Sovereign of the Ashes

“Have you heard the news? A few days ago, a full-fledged mage was testing their magic in the initiates’ area at the training grounds and ended up leaving a massive hole in the sky.”

The murmurs among a group of magic initiates outside the library caught Sein’s attention.

“Huh? Whose work could it be?” an intermediate initiate asked.

“No idea. Master Lyner was trying to find the mage responsible, but there were only initiates in the training ground at that time.”

“According to some gossip, there’s a rumor that the full-fledged mage who destroyed the energy shield in the training ground likely had a way to conceal their presence. They pretended to be an initiate to thwart Master Lyner’s detection,” another female initiate chimed in.

Sein was still caught in a trance of excitement when he emerged from the library.

This excitement had lingered for several days, but it was time to gather himself, plan the next stage of study or research, and move forward.

The whispers and discussions of the initiates in front of him finally brought Sein back to reality.

After all, the focal point of their conversation was none other than him.

Sein, however, did not really care about the incident from a few days ago.

He managed to evade detection by the full-fledged mage on duty at the training ground, and it was improbable that anyone would assume an initiate could unleash such a potent magic spell.

Although he was testing his spell in an exclusive area that day, the hole he left in the shield with his Solar Eye spell was positioned over a public area.

Sein skillfully avoided detection, slipping away before the full-fledged mage realized what was happening in the training ground.

By the time they began checking all the initiates in the area, he had already returned to his dormitory.

Disregarding the initiates’ whispers and gossip, Sein shook his head to dispel his wandering thoughts and then headed toward the library.

This was why he was different from most of the initiates at the divine tower academy.

While they were interested in gossip within the academy, Sein focused solely on the progress of his magic research and experiments.

He only bothered with information that directly concerned him.

This likely contributed to Sein being somewhat of a misfit since arriving at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

As he approached the library entrance, Sein noticed Grimm being surrounded by other initiates from the corner of his eye.

As a senior initiate, Grimm was no doubt one of the strongest in the group.

Yet, amidst the gossip and casual chatter of the initiates around him, Grimm did not engage in their discussions. Instead, he slightly lowered his head, deep in contemplation.

Sein had often witnessed Grimm in a similar state in the library.

Grimm’s ability to maintain focus on his thoughts, even amidst the noisy discussions of the other initiates, was truly impressive.

Sein wondered if he was actually thinking about his magic research.

To the other magic initiates, Grimm’s behavior was not surprising. They had grown accustomed to Grimm’s personality and often treated him like he was invisible.

If Grimm were not a senior initiate with strength among the top three in their group, he might not have held such a prominent position.

“Oh, you’re here, Grimm. Are you guys about to do something?”

Spotting Grimm, Sein approached, offering a greeting to the first friend he made at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

Sein’s voice, though not loud, was able to reach Grimm and snap him out of his thoughts thanks to voice transmission.

Even if Grimm could focus on his studies in such a noisy environment, he probably was not that deep in his thoughts. So, Sein’s question did not actually disrupt him.

“Yes, we’re planning to embark on an academy quest,” Grimm responded to Sein.

Sein’s approach and Grimm’s welcoming attitude prompted the voices of the surrounding magic initiates to gradually lower.

There were about ten magic initiates in their group, all of them were at least an intermediate initiate, making their collective strength quite formidable.

Grimm proceeded to introduce Sein to the other initiates, saying, “This is a friend I met at the library. Sein is a distinguished expert in lumen and pyro magic.”

However, Grimm’s introduction did not elicit much reaction from the group.

It would appear that Grimm’s popularity was not significantly better than Sein’s.

All of the initiates in the group hailed from Grimm’s homeland.

Not everyone was familiar with him. Only about three or four intermediate initiates shared a close bond with him.

Sensing the somewhat cold reception, Grimm added, “Sein is a Quasi Mage.”

His statement finally stirred some interest among the other initiates.

After all, Quasi Mages were the strongest initiates at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

These initiates remained oblivious to Sein’s past victory over Mark. It had transpired years ago, and Sein had not showed up at the arena since then.

The fleeting renown he had gained at the time was quickly overshadowed by other initiates.

It was worth noting that Mark’s reputation in the academy over recent years had soared.

Although he barely held onto a spot in the top twenty of the academy’s power rankings, the fact that he maintained that position for an extended period attested to his skill.

A black-robed initiate standing beside Grimm stepped forward to greet Sein. “Hello, I’m Hildaes Gronn.”

His magic robe was noticeably more luxurious than those worn by the other initiates surrounding him.

It featured patterns sewn with golden thread, and the faint elemental energy it emitted allowed Sein to identify it as intermediate magic equipment.

If Sein’s memory served him right, Grimm’s birthplace was Gronn Kingdom.

Hildaes, the person in front of him, likely belonged to the royal family of that kingdom.

He was also one of only three senior initiates among all present.

Although Sein was not keen to make friends with these noble initiates, he nodded and returned the greeting out of respect for Grimm. “Hey, I’m Sein Grantt.”

A Quasi Mage, whether in the divine tower or a secular kingdom, was a figure deserving of attention for Hildaes Gronn, a royal scion from a relatively weak kingdom who sought to build connections.

Under normal circumstances, they could have forged a friendly relationship with Grimm acting as their intermediary.

Sein could extend his connections to the royal family of the Gronn Kingdom, while Hildaes could gain Sein’s friendship.

From a broader perspective, this connection could also create a political tie between the Gronn Kingdom and the esteemed House Grantt of the Lysian Alliance.

Unfortunately, while Hildaes harbored such intentions, Sein and Grimm paid little heed.

After their brief introduction, Sein never paid any attention to Hildaes again.

Likewise, Grimm did not make any attempts to introduce Sein to other initiates from the Gronn Kingdom.

There was a reason why both of them could forge a friendship with each other.