Sovereign of the Ashes

Not long after the charity auction for the construction of the garbage disposal planet wrapped up, Jeremy invited Sein to a private banquet he had arranged.

Compared to the auction, this gathering was on a much smaller scale and far more discreet. Jeremy did not invite many guests either.

Those who did attend, however, had something in common: most were bird-headed, human-bodied creatures from the Zeak Empire.

Jeremy hoped his “friends” could help him settle his trouble in the Golet Province.

Every Zeak noble present, including Sein, was happy to lend their support.

As a large-sized world civilization, the Zeak Empire divided its star domain into provinces.

This was tied closely to its political system, where nearly all provincial rulers were appointed by imperial dukes or marquises. These high nobles were loyal to the imperial family and ensured the empire’s rule remained stable.

Jeremy’s guests were members of mid-sized and smaller noble families, but their influence was still considerable.

Since Jeremy only handled a small part of the Doeschers’ business, the support of these nobles was more than enough.

During all this, “Prisenne” proved especially helpful.

With his keen judgment and wisdom, he easily connected Jeremy to the distant Zeak Empire.

His cover identity was flawless.

Even if Prisenne’s father had appeared before him, he would not have been able to tell that the son standing there was an imposter, thanks to the information Sein had extracted from Prisenne’s soul.

Sein’s remarkable social skill, along with the quiet authority he projected in the Zeak Empire, made Jeremy value him even more.

From then on, Jeremy often invited Sein to private gatherings.

Sein accepted some and declined others, but their friendship steadily grew closer.

***

Thirty years later, in the Ethosea Star Domain at the core of the federation...

By the time Sein reached this point, he had already crossed half of the Gallant Federation’s territory.

At this pace, he would reach the vicinity of Nexon in another twenty years.

Looking at his stopovers and travel route that showed no discernible pattern within the Gallant Federation, no one would have guessed that his final destination was Nexon.

Aboard a luxury starship, Sein chatted casually with Jeremy while snacking on pecans that Linda, the angelic robot, had just cracked open for him.

Thirty years was more than enough time for the two men to become good friends.

Sein’s generosity, along with the influence his family wielded in the Zeak Empire—something Jeremy had verified—were the key reasons they had grown close so quickly.

Thirty years was not long for Federation humans.

In this highly advanced civilization, where compulsory education lasted nearly eighty years, even the lowest tiers of society had plenty of time and energy.

Yet, by Sein’s findings, the Federation humans’ birth rate was not high.

That seemed to stem from immense pressures of survival.

Although federal citizens became fertile in their teens, the average number of births per person over an ordinary Federation human lifespan of about eight hundred years was only five.

Of course, such things were controllable.

Once war with the Magus Civilization broke out, the federation could simply adjust its policies to encourage explosive population growth among its lower social classes. Billions more citizens would swell their ranks, effortlessly erasing any concern of a soldier shortage.

While carrying out his infiltration mission, Sein also tried his best to learn everything he could about the federation.

He wanted to understand both the upper and lower echelons of this technological society and see how it truly functioned from the inside.

Perhaps this was a common habit of mages, or maybe he was searching for the Gallant Federation’s weaknesses.

In truth, after so many years of contact, the Magus Civilization undoubtedly possessed many Rank Four or higher mages whose understanding of the Federation far surpassed Sein’s own shallow observations.

In fact, he was merely one of many agents on Klopp’s infiltration mission.

Sein wondered where the other Magus World powerhouses might be hidden, and if any of them had succeeded in mingling within the federation’s highest echelons.

He shook his head at the thought.

If the Gallant Federation’s upper ranks were truly that easy to infiltrate, it would not deserve its status as a top-tier civilization.

Sein had remained under the radar due to three reasons.

First, his extreme caution. Second, he had the Faceless Mask, a world-class secret treasure, to conceal his identity. And lastly, he had not ventured into the federation’s most secure areas, such as the federal government or military.

The federation’s corporate world was another complex web of power and influence, and Sein had yet to venture too far into that territory.

Jeremy, his new friend, was considered a “wealthy individual” by the federation’s standards, but the social class he belonged to was still a world away from the true upper tier.

If Sein were to deal directly with tycoons of Jeremy’s granduncle’s caliber, the risk of exposure would rise.

But with Jeremy, the only surprise Sein had uncovered in the past few decades was a secret demigod-level robot quietly assigned to protect him.

That robot had only appeared twenty years ago.

In the decade before that, the strongest robot at Jeremy’s side had been no more than Rank Three.

This alone showed that Jeremy’s standing within the Doeschers was limited.

“Prisenne, why did you actually come to the Gallant Federation?” Jeremy suddenly asked, reclining in the warmth of the sun chamber.

Before Sein could respond, Jeremy continued, “All these years, you have spent enormous sums traveling through different star domains, buying antiques and rare treasures from the Zeak Empire.”

“I don’t believe you came to our Gallant Federation just for education and leisure.” Jeremy fixed his gaze on Sein.

Sein paused for a couple of seconds before replying to his “good friend’s” blunt question. “I’m sure by now you know that my cultivation talent isn’t that great. With several older brothers ahead of me, inheriting the earl’s title is next to impossible.”

“My father has arranged for me to become a baron and to gain access to some resources in a microplane, but I refuse to accept that path. I believe my future should be brighter!” Sein said with passion. “That’s why I came to the Gallant Federation.”

“Oh? Do you already have a plan?” Jeremy asked curiously, since his own circumstances were not much better than Sein’s.

In fact, Sein’s words resonated with him.

Both of them wanted to achieve something greater, and both had some resources to draw upon.

“What do you think about the military?” Sein asked, turning the question back to Jeremy.