Sovereign of the Ashes

Taking control of the pirate crew went smoothly.

Even though Sein had not fully recovered, dealing with a group that did not even have a single Rank Four among them was effortless.

He seized control of two ships, Fermera destroyed another two, and Tourmaline forced the capital ship carrying the pirate leader to stop with her sheer presence alone.

The shockwaves from the destroyed ships left the rest of the pirates frozen, not daring to make a move.

Once Sein boarded the capital ship, he quickly extracted information about their background and this star domain.

The pirate crew led by Aribbean offered Sein almost nothing of value.

When Sein used a bit of soul magic and questioned them about the Magus Civilization or the Gallant Federation, they all shook their heads.

In their entire lives, they had never left this region, let alone heard of any top-tier civilizations.

As for the Randuin Plane they mentioned, Sein quickly learned that it was nothing more than a low-level plane, with inhabitants no stronger than Rank Five.

This entire region was likely a remote, backwater corner of the cosmos.

There was not even a medium-level plane nearby, and the star domain was isolated.

A low-level plane simply did not have access to information about top-tier civilizations. Only medium-level planes or above would have that kind of reach.

After piecing everything together, frustration began to build in Sein.

Just as he was about to lose interest in these weaklings and was even considering turning a few of them into experimental subjects, Aribbean finally offered something useful.

“Your Divinity, every five hundred years, some Interstellar Chambers of Commerce pass through the Vermi Star Domain. Around that time, space-time fluctuations become much more frequent.”

Who knows, rare treasures or unique creatures might appear. Would you like to take a look?” he asked.

“Oh?” Sein glanced at the one-eyed creature, slightly surprised.

Aribbean wore a yellow-spotted fur robe that Sein found absolutely hideous. With his large belly and backside, he looked very bloated.

Yet Aribbean seemed completely unaware of it. By his own standards and the aesthetic of this star domain, he thought he looked pretty fashionable.

His attitude toward Sein was nothing but careful respect.

Whenever he answered Sein’s questions, Aribbean kept his head lowered and his backside raised, showing the utmost submissiveness.

Earlier, while using soul magic on the pirates, Sein had learned that Aribbean once managed to escape from a Rank Four creature.

Looking at him now... Sein wondered if he had survived back then by acting like this too?

“Vermi Star Domain...” Sein murmured with a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He looked at Aribbean and smiled. “So you think the earlier space-time disturbance might have brought out some treasure or rare creatures?”

Aribbean did not dare hide anything. If he kept quiet, the other pirates who were already under Sein’s control would happily speak up instead.

Lowering his head even further, he replied, “Yes, Your Divinity. My crew once made a small fortune in this region. Most of it came from rare ores. Randuin Plane specializes in smelting and forging, so they buy a lot of them. These ores also sell well at the trade fair in the Vermi Star Domain.”

He paused briefly before continuing. “About 371 years ago, someone captured a Rank Three female creature in a nearby star domain. That species called themselves the Downfeather Folk.

“She was later sold for a very high price at a trade fair. A Rank Four deity from a nearby region, known as the God of Blue Birds, took a liking to her and paid over a million energy crystals to win her at auction.”

In Sein’s eyes, this so-called pirate crew was nothing more than a group of scavengers trying to scrape by.

They were nothing like the star pirates he knew, such as the infamous Quatar Star Pirates operating around the Magus Civilization!

That was a top-tier interstellar force, powerful enough to threaten large-scale civilizations or even wipe out entire medium-sized star domains.

The Magus Civilization had hunted the Quatar Star Pirates for years, yet had never fully eliminated them.

Only a force like that could truly deserve to be called star pirates.

Then again, Sein had barely heard of any pirate crews as infamous as the Quatar Star Pirates, largely because they were... unique.

Within the Magus Civilization’s territory, if a new pirate crew ever appeared, it usually would not last long.

Before the Magus Civilization could even respond, the Quatar Star Pirates would step in, absorb them, or wipe them out themselves!

After all, who would allow a competitor to roam unchecked?

At least for now, no interstellar force capable of challenging the Quatar Star Pirates had appeared anywhere near the Magus Civilization.

When Aribbean realized Sein might want to visit the Vermi Star Domain, he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Whether out of fear of being killed on the spot or because he had his own motives, he pledged his loyalty, offering up his entire crew and everything he owned.

“Your Divinity, only you and these two beautiful, powerful beings can lead us, the Aribbean Star Pirates to glory! I am willing to follow you forever, clear away any obstacles in your path, and serve you with absolute loyalty!” Aribbean declared with excitement.

Sein had seen plenty of demigod-level beings before, but this was the first time he had come across one quite like this.

Still, it was hard to fault Aribbean. After all, groveling and flattering an enemy was a perfectly reasonable survival tactic.

Aribbean’s display did not move Sein, but it did impress Tourmaline.

Even Fermera, despite her heavily damaged body, turned her head stiffly to glance at him.

In Fermera’s current state, with half her body charred black and her internal wiring exposed, she could hardly be described as “beautiful”.

“So, you call your crew the Aribbean Star Pirates?” Sein asked, stroking his chin.

“Yes... but I have always thought that it was a terrible name. I am sure you can come up with something better,” Aribbean replied quickly.

“I agree, it’s not a great name. Let us change it. How about... the Ashen Star Pirates?” Sein suggested.

He was not really asking Aribbean. Instead, he glanced at his companions.

Tourmaline’s eyes lit up. She threw her hands into the air and bounced excitedly. “Yay! Are we going to be star pirates?”

To her, the idea of being a pirate clearly sounded like fun.

Aribbean, still kneeling, asked carefully, “If I may ask... How should I address you? Great God?”

Sein looked down at him and replied, “You may call me the God of Ashes.”