Sovereign of the Ashes

House Guilleman had its own office and chamber of commerce in Cannes Sea City.

When the giant alchemy ship, escorted by numerous aquatic races, approached the nearby seas of Cannes Sea City within the Marmett Union Alliance, news of its arrival had already been circulated.

The Marmett Union Alliance had swiftly mobilized dozens of ranked knights and full-fledged mages to escort the ship.

It was clear that neither Sein nor the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce’s ship he was aboard was influential enough to warrant such an escort.

Instead, it was Tourmaline, the immense dragon turtle leading the ship and resembling a small moving island, that drew the Marmett Union Alliance’s attention.

Tourmaline was known for its reticence around strangers, particularly in large numbers.

Sein was able to easily form a bond with Tourmaline because both possessed traces of the Magus World’s origin energy in their bodies, which fostered a natural affinity between them.

When faced with the knights and mages of the Marmett Union Alliance, whose strength was far inferior to its own, Tourmaline’s first instinct was to retreat into its shell...

Tourmaline’s unwillingness to interact with the knights and mages from the Marmett Union Alliance forced Sein to handle the communication.

Despite the significant pressure, Sein mustered the courage to approach the group of knights and mages.

He bowed respectfully before explaining, “I am a registered mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. During our voyage across the Boundless South Sea to the Marmett Union Alliance, we were attacked by a Rank Two black mage...”

His detailed account was meticulously organized and recorded into the crystal ball of a female mage in a pale yellow robe.

Apart from her, the Rank Two knight leading the group was also listening intently.

The Marmett Union Alliance maintained a balanced development between knights and mages, contrasting sharply with the Alveroth Empire’s focus on mages and the Byrne Empire’s emphasis on knights.

This neutrality fostered a harmonious environment within the alliance, ensuring that both knights and mages enjoyed similar status and benefits.

In contrast, the Pyro Secret Society, to which Grandmaster Feylis belonged, heavily favored mages, leading to a skewed development, particularly toward pyromancers, who formed most of its strongest combat forces!

Such imbalance was typical of many major powers in the Magus World, so the Marmett Union Alliance stood out as a unique exception.

The alliance was home to thousands of divine towers and an even greater number of orders of the knights, reflecting the higher number of knights compared to mages in the Magus World.

With at least two thousand beings of Rank Four or above, the Marmett Union Alliance’s formidable strength could easily overpower many civilizations of large worlds.

The length of the Neisse Star Domain War, spanning thirty thousand years, suggested that the Marmett Union Alliance and other top Magus World powers were not fighting at full strength.

Without even assistance from Steel City or the Pyro Secret Society, the sheer might of the Marmett Union Alliance alone could have easily subdued such a vast world civilization.

Cannes Sea City, despite appearing large to Sein, was modest within the grand scale of the Marmett Union Alliance.

The city’s permanent military presence consisted only of a few Rank Two knights and mages.

The Rank Two knight listening intently to Sein’s statements was one of them.

The presence of Tourmaline had garnered significant attention from the Alliance. Their interest lay not in Tourmaline’s power, but rather in its prestigious lineage, particularly its father.

Information regarding Tourmaline had already been forwarded to the nearest divine towers and the headquarters of the Marmett Union Alliance by the local authorities of Cannes Sea City.

It was anticipated that a Rank Three grand mage, or perhaps an even more formidable being, would soon arrive to address the situation.

“I understand your circumstances. Please enter Cannes Sea City and wait there for a while. We’ve cleared a vast area of sea and beach on the eastern side of the city, where Master Tourmaline can rest,” Clauser, the Rank Two knight, seemingly recognizing Sein as the dragon turtle’s representative.

Clauser held the position of city lord in Cannes Sea City.

Although there were also two Rank Two mages in the city, they typically remained secluded within their laboratories and were generally uninvolved in administrative affairs.

This left Clauser, noted for his diligence and responsibility, to manage the city’s operations.

Hearing Clauser’s instructions, Sein turned his head to glance at the dragon turtle floating in the sea.

At this moment, the sea surface was empty except for a floating island—Tourmaline’s head was still retracted into its shell.

Sein’s mouth twitched slightly at Tourmaline’s behavior. He had learned something new about this massive dragon turtle yet again.

He knew that Tourmaline had no plans to stop on the coast of the Marmett Union Alliance. Instead, the dragon turtle intended to continue northward through the ocean, heading back to the Western Archipelago.

Given Tourmaline’s timid nature, Sein was genuinely concerned that this massive dragon turtle might simply depart without him.

Without waiting for a response from Tourmaline, Sein decided on its behalf. “Sure!”

There was no way Sein would let such a powerful ally like Tourmaline slip away so easily.

With this colossal creature by his side, Sein did not need to fear the black mages.

Moreover, the more attention the Marmett Union Alliance paid to Tourmaline, the less Sein could afford to let it go.

They were friends, right?

Friends should always stick together.

Besides, Tourmaline had already agreed to accompany him and visit Magus World’s largest magic beast forest, located northeast of the Marmett Union Alliance.

Sein understood that Tourmaline, with its straightforward and reliable nature, was not the type to break promises.

Likewise, Sein making decisions on its behalf likely would not upset Tourmaline either, especially since the dragon turtle had already willingly agreed to accompany him through the Marmett Union Alliance.

Once communication concluded, Clauser personally guided Sein and the others toward the eastern side of Cannes Sea City instead of departing right away.

The giant ship, carrying the magic initiates and human sailors, did not continue with Sein but instead headed directly for the city’s harbor.

Sein anticipated inquiries from House Guilleman about the black mage’s ambush. Yet, the people from House Guilleman never came to see him.

Clearly, Tourmaline and Sein were now of greater interest to the Marmett Union Alliance than the mishap involving the alchemy ship.