“Gather the orphans? It’s about time!” Emma was grinning from ear to ear just thinking about reuniting with them.

The orphans were Shin’s closest allies, having followed him since they were born. Originally consisting of Shin, Ella, Emma, Ryner, Lia, Elyse, Fionn, Max, Jacob, Junius and Lily, the orphans were a tight-knit group. They’d been through many highs and lows together and had even cried themselves through devastating tragedies. Even after Lily passed and Junius defected to the other side, the orphans continued to band together under Shin’s umbrella.

In a sense, Shin trusted the orphans more than he would Lady Seph or Kanari. Therefore, if Shin wanted to recruit people into his new organisation, the orphans would be an easy first choice.

Furthermore, the orphans were an assortment of talents that each had their own specialities. Shin was a genius that trailblazed through his own generation, topping every chart for the most talented youth alive. Ella and Emma, though weaker and less talented than Shin, were still top cultivators and master archers. With the help of Shin’s Celestial Aura and the Meijing’s Clan years of wisdom, the twins had reached Rank 42 and 41 respectively. A mean feat for someone under twenty-five. In a sense, they could be considered as part of the new generation of Luminaries.

Though not all of the orphans were blessed with superior cultivation talent. Ryner, the oldest among them, had been stagnant at the Rank 30 Spirit Adept realm for a long time. However, that didn’t mean that Ryner was completely talentless. His Acidic Salamander Spirit had served him well in his hunting day-job, and he’d risen up to the upper echelons of the hunting community. Ryner treated the forest as if it were his second home and his experience in the wild would prove invaluable for Shin’s new organisation when it came to hunting Black Masks and the Umbras they’d created.

Elyse and Fionn had followed the same path that Shin and the twins did by enrolling in Imperius Academy. After going through so many trials and tribulations, the pair weren’t the same lovable daughters of cuddliness that Shin had remembered. One with a Scythe and the other with a Dagger, the pair were known in Imperius Academy as the two Daughters of Hades. Particularly Fionn, with her Reaper’s Scythe, the cold-looking maiden looked like the incarnate of death itself.

In terms of raw firepower, Elyse and Fionn couldn’t possibly match up to the monsters that were Shin or Kanari. However, their Wind-Elemental abilities could prove helpful when it came to gathering information. As Shin was resting, Isadore was in the midst of building up his very own information network exclusively for Guardian Sword to use. Isadore may be the figurehead of Guardian Sword’s new network, but he would require some talented hands to help him out. Shin was thinking of employing the two Daughters of Hades into that role.

And then, there were Lia, Max and Jacob. Leaving aside Lia, who was the glue that stuck the entire orphans together, Max and Jacob had practically zero cultivation talent. Both of them barely condensed their Spirit Core, and it was questionable if they could break through the first barrier of mortality. However, though their cultivation levels were lacking, their expertise in other fields were above the charts.

Max had taken apprenticeship under the Zedcris Conglomerate and had been slowly climbing the ranks. At a tender age, he was handed down the keys to a small store and had been rubbing shoulders with various company presidents. He inherited Elrin’s signature silver tongue, and his negotiation tactics were refined to a tee. Among the orphans, he was possibly the best when it came to administrative and logistical tasks. For an organisation, such a talent was invaluable, not to mention, Shin trusted Max with everything that he had.

Jacob was a slightly different case. He had been studying hard in the Himmel National Institute of Science and Technology, in hopes of progressing his scientific career. Jacob wasn’t particularly a genius, but his knowledge of science and technology was unquestionably the highest among the orphans. If he joined Guardian Sword, Jacob could seamlessly integrate new technologies into their processes as well as liaison with Lady Seph to investigate the deeper meanings behind the Allfather’s technologies.

Finally, there was Lia. She wasn’t skilled in anything and had focused all of her attention to housework and cooking. Lia’s cultivation wasn’t that great either as she was among the bottom three. However, if anyone were to question the orphans who was the most important among them, their fingers would all universally point to Lia. She was the ‘mom’ of the group, the glue that kept them all together. Anytime any of the orphan’s had a grievance, Lia was the first to know about it.

Shin, Ella, Emma, Ryner, Lia, Elyse, Fionn, Max and Jacob… These were the nine remaining orphans of the Frie Clan. They’ve been through thick and thin, weathered so many storms to get to this point. It made sense for Shin to gather them all so that they could ride out the rest of their lives together.

“Hehe, I can’t wait to see Sister Lia and the rest!” Emma let out her signature giggle. She was a fully-grown twenty-three-year-old and many looked up to her as a Luminary. However, at this moment, she was just a mere child who couldn’t wait to see her family.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to meet them all again as well.” Shin smiled. Now that one issue was dealt with, Shin looked over to the blonde beauty, who was happily reading the newspaper. “Master, I would have to trouble you to be the anchor Spirit Venerate of Guardian Sword. Don’t worry, I won’t send you on missions!”

