Sovereign of the Ashes

With the earl’s directive, a conflict was on the verge of unfolding.

The twenty knights were seasoned retainers of the earl who had fought over a hundred battles.

Among them, fourteen were intermediate squires, five were senior squires, and one was an intermediate magic initiate.

The three senior squires formed an arrowhead formation, advancing toward Sein without drawing their swords or other weapons.

Instead, they retrieved a shiny metallic rope from their saddles—a non-magic but exceptionally durable tool funded generously by the earl.

The ropes were tough enough to even securely bind intermediate magical beasts with robust physiques.

Initially, the earl had not intended to resort to force, but it was becoming evident that his son was stubborn, much like him.

Perhaps confining Sein within the castle for a while was the only way to help the resentful young man reacquaint himself with this place.

Additionally, the earl was curious about Sein’s whereabouts during his absence, particularly concerning the mysterious incident nineteen years ago.

Despite years of investigation, the earl had not definitively unraveled the truth. Subtle clues and leads hinted at the involvement of certain nobles within the Lysian Alliance and external forces.

It was no surprise, as House Grantt had its fair share of enemies.

Despite coexisting in the same Magus World or even in the same nation, conflicts and clashes of interest were unavoidable.

Given House Grantt’s long history, it was not uncommon for them to have enemies, whether openly hostile or lurking in the shadows.

Due to the upper echelons of the noble houses and their continual collaboration with the relevant Orders of the Knights, major noble houses avoided falling out with each other.

Nevertheless, this did not eliminate internal disputes and covert plotting.

Sending a pack of bandits to attack the villa on the outskirts of Grantt Territory and abducting a six-year-old child was considered a minor affair as noble houses often had numerous heirs.

As long as Earl Grantt survived and the orchestrators left no trace, suspicions would remain mere conjecture.

A conjecture lacking solid evidence was insufficient to convict anyone.

Over the years, Earl Grantt had sought revenge against rival noble houses, orchestrating the mysterious deaths of several heirs from major noble houses in the Lysian Alliance.

These heirs purportedly perished on the border battlefields, allegedly at the hands of soldiers from the Zephyr Kingdom and the Ohrque Empire.

However, the circumstances surrounding their presence on the mission, the unfortunate situation of being surrounded by legions from hostile nations, and the delayed support from other legions aligned with the Lysian Alliance remained a mystery.

It could have been a flaw in military deployment, considering the lack of a king in the Lysian Alliance and standardized deployment procedures.

The intense power struggles among various nobles exacerbated the situation, sometimes leading to minor disputes that swiftly escalated into fleeting opportunities for battle.

This intricate web of conflicts was a contributing factor to the Lysian Alliance’s lower standing in terms of strength, despite its larger territory and total population compared to the Zephyr Kingdom.

With three senior squires making their move, Earl Grantt believed it would be sufficient to subdue Sein.

He was already contemplating how to communicate with his son, convincing him to stay and perhaps passing the earldom on to him in two or three decades.

House Grantt was powerful enough that as long as Sein was pure blood, he could become the successor even if he were an ordinary person.

The only condition was for him to successfully produce the next generation for House Grantt.

Decades in the life of an ordinary noble might seem lengthy, but for those with life level of Rank One and above, it was insignificant.

Beings of Rank One could have a lifespan of nearly a thousand years, with even longer life spans for those above their life levels.

For high-ranked beings, batches of low-ranked generations were born in the blink of an eye, ensuring the continuity of their noble house.

The low-ranked generations could not grasp the essence and truth of the world.

Their perspective was limited, leading them to believe what they saw over just a few short decades constituted the entirety of the world.

However, in the vast expanse of the billions of planes within the Astral Realm, their understanding was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Only when one reached the life level of Rank One or above could they truly “open their eyes and see the world”.

While Earl Grantt remained lost in contemplation, the battle before him was nearing its conclusion.

Sein’s unexpected use of the Acid Wand had injured one of the senior squires closest to him.

The other two senior squires, initially underestimating Sein, only realized the gravity of the situation when it was too late.

Sein’s Pyro Blade spell was ready to be unleashed.

It was a less-than-fair fight.

The three senior squires were unarmed against Sein, who turned out to be more formidable than they anticipated.

Sein’s sudden attack managed to repel all three senior squires at the same time.

Nevertheless, he refrained from causing serious harm to the senior squires as he sensed no malicious intent from them.

The senior squire from earlier was only injured from falling off his horse when the acid from Sein’s wand had struck him on his thigh, melting his armor.

As long as he received timely treatment, the injury was not life-threatening.

The sparks from the collision between the Pyro Blade spell and the metal armor snapped Earl Grantt out of his thoughts.

Before he could intervene, the three senior squires had regrouped and attempted to subdue Sein again.

This time, they drew their weapons and externalized their battle qi.

Even as the acid melted through their armor and the Pyro Blade spell shattered their chest plates, not a single grunt escaped the lips of those three senior squires.

Their resilience spoke volumes about their capabilities as the earl’s seasoned retainers.

They were undeniably tough, even by the standards of the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City.

The renewed vigor from the senior squires caused Sein to narrow his eyes.

He pondered whether he should have been more ruthless earlier. The Acid Wand directed at the defenseless head of the senior squire could have caught him off guard and resulted in instant death.

The injuries sustained by the other two senior squires, who had initially underestimated Sein, would have been more severe if Sein had been ruthless.

As Sein chastised himself for being too merciful, Earl Grantt interrupted his thought.

“A senior magic initiate? Hohoho, not bad! I didn’t realize you have reached this level. Maybe you have really inherited the fine bloodline of your mother’s side of the family.”

”Step aside. Let me handle this myself!” Earl Grantt commanded the three senior squires with a wave of his horsewhip.

The three senior squires in armor promptly retreated, reaching for ointment in the saddles of their mounts to tend to their injuries.

As knights with years of battlefield experience, they efficiently proceeded with their first aid procedures.

Earl Grantt was still on his high horse, showing no intention of dismounting or drawing his longsword.

His horsewhip, which was already emitting violet flames, seemed to be his weapon of choice instead.