A week had passed since Shin's eldest three children had awakened their Spirits. Everyone expected Shin's eldest son, Errol, to awaken a sword-based Spirit and their estimates hit the bullseye. Just like his biological father, the young boy had awakened the Azure Water Blade and had inherited the legacy of the Awter Clan's guardians. However, it was what came afterwards that shook the Lantis Republic to its core.
Shin's twins, the first two to be birthed out of Shin's own blood, had shockingly awakened their Spirits a year earlier than anticipated. The more shocking part… Neither of them awakened a Spirit that was part of the Eight Scions of Water. For the longest time, since the Lady of Water's era, eight bloodlines ruled over the Lantis Archipelago. No matter how many thousand years had passed, the matter how many powerful Spirit Saints or Spirit Immortals emerged, the hegemony of the Eight Scions of Water had never been challenged.
Why?
Because of the Celestial Dragon's bloodline. See, the Eight Clans of Water had one mission that never faded throughout the ages. And that was the revival of the Celestial Dragon. That's why the Celestial River had been protected ardently, no matter what differences the Eight Ancient Clans had. That's why Celestial Island had never been claimed by any one of the Eight Clans, no matter what powerhouses emerged from their ranks.
In the end, they were all just tools for the Celestial Dragon's revival, and…
After hundreds of thousands of years… They had finally fulfilled their oath. The Celestial Dragon was reborn into the world again, creating a new Imperial Bloodline. However, a new question had arisen from that happy news…
Would the new bloodline supersede the old?
What would happen with the current bloodline order? Would there be more clans spawning to challenge the age-old order? All those were questions posed to the Grand Council of the Lantis Republic. Were the Eight Clans of Water willing to divide their resources equally to cater to the new bloodline?
The short answer was… No.
Yes, it was the mission of the Eight Clans of Water to keep the Celestial Dragon's Bloodline going. However, nowhere was it said that they had to divide their resources equally with the new spawns that came from Shin's line. After all, humans were inherently selfish. Though the Eight Clans were united as one in the Lantis Republic, competition still existed among them. There was no way that they would allow a new dominant Clan of Water to appear, and fortunately… Shin was on the same page as them.
Shin didn't want his children to suffer the burden of power, much like he did. Shin was the Prince of the Lantis Republic as well as the Hero of his generation. There was no question that his direct offsprings would be compared to their father, much like the first generation of the Eight Scions of Water were compared to the Lady of Water. However, Shin didn't want his children to grow up with the burden of creating a new clan that could topple the ancient structure of the Lantis Republic.
Much like Junius' hope before he passed, Shin wanted his loved ones to live in peace, away from the conflict and pain that wars bring. Therefore, from the moment that Kanari was pregnant with the twins, Shin had settled down the plans he had with the Lantis Republic's Grand Council.
If Shin's children could awaken either one of the Eight Scions of Water, great! They would join the clan that corresponds with their Spirit, learning all of the perfected cultivation arts and martial ability that came suited the Spirit. On the other hand, if they were to awaken entirely new Spirits, they would fall under the direct tutelage of Shin himself. They would be entitled to the resources that the Prince's faction had and wasn't allowed to inherit any one of the Eight Ancient Clan's lands.
They would be given a share of Celestial Island once Shin either passed or ascended into the Immortal Realm, leaving the rest for the Eight Clans to equally distribute. In essence, they were given the free pass to train themselves, but their ability to build an entirely new clan was crippled entirely.
Of course, if anyone of Shin's offsprings wanted to expand their influence, they could go and find new lands to conquer. However, the Lantis Republic would take no part in those exploits. Hence, the rules that the new Celestial Dragon Bloodline had to follow was drawn out in fine print, quite comprehensively, in fact.
So, when the twins had surprisingly awakened their Spirit one year in advance, the Lantis Republic was sent into a state of shock, but they weren't overly worried. To them, the young Prince and Princess awakening new Spirits were an exciting frontier to watch, and everyone wanted to see how they would mature. Would their Spirits become as powerful as the Eight Scions of Water, or would they surpass them? Only time could tell…
However, as the Lantis Republic were all celebrating the jubilant news… Shin was watching over his eldest son with a heavy heart.
"Father… I-Is… That the truth?"
"Yes… There's no way that I would lie to you, Errol."
The father-son pair were seated alone in the bamboo dojo that the two of them frequently trained in. The aroma of residue sweat still remained within the exercise hall, making it a rather humid place for such a tight environment. Shin sat in a lotus position, his back straightened and eyes looking forward. On the contrary, Errol has his head down, and spine bent, tearfully gazing at the floor. His two fists were clutched, and his wet lips turned red. The ten-year-old couldn't believe what he was hearing…
"Father… killed my biological father?" Errol struggled to make out the words.
"That's right..." Shin nodded with resolution. He looked solemnly at his eldest son, who seemed as forlorn as a lonely leaf. In any other situation, Shin would rush to Errol's side and give the boy a firm hug, telling him that Father would always be there for him. However, this wasn't the time to be choked up on their familial love. Right now, Errol deserved to know the truth… No matter how much it would hurt him.
