Chapter 401 Returning To The Sect (Part 2)
And then he bowed towards Vivian, with a decisive expression on his face.
"Last time I pleaded to you for a second chance for my… Joseph and it ended up causing your life to be on danger a second time, and for that please accept this bow from me".
Julian then crushed the painting and utterly destroyed it with his spirit energy, getting rid of the tracking talisman Joseph left there in the process.
"From this moment onwards I the patriarch of the Galatia family, disown Joseph Galatia, he is no longer a member of my family and to honor my promise, if I ever see him again, I will treat it as a mortal enemy and will do everything within my power to eliminate the evil I released in the world", said Julian, it was obvious doing so took a toll on the man, as he seemed to have aged a couple of years.
But Julian already helped Joseph once, despite what he tried to do to Vivian, and she even graciously forgave his life out of respect for Julian, and Joseph not only didn't repent on his actions, he paid kindness with betrayal.
Also Julian who loved his wife more than his life knew that she would have stopped Joseph if she was still around, as a father it was his responsibility to put an end to Joseph now that he has decided to walk down the evil path, and he had to honor his promise to Vivian too.
Aster saw the man's troubled expression and he inwardly sighed, because to be honest he didn't know what his reaction would be if he were to find himself in the same situation, to a certain extent he considers himself selfish.
Because for him, his family is all, there is practically nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe, of course there are some exceptions, for example a long time ago he understood that he couldn't allow himself to die no matter what, because that would break the hearts of the girls.
Not only that, he was sure that if that were to happen Lilia and Alice would first avenge him of that was fit to the case, and then… they would join him without a moment of hesitation, at least that's how things were right now, maybe if they had more family things might change for Alice at least, but he couldn't imagine a way to make Lilia not die alongside him, and that's why he couldn't allow himself to die no matter what.
Who knows he might reincarnate again as Hyperion and Rya would be still with him, but his heart would shatter if he were to be eternally separated from the girls.
'I guess in my life I'm bound to not be a good person… saint or demon, I will destroy whoever and whatever stood in the way of the well-being of my family', thought Aster.
Without anyone noticing, including Rya who was sleeping, but inside the mind space, his soul avatar's face and body who still didn't look exactly the same as Aster, became more defined, also the ash red armor which it was wearing became more detailed.
And that was not all, two other things showed some reactions, first Hyperion who was floating still as always shone in dazzling golden light, what followed was Rya's star Cygni doing the same, though it wasn't still awake.
Then another of the thirteen stars that formed the constellation in the sky of the mind space, Orionis which was fully covered in chains, also let out a black domineering light as if it was reacting to Cygni, before everything returned to normal.
Outside of he mind space, Lilia who had suppressed her desire to monopolize her son the very second she saw him, suddenly tightened her embrace on him, she just felt the urge to feel closer to Aster, but she didn't let herself to be dragged away by it.
And calmed herself down with just giving him a little peck on his cheeks.
'Mom?', asked Aster feeling the waves in Lilia's heart, after sleeping being lulled by it since the first day he came into this world, how could he not notice even the slightest changes on it rhythm.
Lilia sweetly smiled at Aster, as she recovered her composure.
'It's nothing darling, I'm just too happy to see you again… you owe me lots of love to make up for leaving for nearly two months~', she said through the mind connection with her usual gentle motherly voice.
Aster chuckled, to be honest he was also really tired and so were most of them, with the exception of Mylene who didn't really have to be serious in her previous fights with the exception of a moment ago where she had to dispel the attacks of a Law Integration and a Half Step Heavenly Transformation realm of course.
The others including Camila who used a lot of spirit energy in the fight inside the secret realm and against the guy from the Demon Tomb sect, was beaten, heck even the usually lively Kana was cutely yawning from time to time.
Using her "adult" form put some tension in her body, and she went all in right in the first time she used it, so she needed some rest too, Iris was mentally tired though she didn't use that much spirit energy in her previous fights, her maids were in a really bad shape.
Last but not least Vivian who used the three changes she could handle along with practically all her soul energy to fight against Joseph, it might have seen like she had it easy against him, but that wasn't the case.
Though Joseph had reached the Sea of Knowledge realm in the energy path, his body cultivation was only at the Body Solidification realm, which was normal as he focused on advancing in the energy path to breakthrough as soon as possible in order to be on par with the expectations of the Demon Lord that was Egil's friend, he wasn't weak by any means but he needed to refine all the impurities he absorbed and was instead dragged by his desire of revenge, so he impulsively came here as soon as he broke through.
Joseph used vitality to make up for his lack of a physical strength, but that was cancelled due to Vivian's poison, and the remaining impact was parried by her soul and spirit energies, it was as if Joseph was a single path cultivator against her, in other words Vivian was his natural counter.
Julian noticed everyone wanted to rest and he decided to leave things for later, as they still needed to discuss about a couple of things, like using the Emerald Whirlwind to help Vivian make a designated "canal" in her body for her poison, or maybe explore other more complex options now that she could control herself to a certain extent, and that was another thing he was curious about.
Also there was the thing of informing the sect about the presence of the Demon Tomb sect, and the rewards they would get for that, and to decide the fate of the prisoners, also he noticed Victor and his companions didn't return either and he needed to listen to the story, to explain the Purple Lotus faction too.
