Sovereign of the Ashes

“How does the First Young Master manage to seclude himself in his room for such extended periods every day?”

“He doesn’t host frequent banquets like the other nobles, and isn’t keen on going out for hunts, unlike the Second Young Master.”

“Plus, he’s always involved in dangerous activities. That explosion last time frightened Little Lisa so much that she couldn’t sleep for days.”

Outside the tower at the back of the earl’s castle, a group of maids gathered discreetly, exchanging hushed gossip.

The tower, exclusively belonging to Sein, was constructed in just half a month with a significant investment from the Earl’s household, irrespective of the cost.

Before leaving, Earl Grantt deliberately instructed that the tower’s materials and wall thickness far exceed normal specifications.

Sein detested distractions during his experiments, going as far as dismissing the maids serving him when he needed to concentrate in his experiments.

Although Sein emitted an aura resembling Earl Grantt’s, the maids discovered the First Young Master was not difficult to get along with after several months of interaction.

Most of the maids assigned to Sein were young maidens less than twenty years old.

This age group was known for their liveliness and gossip. When Sein was not in a foul mood, these young girls dared to even gossip about him.

Sein’s experiments varied in duration, sometimes lasting for half a day or even several days.

The maids, having gradually figured out the patterns, were no longer afraid of their master’s sudden appearances.

Lady Thea, the other owner of the earl’s castle, never ventured into this part of the castle either.

Therefore, serving Sein had become a coveted job within the castle.

The work was both undemanding and respectable.

If one were fortunate, they might even catch the eye of Young Master Sein...

Well, that was the biggest dream of most naive maids working in the earl’s castle.

Although they would not be granted any title, being noticed by a noble young master could significantly change their future life and their family’s circumstances.

The maids working in the Grantt Castle mostly hailed from commoner families within the Grantt Territory.

Working in the earl’s castle was better than a life that involved waking up early to toil in the fields.

Unfortunately, Sein appeared to have become more reserved since returning to House Grantt.

He showed little interest in maids who were more than willing to climb into his bed and please him.

It was also plausible that Sein had gradually lost interest in ordinary human women.

His encounter with another woman named Mary in Berthold City was due to his long-suppressed desires at the time and because she was an intermediate initiate who shared the same interests with Sein.

What topics could he possibly discuss with the maids in the castle?

Sein’s desires were not particularly strong. If he had not been suppressing them for an extended period, he would not feel a pressing need for fulfillment.

BOOM!

The sound of a magic explosion echoed once again within the tower, causing the maids outside the tower to scream in shock.

They could only experience the terror of magic and the startling commotion of an elemental explosion.

Yet, they remained unaware that this explosion differed slightly from those in the past few months.

Deep within the tower, white crystal lamps illuminated the laboratory.

Sein, standing in front of the experiment table, had his eyes fixed on a golden beam of light.

Passing through more than ten translucent lenses, it converged into a line in the center of the experiment table.

The golden beam contained rich pyro elemental energy.

Apart from that, Sein also detected some lumen elemental energy.

“I see. Solar Eye is technically a dual elemental advanced magic spell. It’s only categorized as a pyro magic spell because there’s only a small amount of lumen elemental energy in it. In that case, what will happen if I alter the ratio of the lumen elemental energy in it...?” Sein mumbled to himself.

In the expression on his face, there was the joy of discovering the truth, the eagerness to explore the unknown, and a touch of hesitation.

Modifying magic spells independently was nothing out of the ordinary for a senior magic initiate like him.

Although Sein had worked out an enhanced version of the Minor Fireball spell when he was only a junior initiate, it was different from actual magic modification.

He only had to increase the mana input, and besides, Leena was there to guide him back then.

Modifying the Solar Eye spell involved more specialized knowledge, more work, and a higher degree of danger.

If it were not for the protection of the geo elemental shield ring left behind by his mentor, the experimental accidents and explosions during the past few months could have kept Sein bedridden for half a year.

He would not have been able to pursue the truth tirelessly as he was doing now.

The danger of conducting magic research in the laboratory was sometimes as hazardous as fighting on the battlefield.

An unexpected experimental accident could blow up the entire tower, claiming Sein’s life.

After a moment of contemplation, Sein shook his head, choosing to be rational.

I’d better thoroughly master the Solar Eye spell recorded in my mentor’s magic tome first.

Improving such an advanced magic spell is best left until my knowledge becomes more comprehensive, especially in relation to lumen elemental magic spells.

I lack substantial information on the subject. Aside from the Brilliance spell, the only lumen elemental magic spell I’ve found is in a magic book that documents a basic magic spell known as ‘Flash Shot’ among the belongings my mother left behind.

The basic magic spell “Flash Shot” was weaker than the Minor Fireball spell, but it appeared that this basic lumen magic spell had a superior version, akin to the latter.

Given it was his mother’s legacy and his strong affinity for the lumen element, Sein decided to learn and master the “Flash Shot” spell, even though he anticipated using it rarely under normal circumstances.

Having acquired core knowledge of the advanced magic spell, Sein’s progress in mastering the Solar Eye spell became increasingly smoother.

Consequently, the frequency of explosions in the tower decreased.

As time passed, winter arrived.

***

For the first time since leaving the Underworld, Sein witnessed a snowy landscape.

According to Earl Grantt, Sein was born during a snowstorm in winter.

Therefore, the appearance of the snowfall indicated that Sein had reached the age of twenty-six.

While standing by the window at the top of the tower and gazing at the white world outside, Sein could not help but wonder about Leena’s current situation.

The heavy snowfall had also slowed down the battles on the frontlines of the Lysian Alliance, the Zephyr Kingdom, and the Ohrque Empire.

Last week, the earl sent word that he, along with Solon, would return to the territory for a period in the near future.

Hoot! Hoot!

Seven emerged from the distant sky, eventually landing right in front of the window in Sein’s room.

Shaking off a layer of white snow, it was evident that it had just returned from some outdoor adventures.

“Where did you go again today, Sev?” Sein casually inquired.