Sovereign of the Ashes

The Marmett Union Alliance arranged for the dragon turtle Tourmaline to rest on a shoal on the eastern side of Cannes Sea City.

It was a sunny and serene spot, scarcely disturbed by wildlife.

To the south, a large river, over seven kilometers wide, flowed into the South Sea.

Clauser, the Rank Two knight of Cannes Sea City, had carefully considered the situation. He anticipated that Sein and his companions would likely journey northward across the Marmett Union Alliance.

This foresight led him to position Sein and Tourmaline at this strategic sea inlet.

Rows of opulent white castles could be seen near the shoal. They were the properties of Cannes Sea City’s elite.

Among these, a castle near the center was temporarily assigned to Sein.

It was huge, rivaling even the Lysian Alliance’s Grantt Castle in grandeur, and staffed with nearly two hundred servants all year round.

According to Clauser, Sein was granted full authority over these servants.

Upon arriving, Sein immediately inspected the castle’s basement.

The lavish building boasted multiple spacious basements and even included two dungeons.

The odd shapes of some iron implements in the dungeons piqued his curiosity about their intended uses.

Sein had several secretive matters to handle, particularly the questionable loot he had recovered from the Rank Two black mage, including a mermaid.

After dismissing all the castle’s servants and setting up three layers of simple prohibition arrays in the basement, Sein converted this area into a temporary laboratory.

Given the need for secrecy, Sein decided against immediately examining the loot from the black mage.

Instead, he focused on healing his injuries while continuing his studies on the verdant flame magic.

The recent battle with the black mage had deepened Sein’s understanding of verdant flame magic.

He recognized that battles not only spurred a mage’s rapid growth but also highlighted areas for improvement by revealing the advantages of others.

***

In the laboratory, a layer of green flame clung to Sein’s skin, burning along a predefined path.

His body was once again etched with special runes—a Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique he had conceived during the Viridian Venom Flame World war.

After extensive research, he reverted to this method to strengthen his body.

Ideally, Sein would have preferred to do this with the advanced equipment in his mentor’s laboratory, but current circumstances made that impossible.

The green flame hissed softly as it burned Sein’s skin.

At the side, a crystal ball was monitoring Sein’s statistics. His mental focus remained stable, but his mana and constitution gradually improved as the process continued.

Focus: 170.2

Mana: 186.3

Constitution: 127.9

In just a few months, all of Sein’s statistics had increased by nearly ten points.

The most significant improvements were seen in his constitution, closely followed by his mana.

Sein attributed these enhancements to the recent battle with the black mage and his ongoing Verdant Flame Body Tempering experiments.

Despite the risks involved in combating the black mage, the growth he had experienced during this period made the dangers seem worthwhile.

Finally, the green flames ceased their dance across Sein’s skin.

Displayed in the laboratory was a figure of robust perfection.

The only other person in the laboratory was Yuri, the engineer who assisted Sein with data recording.

The battle they had recently endured together had solidified her place by his side, finally marking her as one of his trusted few.

Previously, for more dangerous experiments like these, Sein would have preferred the assistance of Sev over Yuri, despite having control over her through soul magic.

His experiences in the underground world during his youth had taught Sein to be skeptical of everyone. Even the bonds formed through soul magic were insufficient to convince him.

Sein rose from the experiment table, accepted the white towel from Yuri, and wiped his body with it.

Some black residue from the burnt magic ingredients clung to his skin, along with the specially engraved magic runes, which were now of little use. Since yesterday, his constitution had hit a growth plateau.

Typically, one would either take a break before resuming such an intense body tempering process or wait for a new or unusual opportunity to present itself.

Suddenly, the sound of a magic bell echoed through the underground laboratory.

Turning his attention to the crystal ball, Sein saw a green-robed magician hovering at a low altitude outside the castle, his gaze fixed on Tourmaline in the sea inlet.

Clauser was just a few steps behind the green-robed mage, bowing and speaking respectfully to him.

It had been nearly a week since Sein and Tourmaline’s arrival in Cannes Sea City, and it seemed the Marmett Union Alliance had taken notice.

Sein wondered about the strength and identity of the master who had been sent here.

Handing the soiled white towel to Yuri and disregarding her flushed expression, Sein selected a dark-colored magic robe from the coat rack by the lab door and began putting it on along with his rings, mask, bangle, gauntlet, shoes, and other magic equipment.

As an apprentice of a tower master and a Rank One mage distinguished in alchemy, Sein was never without an ample supply of magic equipment.

His equipment had been crucial in withstanding several attacks from the Rank Two black mage.

Though some of his shield-type equipment had sustained damage, he had meticulously repaired each piece over the past few days.

Just as he was about to leave the laboratory, Sein paused and threw a glance at Yuri.

“I’ve concocted a couple of mental focus recovery potions for you. Make sure to take them on schedule,” he reminded.

He continued, “And given your current constitution, you’re not yet ready to undergo a Verdant Flame Body Tempering process like me. Once we leave Cannes Sea City, I’ll prepare a specific potion for you and devise a series of body tempering plans.”

“All right.” Yuri nodded, watching Sein strode out of the laboratory.

***

When Sein stepped outside the castle, the green-robed mage in the sky was looking in his direction.

Farther out along the shore, Tourmaline, the dragon turtle, was playing in the sea.

One could gauge Tourmaline’s mood by watching its tail.

Whenever the dragon turtle creature was happy, it would flap its tail energetically.

Yet, Sein could never forget how this very tail had once easily smacked a Rank Two black mage to death.

Sev was flying near Tourmaline’s head, with a large swordfish in its clutch.

Ever since being healed by Tourmaline, Sev had taken to flying close to the dragon turtle.

This behavior was not only a fulfillment of Sein’s order to foster a good relationship with Tourmaline but also a natural instinct.

Sein had to admit, the massive dragon turtle was rather adorable.