“I knew that this act is hard to maintain.” William sighed, breaking the solemn atmosphere as he turned towards his wife. “Aria, I knew that this day would come… but why is it so hard… Did my old man also feel like this back then?”

Aria gave William a tender look before replying, “William, kids grow with time. We can’t stop it, as much as we want to. Although for the most part… you’re an exception. You can never learn to grow.”

Aria laughed, her eyes starting to moisten.

William, unable to keep watching, turned to Samuel and said, “Samuel, although you still aren’t an adult just yet, and it’s probably a few aevis early for this, I think this is both a good time and a good occasion for your Rite of Embarkation. Given that you’re my son and you have a good head on your shoulders, it’s more likely than not that you’ll become a great man. If you can’t… Well, I can’t really bear to say you won’t be my son. So I’ll go with a ‘I’ll beat you with a cane’ instead.”

“Dad…” Samuel spoke, his expression a mixture of happiness and sadness.

Rite of Embarkation, an old tradition in the Empire of Emriticia since ancient times. It’s a ritual popular amongst both nobles and commoners, used to signify a person’s growth and them bearing their own responsibilities as they grow up. For most, the ritual occurs at ages between fourteen and sixteen — the consensual age of adulthood.

In addition, amongst the conservationists who follow the tradition down to its roots, a majority being high status nobles, their children take up another name for themselves, signifying their maturity, alongside their newfound responsibilities.

Rubbing Samuel’s head with a shaky hand, William continued, “Samuel, I, as your father and current head of our family, henceforth declare you to have a free rein on your thoughts and actions. You can make your own decisions and live however you like. From now, I and your mother, keep no right to bind you down to us. You are now free to live however you desire.”

“Dad… but…” Samuel stuttered, a sense of loss filling his voice.

“Samuel, even though you’re now independent, you will always be my son,” William replied, his voice containing a strong conviction, yet still full of warmth. “No matter how far you go or how great you become, you will always be my son. And this place will always be your home. Feel free to return any time. And while at it, bring at least two beautiful wives with you to bear me some grandchildren and to take care of your mother.”

“Dad…” Samuel choked on his words, his eyes watering up.

“Samuel, your father is right,” Aria said with conviction. “Not about the wife thing, but the thing about this always being your home. No matter what you become and what you do, you will be our son. And we will always be your family. You can return to us whenever you want.”

Samuel’s eyes could no longer hold back as two warm streams of clear liquid flowed down his eyes, “Mom…”

Cheerfully, Amelia said, “Brother’s leaving? Shiiro, we got you a new room!”

Samuel growled, “You little demon!” His tone was more cheerful than angry, lightening up the atmosphere.

“Brother…” Amelia said, fidgeting. “Please come often. Shiiro will also be happy to play together with you.”

As if in approval, the cat in her hands meowed, “Meooow!”

Patting his sister’s head with a smile, Samuel replied, “I will.”

A shroud of silence descended as Samuel looked back at his family, unable to muster up a word. After who knows how long, he took in a deep breath, calming his inner self.

Picking up on the change in his son, with a dignified voice, William continued, “To commemorate the occasion, grab the mantle of your other name. Roar to the skies and make the world tremble!”

Samuel looked up at the sky before saying, “From today, I, Samuel, take upon the name of Augustus. With the given name Samuel, taken name Augustus and family name…” After a brief pause, Samuel darkly muttered, “Arman, from today on, I am called Samuel Augustus.”

Looking at his son, William pulled on his hand before grabbing him into a hug, patting his back.

Following his father, Samuel hugged his mother, sister and their new family pet, exchanging their farewells.

At the side, a black-haired boy looked up at the sky, his sole black pupil filled with a trace of loneliness buried within an ice-cold resolution.

‘I will kill that man. No matter what it takes.’

Hidden under Zack’s sleeves, his fists clenched tight.

However, not long after, a pat on his shoulder broke him out of his train of thought. Looking to his side, he saw Zhu pointing towards William, who was gesturing Zack to come over.

Standing in front of him, and looking at his gentle gaze, a trace of warmth surfaced in Zack’s bitter heart. Looking at William, the boy said, “Uncle, thanks. Thanks for everything.”

“Zack,” William spoke. “I know that you desire revenge. More than anything, in fact. Although I can neither stop you, nor do I have any right to, I’ll say two things. First, don’t blind yourself to your vengeance. The more you roam the world, the more you’ll find out what is waiting for you out there. So, if anything, don’t forget your own dreams and aspirations. And second, I’ll support you till the end.”

Zack gulped down his saliva as he looked at the man before him.

‘Is he… trying to stop me again? But with a different approach?’ The thought surfaced in Zack’s mind, turning his expression sour.

As if reading through him, William assured, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. After all, your life is yours. I can’t decide how you live. All I will say is, like it is Samuel’s, this will also be your home. You can return here anytime you want. Just remember that, I am your uncle and not a stranger. And, young man, do your best in whatever you do. Don’t leave behind any regrets. We men don’t die in shame and don’t bend to dogs. If you ever need help, just say it. Even if the sky is falling, I’ll hold it back.”

