Sovereign of the Ashes

“Kid, you haven’t been working with me for long, but you’ve already picked up quite a bit of my knowledge!” Old Peyton said with exasperation as their experiment came to an end.

Sein snapped his fingers, conjuring a small flame, and used it to light another cigar for the old man.

It would probably be the last time he did this.

By tomorrow, Sein’s temporary contract with the heavy industry laboratory would be up, and it would be time for him to move on to other parts of Sky City.

Although he had not spent much time under Peyton, he had gained an immense amount from the experience.

Having an expert to guide him had been far more efficient than fumbling around on his own.

One of the things Peyton had appreciated most about Sein was his humbleness and eagerness to learn.

Unlike some Rank Three grand mages, who carried themselves with an air of arrogance, Sein never placed himself above an initiate.

This was a quality any mentor would admire—and Peyton was no exception.

Rolling the cigar between his fingers, Peyton turned his head toward Sein, his expression shifting into something more serious.

“Well... I have to say, you’re quite a good match. Are you interested... in becoming my apprentice?”

His eyes gleamed faintly, a rare shimmer of anticipation.

This was the first time in centuries that Old Peyton had even considered taking on an apprentice.

Faced with Peyton’s unexpected question, Sein smiled humbly and replied, “I’m honored, Master. But I already have a mentor.”

Peyton’s excitement dimmed, though he did not look too surprised.

For Sein to have reached Rank Three at such a young age, it was almost certain that he had a renowned mentor guiding him.

Letting out a long exhale, Peyton blew a perfect oval-shaped smoke ring and muttered, “Why is it that every promising seedling I come across already has a mentor? Do I really have to go to an academy and find a fresh-faced initiate just to pass down my craft?”

His grumbling made Sein chuckle.

“Master, your alchemy skills are the most advanced I’ve ever seen. If you don’t pass them down, it would be a great loss to Magus Civilization,” Sein said.

There was, of course, a bit of flattery in his words—but he knew Peyton loved hearing it.

Sure enough, Peyton’s wrinkled face broke into a wide, satisfied grin. He looked almost like a blooming daisy.

However, Peyton was still self-aware. He glanced around, ensuring that no one was paying attention, before saying, “I can hardly be called an expert. In this heavy industry laboratory alone, there are countless people more skilled than me.”

“Not to mention our Chief Engineer, Master Swickert Otto—he’s a Rank Five mage, a powerful alchemy warlock who specializes in crafting custom space fortresses for the Rank Six and above powerhouses of the Magus World,” he added.

With a wistful expression, he took a deep drag of magenta pink cigar, exhaling slowly.

“It would be nice to break through to Rank Three in my lifetime,” he said.

“Smoking that stuff all the time won’t do your body any favors. If you really want to live long enough to reach Rank Three, I suggest quitting,” Sein remarked.

“And while we’re at it, you should start taking better care of yourself. Before I leave, I’ll leave you a few magic potions—drink them in order. They’ll somewhat improve your bodily functions,” he added.

As Sein spoke, Peyton stared at him in a way that made Sein slightly uneasy—but it was a look filled with genuine appreciation.

Exhaling another long puff of smoke, the old man snuffed out the cigar and shook his head.

“The more I talk to you, the more I feel like taking you as my apprentice. But alas, fate has other plans.”

Sein shrugged and said, “Live a few more years, old man. We’ll still have the chance to meet again. Next time I visit Sky City, I’ll come find you.”

As Sein left the laboratory, Peyton’s expression softened and his gaze was filled with rare warmth.

In truth, Peyton had never given up hope of reaching Rank Three.

There was a common belief in Sky City—as long as one attained the title of Rank Three Arcanist, they could definitely become a Rank Three grand mage.

Peyton had always neglected his training, but in alchemy, his expertise surpassed that of most Rank Three alchemists.

Having no bloodline descendants or apprentices, Peyton dedicated all his alchemy knowledge to Magus Civilization by uploading it to Arcane Light.

Unlike Sein, who had mastered multiple mysteries of truths, Peyton had dedicated himself to only one—alchemy.

Though he was also a Pyromancer, his Pyro elemental magic was entirely channeled into his alchemy experiments, leaving him with little combat ability.

Yet, his mastery of a single truth had propelled his alchemy to an awe-inspiring level—even Sein had to admit that Peyton’s craftsmanship was unparalleled.

However, this single-minded pursuit also had its drawbacks—his accumulation of Arcane points was painfully slow.

This year, Old Peyton’s total Arcane points had reached 8,761 points.

He was like an old farmer, diligently toiling for every Arcane point, hoarding them bit by bit, and never spending a single one unnecessarily.

Helping Sein upgrade Yuri’s mecha had also given Peyton new insights and ideas.

Once he compiled his findings and uploaded them to Arcane Light, he could likely earn another significant portion of points.

The minimum threshold for reaching Rank Three Arcanist was 10,000 points.

No one knew how many years Peyton had left, but Sein hoped he would achieve his goal before time ran out.

***

After leaving the heavy industry factory, Sein chose a direction and flew northward toward the vast libraries and archives of Sky City.

Fortunately, Sein had come to this city alone. Had Reina and Natalya been traveling with him, they would have surely gone mad if he had holed up in a library for too long.

Unlike female knights who could not stand isolation, Sein was more concerned about the Arcane points he had already spent—and how long his remaining points would allow him to study in the library.

Different libraries charged different Arcane point rates, depending on the rarity and complexity of their book collections.

Any elemental mysteries useful to Rank Three grand mages required higher-tier access than the books for Rank One and Rank Two mages.

In the end, Sein chose a mid-sized library and, upon entering, flew directly to the lumen elemental magic and apothecary sections.

The libraries of Sky City dwarfed even most of those in the divine towers.

Giant bookshelves, nearly a hundred meters tall, lined the vast halls, stretching endlessly into the distance.

Within the immense space, a few other scholars moved about in silence, each careful not to disturb the others.

Surveying the rows upon rows of enormous bookshelves, Sein felt the sheer weight of truth pressing upon him once more.

“My mastery of lumen elemental mysteries has fallen far behind my pyro elemental mysteries in recent years. I need to catch up while I’m here in Sky City,” Sein reminded himself.

“As for apothecary, Master Lorianne had taught me a great deal back in the divine tower. But since leaving, I’ve hit several bottlenecks. Sky City should have the answers I need. Otherwise, I can always call her and request guidance from her,” he continued mumbling to himself.

Stroking his chin, Sein made his decision and flew toward the towering bookshelves.