Sovereign of the Ashes

“I’m headed to the Divine Tower of Dawn,” Sein informed the female senior initiate before him.

Perhaps it was the southern coast’s congenial climate and environment that lent its residents an enhanced grace and beauty compared to their northern counterparts.

The female initiate facing him could easily be considered a beauty by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy’s standards.

Sein could not help but notice several other female initiates in the stone hall, each as striking as the one before him.

It led him to wonder if the Divine Tower of Dawn had deliberately assigned these beautiful female initiates here to enhance the reception experience for visitors.

Sein even noticed a Rank One knight in black armor giving his undivided attention to another female senior initiate from the Divine Tower of Dawn.

Nevertheless, the beauty of these female initiates hardly stirred anything in Sein.

He was a mage obsessed with unraveling truths, not the clothes of ladies.

Moreover, Yuri, the female engineer beside him, possessed a beauty that rivaled that of the female initiates, if one could overlook the distinct oval bump on her forehead—a feature not found in the humans of the Magus World.

Considering that some were extreme enough to bed Blue Sharkfolk, Yuri’s unique feature should be seen as a minor difference, especially since the Neisse Civilization creatures largely resembled the humans of the Magus World.

The initiate before Sein seemed aware of her appeal. She flipped her long hair, then straightened up to show off her figure.

“The Divine Tower of Dawn, yes? Are you one of the registered mages there? If so, presenting your badge will entitle you to a fifty percent reduction in the fare,” she explained.

“No, I’m from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. I’m visiting a friend there,” Sein clarified with a slight frown.

Upon learning that Sein was not a mage from the Divine Tower of Dawn, the initiate ceased her attempts to charm him.

Nevertheless, she remained respectful toward Sein, gently inquiring, “May I ask who are you visiting? We need to record this information.”

“Master Medich,” Sein responded.

“Huh? You’re actually visiting Master Medich?” The female initiate appeared rather surprised, unable to close her gaping mouth.

“Are there any issues?” Sein asked impatiently.

“No, not at all! I’ve filled out your information. The fare for the teleportation service will be ten magicoins, but we also accept energy crystals of equivalent value,” the female initiate informed with a smile.

The reason behind selecting these beautiful female initiates for their roles became evident, reflecting the teleportation array’s status as a premium service, not readily accessible to everyone.

Aside from the Divine Tower of Dawn’s staff, magic initiates and squires were rare sights in this stone hall.

After all, only ranked knights and full-fledged mages like Sein could financially afford to use such a service.

Ten magicoins was a substantial amount, especially considering the week-long airship journey Sein had taken cost him merely two magicoins.

Nevertheless, the efficiency offered by the teleportation array made the cost worthwhile.

The journey from his current location to the Divine Tower of Dawn was significantly longer than the distance he had traveled by airship across the Dodotri Archipelago.

Since Sein was told that mages affiliated with the Divine Tower of Dawn could use the teleportation array at half price, this meant the operational cost to activate the array was likely below five magicoins.

This pricing strategy suggested that teleportation arrays were not only a marvel of alchemy but also a lucrative revenue stream, albeit one not accessible to the majority due to its cost.

Aside from those like Sein, who was pressed for time, most knights and mages would likely opt for slower, more economical modes of travel.

“Your visit has been logged. Someone will be there to receive you when you arrive at the Divine Tower of Dawn,” the senior female initiate informed him with due respect.

Her initial surprise upon hearing Master Medich’s name was understandable, as he was a notable figure within the Divine Tower of Dawn

His public lectures drew many magic initiates from the academy, all eager to learn from the esteemed mage.

Additionally, Medich was also a favorite among the divine tower’s female mages, ranging from magic initiates to full-fledged mages. His widespread popularity was a result of his handsome appearance and his friendliness.

Sein himself, once a black magic initiate, had also experienced Medich’s kindness, which spoke volumes about the latter’s noble character.

Such qualities only added to Medich’s esteemed reputation within the Divine Tower of Dawn, where he was more prominent than even the dean of the academy.

He was also reputedly well-regarded among the orders of the knights in the region.

Setting aside these thoughts, Sein, with Yuri by his side, proceeded toward the teleportation array in the deepest part of the hall.

While Sein had used a teleportation array before, Yuri seemed visibly uneasy. It seemed like such advanced solo teleportation technology did not exist in the Neisse Civilization.

***

Within the teleportation array, Sein experienced a brief trance before emerging through a portal of light into a city sculpted from white marble.

This was the periphery of the Divine Tower of Dawn, an area, much like the outskirts of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, dedicated to fostering economic and trade developments.

Beyond mages like Sein, knights were also present in this district, albeit in smaller numbers.

In terms of prosperity, the commercial area surrounding the Divine Tower of Dawn surpassed that of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring by a significant margin.

Looking southward, Sein’s gaze was drawn to the towering presence of a white divine tower.

Its stature was nearly double that of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, though it did not quite reach the lofty heights of the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame.

While Sein was admiring the Divine Tower of Dawn, a Rank One mage approached him and asked, “Are you here to see Master Medich?”

The male mage, assigned to the divine tower’s external duties, had been informed of Sein’s arrival by the stone hall.

Such mages were tasked with receiving guests and handling any unusual occurrences, ensuring the security of the divine tower by vetting newcomers.

When Sein and Eileen first met, she was one of the mages on duty outside the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

“Yes, I’m Sein, from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring,” he confirmed.

The Rank One mage let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Sein’s introduction that clearly indicated his reputable origins.

For the past two decades, the Divine Tower of Dawn had spearheaded efforts to clamp down on the black market and dismantle groups of black mages along the southern coast.

Over twenty years ago, the Divine Tower of Dawn had mobilized a legion of mages, in partnership with an order of the knights, to annihilate a city inhabited by black mages in Gloomhaven.

In recent years, the Divine Tower of Dawn had occasionally been the target of retaliatory actions by black mages.

A notable incident that occurred before Sein’s arrival involved an attack on the Divine Tower of Dawn by dark mages using a deadly explosive.

That black mage had also captured Rank One knight and filled his body with a large amount of deadly substance...

“Do you have any type of identification? Alternatively, you could use a crystal ball to contact Master Medich directly,” the Rank One mage suggested.

Since Sein did not have Medich’s crystal ball contact, he retrieved the Divine Light Badge from his chest pocket and asked, “Will this suffice?”

“Certainly, that indeed contains the Master Medich’s Divine Light. Welcome to the Divine Tower of Dawn!” the mage responded with a welcoming smile.