Once the family was informed about Rokas' real mission, he stopped to let the others ask questions.
After that was done, everyone came into conclusion. Based off his reactions to the more inquisitive questions, and his determination to see the mission through, Rokas would be leaving the family to head to the museum today.
"Are you sure about this, Rokas?" Jesse asked, hoping to get him to think about his decision again.
"I am absolutely sure. I recognize that this mission will be difficult, but I have vowed to never fail."
All of the siblings looked at each other. Some were still hesitant, but they seemed to have landed on a consensus.
"Let us join you." One of them shouted.
"Yeah! We'll help you obtain the shield." Another said.
Rokas looked at them with a surprised expression. "Are you all sure? You do not have to force yourselves to come."
Jesse tapped his shoulder. "It's the least we can do to thank you for all you've done. And besides, if you are going to be stubborn, then so will we."
"You all… thank you."
The ensuing situation brought the entire family together. They all cheered for Rokas, proclaiming him as their one true "Father", being the person who started the family.
With their minds as one, everybody soon started preparing for their expedition to the Museum. They had no plan, but Rokas knew that if they all worked together, then nothing would be impossible.
Later that day, while waiting for the others to finish gearing up, Victor approached Rokas, who was eating lunch.
"Hey, Rokas."
"Oh, Victor. What brings you here, brother?"
Victor took a seat beside him. "Who's this Leader you keep talking about? You didn't tell us a single thing about him when we talked. I've been dying to know for a while now."
"His name is Dignitas Qwerdan. He is the leader of our party, and is someone we are all indebted to."
Victor reached his hands into the nearby open can of chips and placed one into his mouth, then spat it back out once he realized it was spoiled. "Bleh, disgusting. Anyway, is this Dignitas person strong?"
"Stronger than all of us, yes. I am confident that he'd be able to defeat you in battle, too."
"Hoh… then I'd like to be able to fight him one day."
***
"Everyone ready? Then, let's go!"
In the eyes of the general populace, the streets of Fihndreik had suddenly become crowded and noisy. In less than a minute, hundreds of children, ranging from ten all the way to nineteen, had filled district seventy-seven's roads.
People who were strolling made sure to get out of the way of the crowd so as to not get caught in it. They were all confused. Was there a parade today or something? Where did all of them come from?
Eventually, the group was able to reach the Fihndreik Museum. By now, other unaware bystanders had been notified by the ones who saw about the sudden emergence of the children.
"Navigator. Where is the Hymerian Shield located?" Rokas asked.
"It should be on the third floor, in display inside what the locals call "National Beauties." It's supposedly filled with various treasures that the city ot Fihndreik own."
"I see. Are there traps, by any chance?"
"I only know of the invisible infrared lasers that surround the shield. There should be more, so keep your guard up." Andrea replied.
"Copy that. Alright everyone, Group One will take the front door, and Group Two will sneak their way inside into the second floor and destroy any cameras for us. Let's all meet later, okay?"
""Yes, Brother Rokas!"" Everyone replied in unison.
The best Rokas could do to keep his family as organized as possible was to do this. Two groups would work together in order to successfully retrieve the Hymerian Shield.
The first group would make their way through the front door and cause a commotion. Their main goal was to draw the attention of bystanders, staff, cameras, and anyone else.
Meanwhile, the second group would be doing their best to infiltrate the museum's inner chambers. They would be the ones covering for the first group once everything kicked in and the plan was in motion.
With their goals in mind, everyone split up into their respectige groups. Rokas, being the bulky tank he was, would obviously be the centerpiece of the first group.
Once everyone was successfully in position to enter, Rokas commenced the beginning of the operation. He brought his siblings through the front door, and acted as if they were there to view the museum's display of art.
A few minutes of talking later, and Rokas had managed to convince the receptionist to give them a small discount on their bulk purchase of tickets.
Finally, everyone was inside. Rokas urged his siblings to split off from the others into pairs and act like normal civillians, which they did.
Victor kept close to Rokas per his request. He was definitely vital to the success of the first group, and without him the plan would be much harder to pull off.
"So, where are we going, Rokas?"
"The place where all eyes will be on us. Victor, prepare to be the center of attention."
Victor tilted his head sideways in confusion before shrugging and following Rokas.
Carefully steering clear of other people, the duo continued their way into the Main Exhibit, which was located in the very middle of the first floor.
While on their way there, Rokas made sure to take small, methodical stops to lessen suspicion on them. He could see from the looks of some the museum's customers that they clearly didn't believe they had paid to get inside.
At times like these it was best to roleplay as the snobbiest art critic and make a few weightless comments on the pieces that were on display.
"We're here." Rokas suddenly stopped Victor.
Currently, there were multiple groups of people surrounding an artifact. They had a tour guide leading them through the various items, making sure they took extra time to explain what they were looking at.
"And here is the Los…the single most… in…"
What the tour guide was saying went in one ear and out the other. The momemt he had arrived here, Rokas had made note of the various security cameras stationed.
Using their locations as a placeholder, he was able to find a spot perfect for Victor to do his thing. It was dab smack in the middle of the Main Exhibit, in the view of all the customers (if they turned around) and most importantly, the cameras.
"Okay, Victor. Once you see me give the signal, I want you to attack me with the strongest attack you can muster in five seconds."
"Five seconds… most I can do is a grenade-sized explosion if that's the time frame you're giving me."
"That's fine. All we need to do is gather the attention of everyone in the museum so that the members of Group Two can do their jobs without getting disturbed."
"Alright then. I'll start preparing it now. You better shield yourself, this is gonna hurt!"
The plan was now in motion. Nodding to Victor, Rokas then started walking in the direction of the tourist group.
Right as the shieldman was just a few meters away from them, Victor suddenly shouted, "Time to die, Rokas!"
This instantly caught the attention of everyone present. They turned behind them, and found Victor, whose katana was clad in a suit of lightning.
At the same time, Victor started charging towards Rokas. His lightning-quick reflexes pushed him multiple steps forward, enabling him to reach Rokas in less than a second.
But Rokas wasn't sloppy either. Somehow predicting the moment Victor would crash into him, he turned around and slammed his shield towards the ground, protecting himself and the people behind him from the ensuing explosion.
Lightning and Wind mana fused together, creating a paralyzing wind that traveled the entire length of the Main Exhibit, and shrouding the place in smoke.