Sovereign of the Ashes

“Damn it! How dare Orven pull something like this while I was away?!”

A roar of uncontrollable fury echoed through the Ashen Fortress.

Orven was Orric’s half-brother. For as long as he could remember, Orric believed he had always watched over his younger sibling.

He had patiently guided Orven whenever the latter struggled with the Ocean King’s royal secret techniques.

But Orven’s talent had always lagged behind Orric’s.

In terms of personality, Orven had always been timid and passive—the complete opposite of Orric’s bold, headstrong nature.

For that same younger brother he had trusted for years to suddenly pull something like this was beyond anything Orric could have expected.

Was this what they meant when they said the quietest dog bites the hardest?

What enraged Orric most was not that Orven had taken the throne.

It was the fact that his succession had plunged Aquaria into two decades of civil strife!

Though the turmoil had ended, one could only imagine the catastrophic toll those twenty years had exacted on Aquaria and its vassal worlds.

He had no idea who among Aquaria’s Rank Four and Rank Five beings, the ones who had always supported him, were still alive.

He was furious over the wasted strength and the senseless harm done to Aquaria!

Orric had a fierce ambition to lead Aquaria to greatness.

His dream was not simply to maintain its status as a medium-sized world. He wanted to elevate it!

That conviction had only become stronger after his advancement to Rank Four.

Yet before he could guide his home toward glory, this crushing blow arrived.

Even worse, Aquaria had aligned itself with Arid Expanse World, and by extension, the Gallant Federation behind them.

This current stance placed it in direct opposition to the Magus Civilization, causing Orric’s influence and standing within the Magus Civilization to plummet.

From the moment these intels arrived, Orric no longer represented Aquaria. He was now merely a capable Rank Five individual.

The true bearer of Aquaria’s will and authority was now his younger brother, sitting comfortably on the throne.

In terms of influence and political weight, Orric might now even be surpassed by Blue Star natives...

Feylis, commander of the Magus Civilization Army, remained perfectly calm upon hearing the reports about the sudden upheaval in Aquaria, as well as the Shadowbat Civilization and its surrounding planes being attacked by Arid Expanse World.

“The Astral Realm never stays still. Upheavals can strike at any moment. In times like these, our top priority is to secure our own footing,” Feylis addressed her apprentices and grand apprentices within the space fortress.

Her composure came from the colossal power standing behind her—the Magus Civilization.

Having lived her entire life within that civilization, Feylis had weathered countless storms. A conflict involving two or three medium-sized world civilizations was nothing compared to the scale of wars the Magus Civilization had endured.

“Notify Rank Six knight Kuggo and the others who just arrived at the Hundred Flowers Worlds. Tell them to pick up the pace. I want them in Chaos Sea within twenty years,” Feylis ordered.

The thirty million troops under Feylis were only the vanguard of the forces she had brought into this battlefield.

As the Magus Civilization prepared to compete with the Gallant Federation for influence across this star domain, more reinforcements would inevitably arrive.

Following standard Magus Civilization protocol, wherever a Rank Six mage was deployed, two or three Rank Six knights, along with several powerful allied creatures, were typically dispatched to support the frontline.

After all, mages were typically frail and needed close-combat guardians.

And given the social standing between mages and knights, mages were usually the ones overseeing the battlefields in star domains.

Even though Feylis was anything but “frail,” the high command had no reason to make special exceptions for her. The required legions and logistical support would come as usual.

Not to mention, the Magus Civilization’s leadership had a strong interest in the conflicts unfolding in this region.

“Have the nomadic races in Chaos Sea been hired as mercenaries by Arid Expanse World?” Feylis asked.

“Yes. Word is that Arid Expanse World pays very generously,” Sein replied.

“It’s not just the nomads here, either. Some planar civilizations from neighboring star domains have been recruited as well. Rumor has it that Arid Expanse World is so wealthy because of its alliance with Aquaria, a planet known for its prosperity.

“But personally, I suspect the Gallant Federation’s hand is the real force behind all of this,” he added.

Because he and the Klytherans were the most familiar with this star domain, Sein had recently been tasked with gathering intelligence.

Feylis chuckled softly before issuing her command. “Have all legions secure their presence across this star domain and formally establish the Magus Civilization’s occupation here.”

“The Gallant Federation’s deployable forces in this region must be limited. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have resorted to approaching Arid Expanse World and Aquaria—they would have confronted us here in Chaos Sea already.”

“So there have been no outbreaks of fighting around Blue Star?” Feylis asked.

“That seems to be the case. We have received no reports of Blue Star being attacked. The fighting is concentrated around the Shadowbat Civilization and Aquaria,” Sein replied.

“Mm.” Feylis nodded, making no further comment.

***

While Feylis, Sein, and many other Magus Civilization powerhouses maintained their composure, Darian, Orric, Beatrice, and the others could not stay calm.

With the Shadowbat Civilization now embroiled in war, Darian Wraith—once its most exceptional young talent—felt an urgent need to return home and join the fight.

He also needed to deliver news of the Magus Civilization and determine whether his people would officially join the Magus Alliance.

Orric, too, could think of nothing except returning to his homeworld to confront his younger brother.

But Orric’s situation was far more dangerous, so Sein advised him to travel only with the Magus Civilization’s main forces.

Just as Orric burned with anger toward the younger brother who had taken the Ocean King’s throne, Orven was no doubt just as eager to get rid of Orric as quickly as possible.

Only by killing Orric could Orven fully secure the legitimacy of his reign.

Beatrice was equally anxious.

According to the intelligence reports, Marvelous Plane was among the low-level planes targeted by Arid Expanse World’s offensive.

The Shadowbat Civilization could still hold off the assault. It was, after all, a medium-sized world civilization with considerable power.

Yet no one knew whether Marvelous Plane could survive. It was only a low-level civilization!

“I’ll go with you guys,” said Auron, the Rank Four Voltaran who had grown close to Darian Wraith and Beatrice in recent years.

“I’m coming too!” Karl said.