Sovereign of the Ashes

Just by standing there, the mysterious black mage instilled a profound sense of fear and oppression in everyone.

For the entire time, Sein and the other two mages remained silent. Only the Rank One Knight conversed with the black-robed old man.

Sein did not gather much information about the black mage through their conversation.

“Hey, do you have any female full-fledged mage for sale here?” the black-haired knight asked, possibly growing accustomed to the oppressive aura or feeling secure within the confines of the Imperial Pearl Auction.

The black mage responded with a piercing laugh before turning around and nodding at the knight.

“I do have one here, priced at twelve hundred magicoins. If you want her, come with me to get her,” he said.

That statement alone gave away his formidable strength and potentially profound background.

The notion that even a Rank One mage could be captured and sold as a slave was usually unheard of on the Magus Continent.

However, the price exceeded what the Rank One knight was willing to spend.

He chuckled awkwardly and replied, “Never mind, these five initiates will keep me entertained for a good while.”

“It was mentioned earlier in the auction that that female initiate is skilled in apothecary, yes?” the black-haired knight asked, pointing to a blue-haired female among the kneeling magic initiates.

The old black mage showed no interest in answering the mundane question. Whether these magic initiates or squires had any special abilities was irrelevant to him.

In his eyes, they were merely shiny magicoins. He cared little for their lives beyond the value they could fetch.

The old man’s expertise in soul magic far surpassed Sein’s.

With a mere tap of his magic rod, the soul seals on the foreheads of the initiates and squires glowed more intensely.

All Sein and the other buyers had to do next was simply channel their mental focus into these soul seals.

The ability to control the life and death of these slaves with a single thought was the same tactic commonly employed by the Magus Civilization to use enslaved creatures as cannon fodder in foreign conflicts.

Apart from his profound knowledge in soul magic, the old black mage was also likely the person who crafted the space crystal necklace worn by the mermaid.

These alone were testimonies to his strength and breadth of knowledge.

This showed that the old black mage was unlikely a nobody within the circle of black mages from the Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago.

***

The old black mage’s actions were swift, and since Sein and the others were present in person, they were able to immediately take their soul slaves with them after completing the transfer of soul seals.

The three soul slaves Sein bought—two male and one female—displayed mostly numb expressions.

However, Sein, with his background from the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City, could discern beneath their numb exteriors a brewing mix of resentment and madness.

It was no wonder why a soul seal was necessary. Based on their demeanor, these individuals were indeed more formidable and radical than the black magic initiates of Mystralora City.

Sein could only wonder what kind of environment the Blackhaven of the Western Archipelago had to produce such a group of lunatics.

After claiming his three soul slaves, Sein left without even looking back.

Despite his curiosity about the origins of the black mage, Sein remained silent throughout the encounter, mindful of the significant gap in their strength.

However, he sensed that the old black mage had taken a particular interest in him—or more precisely, in the Verdant Flame Eye Mask he wore.

The old black mage was a skilled alchemist, so he could naturally recognize the distinctive qualities of Sein’s mask compared to other ranked magic artifacts.

Beyond Sein’s evident proficiency in alchemy, what likely caught the attention of the old black mage was a subtle hint of verdant flame particles in the mask.

The verdant flame was not a basic elemental energy and a knowledgeable black mage like him could surely recognize its uniqueness.

As Sein exited the underground space, the oppressive atmosphere gradually lifted.

Another figure remained behind—the Rank two mage who had shrouded his face with elemental light.

He was likely the true buyer of the mermaid.

After all, a transaction involving thousands of magicoins was not typical for a Rank One mage.

***

After leaving the auction, Sein swiftly exited the Monique Black Market.

He had gathered the information he sought about black mages and, having encountered a genuine Rank Two black mage and acquired three soul slaves, he felt he had enough to begin uncovering more about Blackhaven.

Lingering in the Monique Black Market no longer seemed necessary or beneficial.

Moreover, ever since he had claimed the three soul slaves and departed the underground space, Sein had been feeling an increasing sense of unease and irritability.

He suspected that the source of his discomfort might be the presence of these three human slaves.

There was a real risk associated with his recent purchases—if news of his acquiring three magic initiates and squires as soul slaves were to leak, even his mentor’s high standing as a divine tower master might not shield him from significant consequences.

The potential repercussions could be the reason Sein felt an urgent need to leave.

Initially, Sein had considered boarding Kurt’s ship when he returned from the Monique Black Market.

However, given his current unease, he decided instead to use the teleportation array in the black market.

This decision, although slightly more costly, would save him significant time.

The only uncertainty was the final destination of the teleportation array and whether it would align with his initial travel plans.

***

The Jagem Plains were located in the central region of the southern coast of Magus World, slightly to the west.

While still within the sphere of influence of the Divine Tower of Dawn, this area was close to its edge.

The Divine Tower of Dawn was not the sole divine tower on the southern coast. Three additional divine towers were present further west.

However, neither of these divine towers matched the strength of the Divine Tower of Dawn. They were only slightly more powerful than the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

To many magic initiates and even Rank One and Two mages, the southern coast of Magus World appeared extremely prosperous.

Yet, its prosperity and development paled in comparison to its more powerful neighbors located in the southern part of Magus World’s main continent, such as the Marmett Union Alliance in the southwest, the Bryne Empire in the central south, and the Desert Kingdom of Jehannah in the southeast.

It was not an exaggeration to say that these three forces were operating on a completely different level.

For the overmages and overlords in Magus World, the southern coast was merely a “small place”.