Sovereign of the Ashes

Vern was a boy from an obscure village known as Hoffle, in the southern region of the Alveroth Empire.

At the age of six, he traveled to a nearby town with his father, a humble woodcutter, to have his initial focus tested.

The result turned out to be 13 points, which was considered decent not only in the Alveroth Empire but across the entire Magus World.

In fact, 10 points was the minimum threshold for acceptance into magic academies and divine towers.

Vern’s initial focus level set him apart as a promising candidate.

Despite his potential, Vern spent the next two years helping his father in his woodcutting business.

It was not until he turned eight that an airship from a distant major city arrived to take him to the wonderful world of magic.

What is magic?

When young Vern had asked this question, his father—who could barely read—had shuddered, unable to provide an answer.

His mother, his three older siblings, and his two younger ones were equally clueless.

Born into a life of hardship, Vern understood the struggles of survival even at the tender age of eight.

His desire to study the legendary art of magic stemmed from a simple hope: to improve his family’s circumstances.

Still, Vern’s future prospects remained uncertain. How much could a boy who did not even know how to read achieve in a magic academy?

Vern’s circumstances were actually better than those of many lower-class commoners in the rest of the Magus World.

The Alveroth Empire had pioneered the “magic for all” movement, creating opportunities for even commoners to learn magic, which was a privilege reserved for the nobility in most other regions of the Magus World.

By contrast, battle qi, with its lower requirements for mastery, was more accessible to fortunate commoners.

Magic, however, was far more resource-intensive. Even some declining noble families struggled to afford the costs of magic education.

Leaving his mountain village for the first time, Vern was greeted by the sight of a sprawling city with towering walls and witnessed the wonder of an airship—a magical marvel that far exceeded anything he had ever imagined.

Boarding the airship and soaring tens of thousands of meters into the sky felt like stepping into a dream.

Vern was not alone in his awe. Almost every commoner initiate aboard the airship wore the same wide-eyed expression of disbelief and wonder.

Among the initiates, only a handful came from small, ordinary noble families. These few looked at the “country bumpkins” around them with contempt and disdain.

Their families’ minor influence had allowed them some limited exposure to the magic world.

Had they been truly privileged, they would have enrolled in the divine tower academies instead of the public magic academies.

Sein had no intention of targeting initiates destined for the divine tower academies, as that would risk offending the divine towers.

The magic initiates of the public academies, however, were a different matter. Even if Sein’s actions were discovered, the Magic Empire was unlikely to pursue him.

After all, they had an abundance of initiates.

Besides, if trouble arose, Sein would not be the first to face consequences. The responsibility would fall squarely on the esteemed Rank Five Tower Master of Dark Flame.

The state of the Divine Tower of Dark Flame was largely the result of his mismanagement, forcing Sein to take drastic measures.

When Sein appeared on the airship, engulfed in elemental flames, he immediately caught the attention of the young Vern.

Unlike Bousse, who was filled with fear and deference, Vern’s gaze sparkled with curiosity and admiration.

His youthful, energetic and fearless eyes brimmed with wonder for the future.

It was unclear what the flaming man discussed with the Rank One mage, but after a few moments, Bousse hung his head and nodded reluctantly.

The flaming man then slipped a space ring into Bousse’s right hand.

Vern watched as Bousse clutched the ring tightly, his expression reminiscent of Vern’s father six months ago when he had found a piece of wild ginseng in the mountains.

Back then, his father had gripped it with the same intensity.

Moments later, the flaming man dispelled the flames enveloping him, revealing a handsome mage clad in a black robe.

Since Vern was shorter and was standing close to the mage, the boy managed to get a good look at his face.

After Bousse had walked away, Vern could no longer suppress his curiosity. Looking up at the mage, he asked earnestly, “Honorable master, are we going to learn magic next?”

***

“Honorable master, are we going to learn magic next?” A small, childish voice piped up from Sein’s lower right side.

When Sein was speaking with Bousse earlier, most of their conversation was conducted openly through verbal exchanges, aside from a few highly sensitive topics.

The boy with short chestnut-colored hair was the only one on the airship brave enough to approach and speak to him directly.

In the boy’s clear eyes, Sein could see fearlessness and hope for the future.

Having just finalized a successful deal, Sein was in a pretty good mood.

With a smile, he replied, “That’s right, child. We’ll be going to a divine tower academy next.”

“Divine tower academy? Aren’t we heading to an imperial public academy?” Vern asked, tilting his head curiously.

After mingling with the other magic initiates on the airship, Vern had grasped the subtle differences between the empire’s public magic academies and the more prestigious divine tower academies.

Through a bit of clever flattery toward a noble-born female initiate, Vern had even managed to learn how to read a few words.

“No, we’re going to a divine tower academy. The journey won’t take long, we’ll reach there in less than three months,” Sein confirmed.

“Will we come back someday? I’m already feeling a little homesick,” Vern admitted shyly.

“But Honorable Master Bousse said we might have to study magic for decades in that strange place,” he added.

Sein paused for a moment before replying, “It’s possible. But once you succeed in becoming a full-fledged mage, you’ll be free to travel wherever you wish, and no one will stop you.”

Sein’s words lit up Vern’s little face with a smile.

The boy, showing remarkable maturity for his age, bowed deeply in gratitude.

Despite his commoner origins, he displayed the noble etiquette customary in the Alveroth Empire. Clearly, Vern had picked it up from another initiate.

While his execution was a bit clumsy, it was overall acceptable.

After the conversation ended, Sein snapped his fingers, summoning Azelia from his spatial storage equipment.

Along with her appeared a large flying carpet, over a hundred meters in length, which unfurled beneath the group’s feet.

“Take these children to our airship, docked near the Alveroth Empire’s border. Remember to stay hidden,” Sein instructed.

“If anything unexpected happens, contact me immediately,” he added, his gaze meeting Azelia’s.

The fox maiden nodded obediently.

Sein then turned to Bousse, who had an envious look on his face, and said, “Let’s move on. There are more places to visit, and I’ll need far more initiates than this batch.”

Possibly feeling a bit soft-hearted toward the young boy who had spoken to him so earnestly, Sein reached into his magic sleeve and casually tossed a magicoin to Vern.

The boy caught the coin but seemed stunned.

Sein chuckled at his expression and said warmly, “Work hard, little one. I believe you’ll achieve your dreams in the future.”