My Soul card was a Reaper: The Founder's Tale

The news of the Garcia children's awakening soon reached the ears of King Arthur, and he was swift to send his congratulations to the Duke's house. To honor the occasion, he dispatched rewards not only for the triplets but for other geniuses of Garcia House. After the first week of January had passed, the Duke arranged for a formal ceremony of commendation to distribute these royal honors.

The Grand Hall of the Garcia Estate was adorned with banners and decorative fabrics, and the air was thick with anticipation. Elders, relatives, and honored guests filled the vast chamber, all eagerly waiting to witness the ceremony of commendation. At the head of the Grand Hall, Aurelius Garcia sat upon the Duke's throne, his commanding presence drawing all attention. His gaze was sharp enough to keep even the elders on edge.

As the children stood on the side with the remaining elders, the Duke called upon them one by one.

"Cadis Garcia." The first to be called was young Cadis Garcia, a second cousin of the triplets. Cadis walked forward with poise as he was taught since the age of 5 and stood in the center of the hall, his eyes fixed on his father.

Aurelius' voice rang out, clear and firm, "Cadis Garcia, for awakening your Arcana spirit of platinum grade, you have proven your worth. May your path be guided by strength and you reach your full potential." He paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the child with a quiet approval.

"You are awarded 10,000 gold coins," Aurelius announced, a wave of murmurs spreading through the hall. "And as an added honor, you shall receive a one-time use magic scroll containing the power of a 6-star Arcana Master. This scroll contains Steel Dome, a defensive spell that will protect you once from any attacks below 7-star. Use it wisely."

A round of applause erupted from the gathered relatives as Cadis bowed respectfully, accepting his reward. The scroll, shimmering with arcane runes, was placed carefully into his hands.

"Fenric Garcia."

Next, the Duke called upon Fenric Garcia, another 8-year-old who is also a second cousin of the triplets. Like Cadis, Fenric had awakened a platinum-grade Arcana spirit beast, though it was a silver stag, a healing-type Arcana spirit.

Aurelius continued. "As the one who awakened a platinum-grade Arcana spirit, you are also awarded a sum of 10,000 gold coins and a one-time use magic scroll. However, given the nature of your spirit, you will receive a scroll containing an advanced healing spell, one that can be applied to multiple people at once. May you reach your full potential and become a top-tier healer of the duchy."

"Thank you, My Lord." Fenric accepted the reward with a graceful bow, the scroll of healing magic now in his hands.

With the first two children honored, the crowd murmured amongst themselves, awaiting the acknowledgment of the more famous triplets, Rael, Eon, and Raphael.

"Raphael Orkney Garcia."

The air in the Grand Hall of the Garcia Estate seemed to have grown thicker all of a sudden as Duke Aurelius called the name of Raphael, the eldest of the triplets.

Raphael walked forward with quiet confidence. The murmurs of the crowd hushed as the Duke stood, his gaze fixed on his son.

"Raphael Garcia," Aurelius began, his voice steady and filled with pride, "your awakening marks a new chapter for our House. The celestial-grade Arcana spirit you awakened, as described by the High Priestess, is a blessing not only to our lineage but to the entire world. You indeed hold the future of this House."

Aurelius didn't directly name him his heir but his declaration only solidified everyone's assumption.

Since birth, Raphael was always treated as the heir to the Duke. And the Duke's words clearly indicated that Raphael was going to be his successor. However, to remove that 0.1% doubt in their heads, they would have to wait for a little bit until the other two were also called.

As the gathered elders nodded in approval, Raphael maintained his composure, offering a deep bow to his father. "Thank you for the praise, My Lord. I will try my best to meet your expectations."

The Duke then gestured to one of the attendants, who brought forth a chest of gold coins. "As a reward for your awakening of a celestial grade Arcana, you shall receive 100,000 gold coins," Aurelius announced. "And in addition, a one-time use magic scroll of 8-star rank."

The crowd quickly erupted into applause, but the Duke silenced them with a raise of his hand.

"But that is not all," he continued, summoning a scroll with a royal insignia. "This comes from King Arthur Pendragon himself."