"We can talk once we all have taken some days off after we return to the Myriad Occupation sect, please make yourselves comfortable", he said as he walked towards the captain's cabin, not without slightly nodding at Lilia.
…
Once Julian left Aster and the others walked towards the living area of the spaceship, Iris excused herself and helped her maids to enter her room because they needed some supervised attention, specially the oldest maid who was still affected by the strange attribute of the gray orcrary Merkel.
Without noticing, Mylene and Camila followed Aster all the way to his room, as they gotten used to be in the same space as him due to their time in the secret realm.
They only realized once it was too late, as they were already in front of the door of the room.
"Oh, it seems this little trip did help you get closer, as I expected from my darling~", said Lilia with a playful voice as she stole a gaze at those two who were blushed.
Knowing that Mylene and Camila were probably about to make an excuse to leave, Lilia as the "main wife", played her part in keeping the harmony in the family.
She also knew Aster wouldn't push them too much and instead he probably just got closer in the name of being "friends" with them, so she let go of Aster and then placed one of her arms over those two's shoulders as she whispered at them, like a little devil who tempts its victims.
"Now, now, don't be shy, you already have seen us kissing which is the most that will happen while we are in this spaceship, so there is nothing to be ashamed if you are just staying in the same room with us, besides I bet you already experienced the calm and joy of sleeping near my darling right~".
Mylene and Camila's faces reddened as soon as Lilia's soft teasing voice made its way to their ears, and while they admitted it was true the night, they slept in the same room with Aster they indeed had the best sleep of their lives, not only because of the corrupted moon of the secret realm, but for reasons that not even Aster understood, they were still a bit resisting of the idea of doing it now, since there was no reason to it.
But then they both felt a little tug on their sleeves, and turned around just to see Kana whose eyes were sleepy, the little girl was soon to all asleep standing at this point.
"Sister Mylene, sister Camila stay with us, it's going to be fun… yaawwn~", Kana couldn't help but snore in the middle of her sentence, which earned her a head pat from Aster.
That cuteness of Kana melted the last barrier those two had, and thinking of something like "He won't let Lilia do anything too drastic with Kana sleeping in the same bed", they accepted the offer.
Lilia had a little cunning smile on her beautiful face as she opened the door of the room, which made Mylene and Camila feel as if they were entering the lion's mouth by themselves.
Aster closed the door behind them, and not even a second later Mylene and Camila went to the bathroom to change themselves into something more comfortable.
While Aster took his jacket, boots, socks and everything until he was just in a loose shirt and shorts, Lilia helped Kana undress, though she knew the little girl will join the harem when the time comes, she has taken a liking to her as a daughter, probably because she has experience int hat field due to Alice.
Once they finished Kana was wearing a white sundress which she used as her pajama, while Lilia on the other hand was… stunning, she took off all her accessories which included a part of the dress that covered most of her chest and the extended skirt, turning her attire into a short-laced dress, that left a lot of her pale skin in plain view.
Aster now had a hard time not getting a raging boner after seeing how tempting Lilia looked right now, her breasts seemed to be about to burst out of her dress, and he wondered how those two thin laces were able to hold those big mounds.
Noting her son's gaze on her body, Lilia giggled, she got the reaction she wanted, so she happily laid down on the right side of the main bed, while she helped Kana climb and lay on the left side, leaving a big space in the middle of them which was of course meant for Aster to take.
Aster bitterly smiled, knowing his mother was going to tease him as a way to get back at him, for being gone for way more time than he was supposed to, and he could understand it, while he at least had Kana to cuddle, they were left alone, and he knew Lilia, Alice and Aria had trouble sleeping without him, regardless of whether they received his love or not, it was hard for them to fall asleep without him being with them in the same bed, they were used to it after all.
Still he jumped on the bed and was immediately hugged by both Kana who fell asleep practically at the spot, and Lilia who was snuggling with him as she drew little circles on Aster's chest with her fingers.
Mylene and Camila left the bathroom and after seeing the current scene unfolding in front of them, they had to admit that they indeed looked like a pair of lovers instead of mother and son.
The two of them occupied the free bed besides the main one, and then the lights dimmed down, so that everyone could comfortably sleep.
Aster's eyes who were able to perfectly see in the dark, as proven back then in the New Moon planet, so he kissed Lilia's forehead as he knew she won't let go of the matter until he has spoiled her, to her heart's content.
"Sorry, I didn't know the time flow would fluctuate so much after we entered, let me tell you about the travel" whispered Aster as he gently caressed Lilia's silky long black hair, making her let out some cute comfortable sounds, as she nodded.
She was indeed interested in the story, as she could notice something was really different about Kana, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint it.
"Mm, but hug me tighter while you tell me everything darling~", mumbled Lilia.
She knew she was being a bit childish, but so what, she wanted Aster to spoil her and there was nothing bad about it, specially because she had decided to not hogg him all by herself, and also let the others all participate in the upcoming fun… once she has had the first rounds of course.
'Main wife privileges~', she thought to herself, unaware that Rya was slightly frowning in her sleep.