Sovereign of the Ashes

”Which two ways?” Sein asked hurriedly.

”The first is to eliminate the Magus World’s hostility and restrictions against black mages at the law level. That way, nothing will stop the two of you from being together. The second is for the major divine towers and knightly orders to rescind the bounty on her,” White Stella replied.

“The first option isn’t viable for you; it’s beyond your capability, and even the soul overmages and overlords struggle with it. The second path is difficult but possible.

“There have been instances in the history of the Magus World where black mages were no longer wanted. These individuals, without exception, made significant contributions to the advancement of the Magus Civilization.

“As a result, various soul towers and grand orders issued declarations absolving them of their crimes and acknowledging their contributions to the Magus World.

“You might consider a similar approach,” White Stella suggested.

Much of White Stella’s lengthy advice was motivated by concern for her younger sister.

Tourmaline, however, appeared confused and oblivious to the discussion between Sein and White Stella.

White Stella herself had little faith in Sein’s ability to resolve Leena’s identity issue.

Their current strength was insufficient to garner the attention of the major soul towers and grand orders.

Rather than offering genuine solutions, White Stella’s words were more of a gentle consolation.

Since the request was beyond White Stella’s capabilities, if Sein and Leena were to meet in the future, they might have to resort to the strategy Leena had devised during the Knight Continent’s trial.

Leena was renowned for her proactive wisdom—preferring to rely on her own strengths rather than seek assistance.

Despite preparing for the worst, Sein could not hide his disappointment upon learning that even White Stella was powerless to help.

His long sigh caught Tourmaline’s attention, prompting the dragon turtle to look up at her sister.

White Stella continued, “While I can’t reverse her wanted status, I can certainly facilitate her escape from Blackhaven.”

“Did you say he signed a magic contract with a Rank Three black mage? Show me the contract. I should be able to alter it, provided it doesn’t involve the power of laws.”

She pointed at Zorro, who stood beside Sein, looking perplexed about how Sein had managed to forge connections with these formidable aquatic creatures.

The prospect of being able to bring Zorro away from here slightly lifted Sein’s spirits.

However, before he could express his relief, White Stella pointed to Faye and said, “Not her though.”

“Why not?” Sein exclaimed in shock.

In that moment, Faye was crestfallen. The twin triumphs of her promotion to full-fledged mage and avenging her mentor’s death were overshadowed by White Stella’s blunt declaration.

Faye lifted her gaze to the imposing mermaid before her, eager for an explanation.

“Your life level is currently too low for you to sense it, but my younger sister and I can detect it. The Magus World’s will instinctively opposes those who cause chaos on their homeplane and kill innocents,” White Stella explained.

“She may not be extremely evil, but she undoubtedly has the blood of many native creatures on her hands, particularly humans. On the other hand, that guy, having committed no such crimes, can potentially return to the Magus Continent as a normal mage, provided he’s not wanted by any divine towers,” she concluded.

White Stella’s words reminded Sein of the imprisoned slaves at the bottom floor of Faye’s tower...

In the grim, sinister world of Blackhaven, pure mages were a rarity.

Zorro’s apparent innocence was likely due to his preoccupation with alchemy experiments and avenging his mentor’s death, rather than benevolence.

Stunned by White Stella’s explanation, Sein and the others found themselves grappling with concepts beyond their previous understanding.

It seemed unlikely that many considered the imperceptible consequences of the planar will when committing evil acts on the homeplane. Instead, they likely first thought of the punishments from the divine towers and knightly orders.

After all, these consequences were tangible and immediate, whereas the disapproval from the planar will was less apparent.

Is Sein a good person?

Not entirely.

However, over the years, he had mostly refrained from harming innocent civilians of the Magus World.

Even when forced to kill, Sein had his reasons.

Interestingly, the planar light within Sein acts as a sort of safeguard.

If Sein were to harm the lesser beings of the Magus World, this light would be the first to deplete.

The moment he fell out of favor with the planar will, he would face its wrath and become disliked, ultimately devolving into a black mage.

The definition of a black mage in the Magus World encompasses both overt and covert criteria.

The rules of the divine towers and knightly orders were overt and must be adhered to by all beings in the Magus World.

Conversely, the favor of the planar will represented a less visible but equally significant standard.

Leena had violated the overt rules yet had not transgressed the covert moral guidelines.

Conversely, Faye had breached the covert rules, though she was not officially wanted by the major divine towers or knightly orders.

Violating either set of rules was no minor issue.

The Magus World was a strong, thriving civilization.

Its strength lay in its comprehensive and complete laws.

The orderly adherence to these laws allowed the Magus World to continue advancing along its predetermined developmental trajectory.

However, should it descend into chaos and disorder, the internal conflicts alone could be enough to dismantle the Magus Civilization, despite its dominance over numerous star domains.

Why, then, did so many planes within the Magus Alliance, despite being exploited by Magus World, still choose to align closely with Magus Civilization?

The formidable power of the Magus World was one reason; another was the Magus Civilization’s commitment to setting and following rules.

Within these parameters, Magus World also safeguarded the interests of its vassal planes.

Thus, these weaker planes and civilizations staunchly supported the Magus World.

White Stella’s insights, as a Rank Five being, revealed to Sein the core nature of the Magus World and the perspectives of those among the higher echelons.

Glancing at Leena, Sein noticed the look of resignation on her face. Unlike Sein, her disappointment was not as profound.

Perhaps Leena had already anticipated this outcome and adjusted her expectations accordingly.

By keeping expectations to a minimum, she faced less disappointment.

For Leena, the prospect of occasional contact with Sein and meetings in otherworldly planes like the Undead World was enough.

She dared not ask for more.

Destiny was enigmatic and elusive.

Although Leena had studied some astrology, her understanding remained limited.

Given Sein’s promising future, Leena had no desire to hold him back.

Instead, she found solace in quietly supporting him from the shadows.