Raphael went down to his knees, his gaze fixed on the royal decree.

A hush fell over the hall as Aurelius opened the scroll and read aloud, his voice carrying the weight of the King's words. In the letter, King Arthur expressed his admiration for Raphael's heaven-defying talent and announced a reward befitting such potential—a semi-divine artifact and the title deed to the town of Elinor.

The Duke reached into a small velvet box, drawing forth a pair of earrings that shimmered with an otherworldly glow. "These earrings, crafted specifically for you, bear no name as of yet. They shall replenish your soul energy at 100 times the normal rate and greatly reduce the casting time of your magic attacks. Use them wisely." Aurelius finished reading the letter.

The hall buzzed with amazement at the King's generosity.

"Look at that. It is a semi-divine artifact." "His Majesty is quite generous." "There's no generosity in statecraft, Brother. His Majesty could see young lord Raphael's potential and shower him with presents so that our young lord stays loyal to the throne." "I wonder what the other two would receive. They, too, awakened celestial grade Arcana." "I hope he won't give such a precious thing to young lord Azrael." "No, I don't think so. Young Lord Raphael is the future Duke, and his Arcana spirit cannot be compared to the likes of some scythe even if they were of the same grade."

Whispers of admiration filled the room, but soon, curious glances shifted toward Eon and Rael. What rewards would they receive to match such grandeur?

Aurelius called upon Eon next, her natural cuteness bringing the illusion of flowers around the elders. "Eon Garcia, for your awakening of the Hourglass, a symbol of time itself, you have proven your worth beyond measure. You, too, shall receive 100,000 gold coins and a one-time use magic scroll of 8-star rank."

Eon accepted the rewards with grace, her serene demeanor unchanged even as Aurelius opened another letter from the King, which was filled with praises for her talent. However, her royal reward differed from Raphael's. She was presented with an exquisite dress crafted from the finest materials and imbued with powerful enchantments. It wasn't just a simple dress. Its special properties let her wear it even after turning into an adult. "This dress will protect you from any attack under the legendary realm," Aurelius said, finishing the letter.

Unlike with Raphael, there isn't a special message from the King. He only sent congratulations along with the rewards.

Eon bowed her head in gratitude, the murmurs lowered from earlier as she stepped back.

Finally, it was Rael's turn. The youngest of the triplets walked forward, his expression screaming with excitement. He just couldn't hide his anticipation of the King's letter to him. He doesn't care about those materialistic rewards. He just wants to hear some praise and acknowledgment from the King. If a King praises him, a commoner would do it too, as not doing so is the same as defying the King's opinion.

"Azrael Orkney Garcia," Aurelius began, his voice calm but measured. "For your awakening of the Death Scythe and your potential to command the forces of death, you are worthy of recognition. As the head of the Garcia House, I grant you 100,000 gold coins and a one-time use defensive magic scroll of 8-star rank."

Rael accepted these rewards silently, his eyes betraying little emotion. The anticipation in the room was also obvious as Aurelius opened the final royal scroll and Rael fell to his knees.

"From King Arthur Pendragon," Aurelius read, "Azrael Garcia shall receive a one-time use scroll containing the power of a rank-9 Arcana Master. The Duke will explain its powers. Use it wisely. I hope you don't get swallowed by the darkness you hold and try your best to serve the kingdom."

The Duke closed the scroll.

"Eh?" Rael was taken aback by the message. He couldn't help but raise his head to look at his father as if he didn't believe his ears. There was no praise in the letter as the King did with his other siblings, and instead, he was given an indirect warning. "Why?" The question filled his head, his face frozen in shock. "Why? Why? Why?"

His soul energy started going out of control but it only lasted a fraction of a second before he slowly said, "Thank you, My Lord." He quietly received the reward from his father's hands and slowly returned to his sister's side.

The Duke stared at his back, sighing inwardly. "It can't be helped. 9 out of every 10 necromancers would inherently become villains. But you don't need to worry, son. I'll be there for you." He thought, ignoring the murmurs in the room.