He knew he was the hero behind this victory, but he had to step back and let others enjoy the limelight of this huge credit.
He might be the mastermind behind all this, yet without their help, he wouldn't have succeeded.
He tested these youngsters more than once, and eventually they gained his respect. They followed him even when he took that impossible leap, plunging directly towards the opened mouth of death.
And yet they kept advancing and never retreated! It didn't matter to him if they got questions and doubts. They all were humans and that was a natural thing.
He cared more about their actions. When they jumped after him and followed him in the middle of the sea of monsters, he knew he could trust these kids.
As for the matter of nourishing them and guiding them in their training in the future, it was another matter postponed for another time.
Once he decided to make them enjoy this treatment first handed, he paused and waited. The little spirit masters behind him paused while Berry was about to ask in puzzlement when he raised his hand to motion her to wait.
He knew this was going to grow into something big, something that these young spirit masters of his team deserved.
A grand salute from their clan!
As William expected, once he stopped and gave enough time for others, all the spirit masters in the field came and stood on the side, forming two grand lines, lining the path with eyes filled with respect and admiration.
Then in an unexpected move, he took a step back while gently giving Berry a soft push at the back.
It happened so fast and without any warning, taking Berry by surprise. However, before she'd turn to question him, a spirit master shouted, and it turned into a thunderous chorus: "Long live the clan! Long live our young miss! Long live our young spirit masters!"
One said it amidst the heat he felt churning inside his chest, and in an instant others followed.
Strong spirit masters could send thunderous shouts to control a big battlefield. And when a large group of strong spirit masters gathered and shouted like this, even the ground itself trembled from their voices.
"Hold your heads up high," William said in a low tone, one that could be heard by everyone around him, "march after your young miss and walk like heroes. You deserved it, you did a great job!"
Just when he said it, he placed his hand behind Berry's back and gave her a gentle push for the second time.
One step was taken out of her will, then she kept walking without the need of his help.
Walking in between the staring gazes filled with indescribable admiration and warm feelings for them was something they'd never forget for the rest of their lives.
Each step they took felt like a step to the glorious heavens. They felt invincible, and the shouts that reverberated and shook the entire world were turning into a melody that hypnotised them.
Walking all the way to the clan homebase felt like it took an entire lifetime from them to be done.
"Open gates for our heroes!" Another shout came and with it, the gates were wide opened and the cheering from behind kept ranging until they all vanished into the clan base.
Walking into the streets for a while, not a single one ever said anything. Even the outsiders, Lina and Ary, felt the same as they also were part of this.
Even if they weren't part of the clan, they were part of such a legendary atmosphere.
William moved behind Berry without saying a word. In fact, he did all this to repay what these kids did for him, to reward and nourish their daring spirits and loyalty for humankind.
He didn't feel anything like they had. After all he held much deeper and richer experience than him in regard to battles and great wars.
And he felt lots of such moments before, to make him grow numb from such big events.
He knew these moments were priceless and would eventually shift anyone's future for the better. Yet whenever he recalled his oldest and fiercest foe, he couldn't help but clench his fists uncontrollably.
Such precious moments were what drove him before when he was young to grow stronger. And he knew better than anyone else that these weren't enough to crush the human's biggest enemy.
So, none of this affected him or managed even to get into his head. His mind was crystal clear, while knowing that he did his part and saved the clan from the impending danger.
And now it was the turn of the clan's formidable spirit masters led by their patriarch to do their part.
He stole a glance at the walking ahead Berry with a wide smile and satisfied expression over her face.
He first mistook such assault to be targeted against him. It made sense as the techniques stolen held information that were only available in the outside world.
However, when he thought about it again, it was easy for the enemy to hunt him down anywhere else. Why risk it like this to get the clan demolished?
This was a clear move to destroy the Long clan and its spirit masters. And that left him puzzled for a while as he wasn't actually part of the clan.
Yet when he recalled the series of events in his mind many times, he knew he just missed a tiny detail.
The enemy didn't know at all that he was the one to write these techniques in the first place!
The techniques were retrieved and stolen from Berry when she was found in the forest. The person who did it had to run fast and escape the academy once he got such dangerous papers.
In the eyes of the enemy, the true target they wanted to kill wasn't him, but her. They linked the techniques to her and had only one possible explanation for that.
Her grandfather!
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