Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 1787: Grandmaster’s Chiding

After returning to Magus World, Sein temporarily set aside all his experimental projects and focused entirely on resolving Leena’s problem.

Soul magic... it seemed this was a field he would inevitably have to delve into more deeply.

First Natalya’s soul had been damaged, and now Leena’s body had been invaded. Incidents like these left Sein with no choice but to take the study of soul magic more seriously.

Although it would be tiring, broadening the scope of his knowledge a little was not a bad thing.

During the primordial era and middle ages, the “Magus” profession flourished tremendously within the Magus Civilization. Magi of that time studied everything and dabbled in nearly every field.

If those ancient magi could do it, why couldn’t Sein?

Desperate times called for desperate measures. He had to try everything he could.

Sein had tried searching for mages with expertise in soul magic to resolve Natalya’s issue. Unfortunately, despite spending a long time looking, he could not find a single one he could work with.

Now that such people had finally appeared, none of them were on his side!

The fact that Mikaeli could attempt to steal the soul of even a Rank Four mage like Leena demonstrated her profound mastery of soul magic.

Jerry, the peak Rank Four mage who now held a grudge against both Sein and Leena, also had considerable expertise in soul magic.

According to Feylis, Master Thomk, Jerry’s Rank Six mentor, was a genuine expert in soul magic.

Before Feylis advanced to the peak of Rank Six, she had been only his equal, even with her mastery of Verdant Flame magic and body-tempering techniques.

Given the deep hostility between them, entrusting Leena and Natalya’s cases to him was completely out of the question.

Experiments always carried the risk of failure. If he deliberately sabotaged the process and caused an accident, Sein would never be able to accept it.

After returning, Sein was first scolded by his grandmaster before he could even begin the experiment.

It was not exactly a scolding. The grandmaster’s tone remained gentle—at most, she was only chiding him.

“Why did you contact Sir Klopp? We could have resolved this matter at a lower cost, even if the process would have been a little more tedious.”

“Although his involvement saved us a great deal of trouble in bringing your little wife back, all the mission rewards you earned on the frontlines, including the portion that had not yet been delivered, have gone down the drain,” Feylis said, a trace of disappointment in her voice.

She was thinking of Sein’s best interests and could not help but feel it was a pity that those Magus Alliance resources had been lost before they even reached his hands.

This world reeked of money, and even mages devoted to exploring the mysteries of truth could not escape its influence.

Conducting experiments required money. Purchasing magic ingredients required money. Even the soul slaves sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder cost money—often even more.

Without sufficient resources, how could anyone maintain rapid progress on the path of seeking truth?

Feylis had always held high expectations for Sein. She had personally witnessed his calm and exceptional performance on the actual battlefield.

But this time, Sein had indeed acted too hastily without giving the situation enough thought.

Sein accepted his grandmaster’s chiding because she was right.

This was also a sign that she genuinely cared about him.

When Feylis mentioned that roughly two-thirds of his reward from the Magus Alliance would be offset against him, Sein did not feel particularly regretful.

He was like a well-fed man unaware of the hunger of the poor. His current resources were already more than enough for his needs, so he did not care much about the Magus Alliance’s reward, even though it amounted to nearly hundreds of millions.

In Sein’s eyes, two or three hundred million magicoins could not compare to Leena’s safety.

If it meant Leena could suffer less and be freed earlier, then spending any amount of money would be worth it.

Feylis, who had never experienced love herself, could not quite empathize with Sein’s feelings.

Lorianne, however, secretly supported Sein’s action. She seemed to understand him.

Only after Feylis had finished reprimanding him did Sein speak with a straight face.

“I’m not short on resources for the time being. By the way, I acquired another Golden Apple...”

Sein’s words immediately caused Feylis’ stern expression to falter.

For a moment, even she did not know whether to keep reprimanding her reckless grand apprentice or commend him for what he had managed to accomplish.

She turned to look at Lorianne and saw the smile on her face.

“So you already knew about this?” Feylis asked. The look on Lorianne’s face had already given her the answer.

Feylis folded her arms and huffed. “Well, I suppose you’re his mentor. It’s only natural that you hear the good news before me, the grandmaster.”

Lorianne walked up to her, grabbed her arm, and swung it lightly like a child.

“Aww, you’ve been in seclusion trying to break through. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I never got the chance. I was hoping to surprise you, Gregory, and the others with the news later, but then this whole situation with Sein happened, and I simply did not get around to mentioning it.”

Lorianne’s explanation noticeably lifted Feylis’ mood.

Watching the pair before her, Feylis could not maintain her stern demeanor for long. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she said, “Well, I have some good news for you as well. Although the remaining mission rewards for Sein will be revoked, Sir Klopp has confirmed that the Sacred Fruit he requested for Sein will still be processed and delivered.”

Feylis then stepped forward and pinched Sein’s cheek. “Sacred Fruit! I’ve never even tasted it myself. How do you always manage to bring such surprises, boy? Sir Klopp clearly holds you in very high regard.”

Even though Sein had undergone extensive body tempering, he still could not withstand such an affectionate pinch from his grandmaster.

Only within such an unusually harmonious faction could moments like this occur.

Thinking about the situation within Leena’s faction and the strained relationship between her and her mentor, Mikaeli, Sein could not help but sigh inwardly.

“Once we obtain the Sacred Fruit, I’ll have to trouble Master Lorianne to fuse it with the Golden Apple Essence to create a new type of potions,” he said.

“Of course, there’ll be a vial for you and Master Gregory too,” he added with a smile.

Feylis did not refuse the offer. As their relationship grew closer, excessive politeness was no longer necessary.

“I’ll stay in Magus World for a while. During this period, I’ll see whether I can help Leena expel that black mage’s soul from her body,” Feylis said, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

“That’d be great, Grandmaster,” Sein replied gratefully.

***

With Feylis’ assistance, the early stages of research into Leena’s soul progressed smoothly.

However, as the experiments went deeper, especially when they began attempting to separate or eliminate one of the souls, the difficulty increased dramatically.

Feylis did not specialize in soul magic. At best, she possessed greater experience, broader knowledge, and a stronger grasp of the laws due to her long years of cultivation.

When it came to soul-manipulation experiments, even she found them challenging.