Chapter 201: Vows in the Ruined City
Late in the evening, in a small nearly dilapidated building, Christy, Christina, Jonovan, Christian, and Elton were having an important conversation. The topic overall was mainly Christy herself and Elton by proxy. After getting a general breakdown of the situation at hand, Elton and Christy wore a mixture of embarrassed and grim expressions.
"To think that evolving my Aka Boshi no Tengan would cause such a disturbance… Ugh, to think that those guys from beyond may get involved also. Not just that, but daring to separate me from my Gege, Elton?! I can't accept this!" Christy said with outrage.
Christina and Jonovan glanced at each other with wry smiles upon hearing that.
Christian pulled out a glowing silver parchment with all sorts of scripts written on it. With a slight wave of her hand, it floated in the air with majesty between Elton and Christy, who became slightly startled upon seeing it.
"Try not to worry too much about it. Here and now, I, Mortal Lord Christian Reddstar-Solmight, on behalf of my Grand Pa… no, my Grandfather, Aetherial Master Christopher Reddstar, recognize the union between our descendant, Golden Lord Christy Hucklebare, and her engagement to Golden Lord Elton Solman. Do the two of you accept this engagement, one final step away from a full union of marriage?" Christian spoke with an authoritative tone.
Christy suddenly trembled with excitement as her eyes shyly glanced back and forth between Elton and the parchment before she spoke. "Y-yes! I, Christy Hucklebare, completely agree! There can be no other man besides, ahem, my Elton Solman."
Elton similarly trembled in nervousness before his eyes grew sharp and he smiled. His gaze lovingly swam over Christy, causing her to blush heavily.
"I, Elton Solman, also agree. I will love and cherish this beautiful woman, Christy Hucklebare, before me."
"Kyaaa…" Christy almost fainted as she placed her hands over her face while fidgeting around.
"…Haaah… our daughter looks just like you did back then, my dear." Jonovan was faintly teary-eyed with a mixed expression upon seeing Christy's overwhelming joy and Elton's obvious love for her at their young ages.
"T-that's not true, Jonny!" The also teary-eyed Christina jumped in denial.
"No, you were definitely just like her, if not worse, Tina." Christian smiled wryly, unable to hide the pride on her face while watching her daughter and granddaughter's pairings with the two excellent men before her. She then began to remember her husband before she sighed bitterly.
"Now then, you kids, both of you place some of your blood essence on the silver parchment paper. Little Chrissy, awaken your Kokon Tengan and utilize the visual soul sacred arts of our clan. Elton… I know that you have shockingly awakened your Celestial Sense, so this will make things far easier and more stable. Use your Celestial Sense when imprinting your blood essence." Christian once more voiced with authority.
Both Christy and Elton nodded as they followed her instructions. Once both of their blood essences were placed onto the silver parchment, it began to glow brightly while unleashing an aura that felt near divine as two brilliant beams of light shot directly into their bodies. Both Elton and Christy were shocked, seeing that they were unable to even dodge if they wanted to.
"Relax, you two. This is a special contract connecting you both as partners. It would take extremely special means to break this contract from outsiders, but it is very much possible for the two of you to break it if you so choose at any point. Not that it will be easy, though. It will become even more difficult once you actually go through the marriage ritual in the future." Christian said with a smile.
"I see!! Thank you, Grandmama!" Christy said with shining eyes.
"Thank you, Madam Chri—" Before Elton could finish, Christian waved him off.
"Just call me Grandmama. We are pretty much family now."
Elton's eyes began to water as his chest became stuffy when he heard the word family. Christy, upon seeing that, swiftly ran to his side and threw her arms around him. "Gege, do not feel sad. We are family now, and for a while we always have been."
Christina and Jonovan also came over. Christina gave him a motherly embrace while Jonovan patted his back and even rubbed his head with an encouraging smile.
"Thank you… thank you all so much for your love!" Elton trembled as tears poured down his face.
Christian once again started dwelling on a few old memories related to her own past, seeing herself in both her daughter and granddaughter and even in Elton's position.
Later that night, Shayleaf stood before Elton and Christy in a room with a pouty expression.
