Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1296: Calming Empires: Part-1

The people all over the Empire were making a mess around, doing whatever they wanted and causing chaos throughout the cities.

The skies over each capital shimmered with a strange, unstable brilliance, streets echoing with shouting merchants, drunken nobles, and desperate citizens clawing for power they barely understood.

The balance of order had collapsed, and every spark of arrogance turned into fire.

The currents were shifting, the places were changing, all because now everyone was equal.

They needed to fix this issue; otherwise, it would be hilarious to see their empires fall inward without the intervention of Clarion energy.

Just as they were so busy trying to climb up the ladder and cause more chaos when,

”Arr... can you hear me?”

Everyone flinched in the Pyra Empire as they looked up and saw a video playing right in their sky.

Drakhairs looked up and slightly smirked, ”Took you long enough.” With an amused grin, he flew away as if his appearance were not needed anymore.

”Always the dramatic one, aren’t you?” he muttered before vanishing into the horizon.

It’s not just them...

In the Zephyra Empire, where duels were going on, they halted in the middle as they saw the sky video flicker and appear before them.

Blades stopped mid-swing... The crowd froze, their battle cries swallowed by awe as the clouds above twisted into a living image.

Kaelen sighed in relief, seeing that the elders were focused on the video rather than on him pushing down, ”Thank goodness you came at the right time, Father,” he muttered as if he was almost on the verge of giving up.

His chest heaved with exhaustion, ”You have no idea how close I was to losing face today,” he whispered under his breath, eyes glinting as the sky’s light reflected in them.

In the Aurora Empire, Sera, who was trying to stop the crowd near the teleportation hub, also saw the image flicker just right above them...

”What is that?”

”Again, another divine punishment?”

The whispers carried a mix of fear and fascination.

The people wondered. Sera smiled softly, ”Finally.”

Her voice trembled slightly, not with fear but with relief.

In the Naiadae, where the private armies that had been fighting with Sandra’s army—which was barely enough—were moving in advance, almost reaching the palace, halted in awe and fear...The clash of steel fell silent. Bloodied soldiers stopped mid-step, faces lifting toward the divine spectacle breaking through the mist and smoke.

”Oi, look at the sky! It’s come again!”

The shout came from somewhere deep within the ranks, filled with disbelief.

Everyone was awed in the bloody field that was almost on the verge of destruction.

Sandra, who was calmly sipping her tea with her sister, who was haughtily drinking,

”So this is what it feels like to leave everything to your husband?” Celesita muttered, almost amused by how calm she was, even though the outside was literally on fire.

Her tone carried both pride and irony.

Sandra smiled faintly. ”That’s precisely why.”

Sandra just hummed softly as her eyes looked at the sky... eager to watch the game her beloved wanted to show them... even though they said they could solve it with just a few announcements, her beloved said he had other plans... and wanted to make sure nothing went on behind his back.

She leaned forward slightly, her pupils reflecting the light above. ”Show them... what kind of man you truly are.”

So they let him, and he took a good amount of days to finally come up with a certain plan... it seems?

They had waited in silence, trusting his strange patience—because when he acted, the world itself trembled.

”Hello... mic testing... can you hear me?”

A voice echoed all over the four Empires, making sure everyone heard it clearly and loudly. Some even clenched their ears, but who cared... the voice needed to echo correctly and perfectly.

It carried authority that silenced the storms, commanding attention.

Everyone frowned as the image looked like some kind of sky view or celestial recording before... a black-haired man stepped forward, wearing white clothes and a gentle expression as his face appeared all over the four Empires.

The light around him pulsed faintly, the air bending as if the world itself bowed to let his image through. His black hair rippled in the unseen breeze, and his calm eyes reflected the weight of heaven behind him.

Seeing him, Aurora was the first to react. After all, it was their Archpriest... what was he doing?

And... how was he doing this?

The citizens froze, uncertain whether to kneel or simply stare.

They looked at him with awe...

Naiadae too realised who this man was... he was the one who was supposed to be the Real Arcane King, right?

Not many, but most of them recognised that face.

Also, in the Zephyra Empire, a few tribes realised who he was... Aria’s husband.

Everyone was surprised to see him... Aether appearing.

His expression was stern and serious as he glanced toward someone off-screen they couldn’t see.

”Was it working, Ms. Lyirrs?... Oh? Okay, I’m live already? Oops.” He chuckled before tightening his collar and looking directly at everyone.

The casual gesture clashed oddly with the scale of his presence, making the entire world feel smaller before him.

”I presume that everyone can hear and see me clearly...” Aether nodded with a soft smile before adding,

”I know many of you don’t know me... Let me introduce myself.

