Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1545: Official Engagement of Elysiumis Aurora: Part-4

”AETHER ELYSIUMIS!”

His name echoed across the Empire, rolling through the vast sky and beyond mountains as though the very land itself bore witness to the birth of a new beginning filled with hope and love.

The congregation could no longer contain itself.

Tears broke freely among the people.

Tears fell freely. People clutched their friends and families, pulling one another into trembling embraces. Mothers held their babies tightly against their chests, fathers laughed through wet eyes, and elders bowed their heads with gratitude that had been stored in their hearts for years.

”F-Finally!”

”Our Archpriest has returned us to light!”

”YYaaayyyy!!”

The sacred fire burned steadily at the centre, its glow reflecting in countless tearful eyes.

Aether stood within the circle of light, watching the wave of emotion ripple outward. A soft smile touched his lips. Helena and Sera stood beside him, their expressions warm and luminous, hands gently clasped before them as though absorbing every cry of happiness.

After a moment, Aether leaned slightly toward one of the High Priests,

”What is this strange, symbol filled circle truly for?”

The High Priest immediately bowed his head, speaking in a hushed tone meant only for Aether.

”It is an ancient marriage ritual, Archpriest. The scriptures state that when the union is accepted not only by those present but by the world itself, it will illuminate the entire Empire in divine brilliance. That is what the ancient texts proclaim, however... no one has ever witnessed it fulfilled, and so it has been used as tradition.”

Aether’s brows drew together slightly. ”Marriage ritual?”

The High Priest visibly flinched and bowed even deeper. ”Please forgive us. The Archpriestess was the one who insisted that this ritual be performed today.”

Aether blinked, then released a quiet sigh while waving his hand dismissively. At this rate, he thought, perhaps he should simply marry them openly rather than allowing these hidden layers of ceremony to unfold in secrecy.

It was not only her. Others, too, had clearly been arranging things behind the scenes.

”But still... it will brighten the entire Empire?” he muttered thoughtfully.

He crouched down, leaning closer to examine the solidified wax that formed the intricate circle at his feet.

The once intricate symbols had hardened into pale ridges, faintly shimmering under the cresset’s flames.

He extended a finger cautiously.

Just as his fingertip was about to touch the cooled wax—

Spark!

A thin streak of pure white light leaped from his fingertip without warning.

The instant it brushed the wax, the hardened circle ignited with radiant white brilliance.

The wax did not burn. It glowed... violently!

The entire magic circle flared alive, lines of light racing through the carved symbols like lightning tracing ancient pathways. The hardened wax melted smoothly, liquefying into luminous streams that pulsed with steady energy.

”What’s going on!”

”It’s glowing!”

”Oh my god, it’s actually glowing!”

Gasps rippled through the area.

Sera and Helena, who had been waving gently to their followers, froze mid-motion. They turned sharply toward the magic circle as it slowly flared to life, their eyes immediately finding Aether crouched at its centre.

Aether blinked rapidly and pulled his hand back at once and moved back immediately, ”I... I didn’t do anything—”

Before he could finish, a deep, resonant sound swept through the air.

SSSSHHHHH~

The cresset’s flames surged upward in a sudden column of white fire. The air above the circle twisted and spiralled, forming a visible current that rotated inward. It felt as though the stage itself had begun breathing in.

The glowing circle intensified. Pure white flames danced along its edges, rising and falling like living silk. Tiny particles shimmered in the air, drifting upward in sparkling arcs before being drawn toward the cresset’s core.

People instinctively stepped back from the stage. Those holding candles suddenly cried out as their candle began to shrink rapidly in their hands. The flames atop each wick flickered violently before stretching upward into thin streams of light.

One by one, streams of fire were pulled from every candle, flowing through the air like luminous rivers and converging into the cresset. It was as though countless threads of light were being woven into a single blazing heart.

Every candle held by the people in the empire was drained, its flame devoured and absorbed.

Even those who had remained at home, kneeling before live footage in quiet devotion, stared in shock as the flames of their own candles were suddenly drawn upward, leaving behind only thin trails of yellow flames.

Like magical rivers of flame flowing across a darkened sky, the streams of light moved with miraculous grace.

They arched and intertwined above the Empire, luminous currents cutting through the night. The people watched in awe and shock alike, their faces lit by the glow of something they had only ever heard about in ancient stories.

As the gathered flames were drawn fully into the cresset, the magic circle beneath it flared violently.

The white lines pulsed brighter and brighter, the light intensifying with dangerous rhythm as though the ground itself had begun to breathe.

Then,

Then—

BUUUUUFFFFFFFFFF!!!

A colossal burst of radiant white erupted upward.

It shot from the heart of the circle like a pillar forged from pure divinity, tearing through the air in a blazing column that forced everyone to shield their eyes. The beam was so brilliant it felt solid, as if light had gained weight and form.

The beam pierced through the protective barrier and struck the sky above.

BUOOOFFFF!~

For a heartbeat, silence reigned.

Then the heavens changed.

The once dark sky fractured under the radiance. Clouds dissolved into pale vapour. Stars faded beneath the overwhelming brilliance. What had been night moments ago transformed into blinding luminosity, brighter than noon... purer than dawn!

The entire Empire was bathed in white light.

From towering citadels to humble cottages, from distant mountain ridges to quiet rivers winding through the land, everything glowed.

Shadows vanished completely!

