Sovereign of the Ashes

Others might be unaware of Sein’s background, but Lorianne certainly was not.

She was convinced that the law enforcement knights of the Order of the Dark Sword were not mistaken in suspecting Sein of colluding with black mages.

If that was not the case, why would Sein wander to remote regions like the Western Archipelago instead of popular destinations like the Alveroth Empire or Sky City?

Even the realms of the Northern Witches Council and the territories of the Warlock Clan on the West Coast held more allure for a mage than the Western Archipelago.

Knowing the truth, however, was one thing; determining the right course of action was another.

There was no way Lorianne could not push her own apprentice into the fire pit!

The severity of Sein’s situation could vary greatly, depending largely on who was orchestrating the accusations behind the scenes.

If Sein were merely a Rank Two mage without any significant background or influence, he would have faced certain death by now.

Even as a Rank Three grand mage, the Order of the Dark Sword could arrest him without any complications, provided there was concrete evidence of his involvement with the black mages.

Yet Sein was not without support; not only did he have a Rank Four tower master backing him, but Lorianne also had the protection of a Rank Six mage, Feylis.

Once a mage reached a certain level of power, they could indeed bend the rules and laws to their will.

Although Lorianne could not openly defy the foundational rules and orders of the Magus World, she could navigate through loopholes in the rules to protect her “incompetent” apprentice.

It was not that Sein was a weakling; in fact, he was stronger than over ninety percent of the Rank Two mages in the Magus World.

Lorianne had to refrain from being overly critical of her apprentice’s... minor flaws.

After all, no one was perfect, and mages were no exception.

Lorianne was more than satisfied by her “nearly perfect” apprentice.

As long as the Order of the Dark Sword’s knights did not publicly catch Sein in an act of colluding with the black mages, Lorianne could keep him safe.

There was no doubt about that.

The Order of the Dark Sword could not directly arrest Sein without Lorianne’s authorization.

If Sein’s identity as a black mage had been falsely reported to the Magus World’s major divine towers and knightly orders, Lorianne could have sued the order for libel.

As long as there was no evidence against Sein, Lorianne was confident in clearing his name even if this matter were to be escalated to the Magus Alliance Conference.

However, the situation with Leena, Faye, and the others was more complicated.

Leena was already wanted by the major divine towers and knightly orders of the Magus World.

Putting aside the challenges, nothing good would come out of attempting to overturn her status.

attempting to overturn her status would yield no benefits.

White Stella had also refused to assist in this matter.

It was not necessarily due to a lack of capability, but perhaps a reluctance to expend too much effort on the matter.

After all, she was not that close with Sein. There was no reason for her to use all her connections, or even owe someone a favor, just to clear Leena’s name.

Ultimately, people must rely on themselves. Except for lovers, relatives, and mentors, others might not always prove dependable.

Tourmaline’s kindness toward Sein stemmed from her youthful naivety; she was still a clueless child.

In contrast, her sister, White Stella, was far more mature.

***

With Lorianne’s reassurance, the minor trouble caused by the Order of the Dark Sword seemed trivial.

Sein exhaled a sigh of relief and handed over the letter he had received from the Order of the Steel Fist.

Lorianne opened the letter, sealed with an energy barrier, in Sein’s presence. It was likely penned personally by Brendek, a Rank Four knight.

As Lorianne read, Sein watched her expression grow increasingly solemn until she reached the end of the letter.

Sein remained silent, not wishing to interrupt her thoughts.

Though unsure of the letter’s exact content, he suspected it involved a plea for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to send reinforcements to Thunderfall World.

With a contemplative look on her face, Lorianne glanced at her favorite apprentice and asked, “How do you think I should respond to Brendek?”

“Did that Rank Four knight request troops from you?” Sein asked.

Lorianne nodded.

“I think you can help them!” Sein replied without hesitation.

He had considered this issue extensively and understood the dynamics of the war in Thunderfall World well.

“I’ve fought in the Thunderfall World war for ten years and the most intense and resource-consuming phase is largely over,” Sein explained.

“By leading the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to join now, you’re seizing a great opportunity. Those three orders of knights will need your support if they don’t want their own forces to suffer heavy losses in the later stages of the war,” he continued.

Lorianne smiled at Sein’s insightful analysis.

She did not counter his argument but merely said, “Even you realize we’re gaining a big advantage by joining the battlefield now. How could those three orders of the knights possibly agree to share substantial profits with us?”

Walking toward the living room, Lorianne took a glass of green fruit juice out of thin air and offered it to Sein, continuing, “Those knights are very cunning. They want my contribution but are reluctant to share significant profits. They’ve invited me to participate in the Thunderfall World War, but not as a representative of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. Instead, they expect me to join as an individual Rank Four mage.”

“Furthermore, any mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring who wish to join will also be seen as separate, individual external support,” she added.

Lorianne did not elaborate further, but Sein grasped the implications immediately.

Why hadn’t the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring been invited to join the battlefield as a unified entity under its own banner? Instead, why were Lorianne and the other mages asked to participate as separate individuals?

The reason was clear: the Order of the Steel Fist and the other two knightly orders did not want to share the distribution of Thunderfall World’s post-war spoils with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

If Lorianne accepted this model of cooperation, the three knightly orders would continue to lead the war, ensuring they alone controlled all post-war benefits, effectively excluding the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Lorianne only stood to earn an astronomical payout as a Rank Four external support mage, a sum that would make ordinary mages envious.

After all, the cost of employing a Rank Four mage was steep.

Of course, the interests of other divine tower mages participating in the battle would remain protected.

However, it was not the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring that would be compensating these mages but the three orders of the knights.

After all, it was these orders who had initiated the hires.

This cooperation model promised Lorianne and all participating mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring a decent short-term profit.

It was expected that the three orders of the knights would not be stingy in such a situation.

Yet, from a long-term perspective, Lorianne stood to lose out financially.

After the conquest of Thunderfall World—a plane known for its sustainable production of electro elemental resources and legions of enslaved creatures—the potential returns could not possibly be compared to those from a one-time deal paid in magicoin.

Lorianne sat on the couch with a goblet in hand, still deep in thought.

Sein, sipping his juice, held back from further comment on the matter, trusting his mentor’s judgment to make the best decision.