Sovereign of the Ashes

In the Magus World, there existed another group that bore similarities to the aquatic races—the demihumans.

Spread throughout the depths of the underground world, the demihumans’ societal structure might not quite match that of the aquatic races, yet they were not far behind either.

During his time in Mystralora City, Sein had his fair share of encounters with these demihumans, even narrowly escaping death at the hands of one.

Consequently, Sein’s knowledge of demihumans surpassed that of his peers among the divine tower mages.

Life for demihumans was harsh.

In years of calamity, the demihuman tribe was forced to exchange their offspring for sustenance.

Yet, the harsh survival laws in Gloomhaven were even more unforgiving than those of the Boundless South Sea.

While the latter offered vast schools of fish and seaweed to sustain the struggling aquatic races, the underground world provided little.

When even edible moss was scarce, demihumans would have to resort to gnawing on rocks.[1]

Sein’s speculations closely mirrored the grim reality.

The Sea Lizards targeted Kurt’s ship not only in an attempt to extort money from those operating in the gray areas but also with the ulterior motive of culling their burgeoning population.

The fertility of the Sea Lizards had resulted in overpopulation. Despite producing only three to five offspring at a time, the resilience of the Sea Lizards ensured an extremely high chance of these offspring surviving to adulthood!

Sea Lizards reached sexual maturity when they were about fifteen, and in some cases, as early as ten.

With such maturity rates, even a pile of rotten seaweed and sparse fish populations were barely enough to sustain a Sea Lizard tribe.

The current plight of these Sea Lizards turning to robbery stemmed from the recent storm season, which had significantly depleted their resources.

Yet, a more pressing issue stemmed from the marginalization by other sea tribes nearby.

The ocean might seem boundless for land-dwellers like Sein, yet its expanses had long been divided by aquatic races that existed since the primordial era.

As the lowest echelon among these aquatic races, Sea Lizards faced disdain and oppression from others.

The impact of the storm season was not limited to the Sea Lizards alone.

While aquatic races of middle and upper echelons might find ways to cope, those at the bottom, like the Sea Lizards, faced dire straits.

This year’s storms had cost the Sea Lizards nearly a quarter of their breeding grounds.

Conversely, the favorable conditions of the previous year saw a significant increase in the hatch rate of Sea Lizard newborns.[2]

For a tribe to prosper long-term, it should not depend solely on those in their prime but must also cultivate the potential of the next generation.

This was the reason behind the Magus World’s substantial investments in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War and the Nation War Plan programs annually.

Despite appearances of low intelligence and a reliance on brute force, the Sea Lizard tribe had its share of strategic thinkers, particularly adept at selecting their targets.

They knew that attacking larger, well-connected merchant ships or other aquatic races around them could lead to devastating repercussions far beyond mere population loss—the potential extinction of their race.

The regulations of the divine towers and orders of the knights offered little sympathy toward aquatic races. Ultimately, they approached matters predominantly from the standpoint of humans within the Magus World.

Meanwhile, the massacre continued...

Yes, it was a one-sided slaughter.

Aside from the formidable Sea Lizard chief who managed to fend off some of Kurt’s onslaught, the assault by the other adult Sea Lizards seemed akin to a suicide mission in Sein’s opinion.

It was foolish of these creatures to think they could withstand the elemental power of a Rank One mage, armed only with their natural defenses when they had not even reached the life level of Rank One themselves.

Due to divergent paths of evolution, the armor of their scales paled in comparison to the durability of many pyro elemental creatures Sein encountered in the Viridian Venom Flame World.

It had only been less than fifteen sandglasses since the battle began, yet the waters were already stained with the dark blue hue of blood.

Drawn by the scent, smaller marine life converged on the scene, turning the battle into a macabre feast.

Interestingly, the Sea Lizards did not hastily deal with their fallen allies. Instead, they discreetly spread a net woven from green seaweed across the waters.

The net was clearly not to stop Kurt’s alchemy vessel, which despite its weathered condition, retained enough power to breach the eye of a massive storm.

Throughout the battle, Sein merely observed dispassionately.

The swift demise of nearly a thousand Sea Lizards and the growing stench of blood did not affect him but reminded him of something else.

His thoughts drifted toward leveraging the underprivileged aquatic races and underground demihumans as a workforce solution for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, which faced a shortage of enslaved creatures.

If Sein were merely an ordinary Rank One mage, the depth of this issue might have eluded him.

Yet, as the apprentice of a divine tower master, his insights and perspective were markedly profound, especially after the conclusion of the recent Viridian Venom Flame World war. This depth of understanding enabled him to consider issues more critically.

Prior to the commencement of the Viridian Venom Flame World war, members of the Verdant Flame Faction convened for a discussion at the summit of Grand Master Feylis’ divine tower.

The decision to conquer and occupy an entire plane was far beyond the purview of someone of Sein’s standing,

Nevertheless, he was listening to the discussion as the third-generation apprentice of the Verdant Flame Faction.

He remembered how Lorianne was forced to deploy nearly two hundred thousand plant creatures she had painstakingly raised in her world laboratory to war due to not owning her own legion of enslaved creatures.

It was a loss that the world laboratory, in which she took great pride, would likely not recover for centuries.

This harsh reality prompted Sein to contemplate a more sustainable approach.

Procuring enslaved creatures required funds, which Lorianne lacked.

However, enlisting these low-level aquatic races and demihumans for their cause could work.

The Jewel Sea next to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring could offer a temporary refuge for these aquatic races.

Similarly, the Viridescent Land, situated close to Gloomhaven, was teeming with diverse underground demihumans.

Sein also thought of a way to hire these low-level aquatic races and demihumans at no cost—by sharing profits from the war as their compensation.

Based on Sein’s interactions and understanding of most demihumans, as well as the low-level aquatic races he had encountered recently, he knew that those dwelling at the lowest echelons of the Magus World typically had very modest needs.

1. Author’s Note: Certain demihumans with unique physiques possess stomach acid strong enough to digest rocks. ☜

2. Author’s Note: Yes, the Sea Lizards are oviparous races, i.e. they lay eggs. ☜