Sovereign of the Ashes

A passionate reunion between Eileen and Sein marked their first night together after a long separation.

At the end of the session, Eileen broached the subject of marriage with Sein.

In the Magus World, polygamy was common among nobility and knights. It was a tradition rooted in ancient practices, and nothing to do with demeaning women.

In the Astral Realm, powerful life forms claimed more mates from the opposite sex. In a more primitive power structure, men often wielded greater influence than women.

Conversely, the mages of Magus World largely adhered to monogamy, possibly because their strength derived from knowledge, which was inherently gender-neutral.

During the Viridian Venom Flame World War, Sein had encountered many formidable female mages. Grandmaster Feylis, Master Bernice and Master Lorianne were among those female powerhouses.

Eileen’s question plunged Sein into a reflective silence.

His thoughts drifted to Leena. If he had to choose a life partner, he would definitely pick her.

Women were perceptive, and Eileen was no exception. She immediately sensed something from his silence.

As a member of the ruling family of a dukedom, Eileen was a lot more experienced with the ways of the world than Sein and approached the delicate subject with patience.

She nonchalantly brushed back her damp long hair and calmly inquired, “What’s wrong? You have a wife already or something?”

“Is it that cousin of yours?” she asked.

Eileen had been suspicious of Sein and his cousin since his days as a magic initiate. She had even teased him about it in a light-hearted manner before.

However, she never truly viewed Selina as a rival. Selina’s status as a mere magic initiate was her biggest disadvantage.

Given that full-fledged mages could live for nearly a thousand years, Selina and Sein were practically from different worlds until the day she reached Rank One.

Sein’s silence on the matter convinced Eileen that the situation was far more complex than she had initially anticipated.

She frowned and continued pressing, “Who could it be, if not your cousin?”

Sein was reluctant to talk about his past in Gloomhaven.

With his induction into the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring and his apprenticeship under Master Lorianne, he hoped to leave his past behind, relegating it to the depths of memory.

His silence, along with a discernible air of sadness, made Eileen feel a growing distance between them.

It was at this moment, Eileen realized how little she knew of Sein’s life before the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. She only knew that he hailed from a knight house in the Lysian Alliance.

“Forget it, it’s not as if I’m forcing you to take any responsibility. Our primary focus should be the pursuit of truth and knowledge,” Eileen finally conceded, dismissing the issue with a wave of her hand.

While marriages and unions did occur among mages, they were relatively rare.

Many mages were so obsessed with uncovering truths that they often ignored their physical urges and the importance of creating heirs. Because of this, they placed greater importance on mentorship over familial ties, unlike knights.

The lack of offspring was common among mages. When they eventually reflected on their legacy and found no suitable heir to pass their knowledge onto, their focus naturally shifted to taking on apprentices. Besides, blood relations did not guarantee a worthy successor.

House Grantt boasted a rich lineage, yet not every direct descendant was destined to become a Rank One knight.

The unpredictability of bloodline inheritance made it an unreliable method for transferring knowledge and power.

Wise mages preferred to handpick an exceptional successor to take up their mantle, recognizing that knowledge transcended genetics and heritage.

While a mage’s initial mental focus might set the initial limits of their capabilities, the true measure of a formidable mage was not found in their innate mental focus but in the breadth and depth of their knowledge!

Eileen’s nonchalant reaction stirred something in Sein. He met her gaze and apologized.

Eileen’s silence following Sein’s apology was filled with speculation, including the possibility that Sein’s family had arranged a marriage for him.

After all, knight houses placed greater importance on lineage continuation than prestigious magic families

The silence and introspection marked the end of Sein and Eileen’s passionate reunion.

Before the break of dawn, Eileen discreetly left the top floors of the divine tower.

Given their unmarried status, it was inappropriate for her to openly stay the night.

Despite their deep fascination with unraveling the mysteries of truth, mages did not entirely ignore societal norms and etiquettes.

With a limited number of full-fledged mages in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Eileen preferred to avoid becoming the subject of gossip among her peers. She was extremely mindful of her reputation.

After seeing Eileen off, Sein returned to his daily routine of research and experiments, though his focus was notably diminished.

As Sein examined the thinly sliced muscle tissue of a pyro elemental creature under the elemental microscope, his thoughts wandered off.

Reflecting on the women he had encountered over the years, Sein realized none were quite alike.

The harsh survival conditions of the Gloomhaven meant that strength dictated access to resources, including relationships.

In such an environment, few would have entertained thoughts of romance.

Sein and Selina’s relationship could perhaps be viewed as one of dependence, with Selina being the dependent one. Therefore, she refrained from making remarks about his personal affairs.

Eileen, however, stood as Sein’s equal in every regard, leading her to broach the topic of marriage after their intimate reunion.

Both of them were considered a good match as House Grantt was a prestigious family, and Eileen belonged to the ruling family of the Fran Dukedom.

A union between them could benefit their respective families.

House Grantt would surely welcome the opportunity to establish connections with a prestigious magic family boasting full-fledged mages, and the Fran Dukedom would appreciate an alliance with a knight house that included a Rank Two knight.

Even if Sein were not part of a knight house, his status as the apprentice of the divine tower master alone held significant weight.

The guilt Sein felt toward Eileen weighed heavily on his mind, prompting him to sigh deeply as he stood alone in his laboratory.

Now, his desire to travel to the Western Archipelago had intensified. He wanted to find out Leena’s current state, whether she was alive or not.

He believed that Leena would not perish so easily. It was a mysterious hunch that he could not explain. Sein suspected that this intuition might be linked to the astrology explored by certain mages.

Unfortunately, his knowledge in that area was limited, and there was not much relevant information available in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring either.