Sovereign of the Ashes

The injury to Earl Grantt’s arm did nothing to diminish his standing within the family.

Getting used to eating with his left hand would take some time, but it did not stop him from savoring the slices of meat from a low-level magic beast known as Maned Deer, dipped in expensive caviar from the far south.

The Maned Deer’s meat, roasted to a medium-rare perfection, oozed red juice when cut into.

The faint metallic taste was a flavor appreciated by Earl Grantt and his youngest son, Solon.

Sein tried some of it, but quickly discovered he was not a big fan of undercooked meat. Nevertheless, he did not find the dish repulsive.

Although Earl Grantt typically ate a lot during his meals, he devoured his food very quickly.

By the time Sein was cleaning his palate at the end of his meal with fruit juice, Earl Grantt had finished the last piece of his steak.

The earl did not seem to prefer fruit juice, so he always ended his dinner with sweet soup that could replenish his strength.

Instead of immediately partaking the bowl of pure white sweet soup a maid had served him, the earl tapped his silver spoon on the bowl to capture the attention of the others at the table.

He announced, “In two days, I will lead the army to the western front. Solon will accompany me. Sein, you will...”

“My experiment is at a critical stage, and today, there was another major breakthrough,” Sein calmly interrupted before the earl could finish speaking.

Initially displeased with the disruption caused by Earl Grantt during his experiment, Sein’s mood lifted upon making a new discovery due to the earl’s reckless behavior and his injury.

Upon hearing that, Earl Grantt nodded and said, “Then you will remain at the castle. John will stay behind. You can communicate directly with him if you need anything.”

The earl was determined to meet with Sein today, even if it meant using force, to discuss this matter.

With the approaching war in the Lysian Alliance, no one knew how long the conflict would last.

It would have been fine if it was short, but if it spanned over a few years, they might not be able to see each other much.

Earl Grantt had initially hoped Sein would join him on the front lines.

Several mages served in the war of the three nations, but they were mostly either junior initiates or intermediate initiates.

Senior initiates were highly esteemed and safeguarded by major legions.

Quasi Mages and Quasi Knights like Earl Grantt seldom engaged directly in wars. They assumed more of a command role instead.

On exceptional occasions, individuals of such caliber might still intervene directly.

Despite hoping Sein would join him on the front lines, Earl Grantt valued Sein’s perspective and was considerate of his personal thoughts on the matter.

After all, the advancements of mage and knight were inherently different.

Knights required the crucible of war to continuously push their boundaries and ascend to higher echelons.

In contrast, mages could transmute and elevate their mental focus through laboratory research, thereby advancing their life level.

If Sein’s experiment had indeed reached a critical stage, there was no need for him to journey to the frontline.

Moreover, the chaotic environment of the frontlines was far from conducive to Sein’s research and experiment.

Going to the frontline held little purpose for Sein, considering he was not an enlisted mage in the Lysian Military, and the military had not provided any subsidy for him previously.

Throughout this period, he only relied on himself and the funds from the earl.

After sorting out the arrangement for Sein, Earl broached the subject of Sein’s maternal family.

Earl Grantt was a man of few words. He rarely spoke extensively, even during meals.

Sein’s maternal family, House Farion, held the status of a baronial family in the south-central part of the Lysian Alliance, sharing territorial borders with the Grantt Territory.

Once an illustrious magic family, House Farion boasted ancestors who were mages above Rank One.

However, the family had declined over the past few centuries, not only did it decline into a baronial family, even the size of their territory paled in comparison to powerful families like House Grantt.

Despite the decline, House Farion maintained a respectable position among the other baronial families in the Lysian Alliance due to their former glory.

Currently, there were several notable magic initiates within the family, with the strongest being a Quasi Mage.

Given House Farion’s legacy, House Grantt had agreed to the union between the current earl and the late Lady Catherine.

Through Earl Grantt, Sein learned that although Lady Catherine was a magic initiate, her talent did not seem exceptional.

She remained a junior magic initiate until she passed away, specializing in hydro and lumen magic spells that were more attuned to non-combative applications.

After the passing of Lady Catherine and Earl Grantt’s remarriage, interactions between House Grantt and House Farion dwindled.

Lady Catherine’s father, Sein’s grandfather, was still alive, albeit leading an ordinary life.

Earl Grantt informed Sein that Sein’s grandfather, along with representatives from House Farion, might visit him in the castle in the near future.

House Farion had learned that Sein was now a senior initiate from some source, and initiated a contact with House Grantt after so long.

One of their desires was for Sein to acknowledge his connection to House Farion and his status as a descendant of their bloodline.

More importantly, having a senior initiate like Sein as a family member could improve House Farion’s influence and prestige within the Lysian Alliance.

As for future interactions and potential collaboration, House Farion had yet to broach the subject.

After all, Sein’s last name was Grantt, not Farion.

Despite Sein’s mother being a significant member of House Farion’s lineage, it appeared that her branch did not produce any notable magic initiates.

With Catherine’s passing, the status and influence of Sein’s grandfather’s branch within House Farion had waned.

After providing a brief overview of House Farion’s situation and the circumstances surrounding Sein’s maternal family, Earl Grantt took a moment to contemplate.

He then told Sein, “I have yet to disclose to the public that you have a full-fledged mage as a mentor, nor have I mentioned your intention to join the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring.”

“When your maternal grandfather and the others from House Farion arrive, I hope you won’t casually reveal this information to them either. Although I have a close connection to your mother’s family, the dynamics within House Farion are considerably more complex than in our House Grantt. This includes the current head of the main branch and a few other branches in House Farion,” he explained.

“I don’t want the House Farion to impede your growth, do you understand?” Earl Grantt emphasized, looking directly into Sein’s eyes.

After absorbing the weight of the earl’s words, Sein remained silent.