Sovereign of the Ashes

“What do you need me for this time?” Sein asked.

Mayne was a busy man, and so was Sein.

Under normal circumstances, neither of them would be idle enough to meet just to catch up. There had to be a reason for Mayne to come all this way.

Sure enough, Mayne replied, “There’s indeed something I need you for, but we can get to that later.”

“Did you just team up with others to conquer a foreign plane? Pyreling World, was it?” he continued asking.

Sein nodded.

Mayne smiled. “Thought so. Did you guys accidentally let a Rank Four creature slip away?”

Sein’s expression froze like he had just seen a ghost. Looking at Mayne’s amused smile, he asked, “Has it been...?”

Mayne chuckled and replied, “We caught it, with the help of a Rank Five from a small star domain that’s friendly with our Magus Civilization.”

As Mayne explained, the picture became clear to Sein.

Ivory Bone was truly unlucky. After barely escaping from Angreas, Sein, and the others, and tasting a brief moment of freedom in the Astral Realm, it was betrayed, bound, and shipped off to a star domain under the Magus Civilization’s control.

The Magus Civilization not only had countless allied planes, but it also maintained close ties with many friendly worlds and civilizations outside the Magus Alliance.

These planes and civilizations were all potential seeds for the alliance’s future growth, but because of vast distances and some other factors, they had not formally joined.

Even so, the Magus Civilization was already well known within a broad swath of the Astral Realm.

As the Magus Civilization grew, more and more planes and civilizations had heard of its formidable might.

Some had never even come into contact with Magus World, yet that did not stop them from feeling awe and fear toward this terrifying world.

The one who helped Sein and the others capture the Pyremperor was Noctus, a Rank Five being from the Bexar Star Domain.

His homeplane had once made brief contact with the Magus Civilization and knew all too well just how powerful it was.

When the severely wounded Ivory Bone drifted into the Bexar Star Domain and let slip that it was a group of ruthless Magus World beings who had put it in that state, Noctus sprang into action before the Pyremperor could even react.

Upon hearing of Ivory Bone’s fate, Sein could not help but feel sorry for it.

Still, the creature had been foolish. If it had not revealed that Magus World was hunting it, Noctus probably would not have bothered to capture it and hand it over to the Magus Civilization.

Angreas would probably be in a much better mood once he heard the news.

“Is that Rank Five being named Noctus currently in the Magus Civilization’s territory?” Sein asked.

“He is, and barring any surprises, he’ll have a major impact on our civilization in the near future,” Mayne replied.

“This brings me to the main reason I sought you out,” he continued.

Sein raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to go on.

“My grandfather hopes you can represent our Magus Civilization on a special mission. You may pass through the Bexar Star Domain on your way there,” Mayne began.

“I can’t share the details just yet. You’ll only learn them if you agree to take the job. There’s risk involved, but the rewards are high. The choice is yours. My grandfather is counting on you,” he added.

It was hardly fair to expect Sein to commit without even knowing what the mission was, but it spoke volumes about the level of secrecy involved.

And there was something else in Mayne’s words.

If Mayne’s grandfather really wanted Sein to do this, he could simply issue the order. Why give him the choice?

This was a sign that someone high up in the Magus Civilization had taken a personal interest in him, and that this person’s status was no less than Klopp’s.

Mayne’s final words made it clear he hoped Sein would take on this mission, and perhaps that was exactly what the mysterious figure had wanted as well.

Only through hardship could someone grow quickly.

While it was possible to pursue truth in a laboratory, it was all too easy to hit a wall.

Besides, Sein was still young. Spending years locked away in a laboratory would be a waste of his youth. He should be out in the dazzling, bustling Astral Realm.

Apart from Faeloria, a place unknown to outsiders for now, he had never truly ventured beyond the star domains under the Magus Civilization’s control.

Even within its territory, he had visited only a handful of places. Among the many large-sized planes of the alliance, Beastmen World was the only one he had been to.

“How high would the reward be? If I asked for a Golden Apple, would the alliance actually give it to me?” Sein asked half-jokingly after a moment’s thought.

Mayne nodded seriously. “If you complete the mission successfully, a Golden Apple might be possible.”

That answer instantly made Sein’s scalp tingle.

The risk involved must be extreme, maybe even on par with what he had faced years ago in Faeloria. Otherwise, the Magus Alliance would never offer such generous terms.

Seeing that Mayne was still waiting for his answer, Sein asked wearily, “Do I have to decide right now? I want some time to think it over.”

Mayne took out a crystal wheel, checked it, then shook his head. “No rush, but you should decide within twenty years. If you don’t want the mission, we’ll have to find someone else.”

Sein nodded, then bid Mayne farewell and left the starport for Magus World.

Mayne called after him. “I’ll have someone deliver that Rank Four creature, Ivory Bone, to you later.”

Sein waved without looking back, then transformed into a streak of light and vanished.

***

Back at the Divine Tower of Ashes, Sein received a transmission from his mentor while he was sorting through the spoils from Pyreling World.

“Oh, just wrapped up another interplanar war? Looks like the haul was pretty good this time?”

On the light screen, Lorianne, dressed in a blue magic robe, continued working on her experiment as she teased her apprentice.

“It wasn’t bad. This one was initiated by Grimm, and with so many Rank Four knights and mages involved, I couldn’t bring you along,” Sein explained.

“But I did bring you a gift from Pyreling World,” he added.