Sovereign of the Ashes

After a year and a half, Sein found himself back in Grantt Territory.

The visit was intended to be brief, as Sein’s experiment focusing on the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique had reached a crucial phase.

The Grantt Territory had seen expansion from its original borders.

This was a development supported by many nobles in the Lysian Alliance. With House Grantt’s recent surge in influence, an increase in both territory and stature was deemed appropriate.

Sein, being a Rank One mage, understood the dynamics behind such territorial adjustments.

Lesser nobles often relinquished parts of their lands to more formidable houses, like House Grantt, possibly due to losses within their ranks, especially ancestors of Rank One and above.

Interplanar wars were no trifling matter. The war in the Viridian Venom Flame World saw the fall of more than a hundred full-fledged mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

It appeared that the ranked knights from across the Lysian Alliance had also been recently mobilized for interplanar wars, including Julius and Jeremy, who had just returned.

This situation led to a subtle power realignment and reshuffling within the Lysian Alliance and its neighboring nation, all while remaining unnoticed by the general populace.

The stability provided by the orders of the knights ensured that these shifts did not disturb the lower echelons of the Magus World.

The loss of over a hundred mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring hinted at a weakening among many prestigious magic families in neighboring nations.

Yet, the absence of significant upheaval thus far attested to the effectiveness of the existing system.

Sein’s maternal family, House Farion, had seen its days of glory. Its state of decline could only be attributed to misfortune, with hopes of resurgence in the future.

House Grantt, despite its elevated status, was not known for extravagance. Sein noticed the family’s frugality, especially among its three knights of Rank One and above.

Upon his return, Sein encountered a group of ranked knights from neighboring human nations, and the orders of the knights, gathered in the castle’s stable.

There was a reason why Old Grantt chose to host the banquet here—its vast expanse was necessary to accommodate the sheer number of attendees.

The event boasted no fewer than two hundred knights of Rank One and above, not to mention the numerous attendants and escorts in their entourage.

Apart from the Reverse Winged Lion King, a super-ranked magic beast, Sein also saw dozens of formidable creatures of various appearances.

These large, impressive Rank One and Two creatures probably served as the knights’ mounts, with a handful exuding a distinctly otherworldly aura, hinting at their origins beyond the Magus World.

However, Sein’s interest lay more with the gathering of over two hundred knights than with the creatures relegated to mount status.

He was genuinely surprised that his great-grandfathers, Julius and Jeremy, could muster such a formidable assembly of ranked knights.

Had Sein been the host, he doubted he could invite more than a handful of “friends”. Only five would likely make an appearance.

Sein quickly became the center of attention upon his arrival at this outdoor banquet.

After Sein dismounted from Sev, the owl instinctively joined the other Rank One and Two mounts.

House Grantt had wisely arranged for an abundance of food to cater to these creatures’ prodigious appetites.

Fortunately, the banquet turned into a significant opportunity for gift-gathering, mitigating the cost of feeding such voracious guests.

The banquet’s fare was far from ordinary, even the meat provided for the creatures was sourced from magic beasts or tasty extraplanar beings.

Upon landing, Sein made his way to the banquet’s heart, where Old Grantt awaited.

Yet, it was the Reverse Winged Lion King who first announced Sein’s return.

“Hey, the Rank One mage of House Grantt is back!” the winged lion exclaimed loudly.

While Sein’s rank as a Rank One mage might not draw attention amidst so many Rank Two knights, his other identity sparked their curiosity.

Given House Grantt’s standing within the order of the knights, it was unusual for so many knights to attend the banquet in person.

At most, these knight houses would have sent an envoy to offer greetings and present a gift of considerable value.

However, the dynamic shifted a few years back when the Reverse Feather Lion King returned to the orders of the knights with Julius. Its loud mouth made it challenging for anyone to remain ignorant of the mage in their family.

After Sein greeted Old Grantt with a nod, Julius took the initiative to introduce Sein to an impressive-looking knight beside him.

Towering over three meters, with dense brownish-red hair and a robust build, the Rank Three knight was the most distinguished guest of the Grant family, commanding the attention of all present.

“Meet Sir Snape from the Ohrque Empire. He’s an eternal friend to our House Grantt,” Julius said.

As Julius introduced the Rank Three knight, Sein immediately thought of his father, Earl Grantt, leading the Lysian Alliance’s forces against the Ohrque Empire in his youth.

It was his valor back then that had earned him the title “Earl of Cercis”.

Sein, though young and accomplished in his own right, knew his father’s remarkable feats as a knight.

Old Grantt was an exceptional elite within the Lysian Alliance. If this were not the case, the ancestors of House Grantt would not have harbored significant expectations for his advancement to Rank One.

Despite the fleeting thought, Sein knew it was not appropriate to discuss his father’s military exploits with Snape.

Conflicts among human nations seldom reach the echelons of the influential above Rank One. Due to the protocols of the order of the knights, everyone maintained a veneer of civility, at least outwardly.

“Greetings, Sir Snape,” Sein greeted, bowing as a gesture of respect.

Snape seemed familiar with mage etiquette. He returned the gesture with a warm smile and nod.

“Greetings to you too, Master Sein. You’re as youthful as the rumors suggest. I’ve had dealings with Empyrean, the dean of your Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy. I heard you’ve recently returned from an interplanar war?”