Sovereign of the Ashes

The established criteria for magic initiates in the Magus World were as follows:

Fresh initiate: 10 focus points.

Junior initiate: 10-30 focus points.

Intermediate initiate: 30-50 points.

Senior initiate: 50-70 focus points.

Quasi Mage: 70-90 focus points.

It was speculated that the focus level of full-fledged mages exceeded 100 points.

However, focus level was not the sole criterion for determining the strength of a magic initiate.

The true measure of strength among mages resided in their knowledge.

Even a freshly promoted Rank One mage, armed with the magic and elemental knowledge of a full-fledged mage, could effortlessly overpower and defeat three Quasi Mages.

Beyond the knowledge gap, Sein discovered through his extensive studies in the library that there was another significant distinction between a full-fledged mage and a magic initiate.

Unlike initiates who were limited to expending mana within their bodies when casting a magic spell, full-fledged mages could tap into the elemental energy of the entire natural world and even otherworldly planes with minimal expenditure of mental focus.

This was the true extent of the power wielded by a full-fledged mage!

It was no wonder that the Magus World mandated a minimum requirement of Rank One for knights and mages participating in interplanar wars.

This was not only because beings of Rank One and above could adapt to the harsher environment of other planes but also because their strengths were inherently different from those below the Rank One.

In interplanar wars, the Magus Civilization did not rely on lower-ranking knights and mages as cannon fodder.

Instead, their cannon fodder comprised other creatures.

Divine towers and the orders of the knights would usually keep enslaved creatures for this purpose.

Even the extraplanar armies from planes that had joined the Magus Alliance, under the governance of Magus Civilization, also served as high-quality cannon fodder in wars.

Sein’s achievement of becoming a Quasi Mage in his early thirties was indeed an uncommon feat within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Considering his age and qualifications, the likelihood of his future promotion to a full-fledged mage stood at an impressive sixty percent.

After bidding farewell to Grimm at the library, Sein headed toward his residence with the newly rented “Atlas of Light” magic book in hand.

He had stayed in the same residence over the past five years.

When he first arrived at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, he initially contemplated hiring a maid to maintain the cleanliness of his residence and attend to his daily needs.

However, the idea gradually faded as he immersed himself in a busier and more fulfilling academic life.

In any case, Sein was not one to rely on the assistance of others.

The ten young maidens serving him at the earl’s castle were Earl Grantt’s initiative... perhaps with the hope that Sein would leave behind a descendant or two for House Grantt.

Nevertheless, Sein was not getting any younger.

Over the past five years, he had maintained a correspondence with Earl Grantt about once every six months.

Earl Grantt responded at times, while other times he sent nothing back.

After all, the cost of a single advanced energy crystal to send a magic letter was a considerable amount for Earl Grantt.

He reserved them for only matters of great importance.

Sein’s younger brother, Solon, had married three years ago and had a son two years prior.

Earl Grantt shared this information with Sein in his letter. After informing him about Solon’s heir, the earl also briefly discussed the future inheritance of the earldom.

Solon got married at twenty years old, which was just the right age for nobles to marry.

Shortly a year later, his son was born. Sein could only be amazed by Solon’s remarkable efficiency in producing an heir.

Earl Grantt had even included a magic photo of the chubby toddler in his letter, so that Sein could see the nephew he had yet to meet.

Sein was not particularly interested in the earldom. While Earl Grantt’s current physical condition and age suggested that he was far from ready to hand over the title to either Sein or Solon, a decision had been made regarding the successor.

In his letter, Earl Grantt expressed that Sein remained as his first choice for succession.

It was only after Sein expressed his commitment to explore the path of magic mysteries in the future that they both knew in their hearts that the earldom would eventually be passed on to Solon.

While Solon had talent, it did not match the exceptional potential that Earl Grantt had displayed in his youth.

Earl Grantt, now a Quasi Knight, had a fifty to sixty percent chance of becoming a Rank One knight in the future.

However, judging by Solon’s current potential, he could only become a senior squire or Quasi Knight at best.

Moreover, Solon would be quite old by the time he became a Quasi Knight in the future, eliminating any possibility of attaining Rank One.

In comparison to the lifespan of a Rank One creature, which spanned hundreds or thousands of years, the theoretical lifespan of an ordinary squire not exceeding a hundred years seemed too short.

Even so, it was still possible to pass on the earldom to Solon.

In the secular world of the Magus World, those inheriting noble titles were typically ordinary individuals below Rank One.

Knights and mages elevated beyond Rank One displayed little interest in developing territories or attending to the lives of ordinary people within their territories.

Their focus lay in boundless unknowns and wealth of the billions of otherworldly planes within the vast Astral Realm.

Hence, it was often stated that there was a clear division between beings of Rank One and above in the Magus World and those below Rank One.

Divergences in values, life perspectives, and horizons had effectively split the Magus World into two distinct societies.

Sein’s aspiration was to integrate into the society of Rank One beings and above, rendering noble titles of the secular class unappealing for him.

This was also the reason why the ladies at the earl’s castle had never piqued his interest.

Upon reaching his residence, Sein found a black crow perched on the railing in front of the door.

At the same time, Sev also emerged from Sein’s spatial piccolo, causing the black crow to visibly shudder before quickly lowering its head slightly.

The black crow served as the academy’s flying messenger.

“You have a letter for me?” Sein inquired.

The black crow cawed, then regurgitated an envelope emitting faint elemental energy.

The ability to carry a letter in its stomach was the unique trait of this black crow.

It was no wonder the divine tower trained low-level magic beasts like them as flying messengers.

The faint layer of elemental energy on the envelope’s surface not only ensured the letter’s preservation during transportation but also served to reassure the recipient that their letter remained confidential and unopened.

Upon opening the letter, the elemental energy on the envelope’s surface would inevitably dissipate.

This way, the recipient could verify the confidentiality of their letter by observing whether the elemental energy on the envelope’s surface remained intact.