Sovereign of the Ashes

When it came to Sein’s uncertain stance on rejoining the war, the Rank Four mage who had come to deliver his combat orders simply smiled.

“The Magus Civilization will take into account the personal circumstances of all participating law-wielding mages, as well as their preferred assignments,” he said. “Transferring you to the Netherworld Star Domain battlefield will not be difficult, especially since they are currently in dire need of elite forces like yourself, Master Sein.”

“However,” he continued, stroking his curled goatee, “the Grand Eye Demon World is in even greater need right now. Besides, it’s only a garrison duty. The alliance isn’t forcing you to take it. From my experience, once you have completed a period of garrison service there, it should be fairly easy to apply for a transfer to the Netherworld Star Domain front through the alliance’s leadership.”

Though this mage was merely here to convey the Magus Civilization’s official directives, his frequent interactions with the high command had given him valuable insight into its inner workings.

Sein considered his words and found them reasonable.

“As a member of the Magus Civilization, I can’t shirk my duty when Magus World calls for my service,” he replied, nodding in agreement. “I’ve decided to forgo the next two centuries of rest and lead my legions once more to the frontlines.”

“Excellent! I’ll report this to the Magus Alliance immediately and register your combat assignment, Master Sein.”

The Rank Four mage’s face lit up with delight as he shook Sein’s hand. “Thank you for your continued contributions to the Clash of Civilizations!”

***

News of the new mobilization order spread quickly through the Divine Tower of Ashes.

Most mages within the tower took it calmly. They had long grown accustomed to the rhythm of the war, treating such orders as part of their routine.

Even so, the lessons of the previous campaign had not been forgotten. Every war mage in the Divine Tower of Ashes now threw themselves into meticulous preparation.

They all understood that the Clash of Civilizations with the Gallant Federation was on a completely different scale from the interplanar wars they had fought before.

Fortunately, this assignment involved only a garrison mission at a resource transit base located in the rear of the Grand Eye Demon World’s star domain, which should not be nearly as dangerous as the frontlines.

Before setting out once more, Sein went to bid farewell to his mentor one last time.

Following the conclusion of the 25th Magus Alliance Conference, Lorianne’s Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had yet to participate in a single battle.

Yet here was Sein, bidding her farewell for what felt like the umpteenth time.

With each parting, the mood felt a little less heavy than before.

After all, Sein had already proven his capability time and again through his battle records.

By now, Lorianne trusted that her apprentice would not fall easily on the frontlines. This time, as she saw him off once more, she even managed to force a smile.

“I was hoping to join the battle at the Netherworld Star Domain, where Grandmaster Feylis and the others are stationed,” Sein said, “but unexpectedly, the alliance assigned me to the star domain where the Grand Eye Demon World is located.”

He shrugged lightly. “But it’s fine. I should be transferred there soon enough.”

“Stay safe on the frontlines,” Lorianne replied. “I look forward to fighting alongside you in the Netherworld Star Domain.”

“Oh? Did you also receive an assignment from the Magus Alliance, Master Loarianne?” Sein asked in surprise.

“Not yet.” Lorianne shook her head. “But Master Feylis contacted me recently. It seems I’ll be departing soon as well.”

“Master Lorianne, you’re not a combat-oriented mage, nor have you inherited the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique passed down by Grandmaster Feylis. You’re still rather frail, so please be careful when you reach the frontlines. Do not push yourself too hard,” Sein said with concern.

Lorianne rolled her eyes. “Relax. Does your mentor really look that fragile?”

“Besides, I’ll likely be stationed with Master Feylis and the others. With the support of so many mages from the Elemental Gate, I should be fine,” she added.

Sein nodded.

Lorianne’s skill lay in potion-making, and the value of a Rank Four Apothecary of her caliber within the Magus Civilization probably rivaled that of some Rank Five mages.

Given her expertise, the Magus Civilization would unlikely risk placing her directly on the frontlines.

Sein, on the other hand, had performed exceptionally in several major missions. To the upper echelons of the Magus Civilization, he was deemed a “capable” mage.

Maybe when another dangerous or critical mission arose, they might very well decide to send him in again...

Whether that was a good or a bad thing, he could not say.

After exchanging a few more words with his mentor, Sein prepared to take his leave.

Just before he departed, Lorianne stopped him. She handed him a spatial storage device filled with half a million Viridescent Seeds and slipped him three Golden Apple Potions.

“I don’t need that many potions, Master Lorianne,” Sein protested. “Once I reach the Netherworld Star Domain, I have Grandmaster Feylis and the others look after me.”

“But you will be alone in the Grand Eye Demon World’s star domain. You must be extremely careful,” Lorianne said, running her fingers through her emerald hair.

Sein held the Golden Apple Potions and the spatial storage device tightly, saying nothing more. He simply nodded solemnly.

“Then we will meet again in the Netherworld Star Domain, Master Lorianne!” he said.

Lorianne smiled. “Mhm.”

***

After leaving the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein quickly led the Divine Tower of Ashes legion out of Magus World.

The Ashen Fortress, which had sustained heavy damage in previous wars, was now almost fully repaired.

With enough magicoins poured into it, the fortress looked as good as new, at least from the outside.

Since the outbreak of the war, resources within the Magus Alliance had become increasingly scarce, causing prices to skyrocket.

Even so, for the major divine towers and knightly orders across Magus World, such shortages were hardly felt. On the contrary, their supply chains had become even more abundant than before.

The cost of repairing Sein’s space fortress had even dropped by nearly one-third compared to pre-Clash of Civilizations rates.

This was likely due to a large-scale policy adjustment across the entire Magus Civilization.

During his years back in Magus World, aside from repairing the fortress, Sein had also commissioned dozens of prism forts, hundreds of war airships, and countless other weapons like magic cannons, Mechanical Hornets, and more from Steel City.

Not all of the prism forts had been fully paid for, so only seven were ultimately delivered to the Divine Tower of Ashes. However, most of the other war assets, including the airships, were settled in full.

The true weak point, however, lay in assembling the enslaved creature legions.

In the end, Sein managed to gather about one million elite troops from Pyreling World, along with roughly three hundred thousand dark creatures and two hundred thousand elite centaurs.

Even with that, his forces still felt thin.

To make up for the numbers, he purchased another five hundred thousand low-tier cannon fodder units from the Magus Alliance in the name of the Divine Tower of Ashes.

Of course, these new troops could not compare to the enslaved creatures he had personally gathered. But at such a critical juncture, elite slaves were not exactly easy to come by.

Still, they would suffice. Sein never expected these cannon fodder units to make a real difference anyway. Their sole purpose was to reduce casualties among the Divine Tower of Ashes’ mage legions.

Pointing toward the starry sky, Sein gave his order.

“Let’s go!”