My name is Aether... and... that’s all.” He shrugged lightly, as if the title meant nothing to him now.

Aether weirdly chuckled. ”Feeling a little awkward anyway... The reason I appeared is to make a request to you people—to stop doing all this.

I know it’s hard and chaotic, but you must stop. Believe me, our Empires need our support more than ever, and if you make this any worse... then it will become dangerous for our entire society.”

His tone carried neither arrogance nor pleading—it was the quiet firmness of someone who had seen empires fall before and didn’t wish to watch it happen again.

They looked at the video with slightly annoyed expressions.

”Who the fuck does he think he is?” someone from the crowd shouted.

Everyone blinked before slowly nodding in agreement,

”Yeah, who the hell is he?”

”So what if he was the Ex-Arcane King?”

”He doesn’t have any right to tell us what we should do!”

”Hard? Does he know a single thing about being stomped into the dirt by others?”

”The fuck does he want, that bastard!”

The three empires erupted with furious shouts... except for Aurora, which stayed silent.

They knew who he was... their Archpriest, their saviour, and not a single one of them dared utter anything degrading toward the man who had once saved their Empire.

”Hmm... that’s a nice question... who the fuck am I, right?”

When Aether said that, everyone froze.

Did he just—hear them?

”Of course, I can hear you too, guys... don’t worry. I’ll address everything perfectly,” Aether said with a calm face, his voice carrying that same soft echo as if it passed through both air and soul. Everyone felt a chill—part awe, part unease—creeping down their spine.

Velc also came out and saw the video. His face turned pale when he saw Aether’s lovely smile.

He didn’t even need to say anything—he knew this man was up to something. That faint grin, that measured tone... it was the kind that always came before a storm.

”Who am I?... Ex-Arcane King?... what rights do I have to tell you all what you should do?... Knowing a single thing about being looked down upon by others? And... what I want?” Aether raised his fingers one by one as the five spread open, his gaze cold and steady as he looked down upon the world.

”I guess... these will answer everything you need to know... hmm.” He hummed softly, then took a deep breath and said,

”As I said before... my name is Aether. And yes, I am the Ex-Arcane King. But if you don’t know this already... I was once a slave. When my future was stripped away for the selfish gains of others... I was pushed into nothingness—just a child then.

A child who had never seen anything beyond the dust and hunger of his village.

Being stripped of everything... I know what it feels like. I know how hard it is to rise, to claw your way back into the world, to fight just to be seen as equal to others.”

As soon as he said those words, the empires turned silent.

The noise of rebellion, the roar of the crowd, the clash of swords—all fell away.

Slave?

Him?

Really?

Many were shocked, especially... the people of the Aurora Empire, who were utterly speechless.

The Archpriest—their savior—had been a slave?

Aether continued with a wide, unshaken smile. ”So yes... I know exactly what each and every one of you is feeling right now.” His voice deepened, carrying an old heaviness, as his face hardened—reflecting every emotion carved into his soul when he had been chained and treated like nothing.

”Shocked... seeing yourself brought low.”

”Surprised... realising you’re no different than before.”

”Disgusted... obeying words you don’t believe in.”

”Disappointed... knowing there’s nothing you can do.”

”Frustrated... watching yourself every day, hating what you’ve become...”

Each word hit like a blade drawn from memory. His tone cut through their pride, piercing straight into their chests.

The people trembled—not from fear of him, but from the truth echoing in his voice. His face changed with every line—pain, anger, sorrow—each emotion flashing across like a living storm, until finally it burned into fury.

”Furious... seeing that this is how your entire life may remain!” he thundered, his fist clenching hard enough that the projection trembled, light distorting around his arm.

The force of his voice alone made many flinch unconsciously, as if the air itself struck them.

Then, just as suddenly, he smiled softly.

”So yes... I know what you’re feeling right now. I know how much you hate yourself for being powerless, for being disgusted with your own weakness. And there is nothing wrong with that.”

Everyone, for a second, lowered their heads.

Shame mixed with reflection.... Of course, not everyone felt it—his words fell heaviest upon Zephyra Empire, where the uprisings had begun. Naiadae and the others had their own burdens, their own reasons—but the guilt ran deepest in Zephyra’s hearts.

Aether added, ”I am... one of you. Don’t forget that.” He said it with the gentlest smile—one that didn’t come from pity, but from shared pain.

It was soft, warm, human... and it reached them.

[+1000 AP]

[+5000 AP]

[+100 AP]

[+1000 AP]

...

..

Aether smiled inwardly. Everything was going better than he expected. He just needed to maintain the tone—and strike two birds with one stone.