Sovereign of the Ashes

One might question if House Sneller still possessed any “treasures” or “heirlooms” after all that.

Decades ago, House Sneller was barely scraping by, relying on just one or two remaining heirlooms.

But this changed thirty years ago when House Sneller received two mysterious guests, a man and a woman.

Although they did not reveal their identities, they left House Sneller several rare magic items before departing.

These artifacts represented new opportunities for the family’s resurgence!

Seventeen years later, the male guest returned with even greater generosity, bestowing upon House Sneller numerous valuable items, including energy crystals.

Baron Sneller had his suspicions about the origins of these esteemed visitors.

As the heir of the family, he was well aware of the notable figures in his family’s history, including the Morsidor, a Rank One black mage, who was mentioned in House Sneller’s secret genealogy.

Baron Sneller surmised that the two guests must be connected to the family’s ancestor, Morsidor.

Though the guests never disclosed this, Baron Sneller, exercising discretion, chose not to inquire either.

The reputation of black mages on Thousand Leaf Coral Island was less than stellar, which likely explained why Morsidor had been so secretive about his family.

Baron Sneller tapped the armrest of his chair absentmindedly with his finger, thinking hard about how to navigate the current crisis.

The rhythmic tapping abruptly halted as his eyes visibly widened, betraying his shock.

In that instant, Sein had suddenly appeared suddenly before him, clad in black robes.

A soundproof spell ensured that no noise from the room could escape.

At the same time, the guards guarding the room and servants in the room slumped over, succumbing to a sleep spell.

Though this spell had little effect on knights or mages of equal rank, it worked extremely well against ordinary folk or those below Rank One.

The guards and servants were not dead; they were merely soundly asleep.

“Who are you?” Baron Sneller managed to ask, recovering quickly from his initial shock. His voice was as calm and steady as he could muster.

Observing the baron, Sein realized that he bore little resemblance to Master Morsidor.

It made sense, as Master Morsidor was born in House Sneller over eight hundred years ago.

Over the past eight centuries, his direct descendants would have evolved considerably, likely beyond recognition.

Moreover, Sein was aware that his late mentor had no direct descendants.

After observing Baron Sneller for a moment, Sein noticed a hint of almond-yellow deep within the Baron’s irises, reminiscent of his mentor Morsidor’s jaundiced eye color.

Sein did not notice this earlier because the Baron’s eyes were rather bloodshot.

Upon recognizing a resemblance, Sein produced his identity medal.

Upon seeing the medal, Baron Sneller’s expression quickly shifted from tension to relief, his eyes lighting up with undeniable joy.

Thirty years ago, the man and woman who provided tremendous assistance to House Sneller had also presented a similar medal.

Without a doubt, Baron Sneller saw Sein as a potential savior who could help his family weather their ongoing crisis.

As an apprentice of the Master Morsidor, Sein was indeed morally obligated to assist his late mentor’s family if possible.

However, Sein was clear that his benefactor was Master Morsidor, not House Sneller.

Sein picked a few pieces of magic equipment he had crafted recently and gave them to Baron Sneller.

Although he had made these during his spare time as practice, none of them were less than intermediate quality.

However, Sein decided against gifting a ranked magic artifact after a brief moment of contemplation.

Instead, he retrieved two Burning Flame Bombs he had successfully developed recently.

Individually, each bomb could threaten quasi-ranked creatures. However, when used together, they could deliver a substantial blow to a Rank One creature.

They were disposable magic items that Sein had created by combining the insights he got from studying Steel City’s Elemental Magnetic Bombs and his alchemy knowledge.

These Flame Burst Bombs, while not particularly powerful for Sein, were simple to produce and suitable for mass production.

Unfortunately, he had not managed to integrate the power of the verdant flame element into them. Otherwise, that would have significantly enhanced their potency.

In addition to the bombs, Sein handed over a large batch of magic equipment to House Sneller.

Baron Sneller was grinning from ear to ear. However, there was no one nearby to share in his elation since his eldest son was away, commanding the family’s private army in Geyzes City.

Despite his excitement, Baron Sneller managed to quickly recompose himself.

He stored the newly acquired items in his black antique ring.

Sein glanced at the ring and noted that while it did not resemble Master Morsidor’s craftsmanship, it looked like the work of his senior, Zorro.

“I came to the Western Archipelago to look for a few people. Baron Sneller, you should be able to advise me on that, right?” Sein asked in a hushed tone.

Until now, Baron Sneller had not been able to fully discern Sein’s appearance due to the black robe Sein wore and the elemental particles obscuring his face.

From Baron Sneller’s perspective, Sein was an enigmatic presence and he could not even meet his gaze.

The baron pondered briefly before finally gritting his teeth and said, “Come with me, Master.”

He led Sein to a secret cellar deep within the manor—a specially constructed underground treasury.

Amidst several heavy chests filled with gold, Baron Sneller rummaged through an ancient wooden chest to retrieve a parchment scroll.

“This was given to me by that master seventeen years ago. He told me that I can refer to this map and search for him in the north if my family ever encounters any insurmountable trouble,” the Baron explained.