Shin's promotion to the Spirit Lord realm mostly went unnoticed in the busy warring nations. Still, the man remained as busy as ever. Lady Seph was constantly hounding him to store 'Restoration' in a hereditary opuscule, and the Lantis Republic gave him even more responsibilities now that he was a Spirit Lord. Adding to his current activities of producing his cultivation-improving aura and daily training, Shin didn't have a single spare second to breathe.
A week after he advanced, Shin was already on the frontlines again. The Payircis remained as dangerous as they were before, and the Alliance had made significant moves to destroy them utterly. Although only ten had fallen, it didn't mean that the remainder of the floating towers were completely untouched. The Alliance had already identified all of them during these three years and had stationed many servicemen to guard and quarantine the area. Most of the Payircis were even fully mapped out, with dozens of scholars and engineers theorising where the Paradise Heart could be.
The Lantis Republic was no different. The maritime nation was in a unique position as their land consisted of over a thousand islands. Payircis in their locations would almost certainly be atop one of their many islands, giving the world's most professional navy an easy chance to completely surround them. Furthermore, the Eight Clans of Water were friendly with many of the Tier 8 and 9 Spirit Beasts that lived on their islands. Not to mention, Shin now possessed the Celestial Dragon! There was nothing the Black Masks could do to protect their Payircis from certain destruction.
Nevertheless, Spirit Immortal Dream's invention wasn't that easy to take down. Filled with ingenious contraptions and a maze that would make an ant colony look like a one-pathed road, the Payircis was still one of the most difficult structures to take out. The only way to truly destroy a Payirci was to take down the Paradise Heart due to how indestructible they were from the outside. To make matters worse, the engineers that the Black Masks had were exceedingly crafty. They'd modified the designs so that each levitating dungeon was unique. No one could find the Paradise Heart in the exact same position. They had to scour the entire Payirci and pray that they just stumble upon the path.
It was a nightmare… but it was a nightmare that Shin knew they had to overcome.
"Shizen, what did you find?" The young man sat with his legs crossed on the black oak throne, that had two dragon heads carved on each end. Bingbing lay comfortably asleep atop of the enormous chair, enjoying the rare warmth during this cold winter afternoon. Now, Shin was royalty and had to be treated as such. Thus, even with the limited space, the encampment had, the young man and his allies were given a full military tent for themselves.
A baby-faced man leapt forward, head askew and all. His brown hair significantly differed from the oceanic backdrop, and his short stature remained unchanged over the years. "We targeted the west wing… Nothing..." Shizen replied with a disappointed expression.
"The Paradise Heart can't be found… No, is there even a Paradise Heart in this Payirci?" The nature boy began to question the existence of the most fundamental part of the structure.
"It is there," replied Shin decisively. "We'd destroyed it many times before. It's just a little hard to find this time." He stood up from his throne and gently placed a calming palm upon the young man's shoulders. "Don't lose hope, Shizen… You're one of the few people that can search for the Paradise Heart. We're all counting on you." Shin gave his signature charming smile as he cheered the hobbit on.
Shizen's Adivinar Tree had a unique property that no other Lantis Republic Spirit User could provide. It created vines that could twist and turn through narrow cracks on the wall. Not to mention, Shizen's innate ability to absorb mana made him the most spiritual-energy sensitive cultivator in Shin's camp. If there were anyone that could discover the hidden Paradise Heart, it would be Shizen.
Shin knew that his words wouldn't be enough, so he specially brought out a flask of his own created water, "Here! For your troubles!" The young man handed over the flask like a drug dealer would with a joint.
"Hah… You're still treating me like a child," Shizen snorted and pushed the flask back into Shin's hands, much to the shock of the latter. "I don't always need your created water, you know? I've grown out of that phase!"
"No way! A few days ago, you..."
"Just shut it, Shin!" Shizen cried, stopping the youth from proceeding any further. His face turning beet-red, the young man took some time to calm himself. "Ahem… I was just playing before! I'm not a baby that needs to be fed his milk, alright?" Shizen continued.
