Sovereign of the Ashes

As the imminent departure from Gloomhaven approached, Sein saw no reason to keep Seven concealed any longer.

The Divine Tower of Dawn and the knights responsible for the assault on Mystralora City hailed from the south.

No matter how far-reaching their influence, it was impossible for them to extend their reach to the three northern nations.

Revealing Seven also served as a strategic move on Sein’s part to showcase his strength.

In any region of this world, strength reigned supreme.

Maintaining a low profile was not always advantageous. At times, flaunting strength was the key to avoiding unnecessary trouble and seizing opportunities.

With Seven’s aura acting as a deterrent, Sein’s group traversed Dusken Ridge without encountering any hostile magic beasts daring to provoke them.

The hierarchy among magic beasts was even more stringent than that among human knights and mages.

Lower-level magic beasts seldom initiated confrontations with their higher-level counterparts. They adhered to the jungle’s law where the weak demonstrated humility and tolerance, sometimes even more than humans.

Despite not being actively challenged by magic beasts, Sein and his group faced several battles during their journey through Dusken Ridge.

The region teemed with abundant basic magic ingredients and raw materials scattered across the mountains and forests.

While Sein did not initially intend to collect them, Seven seemed accustomed to aiding Sein in resource gathering.

Throughout their travels in the Dusken Ridge, Seven brought back numerous intermediate and basic magic ingredients and raw materials.

On the third day within Dusken Ridge, Seven even used its Aero Chain to drag back a massive two-meter-tall magic hog.

“I-Is... this... a Hurricane Hog?” Hudson stammered as he pointed at the hog.

The hog’s head had an opening, and the aero magic core inside had been consumed by Seven.

As an aero elemental creature, this type of magic beast crystal core was Seven’s favorite.

Sein collected the valuable parts from the hog—its tusks, heart, and a tuft of soft white fur on its chest.

These components were the most valuable parts of this intermediate-level magic beast as they emitted faint elemental energy, indicating their potential use as materials for crafting intermediate and basic magic items.

Sein generously distributed the hog’s flesh among the members of the mercenary group.

Given the hog’s massive size, it provided more than enough for a feast, and being magic beast meat made it even more valuable.

Its skin was claimed by the old man with the goatee, who rewarded Sein with a small wooden box containing five hundred gold coins.

The gold coins were issued by the Lysian Alliance, so they were slightly larger in size and had a better color compared to those from Gloomhaven.

According to Hudson, the exchange rate between gold coins from the Lysian Alliance and those in Gloomhaven was often 1:5 or even 1:6.

Among the three northern nations, the strongest currency was still the Ohrque gold issued by the Ohrque Empire.

Rumors circulated that the Ohrque Empire had replaced gold coins with advanced and rare gold vouchers in significant transactions within the empire.

***

Five days later, Sein and the mercenary group successfully left the Dusken Ridge.

The gains from these five days rivaled Sein’s previous six months of travel.

It was no wonder numerous mercenary groups ventured into the ridge every year in pursuit of wealth. Some definitely struck a pot of gold, but some left behind only their corpses, becoming sustenance for the flourishing forest of Dusken Ridge.

Even magic initiates met their end in Dusken Ridge.

“The abundance of resources here surpasses any area we’ve traversed before. If it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t lack intermediate and basic resources for my research and training, this would have been an ideal treasure trove,” Sein remarked with a sigh.

“While we might be fine harvesting resources here for the short term, scavenging for resources in Dusken Ridge isn’t advisable in the long run,” Seven cautioned.

“I’ve sensed hostility from two creatures not weaker than me. Prolonged stay here could not only provoke the native magic beasts but also trigger a beast horde,” Seven explained.

Magic beasts were extremely territorial. As an foreign quasi-ranked magic beast, the easiest way for Seven to integrate into Dusken Ridge was to directly challenge a native magic beast of comparable strength.

Merely scavenging resources as a trespasser would invite rejection and backlash from the majority of high-level magic beasts in Dusken Ridge.

High-level magic beasts exhibited remarkable intelligence. In fact, quasi-ranked creatures like Seven possessed intelligence that matched that of normal humans.

Although the Magus World was dominated by knights and mages, magic beasts retained their influence over intermediate and low-level areas.

Individuals disrupting the ecological balance, regardless of their background, risked facing retaliation from the kings across the magic beast ridges in the Magus World.

Even if the Divine Towers or the Orders of the Knights intervened, these magic beast kings, with life levels of Rank Four or higher, could call upon guardians as their allies.

In the formidable civilization of the Magus World, magic beast kings of Rank Four and above were always abundant.

Fortunately, such powerful magic beasts were absent from the Dusken Ridge.

According to Seven’s observations, the strongest magic beast in Dusken Ridge was probably a Rank Two being, situated deep within the western forest of Dusken Ridge.

***

“Master Sein, won’t you consider the idea of joining the House Fayt? They are among the highest-ranking nobles in the eastern part of the Lysian Alliance. I’m sure the viscount would undoubtedly extend a warm welcome to you,” the old man with the goatee insisted as they crossed into the Lysian Alliance border.

“Once we reach the Black Fortress ahead, our escort mission will be complete as stipulated in the mercenary guild’s contract. I appreciate the offer, but I currently have no intention of aligning with any noble houses. My next destination leads me to the west of the Black Fortress,” Sein declined.

The perks of traveling with a mercenary group and an employer familiar with the Lysian Alliance quickly became evident upon entering the region.

Not only were they able to smoothly cross the border with just a greeting to the guards, the old man even managed to secure a team of soldiers to escort them by showing them the House Fayt’s emblem and other proof of identity.

The old man’s assertion about House Fayt’s influence in the eastern part of the Lysian Alliance was proven right.

However, Sein’s focus lay in the west, prompted by the sudden reaction of his long-dormant bloodline tracing magic upon entering the Lysian Alliance’s territory.

This indicated that Sein had roots in the Lysian Alliance, though it remained unclear whether his family belonged to the central nobles or the western nobles.

The central nobles enjoyed higher prestige, ruling over the prosperous plains with a large population, while the western nobles shared a direct border with the Zephyr Kingdom, and were known for their aggression and powerful private armies.