Sovereign of the Ashes

The airship cruised gracefully through the skies, offering Sein and the others a stunning view of the Magus World from the deck.

Unlike large merchant vessels that traversed vast distances, the airship they were aboard was a smaller craft, operating exclusively within the Viridescent Land.

Sein and Reina had boarded this particular airship because he would first accompany the knight to visit her family.

For Reina, this would be her first journey “away from home”, so she felt it necessary to inform her family.

Reina’s family lived in the most prosperous part of the Order of the Steel Fist’s territory, located northwest of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Stopping by Reina’s home was hardly an inconvenience; the detour would delay their journey by no more than two days.

Once they had completed their visit, Sein planned to board another airship in the Order of the Steel Fist’s territory to continue his journey northward.

Sein’s immediate travel itinerary involved visiting the Ylli Knight Alliance, then proceeding to the Alveroth Empire—a place he had never finished exploring during his previous travel—and finally heading eastward.

Though Sein had experienced some unpleasant encounters with knights from the Ylli Knight Alliance in his younger years, including a squad of enforcement knights sent to Thunderfall World to track him, those conflicts were now long behind him.

Thanks to the intervention of his mentor, Lorianne, and other powerful figures like Feylis, any animosity had faded into the annals of history.

Unless he was extremely unlucky and crossed paths with knights harboring old grudges, Sein felt confident he could navigate the Ylli Knight Alliance without issue. Even in the unlikely event of such a meeting, the knights had no valid grounds to target him now.

As the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring faded from view, replaced by the ever-changing landscapes of the Viridescent Land, Sein turned his gaze toward the horizon. Beyond the familiar sights lay the vast unknown, waiting to be discovered.

***

The Midros Kingdom—a small nation with a population of just a few million—was where Reina’s hometown was located.

Just as Reina faced ostracization within the Order of the Steel Fist, her family experienced similar treatment.

Despite their unpopularity, however, the strength of this knight house was undeniable.

Reina had once mentioned to Sein that both her parents were Sky Knights.

Though Midros was a modest kingdom in size and population, Sein observed that its lower-class citizens enjoyed a relatively high standard of living.

In the kingdom’s capital, he even noticed the presence of a knight academy.

What caught Sein’s attention about this academy was its rare status as a public institution.

This academy welcomed not only the noble children of Midros but also commoner squires who met the basic requirements and passed the entrance exams.

The academy was funded in part by Reina’s family, with additional support from the Order of the Steel Fist.

Due to their relatively limited connections, the powerful knights of Reina’s family typically operated at their own pace.

In a secluded old castle on the northern outskirts of the royal city, Sein finally met Reina’s parents.

It was their first meeting; until now, various circumstances had prevented Sein from encountering them, whether during his marriage or his conflicts with the Order of the Steel Fist.

And it quickly became clear that the apple did not fall far from the tree.

Reina bore an uncanny resemblance to her parents—not just in features but also in physique.

They were two towering “mountains of flesh”, even more imposing in size than Reina herself.

While Reina had slimmed down slightly in recent years due to her regular participation in body tempering experiments with Sein, her parents had fully embraced their colossal forms.

To Sein’s trained eyes as a professional body-tempering mage, it was clear that their obesity had reached an excessive and unhealthy degree.

The pair required metal seats several meters wide to support their massive frames, and even then, the chairs struggled to accommodate them.

Their excessive weight, Sein noted, would undoubtedly impair their combat capabilities as Sky Knights.

Reina’s father nodded as he admitted he was no longer as formidable as he had been a thousand years ago.

In truth, his modesty undersold his abilities.

Due to their family’s unique constitution and bloodline power, members of Reina’s lineage were exceptionally resilient, even among knights of equivalent rank.

Despite his gradual decline over the centuries, Reina’s father still ranked among the top five Sky Knights within the Order of the Steel Fist.

When fully engaged in battle, he could unleash a combat prowess comparable to that of a demigod-level knight for short bursts.

Even Sein’s father-in-law, Wilson, a formidable knight in his own right, would struggle to match Reina’s father in a one-on-one duel.

It was clear that Reina’s impressive achievements in the knightly order as a Rank Two knight were likely due to the powerful legacy of her family.

When Reina’s parents learned she would be traveling with Sein, they were momentarily taken aback before quickly expressing their enthusiastic support.

In their excitement, they even suggested hosting a grand farewell banquet in their territory.

Sein, however, politely declined; he had no desire to delay his journey northward for what he deemed an unnecessary celebration.

Still, the meeting left Sein with a positive impression of Reina’s parents.

Despite their imposing size, the two Sky Knights had a refreshingly straightforward demeanor.

Although Reina was arguably stronger than Sein in terms of combat power, her parents still expressed their gratitude, repeatedly asking Sein to look after their daughter during their journey.

Compared to Sein’s mother-in-law, Sia, who could be overbearing and difficult at times, Reina’s parents were remarkably amiable and easy to get along with.

The only downside to the visit was that what was meant to be a one-day stop stretched into three.

Like any loving parents, Reina’s father and mother bombarded her with advice and filled five space bangles to the brim with supplies for her journey.

Most of the items were food—they clearly knew their daughter’s greatest necessity.

In addition to that, the bangles also contained potions, magical equipment, and even a tent for sleeping.

This overwhelming care from her parents made Sein wonder whether Reina was a peak Rank Two knight with immense strength or a teenager embarking on her first adventure.

Reina, for her part, seemed embarrassed by her parents’ fussing.

Having fought in multiple interplanar wars, she was far from inexperienced.

If she had not taken all her luggage and practically dragged Sein out of the house, they might have ended up staying even longer.

Compared to Reina’s family’s sentimental sendoff, Sein’s departure from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was straightforward.

He left behind a magic letter for House Grantt, instructing them to contact Selina at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring if they needed assistance.

There were no teary farewells with Selina and Eileen either.

With the long lifespans of Rank One mages, the time worked differently, and this journey of Sein’s was just another trip from which he would eventually return.

Besides, both women were deeply engrossed in their respective magical research.

Selina, having inherited Sein’s meticulous research style, had achieved multiple breakthroughs in the past twenty years.

Before leaving, Sein requested Selina, who lived on the top floor of the divine tower, to visit Lorianne often.

Though Selina was not Lorianne’s apprentice, their years of familiarity had fostered a bond.

A few guiding words from Lorianne could spark significant progress for Selina, while also helping Lorianne alleviate her occasional bouts of loneliness.

As for Tourmaline, she followed the Verdant Wave Canal southward when Sein departed from the divine tower.

It appeared that instead of returning straight to the Western Archipelago, she intended to explore the Boundless South Sea—a region vast enough to keep her entertained for a long time.