Sovereign of the Ashes

After leaving Dark Flame’s office, Sein paid one final visit to the Divine Tower Academy to bid farewell to his colleagues and the juniors who had come to see him off.

The real reason behind Sein’s departure was not solely his desire to continue exploring the Magus World. A bigger reason was the constant urging of the Spider Queen.

Had it not been for her, Sein might have been swayed by Dark Flame’s generous offer to remain as dean of the Divine Tower of Dark Flame for another century.

When Archimedes departed the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, two-thirds of the mages from the divine tower had gathered to bid the old dean farewell.

In contrast, only a small number came to see Sein off.

This disparity stemmed partly from Sein’s temperament, which was vastly different from that of Archimedes.

Moreover, many of the academy rules Sein had implemented in recent decades, under the Spider Queen’s influence, were not particularly favorable to full-fledged mages.

Consequently, Sein’s reputation at the academy was far poorer compared to that of his co-dean, Keith.

While many mages and initiates resented the stringent reforms Sein had introduced, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s exceptional performance in recent years had compelled nearby divine towers to adopt some of the same rules.

Initially, Sein’s notoriety was confined to sparring matches with other Rank Three mages, during which he had injured numerous members of neighboring divine towers.

Now, however, his infamy had spread throughout the entire region surrounding the Divine Tower of Dark Flame.

Even those who had never met him had heard of Sein and knew his name.

Sein’s decision to leave the Divine Tower of Dark Flame and the Ylli Knight Alliance came at a perfect time.

Had he stayed, his growing notoriety might have overshadowed his accomplishments.

Recently, many initiates and low-ranking mages had begun referring to him as the “Dark Dean”, a nickname that ironically complemented the Tower Master of Dark Flame.

As time went on, this nickname began spreading to other divine towers.

Among those who came to see Sein off were a few familiar deans, vice deans, cohort leaders, and commoner mages.

These Rank One mages, once commoner initiates, had thrived over the past century largely due to the academy rules Sein had implemented.

Among them, Sein spotted Finn, as well as his daughter, Gloria, who had also advanced to become a Rank One Hydromancer.

“Grandpa Dean, are you really leaving? Won’t you take me with you?” Gloria asked, tugging at the sleeve of Sein’s magic robe.

Unmarried and inexperienced in love, Gloria’s circumstances seemed to be shaped by her family’s history.

Her mother had never managed to become a full-fledged mage. After multiple failed attempts to ascend to Rank One, her soul flame had become irreparably weak. She passed away not long after Gloria returned from the academy war.

If not for her struggles to advance, Gloria’s mother might have lived well over a hundred years.

In her younger days, she had tried to arrange matches between Gloria and several promising noble youths, but Gloria had ruthlessly rejected them all.

With a grandfather figure like Sein—handsome, accomplished, and seemingly perfect—Gloria had grown up with standards that no one could meet.

Her proud and lofty heart found no suitor worthy of her.

After her mother’s death, Finn never spoke of finding Gloria a husband again.

He firmly believed Gloria had the potential to reach Rank One, a level of power that promised a lifespan nearing a thousand years.

Marrying an ordinary person would only doom her to the inevitable heartbreak of outliving her partner.

Having endured the lonely years after his own wife’s passing, Finn was reluctant to subject Gloria to the same fate.

If he were ever to support her marriage, it would only be to another full-fledged mage.

In this moment, as Gloria made her irrational demands to accompany Sein, Finn chose to remain silent.

While Finn could tolerate his daughter’s outburst, Sein knew he could not risk taking her along.

The situation with the Spider Queen was complicated enough that Sein had already sent Reina and Natalya, the two female knights, away for their safety.

Sein had decided to keep his party small, bringing only Yuri and perhaps Azelia to assist with domestic matters.

Sein’s firm refusal and stern expression immediately brought tears streaming down Gloria’s cheeks, wetting her long eyelashes.

Sein could not help but wonder if all Hydromancers could cry this much.

This was probably the first time Sein had made Gloria cry. In the past, no matter how unreasonable her demands were, he had always indulged her antics to some degree.

“You’re all mages who rose from common origins. With your current strength, you’re more than capable of starting noble families of your own,” Sein said, ignoring Gloria’s quiet sobbing beside him.

“The extended contract terms with the Divine Tower of Dark Flame may be longer than those of other divine towers, but they align with the principle of equivalent exchange that we mages uphold. I trust that in the future, all of you will advance to higher realms and uncover many more of the mysteries of truth.”

The academy mages who had reached Rank One during Sein’s tenure respectfully bowed and replied in unison, “Yes, Dean.”

Having just stepped into the ranks of Elementalists, these mages were still inexperienced in combat and untested in interplanar wars.

For them, Sein’s strength and status made him a figure of reverence, and his words were nothing short of absolute truth.

By now, Gloria had stopped crying.

Still clinging tightly to Sein’s robe, she declared resolutely, “I know Grandpa Dean came from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. When my father and I have fulfilled our contract with the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, we’ll join the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring and find you!”

Her bold declaration drew a long sigh from Sein.

Without further response, he nodded to the mages gathered around him, then turned and walked away.

***

Sein’s departure from the Divine Tower of Dark Flame was pretty low-key.

Although Natalya and Reina were initially reluctant to part with him, they eventually accepted his arrangements after Sein’s firm reasoning.

After all, the path of a mage’s advancement was fundamentally different from that of knights.

Traveling with Sein would not benefit them as much as they had imagined.

In fact, traveling together could potentially hinder their progress and even create unnecessary conflicts.

After bidding Sein farewell, the two women decided to head west to train in the Magus Continent.

Sein, on the other hand, would be heading northward to visit several popular destinations for mages, including the Magic Empire, Sky City, Stargazing Heights, Northern Witches Council, and the Dragon Warlock Clan’s territory.

These magic hubs naturally held little appeal for Natalya and Reina.

As a Rank Two knight and a Rank Three Sky Knight respectively, they were free to traverse the vast Magus World as long as they avoided Blackhaven.

The Byrne Empire and the Desert Kingdom of Jehannah—both renowned as havens for knights—were ideal destinations for their training.

Even the Marmett Union Alliance, which Sein had previously visited and where a knight overlord had risen to power, would provide a meaningful opportunity for them to train and grow.

Ultimately, the two women decided their final destination would be the Western Archipelago.

This aligned well with Sein’s plans, as the Dragon Warlock Clan’s territory on the West Coast was just across the sea from the Western Archipelago.

Hence, they agreed to meet there after completing their respective journeys.