Shin’s one-sided annihilation of the Umbras ended as quickly as it began. There was virtually nothing that the Umbras could do to stop the man’s onslaught. In no time at all, the darkness crevice that had become a hotspot for spawning Umbras had been completely wiped clean from the face of the earth, never to terrorise another living soul ever again.

The three children’s faces were still hot from the shouting and fervour that they felt feverish. Shin’s display was something out of a fairy tale, after all. How could they have imagined that their father, the man who had fed them throughout the years and had cuddled them when they were feeling down… was the same entity that could level mountains with just a thought?

“Father, you were awesome back there!” Cassiel was the first one to embrace Shin, her face still beaming with endless joy.

“Father, can you teach me how to level mountains as well?! I want to fight off the Black Masks just like you did!” Luciel screamed as he tugged Shin’s sleeves. If the twins hadn’t been looking at Shin with reverent gazes before, they were now.

Only Errol, the eldest of the bunch, was able to hold back his fanboy expression. “You guys… Can’t you see that father is troubled? Leave him be for now...”

“No, it’s okay. I’m glad that you all are interested in your father’s power,” Shin smiled. “However, we have all the time in the world to train back home. For now, there’s something important that I want to show you.”

“Hmmm?” The three children uniformly tilted their heads, confused by their father’s words. Shin didn’t need to elaborate though. With a smile, he led Zishen and Bingbing further south, flying at cruising speed. In no time at all, a patch of green appeared on the horizon with a few simple lines of billowing smoke flying out into the air.

The three children looked down from the sky, only to see an assortment of wooden huts and a weak, city wall. Elderly men rode their horses while ploughing the fields. Women and children stayed safely at home, careful not to come out into the open and risk losing their lives. The mountainous region, as well as the gorgeous backdrop of forestry, made the village quite picturesque. However, even though the village was gorgeous, one couldn’t help but feel the dread in the air.

But that all changed when Zishen and Bingbing landed at the town centre.

“That’s… The Prince of Water! He’s come to save us!” A villager shouted with everything that he had. Hearing the cry, everyone, no matter how busy they were, stopped their work and skipped to the town square.

Young, old, man, woman, farmer, warrior. Every single person from the village emerged and gathered at the sight of the Prince.

“T-They...” Luciel stuttered. Although it wasn’t the first time that he’d received the adulation of the masses, it was the first time that he’d seen such pure, blind faith in their eyes. It was as if the villagers had found a deity in Shin and had begun to worship him wholeheartedly.

“Thank you for coming to receive me, village chief...” Shin took the hand of the aged man who came forward, showing the most affable smile he could put on.

“No, we have troubled you in taking down the Umbral threat,” the elderly man shook his head. “Speaking of which, have you...”

“Yes, the Umbras won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“For real?!” The villagers who heard of the good new universally nodded their heads in absolute glee. For the longest time, they felt like a blade had been hanging above their necks. They knew that a darkness crevice had appeared nearby, and at any time, it could explode and destroy their way of life, much like the other crevices that spawned Umbras. Hence, they had sent a request to Guardian Sword to deal with the threat.

Weeks had passed since then, and it seemed like help was never going to come. However, how could Guardian Sword, Shin in particular, sit back and watch as people suffered?

A few days prior, Shin had rushed towards the village and investigated the situation as it was presented to him. With Isadore’s extensive information network, Shin was able to triangulate the location of the crevice. Taking his children out on an expedition to experience their rite of passage was just a bonus for the Prince of Water. What was truly important… was the overall safety of the villagers he’d just protected.

The glum and moody atmosphere instantly dissipated at Shin’s declaration. All of the villagers threw whatever they had on hand up in the air in celebration and screamed in jubilation. Overwhelmed, all of the villagers rushed towards Shin with jovial faces.

“Hero Shin! Look over here!” One man rushed over with a reverent face.

“Hero Shin! Please, hold my baby!” One mother ran up to Shin and offered up her newborn son.

“Hero Shin! Please sign this!” A teenager brought a shirt over and handed it over.

