Sovereign of the Ashes

The federation envoy also brought up several war proposals put forward by Magus World’s high-ranking officials during the Magus Alliance Conference, and explained the countermeasures the Gallant Federation had prepared in response.

Although the Magus Civilization had gone to great lengths to keep the conference secret, even purging a number of disloyal creatures on the spot, there was no such thing as an impenetrable fortress.

Within two centuries after the conference’s conclusion, the Gallant Federation had acquired everything of value to them, though it came at a cost.

Conferences like this, open to so many and filled with such a mix of attendees, were never fully secure.

Absolute secrecy was nearly impossible to achieve.

Not only the Magus Civilization, but even the federation’s own presidential meetings and congressional resolutions could be intercepted by Magus World’s upper echelons with little effort.

The Gallant Federation envoys left the dimly lit hall looking satisfied.

Before departing, they handed Naeverynk an encrypted remote communicator no bigger than his fingernail and agreed on a rough timeline for coordinated military action.

Instead of leaving the Netherworld Star Domain right away, they chose to remain in hiding, serving as an important link between Commander Blood River and the federation’s leadership.

After the envoys withdrew, a Rank Six Viperoach crept out of the shadows. It was a grotesque Netherworld creature that resembled a cockroach and a viper.

“My lord, are we really going to side with the Gallant Federation?” it asked.

Commander Blood River toyed with the tiny communicator and gave a half-hearted hum in response.

The Rank Six creature’s dozen compound eyes gleamed as it chirped excitedly, “Great! I have always despised those Magus Civilization creatures, especially the elves! Why does Elven World always get more resources from the Magus Alliance than we do? And those brutes from Titan World too, they always act so high and mighty!”

It rubbed its claws together, seething with bitter resentment toward the Magus Civilization and the Magus Alliance.

Commander Blood River gave the grumbling creature nothing more than a silent glance.

***

The Bext Nebula was a breathtaking milky-white starry vortex.

The Huusian fleet sailed through it at a speed far beyond what Sein’s little spacecraft could ever manage.

Though it had long since been repaired, Sein had not yet left the planetary fortress as he had chosen to ride along with the Huusian fleet.

The Bext Nebula marked the edge of the Gallant Federation’s reach. Crossing it meant entering the federation’s sphere of influence.

Of course, Sein had not reached the federation’s home star domain yet. Instead, he had arrived at the territory of the Zeak Empire, a large civilization under the federation’s control.

The powerful pull of the starry vortex slowed the Huusian fleet considerably.

By the time they emerged from the nebula, a Zeak Empire fleet was already waiting to greet them.

This was Sein’s first encounter with a combat unit serving directly under the Gallant Federation, and he could not help but study them closely.

He had seen federation-made equipment before, back during the Wild Gorilla World War, but that had not been the federation itself on the battlefield.

The Zeak Empire was a mighty civilization with its own unique path of cultivation and evolution.

For a world of that caliber to bow to a technological giant like the Gallant Federation was a rare sight indeed.

The Zeaks were strange bird-headed humanoids with sharp noses. Feathers sprouted not only along their arms but across their hindquarters as well.

Ordinary Zeaks could not fly on their own and relied instead on massive avian mounts—colorful-winged birds with wingspans of over ten meters.

The welcoming force numbered fewer than thirty thousand. But each soldier was an elite, with a life level no lower than Rank One—mounts included.

In truth, this was an army of nearly sixty thousand Rank One or higher elite fighters, known as the Rainbow Plumes.

A single force like this could cripple several Huusian fleets.

The true depth of a large world civilization was on full display.

Seeing the massive avian mounts of the Zeak Empire warriors reminded Sein of the Dragon Knights, Griffin Legion, Wyvern Legion, and the Khimaira Legion he had recently come across back in Magus World.

Those famed Magus World legions were undoubtedly stronger than the Zeak Empire’s Rainbow Plumes.

Even some of the sub-dragon legions in Magus World might be considered on par, or perhaps even stronger.

Then again, comparing a top-tier civilization like Magus World to the Zeak Empire was hardly fair.

From a practical standpoint, Sein had to admit that the Rainbow Plumes was impressive in its own right.

This particular Zeak legion was stationed here specifically to escort the Huusian fleet across the border.

Although the Zeak Empire was a vassal state under the Gallant Federation, this large world civilization had many other smaller and medium-sized worlds under its control.

The Rainbow Plumes were tasked with escorting the Huusian to a recuperation zone designated by the empire, to avoid causing misunderstandings with other nearby worlds.

Even though passing through the Bext Nebula technically brought them into the Zeak Empire’s territory, this particular stretch of space actually fell under the jurisdiction of a nearby medium-sized world named the Velthorn Plane.

Along with it, there were two other low-level worlds scattered in the surrounding region.

The Huusian fleet would still need to replenish supplies at one of those lesser worlds.

“The Zeak Empire’s social order follows an ancient imperial system, and their chosen path is one of self-cultivation and evolution. But as a vassal of the Gallant Federation, even such a powerful world is heavily influenced by them,” Sein observed quietly as he looked out at the star-filled expanse beyond the window.

The Rainbow Plumes eventually boarded over a dozen interstellar battleships with their massive birds and stood ready on standby.

Through the Faceless Mask, Sein also noticed that many Rank One and Rank Two Zeak warriors were outfitted with an array of technological devices.

This blend of advanced tech and body-tempering cultivation left Sein uncertain whether it was good or bad.

After all, in Magus World, even with the rise of mechanics—a discipline leaning toward technology—elemental and magic studies still dominated the education system.

Many traditional mages looked down on technology altogether.

Even Sein, as an alchemist, was not particularly impressed by the achievements of technological civilizations.

Still, having spent years assisting Yuri in refining her mecha, he did not share the same dismissive views held by most mages.

In the end, all paths led to the same place.

After advancing to Rank Four, Sein no longer cared much about the superficial form of things. His pursuit had shifted to the deeper truths—the laws themselves.

In essence, both technological and magical civilizations drew from the same foundation: the laws that governed reality.

As long as they existed within the same Astral Realm, they were bound by the same laws.

The Gallant Federation had reached its current heights by building upon its own body of knowledge and theory, shaping them into the civilization it was today.

Perhaps the ultimate truth of science was theology.

And the ultimate truth of theology, in turn, was science.