"Uuu… I never received something like an engagement contract from Brother Elly…"
Elton smiled wryly while awkwardly trying to come up with something. Suddenly, Jewleaf burst in with Aeloria behind him, smiling mischievously. "Haha! Worry not, my beloved Shayshay! The two of you were technically already set for engagement back when our Celebi Forest Kingdom was still in this world. I understand your feelings, though. Lady Aeloria here, as if already feeling your future plight, had long since made preparations. Now you two can have a contract in a similar manner using Elven contracts through spirit. See this parchment with a feeling of Nature in my hands? Is this not a joyous occasion?"
"Oh Daddy! Aunt Aeloria! You two are certainly the best! Now me and Brother Elly can also be truly engaged!" Shayleaf said excitedly with beaming eyes.
"Ah, well, certainly, Shay. So many surprises have continually happened for me for the past few months. Or maybe it was the moment I became a Golden Lord…" Elton began to reminisce on the seemingly long adventure since leaving the sect.
"Hahaha, well then let us get started!" Jewleaf smiled widely.
Aeloria officiated the ceremony similarly to the way Christian had, since it took a Mortal Lord's power for things to go smoothly.
Elton once again felt as though he truly had family as Shayleaf hugged him and Jewleaf patted his shoulder with a celebratory smile. Christy once again walked over to Elton and hugged him as well. Aeloria smiled softly with a partially calculating look. Tongsheng watched the entire thing off to the side of the room with a smile of her own. Although she seemed to have a cold demeanor overall, she was actually happy for everyone.
"…Margrave Elton, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" Aeloria suddenly asked with a curious expression.
"Yes, of course, Lady Aeloria." Elton nodded with a completely refreshed expression.
The two of them later moved a distance away from the ruined city into an area full of forestation before Aeloria got directly to the point.
"I want you to use synchronized cultivation with me. But do not worry. It will be at the level directly before the true intimacy level that you have been doing with those girls for the longest. I have foreseen that we will both benefit immensely from this in the future."
"Huh..?" Elton was completely taken aback upon hearing this, but he found that he did not have any time to process it or refuse, as Aeloria sat behind him with one arm wrapped around his waist, holding his abdomen, and suddenly sank her fangs into his neck.
"Let us begin." Light shone in her eyes.
Thirty minutes later, it ended with Elton sitting alone in contemplation. He once again found that his 8th meridian was even closer to awakening. It was at this moment that Obianuju just so happened to walk by.
"Ahh, Elton. I was looking for you. In passing, Lady Aeloria told me that I should come over and aid you with something. Related to cultivation, she said, and I could not help but become intrigued." Obianuju spoke with a curious smile.
Elton could not help but twitch his lips in disbelief. He sighed and nodded his head. He suddenly felt like he could use a skill that could vaguely warp memories or senses depending on the person's state, with his Celestial Sense along with his seventh meridian, which is his blood meridian. Not just that, but he felt it may even have something to do with the not yet awakened eighth meridian.
"Well… sure. I do have a method." Elton's eyes glowed, though his expression was rigid.
Almost an hour later, Elton returned to the housing unit for him, Christy, Shayleaf, and Tongsheng. All of them looked at him with strange expressions, causing him to tense up.
"Gege… just after having two engagement ceremonies with two beauties like Shayleaf and me, you…" Christy glared with a haunting tone.
"N-no! It was not my fault. Well, probably…" Elton was tongue-tied. He did not have any excuses, since his mind had been in too many high states of emotion recently.
"Uuuu… Brother Elly, you have to make it up to us. You and I do not need much sleep as we are currently. Sister Chris and Sister Tongsheng are special cases. We must synchronize cultivate all night together!" Shayleaf exclaimed as if she were seeking justice.
"Wh-whaaaat?!" Elton was completely taken aback with shock as sweat poured down his face. Christy secretly was too, but she decided that Shayleaf was right, so she nodded in agreement.
"That is right, Gege. Let us make preparations, and maybe we might achieve some sort of breakthroughs since this is something we have never done before." Christy spoke with a blush on her face that betrayed her serious tone.
Elton could only accept his fate as things went on the entire night, until their forces all swiftly left the next morning.