Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1476: Official Engagement of Aerionis Zephyra: Part-3

Step!

Kaelith Zephyr, father of Aria Zephyr, Elder of the High Elves, and former Emperor of the Aerionis Zephyra Empire, stepped onto the platform.

He wore a greenish silver ceremonial robe, its layered fabric flowing gently with every passing breeze. His expression remained calm and serene, befitting one who had ruled and relinquished power alike.

Behind him followed three other Elders, their movements synchronised and solemn as they carried a large ceremonial plate draped in finely woven silvery cloth, deeply embroidered with the sacred symbol of the Empire.

Everyone watching fell into a heavy silence.

Maelona stepped back toward the corner of the platform, her posture composed and dignified as she observed the scene.

“Is that your father, the one who is into men?” Nightfire, who was in Aether’s form, whispered softly into Aria’s ears.

Aria’s lips twitched at the bluntness of the question, her expression tightening for a brief moment before she slowly nodded in confirmation.

Aether raised his eyebrows slightly as his gaze settled on Kaelith. Though Kaelith did not compare to his beloved in presence or allure, there was still an undeniable elegance in him.

“Pity,” Aether muttered quietly in disappointment… It’s not like Nightfire, judging, as she had seen her share of weirdness in her life, she’s just surprised to see it outside of the Void Empire.

Kaelith came to a stop before them, his eyes softening the instant they fell upon his daughter.

A warm and gentle smile spread across his face as he placed his right hand upon Aria’s shoulder. Aria mirrored the gesture, her hand resting against him as he leaned forward, his forehead touching hers, his voice lowered with emotion as he spoke,

“I am truly happy that you found the courage to follow your heart and the love to stand by it, my dear child.”

Aria’s eyes shimmered with tears she did not try to hide, her smile trembling as she nodded slowly.

Kaelith stepped back after a moment, drawing a breath before turning his attention toward Aether. He placed his right hand upon Aether’s shoulder as well, firm yet sincere, and leaned his forehead forward in the same gesture of acceptance and respect.

“It brings me peace to see you take this step with her,” he said quietly but warmly.

“I am truly happy for you too, Aether. Welcome, my son-in-law.”

“Okay… but,” Aether blinked, clearly struggling to restrain himself before continuing, “tell me something honestly. How exactly do you handle sword fighting?”

“Huh?” Kaelith responded, visibly confused.

“I mean… in bed, how do you do it?” Aether continued with shameless curiosity. “I just want to understand your techniq—Ouch!”

Before Aether could finish, Aria stomped hard on his foot, her face burning with fury as she glared at him.

She was only seconds away from committing murder in broad daylight. Thankfully, their voices had not reached the others nearby.

Kaelith frowned as he stared at Aether with confusion and a little bit of hurt.

He knew Aether was not the type to judge or ridicule, yet hearing such crude words spoken so casually unsettled him more than he expected.

It stung!

After all, Aether had been the first to accept him without hesitation and without shame. Even giving his life an official arrangement.

Before Kaelith could take offence, Aria leaned closer and whispered hurriedly, her voice tight with embarrassment and urgency,

“F-Father, his situation is… complicated right now. Please, just continue.”

Kaelith studied Aether for a brief moment longer, noting the broad, carefree smile on his face that carried no malice, only foolish curiosity.

He then glanced toward Maelona, who subtly nodded, silently urging him to proceed.

Kaelith exhaled slowly, his thoughts tangled as he wondered what kind of chaos these two were stirring even during a sacred ceremony.

Shaking it off, he turned toward the gathered people, straightened his posture, and spoke aloud with a voice that carried authority tempered by reverence,

“It is truly wonderful to see you all gathered here to bless this awe-inspiring new beginning,” he said,

“High Elves of Faeria Arbor and citizens of the Aerionis Zephyra Empire, once again, thank you for your presence, and welcome.”

Everyone present lowered their heads slightly.

“As such, I shall begin the ritual,” Kaelith declared solemnly. As he raised his hands and brought his palms together in a deliberate clap, the Elders standing nearby responded at once.

One of them stepped forward, careful and respectful, holding a ceremonial tray balanced steadily in both hands.

Kaelith’s gaze shifted briefly toward Liora, who remained seated upon her chair, her posture relaxed and her expression unmistakably bored, as though the proceedings barely held her interest.

“If you may?” Kaelith asked calmly.

Liora waved her hand dismissively, signalling that she would be fine.

Even so, a faint frown crossed her face as she tilted her head slightly, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air for reasons known only to her.

Kaelith glanced next at Maelona, who returned his look with a weak, forced smile that failed to reach her eyes.

“Sshh”

Drawing in a slow breath, Kaelith was no longer certain whether he should even use the ingredients he had chosen with such care and devotion.