Looking at the feeble man before him, sitting in his wheelchair, unable to stand on his two feet, an unusual sensation filled Zack. As if the man before him was standing on top of the world, covering the sky with one hand. An unusual sense of comfort filled him as he nodded.

Next, William patted the boy’s shoulder as he pulled the boy into a hug. His arms were trembling, his hands barely having any force behind them. Yet, they were more than capable of filling Zack with a sense of security, as if even the entire world couldn’t harm a single hair on his head.

Zack couldn’t help but think, ‘Is this how love of a father would feel? But… Hah, just who cares. What matters is that he is my Uncle.’

Letting go of William’s embrace, Zack said his farewells to the rest of the family.

William sighed, “Now, you should get the stuff you’ll be taking with you. Check it twice over if you will. It’ll be a long while before you two are back. So, prepare well.”

Zack nodded as he headed back into the cottage. Looking around and fixing everything into my memory.

Samuel’s shout echoed through the window, “Come on, Zack, hurry up!”

Hearing the call from outside, Zack picked up his bag as he walked out of the cottage. With every step he took, memories of the past month flooded his head. He heaved a melancholic breath as he turned around, taking one last look before resolutely moving forward.

Raising his head, the only ones in sight were his Teacher and Samuel. He couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Uncle and the others?”

“He… couldn’t bear to see you two leave, so he stayed back,” Zhu replied.

“Oh,” Zack spoke blankly. “I hope he won’t feel lonely again.”

Mistaking his expression, Zhu asked, “You feel a lot more reluctant to leave than this brat here. Something on your mind?”

Shaking his head, Zack replied, “Let’s go.”

Zhu gave Zack a deep look before nodding. Next, he turned to the side before walking a few steps, his solemn voice ringing through the kids’ ears, “Brats, follow me closely and don’t go off running on your own. This can be dangerous for you two if you don’t. So take caution.”

As soon as he finished his words, he began walking deeper into the forests, taking many twists and turns along the way.

Curious, Samuel asked, “Why are we going into the forests?”

Zhu shook his head before replying, “To cover up tracks.”

After an over hour of travel, he heaved a breath before raising his hand.

The scene before him distorted.

His hand waved through the space, causing spider-web-like cracks of an indistinct colour to appear in midair.

*Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!*

At the same time, with the sounds similar to glass shattering filling the space, the cracks floating in midair kept growing. In the blink of an eye, the ‘thing’ taking form stopped expanding.

*CRACK!*

A loud cracking noise drowned out all the noises in the surroundings as a hole filled with an indistinct colour appeared before them. Within it, the various colours intermingled, blending into each other perpetually, fast enough to make any spectator dizzy.

Feeling an indistinct sense of something tugging at him, Zack took a step forward, enchanted by the mesmerising sight within the hole.

“Zack brat, didn’t you hear what I said earlier? Do you want to be transported like a few thousand metres below water and die in there or something?” Zhu’s angry voice reprimanded him, breaking him out of his trance.

Zack opened his mouth as if wanting to say something. In the end, though, he remained silent. He knew that Zhu was in the right, and it was his own fault.

An indistinct force enveloped the two kids as Zhu said, “Kids, hold on to me tightly. Don’t let go. Well, you can. As long as you want to be ripped to pieces, that is.”

Finishing his words, Zhu walked forward, entering the hole in the space while bringing the two kids along.

Inside the hole, although he only took a few steps, Zack felt like a good few hours had passed. But he wasn’t sure, feeling it could just be an instant. The surrounding space had him mesmerised, leaving him incapable of concluding upon the flow of time. At the same time, Everything seemed to keep pulling at him. Sometimes it was a gentle pull, other times it was a sudden jerk, causing his body to tremble.

Not long after, a blinding light filled his vision, turning everything around him into an expanse of white. By the time his sight recovered, Zack found himself in the middle of a cave dimly lit with lanterns.

A rocky scent immediately flooded his nostrils, mixed with an indistinct floral scent. He shivered, feeling the temperature around him dropping by a few notches.

Seeing Zhu waving his hand at him, Zack followed behind, walking out of the cave.

Zack’s eyes widened. He only had one word to describe the scenery before him — Marvellous. However, the next moment, he shook his head, feeling it to not be doing the beauty justice.

Birds of all colours and sizes swam through the clear sky. Sounds of gushing water filled the air, mixed with occasional chirps from the birds overhead. An icy breeze brushed past the boy’s ears. A floral scent tickled his nose, turning his heart calm. The soft warmth of sunlight caressed the boy’s skin. As far as his sight went, a lush green covered the ground, with distant snowy peaks filling the backdrop.

The scene pulled him in by the throat, mesmerising him for a long while.

In the middle of it all stood two gigantic wooden doors, golden carvings in a language he couldn’t understand decorating the doors. A wall with no visible end in sight surrounded the giant doors, seemingly enclosing the world in its entirety. After every few metres, the walls had one mural or the other depicting various scenes, ranging from those of valiant warriors rampaging through the battlefield or wise scholars preaching their knowledge to the sanctimonious monks praying to the gods, containing all walks of life.

With pride in his eyes, Zhu turned around as he spread his hands, “Welcome to Long Huo Monastery.”