Sovereign of the Ashes

In the evening, the setting sun cast its rays upon the top floor of the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, painting the entire hall a mesmerizing scarlet hue.

It was then that Gregory and Bernice finally made their appearances, one after the other.

Gregory, Grandmaster Verdant Flame’s second apprentice, was a formidable Rank Five mage who founded the Divine Tower of Whispering Flame.

Gregory’s appearance was a stark contrast to the mages Sein was accustomed to encountering. His bare chest and arms showcased an impressive muscular build, and he wielded a thick, heavy black magic rod.

Despite being a mage, Gregory appeared even more physically powerful than a typical knight.

Bernice, Grandmaster Verdant Flame’s fourth apprentice, looked more normal compared to Gregory.

She wore a revealing dress that showed off her bare arms that were adorned with enigmatic green patterns.

Although she carried no magic rod, she wore a metal ring around each of her wrists and ankles.

With his alchemist’s insight, Sein could tell these rings were more than mere decorations, though their exact purpose remained a mystery.

Bernice, a Rank Four mage, was the founder of the Divine Tower of Floating Flame.

Like Gregory, she arrived accompanied by a group of apprentices and grand apprentices.

Sein observed that both of them had relatively fewer direct apprentices—Gregory had only three, while Bernice had two.

This was in stark contrast to the double-digit counts of direct apprentices under Master Andres and Master Holfson.

Sein speculated that the reason for this disparity might lie in the extended lifespans and expansive knowledge of the divine tower masters above Rank Four.

Their broad horizons likely influenced their preference for dedicating time to experimental research over teaching numerous apprentices.

On the other hand, Master Andes and Master Holfson, having pretty much given up on promoting to Rank Four, focused on nurturing a substantial number of direct apprentices.

Their goal was to create a legacy of knowledge bearers who would continue their magical journey and uphold their will throughout the remainder of their lifespans.

While Master Gregory and Master Bernice had very few direct apprentices, they had quite a number of grand apprentices and great grand apprentices.

Master Gregory, a Rank Five mage who had lived for tens of thousands of years, had seen his line of apprentices extend to the seventh generation.

With the arrival of these two masters and their apprentices, all members of the Verdant Flame Faction were now gathered.

The assembly was impressive, boasting over a hundred full-fledged mages. This included more than a dozen at Rank Three, about thirty at Rank Two, and over eighty at Rank One.

As a newly promoted Rank One mage, Sein initially blended inconspicuously into the crowd.

However, the apprentices from each lineage soon moved to stand in separate rows with their respective mentors at the forefront.

In this arrangement, Sein immediately stood out for being the sole apprentice standing behind Lorianne.

Sein managed to maintain his composure, standing respectfully behind his mentor and awaiting Grandmaster Verdant Flame’s speech.

“I see there are many new faces since our last gathering. The youngsters all look promising; you five have certainly chosen well.” Sitting in her high seat at the front, Grandmaster Verdant Flame smiled approvingly at her five apprentices.

She spoke slowly with an air of nobility and grace, yet every word resonated clearly through the hall.

In response to the Grandmaster’s commendation, the five mages, led by Lorianne, bowed gracefully as a gesture of respect.

Given the formality of the occasion, even though the Grandmaster Verdant Flame was close with her apprentices, it was important to set a proper example for the younger generations of grand apprentices.

“It has been three thousand years since our faction last gathered. Back then, Lorianne, our youngest, had not yet attained Rank Four and the third was still among us. Time has swiftly passed and much has changed,” Master Gregory remarked.

Gregory was recognized as second in strength and seniority only to Grandmaster Verdant Flame within the faction.

His words drew Sein’s attention to two smaller groups of mages standing respectfully at the side.

Sein surmised that these groups, totaling less than twenty individuals, were likely the apprentices of Grandmaster’s eldest and third apprentices.

Despite the passing of the two apprentices, the ties between the grandmaster and her grand apprentices remained.

Gregory’s response evoked a sense of nostalgia in both Grandmaster Verdant Flame and the others.

After a brief exchange about recent developments within the faction, Grandmaster Verdant Flame finally addressed the primary reason for the gathering.

“The plane we aim to conquer is known as the Viridian Venom Flame World, a low-level plane at the edge of the Neisse Star Domain. This plane once had deep ties with the Neisse Civilization, but after our victory and occupation of over two-thirds of the Neisse Star Domain, the Viridian Venom Flame World severed its communication links with them and extended an olive branch to our Magus Civilization,” Grandmaster Verdant Flame explained.

Her lips curled into a smirk as she continued, “This low-level plane is cunning and snobbish. Upon realizing the inevitable defeat of the Neisse Civilization, it sought to align itself with the Magus Alliance. Normally, such a plane wouldn’t be of particular concern, but its unique resources and laws are exceptionally well-suited for our faction.

“Allowing it to join the Magus Alliance would mean only limited exploitation of its value. Instead, I prefer a direct occupation so that we can fully utilize the Viridian Venom Flame World’s resources to our advantage.”

While Grandmaster Verdant Flame’s words were delivered with a smile, Sein could not help but perceive the underlying gravity of her statement. The fate of an entire low-level plane, along with the lives of countless creatures and intelligent races, hung in the balance.

To him, Grandmaster Verdant Flame’s smile was rather demonic and tinged with cruelty, a stark reminder of the harsh laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest that governed the Astral Realm.

In the hall, not a single full-fledged mage, including Sein, showed any dissent. After all, this was a world where empathy for the weaker was as scarce as for lab mice.

Most in the hall were preoccupied with contemplating the gains this world could offer them, rather than the dire fate of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Being relatively new as Lorianne’s apprentice and having been promoted to Rank One less than a year ago, Sein had yet to explore the Verdant Flame magic, a central element of his faction’s teachings.

He could not help but glance toward Lorianne, silently wondering when she would impart the knowledge to him.