Sovereign of the Ashes

There was a limit to Sein’s kindness and abilities.

By the end of the anatomy class, three initiates had been fed to Master Collance’s pet.

This grim reality shed light on why the number of initiates in the Black Magic Academy never seemed to grow.

There were always some who were casually disposed of by the black mages during classes or for various other reasons in their daily lives.

Living with constant fear was the norm for all initiates until they gained enough strength and support.

After a nearly three-hour-long anatomy class, Master Collance was the first to exit the classroom, followed by the other initiates.

The deaths of the three fresh initiates did not seem to bother the initiates who had grown somewhat accustomed to witnessing deaths.

In fact, a few of the junior initiates, who had been at the academy longer, sneered at the weaker fresh initiates.

Those junior initiates were clearly the bullies among their ranks, and none of the fresh initiates dared to meet their gazes directly.

However, these intimidating junior initiates displayed a completely different demeanor in Sein’s presence. They respectfully greeted Sein as they walked past the podium.

Sein recognized all of them. The leader of the group was Victor, who was on the verge of being promoted to an intermediate initiate.

Just a few months ago, Sein and Victor had been peers, but now Victor had to show him respect. This was how things worked at the Black Magic Academy.

Victor had always aspired to become Master Collance’s apprentice, but the black mage had dismissed him as “stupid and dumb”.

Victor’s only saving grace was that he never made any major mistakes during the anatomy class, which kept him from becoming the meal of Master Collace’s pet.

Since Victor was a frequent presence in the anatomy class, Sein was somewhat acquainted with him.

Following Victor and his group’s departure, the remaining initiates gradually filed out of the classroom.

The faint, lingering scent of blood still hung in the air, but most of the initiates had gotten used to it.

Once the crowd had dispersed, only two figures remained.

Sein, who stood on the podium, and the female initiate seated in the front row.

“My name is Cindy. Thank you for saving my life, Sein.” The girl bowed deeply to Sein and expressed her gratitude.

Cindy, who had not yet reached the age of ten, had the physique of an ordinary child.

Sein did not have any particular interest in the young girl standing before him, or any young girls in general.

His decision to save her had only been a simple act of kindness and compassion, but he was already beginning to regret it.

Master Collance had not taught this group of fresh initiates the “Cross-Stitch Technique”.

Fortunately, they were able to escape from the situation this time due to luck and the Master Collance’s failing memory.

The situation could have taken a turn for the worse.

Cindy, however, remained oblivious to Sein’s true thoughts. She had already heard rumors about Sein circulating among the other initiates at the Black Magic Academy.

In addition to his notoriety for defeating Elrik and Jack, Sein’s recent achievements in winning the academy award during the annual assessment had earned him recognition among the fresh and junior initiates.

Cindy had already heard of Sein’s previous acts of kindness before they met.

One of these stories, told to her by her female seniors, was about how Sein had saved Marie during an anatomy class a few years ago.

Female initiates at the academy were typically more emotionally sensitive compared to their male peers.

Although the overall number of female initiates was low, many of the junior and fresh female initiates were moved by Sein’s past actions.

Cindy was only trying her luck when she sought Sein’s assistance. She did not expect Sein would really help her out.

After today’s incident, she had confirmed that he was indeed a “good guy”, just as the rumors had suggested.

“Could it be that he’s interested in me?” Cindy could not help but fantasize about Sein.

Initiates at the Black Magic Academy tended to mature quickly, and Cindy was no exception.

Unaware of the young girl’s fantasies, Sein merely shook his head in response to her gratitude.

With a calm and detached tone, he commented, “With only two mistakes, Master Collance wouldn’t have punished you anyway. Those three initiates who were fed to his pet had made three or more major mistakes.”

“Still, I’m really grateful. Is there any way I can repay you, Sein?” Cindy inquired, taking a step closer to Sein.

With Sein’s achievements and reputation at the Black Magic Academy, Cindy would not have resisted even if Sein were to make her repay him with her body.

However, Sein made no attempts to do anything of the sort. Given his knowledge in human anatomy, he probably knew that doing something like that with Cindy, who was less than ten years old, would not yield any pleasure and only cause discomfort for both parties.

“How old are you?” Sein casually asked.

“Nine, but I’ll be ten in two months,” Cindy replied.

Cindy’s answer seemed to have sparked an idea in Sein. He then followed up with an unexpected request.

“If you’re almost ten years old, you should be strong enough to help me carry this specimen back to my dorm room.”

Sein pointed to the specimen on the podium that was missing its heart, liver, and kidneys.

This specimen was a gift from Master Collance, given in exchange for Sein’s service as his assistant during the anatomy class.

Success in the field of human anatomy demanded more than just talent. If Sein had not put in consistent practice, he would not have earned his title as a “professional” from Master Collance during the class.

The other initiates saw only Sein’s talent, but never his diligent effort behind the scenes.

Cindy was taken aback by Sein’s request.

She cast a quick glance at the specimen on the podium, then turned her attention back to Sein.

The cold and indifferent expression on his face showed that he was serious about it. Cindy gulped, but did not dare to voice any objections.

Huh? Does Sein have some sort of creepy fetish? What is he planning to do with this thing in his dorm room?

Wait... Is using this specimen as an excuse to invite me to his dorm room so that he can...

Cindy’s heart raced at the thought.

The young girl’s inner thoughts reflected the mindset of a vulnerable initiate looking for protection from a more experienced senior.

After two years of enrollment, she had witnessed many of her peers either “deteriorate” or meet tragic ends

Recognizing the importance of securing a powerful ally for her safety and the ability to study without constant fear, Cindy decided to leverage her decent appearance.

She had considered a few potential partners before, but none could compare to Sein.

He was handsome, powerful and kind. Cindy could not find a more reliable male initiate than him.

The only thing that troubled her was the rumor that Sein was already dating someone who happened to be a powerful senior initiate.

“No, I won’t let that stop me. If being by his side can guarantee my safety, I’m willing to be his side chick!” Cindy thought to herself.

It was hard for anyone to believe that a nine-year-old girl could possess such a depth of emotions within her.

Sein, of course, had no ulterior motives.

He simply asked Cindy to help him carry the specimen back because mages had always practiced the principle of equivalent exchange.

After all, he had saved the other party once, so it was only fair that she returned the favor in some way.