Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

"So, when are you leaving?" Allen suddenly asked.

His voice carried an almost suspiciously expectant tone.

Young Aether blinked and turned toward him. "Bro... are you trying to shoo me out?"

Allen immediately flinched.

"W-What are you talking about? Of course not!" he protested, placing a hand against his chest.

"I love having you here. You’re my friend, after all. But..." His expression slowly crumbled as his eyes became suspiciously watery.

"After hearing what you said yesterday, I-I just couldn’t hold it anymore."

Young Aether narrowed his eyes.

Allen continued, his voice trembling with theatrical sorrow.

"As much as I love having my friend near me, this is fate. He needs to see his beloved one more time before finally moving on. That’s all I ever wanted. I just want my friend to be happy..." His lips trembled.

"And yet you doubt me? Sniff... sniff..."

"..."

Young Aether stared at him in complete silence.

Allen stared back.

The silence stretched.

Finally, Young Aether sighed.

"Okay. I understand. Just don’t try to act like that. It doesn’t suit you well, especially the crying part."

Allen immediately wiped away his completely imaginary tears.

"W-What are you talking about? Of course I’m not crying," he said, before loudly sniffing his nose.

"That’s exactly what I’m saying."

Young Aether shook his head, though the faintest trace of amusement touched his expression before disappearing again.

His eyes returned to the hologram.

’Gamma City, huh...’

Honestly, he had no time for this shit.

There were still too many things waiting for him. He needed to establish contact with Epsilon City, gather whatever information he could, and help the other Empires deal with the situation that was rapidly unfolding around them.

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten his mission.

Not even for a second.

But accomplishing it had become considerably more complicated.

His friends were scattered everywhere except Epsilon City, and now the one person he had spent years wondering about was apparently in Gamma City.

He had barely arrived here, and already another thread had been pulled loose from the tangled mess of his past.

"How fucking frustrating..." Young Aether murmured.

His eyes lingered on the woman’s smiling face for another moment.

He couldn’t tell whether seeing her again was a blessing or simply another burden fate had decided to place upon his shoulders.

And there was another thing.

How long had he even been here?

"A day?" he muttered quietly.

Only a day.

Young Aether lowered his hand from the hologram and leaned back slightly, his expression growing distant as he tried to piece everything together.

Allen got up from where he was sitting and moved beside Young Aether before taking a seat next to him. He leaned forward slightly and spoke hurriedly, as though he was afraid Aether might change his mind.

"Come on, man. I thought you deeply loved her. Don’t you want to see her? Just one last time and finish this story once and for all? Move on to the next story of your life? Don’t you want to?"

"..." Young Aether took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "I understand your concern about me... but I’m more worried about you and your family being here."

Allen blinked before a warm smile spread across his face.

"Oh, is that what you’re worried about?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "How about this? You can take the children with you, and after I finish my work, Emily and I will come there."

Young Aether raised an eyebrow. "That’s not what I meant..."

Allen smiled warmly. "No need to be shy, Aether. I know you’re feeling guilty about leaving me, but I do remember those words you said yesterday. This is more important than anything else right now."

Young Aether inwardly cursed himself.

He had acted way too seriously yesterday.

Now this fucker was using his own words against him and practically pushing him out of the house.

Still, when Young Aether looked at Allen’s warm, almost pleading eyes, he could tell that his friend genuinely wanted him to leave. Not because he wanted him gone, but because he wanted Aether to find Penelope and finally confront whatever remained between them.

"But, dude, I can’t just take the children with me. We don’t even know where she is—"

"Here."

Allen suddenly brought up another holographic display and pointed toward a location marker. A bright smile spread across his face.

"This is the house that’s in her name."

"..."

Young Aether flinched.

He blinked once.

Then twice.

Slowly, he turned his head toward his friend and stared at him blankly.

Why did it feel like this bastard had already prepared everything?

Sensing the doubt in Young Aether’s expression, Allen’s eyes immediately became teary.

"Again? You’re doubting me, right?" Allen sniffed. "Sniff... sniff... Is this what I get for being a good friend?"

He placed a hand against his forehead and looked away, as though the weight of countless painful memories had suddenly descended upon him.

"When you didn’t have a home, it was I who gave you a house and kept you from sleeping on the roads. And sniff... it was I who begged my parents to give some money to my friend when he didn’t have a single job for an entire year. And it was I who—"

"I get it... I’ll go."

Young Aether answered without hesitation.

If he heard another word, he might actually feel guilty enough to run away.

And honestly, he didn’t need another reminder of how pathetic his previous life had been.

Allen immediately broke into a huge smile and nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! I knew my friend believed in me!"

He reached over and pulled Young Aether into a hug.

Young Aether rolled his eyes, but he eventually sighed and nodded.

Just then, a voice came from behind them.

"Dad, I’m ready."

Lily stepped out of her room, dressed in shorts and a top, with bangles around her wrists and her hair tied into a ponytail. She walked toward them with a casual expression, seemingly completely prepared to leave.

"..."

