Sovereign of the Ashes

CRACK! CRACK!

The cracks of a horsewhip rang out from the stone bridge outside the Grantt Castle.

Following release of battle qi and elemental energy, the once pristine white stone bridge soon bore the scars of battle.

Earl Grantt was undeniably a seasoned noble knight.

Despite wielding an unconventional weapon, the precision and control over of his battle qi during each strike showcased his remarkable skill.

Not only that, Earl Grantt even provided Sein with insights into his weaknesses and areas for improvement during their battle.

Sein, having spent over a decade in the Mystralora City, lacked the battlefield experience that defined his father’s background.

Spellcasters like Sein spent most of their time engrossed in magic experiments and research.

His ruthlessness in combat merely reflected the temperament of a black magic initiate rather than a seasoned soldier like his father.

Earl Grantt, exuding the profound aura of a Quasi Knight coupled with extensive combat experience, finally subdued Sein’s arrogance.

Initially dismissive of his father’s hints and guidance, Sein found himself struggling to break through Earl Grantt’s battle qi and horsewhip.

Despite his arrogance as a senior magic initiate, Sein had to acknowledge that his father’s combat prowess, achieved over years of dedication, was beyond his reach at the age of twenty-five.

Even so, Sein clung to the belief that knowledge was the ultimate power.

As long as he continued to learn and grow, he would surpass his father one day.

“I’m running out of focus and mana... Is this the strength of a Quasi Knight’s battle qi?” Sein thought to himself inwardly as he unleashed yet another Fiery Hand spell.

“No, an average Quasi Knight shouldn’t possess this level of strength. His power is likely connected to the Violet Flame Battle Qi he condenses and his precise control over his strength with each release of his battle qi.” Sein shook his head in contemplation.

The horsewhip, covered by violet flames, effortlessly crushed Sein’s intermediate magic spell in mid-air.

Observing Sein’s performance, Earl Grantt commented once again, “The power of this intermediate magic spell is commendable, but I’ve noticed something.”

“Have you only mastered one advanced magic spell? The one you used to injure Carter with seemed to be contained in the magic wand. Is that why you mostly rely only on intermediate magic spells?” he asked.

“Your promotion to a senior initiate at the mere age of twenty-five is an impressive feat. Mastering too many complex advanced spells is understandably challenging for an initiate your age, considering the promotion of a magic initiate is already much more challenging than a squire,” he added.

Earl Grant’s words essentially revealed that he had thoroughly assessed and scrutinized Sein from every angle, showing that he was superior to Sein in all aspects.

At this point, Sein had already laid bare all his cards, but Earl Grantt had yet to unleash his full potential.

Earl Grantt did not wish to strain his newly rekindled relationship with his son either.

He lowered his weapon and said, “Won’t you stay? With House Grantt’s influence and legacy, you’ll have ample resources to access the spell models for various advanced magic spells.”

“I understand the substantial costs involved in a mage’s research and experiments. In my capacity as the earl of Grantt Territory, I pledge to sponsor fifty thousand gold coins annually to support your research and expenditures,” Earl Grantt offered.

The gold coins of the Lysian Alliance held significant value, especially considering the region’s fertile land and abundant grain production.

Valued higher than the coins from Zephyr Kingdom and only slightly inferior to the Ohrque gold from the Ohrque Empire, the offer of fifty thousand gold coins annually was extravagant.

For many struggling minor nobles, it was an astronomical amount that easily exceeded the entire wealth of their noble houses.

Such a substantial offer could sway even Quasi Mages, not to mention senior initiates.

Earl Grantt was right—mages often faced financial challenges due to the costly nature of their research and experiments.

It was rare for mages to hail from a wealthy family and possess a substantial inheritance from his mentor like Sein.

For most magic initiates, a significant portion of their lives were dedicated not to experimental research but to securing resources and experimental materials.

This was also the norm for full-fledged mages.

In addition to the financial support, the invaluable influence and connections of House Grantt could provide Sein access to rare experimental materials and precious energy crystals.

This was a privilege beyond the reach of many minor noble houses and independent magic initiates who were not affiliated to any mage councils.

Furthermore, these advantages came without any cost to Sein!

In any case, the proposition of Sein’s return to House Grantt seemed to offer all advantages and no drawbacks.

As a mage known for rationality and wisdom, Sein would surely make the best decision for himself.

Earl Grantt believed he had effectively convinced Sein through their battle and other aspects.

Unfortunately, he was unaware of Sein’s experiences over the years and lacked the knowledge of Sein’s net worth.

If Sein were to liquidate all the inheritance from his mentor in his space bangle, along with his thirty Rank Two energy crystals, he might accumulate enough wealth to build more than one Grantt Castle.

Earl Grantt was pulling his punches, and Sein took a few steps backward after unleashing a fireball spell.

It was clear that Earl Grantt had no intention of causing harm to Sein.

His whip consistently targeted Sein’s magic spells, and the whip, infused with Violet Flame Battle Qi, never made contact with Sein.

Nevertheless, Sein was not inclined to stay. With his focus and mana running low, he could not afford to engage in an extended confrontation with Earl Grantt.

From his space bangle, he retrieved an old black magic rod—one of the two rods among Morsidor’s possessions.

The other metal rod contained a more powerful spell, but Sein had yet to figure out its usage.

Sein was already familiar with the capabilities of the black magic rod though. With his focus level as a senior initiate, he could utilize it to some extent.

This black magic rod contained not only a restorative spell known as “Flesh Regeneration”, but also two other passive spells.

One was a ranked offensive magic spell, “Pyro Impact”, and the other was a functional ranked magic spell, Aero Hymn.

The mana required for Pyro Impact was excessively high, and the mana consumption too great for Sein’s current condition to sustain.

Furthermore, a ranked magic spell of such caliber should only be used if Sein intended to destroy half of the earl’s castle.

On the other hand, the Aero Hymn spell had a lower focus level requirement for casting, making it more suitable for Sein’s present circumstances.