Sovereign of the Ashes

The Black Fortress, situated at the eastern border of the Lysian Alliance near Dusken Ridge, was aptly named as it resembled more of a fortress than a city.

Within the Black Fortress, there were two thousand Lysian soldiers, along with three thousand adventurers and mercenaries from both inside and outside the Lysian Alliance.

Additionally, the fortress housed a modest population of local residents and traders, totaling no more than five thousand people.

Upon reaching the Black Fortress, Sein bid his farewell to Hudson and the other members of the mercenary group.

To his surprise, he was approached before he could even depart from the fortress.

“Master Sein, is that correct?” An intermediate magic initiate draped in yellow robe, accompanied by two junior initiates, stood before Sein.

All three of them bore the military emblem of the Lysian Alliance, signifying their affiliation with the Lysian Military, regardless of the noble houses they served.

The three initiates were here with a specific purpose—to recruit Sein.

Ever since Sein’s arrival at Black Fortress, his status as a senior initiate had attracted the attention of those with ulterior motives.

After all, senior initiates were a rare sight. Even within the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City, they were considered as elites among the initiates.

This was also true within the Lysian Alliance and several neighboring nations.

Given the ongoing war between the Zephyr Kingdom and the Ohrque Empire, with the looming uncertainty of the Lysian Alliance getting involved in the conflict, the demand for senior initiates like Sein had increased.

However, what struck as peculiar was that the three initiates did not approach Sein with the interests of any noble houses or the military in mind.

Instead, they represented a smaller spellcaster council known as the “Ring of Thorns”.

“We, the Ring of Thorns, are affiliated with the Ring of Verdure, holding considerable status and influence throughout the Lysian Alliance. If you, Master Sein, require rare resources for your experiments, we can serve as a platform to provide them.

“Additionally, if you wish to delve into advanced magic knowledge or seek guidance from full-fledged mages, we can refer you to our parent council—the Ring of Verdure,” the intermediate magic initiate explained sincerely.

His presentation was selective, emphasizing the positive aspects to make the offer more appealing to Sein.

When Sein inquired about the obligations he needed to fulfill, the initiate awkwardly smiled and mentioned obligations that far outweighed the rights Sein would enjoy.

Apart from mandatory military service during wartime, it included undertaking compulsory quests every six months.

The most outrageous condition of all demanded a thirty-year commitment to the council, forbidding Sein from leaving or joining other mage councils.

The invitation from the Ring of Thorns seemed akin to a pact demanding one’s soul. The contractual restrictions led Sein to promptly decline the invitation without hesitation, regardless of the apparent allure of the offer.

As Sein prepared to leave, the intermediate initiate interjected, “Master Sein, are you truly not interested in joining the Ring of Thorns? I’ll have you know that our council is quite influential within the Lysian Alliance...”

His words momentarily halted Sein’s departure.

With a menacing expression, Sein turned back to face the initiate and asked, “Are you threatening me?”

The pressure from Sein’s mental focus as a senior initiate and the frosty aura of a black magic initiate swiftly drained the arrogance from the once haughty intermediate initiate, leaving him visibly pale.

As the Lysian guards nearby became aware of the commotion, Sein turned away with a dismissive snort and quickly left.

The dynamics of spellcasters on the surface differed markedly from Sein’s experiences in the underground Mystralora City.

The audacity of an intermediate initiate threatening a senior initiate was inconceivable to him.

As for that Ring of Thorns mentioned by the initiate in yellow robe, it was nothing short of a joke to Sein.

His understanding of the organization suggested it was a small council without the presence of a full-fledged mage, functioning as a sub-council to the Ring of Verdure and catering primarily to magic initiates within the Lysian Alliance.

Sein’s journey north, besides searching for his family, was to be part of a mage council.

The only mage council that could capture his interest apart from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, was the few large mage councils with full-fledged mages.

While the Ring of Verdure might briefly pique Sein’s interest, the Ring of Thorns was something he could quickly dismiss.

Furthermore, considering the stringent membership obligations of Ring of Thorns and the insolent attitude of its initiates, Sein quickly lost his interest even in the Ring of Verdure.

He understood that these so-called mage councils were not charitable institutions.

They were Initially formed to facilitate mutual assistance and the pursuit of truth among mages, but over time, they became highly utilitarian.

Without adequate compensation, why would these mage councils provide the necessary platforms and channels for knowledge acquisition?

The arrogance displayed by the intermediate initiate was, in a way, justified.

If Sein were a junior or fresh initiate, the Ring of Thorns might have deemed him an unworthy candidate even if he was interested in joining it.

Sein’s prompt rejection left the yellow-robed mage visibly enraged, yet he wisely refrained from retaliating.

After all, senior initiates were typically treated as esteemed guests in any organization.

He simply had not expected Sein to refuse so unequivocally, devoid of any deference to the Ring of Thorns.

One of the junior initiates accompanying him could not help but ask, “What should we do now?”

“What choice do we have? Report the situation to the council as it is!” the intermediate initiate roared.

“Hmph, after crossing the Ring of Thorns, he won’t find an easy life within the Lysian Alliance even if he’s a senior initiate,” the intermediate initiate grumbled, expressing his dissatisfaction with Sein’s rejection.

While the two initiates beside him nodded in agreement, they silently harbored differing opinions.

The Ring of Thorns was not the only magic initiate council in the Lysian Alliance. Even if Sein decided against joining them and crossing the Ring of Thorns in the process, he still had the option to explore other magic initiate councils.

Admittedly, the Ring of Thorns had become increasingly bold over the past two years.

Backed by influential nobles from the military, they openly and aggressively recruited individuals and controlled various resources.

Due to the support of the Ring of Verdure, smaller initiate councils within the Lysian Alliance had no choice but to tolerate such behavior.

As for the several other large mage councils with strength comparable to that of the Ring of Verdure, they were essentially no different—they just managed matters with a more polished facade.