Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein noticed that Zorro’s left arm was metallic.

It was a prosthetic, as the real one had been chopped off by their archenemy, Daelis.

After decades of not seeing him, Zorro had changed significantly in Sein’s eyes.

People change, especially when their external environment shifts drastically.

Once upon a time, Sein thought of Zorro as just an alchemy maniac without any battle prowess.

Observing his demeanor now, it was clear that Zorro, who had been promoted to Rank One about twenty years ago, was not weak among the recently promoted Rank One mages.

Perhaps Zorro had been hiding his true abilities all along.

Being defeated by Daelis must have made him realize his shortcomings and quietly grow stronger.

If Morsidor were still around, he would surely be gratified by Zorro’s progress.

He had always felt that Zorro was too much like himself. It was precisely because of this similarity that Morsidor understood the folly of being overly obsessed with alchemy while neglecting other aspects.

If Morsidor were a peak Rank One mage, or even a Rank Two mage, Daelis would not have dared to ambush him.

Perhaps Morsidor’s death had spurred Zorro’s constant quest for strength. In the future, Zorro might even reach Rank Two or higher.

In any case, Morsidor’s revenge was not a burden for Zorro to carry alone.

Sein placed his hand on Zorro’s metallic left arm.

Sein placed his hand on Zorro’s metallic left arm. With his rich mana and powerful constitution, Sein easily overpowered Zorro’s surging mana, causing a moment of visible surprise on Zorro’s face.

“Sein, your strength has surpassed mine since you’re capable of killing Bhabaluka, a Rank One mage. But that’s still not enough to threaten that wretched woman...” Zorro remarked.

“No, I’ll definitely strike her down as long as I’m given a chance to face her head-on!” Sein said with certainty, looking Zorro in the eye.

Zorro was not sure where Sein’s confidence had come from, but at this moment, he believed in him.

Even if Sein could not kill Daelis, Zorro was determined to fight tooth and nail to finish her off.

After all, Zorro owed Morsidor a far greater debt than Faye, Sein, or the others.

Zorro had been apprenticed to Morsidor when he was a little boy.

He could still vividly recall the flames that consumed his village and Morsidor holding him in his arms as they escaped the fire.

For decades, Morsidor had been both a mentor and a father to him.

Because of this bond, Zorro was willing to risk his life to avenge Morsidor!

From Zorro, Sein learned more about Rank One black mages like Daelis, including her specialty and the tactics she had used in her previous fight against Zorro.

Sein memorized every detail meticulously.

Zorro also shared with Sein about the backer behind Daelis—the formidable Rank Three mage, Gandra.

Gandra was even more seasoned and powerful than Martin.

Since Daelis was one of Gandra’s valuable assets, Gandra would not allow her to perish without doing anything.

The apothecary’s ability to amass wealth was on par with the alchemist, making it a highly lucrative profession in Blackhaven.

Therefore, Sein needed to consider Gandra while planning to kill Daelis.

Sein remained calm and collected after hearing about Gandra, seemingly unfazed. This impressed Zorro, who could not help but wonder whether Sein had a way to deal with a Rank Three black mage.

Sein had gained more insights from Zorro than from Faye. Zorro even shared details about his relationship with Dean Martin and others.

It turned out that when Rank Three black mage Martin intervened and helped Zorro settle his grudge with Daelis, it came at a cost.

Although Zorro failed to defeat Daelis, he was obligated to fulfill a three-hundred-year service contract as an alchemist for Martin, per their agreement.

It seemed like the mages in Blackhaven were all cunning to the core.

Although Zorro was under Martin’s protection, the Rank Three mage insisted that Zorro sign a three-hundred-year contract.

It would not be entirely accurate to say that Zorro was “forced” into signing the contract; he did so with full consent.

Only after the contract was signed did Martin truly treat Zorro as one of his own, providing ample resources and granting him significant autonomy.

Among the black mages under Martin’s command, Zorro was considered a trusted subordinate and privy to some secrets known to very few.

“After coming to Blackhaven, I learned something,” Zorro suddenly mentioned.

“The founder of Mystralora City was actually Jemal, a demigod-level black mage. Master Jemal once served as the dean of an academy in one of the black towers in central Blackhaven a thousand years ago, and his connections in Blackhaven were extensive. He traveled to Gloomhaven to establish Mystralora City because of certain information he discovered.

“Dean Martin mentioned to me that if I served him for the full term of three hundred years, he would find a way to help me defeat Daelis. Not through his own power, of course, but through the influence of the black towers deep within Blackhaven. Over these past few years, Dean Martin has been initiating contact with them.”

Zorro’s words seemed like a plausible path to avenge Morsidor.

If Sein was not strong enough on his own, this solution might be the only way to solve the problem.

It was no wonder Zorro had not considered leaving the Western Archipelago.

However, Sein shook his head as he listened.

“I can’t wait three hundred years. I want her dead now! Besides, who can guarantee that Dean Martin will fulfill his promise then? Even if he intends to, there’s no assurance he’ll have the strength, or that the black towers in central Blackhaven will support him,” Sein said.

Sein’s words echoed the doubts Zorro had pondered over the years.

Sighing softly, Zorro said, “In a few days, I’ll take you to Dean Martin. We’ll definitely need his involvement to confront Daelis. That woman has been staying on Tres Island in the north for an extended period, and I heard that Gandra nearly turned her into a puppet.”

Sein nodded and then asked Zorro about Leena.

Zorro glanced cautiously at Faye, aware of her intimate relationship with Sein.

Seeing Faye’s indifference, Zorro replied, “Actually, I’ve only seen Leena twice over the years. The last time was twenty-two years ago. She was already a Rank One mage then, having been promoted two years before me.”

“What still puzzles me is that Dean Martin was present at the time, and for some reason, he seemed to regard Leena very highly,” he added.