Young Aether blinked.

His gaze slowly shifted toward Allen.

Allen’s smile froze.

He swallowed nervously, his throat making an audible gulp despite having nothing to drink.

"S-She must have heard our talk. That’s why she got ready."

Young Aether’s expression gradually became more serious as he studied his friend for a moment. Allen’s behavior had been strange from the beginning, and now he seemed almost desperate to make sure Aether left as soon as possible.

There was something he wasn’t saying.

Young Aether frowned before shifting his attention toward Lily.

"Young lady... where are your clothes?"

Lily blinked and looked down at herself, seemingly confused by the question.

"I am wearing clothes. Can’t you see it?"

Young Aether rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can see everything... and that’s the problem. Go and change it."

Lily frowned, clearly annoyed by his sudden interference.

"It’s my choice, and Dad didn’t sa—"

"GO. INSIDE. CHANGE. IT!!"

His voice thundered through the room.

A dangerous glow flickered in his eyes, sharp enough to make Lily instinctively flinch. She took a small step backwards, her previous confidence disappearing almost instantly.

Allen immediately waved his hand, silently gesturing for her to go inside.

"Just go, Lily," he said quietly.

"Hmph!"

She puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy with being ordered around, but turned around and marched back toward her room.

The door closed behind her with a... soft click!

Young Aether watched the door for a moment before slowly turning back toward Allen.

"What are you hiding?"

Allen’s expression stiffened.

His smile disappeared almost immediately, and a bead of sweat formed near his temple. He bit his lower lip and looked away, suddenly finding the floor far more interesting than Aether’s eyes.

Young Aether narrowed his gaze.

"I ain’t leaving this shit unless you tell me what the fuck is going on here." His voice was calm, but there was something dangerously firm underneath it.

"Do you think I’m a fucking fool?"

Allen remained silent.

Young Aether stepped closer.

"Just tell me. What are you hiding?"

His face had become completely expressionless. There was no anger in his voice anymore, which somehow made it worse.

It was the voice of someone who had already realised he was being lied to and was simply giving the other person one final chance to come clean.

One lie now, and even Allen might not know what Aether would do next.

Allen swallowed.

He took a slow, unsteady breath before lowering his gaze.

"I already know where Penelope is."

"..."

Young Aether went completely silent.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

Even the faint humming sound coming from Emily’s room felt louder.

Allen continued, his voice quieter than before.

"I also knew she had a family now... and I didn’t want to disrupt it. That’s why I didn’t tell you anything about her yesterday."

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

"But after hearing you say that you still loved her... I felt guilty."

He paused, struggling to find the right words.

"As your friend, I couldn’t just sit there knowing where she was while watching you pretend that everything was fine. I kept thinking about it all night. I tried to convince myself that maybe it was better to leave things alone, but..." Allen exhaled shakily.

"I couldn’t do it."

He finally looked up.

"I didn’t want to see that expression on your face again, Aether."

His voice cracked slightly.

"So, after thinking about it all night, I decided it would be better if you faced her yourself. Maybe you need to see her with your own eyes. Maybe you need to hear whatever she has to say.

Maybe you need to finally stop carrying everything around inside you."

Allen’s gaze dropped again.

"That’s it, Aether. That’s all I wanted. I-I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I just... didn’t know how to tell you."

Young Aether stared at him.

The coldness in his eyes remained for another few seconds before gradually fading.

Then he let out a slow breath.

"Is that all?"

Allen blinked.

Young Aether’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he gave a small, almost relieved smile.

"Bro... you could’ve just told me that."

Allen opened his mouth, but Young Aether continued.

"Fuck, man. You almost had me thinking you were hiding something serious from me." He rubbed his face and exhaled.

"Phew... Thank goodness you told me the truth. Because if you had kept lying to me, I honestly don’t know what would have happened."

For a brief moment, the tension in the room eased.

It felt as though something inside Young Aether had been pulled dangerously close to breaking, only to stop at the very last moment.

But one question still remained.

Young Aether looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Still... why are you so fucking urgent about sending me away?"

Allen’s smile disappeared.

"I mean, it’s not like she’s going anywhere, right?" Young Aether continued. "If you already know where she lives, I can go whenever I want. So why are you acting like I need to leave immediately?"

Allen sighed deeply.

"You might not know this yet, but something happened last night."

Young Aether’s expression became more attentive.

"One of the famous buildings in the city suddenly collapsed," Allen said. "At first, people thought it was some kind of structural failure. But after the investigation started, they found traces of energy bombs in the remains."

Young Aether kept smiling faintly.

"Energy bombs?"

Allen nodded.

"Yeah. Someone deliberately brought that building down. The authorities are still investigating who did it and why, but people are already getting nervous."

Young Aether’s face turned pitiful as if this had nothing to do with him.

Allen hesitated before continuing.

"And there’s something else."

"What?"

"There have been rumours spreading through the division about the monster that destroyed Delta."

"Hmm?"

"Apparently, some reports suggest that it may have entered this division."

