Sovereign of the Ashes

Robots were one of the Gallant Federation’s greatest creations.

As a technological civilization, the federation was still dominated by humans—or humanoid beings—but their naturally weak constitution was something they could never fully overcome.

To compensate, they relied not just on massive warships and interstellar forts, but also on super soldiers—genetically enhanced soldiers—equipped with exoskeleton armor to boost frontline strength.

Beyond these, the Gallant Federation’s most terrifying force in interstellar warfare had always been its robot army.

Their endless waves of metal robots had spread fear across every neighboring civilization.

Even though the federation controlled far fewer star domains than the Magus Alliance, its absurd efficiency in resource utilization made it a threat Magus World could not afford to ignore.

Given enough raw materials, the federation could mass‑produce troops without limit.

And unlike living soldiers, these robots feared neither death nor pain. They also followed and executed commands with ruthless precision.

In some ways, they were even more efficient than the soul‑enslaved creatures deployed by the Magus Civilization.

Of course, the robots had their limitations.

Most of the federation’s units were low‑grade models, and the Magus Civilization had easily developed effective countermeasures.

The mechanics of Steel City had recently developed a high‑frequency particle oscillator.

Based on research and field tests conducted on captured robots from the Gallant Federation, the device could instantly shut down all machines within a radius of several thousand meters once deployed on the battlefield.

At maximum output, it could even disrupt the federation’s warships and forts.

The device appeared to combine sonido elemental knowledge with occult arts.

Robots were among the Federation’s greatest assets, but much like Magus World’s soul‑enslaved troops, they were perceived as cannon fodder—incapable of rebellion.

So when Clair, the Rank Seven soul overmage, reported that the Titanfangs of Nexon had turned against the federation, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

Many Magus World powerhouses suspected that this could be a trap.

After all, Magus World was setting a similar trap of its own.

“The robots are fighting for independence? Are they really able to override the three core directives the Gallant Federation hard-coded into their systems?” a knight overlord asked with an amused smile.

Not all knights were brutes. This particular overlord was well-educated, and with his years of battlefield experience and political exposure, he was far more knowledgeable than most.

Clair returned the smile. “Of course not. That’s exactly why the Titanfangs reached out to us, the Magus Civilization.”

He continued, “The truth is, only a small number of robots on Nexon and its surrounding planets have gained self-awareness. And even among them, not all want to rebel. Besides the Titanfangs and a few other groups, there’s another faction led by Skyhold—a robot with a significant reputation. That faction is hoping to open negotiations with the Federation’s leadership, pushing for equal rights and recognition for their kind.”

For Clair to present such a clear report during the Prelim Council made it obvious he had spent significant time preparing.

In his view, supporting the Titanfangs and other self-aware robots was a worthwhile endeavor at a manageable cost.

Trying to take over the entire robot army of the Gallant Federation was unrealistic, but manipulating a small faction to spark unrest and cause disruptions was entirely possible and well within reach.

Nexon was anything but weak. The planet’s overall strength was on par with a well-developed medium-sized world. The value of the federation’s tech labs and heavy-industry complexes scattered across the region was beyond measurable.

Clair’s proposal was quickly reviewed and approved by the others.

For a civilization as massive as Magus World, offering help to the Titanfangs was just a minor investment.

“By the way, we’ll need to pick the right person to act as our representative to represent us on Nexon and open talks. If the candidate’s too weak, we’ll come off as insincere. If they’re too strong, we risk alerting the Gallant Federation before we’re ready,” Clair said.

“The 25th Magus Alliance Conference is coming up, and I’ve heard some promising young talents will be attending. Anyone care to make a recommendation?” he asked.

Although Operation Nexon had been spearheaded by the Alveroth Empire, the Magus Civilization was more than willing to cooperate with other top powers within Magus World when it came to major inter-civilizational conflicts.

Pooling resources reduced risk and left more room for error.

Many of the powerhouses present had promising young talents they could nominate, but no one was in a hurry to speak first.

“I do have a candidate,” someone finally said. The voice came from Klopp, who had kept a low profile for most of the session. “But that boy is still too weak right now. I think it would be best to send someone at Rank Four.”

This was his first time attending a Prelim Council reserved for overlords and overmages. Even so, most in the room knew him and treated him with extra respect.

Clair raised an eyebrow. “Is he a demigod-level candidate?”

“For an infiltration and negotiation mission like this, I agree. A Rank Four mage or knight would be more appropriate. But there’s no rush. We can wait until the Magus Alliance Conference is over before making a move,” he said with a smile.

“The ones who are really desperate here are those self-aware tin cans begging for freedom. Honestly, letting them wait a bit might not be a bad idea. That’ll teach them their place”

He laughed. “Those who wish to peacefully negotiate with the Gallant Federation for equal rights and better treatment are cute, honestly. Since when do slaves get to bargain with their masters?”

The knight who spoke earlier scratched his head and spoke up again. “I still don’t get it. How did those robots even become self-aware? Aren’t those metal things supposed to be fully controlled, like the undead chimera beasts we create?”

Clair shrugged. “Who knows? Even our alchemy puppets and chimera beasts have turned on their masters from time to time.”

Then his expression grew more serious as he continued, “But according to our intel, the awakening of self-awareness in some of Nexon’s robots may be linked to a research project in one of their labs.”

That got a few murmurs from the knights and mages seated around the room.

At the center of the council chamber, Bev, a peak Rank Seven mage, sat in silence. Her gaze was locked on the far horizon, toward the Western Archipelago.

The moment Sein left the Knight Continent, Bev had sensed the Faceless Mask.

A mid-tier world-class secret treasure might not mean much to someone at her level... but this particular treasure was special to her.

It had been crafted by one of her elders.

“...Has Uncle’s successor finally appeared?” Bev whispered to herself.