Shin blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what he'd just heard. In the end, a tear escaped from the edges of Shin's eyes. "Haha, looks like my boy has grown up..."
"You know that I'm the same age as you, right?" Shizen retorted with a raised brow. "Hah… That's not important! We have to deal with the Payirci now!" For once, the Freak of the Dundlewoods was the level-headed guy in the room.
Shin pouted. It really was odd to be on the opposite side of a nagger. Though, there was a little bit of a nostalgic feeling. Shizen's serious face reminded him of the old days where Lily would scold him straight, with Ella looking in cheer. 'Looks like Ella's influence is quite strong, huh?' Shin had the wild idea to separate the two just to get the Shizen back, but he had to bury it quite quickly.
Putting on his commander's face, the young man coughed as his voice went deeper by one register. "Captain Zhangyu Jie has already mapped out the entire Payirci. We've been scouring the west and north of the tower, but as you know, there's no sign of the Paradise Heart. The Lantis Paladins have been clearing up the Umbras in the east. Once they're done, you can conduct an extensive search there. If you find the chambers that house the Paradise Heart, immediately notify me! I'll lead an elite team inside. For now, just be on standby!"
Shin flawlessly gave his orders, loud and sharp. Three years of battlefield experience had made him an excellent officer. Though he didn't have to, Shizen clicked his boots together and gave a firm salute, possibly out of habit. He did an about-turn and was ready to leave the tent. However, the brown-haired young man failed to muster the strength to do just that.
"Hmmm? Do you need anything else?" Shin cocked his head to the side. He'd known Shizen for eight coming nine years now. Just the slightest change in his expression was enough to push Shin's brotherly instincts to the brink.
"T-That..." Shizen stuttered on his first word. His eyes were shifting from side-to-side, and his voice was a little uneasy.
Shin noticed the abnormality and gently pat on the guy's shoulder. "What's the matter?" he asked worriedly.
"It's a little hard to discuss..." Shizen twiddled his thumbs, and his toes clenched so high that they were protruding out from his shoe.
"You can tell me anything, Shizen. You know that!" Shin tapped gently on the youth's face. He could sense the youth's tension and decided to loosen it a little. "Is it because of Emma? Have the two of you finally decide to make it official?" Shin's face brightened up as if he were having a eureka moment.
"That's not it!" Shizen roared back. "Tsk, how many times must I tell you that we're not like that! She's just a good friend… No, a nagging mother! That's right! She's the nagging mother that I'd never had!!!"
"Hehe, you don't have to be shy! We all know that it's all a matter of time!" Shin threw away his officer facade and waved in jest. The back and forth between the two youngsters continued. 'It was Shizen's fault for being this adorable!' Shin thought. The hustle and bustle had even awoken the poor, little snowy gerbil, who had been in bliss for the longest time.
"Shin! This is serious!" Not willing to play anymore, Shizen stomped his foot down as Bingbing flew right onto Shin's shoulders. She displayed her pure white fangs to threaten the nature boy but was stopped by Shin's soft, gentle touch.
"Alright, alright!" Shin exhaled through his nose, instantly calming the atmosphere. It was one of the rare abilities he had that didn't involve cultivation. Just by switching his expression, the man could control whichever room he was part of. It didn't matter if he was among a group of friends or an army of the world's best soldiers. Shin's minute movements were a treat to behold.
Shizen felt a little pressure just by feeling the presence of his longtime friend. However, after shaking his head twice, the young man stood his ground. "Shin, I'm moving to the Himmel Empire in a month."
"Hmmm? Didn't you go back a few weeks ago? What's the rush?" Shin questioned, puzzled. The new treaty Shin had with the Lantis Republic didn't ban the movement of his friends. In fact, even the twins, who were supposed to stay locked in the Meijing Arctics, were given free rein to move between nations if need be. Under strict surveillance, of course, but at least their freedoms were guaranteed. So, it was odd for Shizen to be uptight about one move back. Unless…
"No, listen to me..." The nature boy gulped hard, fidgeting throughout. Still, it wasn't right to keep Shin in the dark for too long so… "I'm moving back for good."
