Edited by: ASaltedFish
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After whispering back and forth, Ellery finally looked over at Takahiro and Naoyuki. They looked worried but also curious.
"I apologize for whispering in front of you." Ellery gave a small bow to show his sincerity. "Akimitsu says that you both are trustworthy… Can you promise that what we talked about today stays with us?"
Ellery knew that once he and Aster successfully separated, he would have to tell the whole Starnet a brief description of how they separated and why, but that was only if the Beast God could create a new body for Aster. If not, it was better for a small group of people to know of Aster's existence.
Takahiro and Naoyuki looked at each other and then nodded.
"We promise," Takahiro said for the both of them.
Since they promised, Ellery could only trust them and Akimitsu.
Once again, Ellery explained Aster's existence and confirmed that was why he had two quantum beasts. He also made sure to let them know that Aster was the one that Edros wanted to be with, while he wanted to be with Akimitsu. Since there were two souls in one body, they wanted to find the Beast God to see if it was possible for Aster to be separated from his body and put into a new one.
After listening to Ellery and meeting Aster, they could not say they were dreaming anymore. Still, it made sense as to why Ellery was not ready to commit to a relationship. What would happen if the Beast God could not help Ellery and Aster? The relationship between the four of them would become very complicated, and only a few select individuals would know about their situation.
Takahiro pinched his thigh a couple of times, and the pain lingered. He knew he was awake and just needed to digest the information.
"This secret is safe with us…" Takahiro finally replied after bruising his thigh. "You will be hiding this from your siblings, right Akimitsu?"
Akimitsu nodded. "Yes, please keep this a secret from them. The less people who know, the better."
Plus, his younger twin siblings loved to gossip. It was best if they didn't know until it was known publically…
"Well, since we understand the situation, Ellery, we wish you and Aster the best… There's something that may help you on this journey, but only if you are okay with it." Naoyuki said while standing up.
"What is it?" Ellery didn't know what Akimitsu's parents could have that would help them with the Beast God.
"Please give me one moment while I grab it." After that, Naoyuki left the study.
Akimitsu looked over at his father, but even he, his son, didn't know what Naoyuki was going to bring over.
Ten minutes passed by while everyone sat in silence, trying to guess what Naoyuki brought. When the door opened, Naoyuki was holding a rectangular box that was a foot (30.48cm) long.
"My family has been holding on to this for generations, hoping for the right time to give it back to the Beast God's partner. If the Beast God refuses to see you, you can use this to get the opportunity to see them. If not, you can still give it back."
Naoyuki opened up the box to see a silver ornamental dagger with a black gemstone on the hilt.
"My ancestors have said that this dagger was given to the Beast God's partner when they became the first guide in the galaxy. One swing and it could cut down any Inek regardless of their level. He gave this to them to protect them when he could not be by their side. Then the Beast God's partner gave this to our family to hold on to for a moment."
No one knew the gender of the Beast God's partner or their name. They only knew that they were the first Guide to have existed.
"As for why my ancestors were given the dagger, I do not know. However, they were supposed to give it back but could not do so. Now that you are going to find the Beast God, please return this dagger to its rightful owners."
For Naoyuki's ancestors to guard the dagger and never use it, one could see their loyalty to the Beast God and his partner. They made sure to protect the dagger instead of using it for their own gains. Ellery felt that Naoyuki's family was admirable.
Ellery gently took the box from Naoyuki and nodded. "I understand. I will be sure to give this back to the Beast God and their partner no matter what happens."
"Thank you, Ellery, for doing this for me and my family. It's a bit of a selfish request but I do hope it will help you when the time comes."
To be honest, Ellery was worried about meeting the Beast God. If the Beast God drove them away or didn't want to see them, what could they do? This dagger increased their chances of meeting the Beast God; it also gave him more peace of mind.
"It is no problem at all. In fact, we should be thanking you instead…"
Naoyuki smiled. "There's no need to be polite to us. You are doing me a favor."
"Naoyuki is right. In the future, we may become a family, so there is no need to be so formal." Takahiro teased a bit, making Akimitsu, who was sitting there quietly, feel embarrassed.
"Dad!" Akimitsu was tired of being teased all the time. He wanted to leave and continue on their journey.
"Okay, okay, it's getting late, and the rooms have already been cleaned up. Be sure to rest well." Naoyuki stopped the two before they could start bickering.
Ellery, Akimitsu, and Edros were escorted to their rooms while Naoyuki and Takahiro stayed behind. They wanted to talk about some things in private, so the trio left them to get some rest.
Akimitsu's childhood room was cleaned up for him to use, while Edros' room was across from his. Ellery would be staying next to Akimitsu's room.
The guest rooms Edros and Ellery were sleeping in were equipped with all the basic furniture and were even connected to a bathroom. The bed was queen-sized, so it was more than enough to get comfortable in.
Ellery didn't bring a lot of stuff, so he only took out a change of clothes to sleep in. The housekeeping robots grabbed his dirty clothes to clean them for him.
Once he washed and changed out of his clothes, he heard a knock on his door.
When he opened it, it was Akimitsu, who looked a bit nervous.
Akimitsu asked, "I know you are tired, but we won't have time tomorrow, so… Would you like to see my room? I want to show you some stuff from my childhood so you can get to know me more. If you don't want to, that's okay…" He mumbled the last sentence, but Ellery could still hear him.
"I would love to see your childhood room." Ellery smiled while taking his hand. "Then, for the next hour, tell me as much as you can. In the future, let's come back to Hezyria so we can stay with your family longer."
The shy and anxious Akimitsu quickly disappeared and returned to his normal and cheerful self. "Of course! Then I will show you some popular destinations the next time we visit."
The two went back to Akimitsu's room, chatting for the next hour about some of the things in Akimitsu's room. He had books, mecha models, and lots of holographic pictures of him and his family up until he was 16.
When he turned 16, he had to go to the Imperial Star to study to become Edros' Adjutant. They all knew Edros would be the next Marshal of the First Fleet, and since the Ito family has always been allies with the Imperial family, someone needed to be his Adjutant. With Akimitsu being the same age, he was the one who had to go, leaving his family behind on Hezyria.
Still, he made sure to send pictures home, so there were photos of him in the Imperial Academy with Edros.
Ellery enjoyed looking at Akimitsu's baby photos; it reminded him of his past life's son, Aspen Vales... Even though he told Aster that he wanted to name one of his sons after Aspen, he now felt that since he started a new life with someone else, it was best to give him a name that would suit him better.
He didn't know what had become of Aspen, if Leonard and Darian treated him well, or if he was cast aside as the black sheep of the family. He couldn't watch his son grow older, nor could he even celebrate his first birthday with him.
Thankfully, he was able to start over in this time period, where he met Akimitsu and Edros, where he could reunite with Orin and Darya, and where he had met Aster.
Rest in peace to the Ellery who had once loved Leonard. Rest in peace to Aspen who was Ellery's past life son. Aspen did not even know who he was when he died, but still, Ellery couldn't help but feel heartbroken thinking of the son that he could not raise once more.