Sovereign of the Ashes

It took just one visit to the Capiche Business Alliance for anyone to be millions in debt.

Whether it was due to fear of Master Zaka, the daunting presence of the Capiche Business Alliance itself, or simply the pressure of the loans, Lorianne felt a strong desire never to set foot in the alliance again after signing a series of loan contracts.

However, that was not an option.

She had to return to retrieve her space fortress.

The Capiche Business Alliance also sought Lorianne’s input on whether she wanted a customized mini-port outside the Magus World, dedicated exclusively to dock her space fortress.

The model Lorianne eventually selected was one of the latest three mid-tier space fortresses released by the Capiche Business Alliance in the past ten thousand years—the Type II Multi-Purpose War Fortress.

The “Multi-Purpose” in its model name suggested that the fortress was designed with well-balanced functionalities.

The asking price from the Capiche Business Alliance was twelve million magicoins—a fair figure, considering this was the most recent space fortress introduced by the Magus Alliance in ten millennia. Zaka, it seemed, had not exploited Lorianne financially.

Although it was a manufactured space fortress, the Capiche Business Alliance agreed to undertake private modifications and fine-tuning for Lorianne. They would also handle aftermarket maintenance of this Type II War Fortress for the next ten thousand years.

During her initial viewing, the Type II War Fortress displayed to Lorianne was a massive silver-colored structure, evoking a cold and austere feeling.

Following Lorianne’s specifications and preference for modifications, the Capiche Business Alliance would paint the exterior of this Type II War Fortress turquoise green.

Additionally, certain details of the fortress would be modified or painted a darker green to give it a softer look. These changes would give it a more vibrant and refreshing feel overall.

These “fine-tunings” involved relatively minor changes without structural modifications. Since the costs were minimal, the Capiche Business Alliance offered them for free.

However, comprehensive modifications or custom designs for mages or knights of Rank Four or higher would be more complex and expensive.

Therefore, Thunder was reluctant to sell his semi-customized space fortress outright even if he was in a financial pinch.

The total investment he had poured into his space fortress was no less than sixteen million magicoins, perhaps even more.

It was no surprise that his negotiation with Lorianne did not work out.

Lorianne had paid twelve million magicoins for her fortress, but in truth, she only made an initial payment of just over two million magicoins—the rest was financed through loans.

For loan collateral, Lorianne chose what many mages opt for—her own divine tower.

This was a common preference among the Magus Alliance for both divine tower masters and grand masters of knightly orders.

By allowing divine towers as collateral, the Magus Alliance also accepted a certain level of risk.

If a tower master failed to repay their debt, their divine tower might not necessarily cover the Magus Alliance’s losses.

In contrast, when foreign gods within the Magus Alliance requested loans, the terms were much stricter. They must either use themselves or their homeplane as collateral.

A complete plane or a being of Rank Four or higher was valued higher than a single divine tower or knightly order, especially since most new divine towers and knightly orders were typically financed through loans.

Nevertheless, using these towers and orders as collateral still placed a significant responsibility on the shoulders of the tower masters and grand masters.

Apart from those Rank Four or higher entities who had resigned themselves to their fate, the majority of leaders within the divine towers and knightly orders of the Magus World still strove diligently to manage their organizations effectively.

Unfortunately, some divine tower masters still ended up mismanaging their divine towers, leading to bankruptcy while still saddled with debts ranging from millions to tens of millions of magicoins.

In such cases, even a native powerhouse of the Magus World could not escape being relegated to a mere employee of the Magus Alliance or other dominant forces within the Magus World, due to the stringent regulatory mechanisms in place.

From this perspective, the internal governance and laws of the Magus World were quite harsh.

However, it also embodied a balance, reflecting the equivalence of risk and opportunity. [1]

Lorianne, however, did not like to shoulder such burdens alone.

In addition to mortgaging her loan partially on the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Lorianne also submitted the newly conquered microplane, Verdant Leaf World, to the Capiche Business Alliance as additional collateral.

Using a microplane as collateral significantly accelerated the Capiche Business Alliance’s funding allocation.

As soon as the alliance dispatched specialists to assess the value of Verdant Leaf World, they also expedited the delivery process of the fortress.

Of course, acquiring a space fortress involved more than just a payment of twelve million magicoins.

A portion of the two million magicoins Lorianne had on hand came from her recent lucrative exploitation of Verdant Leaf World’s resources. This was her largest influx of wealth since the end of the war.

This fund was primarily earmarked for investment in her newly acquired fortress.

After all, purchasing additional facilities and hiring a cadre of mages skilled in operating space fortress required money!

Fortunately, money could solve almost anything in the Capiche Business Alliance.

It is a quintessentially “money-oriented” top-tier force in the Magus World where money could secure everything within its bounds.

Since ancient times, the Capiche Business Alliance had been instrumental in promoting the economy within the Magus World and the Magus Alliance.

“I’m going to name it the Verdant Spring Space Fortress!” Lorianne declared dramatically, pointing to the shiny silver fortress before her.

“No problem, it’s your right to name it,” Zaka replied, nodding in agreement.

“We at Capiche Business Alliance will also help you register the ‘Verdant Spring Space Fortress’ in the Magus Civilization’s fortress sequence. This will ensure you are granted passage throughout most star domains within the borders of the Magus Alliance,” Zaka explained cheerfully.

Although he did not overcharge Lorianne, he was still set to receive a handsome commission for successfully selling a space fortress and its associated facilities.

“Hmph, that stingy Thunder,” Lorianne muttered.

After completing the transaction, the immense pressure of Lorianne’s new magicoin loan significantly soured her view of that Rank Five knight.

However, upon reflecting on her considerable earnings from the Thunderfall World War—and that the down payment for the fortress was largely financed through profits made from Thunder—her mood swiftly improved.

1. Author’s Note: Powerhouses of Rank Four or higher who have established divine towers and orders of knights are inherently more powerful than those without or have mismanaged their organizations. This advantage manifests in their accelerated growth, potential, and superior benefits from the laws of the Magus World compared to their less fortunate counterparts. This is why mages and knights of the Magus World who ascend to Rank Four or higher typically establish their divine towers or orders of knights. ☜