Ever since he had learned of his daughter’s official engagement, he stopped everything for his own life, and he had prepared everything according to ancient texts, selecting sacred elements meant to bless and protect her future.

He had even accounted for Liora, knowing she too would be bound to Aether through this union, and so he had not hesitated in extending the same reverence.

Yet now, standing before everyone, the engagement felt strange to him.

Hollow! Might be the right word for this.

Should such sacred items be used for something that felt so uncertain, so much like a game?

Even though Maelona had painstakingly explained a month ago that this engagement was to be treated nearly as marriage itself.

Still, Kaelith gently lifted the woven silvery cloth from the tray, revealing what lay beneath.

Three large brown seeds rested there, carefully arranged in a straight line.

With pride steadying his voice, Kaelith announced to all present,

“By the Sacred Laws of Union, inscribed before crown and throne were ever named, a bond is not forged by promise alone, but by origin itself.

This union shall build its very beginning.

Behold the seeds of our beloved nature… The Sacred Zephyra Seeds.”

A wave of shock spread instantly through the High Elves. Eyebrows shot upward in disbelief, and several Elders nearly stumbled back in their seats as the name echoed across the platform.

“The Sacred Zephyra Seeds?” Dora asked curiously as she leaned slightly toward Kaelen beside her.

“What exactly are those?”

Kaelen swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry as he stared at the tray. “Since ancient times,” he muttered slowly, “Countless great trees and sacred seeds were lost or destroyed. Among them… these were said to be the Sacred Zephyra Seeds.”

He swallowed again, unable to tear his eyes away as he continued, “According to Elanthariel’s Archive, the grand Elven library, these seeds shaped entire worlds. They protected nature and its people by offering their own lives. It even states that this was the first and foremost seed to ever appear upon this barren land, the one that changed the fate of the entire Empire.”

His voice grew quieter, “After the ancient era ended, no record of this seed was ever heard again. It survived only as myth, as fantasy… until now.”

Dora’s eyebrows lifted higher in astonishment. “That’s incredible,” she murmured. “But if that’s true, then how did he come to possess something like that?”

Kaelen shook his head slowly, confusion etched clearly across his face. It was the same expression shared by nearly every Elder and scholar, People, all of whom knew the legend by heart.

How had Kaelith obtained such a sacred thing? And how had he managed to keep its existence hidden from every soul until this moment?

Shock rippled through the crowd, though one thought quietly failed to cross their minds. Kaelith was a former Emperor, the one who had protected this land for countless years. His ancestors and their ancestors before them had ruled the Empire since its earliest days.

Only his bloodline had held the throne until Alaric emerged as the chosen one.

And some secrets were never meant to leave that lineage.

Seeing the seeds revealed upon the tray, Aria’s eyes filled with tears as her gaze slowly lifted toward her father.

“F-Father?” she whispered with a trembling voice.

Kaelith smiled gently at her. Any seed could have fulfilled the ritual’s requirements; something simple would have sufficed, yet he had chosen this. That alone made Aria’s heart ache.

She could hardly believe he was willing to give something so precious, something so deeply bound to their bloodline.

“As your father, I failed you when you needed me the most,” Kaelith said quietly, his voice steady but heavy with regret.

“I made choices I can never forgive myself for.”

His gaze shifted briefly toward Maelona, pain flickering behind his eyes. “When I married her, I lacked the power to say out loud what mattered,” he admitted, before turning back to Aria.

“And even after I gained that power… I still repeated the same mistakes my parents forced upon me.”

His eyes trembled slightly.

Kaelith remained burdened by guilt, especially for forcing Aria into marriage with Alaric. He had believed power could rewrite fate, that authority alone could shield her from suffering.

Yet even with the throne beneath him, fate had remained the same for him and his daughter.

Deep within his heart, he still blamed himself for every tear his daughter had shed, for every scar she carried unseen.

His gaze drifted down to the seeds. His parents had once entrusted him with them, instructing him to pass them down from Emperor to Emperor, a sacred heirloom meant to endure without end.

Yet when the time came, he had not given them to Alaric. His ancestors had never imagined anyone beyond their own lineage would wear the crown, and so he had held the seeds back.

Until now…

Kaelith smiled softly, his voice gentle but resolute. “I do not believe in miracles,” he admitted, “but I hope this will guide you… just as your mother’s heirloom once guided you.”

Aria’s eyes widened, tears slipping free as she turned toward Maelona, who met her gaze with a warm, reassuring smile.

Kaelith’s expression hardened as he extended his hand. One of the Elders stepped forward and placed a sharpened wooden knife into his palm. Raising his voice so all could hear, Kaelith declared solemnly,

“Our lives are drawn from the land.

