Sovereign of the Ashes

The Spider Queen’s experiments had proven highly fruitful.

After extensive research, she successfully determined that the world connected to this stone slab was, at the very least, a large-sized plane.

The slab itself likely originated from that world.

As for how it had ended up in the Magus World, the Spider Queen concluded it was the work of fate.

Imbued with the power of fate, the slab’s appearance in the Magus World was undoubtedly linked to the most bizarre and inscrutable workings of this force.

Sein, however, had grown increasingly uneasy at the mere mention of words like “fate” or “divination” due to the prophecy delivered centuries ago by a Rank Two astrologer named Marylou.

Though curious about the slab, Sein had no intention of meddling with it.

Astrologers in the Magus World were mostly short-lived, so he would rather leave this treasure in the hands of the Spider Queen.

After all, with her flowing silver hair cascading over her shoulders, it seemed that aging was hardly a concern for her.

According to the Spider Queen, the stone slab in their possession was only a quarter of the original.

The other three-quarters likely remained in the large world it was connected to.

Yet, even this single fragment held a power of laws comparable to that of a medium-tier world-class secret treasure.

If the entire stone tablet were complete, how unimaginable would its power be?

Sein’s current understanding of the Magus World and its treasures was too limited to grasp the true value of such a world-class secret treasure—especially one imbued with the power of fate and space-time.

This was a treasure so rare that even overlords would go to war for it.

It was no wonder the Spider Queen exercised such caution, even allowing Sein to remain at the Divine Tower of Dark Flame for two hundred years and showing no hesitation in sacrificing her believers when necessary.

“Since this slab is connected to a large-sized plane, how do you plan to gather the remaining three-quarters of it?” Sein asked curiously.

Even with his limited knowledge, Sein understood that a large world was almost always ruled by an overlord of immense power.

Considering the tablet’s extraordinary value, it was almost certain the other three-quarters were likely in the hands of that overlord.

A treasure of this caliber was far beyond what a single god or divine tower master could reach.

If a large world was indeed involved in its conquest, assembling a significant portion of the Magus World’s collective power would be necessary.

Even then, it might not suffice for a single top-tier faction to wage war over it.

The Neisse Star Domain War, after all, had required the combined might of three of Magus World’s most powerful forces.

If this stone slab was indeed connected to a large plane, things would be even more intense.

Sein considered the Spider Queen’s presence in Blackhaven, suspecting she had ties to the black mages.

“Could she be planning to rally Blackhaven’s forces for an invasion of that large world?”

This thought gnawed at Sein’s mind.

“Hmph, this is beyond your understanding. The laws of that world are peculiar. While its foundational laws are as robust as any large plane, the world itself seems to possess an additional set of highly xenophobic laws. The composition of that world’s laws is far more distinct than those of several other large worlds I’ve visited. I won’t act rashly until I’ve fully understood the nature of that plane,” the Spider Queen said.

Her gaze shifted to Sein, and a mischievous glint flickered in her eyes.

“Perhaps I should send you over there first... You’d make an excellent scout,” she said.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea... I have responsibilities as a dean at the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, and my mentor occasionally checks in on me. If I were to vanish suddenly, someone would definitely notice,” Sein replied immediately.

The Spider Queen nodded, seemingly acknowledging his point, yet the smirk tugging at her lips remained on her face.

***

Due to the Spider Queen’s invasive presence in his life, Sein found his time at the Divine Tower of Dark Flame becoming increasingly awkward and difficult.

A prime example of this was his “de-stress sessions” with Natalya.

As Sein’s legal wife, it was perfectly normal for them to spend time together whenever his schedule allowed.

In the beginning, Sein went out of his way to avoid her and turned down her advances.

Eventually, Natalya’s patience wore thin, and one evening, she decided to take matters into her own hands, pinning him down on the bed.

Sein discreetly glanced at his finger—the silver spider ring was still tightly wrapped around it.

As Natalya grew more insistent, Sein had no choice but to ask the Spider Queen for a moment of privacy via mental focus.

However, the silver spider ring did not even respond.

Oblivious to the invisible ring’s existence, Natalya’s temper flared at Sein’s distracted demeanor. Frustrated, she stripped him down without hesitation.

What followed was an extremely awkward session between the husband and wife.

Since Sein had been holding back for quite some time, his endurance was impressive.

By the end of their session, Natalya remained entirely unaware that anything was amiss.

Later, while Sein was assisting the Spider Queen with an experiment in the laboratory, she remarked with a teasing smile, “I didn’t expect a mage like you to have such... impressive endurance.”

“Mages who practice body tempering are a rarity in the Magus World,” she added.

Her words caused Sein—normally composed and collected in front of his academy peers—to turn beet red.

“Since you claim to have a Rank Four mentor, practice body tempering, and wield Ashen Flame with that distinct green tint, I believe I’ve figured out which faction you belong to,” the Spider Queen said.

“You know my grandmaster?” Sein ventured cautiously.

By now, he was well aware that the Spider Queen could read some of his surface thoughts.

Fortunately, she seemed unable to access his memories or deeper thoughts.

Even so, it was unsettling enough. Sein often felt as though he could not keep any secrets from her.

The discomfort was only magnified by the knowledge that she had essentially “witnessed” one of his intimate moments with Natalya.

Strangely, though, he no longer felt the same level of fear he once had toward the Spider Queen.

Sometimes, he even dared to crack a joke or two with her.

“I don’t know your grandmaster personally but I’ve seen her a few times,” the Spider Queen replied.

“Where did you see her?” Sein asked curiously.

“Could it be that Grandmaster Feylis has been to Blackhaven as well?” he wondered.

“During the Magus Alliance Conference.”

The Spider Queen’s response left Sein speechless.

If this being was powerful enough to attend the Magus Alliance Conference, why did she seem so indifferent to the lives of Magus World knights and mages?

What made Sein’s head ache even more was the absurdity of his predicament—running into someone of her caliber under such circumstances.

I shouldn’t have gone to Baras Underground City back then!

Sein could not help but slap his own forehead in regret and frustration.

***

After two centuries of service, Sein formally submitted his resignation to the Tower Master of Dark Flame.

Whether it was a twist of fate or a well-earned reward for his dedication, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame secured first place in the final regional academy war during his tenure.

Over the course of those two centuries, the academy participated in four academy wars.

Under Sein’s leadership, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame achieved second place twice, third place once, and first place once.

This impressive record stood as undeniable proof of Sein’s success as a dean!

Of course, these achievements were not solely Sein’s doing; Dean Keith also played a pivotal role in the academy’s accomplishments.

The Spider Queen, who had been by Sein’s side for about a century, also contributed significantly.

One of her most impactful influences was her insistence on implementing a rigorous and almost brutal academy model, inspired by Blackhaven’s black magic academy.

Though Sein modified and refined this system extensively to suit the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, the changes still pushed the initiates to their limits.

This harsh, high-pressure approach ultimately led the Divine Tower of Dark Flame to its historic victory over a decade ago.

During that academy war, the tower dominated the rankings, securing eleven of the top twenty spots.

With these stellar achievements, Sein concluded his two-hundred-year tenure as dean on an exceptional note.