Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein met the demigod-level knight inside a large war airship.

Talman was a middle-aged knight with short brown hair. Rather than heavy iron armor, he wore only simple leather armor.

Upon meeting Sein, Talman displayed none of the majesty or solemnity typically associated with someone of his stature.

Instead, he greeted Sein with a smile that immediately put him at ease.

“Everything should be fine,” Sein thought to himself.

“The grand master has also heard about your situation. The Order of the Steel Fist will not betray one of its own, so you can rest assured!” the demigod-ranked knight said with a reassuring smile.

Talman himself was a branch hall master, so the “grand master” he spoke of was naturally the Rank Four knight of the Order of the Steel Fist.

Sein was somewhat surprised to find himself catching the attention of a Rank Four knight, but as a mage who had weathered great storms, he maintained his composure.

From the moment he learned he was wanted by the Order of the Dark Sword, Sein remained calm, earning nods of approval from the observing knights.

Such composure was expected of a Rank Four tower master’s apprentice.

It was clear that almost none of the Order of the Steel Fist believed Sein had anything to do with the black mages.

“A Rank Four tower master’s apprentice is a black mage? What nonsense is that?”

Talman was uncertain how Sein had offended the Order of the Dark Sword, but with orders directly from the grand master, he knew his next steps.

“We have redirected the law enforcement knights from the Order of Dark Sword to the Thunder Pool war zone. However, everyone, including myself, believes their accusations against you are baseless. Still, certain measures must be taken. After all, they do hold a wanted notice sanctioned by the rules of the knightly orders,” Talman explained, hoping Sein would understand their position.

Sein was far from an ignorant knight; indeed, he understood the rules of the Magus World more deeply than most Rank Three knights.

Sein’s nod brought a more relaxed expression to the face of the demigod-level knight.

Gesturing toward a chair made of magic beast leather, Talman invited Sein to sit and discuss matters further.

“We plan to terminate our employment contract with you early, Master Sein. As for those law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword, we’ll try our best to keep them in the Thunderfall World as long as we can,” Talman explained.

“Master Sein, you should use this opportunity to return to the Magus World and hide,” he advised.

“Back to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring?” Sein asked.

Sein had already surmised much without needing further explanation from the demigod-level knight before him.

“Yes. Dealing with intelligent individuals certainly makes things easier,” Talman remarked, smiling.

He continued, “The grand master has penned a letter that he hopes you’ll deliver to your mentor, Master Sein.”

This task of delivering a letter to Lorianne evidently signified an exchange between two Rank Four powerhouses.

It was clear why the Order of the Steel Fist would go to such lengths to support Sein and deflect the Order of the Dark Sword’s attempts at legal action.

These knights knew the stakes—both immediate and distant.

Sein realized that communication between the Rank Four Knight and Lorianne likely involved more than mere pleasantries.

Despite being a Rank Two mage, he could tell that the letter probably contained crucial information related to the imminent general assault by Thunderfall World.

His years on the front lines and grassroots experience had honed his understanding of the challenges that the Order of the Steel Fist might face in the upcoming conflict in Thunderfall World.

Perhaps, this was not merely about the intentions of the Grand Master of the Steel Fist; it could also signify a consensus reached by the three knights of Rank Four or higher on this interplanar battlefield.

Nevertheless, Sein’s role was to serve as a messenger for these three high-ranking knights and to ensure the delivery of this letter to his mentor.

This letter was likely to directly influence the course of the ongoing Thunderfall World war.

“I can deliver the letter to my mentor on behalf of the grand master but I have a question,” Sein said.

“Go ahead,” the demigod-level knight encouraged.

“Does my mentor know that the Order of the Dark Sword has sent law enforcement knights to arrest me?” Sein inquired.

Talman raised an eyebrow, clearly one of those in the know.

He regarded him with a strange expression and replied, ”Indeed, the esteemed Tower Master of Verdant Spring is aware of this matter.”

”Furthermore, I heard that your mentor sternly rebuked the law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword at the time. She declared that her own apprentice could never conspire with black mages and challenged the knights to confront you directly if they doubted her word,” Talman continued.

The law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword had gone straight to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring in the first place.

They only knew that Sein hailed from there but were unaware of his status as the tower master’s apprentice.

One could only imagine the frosty reception and stern rebuke these Rank One and Rank Two knights, armed with their wanted notices, received at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Sein was not certain whether these knights were exceptionally stubborn or simply relied on the backing of their Order of the Dark Sword, but they approached the Order of the Steel Fist undeterred after being snubbed at the Divine Tower.

With records of Sein’s travels via the magic teleportation arrays, they could certainly track him down.

In the Magus Civilization, locating someone deliberately hiding—even in the most remote part of the plane—was entirely feasible, thanks to their sophisticated systems and prophecy magic.

Lorianne’s vigorous defense of Sein had solidified the Order of the Steel Fist executives’ decision to protect him.

After all, the Order of Dark Sword was metaphorically an emperor across the mountains, while the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was like a neighbor next door; the Order of the Steel Fist naturally knew well which side to favor.

Moreover, they had requests to make of Lorianne in the future.

Upon hearing Talman’s explanation, Sein was baffled.

Lorianne had told those knights to confront Sein themselves if they doubted her word? How were they supposed to find him, and once found, did she expect them to arrest him?

Sein trusted that Lorianne cared about him, but recalling the tone she might have used with those knights gave him a slight headache.

While she was generally protective, she occasionally showed a willful side.

“The spatial passage back to the Magus World is ready. You can leave now. This is the letter from the grand master. Please ensure it is delivered to your mentor,” Talman instructed.

A letter, glowing with a powerful white aura, materialized before Sein.