Sovereign of the Ashes

The Netherworld Star Domain battlefield was already nearing its end before Sein even had the chance to formally participate.

For him, it was quite a pity.

But the war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation was far from over. The millennium-long conflict in the Netherworld Star Domain had only been the opening act.

The battles raging in other star domains bordering these two top-tier civilizations might well prove just as brutal as those in Netherworld.

Soon after Gregory arrived in the Sanok Star Domain, Bernice showed up as well, leading the Divine Tower of Floating Flame legion.

Marching alongside her was Berecca, the Rank Four knight and grand master of the Order of the Green Bounty.

The two always did seem inseparable.

Not long after, the Huusian Legion also arrived as part of the allied forces converging on Sanok.

Just as Grandmaster Feylis had predicted, allied factions with ties to their group were prioritized for deployment to certain frontlines.

Aside from the Huusian Legion, the other allied forces arriving in the Sanok Star Domain were likely connected to Feylis or to the others stationed here in varying degrees.

Still, Sein felt a twinge of disappointment that among the allied forces he had befriended, the powerful Nexon robots and the Phantom Crow World legions had yet to show up.

Whether they were tied up with other operations or whether the Magus Civilization’s leadership simply believed the Rank Six forces already present here were more than enough, he had no way of knowing.

The troop movements and reorganization of legions within the Sanok Star Domain lasted more than a decade.

The steady arrival of massive legions and supplies sent shockwaves through the Shadowbat Civilization’s natives, including Darian.

Yet even all of this represented only a fraction of the Magus Civilization’s true might.

After Grandmaster Feylis secured development rights for the surrounding star domains, as well as partial control over the war effort, she resumed negotiations with Darian and the others about joining the Magus Alliance.

The terms she offered were far more generous than what Master Fathis had proposed, making them much harder for the Shadowbat Civilization to turn down.

On top of that, Sein’s grandmaster negotiated far more aggressively than Master Fathis ever did.

Master Fathis had at least kept things polite and relatively cordial.

Feylis, however, made it perfectly clear that if they refused the goodwill being extended, the Magus Civilization could just as easily send armies to take what it wanted.

This was Feylis’ true nature—she offered the carrot first, and if that failed, the stick came swiftly after.

Given the situation and rumors that Arid Expanse World had already sided with the Gallant Federation, Darian of the Shadowbat Civilization had no choice but to swallow whatever dissatisfaction he felt.

As the Magus Civilization’s forces in the Sanok Star Domain continued to swell, the Shadowbat Civilization also lacked the strength to stand against them... unless they somehow united several planar worlds into a single resistance.

But was that even realistic? And more importantly... time was already running out!

The Magus Civilization could roll out at any moment.

Meanwhile, Orric of Planet Aquaria stayed completely silent in the face of Feylis’ ultimatum. The usually arrogant, fearless brute did not utter a single retort.

In truth, Orric was not nearly as brainless as he looked. At the very least, Sein believed that this seemingly crude Rank Five powerhouse possessed far more cunning and awareness than his outward demeanor suggested.

Some people could be pressured into yielding, but others were beyond intimidation.

And Feylis was clearly one of the latter—one of those rare people whose authority almost no one dared to test.

She reserved her gentler, more patient side only for her apprentices and grand apprentices, like Lorianne and Sein.

Sein chose not to attend this negotiation with Darian and Orric.

While he had good personal relationships with these foreign powerhouses, negotiations between civilizations were another matter entirely.

Sein would never sacrifice the Magus Civilization’s interests for their sake.

Even his earlier friendliness toward them had been driven by practical, strategic motives.

After the talks ended, Sein learned that Gregory had worn a cold expression the entire time.

By contrast, Lorianne had tried to maintain a more diplomatic, approachable attitude.

The stark difference between these approaches only accelerated the decision-making of these extraplanar beings.

In the end, Darian, Orric, and Beatrice reluctantly agreed to represent their civilizations in joining the Magus Alliance.

None of them were the strongest rulers of their worlds; they were simply the most promising successors.

The agreement would only become official once the Magus Civilization sent envoys to their home star domains to finalize the contract.

“I can see why you’re Master Lorianne’s apprentice, Sein. She’s so much easier to talk to,” Kram said with a sigh after the meeting.

Planet Klythera had already committed to joining the Magus Alliance early on and signed the contract, so Kram was only there as an observer.

“Yeah, my mentor is a nice person,” Sein replied with a small smile.

“I did not expect Auron to still refuse to speak on behalf of Voltara World. Master Feylis looked rather displeased by the end,” Kram added.

“Oh?” Sein raised an eyebrow.

***

When Sein met Lorianne again later, he learned something unexpected.

“Voltara World is a large-sized plane?”

Lorianne nodded. “Although that Voltaran never revealed their true strength, the Magus Civilization’s astrologers quickly confirmed it once your grandmaster reported the situation.”

“A large-sized world, huh...” Sein murmured.

In wars between top-tier civilizations, only large-sized worlds could make an impact.

Medium-sized, small, or micro worlds were nothing more than drifting pieces caught between giants.

The star domain battlefield Sein’s faction was preparing to enter was still manageable, mainly because no overlord-level beings were expected to appear there.

“Voltara World is extremely far from us and well outside the Gallant Federation’s sphere of influence,” Sein said. “I suppose a major civilization like that would rather stay out of the conflict between two supreme powers. That may be why Auron keeps refusing to pick a side.”

Lorianne nodded. “Your grandmaster thinks the same. That’s why we must not come off as overly forceful while dealing with that electro elemental creature.”

“Try to speak with Auron more. Even if we can’t win Voltara World over immediately, we can’t afford to let such a powerful world fall into the Gallant Federation’s hands,” she warned.

“Understood,” Sein said.