Sovereign of the Ashes

The upcoming meeting would be the “25th Magus Alliance Conference”.

Throughout the development of the Magus Civilization, the Magus Alliance had already gone through twenty-four such conferences.

Each one marked a major milestone in the civilization’s growth and served as an important marker in its history.

For the entire Magus Alliance—with its tens of thousands of planes, countless races, and small civilizations—their fates and future could hinge on a single, seemingly minor clause decided at these meetings.

Because of that, every conference drew massive attention.

No matter what speeches were given, they were bound to capture the interest of many.

From overlord-level beings all the way down to the lowest-ranking creatures in attendance, everyone present would attract attention.

This was a distinction and opportunity that was hard to put into words.

In fact, even Rank Four members were not granted speaking rights at the conference. Most participants were only given the right to vote, not to speak.

There were simply too many members in the Magus Alliance to allow everyone a turn to speak.

Usually, only selected representatives were allowed to speak on behalf of the wider body.

Given the position and influence of the knight overlord standing before Sein, it would not be difficult for him to secure someone a speaking right.

“The Magus Alliance Conference? As far as I know, only Rank Four or higher are qualified to speak there...” Sein said hesitantly.

The middle-aged knight chuckled before replying, “That’s because you still know too little. The Magus Alliance Conference also invites some highly promising demigods. With your abilities and everything you’ve accomplished, you’ll have no trouble qualifying.”

“Besides, plenty of microplane representatives show up at every conference, and many of them aren’t Rank Four beings either,” he added.

Sein nodded thoughtfully.

It was true that he did not know much about the Magus Alliance. Even Master Lorianne had never attended the conference, as she was considered too young.

By tradition, the Magus Alliance Conference was typically held once every ten thousand years, though the schedule was flexible and could be moved forward or delayed.

With war against the Gallant Federation looming, the upcoming conference had been called ahead of time.

“Why do you want me to speak as a representative? Surely there are plenty of promising demigod-level knights in the Western Archipelago, right?” Sein asked, puzzled.

“Because of your neutrality,” the middle-aged knight replied. “If I were to send a demigod-level knight or mage from the Western Archipelago, everyone would instantly guess I was behind the proposal.”

“I once had a friend who dedicated his life to the demihuman cause—he fought for them until the day he died. My support for the half-beastmen now is actually my attempt to finish as much of his work as I can.”

He chuckled, adding with a teasing smile, “And judging by the fact that you have a black mage girlfriend, you don’t seem like the stubborn, old-fashioned type.”

Sein nodded. “I’ve lived in the underground world before and know the demihumans fairly well. I’ll do my best to put forward the motion you’re asking for.”

Speaking at the Magus Alliance Conference was a rare opportunity to stand out, but it also made it easy for others to slap a label on him.

But Sein, still a demigod and from the Viridescent Lands, was the perfect candidate.

Even mages skilled in prophecy and divination would have a hard time figuring out that he was the mouthpiece of the knight overlord standing before him.

As for supporting the demihumans within the Magus Alliance, Sein honestly did not feel much pressure for the time being.

Maybe it was because he had not yet reached a high enough level to understand just how much resistance there might be.

Reforms never happened overnight.

Even if Sein proposed the motion, the odds of it passing were probably less than ten percent.

But just making the proposal was already opening the door to possibility.

And sometimes, the saddest thing was never getting the chance to speak up.

Noticing how approachable the knight overlord seemed, Sein could not help but voice a thought that had been weighing on him for a long time.

“If I may ask... besides the demihuman proposal, would I be allowed to put forward any other motions at the conference?”

The middle-aged knight raised a brow, intrigued. “Oh? What else do you have in mind?”

Sein glanced at Leena, who stood quietly at his side. “I’d like to propose something for the black mages—to grant them fair rights in the alliance and put an end to the prejudice and bias they’ve endured for so long.”

“Actually, I don’t believe all black mages are bad by nature,” he added.

Sein had once hoped White Stella might help clear Leena’s name, but even she could not do anything about it.

In the end, he had no one to rely on but himself.

If this motion could be raised at the Magus Alliance Conference, it was sure to draw a lot of attention.

The middle-aged knight could not help but laugh when he heard Sein’s words.

Even the Mayne, standing behind his grandfather, chuckled out loud.

Changing the situation for black mages was no small feat—the resistance it would stir up was probably even greater than the pushback they expected from the demihuman proposal.

It was worth noting, though, that Rank Four and above black mages in Magus World technically had the right to attend the Magus Alliance Conference.

But unlike other attendees, these black mages were only allowed to observe. They were denied both voting and speaking rights.

The fact that they were not even allowed to vote said plenty about how deep the prejudice against them ran in Magus World.

The middle-aged knight’s smile gradually faded. After a thoughtful pause, he nodded and said, “I’ll allow you to present these two motions at the Magus Alliance Conference.”

“But I should warn you—if you bring up both of these motions, a lot of people will label you as ‘naive’ and ‘idealistic’.”

“That’s fine. For mages, what matters most is innovation and a pioneering spirit. Honestly, I’d take those labels as compliments,” Sein replied with a smile.

“Not bad for a young man with some fire in him. Not bad at all,” the knight said with a nod of approval.

Where there was resistance, there was always some support.

For the demihuman reform motion, this knight overlord was clearly a supporter.

As for the black mage reform motion... Sein was not doing it to earn the gratitude of Blackhaven’s mages. He was doing it for himself.

If his luck had been even a little worse, Sein could have ended up a black mage himself.