Sovereign of the Ashes

After arriving on the West Coast, Sein continued his travels and training despite the Spider Queen’s increasingly frequent urgings.

Having gradually learned the pattern of her appearances, he had even managed to anticipate the timing of her departures.

This allowed him to sneak in brief excursions to foreign planes that piqued his interest.

As one of the top forces in the Magus Civilization, the major Warlock clans and divine towers of the West Coast had long-established connections with numerous foreign planes.

Compared to Stargazing Heights and the Northern Witches’ Council, which Sein had recently passed through, the West Coast had a far more open and diverse atmosphere.

While Bloodline Warlocks were ever-present, Sein also encountered a fair number of other mages.

However, one thing stood out—he saw very few knights in this region.

After careful observation and analysis, Sein concluded that the dominance of Bloodline Warlocks in melee combat, combined with their family-based societal structure, had left little room for traditional knightly houses to thrive.

While some knights had settled on the West Coast, most had chosen to migrate to the Western Archipelago, the land just across the sea.

The Western Archipelago was the ultimate sanctuary for knights in the Magus World.

Its significance to knights was equivalent to the status of Sky City in the eyes of mages.

The Knight Continent, where Sein had once undergone a trial, was considered the crown jewel of the Magus Civilization.

It was also a gift left behind by a Rank Nine being to their home plane.

Though the Western Archipelago had never been recognized as a “Knightly Empire”, nor did it have any legendary dragon knight legions, it still attracted waves of knights every year.

Just as every full-fledged mage yearned to visit Sky City at least once in their lifetime, nearly all ranked knights in the Magus World would attempt to journey to the Western Archipelago at some point.

It was for this very reason that Natalya and Reina had chosen to meet Sein there—they, too, wished to visit this holy land of knights.

Sein had traveled through parts of the Western Archipelago when he was Rank One, but as a mage, he was not particularly drawn to its local culture and traditions.

Instead, the trial he undertook on the Knight Continent left a lasting impression on him to this day.

The continent opened once every thousand years, and several centuries had already passed since its last opening.

“I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to enter that place again,” Sein mused, rubbing his chin.

***

The Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan was located in the outer central region of the West Coast.

This was hardly surprising—after all, the richest, most elemental areas at the heart of the West Coast had long been dominated by the powerful Dragon Warlock Clan.

When Sein arrived at the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan’s territory and announced his visit, word spread quickly.

A Rank Three grand mage was a figure of great respect wherever he went.

After all, in the Magus World, where Rank Four powerhouses rarely appeared unless absolutely necessary, a Rank Three was essentially the highest-ranking individual most creatures would ever encounter.

The Bloodline Warlocks of the West Coast had built their power on family ties, yet divine towers also stood firm in these lands.

Within the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan’s territory, three bloodline divine towers of varying sizes existed, along with divine tower academies.

However, nearly all initiates recruited there were Bloodline Warlocks.

The Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan controlled an extensive domain.

In terms of sheer size, their territory was comparable to an entire low-level plane.

Only the vast expanse of the Magus World could sustain such large, low-ranking populations and land divisions.

Naturally, the warlocks inhabiting this region were not limited to those of Kermoine Serpent bloodlines.

Beyond the Kermoine Serpent lineage, many general Warlock clans also resided here.

Yet not all Bloodline Warlocks could achieve Rank Four or higher.

Regardless of the world, those who reached Rank Four and beyond were the elite few—the best of the best—and their numbers were scarce.

The vast majority of Bloodline Warlock clans on the West Coast were small, typically led by only Rank One or Two clan heads.

Even Rank Three Warlocks remained relatively uncommon.

In this world, lower-ranking creatures still made up the majority.

It was evident that the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan had been thriving.

Their territory was prosperous, and many major cities even boasted floating ports.

Sein was currently visiting one of the three divine towers managed by the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan.

This was the address Angreas had provided him long ago and supposedly where he was training there.

Sein waited for about fifteen sandglasses[1] before the Rank One warlock who had gone to inform Angreas finally returned.

Unfortunately, he brought disappointing news—Angreas was not in the Divine Tower.

Having advanced to Rank Two long ago, he had left to travel the Magus World over a century prior.

Unable to reunite with his old friend, Sein let out a soft sigh.

After leaving behind a magic letter, he turned and departed.

***

After leaving the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan, Sein continued his journey northward.

The West Coast stretched across the Magus World as a long, irregular landmass with very different terrains, leading to vastly diverse natural environments across its regions.

Here, one could find deserts, oceans, glaciers, snow-capped peaks, volcanoes, and more.

Perhaps this was one reason why the West Coast housed such a wide variety of Warlock clans.

To reach the Western Archipelago, Sein’s best option, aside from using a direct teleportation array, was to travel to the northernmost point of the West Coast and set sail across the sea.

That northernmost point lay across the sea from Blackhaven, a notorious region in the Western Archipelago.

The east and west coasts of the Magus World, both separated from the Western Archipelago by the sea, were primary strongholds of black mages and black knights.

Their proximity made it easy for criminals to commit atrocities and then escape across the sea.

Despite his arrival on the West Coast, Sein deliberately avoided contacting Natalya and Reina.

The two women had yet to arrive near the West Coast, likely still exploring foreign planes under the rule of a certain knightly order.

For now, that was a relief—at least Sein would not have to involve them in the matter he had to settle in Blackhaven.

***

By his 73rd year on the West Coast, Sein had made painfully slow progress—even detouring to visit foreign planes along the way.

Finally, the Spider Queen lost patience.

Without warning, her divine clone reappeared, binding Sein and forcibly dragging him across the sea to Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago.

Her method of travel was as bizarre as ever.

Rather than relying solely on flight, she would periodically tear open space itself, shifting them across vast distances in an instant.

It was clear that whatever trouble had been holding her back was now completely resolved.

Sein had never experienced such an overwhelming mode of travel before.

1. Translator’s Note: Fifteen sandglasses = fifteen minutes! ☜