Long or short, time passed. The children of Eda and Jun grew into adults, reaching an age where they could choose their own paths in life. Jun respected his children's opinions, allowing them to live as they wished.
Kay expressed a desire to become a full-time runner. Although Jun offered support with a spaceship and initial funds, Kay, perhaps out of pride, refused, insisting on doing it all alone. On the day when he became adult, Kay purchased a synthescepter and set off for Thousand Peaks, determined to start from the bottom like Jun did. However, scavenging amidst the ruins of Thousand Peaks left Kay starving and near death due to lack of funds.
What set Jun and Kay apart was that Jun didn't start entirely from scratch, having a sturdy guardian and a high-performance spaceship by his side.
Fortunately, Ken's vessel crew, achieving considerable success, rescued Kay. Without them, Kay might have been swept back to the Lee Clan. This incident led Kay to join Ken's exploration crew as an apprentice. Eventually, Kay inherited their exploration ship and successfully established his own exploration team.
Fey, despite much deliberation after returning from family trip, still expressed a desire to become a witch like her mother. From the day she returned, Fey began receiving training as a witch from Eda, and began to learn at a considerable rate, perhaps inheriting some of her mother's talent. As Eda taught her daughter, she lamented that she didn't know how Red could have taught her so strictly.
From Red and through Eda, Fey also inherited the new era witch idea. While Eda taught other children to be themselves, she imparted everything to Fey.
Shan was the most interested in the clan among Jun's children. From a young age, he aspired to the clan's leadership, a desire he held onto as he grew older. Fortunately, his siblings had little interest in the position, with his only competition being Zhen's children.
After fairly winning against his cousins in competition, Shan succeeded in inheriting the clan leadership from Jun, becoming the 18th clan master of Lee. There were no acts of bloodshed among the family, which Jun feared most.
Yen became a scholar. She was closest to Remi, and from adolescence, she often stayed at Remi's place and eventually moved there, learning enough to publish a paper in academia combining lumen energy and folk beliefs. Although criticized for its lack of foundation, she remained steadfast.
Shuran, raised as a free-spirited child thanks to Jun's leniency, was much more liberated than her siblings. So, when one day she left only a letter and eloped with her boyfriend to another star system, Jun was furious to the point where Eda and the other children had to intervene.
Eda mentioned to her children that she had never seen Jun so angry before.
/
Thirty-five years had passed since Jun and Eda came to East Ocean, leaving Phoenix behind. Jun handed over the clan master position to Shan, retired, and moved with Eda to Red's hut in New Iran. Enjoying a luxurious and comfortable retirement life in the Lee Clan was entirely feasible. In fact, everyone in the clan, including Shan, wished for the previous clan heads to do so.
However, Jun and Eda politely declined. They believed that if they stayed, it might hinder Shan from leading the clan as he wished. And though not explicitly stated, there was another reason. Despite aging, Eda's appearance remained unchanged. She was the same as when Jun first met her, with not a single wrinkle. The only sign of aging was her hair, which inevitably turned white as she grew older. However, unlike others, her white hair was still vibrant, not brittle or coarse, but gradually losing color.
This peculiar phenomenon wasn't limited to Eda. Jun, too, didn't age past his appearance in his thirties or forties. Their secluded life in a remote area where there were hardly any people meant rumors didn't spread across the galaxy. However, within the Lee Clan, rumors about the previous clan heads who didn't age circulated uncontrollably.
It happened when Fey and Shan went to visit their parents in New Iran. Guardians and several members of the clan accompanied them to care for the clan heads, some of whom had never seen the previous clan heads since they retired and started working at the clan's main residence.
"I was wondering, what are the previous clan heads like?"
In the vast spaceship's internal maid's lounge, a junior maid asked an elderly senior maid. The senior maid looked at her successor and replied.
"Lord Jun and Lady Eda? Didn't you learn about them during training?"
"I did. But hearing from someone who actually met them might be different."
"Well, I suppose so. Are you on break right now? Take a seat for a moment."
The senior maid sat down in the lounge and gestured for junior maid to join her.
