Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein did not stay too long at the stall.

Aside from acquiring a hundred Oxygen Pearls, Sein also learned from the female Half-Sharkfolk why she could discern his true identity as a mage.

“You have concealed your elemental power well, Esteemed Master, yet we, the aquatic race, can sense the life force and pulse of various beings through subtle shifts in water molecules. I must say, you are very strong,” she explained as she shyly dropped her gaze to Sein’s chest.

The aquatic races occupied a precarious position within the hierarchy of Magus World when compared to human knights and mages.

This was even more pronounced for the Half-Sharkfolk, whose status and living conditions markedly differed from those of the pure aquatic races.

For them, aligning with a Rank One mage or knight could significantly improve their fortunes, which perpetuated the trade of aquatic slaves along the southern coast.

This was a trade based on mutual consent, where becoming the slave of a full-fledged mage was preferable to the harsh life at sea.

Sein was not interested in the blue-skinned Half-Sharkfolk in that way, but he was intrigued by her ability to perceive auras and pulses through water molecular differences.

This skill likely originated from the aquatic race’s innate mastery over hydro elemental energy and possibly a unique organ in their body.

Sein’s anticipation for his upcoming journey grew even stronger. He was also considering the prospect of enhancing the collection in his laboratory with aquatic specimens.

Of course, Sein had no intentions of causing any trouble in Fernandez City or personally capturing any aquatic beings.

As the apprentice of a divine tower master, he was mindful of the regulations enforced by the major divine towers.

Instead, he considered the black markets along the southern coast as potential sources to fulfill his academic interests.

***

Upon departing from Fernandez City, Sein set his course toward the southwest.

According to the magic note left behind by Master Morsidor, there seemed to be a small black market in that area.

In reality, these clandestine markets would struggle to remain operating without any powerful backing.

Given the presence of black markets near every major human settlement, Sein could not help but speculate their possible ties to influential factions or individuals nearby, such as powerful knights or mages.

For instance, it could be that Rank Three grand mage in Fernandez City.

Yet, Sein treaded cautiously in his musings, recognizing the danger of baseless accusations.

The regulations of the divine tower applied even to Rank Three grand mages, and Sein could not predict what kind of desperate measure they would resort to when exposed.

Both the divine towers and the orders of the knights likely chose to overlook these matters.

As long as the activities remained within the gray areas allowed by the rules without becoming blatantly obvious or excessively unsavory, the divine towers preferred not to intervene unnecessarily.

Having endured the grim reality as a black magic initiate in Gloomhaven, Sein had never been fooled by the seemingly wonderful facade of this world.

Despite his youth and having been promoted to Rank One less than a century ago, Sein’s perspective was remarkably seasoned.

However, his assumptions proved erroneous this time around.

Perhaps the southern coast was not as terrible as anticipated, or maybe the divine towers across this region had already initiated a crackdown on illegal activities.

Upon reaching the purported location of the black market as indicated in Master Morsidor’s magic note, Sein was met by a desolate shore covered in seaweed, devoid of any signs of life or commerce.

Approaching the area near the coastline, Sein stumbled upon charred rocks, which were actually vitrified sand.

It was evident that the black market he sought had been obliterated, likely over a decade ago.

Apart from the rocks, everything related to the black market had vanished, swept away by the passage of time and the gentle caresses of the sea breeze.

“Only a divine tower is powerful enough to eradicate an entire black market without leaving a single trace behind,” Sein mused.

Among the four Divine Towers nearby, Sein could not ascertain which had been responsible.

“The Divine Tower of Dawn isn’t too far from here. They were the ones who led the charge against Mystralora City back then, this could be their doing,” he speculated.

Finding no trace of the black market, Sein saw little reason to linger.

Casting a glance westward, he resumed his flight, eager to forge ahead.

***

The prosperity of the southern coast was mostly reflected in its convenience.

Here, virtually any task could be executed with ease, and any material could be procured effortlessly, provided one had the necessary funds.

In a bustling seaport city named Tiste, Sein spent a tidy sum of magicoins to acquire a collection of low-ranked aquatic beings.

These creatures, bearing a resemblance to crabs, sported green shells and walked sideways.

Not all the aquatic races were protected under the regulations set forth by the divine towers and the orders of the knights.

Only those that demonstrated significant intelligence and developed some form of civilization fell under their protection.

The Green Oyster Crabs Sein acquired were essentially the “savages” among the aquatic races. Their lives were primitive, driven by basic survival instincts, and their intelligence was only on par with that of human children.

These low-ranked aquatic races garnered little empathy or recognition, not just from the land-dwelling human knights and mages, but even from the other aquatic races in the ocean.

Sein’s purchase of several Green Oyster Crabs, each about half as tall as a human, was made from a Flame Jellyfolk.

Aside from those crabs, he also acquired a three-meter-long Twilight Sea Snakefolk that bore a resemblance to humans.

These creatures, as intelligent as humans, were actually an aquatic race protected by the divine towers.

However, the Snakefolk in question was a criminal, guilty of breaching aquatic race laws, and thus permissible for sale without the need to trade through black markets.

Through his dealings with the Flame Jellyfolk, Sein learned about the existence of numerous Sea King Palaces that upheld the oceanic order deep beneath the waves.

These places served a similar role to that of the divine towers and orders of the knights on land.

Sein was also informed of the myriad ocean nations lying in the depths of the Magus World’s oceans.

These powerful aquatic creatures had also built nations and civilizations of their own.

Contrary to the assumption that all aquatic races led simple, tribal existences, some had erected magnificent and opulent underwater crystal palaces.

When it came to wealth, certain aquatic races could rival the divine towers and orders of the knights on land.