The three days passed in the blink of an eye. Their training ended on the fourth, which happened to be nightti. Guffaw landed next to the three, whose training had yielded amazing results.
"It’s ti to make a decision," Guffaw said. "Are you ready to undertake the Sovereign Path?"
Lusica, Ali, and Tiara looked at each other, and then at the ground. It was one thing to train, but another to risk your existence for a chance at glory. As they pondered their answers, Master Guffaw decided to give them one final push.
"Follow ."
The three followed after Guffaw, who climbed the hill where Arthur was training. They had not t Arthur for the duration of their training, and had no idea what he did. As they reached the top, they found Arthur sitting in the middle of a pond.
Spheres of water surrounded Arthur, floating around him in a strict and organized orbit. None of them clashed, and they coexisted in perfect harmony.
"It looks like a solar system," Tiara muttered with fascination. "And its center is Arthur."
"His training was about keeping the water at bay," Guffaw said. "Instead, he turned it into a system of harmony — a feat that I didn’t think was possible until now."
"What are you telling us?" Ali asked.
"This man is not a regular one," Guffaw said. "If you give him a compass, he would map the world. If you plan on being on his side..."
"Then we need to be more," Lusica said. "Unless we want to be a burden."
The three stood in silence. Arthur was not aware of his surroundings, and instead focused on his rhythmic breathing that allowed him to control his spiritual energy.
"I want to take the path," Tiara said. "I don’t want to be another one of his burdens, a follower that he needs to protect. Even more, I don’t want that for myself."
"For , I’m already determined to find out the truth about the corruption of gods," Ali said with a grin. "If my life is the price, so be it."
"All this ti I did what I believed would benefit the Seika," Lusica said while looking at the infinite spheres rotating in harmony around Arthur. "But now, I want sothing more. I want to stand at his side, as his equal."
"You have each defined your own desires," Master Guffaw said. "That’s the first step to be a Sovereign. If you entered the path for soone else, you will simply beco vessels, not sovereigns."
"What do we do now?" Ali asked.
"It’s ti to enter the path," Guffaw said as he turned toward Arthur. "And he already knows that."
The spheres stopped moving.
Then, they coalesced together, forming a river around Arthur. He opened his eyes, as his golden form looked more like a man than a soul. He rose from the ground, and the river turned into a bridge.
He walked forward.
"It’s ti," Arthur said. "Have you made your choices?" he addressed the three, all who nodded. He turned to Master Guffaw, who turned and opened a gate. "Thank you for everything."
"You four are the ones who have my thanks," Guffaw said. "For believing in ."
"We’ll see you on the other side," Ali said. "Next ti, have so damn food in this realm."
"I’ll work on my hosting skills," Guffaw said with a chuckle. "This door will take you directly to the heart of Yggdrasil, where you will be judged before you are allowed to enter the path."
"In my world," Arthur began, "only people who belonged to certain families could enter the trial. Is this related to it?"
"I believe that condition was set by the scholar guardian," Guffaw explained. "The Path does not discriminate. It judges its challengers on one thing: worthiness."
The four stared at Guffaw, who grinned at them.
"Don’t look so tense. I believe that each of you is more worthy than the gods themselves," he said. "March forward with the confidence of kings. That’s what you want to be, right?"
"I can’t stand idle after you said that," Ali said with a sigh. "I’ll see you when I see you. Take care of yourselves."
Ali then walked through the gate.
"This ti, I don’t want to stand behind you," Lusica told Arthur. "I want to stand at your side, as a friend."
"You have always been a friend," Arthur said with a smile and offered a handshake. Lusica took it, his golden form flickering, before walking toward the gate as well and disappearing.
"Next ti you fight Invidia, I’ll do more than just watch," Tiara said as she patted Arthur’s shoulder. Her green silhouette smiled. "We’ll save them all."
"I know," Arthur said. "Take care, Tiara."
Tiara then walked through the gate.
Guffaw and Arthur were the only ones left. They stared at each other before the old man ca forward. "You have grown thanks to the Legacy of Spirits."
"You can see it?" Arthur asked with surprise.
"There are very few things a Sovereign cannot see in his own realm," Master Guffaw said with a smile. "I believe that she left this behind for this exact reason."
Arthur looked at him, and then at the ssages that appeared from his legacy.
[Legacy of Spirits: The Final Sigil]
[Level 2 — Stirring]
[Spiritual Form Stability (Passive) — Enhanced: Your touch can now interact with interdiate spiritual objects without breaking their form.]
[Sigil Recognition (Passive) — Expanded: You can now discern layered anings within mid-tier sigils, including hidden warnings and blessings.]
[Soul Insight (Active) — Deepened: Emotional readings now extend to subtle undercurrents; you may glimpse the cause of spiritual wounds.]
[New Passive — Whisper of Tranquility: Your presence slightly soothes nearby spirits, easing unrest.]
[Growth Requirent: The Legacy grows stronger when you nurture peace in troubled places and resolve unrest without force.]
"This legacy is unique, because it allows you to connect to others instead of fighting your way through life," Guffaw said. "You now have two, one that strengthens you by fighting and another that strengthens you by connecting."
"I have to wear many hats now," Arthur said with a smile.
"If anything, it just makes you more human."
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