Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein had never seen this little girl before, yet her friendly tone and the familiarity she exuded made him frown slightly.

“Tourmaline?” he ventured.

“Yup, that’s me! This is my new form! What do you think?” Tourmaline chirped, spinning around playfully before Sein with a smile.

Standing at just 1.4 meters tall, Tourmaline’s human form was even shorter than Leena’s teenage form, which had been at least 1.5 meters.

On top of that, she looked like a child which made sense, since she was still a young hatchling.

Despite the increase in her strength and life level, it was important to remember that advancing in power did not equate to aging.

If anything, the more noble the bloodline, the longer it took for a high-level creature to mature fully.

In magic beast forests within the Magus World, many creatures could take on human or other forms as early as Rank One or Two.

For dragons, it was rumored they had to reach Rank Two or Three before they could assume an alternate form.

Tourmaline’s case was even more extreme—apparently, she needed to break through to Rank Four before she could transform her appearance.

This peculiarity only emphasized the extraordinary strength of Tourmaline’s bloodline.

Of course, not all high-level magic beasts or dragons felt the need to transform their appearance.

Sev was one of them; it had stayed in its owl form for as long as Sein had known it.

As for Tourmaline’s siblings, Sein had yet to see them in human form—not because they could not transform, but because they simply chose not to.

Tourmaline’s decision to present her new form to Sein had nothing to do with practicality. It was a gesture of trust, as she shared a close bond with Sein.

In truth, Tourmaline was far more comfortable in her original form.

If she returned to Jewel Bay in Magus World, it was almost certain she would revert to her massive island-like turtle form and laze in the shallow waters once again.

Sein had yet to see Tourmaline’s original dragon turtle form after her advancement to Rank Four, but he could already guess that she had grown significantly.

Her dragon horns were likely straighter and more translucent, while her claws must have become thicker and sharper.

Although Tourmaline hardly showed enthusiasm for combat, her true form was undeniably intimidating. The sight of her doing nothing alone was enough to deter any would-be adversary with ill intentions.

Having spent years alongside Lorianne, Sein had encountered numerous Rank Four and above creatures.

Though Tourmaline’s aura was somewhat suppressed right now, Sein could still sense the heavy, commanding presence unique to creatures of her rank.

The little girl before him was, in essence, a condensed embodiment of pure, terrifying potential.

Curiously, Tourmaline showed no visible signs of injuries though she must have sustained quite a number of them during the recent war.

It was unclear whether she had stumbled upon another fortuitous opportunity that healed her during the time they had not seen each other.

Beyond her aura, Sein’s attention was drawn to the two green ribbons draped on her delicate fair arms, floating around her.[1]

As an alchemist, Sein was naturally attuned to detecting the unique elemental energy of magic equipment.

Tourmaline’s ribbons, the green dress she wore, and the white shoes on her small feet were all radiating elemental fluctuation.

The elemental energy emanating from the ribbons far surpassed that of most top-tier magic equipment Sein had encountered.

While Lorianne’s magic rod and the enchanted metal rings Master Bernice wore on her wrists were amazing top-tier magic equipment, the elemental fluctuation they emitted could barely be compared to Tourmaline’s dress.

The ribbons, light and fluttery in appearance, seemed so much more special than Lorianne’s magic rod.

Yet, Sein could not pinpoint exactly what made them so exceptional.

It was his instinct as an alchemist and his sharp eye for superior-quality equipment and materials that led him to recognize the extraordinary nature of Tourmaline’s ribbons.

As Sein stared at her intently, Tourmaline blinked her large, expressive eyes.

Compared to her dragon turtle form, this new appearance made her seem far more approachable—and undeniably adorable.

“Those two ribbons of yours...” Sein finally asked, unable to resist his curiosity.

“Oh, these? They were a gift from my uncle, who’s now beyond this world,” Tourmaline explained cheerfully, spinning around and pointing toward the sky.

“Oh, by the way, Miss Tower Master is there with him right now,” she added.

The “Miss Tower Master” Tourmaline referred to was undoubtedly Lorianne.

Sein could not help but feel amused by their relationship.

Tourmaline regarded him as an equal and a friend, yet she referred to Lorianne, his mentor, with the same casual affection, treating her as a peer.

In any case, the bond between them remained strong and unaffected.

Today, Tourmaline had come to spend time with Sein.

This little girl, brimming with newfound strength and treasures, was eager to show them off to him.

True to form, Tourmaline’s face lit up with joy and pride as Sein showered her with compliments and expressions of amazement.

Despite her immense power, this dragon turtle’s mental age was far younger than expected.

It became apparent that she had spent her long life mostly sleeping, which perhaps explained why, even after five thousand years, she was still a young hatchling.

When Sein asked if he could borrow her ribbons for closer examination, Tourmaline handed them over without the slightest hesitation.

As Sein took hold of the ribbons, he was unprepared for their unexpected weight.

Despite his body tempering experiments, the heavy ribbons pulled him forward, causing him to stumble.

The floor of the magic tower cracked under the impact, leaving a deep hole where Sein had landed.

***

The mass and weight of the two verdant green ribbons, which appeared as light as feathers, far exceeded Sein’s expectations.

After destroying two of his metal experimental tables, Sein finally managed to gather some information about them.

All in all, Sein found himself extremely dissatisfied with this observation experiment!

Despite the damage to his tables and multiple observation instruments, all he had gleaned was a basic understanding—the weight of these two ribbons was around thirty tons, with a density and quality surpassing that of adamantine.

Strangely, in Tourmaline’s hands, the ribbons displayed remarkable flexibility, rivaling that of Mithril.

Apart from these two findings, Sein was unable to progress in his research.

He could not discern any magic arrays etched on the ribbons nor identify the unique powers they might hold.

However, he learned from Tourmaline that when she reverted to her original dragon turtle form, the ribbons would also transform, growing in size.

Their mass and weight in this state would undoubtedly exceed the already incredible data Sein had recorded.

Additionally, Tourmaline also revealed to him that these ribbons provided immense enhancement to both hydro and spatial elements.

According to her uncle, the laws imbued in the ribbons were also perfectly aligned with her abilities.

Tourmaline followed the path of strength.

This meant that these seemingly feather-light ribbons, with their remarkable flexibility in her hands, were imbued with the extremely rare strength law.

It was astonishing, to say the least.

“With my current level of alchemy expertise, I can’t even begin to decipher the mysteries contained in equipment like this. I still have a long road ahead of me on the path of alchemy,” Sein lamented with a sigh.

1. Translator’s Note: I believe Tourmaline’s ribbons are floating shawls/flying ribbons. In Asian mythology and religion, Buddhist deities, celestial maidens, or any other form of graceful beings associated with Heaven are commonly portrayed with a thin shawl or stole fluttering around them, often circling their heads in a shape reminiscent of a Holy Halo. In this case, Tourmaline has two of them, but they aren’t floating! ☜