-----

I was too weak to my children, to the point that, despite my best efforts, I had become a father that spoiled his children and had a hard time ever rejecting them.

"Of course, whenever you want," I said.

I looked at Elizabeth and Eleanora, as they stepped out of the dimensional portal. Eleanora was holding Damien’s hand, looking around with a smile.

"Ooohhh... This is a big forest, huh?" Damien wondered. "Hmm, are there critters to hunt here, dad?"

"There are, many," I smiled. "If you want to come hunt, you’re welcome, haha. Your dad and your mom will teach you the ropes, my dear son."

"Nice!" Damien celebrated, raising his little arms cutely.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth held Stella, who was a little afraid of new things all the time.

Elizabeth had grown beautifully these four years as well, she had become quite mature as well, and even more motherly if I said so myself.

"Uuuh... M-Mama... what is this place?" she wondered.

"Calm down dear, it’s nothing scary," Elizabeth smiled, caressing her little head, and kissing her forehead. "This is the Spirit Woods of the Elven Forest. A Sanctuary your father built years ago. we got another home here that we haven’t visited in a while..."

"Oohhh..." Stella looked around with her bright red eyes.

"It’s a nice place," I said. "There are spirits everywhere, right?"

"Yes... daddy, I kind... I kind of like it..." Stella said, as she grabbed my hand with her little fingers. "W-What are those people?"

"In the distance?" I wondered.

"Big people! I wanna go talk to them!" Althea said, trying to free herself from Erika’s arms. "Let me go mama...!"

"Not yet! You can’t be so reckless, dear... we’ll get there eventually, okay?" Erika sighed, kissing her forehead. "Please behave..."

"Haha, if anything she’s just like you when you were younger," I laughed a little.

"I... I guess you’re not wrong, hehe," Erika chuckled.

"But this time, unlike our childhoods, we’re giving them a full family," Eleanora said with a smile. "I’m so glad that my son will grow up with a mother and a father, two adorable sisters, and two aunties."

"Hmm?" Damien was confused. "What does that even mean mom?"

"Haha, nothing," Eleanora giggled, kissing his forehead. "You’re a lot like your father when he was a child, you know?"

"Oh wow, really?" Damien wondered. "So I’m cool like dad?!"

"Not there yet! You still have to grow up, hahaha!" Eleanora laughed.

"Hmph!" Damien got slightly grumpy. "One day, I will surpass dad!"

"Hahah, I’d love to see you try!" I said.

While Althea was playful and adventurous and Stella was cautious and curious, Damien was the bravest, and also the most prideful of the three siblings.

However, most of them time, it was Althea who led the trio, she was a natural born leader for some reason and had that charm and radiance in her that just made her siblings get along, despite how different they all were.

"Alright, let’s let them walk on their own," I said. "They’re old enough anyway, at their age we were hunting monsters in the woods."

"I suppose you’re not wrong..." Elizabeth nodded.

"Okay then, Althea! Please, please don’t run away, ok?" Erika said.

"Don’t worry mama! I won’t! I’m a good girl!" Althea said, smiling.

The children ran forward, as we followed them from behind. They stumbled upon a family of Lizardmen, a mother and her two children, walking around carrying a basket with fruit and veggies.

"Wow, you got scales all over your body!" Althea said.

"Eh? Huh?"

"What?"

The two children looked back at them, and then the mother noticed us.

"Good evening!" Damien said.

"Hi..." Stella hid behind Althea, waving her hand shyly.

"Oh my, are you the Lord’s children?" the lizardmen mother said. "Aren’t you cute? It’s nice to meet you as well! And good evening too... come on you two, greet the lord’s children."

"Hey!"

"Hiiii!"

The two lizardmen babies waved their claws at our children, and then the trio got more comfortable, chatting away with them.

"Are you lizardmen? You’re cool!" Damien said. "I wish I had scales all over my body... Instead, I have soft skin! It’s weak right?"

"I dunno..." the boy said.

"Heheh, you’re funny!" the girl giggled.

"Do you have wings? Ruby has wings, and he’s bigger than everyone here! And... And, um, he’s a dwagon!" Althea said.

"Dwagon?" the lizardman mother wondered. "We do descend from dragons ourselves... But very rarely will one of us sprout wings, it’s mostly a myth around these parts! Ah, hello my lord, good evening."

"Good evening, Krishialk," I said. "I’m sorry if they were a bit rude... they’re still learning about the world."

"Oh, please don’t worry! They’re wonderful children," Krishialk giggled.

Shew among the group of people that led this village, and was among the smartest lizardmen, having learned how to fluently speak the common tongue very quickly, and teaching the children to do so as well.

"There’s a lot to do here, and we thought of giving out a hand, we came here for our summer vacations," I explained.

"Yeah, if there’s anything we can help, please ask away!" Erika said. "Our kids are learning the ropes, anything that can help them learn new things is welcomed."

"Well! There’s always work to do around here, how about I show you the farm, eh kids?" the woman said.

"Are there monsters?" Damien asked.

"Juicy veggies?" Althea wondered.

"Um... Do you raise cows or chicken?" Stelle asked.

"There’s all of it and more, we raise big monster veggies, wanna see them?" laughed the woman.

"Yeaaah!" the kids cheered as we ran behind them, the trio quickly rushing towards the farm.

Today was going to be another of those days I suppose they looked quite eager and ready to play and cause mischief.

But that was fine too, this was the life we chose, and I couldn’t have chosen anything else.

These children had a bright future ahead, and whatever awaited them in the future...

We’ll face it together.

THE END.

-----

Author’s Note:

Thank you very much for reading Vampire Summoner until the very end! Wow, what a ride right? The novel sure had its ups and downs, but I think I gave it a pretty decent ending. All things considered. I am glad I wrote this novel, it taught me a lot of things, and I had a lot of fun writing Blake’s journey through Spiritias. It was a simpler story compared to my other novels though, but I think that’s fine too.

This won’t be the last we see of them though, so stay tuned. I will be writing Epilogue Chapters, at least a couple of them through the weeks to come. And there’s another of my novels named "Epic of Ice Dragon" which will connect to this one, so I recommend reading it too! I plan to write a sequel where we will see Blake, his family, and the children again! But I am still in the brainstorming process, so let’s have patience until then. Thank you once more for reading! It means a lot!

Goodbye!