Sovereign of the Ashes

Both House Grantt and House Farion, Sein’s maternal family, had been actively sending magic letters.

Sending magic letters to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was a considerable expense, particularly for smaller local nobles.

Earl Grantt used to write only once every six months or even annually due to the high cost.

House Farion, less affluent than House Grantt, had shown increased interest in contacting Sein since his promotion to Rank One and becoming the apprentice of a divine tower master.

House Farion, despite being less prosperous and somewhat utilitarian, shared a blood relationship with Sein. From their perspective, maintaining contact was not just about leveraging their connection. It was seen as a necessary measure to slow their family’s decline.

Following a particular incident, Selina had grown distant from House Farion, leading her to vow not to return until she had ascended to Rank One.

In their correspondence, House Farion expressed concern for Sein and Selina, and subtly expressed their desire of sending younger family members to study at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The divine tower offered resources far surpassing those available in the Lysian Alliance, along with the advantage of having family members there for support.

After reading House Farion’s letter, Sein looked at Selina and said, “The interplanar war had made me realize something.”

A curious look appeared on Selina’s face as she eagerly waited for Sein to continue.

“This interplanar war has taught me that no matter how exceptional an individual’s strength may be, it is often overshadowed by the sheer magnitude of the battlefield. In conflicts where millions are involved, it is the collective power that truly makes a difference,” Sein explained.

For someone like Sein, who had always preferred to work alone, the profound impact of his experiences in the Viridian Venom Flame World was undeniable.

Furthermore, this also highlighted the regional academy war’s preparatory value.

Without such training, many full-fledged mages would struggle to adapt in their first real engagement in an interplanar war.

Selina was still processing Sein’s insights when he went on, “Indeed, we can get House Farion’s magic initiates into the Divine Tower without violating its enrollment policies. And it’s not just House Farion; House Grantt’s promising talents, should they possess any, could also be nurtured within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.”

“I’m planning a trip back to the Lysian Alliance soon. Would you like to join me?” Sein asked.

Under different circumstances, Selina would have eagerly seized any opportunity to stay by Sein’s side.

Yet, the prospect of returning to the Lysian Alliance brought pause. After a moment of reflection, she gently declined, “I intend to begin the study plan you’ve prepared for me today. I’ll make my return once I’ve become a Rank One mage.”

This response revealed Selina’s resolve and ambition.

She was not one to renege on her personal vow. It was both a pledge and a driving force behind her pursuit of knowledge and advancement.

Sein acknowledged her decision with a nod.

***

After returning to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein spent nearly a month there.

His time was divided between managing the spoils of war, guiding Selina’s studies, and charting the course for his research projects in the coming period.

Sein had not forgotten the aspirations he had harbored when he was just a magic initiate. He intended to inform Master Lorianne of his plan to travel the world once she was back in the Magus World.

His first destination would be the Western Archipelago, to search for Leena.

Traveling the Magus World upon reaching Rank One was a common practice among mages.

The sheer size and diversity of the Magus World were incomparable to that of ordinary, low-level planes. Should one attempt to traverse this world by foot alone, some Rank One mages might not even be able to fully explore the Magus World in their lifetime.

Hance, when mages set out to travel the Magus World, they would do so with specific objectives and carefully laid out plans.

Even Lorianne, a formidable Rank Four mage, had not traversed the entire Magus World.

Sein planned to travel south from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to reach the southern coast of the Magus Continent, then westward to Western Archipelago.

This path, whether by sea or land, promised swifter travel.

It was rumored that many of the black mages in Mystralora City traveled by both sea and land to reach Gloomhaven.

Among them was Sein’s mentor, Morsidor, who had shared tidbits of his journey with Sein. He also left behind some records and magic maps.

Perhaps Sein would eventually uncover clues about the Western Archipelago and the black mages by venturing to the Boundless South Sea of the Magus World.

A month later, Sein set off for the Lysian Alliance. On this journey, Sein did not utilize his own mana for flight, but relied on Sev instead.

Following Sev’s advancement to Rank One, its wingspan could extend up to five meters while it was in combat form.

Such a considerable size was more than capable of carrying Sein effortlessly.

Sev’s flying speed surpassed that of Sein’s own flying magic. It took Sein only about twenty days in total to reach the Grantt Territory within the Lysian Alliance.

This journey exemplified how, with the growth of power, distance became virtually insignificant to beings of higher ranks.

To someone like Lorianne, the journey from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to the Lysian Alliance would have been even quicker.

Sein’s return to Grantt Territory was unannounced, yet he received a grand welcome from House Grantt.

Jeremy, Sein’s great-grandfather, awaited him at the castle’s entrance and embraced him warmly upon arrival.

Though Sein’s constitution was notably robust for a mage, it paled in comparison to Jeremy the Rank One knight.

Accompanying Jeremy were numerous members of House Grantt, both from the main and side families.

Solon seemed to have gained some weight and looked like a middle-aged man now.

Trailing behind Solon, alongside the red-haired nephew familiar to Sein, were three more children.

These children, two boys and a girl, were Solon’s offspring from different mothers.

Among them, a boy and a girl sported the distinctive blonde hair of House Grantt.

Sein could tell that Jeremy seemed particularly fond of the young blond boy, who was only six years old.

He pointed at the boy and remarked, “This little guy bears a striking resemblance to your father when he was young!”