"Oh," Shin froze. It took him a good twenty seconds to regain his wits. "Why?"
"I..." The words got stuck on the tip of Shizen's tongue. He knew about Shin's current predicament very well.
Although Shin had the freedom to leave for the Himmel Empire, it would take a whole lot of diplomacy and politics. After all, he was the sole person in the Lantis Republic that possessed the Celestial Dragon. His status was equivalent to that of the Himmel Ancestor Spirit Saint. No, his worth far surpassed of the ancestor. There was no way the Lantis Republic would let him slip through their fingers.
"Shin, I have to be forward with you," Shizen muttered. "My goals aren't within the Lantis Republic." The young man deliberately averted his eyes to the side, not willing to look at Shin's expression. Shizen knew that he was the only male friend that Shin had from the Himmel Empire. And ever since Isadore went into training, the young man didn't possess many male bosom friends his age. Thus, it was tough for Shizen to bring this topic up. Still, he had to.
"I want to live my life in peace within the Dundlewoods. I want to repay my debts to Principal Erudito and those that helped me escape from that hellhole. I want to personally visit the Tree of Illusions and experience the power of the Empyrean Wonder…" Shizen listed all of his demands in one breath. "I want to do all that… But I can't do them here. I enjoy training with you, Shin! I enjoy the hardships we've been through as well. Taking down Payircis, formulating new plans, joking around... Everything! However, I have to be honest with myself!"
The room went silent. Shizen closed his eyes, not daring to see the reaction of his friend.
Shin was also quiet. However, his gaze was plastered right at the young brown-haired friend of his. In the end, the young Prince simply sighed. 'That's right… Shizen has his own dreams to carry out. I can't be selfish and keep him by my side forever...' Shin reflected. He'd always assumed that the seven young heroes would stick together, at least during the war against the Black Masks.
Alas, not everything was meant to be. Isadore was the first to leave. He was brought back into the Himmel Empire's ancestral tomb to train. Then, it was Elrin. Though Shin and the rest had seen her a few times during the three years, she was mostly focused on the operations of the Zedcris Conglomerate. Later on, the twins became busy as well. They trained in the Meijing Clan tirelessly, regardless if it was rain or shine.
In the end, the only two that remained by Shin's side until the very end were Kanari and Shizen. One was his girlfriend, whom he saw every night. The other was his only friend, who acted almost like his sidekick. Following Shin wherever he went, Shizen served a vital role in Shin's life. Sometimes, he worked as a consul, advising Shin on the best decision to make. Sometimes, he was the stress reliever of the youth. However, the majority of the time, Shizen was just… Someone that Shin could talk to openly. It was rare to have a person like Shizen in one's life, and the more people left Shin, the harder the young man clung onto that relationship.
Alas, as with all good things, it must all come to an end.
"No, Shizen… You're right..." Shin shook his head and lifted his friend's head up. "You have your dreams to carry out. I can't be the one that hinders you from your path."
"Shin..."
"No, I'm fine! Really!" The young man put on a radiant smile. "It's not like we won't see each other again! In the war against the Black Masks, we'll eventually cross paths again!" Shin chuckled. "For now, let's just conquer this Payirci! You said you're leaving in a month, right? Once we destroy this Paradise Heart, let's take a walk back in the garden you planted!" Shin pushed the back of Shizen out of his tent, rushing him away.
"Okay..." Shizen blinked rapidly as his petite body was being pushed along.
"Hehe, get back to work, you moron! The faster you find the Paradise Heart, the more time we have to banquet!" Shin continued his persuasion.
"Alright… I'll catch you later then?" Shizen walked out of the tent, utterly relieved that the meeting went better than he'd thought. What he didn't know was…
"Hah..." Shin heaved out a deep sigh and stared deeply into space. The flaps of his tent entrance were wavering with the winter winds, as chilling howls permeated into his base. In the end, the man turned his face from the entrance, his hands tied behind his back.
In the place where no one could see…
A tear fell from the Prince of Water's eye.
✵✵✵
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