Sovereign of the Ashes

After learning about the requirements to enter the Knight Continent in the Western Archipelago from Martin, Sein’s first thought was to contact Lorianne, his mentor at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, to ask for her assistance in securing a qualification.

However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

Sein preferred to keep his visit to the Western Archipelago a secret from Lorianne.

Given her knowledge of his past, she would surely deduce that his journey to the Western Archipelago meant a visit to Blackhaven to reconnect with old friends.

Lorianne had no doubt shown him greater favor than Morsidor, making the prospect of disappointing her a significant concern for him.

Moreover, contacting Lorianne, who was thousands of miles away, posed a daunting challenge.

As a Rank One mage, Sein’s powers were limited.

The only feasible means of communication would likely involve seeking assistance from the divine towers in the central or southern parts of the Western Archipelago.

This would not only require a substantial expenditure of magicoins but also a considerable investment of time and energy.

Just as Sein decided against troubling and disappointing his mentor, far away in the Viridescent Land of the Magus Continent, Lorianne stirred awake in her laboratory at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Although creatures of Rank Four and above required little sleep, mages like Lorianne found that a good night’s rest could significantly rejuvenate their focus and inspire creativity after intensive experiments.

Female spellcasters, in particular, often paid great attention to their skin’s condition.

Lorianne used to be a diligent Rank Three mage.

After ascending to Rank Four, establishing her own Divine Tower, and moving beyond her mentor’s watchful eyes, Lorianne gradually relaxed her strict self-discipline.

Apart from precision measuring tools and a vast array of experimental materials, there was also a huge white velvet bed in her laboratory.

Whenever Lorianne was exhausted from her experiments, she would simply lie down and sleep there.

Of course, Lorianne never bothered to tidy her bed.

The air in the laboratory was tinged with her scent, and her lingerie was either draped on the bed or tucked under it.

She yawned and with a snap of her fingers, a glass of iced lime juice materialized in her hand.

For some reason, she had developed a preference for sour flavors recently and the cold juice quickly revitalized her mind and spirit.

As she sipped the refreshing drink, a barrage of work messages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring began to flood her crystal ball.

Many of the messages required Lorianne’s signature and her magic seal, especially the contracts for the newly recruited mages.

In the decade since the end of the Viridian Venom Flame World war, her divine tower had seen rapid growth.

This surge was most evident in the increased number of registered mages at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Despite the urgency signaled by the flashing crystal ball, Lorianne sipped her juice leisurely, exuding an effortless charm that some might even describe as seductive.

Although Lorianne’s diligence might not always be apparent in her personal life, it was undeniable when it came to managing her divine tower.

She was a competent tower master, on par with her seniors.

As she sipped her juice and prepared to attend to her duties, Lorianne reflected on the shift in her preferences.

She used to prefer homemade vegetable juices but had recently developed a preference for fruit juice, likely influenced by Sein.

Suddenly, a red and green glow emanated from the crystal ball, startling her and nearly causing her to choke on her drink.

She quickly wiped away the droplets that had escaped from the corners of her mouth and straightened up.

Glancing at the mess in her lab, Lorianne moved swiftly to a cleaner, more organized room to accept the transmission on the crystal ball.

Although she could afford to delay or slack off slightly when it came to duties related to her Divine Tower, she could not do the same or ignore a call from her mentor.

She accepted the crystal ball transmission with impressive speed, taking less than five seconds in total.

This swift action demonstrated the precise control of time and speed characteristic of a Rank Four mage.

Upon connection, Lorianne sat upright, facing the screen that materialized before her.

Remarkably, she had managed to change from her green nightgown into a white magic robe in those brief moments—a feat that even she found surprising.

Feylis’ image soon appeared on the light screen formed by mana.

Unlike Lorianne, Feylis appeared less formal, holding a glazed spoon and seemingly in the middle of her own experiment.

While stirring a potion in a large beaker, Feylis asked, “Did I interrupt your experiment?”

“No, not at all. I’ve just wrapped up a plant research experiment as well,” Lorianne replied, choosing not to mention that she had just woken up from a nap.

Feylis nodded, seemingly satisfied with Lorianne’s response.

Among Feylis’ apprentices, Lorianne was both the least and the most concerning.

Unlike Gregory, Lorianne was reliable, sensible, and even more composed than Bernice. However, Feylis harbored concerns for her because Lorianne was her youngest apprentice and pursued a unique path distinct from her other apprentices.

Even as her mentor, Feylis could not predict how far Lorianne would progress in her career.

After briefly asking about Lorianne’s recent research, Feylis brought up the main reason for her call.

“I’ve overlooked something during my absence from the Magus World. The Knight Continent in the Western Archipelago will be opening soon. Would you like to go?” Feylis asked.

“If you’re interested, my contributions during the Neisse Star Domain war should be able to secure a pass for you,” she added.

To explore the Knight Continent, knights and mages below Rank Four required referrals from their respective divine towers or orders of the knights.

In contrast, those of Rank Four or higher must have contributed significantly to the Magus Civilization to gain access to the secret realms created by the Rank Nine beings.

After all, Rank Four creatures’ demands vastly differed from those of Rank One creatures.

Resources adequate for ten thousand Rank One creatures might not suffice for a single Rank Four being.

Consequently, the leaders of the Magus Civilization established specific criteria every thousand years for beings of Rank Four or higher who wished to explore the Knight Continent.