Sovereign of the Ashes

Reina and Natalya were not romantically involved; in fact, they considered each other best friends.

The primary reason Natalya had brought Reina home previously was to deter her family from pressuring her.

However, due to Reina’s notorious reputation within the Order of the Steel Fist and Natalya’s fiery temper, rumors of their so-called romantic relationship escalated into a scandal.

Neither was willing to clarify the nature of their relationship, maintaining an air of indifference.

They were unconcerned as long as no one discussed it in their presence.

Moreover, no one dared offend these formidable female knights, especially with Reina recognized as the strongest among them.

They were also supported by seniors ranked as high as Rank Three, rendering them virtually untouchable within the Order of the Steel Fist.

Only the Rank Four grand master or a demi-god level knight could potentially challenge them.

This Rank Four knight was likely aware of the incident where Reina had defeated a Rank Three Sky Knight, causing the knight and his family to leave the order.

The situation did not escalate, primarily because Reina’s family’s influence greatly exceeded that of the ousted knight’s less powerful kin.

Moreover, if Reina had already bested a Sky Knight while only at Rank Two, her potential for future accomplishments was as immense as her physical stature.

Aware of this, the Rank Four grand master could not help but cherish such talent.

While Sein and others were defending the fortress, Reina was fighting fiercely on the frontline at the Thunder Plains with the main forces. She led the charge, outpacing even some of the Sky Knights.

Due to her valor and contributions, Sein learned from Natalya that Reina quickly received approval from the command center to return to the space fortress for rest and recuperation.

As Sein’s fiancee and Reina’s best friend, it was only natural for her to introduce them to foster a mutual friendship.

Sein’s attention was immediately drawn to a heavy octagonal hammer[1] resting on the left side of the gravity training room.

The brass-colored hammer, about ten meters in diameter, featured a chain and handle attached to it.

As a skilled alchemist, Sein immediately recognized that the chain was made of adamantine, the densest metal known.

The outer armor of a Magus World’s space fortress was also typically coated with a layer of adamantine.

The materials used for the handle and the octagonal hammer itself were extraordinary, with the weight alone impressive enough to slightly indent the floor where it was placed.

Sein wondered if the space fortress would hold Reina accountable for the damage.

Indeed, even a dragon would see stars if struck by such a hammer, and a few more blows might even crack its skull.

Although Sein was a confident mage, he recognized that defeating Reina at close range would be challenging, even with his Verdant Flame Heart Rod.

His best chance lay in maintaining distance, utilizing his arsenal of elemental attacks.

Then again, considering Reina’s robust physique and the thick layer of “fat” serving as armor, her resilience was undoubtedly formidable.

Having overpowered a Rank Three Sky Knight, who was a rank higher than herself, she was clearly the most talented member of the Order of the Steel Fist.

Despite his racing thoughts, Sein maintained a composed exterior.

Natalya had even discreetly reminded him via mental focus not to comment on Reina’s size. Even without the reminder, Sein would have refrained from making such remarks.

Unlike knights who tended to judge a book by its cover, Sein, as a mage, was accustomed to discerning the essence of truth.

Although Reina’s initial impression was dominated by her immense size, Sein’s attention quickly shifted to her formidable physique and strength, his expression turning to one of admiration—as if he were beholding a flawless work of art.

Sein, engaged in ongoing Verdant Flame Body Tempering experiments and having dissected countless corpses, recognized that Reina’s size was actually a perfect example of passive organism evolution.

Her bloated body was more than mere fat—it represented the highest quality “hidden energy reserves”!

While Sein and Natalya managed to endure harsh war conditions for extended periods, Reina could last more than twice as long without relying on magic potions or other aids and only her own body.

Reina noticed Sein’s admiring gaze.

The seemingly domineering knight, who sat with her legs indecently spread before Sein, was actually more sensitive than one might expect.

Insecure about her size, she deeply cared about how others viewed her.

This sensitivity to ridicule and contempt often led her to confront her peers. Even her aggressive actions were manifestations of her own feelings of inadequacy.

Natalya was the only knight indifferent to Reina’s physical appearance. The two became best friends, trusting each other with their lives like true sisters.

Upon learning of Natalya’s feelings for Sein, Reina was not upset but genuinely wished her best friend happiness.

Even if Sein behaved poorly and even seemed to dislike Natalya, Reina ended up overlooking it, swayed by Natalya’s efforts to convince her.

Thus, Gould’s concern was unfounded; Reina had never thought of beating Sein up.

Nevertheless, the way Sein was looking at her made her feel...

“Don’t you think I’m ugly and fat?” Reina finally asked, meeting Sein’s eyes directly.

Upon hearing Reina’s question, Natalya and Gould’s expressions immediately shifted dramatically.

Both Natalya and Gould were poised for action—Natalya was prepared to hold Reina back, and Gould was ready to whisk Sein away at a moment’s notice.

Although Gould had “sacrificed” Sein earlier by diverting Reina’s attention to him earlier without any hesitation, he was ready to shield him if a real fight ensued.

After all, he was a tough knight while Sein was a mage.

However, an unexpected turn took both of them by surprise.

Sein merely chuckled when he heard Reina’s question and replied, “Ugly? I don’t see that in you at all. You embody the profound mysteries of body tempering arts—a truly beautiful creation!”

“Would you consider participating in my next experiment? It won’t take long, and I’ll compensate you fairly,” Sein proposed earnestly.

Reina was taken aback, completely frozen by his words.

Natalya and Gould were similarly stunned.

Unlike Sein, none of them were truth seekers or had conducted any body tempering experiments, so every word that came out of Sein’s mouth sounded foreign to them.

Reina, however, grasped one word distinctly—“beautiful”!

It was the first time she had received such a compliment from someone outside her immediate family, making her momentarily forget everything else Sein had said.

Meanwhile, Gould’s reaction was the most dramatic. His mouth hung open as he emitted bewildered noises and gave Sein a thumbs up.

“Beautiful? He must be spouting nonsense!” Gould thought to himself.

He did not believe a single word Sein said; instead, he was impressed by Sein’s ability to manage the situation so deftly.

With just a few words, Sein had managed to tame the Order of the Steel Fist’s most formidable female T-Rex.

1. Translator’s Note: Octagonal hammer, also known as Octagonal Melon Hammer, is a type of Chinese martial art weapon that usually comes in a pair. ☜