Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey - Chapter 1544: Official Engagement of Elysiumis Aurora: Part-3

Chapter 1544: Official Engagement of Elysiumis Aurora: Part-3

/Aether, Lyirrs has made contact with the Terra Empire./

When Aether heard those words from Selene, he was utterly shocked in surprise!

Contacted Terra Empire?

For real?

How did they manage to reach the Terra Empire?

When did this become possible?

Why was he only learning of it now, at this very moment?

He had never imagined such contact could be established so quickly, and certainly not without his knowledge.

Yet he stood at the heart of a sacred ritual. Hundreds of eyes rested upon him. The scent of melted wax and incense wrapped around the grand stage.

Leaving now was not an option.

Even if he wished to, without his teleportation…. reaching Terra would take time. Responsibility anchored him where he stood.

He inhaled slowly, steadying himself, and spoke inwardly to Selene,

/I will come as soon as the ceremony is over. Stay calm and watch over everything carefully, and if possible, gather everyone and look into it. Will you all be fine until then?/

There was a soft pause before her response arrived.

/Hmm… Okay. We will manage. Do not worry too much. It’s just a simple connection. Mother wanted me to let you know it. That’s all/

Aether smiled gently as he shifted his focus fully to the sacred moment unfolding before him.

The High Priests stood in a solemn semicircle around him, their white robes illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight. Without a word, they began to move in a slow, synchronised circular motion.

They stepped in perfect rhythm, circling him slowly while lifting their arms in graceful arcs. The candles in their hands flickered with golden fire, casting dancing reflections against the floor.

Molten wax dripped and splashed onto the ground as they moved, forming deliberate trails. The liquid shimmered under the golden light, pooling and connecting as if guided by unseen design.

“sshhh…ssh…sh…sh”

Their lips moved in murmured chants, sacred syllables whispered with reverence, each word woven with faith.

Helena and Sera knelt before Aether, their eyes gently closed, their faces serene yet trembling with emotion. Their hands remained lifted toward him, palms open in offering, as though presenting not just candles but their very souls.

The congregation followed suit.

One by one, the gathered believers followed. Eyes closed. Heads bowed. Soft murmurs filled the air like a river of devotion flowing through the area.

The atmosphere grew heavier, yet warmer, saturated with love, hope, and unwavering faith.

Aether inhaled slowly and slowly closed his own eyes, surrendering to the rhythm of the ceremony.

The only sounds were the steady splashing of wax touching stone and the deep murmurs of the High Priests weaving their chant into something tangible.

The scent of melted candle and sacred incense blended into something almost divine, wrapping around him like an unseen embrace.

Time seemed to stretch.

After a long breath of silence, a calm voice echoed gently.

“Please open your eyes.”

Aether opened his eyes slowly. What he saw caused a quiet flicker of admiration to cross his expression.

The liquid wax had formed a perfect circle around them. Intricate symbols curved along its edges. The patterns were complex and elegant, flowing like living script across the floor. Gold and amber light shimmered along the lines, reflecting the candle flames in a thousand tiny sparks.

It was all created from wax alone!

Aether’s lips curved faintly in appreciation… feeling the care and discipline behind their craft.

One of the High Priests stepped away before and had returned carrying a large metal cresset mounted upon a thick rod.

Its surface reflected the surrounding candlelight in fractured gold patterns… and it was engraved with ancient motifs of wings, hands and fears…

With careful hands, they placed it at the centre of the circle near Helena and Sera’s feet, as if positioning the heart of the ritual itself.

Another High Priest approached and bowed slightly before speaking,

“Accept the candles offered before you, and… light the sacred flame. Let your hearts guide the fire, and let your vow become its eternal fuel.”

Aether nodded slowly… His gaze first fell upon Sera.

He stepped closer and gently placed his hand upon her head, fingers resting against her hair in a gesture of blessing and protection.

At his touch, her lashes fluttered open, revealing eyes bright with unshed tears and boundless love.

“I accept your flame, the one that promises never to fade. I will guard it with my own life, and even in darkness, I will stand beside you so that it never dims.”

He reached for her candle carefully, their fingers brushing for a brief moment.

The warmth of her skin lingered as she released it into his hand.

Sera rose slowly to her feet, her smile radiant and trembling with happiness.

Aether placed her candle gently upon the tray held behind him by another High Priest. Then he turned toward Helena.