"Your real father's name was… Junius Awter! The man whom I looked up to as my brother as well as… The man that I killed with my own two hands!"
"But… Why?"
Ready for that question, Shin started the explanation he'd prepared since the day Junius had handed Errol over to him: "It's a long story, so bear with me… It all started before I was born, back when two clans were battling out for supremacy in the west of the Himmel Empire..."
To fully explain everything, Shin needed to start with the background of the Frie and Awter Clan. He recounted everything that the First Elder and Junius had told him… Everything from the rift formed by the Aether Mine, to the eventual massacre of the Awter Clan, to the final act of repentance by the crazed Frie Clan. Shin explained his childhood, how he and Junius were orphans of the Frie Clan, and how they were unaware of their true heritage. Continuing on, he recounted the day where Junius disappeared and joined the remnants of the Awter Clan in the Black Masks, to the fateful tragedy that befell on Frie Mountain. The years that Shin spent chasing Junius and the heinous deeds that Junius had committed as the Blade of Death. And finally… The straw that broke the camel's back… The day that Junius killed Shizen, Shin's best friend.
Everything was told in full detail, not leaving anything to the imagination. Errol could feel the emotions in Shin's voice each time he recounted the heartbreaking stories. There were so many tribulations that Shin had to face just to reach this point. He'd lost so many of his loved ones throughout the years…
Just… too… many…
Shin tried to be sombre, but there were tremors in his voice every time he spoke. He knew… There was a real chance that he would lose his eldest son once he'd told him the truth. That was what happened with Latina those many years back. Shin had killed Star Face, the young girl's father, and because of that… The girl who looked up to Shin as a knight in shining armour denounced him and disappeared from his sights.
Shin knew… He knew that he might lose his eldest son and the ten years of love that they'd built up might be lost forever. However, Shin knew that it was the right thing to do.
"At the very end… Junius sacrificed himself for me… In his dying moment, he sent the Allfather's mana into my body, greatly boosting my cultivation forever." Shin was quickly coming in on the ending. Throughout his explanation, Shin's unwavering gaze had been slowly falling down. He didn't dare to look Errol in the eye, fearing that the young boy's gaze of reverence might be replaced with one of hate.
No matter how flowery he put it, Shin had killed Junius. That was an undeniable fact. Yes, it was for the greater good, but Shin had also forced Errol to live a life without his biological parents. So what if Shin had treated him as his own son and showered him with the love of a true parent? In the end, it was all artificial, much like how the Frie Clan treated the orphans.
"And that's how I brought you back to the Lantis Republic… To raise you as my own and to fulfil my promise to Junius..." Shin was finally able to raise his head once he finished his story. He tried to look Errol in the eyes, but the young boy had his face firmly plastered towards the ground.
"Errol… What I've told you is nothing but the truth. I know that it might be a hard pill to swallow, but… You have to accept it." Shin bit his lips, trying his hardest not to break out into tears. "I won't ask for your forgiveness, and neither would I blame you if you begin to hate me. If you wish to leave Celestial Island, I can also understand that… However..."
Shin continued on, even though he couldn't see what expression his eldest son was making. "Please don't blame your mother or siblings. They had nothing to with the torn relationship between Junius and me. Your mother especially… She didn't have to love you like her own, but she did just that. She loved you more than I possibly could, and I believe that you can see that."
It would break Shin's heart if Errol came to hate him. However, it would completely shatter Kanari's heart if Errol were to leave their custody. All these years, Kanari had honestly treated Errol as her own son. She'd pampered him with sugar. Sent kisses flying down his way and embraced him as she did with Cassiel, Luciel and Uriel. In a way, Kanari loved Errol more than Shin ever could, and it was painfully evident.
The silence continued to envelop the dojo. Neither Shin nor Errol was talking, and both of them could hear one another's heartbeat. The ten-year-old wasn't moving a muscle. His head was still plastered down while his body remained completely still. Shin had anticipated Errol to break out in a fit of rage or at the very least… disappointment. However, the boy just remained silent.
The silence was too painful for Shin to bear anymore. Thus, with a shaky voice, he asked: "... Errol?"
Taking on a deep breath, the boy finally made a move. Raising his head, Shin could see that both of Errol's eyes were dyed red as a bitter smile crept up from both ends. Shin unconsciously pushed both his shoulders back as he watched his eldest son's new expression. Shin hadn't seen that smile from Errol before. There wasn't anger or pain in his expression. There was just…
"Father… You fool..." Errol said.
Without dropping a beat, the boy leapt up from his kneeling position and charged right at Shin. Still shocked, the Rank 78 Spirit Emperor was a tad too late to react. No, there was no way that he could respond.
THUD!!!
Without resisting, Shin was tackled down onto the floor like a bowling pin. Errol had forced a hug onto his father, and a crackling voice broke free from the young boy's throat.
"Father… Father… PAPA!!!"
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