Waking up as the first rays of light pierced through his window, Sovereign stirred from his bed, still a little drained from the night before. As was his habit, he walked over to the large slab of polished jade leaning against the wall—his makeshift mirror—and gazed at his reflection. He'd been doing this since he was young, watching his body gradually transform. Now, no longer the slim boy from his early days, he had developed into a true Titan. Muscular, sculpted, his white skin almost shimmered like the jade itself—hard, polished, and reflective.
He reached for the fur jacket draped over the edge of the bed. Split down the middle with no sleeves, it reached slightly past his hips. A string at the waist kept it tied, leaving his abs, chest, and arms on full display while covering his back and shoulders. Its color matched well with his brown cloth pants, giving him a rugged yet striking look.
"Not bad," he whispered to himself, stepping outside to begin his morning routine.
His parents had already left, but breakfast was waiting on the table. He took it to the stone stove in the kitchen and warmed it using the embedded heat stone beneath the iron bars. As he ate, he mentally prepared himself. Today, he was finally going to visit Master Sidner.
He'd put it off long enough.
Walking through the village, Sovereign made his way toward the eastern edge. The training grounds came into view first—a massive clearing where Titans not yet awakened honed their skills in sparring, weapon techniques, and physical discipline. If someone kept walking past the grounds and veered a bit to the right, they'd eventually reach a small, rather unimpressive hut.
That was where Sovereign now stood. The hut barely seemed large enough to accommodate a single person comfortably. Its structure was simple—stone foundation, wooden walls reinforced with iron plating, and a low ceiling that barely reached ten meters.
He knocked.
"Master Sidner? Are you in there?"
No answer. He knocked again. Then again.
It took nearly ten minutes before the door finally creaked open. Standing there was a Titan—lean, light green skin, ragged dark green hair, and pearly green eyes. Despite his unkempt appearance, he had a sharp, rugged handsomeness that was hard to ignore. He was only about eight feet tall, significantly leaner than the average Titan, with a build honed more for speed than power.
And he reeked of alcohol.
"What do you want, you piece of shit? Why are you bangin' on someone's door this early in the morning?" Sidner growled, his breath thick with liquor.
Sovereign blinked, stunned. "Wait… are you really Master Sidner?"
"No shit, kid. You knock on my door and don't even know who I am? Are you stupid?"
Sovereign bit back a surge of irritation. He had heard Sidner was eccentric—but this?
"I came to ask if you'd train me. I heard you're the best weapon master in the village."
Sidner laughed. "Train you? Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because I want to learn from the best."
Sidner narrowed his eyes. "Who even are you?"
"You don't know who I am?" Sovereign asked, genuinely baffled. "I'm the son of the village chief. People call me Sovereign."
A shift. Sidner's face darkened.
"So you're the son of that bastard."
Sovereign's brow furrowed. "Not a bastard. The village chief."
"Same difference." Sidner shrugged. "A bastard's a bastard—chief or not."
That was it.
Sovereign threw a punch, but Sidner moved with shocking speed. He stepped aside, twisted Sovereign's arm, swept his legs, and sent him face-first into the dirt.
"You came to my house, tried to punch me, and had the audacity to go for my pretty face?" Sidner chuckled. "You know how upset the village girls would be?"
Sovereign stood up, brushing himself off, cheeks flushed with anger. The man was insufferable… but undeniably skilled.
He knocked again.
Ten more minutes passed. Sidner opened the door, cursing. "You motherfucker—leave me alone! Next time, I swear I'll cut you in half!"
This time, Sovereign remained calm.
"Will you please train me?" he asked.
"No," Sidner snapped. "Now piss off."
Just as Sidner turned to close the door, Sovereign shoved his way inside.
Empty bottles littered the floor. The air was stale with sweat and alcohol. Pieces of clothing—including what he assumed were undergarments from female Titans—were scattered everywhere.
"You break into my house too?" Sidner snorted. "You got balls, I'll give you that."
Sovereign clenched his jaw. "Just tell me what I have to do to convince you."
Sidner plopped into a pile of cushions and took a swig from a half-filled bottle.
"I'm busy," he said. "Training myself. Drinking. Flirting. Hunting. Got no time for some chief's brat."
Sovereign's eyebrow twitched. "I'm being serious, you old—" he stopped himself, correcting, "Oh great Master Sidner… what must I do?"
Sidner raised an eyebrow. "Better. But still no. I don't want to. So I won't."
"You can't be serious…"
"Five seconds," Sidner warned. "Get out before I throw you out."
Sovereign sighed. There was no getting through to him today. Not like this.
He stepped outside.
But his curiosity was burning. This man… called his father a bastard. Had no respect. Lived like a hermit. And yet he was a master among Titans.
There had to be a story behind him.
Instead of returning home, Sovereign turned toward the village gate and made his way to the forge. After all the books he'd read, he was eager to get started.
It was time to shape something with his own hands.