Sovereign of the Ashes

“What kind of person could stumble upon such treasures during their travels?” Julius wondered aloud, smiling wryly as he observed his descendant’s nonchalant expression.

Unlike Julius, who maintained his composure, the Reverse Winged Lion King was far less reserved.

Licking its tongue shamelessly, it approached Sein and asked, “You must have other good stuff on you, right? Mind sharing some with me? Even just a bite of that Blood Coral is fine!”

Sein remained silent for a long while, and Samson, the Reverse Winged Lion King, did not rush him, instead coughing and feigning calmness.

“I know you mages believe in equivalent exchange. I won’t take advantage of you. After all, you’re a descendant of Sterk’s bloodline. How about this—I’ll share some news with you, something that will impact you for many years, maybe even for the rest of your life!”

Sein was quite fond of the lion before him despite its tendency to talk excessively.

He observed the battle scars marking its body, clear signs that this creature had fought alongside Julius through many life-and-death situations.

When these two Rank Two creatures joined forces, the power they unleashed was not merely additive but synergistic.

With years of battling side by side, Julius and Samson had become formidable enough to confront three or even four Rank Two creatures at once.

They had even faced Rank Three creatures before. Although they had not been victorious, Samson had managed to carry Julius from the battlefield in a harrowing retreat.

Sein paused to think, then retrieved a large chunk of late-stage Rank One creature’s flesh from his spatial storage equipment.

This was loot he and Leena had secured when they braved the beast hordes together in the Knight Continent’s trial zone.

For the Samson, the flesh of a Rank One creature was not a rare treat.

However, this particular beast had lived on the Knight Continent, and its flesh was imbued with rich elemental particles and abundant blood qi.

In the room, the Reverse Winged Lion King had shrunk itself to about two meters.

Despite its smaller size, it opened its mouth astonishingly wide and swallowed the several-meter-long chunk of meat in one gulp.

After swallowing, Samson remarked, “It’s been many years since I’ve eaten something so delicious. No, I can’t just swallow it right away. I’m going to store it in my belly and slowly savor it when I have nothing better to do.”

This display somewhat embarrassed Julius, who was the creature’s master.

Sein was about to mention that he had more pieces of meat on hand.

However, he quickly decided against offering more after watching the lion gulp down a chunk of flesh larger than its own size.

The magic beast flesh in his possession was not merely for eating.

Much of it held significant research value, which could hardly be appreciated by someone with a voracious appetite like Samson.

After enjoying the high-quality magic beast flesh provided by Sein, Samson stretched out its paw and patted Sein on the shoulder.

True to its word, he announced, “Kid, you’re in for a treat. Cleona has found you an excellent wife. You’re going to get married soon!”

This revelation took Sein by surprise.

In the Magus World, noble families, particularly the knight houses, placed extreme importance on carrying on the bloodline.

Although Sein was no longer young, he had yet to father a child, and this concerned the rest of House Grantt more than it did him.

The Cleona that Samson mentioned was none other than Julius’ girlfriend—or something like that.

While she had not officially joined House Grantt, she had moved in with Julius.

Cleona came from a knight house that was more powerful and prosperous than House Grantt, boasting a Rank Two Land Knight among their ranks.

Her family’s power and connections had enabled her to arrange a suitable match for Sein.

Although Sein was apprenticed to a tower master, his prospective partner was impressive in her own right.

Not only did she hail from a prominent family, but she was also a Rank Two Land Knight.

Without his status as a tower master’s apprentice, such a match would have been unlikely for Sein.

The news of his impending marriage to a Rank Two female knight soured Sein’s mood, overshadowing even the joy and relief brought by his father’s awakening.

Sein had no interest in getting married, except to Leena, but their union would be challenging to manage openly at this stage.

While Sein remained indifferent, the other three leaders of House Grantt were quite enthusiastic about the marriage.

This included the recently awakened Kelman, who, despite his frailty, managed a smile as he explained, “House Ernst is prestigious within the Order of the Steel Fist. They have produced more than one Rank Three Sky Knight, and you’re marrying a daughter from their main lineage.”

“Grandmother Cleona has been a great ally to us. Despite her family’s connections to House Ernst through marriage, she still went through a lot of trouble to arrange this match,” he added.

It was clear that Sein’s father was pleased with the arranged marriage.

Sein, no longer a child, understood the dynamics of noble families well, especially those with long histories and ancient legacies.

“Love” was often a nebulous concept among these noble families, where far greater emphasis was placed on strategic alliances and the exchange of benefits.

This was evident in Kelman’s two marriages, which were mired in complex considerations.

For such noble families, the marriage of a member from the main line was not merely a personal affair but a decision involving the entire family.

Members of the main family were relatively fortunate, as they at least had the right to make their own marital choices, and their prospective partners were guaranteed to be suitable matches.

In contrast, members of the branch family faced a tougher situation. They often fell victim to the family’s broader interests, unable to resist the demands placed upon them.

Kelman had only just awakened, and Sein did not want to burden him with disagreements or heated discussions at this time.

Therefore, his reaction to the sudden marriage news was notably subdued.

It was almost as if... he had not heard the news at all.

Sein took out a portion of the special resources he had acquired in the Knight Continent’s trial zone and left them in the room.

Some were intended for his father while others were for the two elder members of the family.

“Whoa, which ancient dragon’s lair did you rob? I’m not going to let anyone from House Ernst take you away unless they offer a lavish dowry!” Samson exclaimed, brimming with excitement.

Fortunately, Julius had set up a layer of barrier; without it, Samson’s booming voice might have echoed throughout the entire recuperation area.

The final item Sein retrieved from his spatial storage was a transparent crystal ball.

He pointed to it and explained, “This contains a battle qi technique. According to the description, it can be cultivated by a Rank Three Sky Knight at most.”

CRASH!

The Blood Coral that Samson had been holding slipped from its grasp and shattered on the floor.