I chuckled immediately.
"You still carry that everywhere?"
"Of course," he said proudly. "Civilization would collapse without this."
He poured the drink into several small glasses sitting on the table and pushed one toward me.
Arkas walked over and took a seat while Lucien followed, the atmosphere instantly shifting from shock to something much more familiar.
"Please sit sir Guardian," Edgar said. "We have a lot to talk about."
I pulled a chair and joined them. For a moment no one spoke as Edgar handed out the glasses.
Then Arkas leaned back slightly in his chair, studying me the way he always used to when he was trying to understand what had changed about a person.
"So," he said after a moment, his voice calm but curious, "tell us about the journey. You’ve been gone for a long time. How was it?"
I took a slow sip from the glass Edgar had poured before answering.
"Long," I said with a faint smile. "Very long. But also... beautiful in its own way. There are places out there that make entire planets look small."
Edgar chuckled and leaned back in his chair.
"That sounds exactly like the kind of answer I expected from you," he said. "You disappear into the galaxy for years and come back talking about scenery."
Lucien rested his hands together on the table and looked at me more carefully.
"Jokes aside," he said quietly, "are you alright?"
The question was simple, but the concern behind it was clear. For a moment I could see not just the emperor, but the man who had watched me grow up on this world.
I nodded.
"Yes. I’m alright."
Damien, who had been silent until now, spoke from behind Lucien’s shoulder.
"With everything that has been happening beyond this world," he said thoughtfully, "I assume you’ve seen your share of battles."
I nodded again.
"Yes. There have been quite a few of them."
Edgar let out a low whistle.
"I figured as much," he said. "You never were the type to travel quietly."
He took another sip from his drink before adding with a grin,
"You always did have a talent for finding trouble."
Arkas crossed his arms slowly, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"And the Eternals?" he asked. "Did you encounter them directly?"
I met his eyes and nodded.
"Yes. I did."
For a moment the table fell silent as everyone processed that answer. Then Edgar leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"You know," he said slowly, "when you first left Vaythos all those years ago... I honestly thought that was the last time we’d ever see you."
Lucien nodded quietly.
"I had the same thought," he admitted. "The universe beyond this planet is not kind to those who travel it alone."
Arkas looked at me again, and this time a faint smile finally appeared on his face.
"But you came back."
Edgar raised his glass slightly and shook his head with a laugh.
"And look at you now."
He gestured vaguely toward me.
"You’ve turned into something far beyond anything this world could have produced."
He took another drink and added with a grin,
"Honestly, I’m not even sure we should still be calling you by the same name."
Lucien lifted his glass as well.
"You have done more for this world than anyone in its history," he said quietly.
"Because of you, Vaythos has known peace for many years now."
Arkas nodded slowly beside him.
"Our soldiers train harder than ever," he said. "But none of them have had to face the kind of threats we once feared."
Edgar smirked slightly.
"In short," he said, lifting his glass higher, "life here has been suspiciously calm."
He pointed the glass toward me.
"And we know exactly who to blame for that."
Edgar lifted his glass toward me with a crooked grin before taking another sip.
I shook my head slightly, amused.
"I only did what any good citizen of Vaythos should do," I said. "Although I do have one question."
They all looked at me.
"What’s with all these names?" I continued. "Guardian Day, Guardian Realm... I keep hearing the word guardian attached to everything now. Who exactly is coming up with these ideas?"
For a moment none of them spoke. Then, almost in perfect unison, Arkas, Edgar, and Damien slowly turned their heads toward the Emperor.
Lucien noticed it immediately. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well..."
Edgar leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile.
"Oh, this should be good."
Lucien sighed lightly before speaking.
"You have to understand the situation we were facing," he began calmly. "For the people of Vaythos, you had already become something of a legend long before you left the planet."
He gestured toward the city beyond the courtyard walls.
"Most people here grew up hearing stories about you. The soldier who stopped the invasion, the one who awakened powers no one had seen before, the young warrior who left the planet to fight enemies beyond our reach."
He paused briefly.
"But when we began integrating the populations from Surka and Peanu into our empire, things became more complicated."
I raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"They had questions," Lucien explained. "Many of them had never even heard of Vaythos before arriving. Suddenly they were being told that the empire they had joined owed its stability to someone who wasn’t even present."
Edgar nodded.
"And let me tell you," he added, "people get very suspicious when their leaders start praising someone who isn’t around."
Lucien continued.
"So we needed something more permanent. Something that would establish your role in the history and future of this world."
"And that something," Edgar said with a chuckle, "became the ’Eternal Guardian of Vaythos.’"
Lucien nodded.
"Yes. A title that represents both what you have already done for this world and what you continue to represent for it."
He looked directly at me.
"I wanted to make sure your place in the history of Vaythos could never be questioned. Not by our people today... and not by anyone who might come after us."
Arkas finally spoke again.
"And honestly," he said, "it worked."
Edgar laughed.
"More than worked. People practically worship the idea of you now."
I rubbed my forehead slightly.
"That was not the intention."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Perhaps not. But symbols matter, Billion. And for the people of this world, you have become one."
I nodded.
"How is the integration of Peanu and Sukra going?" I asked.
Lucien leaned back slightly before answering.
"Better than we expected. The early months were difficult, of course. New worlds always bring tension, and there were a few rebellions from groups unwilling to accept Vaythos’ authority.
But those were handled quickly. Now the situation is mostly stable. Trade has begun flowing between the three worlds, and our military presence there has helped keep things under control. In fact, many of our younger soldiers are gaining valuable experience training and serving on those planets."