Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein’s return to Magus World went smoothly.

Unlike the Gallant Federation, where countless security checks and identity verifications would have been required even at their borders, the Magus Civilization did not need such measures.

Sein’s status as a Rank Four mage was already the clearest proof of his identity.

The will of Magus World effortlessly confirmed his status.

In truth, nearly every being born within Magus World who reached Rank Four or higher was given special attention by the planar will.

To Magus World, these outstanding individuals were her brightest and most gifted children.

This connection was something a cold technological civilization could never experience.

Upon returning to his homeplane, Sein felt an almost overwhelming sense of relief.

***

After passing through the planar barrier, Sein made his way straight to the Divine Tower of Ashes.

Though he had not been gone long, the vast distance he had traveled and the dangers he had faced along the way made this return feel different.

The Divine Tower of Ashes had changed little since his departure.

That was because its course for growth had already been set before he left.

After several interplanar wars, the number and strength of the tower’s registered mages had far surpassed what they had been in the early days before the Magus Alliance Conference.

By the time Sein returned, another Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War was about to begin.

The war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation had a far-reaching influence.

Not only were all allied planes affected, but even Magus World itself had begun to change.

Sein soon learned that the regional academy war, held once every fifty years, had now been shortened to every twenty years under the combined pressure of the divine towers and knightly orders.

This, in turn, shortened the intervals for recruiting new initiates. The goal was to cultivate mages at a faster pace.

By Magus World’s laws, initiates below Rank One were protected and kept away from interplanar wars.

Only full-fledged mages associated with divine towers could be conscripted into the Magus Civilization’s armies, and the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War served as their training.

Knights, too, faced new selection methods.

Over the past century, wars had broken out far more frequently among the nations of Magus World.

These conflicts were actually part of the “Nation War Plan”, designed to hone the skills of ranked knights.

In truth, nearly all governance of Magus World lay in the hands of divine towers and knightly orders.

As for the common folk, many had never even heard of divine towers or knightly orders. To them, life was simply ruled by royals and nobles.

Their ignorance only showed how far removed they were from the true nature of this world.

When Sein returned to the Divine Tower of Ashes, he did not rush back to his laboratory. Instead, he summoned Marie to meet him at the top of the tower.

With the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War fast approaching, Marie had been busier than ever.

Sein had told no one of his departure from Magus World, not even his family. All he had said was that he would be away for a short while.

Still, Marie, being close to him, had sensed there was something important behind his absence.

After all, something huge had happened to Sein’s family during that time, and he had not been there.

Now, in his office at the top of the tower, Sein leaned back in his chair, calmly listening as Marie reported on the tower’s affairs.

At present, Sein relied on two managers.

The first was the obvious one. Marie handled the divine tower’s accounts and academy, overseeing everything from finances to expansion. Her role was indispensable.

The other was Aurelia, the Goddess of Wealth, who worked for Sein in secret.

Aurelia took charge of Sein’s more questionable ventures. She also handled the vast private fortune he had amassed over the years.

His outstanding loans to the Magus Alliance for the divine tower and other debts remained unpaid to this day. On Aurelia’s advice, Sein had invested his wealth instead of rushing to settle his debts.

Marie’s report was exceptionally thorough, but throughout her presentation, she kept glancing at Sein.

Eventually, her constant glances made Sein curious enough to ask, “Is something wrong?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Marie’s face. She paused in her report and asked, “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?” Sein frowned.

Seeing how puzzled he looked, Marie continued, “Not long ago, the Order of the Steel Fist was sent by the alliance to garrison near the Philan Demiplane. Soon after, the Netherworld Star Domain and Eye Demon World’s betrayal shook the alliance to its core.”

“The Order of the Steel Fist suffered devastating losses. Many from House Ernst were killed, including your father-in-law, Wilson. Later, when your wife, Natalya, heard the news, she joined the fighting around Philan. But she was badly wounded in the end and now lies in a coma, barely clinging to life...”

Her voice trailed off to a whisper.

“What?!” Sein shot to his feet, his composure shattered.

Truthfully, he was not in perfect shape himself. After the battle on Black Tide Plane, he had fought again on Nocchi before rushing to Drifting Cloud World to meet with Klopp.

He had not had a moment to rest or heal.

Even so, his injuries were minor, nothing worth worrying about.

Sein had no shortage of women in his life—that much was undeniable. His latest mission to the Gallant Federation had even brought him two Huusian princesses.

Yet Natalya was his only legal wife.

To many, their marriage had seemed nothing more than a political match between House Grantt and House Ernst, forged in his early, vulnerable years.

His affection for Natalya had never been particularly deep. It was certainly not as strong as what he felt for Leena.

Still, years of shared life left their mark. Even stone could be worn smooth by a constant stream of water.

Natalya might be brash, but she was not a bad person.

Back when they first met, her good intentions often turned into clumsy mistakes. But she had always been devoted to Sein.

The last time they were together before he left Magus World, she had spent a passionate night with him, together with her closest friend, Reina.

And now, Sein was met with the crushing news that she was dying when he had only just returned to the Divine Tower of Ashes.

Something else unsettled him. He noticed that Tourmaline was not at Crescent Bay.

“Where is she now?” Sein asked. This was no time to dwell on what he had missed at the tower over the years.

“Natalya was taken straight to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring after she was brought back to Magus World. Your mentor is personally overseeing her treatment.”

Marie’s voice sharpened as she added, “Where have you been all this time? I tried reaching you through the crystal ball mark you left, but there was no response.”

Sein shook his head, offering no explanation. After a brief word to Marie, he said, “I’m going to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring!”