Sovereign of the Ashes

“I’ve been thinking of heading south lately, and it all started with a chance encounter I had with a full-fledged black mage passing through Hoppes City,” the gray-hooded magic initiate began.

“He came from the coast of the Boundless South Sea and shared insights into the prosperity of that region. I offered considerable assistance to him, but he did not take me under his wing as his apprentice. Instead, he handed me a coin—a common currency among mages,” he continued.

“Considering the journey south is long and fraught with unknown perils, thorough preparation is necessary. Therefore, I’ve decided to trade this coin in the hopes of acquiring useful items,” he explained and focused his gaze mainly on Sein.

Sein was intrigued by the coin that the initiate had presented.

It was gold and featured a distinctive, mysterious pattern engraved on its surface. With a diameter of five centimeters, it was larger than a typical gold or silver coin.

For some reason, Sein could detect a special and mysterious aura emanating from the coin.

It was a perception he had developed after spending over two years in the Sand World.

The coin seemed to carry the aura of the Magus World.

What astonished him more was that he had come across a pile of similar coins in the space bangle left by his mentor. There were probably hundreds of them.

Sein initially assumed they were the standard currency of the Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago, but now realized that might not be the case.

“Is that a magicoin?” another knowledgeable intermediate initiate inquired.

While some of the intermediate initiates possessed more general knowledge than Sein on certain matters due to their experience on the surface world, they had only heard of magicoin and were now seeing it for the first time.

The gray-hooded initiate nodded and proceeded to elaborate, “The full-fledged black mage deemed that a single magicoin was more than ample compensation for the assistance I provided. Since it’s mere currency without any practical value as energy crystals, I’ve decided to offer it at this trade fair.”

As expected, the gray-hooded initiate’s words immediately prompted offers from others at the fair.

Unfortunately, none of the items presented by the other intermediate initiates piqued the gray-hooded initiate’s interest.

His attention remained fixed on Sein.

Sein eventually decided to make an offer.

“How about a basic healing potion?” he proposed, pulling out a thin vial of red potion from his pocket.

***

Sein successfully concluded the transaction with the gray-hooded initiate, trading the magicoin for two basic healing potions and three nutritional potions.

Given his unfamiliarity with the pricing standards among full-fledged black mages, Sein found it challenging to precisely assess the value of the magicoin.

Nevertheless, he had a sense that it was likely a profitable exchange.

The basic healing potions were no longer useful to him at this point, as they were only effective for treating external wounds.

With the Flesh Regeneration spell from Master Morsidor’s magic rod and the superior Healing Light spell from the Divine Light Badge he received from Master Medich, a Rank Two mage from the Divine Tower of Dawn, the basic healing potions held little value to Sein now.

As for the nutritional potions... They could barely be considered magic potions, just like Frank’s blood circulation potions.

Therefore, parting with these potions did not weigh heavily on Sein.

The gray-hooded senior initiate also regarded it as a profitable transaction on his part. He believed those potions in his possession would serve as useful life-preserving items during his journey south.

After securing the magicoin, Sein actively participated in the latter part of the small trade fair.

He traded Frank’s Voice Transmission spell for a basic energy crystal, and acquired various other rare and peculiar magic ingredients, including the “Screaming Branch” from earlier.

Sein’s spendings impressed both Frank and the other initiates, even though he had been careful not to flaunt his wealth.

After learning the relatively barren nature of this region, Sein limited his offers to only basic energy crystals and kept the intermediate energy crystals to himself.

He bartered a little over a dozen basic energy crystals, an amount that aligned with his status as a senior initiate.

“Damn, if I had known, I would have brought more items. How about this—I’ll spend the night with you for one basic energy crystal. What do you think?”

The masked female intermediate initiate approached Sein with a bold proposal.

Although Sein could not see her face due to her mask covering half of it, he was certain she was an adult, possibly even older than him.

She wore perfume that was popular among the nobles, triggering a reaction in Sein’s senses as she approached.

It brought to Sein’s attention that he had not indulged in the pleasures of the flesh for quite some time, especially during his two-year solitary life in the Sand World.

At his current age of over twenty, a period when his sex drive was at its peak, he found himself unexpectedly tempted by the proposition from the female intermediate initiate.

Before Sein could respond, another intermediate initiate made a sour remark, “Is it because I can’t satisfy you, Mary? I have a basic energy crystal too. How about...”

Before he could finish speaking, the female initiate interrupted him with an angry retort, “Shut up, Jack! I was only willing to be your girlfriend for a short while. I’m not your wife. Who are you to control me?”

Her loud retort drew the attention of several other initiates around.

Mary was undeniably a feisty woman. The male initiate’s expression instantly darkened from the humiliation.

Sein looked at the guy and asked, “Oh? Your name is Jack?”

“Yeah, so?” Jack, in a bad mood from the public embarrassment, responded without much respect.

“Nothing. I had a friend named Jack too,” Sein casually remarked.

***

As the temperature in the room rose, a peculiar aroma filled the air. It was a blend of rich perfume mingled with the scent of sweat and bodily fluids.

A subtle muskiness lingered in the air, enhancing the ambiance and creating an environment where the occupants could freely indulge their primal instincts.

Rhythmic noises and ecstatic cries intertwined, creating an intimate symphony that echoed through the space.

Fortunately, the room was located in the backyard of Baron Berthold’s mansion.

Sein had already dismissed all the attendants nearby, ensuring complete privacy for their personal moments.

The intense encounter lasted for two hours, during which Sein, who had abstained from such pleasure for many years, found release six times.

Following his final release, he was so spent that he could barely stand.

The woman lay limply on the bed, barely conscious, as she mumbled something to herself.