“Foolish child, you don’t have to be that worried about me. Anytime you need me, I’ll join you.” Lady Seph chuckled. Back when Shin was still a mere junior that couldn’t protect himself, Lady Seph would accompany him everywhere. Even if she wasn’t physically present, her Golden String of Fate ensured that Lady Seph’s phantom could appear whenever Shin was in trouble.

Now that Shin was a Rank 60 Spirit King as well as the bearer of the Celestial Dragon, few in the world could match his might. Not to mention, there was a dominant Azure Dragon Lord constantly guarding the youth as if he were the most precious jewel in the world.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Master. Junior-sister, I’ve discussed this with Uncle Mesyl. You’ll be helping Master.” Shin diverted his attention to the young maiden who had long taken over Shin’s role as Lady Seph’s primary sla-... apprentice.

“It would be my honour.” Kesyl simply smiled and gave a cute curtsy.

“That’s good to hear,” Shin smiled.

Shin was eternally grateful of Lady Seph’s presence. Some might say that Lady Seph was the prime reason why he’d gotten this far, and Shin certainly wouldn’t disagree. When Guardian Sword was formed, Shin would give Lady Seph an entire branch all to herself. Allowing her to decipher any clues about the Allfather or the relics of Spirit Immortal Dream. For that, Kesyl needs to be by her side to assist the eccentric healer in whatever shape or form.

“Elrin, I know that you’re busy with Uncle Terlus’ tasks, but could I trouble you with Guardian Sword’s finances?” Shin turned to his comrade, who had hidden her jester intentions. “Among us, you’re the most knowledgeable about how to manage our resources and finances. If we add Max to the fray… Our administrative team would be quite the beast.”

The white-haired woman paused for a while before flashing her pearly white teeth: “Would you let me profit off Guardian Sword?”

“... Make sure you ask me about the plans first.”

“Hehe, then you can count on me!” The little imp rubbed her index finger and her thumb together as she declared her addition.

“Kanari and I would be the two anchors of Guardian Sword. Our main goal is to neutralise any threat of the Black Masks, be it Payircis or guerilla attacks.” Shin outlined the basic tasks that Guardian Sword would be responsible for.

“So we’re basically going to be the White Knights 2.0?” Elrin joked.

“Haha, I guess you could put it that way! I’ve asked the Alliance to recommend some good personnel that could join Guardian Sword, be it temporary or permanent. Also, the Lantis Republic and Himmel Empire had agreed to loan some of their talents to get Guardian Sword up-and-running.”

Being the Prince of the Lantis Republic, as well as a former resident of the Himmel Empire, the two governments were more kindly disposed to Shin and his cause. Not to mention, forming Guardian Sword was a good thing. It could temper their younger generation as they faced off against the Black Masks and protected the general population of the planet.

“That’s great news! We need talent more than any other! I mean, Shin you’re strong and all, but even you can’t be at multiple places at once!”

“So true,” Lady Seph nodded at Emma’s concerned screams. “I’m glad that you’re working hard, but be careful not to overtax yourself, Shin. I can heal your physical and to a certain extent, mental state, but I don’t have a cure for exhaustion.”

“You don’t have to worry, Master. I know my limits.” Shin’s heart warmed.

As their dinner continued on, a soft thud echoed through the luxurious dining chamber. Every single soul snapped their heads to the door, where the noise came from, only to see a graceful young woman walk inside. Her ruby-like eyes were sparkling under the chandelier light, making anyone who peered into them, enthralled. Black, vibrant hair fell to her bum, which highlighted her already thin waist. Shin’s face blossomed into a smile as he saw the woman walking in with grace. Anyone would be happy to see their blushing bride-to-be. However, what added to Shin’s happiness was the sleeping infant cradled in Kanari’s arms.

“How’s Errol?” Shin immediately got off his feet and placed his hands over Kanari’s waist, while the other supported the baby’s head.

“He’s doing much better than I’d thought,” Kanari replied. “The wet nurses said that they’ve never seen such an obedient baby. Crying whenever he’s hungry and sleeping whenever he needs to.”

“Haha, isn’t that what all babies are supposed to do?”

“Is that it? I don’t know...” Kanari blinked innocently. Evidently, the wet nurses were pulling on the ignorant Kanari’s leg, and who could blame them? Kanari’s face, when she was holding Errol, was one to behold. Who could believe that the continually smiling beauty was the woman renowned worldwide as the Witch in the South?

“Well, crying normally is a good sign. I was afraid that bringing Errol over would harm his development. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“Errol has been rather well-behaved… I wonder if all babies are like that?”

“Hehe...” Shin chuckled as he leaned in on Kanari’s ear. “I’ll work hard so that we’ll find out...”

A crimson blush heated up Kanari’s face, but she didn’t seem flustered. Instead, she smiled back: “Hmph! I’ll find out later tonight!”

“Yes, yes! Of course, you will!”

This was it.

Why was Shin fighting so hard in his life? Why did he spend so much of his time and effort to oppose the dastardly Black Masks? Why did he oppose the Allfather this much, even though it might take his life?

It was to spend time like these... with the ones he held most dear.