"First off, Lord Jun was... remarkable. As you know, he was once forcibly expelled from the clan during his youth. Some of his brothers even sent assassins after him back then. But despite all that, Lord Jun returned to us and rescued all of us starving in Thousand Peaks with lumens caves he found there.
And he's grown the Lee Clan to its current position. He's truly a person full of responsibility. Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn't have come back and lived in Thousand Peaks. You could say he's a role model for the nobility of East Ocean. Everyone in the clan followed him. Even I, who was just a young apprentice maid back then."
"A-ha."
The junior maid took out her notebook and began to take notes.
"No need to take notes, but anyway, Lady Eda... she's quite mysterious. Lady Eda was the captain of the exploration crew that Lord Jun was a part of when he was active in Thousand Peaks, and she's also a witch. She came with Lord Jun when he returned to East Ocean. Everyone suspected it then. Ah, the young clan master brought consort with him.
Just now, I mentioned that Lord Jun grew the clan to its current position, but honestly, it wouldn't have become as strong as it is now without Lady Eda. She handed over her share of the cave to Lord Jun and used her knowledge to help him. At first, some people had reservations because of her background, but that disappeared after a few years."
"Her background?"
"She's a witch."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Although it's rare in the Lee Clan now, most Oceaners still dislike witches, calling them war machines. Haven't you heard?"
"Uh... yes. I've heard of it, but I didn't know it was true. Nobody around me thinks like that."
"The Lee Clan changed like this after Lady Eda arrived. Before that, it was the same as other East Ocean clans. She was... something... very mysterious. She looked like a young woman in her twenties on the surface, but nobody could treat her lightly. So, thanks to Lady Eda's influence, the clan's negative feelings towards witches naturally disappeared."
"Um..."
The junior maid continued to write in her notebook.
"Finally, their relationship... Would it be right to say they were the happiest couple in East Ocean? When it comes to clan masters in East Ocean, it's common for them to have multiple spouses for political reasons or whatever. Actually, many clan masters of various East Ocean clans are doing that. I heard even the previous clan masters did.
But Lord Jun truly didn't give any attention to other women besides Lady Eda. Lady Eda was the same. I heard there were several marriage proposals to Lord Jun, but he rejected them all. Some said he missed the opportunity to form alliances that would benefit the clan, but the internal unity of the clan became even stronger, so isn't that a good thing?"
The junior maid nodded along as she transcribed the senior maid's words into her notebook.
-Ding.
"Oh, break time's over."
"We'll be arriving soon. Get ready."
/
New Iran, the Sea of Flowers, where Red's hut is located. It's the land that the Lee Clan fully acquired by investing a fortune in United Mining. As they gazed upon the mysterious sight of flowers blooming as far as the eye could see beyond the horizon, the junior maid took out her camera and began snapping photos, as if enchanted by the beauty.
This was possible because the maids had just arrived and didn't have much to do right now, and the seniors had given her some free time on her first visit here so she could at least look around.
"Wow..."
The junior maid looked around in awe. She had heard a lot about it, but seeing it firsthand was beyond imagination. There were so many flowers that it was impossible to take it all in at once. They were always in full bloom. Among other things, it felt like being in a mythical paradise, with a white carpet spread beneath the blue sky.
"Is this your first time here?"
Lost in her surroundings, the maid was suddenly startled by a voice beside her.
"Eek?!"
"Oh, sorry to startle you. That wasn't my intention."
A young woman with ponytails wearing a hat approached from the side. She seemed to have just come out of the flower garden, wearing large brown overalls like a gardener, with white flower petals scattered all over. Interestingly, there were strands of white hair among her tied black hair.
The maid speculated that she might work here.
She had heard that only the previous clan heads lived here, but it seemed unrealistic that only two people managed this vast flower garden. She had heard that people came and went for various purposes like delivering goods, research, journalism, and trading lumen plants. She looked young, but the strands of white hair suggested she had been through a lot.
"Are you working here? Uh, I mean, were you employed by the previous clan heads of the Lee Clan?"
"Um, well... Actually, I..."
"Oh. Would you not know if I put it like that? I mean, Jun Lee and Edalune Grant..."
"Oh no, Mother. Are you trying to confuse another clueless person again?"
