Sovereign of the Ashes

“How’s your study going? Is there anything you would like to discuss?” Sein asked Selina, who was seated beside him during dinner.

As a full-fledged mage, Sein had undergone a transformation that made regular meals unnecessary.

Many full-fledged mages could go days, or even a month, without food.

However, having recently been promoted to Rank One, Sein still clung to some of his old habits.

To him, eating was a way to enjoy life.

Although he was passionate about exploring the truth and elemental mysteries, Sein believed in balancing intense study with moments of relaxation and enjoyment, especially in his youth.

After all, if one were to live for centuries or millennia, even the most exquisite meals might eventually lose their appeal.

He believed in the importance of living in the present rather than always looking too far ahead.

Sein’s voice was still as smooth and resonant as it had always been.

Setting down her knife and fork, Selina replied, “My studies have been progressing well, though I’ve hit a bottleneck with the spell model construction for Scorching Eye. I’m planning to visit the library in the next few days for further research.”

Selina, now a senior initiate who had achieved her breakthrough half a year ago, was considered among the top in the academy.

Her success was partly thanks to the resources and guidance provided by Sein during their meals.

Despite being her cousin, Sein also played the role of a mentor to her.

The Scorching Eye spell model she was working on, was a less potent variant of the advanced Solar Eye spell.

The original Solar Eye spell was difficult enough to master, and Sein’s modified version was certainly beyond the reach of newly promoted senior initiates like Selina.

While the power of the Scorching Eye spell she practiced was slightly less than that of the original Solar Eye spell, it was still formidable among advanced magic spells.

Over the years, Selina had often assisted Sein in his alchemical experiments, gaining a substantial understanding of alchemy herself.

The Scorching Eye spell that Sein imparted, coupled with the Crimson Mask, an advanced piece of magic equipment she had, showed a degree of compatibility from several aspects.

Sein, upon hearing Selina’s update, nodded without further comment.

He could have helped her refine her spell model and identify her bottlenecks, but he chose not to.

He was Selina’s cousin, not her guardian.

Even when instructing Selina in the Scorching Eye spell, Sein had merely outlined the principles and basic spell model construction over dinner.

The finer details and application were left for Selina to discover independently.

On the journey of truth exploration, Sein believed it was crucial for Selina to learn through her own efforts rather than constant hand-holding.

He preferred to see her grow through self-guided exploration and learning, rather than through rote instruction.

Sein was pleased to hear that Selina planned to visit the academy library for further research.

His assistance over the years had been minimal. The intermediate and basic magic materials he provided to Selina were surplus to his own needs.

As a wealthy Rank One mage, such gifting of materials was insignificant to him, though he refrained from offering academy merit points.

Unlike Sein, who had the luxury to use energy crystals and magicoins extravagantly in exchange for academy merit points, Selina had to routinely undertake academy quests while keeping up with her research and studies.

Nevertheless, she viewed these quests as part of her training.

“I suppose you know that next month, I’ll be joining my mentor and other full-fledged mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring on an interplanar war. The war might last nearly thirty years. When I return, I hope to see you promoted to a Quasi Mage or even a full-fledged mage,” Sein said, looking at Selina.

Selina’s silver spoon slipped from her hand, crashing onto the floor with a sharp clang.

She was aware of Sein’s upcoming journey but had not realized he would be gone for thirty years.

Thirty years—that was almost exactly the entirety of Selina’s life thus far.

The thought of not seeing Sein for such a lengthy period was unimaginable to her.

She was used to being around Sein and even treated him as a family.

No. Deep in Selina’s heart, Sein had already become more than just family!

Selina, in many ways, felt even lonelier than Sein.

While Sein had his father, half-brother, and nephew, Selina’s closest relative after her grandfather’s passing was Sein, her cousin.

Although Selina had relatives in House Farion, they might as well have been non-existent to her. Moreover, she had made a firm resolution not to return to House Farion until she became a full-fledged mage.

With trembling hands, Selina bent down to retrieve the fallen spoon under the dining table.

Selina’s emotional response caught Sein somewhat off guard, although he might have anticipated it to some extent.

This was precisely why he had chosen to only disclose this detail to Selina a month before his departure.

Selina’s long hair veiled her face, hiding her expression from Sein.

Sein did not dwell on the subject. After finishing the juice Selina had prepared for him, he rose from the table.

Before leaving the dining room, Sein turned his head back and said, “I’ve spoken with my mentor. The 701st and 702nd floors of the divine tower will remain accessible to you, even while we’re away for the interplanar war.”

“I’ll also leave you some energy crystals and magicoins. If you face any major challenges, you can seek help from Grimm on the 662nd floor, Daniel on the 259th, or Anna. They’ll all be there to assist you.”

With these words, Sein promptly exited the dining room.

***

Night fell.

Exhausted from a full day dedicated to experimental research, Sein lay on his bed.

As the departure date drew nearer, several of his research projects and experiments had reached crucial stages.

This culmination of work left him feeling exhausted, both mentally and physically.

“Is the Viridian Venom Flame World... different like the Sand World? According to the Grandmaster, it’s a world governed by complete laws, inhabited by over a billion native intelligent creatures...” Sein mumbled, resting his head against the pillow as he stared at the ceiling.

As Sein was deep in thought, the silence was abruptly broken by a creaking sound.

The door, which had been firmly closed, unexpectedly swung open.