He stepped forward and touched her head with equal tenderness. Her eyes opened slowly, reflecting the golden flames around them, yet shining brighter than any fire.

He looked into her gaze and spoke with deeper conviction,

“I accept your light, the one that guides me when my path grows uncertain. Together, we will build a life so strong that even heaven itself cannot divide it. Let our faith be stronger than fate, and… let our love endure beyond every trial.”

He took the candle from her hands, holding it with care.

Helena smiled, a little shy yet luminous in her gentleness, as she slowly rose to her feet, the candlelight brushing warmth across her flushed cheeks.

Aether placed her candle carefully upon the tray, and the High Priest extended a guiding hand, leading him toward the towering cresset at the centre of the wax-drawn circle.

They stood before it together, the metal surface gleaming beneath candles.

The High Priest leaned close and whispered sacred words into Aether’s ear. He was asked to repeat them softly before the cresset, as though confiding secrets and promises into a silent witness that would remember every word.

Everyone held their breath as they watched with solemn expressions. Fingers tightened around candle stems as silent prayers pressed heavily within their chests.

When Aether finished whispering those vows to the cresset, the High Priest lowered himself onto one knee and raised the tray toward him with reverence.

Aether took the first candle…. He leaned forward and gently placed the candle against the coals within the cresset.

Yet, Nothing happened.

The candle flame continued its small, graceful dance, yet the coal remained dark.

Aether gave a faint hum under his breath, thoughtful rather than troubled.

Then he reached for the second candle and set it carefully beside the first, letting both flames kiss the coal together.

Again, there was no immediate reaction.

The fire swayed softly… but the cresset did not awaken.

Aether blinked once, a faint crease forming between his brows. He turned his gaze toward Sera for answers.

Sera met his look with calm certainty. She did not speak. She only smiled, serene and unwavering, as if she understood something he did not.

Helena, too, remained still. Not only them, but the congregation also waited without restlessness.

No whisper rose.

No doubt stirred.

It was as if the entire empire held a single, collective breath.

In layman’s terms… pin drop silence!

Several long seconds stretched across the empire…

Then,

Spark!

BUFFFF!

A sudden spark leapt from the two candles’ joined flames, and in the next heartbeat the flames burst upward, fierce and brilliant, as though tasting fire for the first time in centuries.

The blaze rose high before settling into a powerful, steady dance.

Pop… Pop… spark… Pop… sshhh….

Tiny embers and glowing particles drifted into the air like golden fireflies, spiralling gently through the sacred space.

The warmth expanded outward, brushing against faces… feeling the gentle warmth everywhere from the single cresset.

A quiet wave of relief and awe rippled through the crowd.

The High Priests gathered around Aether, Helena, and Sera, forming a protective circle before bowing their heads deeply in respect.

One of them lifted an ornate scroll, sealed with golden wax bearing the sigil of the Empire. He presented it to Sera with solemn grace.

She accepted it with a graceful bow and unrolled the scroll slowly. The parchment shimmered faintly in the firelight as her clear voice carried both authority and devotion.

“With the conclusion of this sacred ceremony, Archpriestess Seraphina Ashwood and Saintess Helena Sunfire shall henceforth stand joined in holy union with our Archpriest, their hearts entwined and their destinies sealed beneath the eternal gaze of the Empire.”

Her eyes shimmered in the reflection of the cresset’s flames as she stepped closer to it, holding the scroll firmly yet reverently.

Raising her voice so that every soul within the hall could hear, she continued.

“Our Archpriest shall bear the sacred name of our Empire, binding him and his responsibilities eternally to this holy land.”

Her voice rose louder and clearer,

“Let Heaven witness and let the people remember.

From this day forth,

He is Aether Elysiumis.”

The name seemed to settle into the air like something long awaited.

As she placed the scroll into the heart of the fire, the parchment caught instantly.

Puff~

The flames surged upward once more, twisting and gathering into a radiant lotus formed entirely of living fire. Each petal burned in shades of gold, scarlet, and molten white, unfolding in slow, breathtaking motion before dissolving into sparks that drifted upward and vanished like blessings carried to the heavens.

For a heartbeat, every soul in the empire… felt their heart skip.

Then warmth spread across every face.

Eyes glistened with pride and devotion. The congregation lowered their heads deeply, voices rising together in powerful unison that shook the very air.

“AETHER ELYSIUMIS!”

!~Ding~!

[New Title Acquired: Paradox Angel’s Love.]