Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein consulted his mentor on possible ways to help Natalya awaken.

Lorianne suggested that intense stimulation might rouse her.

This could mean physical or mental stimulation, but the intensity had to stay within a safe range.

Natalya’s soul was still too fragile. Any mistake could shatter the fragments that had been painstakingly gathered, hastening her demise.

Lorianne sighed. “Tourmaline recently sent me an Ice Spirit Stone. That large ice crystal is not from our Magus World. It comes from another civilization and is said to have soul-rejuvenating properties. I crafted it into a crystal coffin to help Natalya heal.”

The Golden Apple Potion Sein had received years ago was long gone. The one used on Natalya had clearly come from Lorianne’s own supply.

Though Lorianne offered suggestions to awaken Natalya, putting them into practice was far from simple.

She was no master of soul studies. She had already pushed herself to the limit just to preserve Natalya’s life. To stimulate the soul further and hasten her awakening was something Lorianne dared not attempt recklessly.

In the end, the decision fell to Sein.

After all, Natalya was his wife.

Not long after, Tourmaline appeared in Lorianne’s laboratory in her human form.

Sia and Scarlet had also come, but there was no sign of Reina.

Sia had it worst of all. She had lost both her husband and her daughter in the same instant.

More accurately, Wilson was her ex-husband.

After their separation, he had moved in with another woman, which eventually drove Sia to leave House Ernst in anger.

The only one who left with her then was a younger relative, Scarlet.

Wilson was truly dead this time, without leaving behind even a trace of his remains.

According to reports from the surviving knights of the Order of the Steel Fist, Wilson had been instantly vaporized at close range by a Rank Four Eye Demon.

The rebellion in the Grand Eye Demon World had erupted without warning.

Had it been a frontal assault, the legions deployed by the Magus Civilization around the Grand Eye Demon World would never have suffered such devastating losses.

When she saw Sein, Sia began to wipe away her tears.

This strong woman had not cried even when she left House Ernst years ago. Rumor had it she had even beaten up Wilson and his mistress, who was also a knight.

But now, with her daughter lying unconscious in a crystal coffin, Sia let her facade of strength slip at last. She was left with no one to lean on.

Scarlet did her best to console her. Sharing blood ties with Natalya, Scarlet bore a faint resemblance to her.

Had Scarlet not remained by her side all this time, and if Natalya did not still hold a sliver of hope for awakening, Sia likely would have broken down long ago.

This demigod-level knight was not as unshakable as outsiders imagined.

“Let’s go home. I’ll find a way to wake Natalya,” Sein said solemnly as he stepped forward to lift the crystal coffin.

Given the situation, keeping Natalya at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring served no further purpose.

Lorianne had already done everything within her power. Perhaps Sein could reach out to individuals truly versed in soul studies for help.

If Lorianne had known one, she would have already sought them out.

Grandmaster Feylis might have those connections, but with the Clash of Civilizations raging, the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame was undoubtedly stationed on the frontlines, being one of the top towers under the Pyro Secret Society.

From later exchanges with Lorianne, Sein learned that Grandmaster Feylis had indeed led her legions to the battlefield.

It was in the Void Star Domain, near the Sanoras Star Domain, within the Magus Civilization’s second front.

Their main adversary there was the Gallant Federation’s main force, which came from the Netherworld Star Domain.

Now, even Lorianne struggled to reach Feylis, let alone Sein.

The frontlines were far too chaotic, and the Gallant Federation had ways of blocking long-range communications from Magus World.

Most of the time, they could only wait for Feylis to initiate contact with Lorianne and the others.

As apprentices and grand apprentices, Lorianne, Sein, and the rest were advised not to disturb Feylis recklessly, lest they risk distracting her.

Within the Verdant Flame Faction, aside from Feylis, Gregory was also said to have recently led his Divine Tower of Whispering Flame legion into action.

However, Gregory had not gone to the frontlines. Instead, he was sent to a star domain deep within the Magus Civilization, tasked with overseeing resource logistics and mobilization of the Magus Alliance legions.

Other than these two, all other Rank Four and above mages in the Verdant Flame Faction remained on standby.

Lorianne was not especially busy lately. She had mainly been working on her world laboratory and mass-producing magic potions.

The eleven Golden Apple Potions that she previously crafted had already been distributed among other members of the Verdant Flame Faction.

The sight of Sein grimly lifting the crystal coffin, along with Sia’s quiet sobs, struck Lorianne deeply.

This Rank Four mage, who had mentored Sein and supported him throughout his growth, felt her eyes grow wet.

Tourmaline did not share the heavy mood of the others, since she had barely interacted with Natalya. But seeing Sein grieving, she refrained from showing any joy at their reunion.

In truth, Tourmaline had been through quite a lot since the Magus Alliance Conference, and she wanted to share it with Sein. But now was clearly not the time.

“How did you get so hurt? Let me tend to your wounds first,” Lorianne offered when she noticed the scars across Sein’s muscular body beneath his magic robe.

Sia’s quiet sobs and Scarlet’s soft murmurs grew fainter as their attention shifted to Sein’s injuries.

Whether Natalya would awaken now depended on the abilities and connections of this Rank Four mage.

After all they had endured, they needed a pillar like Sein more than ever.

“Just minor scrapes, nothing serious. I still have a few potions left from what you gave me,” Sein said, shaking his head.

At that moment, he remembered the mission he had just completed.

“Soon, the alliance will reward me with a Golden Apple. When it arrives, I’ll bring it to you so you can craft more Golden Apple Potions,” he said.

“Oh...” Lorianne murmured absentmindedly. Lost in Sein’s sorrow and her own concern for him, she failed to process what she had just heard.

“Huh?!” After a moment, she looked up, eyes wide with astonishment. It was only then that she realized her precious apprentice was telling the truth.