Our sustenance is borne of root and rain.

Our shelter rises from branch and stone.

Our nature endures through sacrifice.

Our blood remembers.

Our people endure.

Our ancestors watch….”

Aria lifted her right hand without hesitation.

“And our one and only Aerionis Zephyra Empire!”

Kaelith said before raising the wooden knife and shouted as he swing down,

“FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Chuck~

Kaelith cut her palm deep enough for blood to well forth.

“FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

The people shouted in unison, their expressions fierce and resolute.

Without delay, he picked up the first seed and placed it gently into her bleeding hand.

Aria nodded firmly, clenching her hand closed and sealing the seed within her blood, her expression burning with solemn determination.

Aether blinked, his playful demeanour finally fading. “T-This is serious…” he muttered under his breath. Until now, he had treated everything lightly, almost as a game, but witnessing the gravity of the ritual forced the truth upon him.

This was an honour that demanded real one… not the fake like him!

Kaelith slightly bowed his head respectfully before Aria, then turned and stepped toward Aether.

As Kaelith raised his hand once more, Aether mirrored the motion awkwardly, tension visible in his posture.

“FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

Chuck~

The blade sliced into his palm.

“FOR THE AERIONIS ZEPHYRA!”

The people roared again.

Aether flinched sharply,

“Fuc—”

Before he could finish the curse, Aria shot him a deadly glare, her eyes sharp and merciless, silently warning him not to ruin the gravity of the ritual or the sacred moment unfolding before them.

Kaelith smiled softly, attempting to calm the sudden tension, as his fingers moved toward the ceremonial tray. Instead of reaching for the second seed, his hand hesitated in midair. He then deliberately skipped it and moved directly to the third one, lifting it with careful reverence, preparing to place it upon Aether’s still-bleeding palm when—

!!!

Aether suddenly recoiled as if struck by an unseen force, his entire body stiffening. His eyes darted wildly around the platform, scanning the air itself as though something only he could sense had just shifted.

“I-I need to go! SORRY!!” he shouted, panic bleeding into his voice as he spun around and ran from the platform without hesitation, abandoning the ritual in a single frantic motion.

Kaelith, Aria, Maelona… Everyone present—froze in stunned disbelief, blinking repeatedly as they struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

Did their saviour… just abandon them?

Confusion twisted rapidly into horror and deep unease as murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd, spreading faster with every breath taken.

“What’s going on here?”

“Why did he suddenly run away like that?”

“Don’t tell me Princess Aria scared him off?”

“Of course she did! Argh! What else could it be? She literally hurt him right in front of us. What do you think would happen behind closed walls?”

“And Lady Liora didn’t even stand up. That alone proves neither of them cared. They were probably planning to harm him!”

The accusations multiplied rapidly, voices overlapping as judgment hardened. Frowns deepened, and condemnation fell swiftly, with Aria and Liora becoming the immediate targets of the crowd’s fear and suspicion.

Aria and Maelona desperately shouted through their shared connection,

/Nightfire, come back this instant!/

/Please, Nightfire, I know this is overwhelming, but just a few more moments and everything will be over!/

There was no reply.

The silence stretched painfully, pressing down upon everyone present until—

Suddenly, Liora’s tail swayed slowly, then more deliberately. Her nose wrinkled as she inhaled deeply, sensing something familiar. Her head tilted left, then right, as though tracking a presence moving just beyond sight.

Abruptly, she snapped her gaze to the right, her tail whipping sharply as her eyes ignited.

“Husband?” she murmured softly as her tail swirled like a helicopter’s wings!

Step!

A figure stepped onto the platform with unhurried grace, clad in immaculate white ceremonial garments woven from fabric that seemed neither wholly silk nor wholly light. The edges were embroidered with leaves traced in fine green thread, while the inner sleeves and neckline carried a deep green-golden hue that shimmered softly.

Sharp eyes, calm yet unfathomably deep, as his black hair flowed freely, strands lifting and swaying as his fingers passed through them in a slow, habitual motion, though no wind stirred the air.

That single gesture carried elegance refined through countless lifetimes, stealing the breath of millions in a heartbeat.

His steps were steady and resolute, each footfall sending an invisible pressure through the air. The whispers died immediately, every voice cut short as though the entire gathering had been forcibly grounded into silence. His presence alone carried overwhelming authority.

Dora’s and Kaelen’s eyes widened in sudden realisation, while Aria, Liora, and Maelona were already in tears, emotions surging uncontrollably as relief collided within them.

Just his presence was enough to assert absolute dominance as he stood near the edge of the platform. He slowly looked over everyone gathered there, his ice blue eyes gazed everyone, before speaking in a calm yet profoundly commanding tone,

“Forgive the delay… I have returned.”