Sovereign of the Ashes

With Gwyneira’s help, Sein quickly secured an audience with the Huusian King.

By now, both sisters had realized there was more to Sein than he let on.

Gwyndira remained cautious, while Gwyneira watched him with a mix of emotions.

Faced with Sein’s sudden appearance, the Huusian King showed impressive composure. Outwardly, at least, he betrayed no sign of unease.

After studying Sein in silence for a long moment, he finally asked, “So, you are from Magus World?”

The question drew a faint smile from Sein. In the next instant, he shed his disguise and returned to his true form.

At the same time, several layers of wards and elemental barriers flared to life, sealing the chamber against prying eyes and ears.

For now, their conversation was secure.

The negotiation had actually started off on a promising note.

The moment Sein revealed himself, he felt the Huusian King quietly set up his own layers of isolation fields.

Were it not for the need for secrecy and to avoid detection by the Gallant Federation, the king would never have gone to such lengths.

“Indeed. I’m Sein, a Rank Four mage from Magus World,” he introduced himself.

Gwyneira’s expression shifted instantly, while Gwyndira shot her older sister a quick glance before turning her eyes back to Sein, studying him with renewed interest.

Neither Sein nor the Huusian King paid much attention to the sisters’ reactions.

Sein pressed on without hesitation, stating his purpose clearly.

“This war will end with the Magus Civilization’s victory. I’m sure Your Majesty has seen the situation in the Transversa Star Domain for yourself. Do you intend to let the Huusians perish by your own hand?”

He spoke confidently in the presence of the king.

Fortunately, the Magus Civilization held a clear advantage on this particular frontline in the Transversa Star Domain.

Had this been one of the war zones where the Gallant Federation held the upper hand, Sein would not have dared to speak so boldly.

But then again, the federation would have deployed its strongest elite forces in those regions.

Subpar legions like the Huusian mercenaries would never be sent to such battlefields.

Sein even speculated that one reason the Huusians were sent to the Transversa Star Domain was to act as cover for the Gallant Federation legions preparing to withdraw from the sector.

Their real role was to serve as cannon fodder to bring up the rear.

For an interstellar nomadic tribe like the Huusians, who never knew when their next meal would come, empty promises meant nothing.

They only cared about tangible benefits and what they could see in front of them.

Before reaching the Transversa Star Domain, the Gallant Federation had bragged about its overwhelming advantage on the Magus Civilization frontlines.

The Zeak Empire had offered the Huusians generous rewards, claiming the war was not fierce and even promising to help them reclaim their homeplane in the future.

But the truth was, the Huusians had been deceived by both of these powerful civilizations!

Perhaps the Gallant Federation did enjoy an early edge in strategy and positioning, but what did that mean to the Huusians?

All they saw were the brutal, bloody battlefields right before them. In just the short time since arriving at the Black Tide Plane and the Ferramo World, the Huusians had already suffered losses nearly equal to all their previous mercenary campaigns combined.

Even now, endless waves of federal troops and creatures of vassal planes loyal to the Gallant Federation kept pouring into the Transversa Star Domain.

Yet these “reinforcements” brought the Huusians no comfort.

After all, they were “outsiders”, not true natives from the Gallant Federation. Their only concern was survival and the staggering toll their people were paying.

This was one reason Sein knew he had a good chance of recruiting the Huusians after spending some time with them.

But the real key lay in the fact that the entire Huusian tribe had been brought along when they signed on to the campaign in the Transversa Star Domain.

With no home plane and no kin left behind to be used as hostages by the Gallant Federation, the Huusians had no reason to stay aboard a sinking ship, so long as Sein offered a price worth taking.

His words made the Huusian King’s expression darken.

Yet the king did not refute him, nor did he lash out at Sein’s almost taunting tone.

This was a leader whose rough edges had been worn down with time.

Besides, the Huusian King now served only as a figurehead, the nominal ruler of the whole tribe.

In reality, it did not hold sway over every aspect of Huusian affairs. The Rank Four powerhouses of several other tribes could still challenge his decisions.

And that weakness was exactly what Sein seized on as his second bargaining chip—offering the king an alliance that would elevate it to absolute authority over his tribe!

“Once the Huusians chose to join the Magus Alliance, you would become the sole recognized intermediary between your people and the Magus Civilization. The Magus Alliance would acknowledge only your authority within the Huusian tribe. If you accept the offer now, I could guarantee the Huusians an alliance reward of no less than ten million magicoins,” Sein said.

“Perhaps Your Majesty does not realize the purchasing power of ten million magicoins yet, but ten million magicoins can be exchanged for one million Grade One energy crystals anywhere within the Magus Alliance’s territory,” he continued, presenting this as his third bargaining chip.

One million Grade One energy crystals... even if the Huusians took on countless mercenary contracts and risked their lives again and again, they might still never amass such wealth.

For comparison, their current deal with the Zeak Empire to fight here on the frontlines between the Gallant Federation and the Magus Civilization had only secured them eight hundred thousand Grade One energy crystals in total payment.

And even then, they had actually received less than four hundred thousand upfront.

The rest would only be paid after the war ended, assuming those bird-men of the Zeak Empire honored their word.

The hope of saving their tribe, the promise of absolute leadership, and a generous reward... Sein’s offer was so generous that the Huusian King could hardly refuse.

Yet he did not give his answer right away. After a moment of silence, he locked eyes with Sein and asked, “How can I trust you?”

“How can I be sure that after joining the Magus Alliance, you won’t treat us Huusians as cannon fodder?” the king pressed.

To him, the Zeak Empire was a wolf, the Gallant Federation a tiger, and the Magus Civilization a lion.

All three were colossal powers that his tribe could not trifle with.

His hesitation was only natural. What he feared most was being used up and discarded like cheap fodder once his people had served their purpose.

Sein considered carefully before replying. “We can establish a contract with clear terms that would safeguard your tribe’s security and interests. Beyond that...”

The king abruptly cut him off with a shake of his head.

“I have no faith in contracts. We signed one with the Zeak Empire as well. A contract can always be torn apart as long as someone is willing to bear the cost. Compared to a piece of paper, I find another method more reliable,” he said.

Sein frowned. “And what is that?”

“Marriage,” the Huusian King declared, glancing first at his daughter and then back at Sein.

“Huh?” Sein froze, stunned.