Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein’s exceptional performance not only astounded Gould but also elicited a long sigh of relief from Natalya.

He was her chosen partner, and Reina was her best friend.

Natalya dearly hoped to avoid any significant rift between them.

Of course, she perceived Sein’s words as mere flattery and did not take them to heart.

Reina, on the other hand, merely took a deep breath but did not directly respond to Sein’s question.

It seemed she too regarded his comments as polite, yet it was undeniable that they significantly improved her mood.

After all, Sein’s sincerity was unmistakable.

Reina had only seen such an earnest expression of admiration in her parents’ eyes before.

Regardless of Sein’s intentions, Reina decided to acknowledge him.

She believed that her best friend, Natalya, would find happiness after marrying Sein.

At least this charismatic and powerful mage was far better than any of the Rank Two knights Reina had encountered in the Order of the Steel Fist.

Among those present, no one truly believed that Sein was serious about the invitation.

After what seemed to be a warm introduction, Natalya broached another matter that had brought Sein here.

“My father recently obtained a giant thunder crystal during battle. It’s currently at my place. Why don’t you come with me to take it?” she suggested casually.

It’s just a giant thunder crystal... She could have easily transported it in a space ring. So, why is she insisting on Sein coming to her place to retrieve it personally...?

Both Sein and Gould, experienced as they were, immediately read between the lines.

Gould, unnerved by Reina’s earlier, only relaxed after she showed a glimmer of kindness toward Sein.

With the atmosphere now lighter, he softly whistled, teasing them playfully.

Before Sein could respond, Reina’s icy stare silenced Gould. He quickly kept quiet and adopted the demeanor of an uninvolved observer.

Sein did not reject Natalya’s request outright but merely frowned slightly.

“What giant thunder crystal?” Sein asked.

“Remember the demigod-level Thunder Beast King that invaded the fortress?” Natalya asked.

“It was defeated by the combined efforts of three demigod-level knights and several Sky Knights our Order of the Steel Fist. After the battle, my father received a fragment of the crystal mountain from the Thunder Beast King’s back as a reward for his contribution to the siege,” she continued.

“That item wasn’t of much use to us, but my mother said that you, a mage, might find it valuable,” she explained.

This honest, straightforward female knight rarely had ulterior motives and was known for her candor.

Sein’s eyes lit up with interest.

Demigod-level materials were invaluable treasures without any exception.

Sein had seen the Thunder Beast King from a distance before. The massive crystal formation on its back was likely its primary energy source.

The giant thunder crystal, hewn from that formation, undoubtedly contained a purity of energy surpassing any ordinary crystals Sein had previously encountered.

This discovery came just as Sein’s Thunder Body Tempering experiments had hit a bottleneck.

Perhaps a demigod-level material was just what he needed to make a breakthrough.

Intent on exploring these truths and enhancing his own powers, Sein set aside any minor concerns he might have had about Natalya’s intentions.

Of course, he would not accept such a treasure without offering something of equal value in return.

Coincidentally, Sein still had some of the Fire-Breathing Dragon King’s blood—a gift from his mentor, Master Lorianne.

This demigod-level substance was highly beneficial for knights in tempering their bodies.

Whether used directly for an enhancing bath or concocted into a potent potion, its value was undoubtedly on par with the giant thunder crystal Natalya had offered.

Upon Sein’s agreement, a distinct flash of joy lit up Natalya’s face.

***

Although Sein had only interacted with Natalya alone, he was unaware that he had been thoroughly scrutinized by House Ernst on multiple occasions.

His future mother-in-law, Sia, had observed him the most keenly, even though he had not yet formally joined the family.

In fact, it was Sia who had suggested that Natalya reach out to Sein with the offer of the giant thunder crystal.

Natalya had inherited over ninety percent of her traits from her mother, who possessed a blunt and forceful nature.

From her hair color to her combat abilities and even her physical appearance, she closely resembled her mother.

In contrast, she shared little with her father, Wilson, whose demeanor was polite and complemented by his handsome appearance.

This time, it was Natalya’s mother who took the lead in orchestrating the plan involving Sein.

Natalya was her only daughter; she was determined not to let her remain single and unmarried.

Natalya was born when Wilson and Sia were at Rank Two.

After her birth, various opportunities propelled them to Rank Three.

Like mages, knights found conceiving children increasingly challenging as they ascended in rank.

Though there were potions on the market designed to aid conception, their effectiveness was limited for high-ranking knights and mages.

Faced with the difficulty of having another child, Wilson and Sia were deeply invested in securing Natalya’s future.

Sein was a match carefully chosen by House Ernst.

Wilson was not overly concerned when Sein bested Natalya in a duel at the Thunder Marsh camp, attributing his daughter’s defeat to his overindulgence. He even believed that facing some challenges might be good for her.

However, Sein’s performance had deeply impressed Sia, prompting her to urge Wilson to take special care of Sein.

No one knew Natalya better than her own mother.

Unless a more handsome and powerful knight of the same rank managed to defeat Natalya, she knew no one could sway her headstrong daughter.

Even if such a formidable knight did appear, it was doubtful that Natalya would easily fall for someone new.

Although Natalya remained stoic while fighting alongside Sein previously, she had secretly relished their camaraderie—until Sein uttered words that left her slightly disappointed.

Yet, the more challenging the pursuit, the more determined a knight like Natalya became!

Shortly after returning to the space fortress, Natalya found her mother fully supportive of her endeavor.

“Go on, tempt him! I don’t believe he’d dare to simply walk away after everything!” Sia encouraged.

“If worst comes to worst, I’ll lock both of you in a room to ensure it happens!” she added, imparting her own audacious tactics to her daughter.

“I-Isn’t... that a bit much...?” Natalya murmured, her cheeks flushing a bashful red.

“What do you mean by too much? That was how I got together with your fa-...” Sia began, then caught herself mid-sentence.

“What?!” Natalya exclaimed, startled.

“Forget it,” Sia quickly dismissed it.

Natalya frowned, unable to resist asking, “Is that how you and Father did it for the first time...?”

With no more room for evasion, Sia cleared her throat and confessed quietly, “What could I do? Your father was so charismatic and powerful back then. Plenty of other women in the order were attracted to him too.”

“If it hadn’t been for my assertiveness, where would you be now?” Sia pointed out, poking her daughter’s forehead.

“And don’t forget the potion I prepared for you. Use it when the time is right,” she reminded Natalya with a knowing look.