Shin smiled at the fervent gazes of the villagers and answered sweetly: “Certainly, one at a time, please. I only have one pair of hands.”

“Hahaha, it surely doesn’t feel that way!”

Errol, Luciel and Cassiel watched ardently as their father was adored by the crowd. People from all walks of life all came over and did their best to please the man who had saved them from the terror of the Umbras. Without Shin’s interference, there was no question that their lives would have been negatively affected by now. If the Black Masks and Umbras had their way… There was no telling what damage they would have done against the innocent lives that lived within the city.

Now, as busy as he was, Shin had all the reason to deny the villagers of any of their requests. He could very well take his reward and leave at that very moment. However, Shin had decided to play his role as the hero to the finest degree. Not only did he agree to all of their mundane requests, but Shin also stayed for the banquet that was whipped up in a hurry. After dinner, Shin sat around with the villagers, listening in on their woes. The complaints they had towards their government. The fears they had living in such a rural area… Everything was shared with Shin to listen.

In the end, Shin stayed in the small village for almost half a day and was forced to stay the night. Since he was the most treasured person in the village, Shin and his company were given the best lodgings the village could provide. Well, it wasn’t all that fancy to speak with. It was one of the few brick homes in the village and the only one that could keep out the cold at night.

The three children, who were used to soft beds and servants serving their every whim, felt completely foreign in such an unfamiliar atmosphere. However, no matter how uncomfortable they were, none of them were able to wipe the smiles off their faces.

“Sleeping with father… I wonder when was the last time we did that?” Cassiel purred as Shin brushed her wet hair.

“Ah, I have been kind of busy as of late...” Shin got to thinking and frowned. “Well, at least we get to stay together for one night now!”

Shin and his three children were sharing a room in the brick house. Lady Seph and Bingbing took the adjacent room, much to the protests of the Kamaitachi who wanted to stay with Shin. Finally, Zishen got the last room all for himself.

“Are you tired, Cassiel?”

“No father, I’m as energetic as can be!”

Lovingly caressing his daughter’s hair, Shin carried her by the waist and brought her towards the king-sized bed, where her two brothers were waiting. “What about you two?”

“We’re fine, father!”

“Still not sleepy...”

Errol gave out an energetic cheer while Luciel seemed rather languid. Well, who could blame him? They were out the entire day and had experienced more scenes than they ever did in their young lives. Being tired was more than average.

“Haha, don’t worry Luciel, I’m going to be quick. Let me ask you this… Why did I bring all of you here today instead of sending you back home?”

The three children looked puzzled. To tell the truth, they weren’t exactly clear why Shin had led them all the way to the village.

“To meet all the nice villagers?” Luciel answered back, innocently.

“Hmmm, that’s one part.” Shin smiled. “However, there’s a main reason why I’ve brought you here. Can you guess why?”

“That...” None of them could come up with an answer. They kept thinking and thinking, but their juvenile brains were far too immature to figure out their father’s intentions.

“Haha, you don’t have to think so hard...” Shin chuckled, bemused by his children’s adorable faces when they were stumped. “Truthfully, I brought you here to see the real reason why your father is fighting so hard. The reason why I’m always absent from home...”

Shin’s eyes dropped as he gazed out of the window. The festivities never stopped as the villagers kept celebrating their freedom. They no longer needed to fear the threat of the Black Masks, and it was all because of Shin’s actions.

“Errol, Cassiel, Luciel… You have grown up sheltered, so you can’t understand the hardships that the rest of the world are going through. To me, taking care of the darkness crevice was as simple as raising my hand and expending some mana… However, to these villagers… All these innocent people… It’s a matter of life and death.”

“...” The three children gulped.

“The reason why I brought you here today, was not only to let you experience what’s it is like to go against the Umbras, but to also show you what’s really at stake. It’s not our pretty palaces or the gold that we earn… What we’re truly protecting, is the livelihoods of the world population...”

“...”

“I don’t expect any of you to contribute now, but when you grow up, I hope that you can take my words into account.”

“Yes, father!”