"..."

"We’ve already seen the footage of what that thing did in Delta," Allen said quietly. "Entire areas were destroyed. Thousands of people were affected. Ten thousand soldiers died. The soldiers here are already nervous, and after what happened last night, they connected it to the monster and... nobody knows what’s going to happen next."

He rubbed his palms together nervously.

"If the situation gets any worse, the military could lock down the entire Zeta Division."

Young Aether looked at him for a moment.

"So you want me to leave before they do."

"Exactly."

Allen stepped closer and reached out, gripping Young Aether’s hand.

His fingers were trembling.

"So before they lock everything down, I want you to take the children and leave Zeta Division. Get somewhere safe. Once everything settles down, I’ll contact you."

Young Aether looked down at Allen’s hand.

Then he slowly raised his eyes.

Allen was looking directly at him.

There was no playful smile anymore.

No exaggerated tears.

No ridiculous act.

His eyes were trembling with genuine fear.

Not fear for himself.

Fear for his family.

His grip tightened around Aether’s hand.

"Please," Allen whispered. "Just take them with you this time."

Young Aether said nothing.

He could see it now.

The slight trembling in Allen’s fingers.

The tension in his jaw.

The way his eyes repeatedly shifted toward the hallway where his children were.

Everything about him was different.

This wasn’t the Allen who had been joking with him moments ago.

This was a father who had suddenly realised that something dangerous might be approaching his home.

Young Aether had known Allen for years.

He had seen him laugh, complain, fool around, exaggerate his emotions, and act like an idiot whenever the opportunity presented itself.

But he had never seen this expression on his face.

The fear was real.

The worry was real!!

And beneath both of them was something even stronger.

The desperate instinct of a father trying to protect his children from a danger he couldn’t even fully understand.

Young Aether slowly looked toward the closed bedroom door.

For the first time, he understood why Allen had been so desperate to send him away.

He wasn’t trying to get rid of him.

He was entrusting him with the people who mattered most to him.

And somehow, that realisation felt heavier than any words Allen could have spoken.

"Just take them to safety. Just protect them... please." Allen’s voice trembled as he brought his hands to his eyes, trying to hide the emotion welling up inside him.

"I never asked you for anything... just this one thing, Aether. Please... I beg you."

"..."

Young Aether fell silent.

He simply sat there, staring at his friend.

What could he possibly say to that?

After all, he was the reason yesterday’s destruction had happened in the first place. Even if Allen didn’t know the full truth, seeing the devastation in Delta must have made the danger feel far more real.

The images of that ruined division were still fresh in everyone’s minds.

If something similar happened here in Zeta Division, there was no guarantee that Allen’s children would survive.

And, frankly, Young Aether knew exactly who was responsible for creating that fear.

Him!

Young Aether slowly reached out and took Allen’s trembling hand, holding it firmly.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Allen slowly raised his head.

Young Aether looked directly into his eyes.

"I’ll protect them," he said quietly. "Whatever happens, I’ll make sure nothing happens to them. I promise."

Allen’s lips trembled before a weak smile finally appeared on his face.

He nodded.

"Thank you..."

[+2000 AP]

Young Aether glanced briefly at the notification before looking back at Allen.

"But what about you and Emily?"

"We can’t leave because of protocol," Allen replied, his voice carrying a trace of frustration. "And Emily and I have to be present during the monster hunt. We’re not exactly free to just walk away whenever we want."

Young Aether frowned slightly.

Honestly, he still wasn’t entirely sure what kind of monster they were preparing to hunt.

Was it really him or... someone else?

Still, there was no reason to take unnecessary chances.

"Okay. I’ll take them with me."

Young Aether’s expression became serious.

"Now."

Allen’s eyes immediately became even more teary.

"You really will?"

"Yeah. I’ll take care of them."

Allen nodded repeatedly, looking visibly relieved.

"But before that..." Young Aether glanced down at himself.

"Let me take a bath first. And do you have any spare clothes?"

After Lily’s comment this morning, he had become painfully aware of everything.

Allen immediately nodded.

"Of course. I have plenty."

He stood up and motioned for Young Aether to follow him.

"Come on. I’ll show you the bathroom."

A short while later, Young Aether stepped into the shower.

He removed his clothes and placed them neatly on the tray before stepping beneath the showerhead.

The moment the warm water struck his body, his shoulders relaxed.

"Ahh..."

A quiet groan escaped him as the heat washed over his skin. Young Aether slowly washed himself.

Then Allen’s voice came from the other side of the bathroom door.

"I’m curious about something..."

Young Aether paused.

"Do you really hate your mother?"

The sound of water continued falling.

"What would you do if she suddenly stood before you?"

Young Aether didn’t answer.

His hands slowly stopped moving.

For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the steady stream of water hitting the floor.

Allen waited outside.

He remained there for a few seconds longer, perhaps expecting an answer.

None came.

Eventually, his footsteps slowly faded as he walked away, leaving Young Aether alone with the sound of the shower and a question he had no intention of answering.

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