Bells around the Empire danced in the air furiously,

Ding~Dong~Ding~Ding~

People across the Empire looked upward in stunned disbelief. Some dropped to their knees. Others laughed in breathless shock. Children pointed at the sky with wide eyes, their faces illuminated by light that felt warm but not scorching.

Sera’s hand instinctively found Helena’s. Helena squeezed back, both of them staring at the sky.

Aether blinked, an almost amused expression crossing his face.

!~Ding~!

[New Title Acquired: Seraphael Aurorien Sovereign.]

’Yup, the ancient bastards were not playing around.’

He gave a small shrug, faintly impressed.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze from the blazing sky.

And then he saw them.

Under the vast cascade of white radiance, his beloveds stood bathed in light that seemed woven just for them.

Seraphina Ashwood stood nearest to him, clothed in a single draped white garment that clung gracefully along her form perfectly and tightly. Golden symbols traced delicate paths across the fabric, glowing faintly beneath the descending beam.

Strands of fine jewellery adorned her, slender earrings catching the light and scattering it in soft sparks. Around her waist, strings of pale pearls shimmered with each breath she took. Her long, grey hair flowed freely down her back like a silver river illuminated by moonlight, each strand reflecting the brilliance above.... so sexy!

Her grey eyes, usually calm and steady, now widened with awe. The reflection of the sky’s radiance danced within them, turning them almost translucent.

She looked upward as though witnessing something sacred for the first time, her lips parted slightly in disbelief.

Helena Sunfire stood beside her, radiant in her own right.

She wore a woven gown detailed with delicate grey flowers, their patterns curling along the fabric like quiet poetry. Along the edges, golden stars had been embroidered carefully, each thread catching the intense white glow and shining like fragments of the heavens themselves.

Her golden hair had been braided with care, intricate and elegant, falling over her shoulder in a cascade that gleamed like spun sunlight. The braid shimmered as the light touched it, highlighting every curve and detail.... so cute!

Her golden eyes lifted toward the sky, wide and luminous.

The white beam above them roared silently, painting their skin in pure light.

Both of them were beyond what words could describe.

Aether stared at them in silence while they remained captivated by the transformed sky.

Slowly, the radiance began to fade.

The heavens dimmed, returning to their natural darkness. As the light withdrew, the entire space fell into shadow, and every candle flame and lingering ember died out at once.

In the darkness, no eyes were adjusted enough to see the sudden darkness when,

Chu~

Chu~

Soft, wet sounds echoed faintly through the darkness.

Then golden lanterns flared to life one by one, illuminating the Empire once again with steady warmth.

People blinked rapidly, stunned beyond reason.

Had they truly witnessed the sky turning bright?

Had the ancient scripture spoken truth all along?

Shock and disbelief rendered them speechless.

All they could do was stare at Aether.

For reasons they could not comprehend, Sera and Helena were blushing deeply, lowering their heads as warmth spread across their cheeks and... Aether looked at them with a slight smirk.

They wondered why their hearts raced so fiercely.

The High Priests dropped to their knees, bowing deeply until their foreheads nearly touched the ground.

Tears trembled at the edges of their eyes.

”What kind of miracle have you bestowed upon us, Archpriest?” one of them whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.

The congregation followed. People pressed trembling hands against their chests, fingers clutching fabric as if trying to steady hearts that beat too powerfully to contain. Tears streamed freely, yet no sorrow lingered in those cries.

It was.... devotion so overwhelming that words could not properly hold it.

Only... through this, they could pour it.

From the centre of each bowed chest, something began to rise. At first, it was faint, almost invisible.... But as he focused, he saw them clearly.

Small spheres of pure white light drifted outward, thousands upon thousands of them.

They were no larger than pearls, yet each pulsed gently like a living ember.

They floated upward from the High Priests’ chest!

From the weeping families’ chest!

From every person whose heart overflowed in that sacred moment...

DEVOTION!!!

They looked like ethereal flames without smoke, delicate and luminous.

And they were moving toward him.

Aether stiffened.

The Ethereal spheres gathered around him in spiralling currents before slipping into his body without resistance, without permission. Each one dissolved into warmth the instant it touched his skin.

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 815↑]

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 816↑]

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 817↑]

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 818↑]

[Twin Domains: 949/ 819↑]

[Twin Domains: 949/ 820↑]

[Twin Domains: 949/ 821↑]

....

...

..

The notifications echoed in his mind relentlessly, stacking one after another in rapid succession.

His breathing slowed as he looked up.

The sky above the Empire was no longer just filled with darkness. It now shimmered with countless white spheres drifting through the air like a newborn constellation.

From every city... From every village... From every hidden corner of the land!! They rose.

They came from every inch of the Empire.

All of it flowed toward him.

It looked as though the entire Empire was casting stars into the sky, offering them freely.

To anyone else, it was only darkness.

The Mortal’s eyes couldn’t perceive them at all!

But to Aether, it was unmistakable.

They were throwing their love toward him.

And only he could see it.

His eyes widened slightly, not in fear this time, but in profound astonishment.

The warmth building inside him was unlike anything before.

And atlast it stopped and, as the final orb entered his chest.

!~Ding~!

[Twin Domains: 949/ 916↑]

!~Ding~!

[❗Tolerance of a 15% difference between the domains is Achieved!]

!~Ding~!

[🚨Weapons Activated.]

Aether blinked in surprise as his mouth curled up in happiness—

!~Ding~!