The maid heard a familiar voice from behind. She quickly turned around with a graceful greeting.
"Clam master, it's an honor to see you."
Shan Lee, the 18th clan head of the Lee Clan, walked slowly towards the maid. No, precisely speaking, it wasn't towards the maid but towards the woman standing beside her. Shan addressed them.
"Yes. Please stand up first. And Mother, that's a bad habit, you know? From the perspective of the person being pranked, it's not as amusing as you think."
"Got it. Sorry. I just find it amusing to startle visitors. I won't do it next time."
"If you do it again, I'll get mad."
The maid couldn't keep up with their conversation for a moment. Two seemingly similar-aged men and women were conversing like parent and child. No, upon closer inspection, the woman seemed even younger.
At that time, the information she had been taught appeared in the maid's mind. The former clan heads looks very young, and Eda in particular appears to be in her early 20s, so I was told not to make a mistake and be rude. Even though she had learned that, the maid, who in her heart had thought that they were being treated as such because they were the previous heads, was astonished by the naked truth.
"I-I'm truly sorry!"
The maid bowed deeply as if to touch the ground with her head.
"I've committed a grave offense by not recognizing Lady Eda..."
"It's okay. I was just joking."
"See? It's quite burdensome for the person being pranked. I guess I have no choice but to give forgiveness again, as it seems to resolve the situation. As an 18th clan master of Lee Clan, you won't face any consequences, so please stand up."
Feeling relieved, the maid sighed inwardly and raised her head.
"I'd like to have a brief conversation with Mother, so could you please give us some privacy?"
"As you command."
As soon as Shan's words were uttered, the maid left the scene. Eda looked disappointedly in the direction the maid had departed.
"I wanted to talk a bit more since she's a new face."
"It seems like you've become less observant, Mother. How burdensome must it be for her? If you want, you can talk to her later. The maids will soon be busy preparing."
"Yeah, you're right."
"By the way, where's Father?"
"Jun? He said he'd rather wait at home until you arrive, feeling that he would only burden you all unnecessarily if he came along."
"That sounds like Father. From now on, please listen to him."
As they conversed, the sound of someone running approached from behind.
"Mom-!"
Fey, who had hurried over, embraced Eda tightly. Eda, upon seeing her, hugged her back and patted her on the back. The mother and daughter, who looked like sisters, exchanged smiles as they chatted.
"Oh, Fey? Did you come too?"
"Since Mom always startles people, this time I came without telling Mom, to surprise you. It's been a while since I've seen Mom's face and heard you sing."
"I didn't expect our daughter to come, but now that you're here..."
/
In Thousand Peaks, Kay, who operates as a runner, occasionally took the time to visit New Iran. Having effectively become independent from the clan, Kay formed his own crew in Thousand Peaks and eventually got married to a female colleague after finding common ground. They even had children.
In front of Red's cabin, several rocking chairs handmade by Jun were placed in a sunny spot. Jun and his son Kay, dressed in white, sat in the chairs, rocking gently while basking in the grace of the star of New Iran. Kay spoke to Jun.
"Father, do you know about that?"
"About what?"
"The photo of you and Mother. When I show it to my friends, no one believes it. You look about the same age as me, but Mother just looks like a young girl. Because of that, I've been labeled a liar and suffered a bit. Mother hasn't changed in appearance at all since before I was born, so even I can't believe it."
Jun chuckled and replied with closed eyes.
"Oh yeah? You've had it tough. I should ask Eda to start showing signs of aging soon. Of course, just as you said."
"If you do that, both of us will get scolded. But more importantly, Father, how do you and Mother not age so much? Is there a secret to youth? The kids are most curious about that."
"A secret? The secret is obvious. It's all thanks to your mother. Your mother's secret is me, of course."
Kay responded with a look suggesting he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"...Father, you've changed a lot since retiring. You would never have said such things before."
"Everything in the universe is bound to change eventually, my son. Except for love."
"Oh, right. And what? You're saying love is the reason for both secrets? Love? That's something."
"You're married too, Kay, don't you know?"
Kay shivered and replied to Jun.
