kaelith took the wooden spoon from the bowl, lifting it slowly as water streamed back into the basin. He held it before Aria, eyes lowering as his lips began to move.

His voice was quiet, almost a murmur,

”Vail-nar SIL-vai, Vail-nar AY-kwen-sai,

Vail-nar PAH-teh-rin, Vail-nar MAH-teh-rin,

en Vail-nar DAY-oh-rin!”

With the final invocation, he tilted the spoon, letting the sacred water pour over Aria’s head.

It flowed through her hair, soaking into her scalp, trailing down her cheeks and neck before dripping onto the stone below.

Without pause, Kaelith took another scoop and poured it over Liora, the water cascading along her hair as well. A third scoop followed, spilling over Aether’s head, running through his hair and down his back.

Water dripped steadily from all three, falling in quiet rhythms against the platform.

Kaelith then lowered the spoon beneath their heads, holding it with steady hands as he carefully collected a single drop from each of them. He watched intently, ensuring no excess fell away.

Once gathered, he turned and handed the spoon to an elder, who accepted it with reverence, cradling it as though it carried life itself.

Kaelith straightened and faced the trio.

”Each of you shall take one sip only,” he said, voice firm and resonant. ”Aria first, then Liora, and finally Aether. No more than a single sip. No spilling. What is sacred must not be wasted.”

They nodded together.

Kaelith then reached for the silver chalice. Its surface was etched with intricate symbols: long ears entwined with forest vines, flowing tails curling around ancient trees, tiny wings carved beside crescent moons and many more... Each marking spoke of tribes, spirits, and oaths long preserved.

Lifting the chalice high, Kaelith turned toward the people.

”May the sacred water bless this union,” he declared, ”and grant them prosperity, balance, and endurance.”

Slowly, he raised the wooden knife and tapped the chalice’s edge.

Ting~

The sound resonated softly, vibrating through the metal. The liquid inside stirred, ripples spreading outward in perfect circles as Kaelith placed the chalice atop Aria’s head. He held it there, allowing the resonance to settle.

In response, the people bowed their heads and clapped their hands once, the unified sound echoing like a heartbeat of the Empire itself.

Kaelith then lowered the chalice with care. Aria, still kneeling, accepted it with steady left hand. She lifted it to her lips and took a single, controlled sip, her expression calm and resolute.

Kaelith reclaimed the chalice, raised it once more into the air, and tapped its edge again with the wooden knife.

Ting~

The echo faded slowly as he placed the chalice upon Liora’s head. And he lowered the chalice to her... She accepted the chalice with a steady left hand, her movements slower than before, reverent. She lifted it carefully and took a single sip, measured and precise, before returning it without a drop wasted.

Just as before, Kaelith raised the chalice once more. He lifted the wooden knife and gave the edge a gentle tap.

Ting~

The soft chime echoed through the ceremonial grounds as Kaelith placed the chalice atop Aether’s head, holding it there briefly before lowering it toward him, signalling for him to drink.

Aether instinctively raised his right hand.

Kaelith immediately shook his head. His gaze shifted pointedly toward Aether’s left side, the meaning unmistakable.

According to the rite, it had to be the left hand.

Aether’s lips curved into a faint, restrained smile. He shook his head slightly, the motion subtle enough not to draw attention, yet clear enough for Kaelith to understand. He could not use it.

Kaelith frowned deeply. Liora, kneeling beside Aether, moved as if to help. Before she could act, Kaelith shook his head again, this time more firmly.

Liora’s lips twitched in frustration.

Meanwhile, in the front row, Dora frowned,

”Is it really forbidden,” she asked quietly, ”to use the other hand? Or for someone else to help him drink?”

Kaelen shook his head, his gaze never leaving the platform.

”This is the old way,” he replied. ”The tradition is strict. It has rules that apply no matter who stands there. No exceptions made lightly.”

Dora clicked her tongue, ’Those traditions...’ she thought bitterly, though her eyes remained fixed on the scene.

She knew the truth. Aether’s left hand was nothing more than an illusion. There was no flesh there to feel the chalice, no grip to steady it.

If there had been even something tangible, it might have worked.

But there was nothing!

Kaelith continued to stare at Aether for several long seconds. According to tradition, this rite was not merely about drinking the sacred water. The chalice had to be touched. The contact itself was part of the vow, part of the bond.

Was there truly no way?

There was an alternative. In ancient times, when war and suffering had claimed limbs and lives alike, and healing was costly and not easily now... the ancestors had carved an exception into the ritual.

Another could feed the one unable to drink!... But not anyone.

Only those bound by blood!

Parents... Or children born of that blood.

Aria’s face tightened with worry, her eyes darting between Aether and Kaelith.

Just as everyone had a confused expression when,

Maelona stepped forward!