"Don't even talk about it. Arguing with my wife is a daily occurrence. We must have loved each other until we got married, but now, there's some affection left, but I'm not sure about love. If it weren't for the kids, we might have split up several times. Cases where love doesn't fade throughout a lifetime like you are really, really rare."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. That's why I came alone this time, without bringing the kids. They all take their mother's side anyway. So, I came here alone to cool off."
"Eda wanted to see her grandchildren, next time try to bring them along."
"I'll try."
"Oh, by the way. Any news related to Phoenix?"
"...No."
"I see."
As the two men were about to close their eyes for a nap, Eda's voice came from inside the cabin.
"Kay! Jun! Come in and eat!"
"Oh, sure!"
Kay shouted back to Eda and then turned to Jun, who was stretching beside him.
"Let's go quickly. A meal filled with her love. I'm really curious about the taste."
"You found a few caves and suddenly gets all talkative."
/
United Mining ultimately withdrew from Thousand Peaks. Due to internal power games, the deteriorating United Mining couldn't withstand the growing resistance in Thousand Peaks any longer. Eventually, they had no choice but to leave behind the lucrative grounds of Thousand Peaks, a honey pot of lumen, and flee. The chairman played the most significant role in the power games, having initiated it, manipulated internal affairs, and employed every illegal means except murder.
Thanks to him, the chairman earned the public's acknowledgment as the prime mover who significantly diminished United Mining's influence. While those favorable to United Mining saw him as almost an enemy, while Peakers liked him. As United Mining withdrew, the resources left adrift were amiably divided among the Lumen Association, the Myrian Ignis Guild, and the East Ocean.
Anyway, with things turning out this way, the chairman had to step down, taking responsibility for the immense losses incurred by the withdrawal from Thousand Peaks. Naturally, he was also dug up from the family register.
With the disappearance of his chairman background, several people harboring resentment towards him sent assassins to kill him. However, it was impossible to track him as he disappeared without leaving any trace, perhaps with the help of someone in power in another star system.
Benzel retreated to East Ocean upon stepping down from the chairman position, which was part of the deal he initially struck with Dan. As part of the deal, Benzel offered research facilities, capital, and eventually a portion of the resources United Mining had been exploiting in Thousand Peaks. In return, he received personnel, and ultimately, assistance in hiding.
Dan kept his promise. United Mining still stood as a megacorporation of galactic significance, and within it, there were many who detested Benzel. Hence, handing Benzel over to them might have brought significant gains, but Dan saw no reason to go that far. No matter how appealing power might be, he didn't want to become a monster like his father.
Remi returned to East Ocean along with Benzel. Living there, she frequently visited the Lee Clan, Red's hut, meeting her nieces and nephews, Eda, and Jun. Meanwhile, amidst continuous modifications, Red's chamber had become so advanced that its performance could rival even the most modern warships.
Remi stood by Benzel until the end. As Benzel's health deteriorated with age, she did her best in her own way, taking him for walks in a wheelchair, providing companionship, and more. Eventually, she even fed him and helped him bathe. Although she could have hired someone to assist with such tasks, Remi insisted on doing them herself if she wanted to.
"Cough, cough."
"...Are you okay?"
Benzel coughed as he sat at the table, a little blood staining his lips. Remi wiped his lips and cleared the mess of food and dishes scattered on the table. Benzel smiled slightly.
"I'm fine, really. With the most beautiful in the universe Remi by my side, what reason could there be not to be okay?"
"Well, of course."
Though it was evident he was forcing a cheerful tone, Remi didn't point it out.
"Remi..."
"Yeah?"
Benzel turned to her.
"I lived quite impressively, right? I mean, I drove United Mining out of Thousand Peaks."
Remi smiled softly and nodded.
"Yeah, you did impressively, even from my perspective."
"Haha."
Even when Benzel reached a point where he couldn't get up anymore, Remi never left his side. She ensured he wasn't alone until he closed his eyes for the last time. Remi organized a simple funeral for Benzel and then went to Red's hut where Eda and Jun lived. Of course, they welcomed her warmly. Despite appearing as a combination of grandmother, son, and granddaughter due to her aging normally unlike them, they didn't mind.
And so, time passed by.