Sovereign of the Ashes

After a long conversation with Lorianne, Sein returned to the main hall.

By then, the discussions between Master Fathis, the Klytheran powerhouses, and the Blue Star natives had mostly wrapped up.

Karazo and the other Klytherans looked calm and collected, while the Blue Star natives seemed visibly relieved. Clearly, things had gone pretty well for them.

Only Darian still wore a faint frown, while Orric of Aquaria had also lost his usual carefree expression.

It seemed like their negotiations had not gone smoothly—at the very least, they had not gained much from Fathis, the Magus Civilization’s representative.

“The legal contracts for your admission into the Magus Alliance will be delivered shortly. Once signed, you will become official members of the Magus Alliance. The promised resources and support will be provided in full,” Fathis said, addressing Karazo and the Klytherans first.

She then turned to Darian and Orric. “As for the conditions put forth by the Shadowbat Civilization and Planet Aquaria, our Magus Civilization will review them carefully. We will respond promptly once a decision has been reached. For now, please await further instructions with the military contingent.”

Finally, Fathis looked at Sein and said, “Master Sein, your recent contributions have earned you rewards from the Magus Alliance, and they have already been dispatched.”

“It should not be long before you may return to Magus World for rest and recuperation,” she added with a warm smile.

Sein had already heard about this from Lorianne, so he was not surprised. He thanked Grandmaster Fathis with genuine courtesy.

Grandmaster Feylis was nowhere to be seen in the hall. He assumed she had already returned to her Verdant Flame Fortress.

As he left with Karazo, Darian, and the others, Fathis commented with a note of admiration, “Feylis sure has a fine grand apprentice.”

Sein bowed once more to Master Fathis before leading his group out.

Once they had completely exited the silver palace complex, Sein no longer had the mind to admire the vast, Mithril-plated structures.

He immediately asked Karazo, Darian, and the others what exactly Master Fathis—the representative of the Magus Civilization—had discussed with them.

The negotiations with Karazo and the Blue Star natives had gone fairly smoothly. The resource support and military assistance Sein had previously promised to the Klytheran survivors had been fully honored.

The benefits Sein had promised them were actually quite conservative.

Since he did not know what stance the Magus Civilization would take at the time, he dared not make grand promises on its behalf.

In the end, the benefits Karazo and the Blue Star natives received from joining the Magus Alliance went far beyond their expectations—much to their relief.

Master Fathis’ negotiations with the Shadowbat Civilization and Planet Aquaria, however, were far less successful. It was an outcome that also indirectly affected Marvelous Plane and Voltara World.

As medium-sized worlds, the Shadowbat Civilization and Aquaria possessed greater strength and far more strategic value than the Klytherans or the Blue Star natives.

Yet during the talks, Master Fathis offered them benefits that were not particularly enticing. In fact, they amounted to no more than what had been offered to the Klytherans.

This left Darian and Orric rather dissatisfied, but neither expressed it on the spot.

Marvelous Plane, being only a low-level plane, naturally received little attention.

Voltara World lay extremely far from the star domain where the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation were clashing.

Given the current momentum of the conflict between the two supreme civilizations, its impact could stretch no farther than the Arid Expanse World and the Shadowbat Civilization at best.

Voltara World had almost no reason to fear the fallout of this Clash of Civilizations.

Until now, Auron had yet to disclose much about Voltara World. Sein still could not determine whether it was a low-level plane or a medium-sized one.

That uncertainty left him unsure of the best approach to take.

After briefly explaining to Karazo and the Blue Star natives what they should keep in mind when they officially joined the Magus Alliance, Sein turned to Darian and Orric.

“Master Fathis’ stance probably has to do with the fact that your Shadowbat Civilization and Planet Aquaria, unlike Klytheran and the others, did not firmly align yourselves with the Magus Civilization beforehand. Nor did you directly send legions to support our campaign at the Sanok Star Domain.”

“Our Magus Civilization is powerful—and very clear about who is friend and who is foe. Those who show goodwill receive greater rewards in return. The Klytherans and the Blue Star natives received more support than I originally promised precisely because they committed early and backed it up with real action. Had the Shadowbat Civilization and Aquaria done the same and deployed legions, the results would have been completely different,” Sein said.

Sein’s words left Darian silent for a long moment, and Orric showed a hint of displeasure, though he said nothing.

Sein’s attitude toward these alien beings had shifted.

Now that they were within the Magus Civilization’s sphere of influence, Sein no longer felt the need to court or appease these powerful extraplanar beings the way he had before.

Trying to sit on the fence, watch how things play out, and still expect to reap the benefits?

There was no such thing in the Astral Realm!

The Magus Alliance was not a charity.

And anyone who truly understood how the Magus Alliance worked knew that this colossal entity was, in truth, a beast that devoured its prey whole.

Hoping to take from the Magus Alliance without giving anything in return was impossible.

More often than not, extraplanar beings were quietly drained for every last drop of value—and in the end, they were the ones counting the money for the Magus Civilization!

Of course, when it came to the Shadowbat Civilization or Aquaria, Sein could not be too ruthless.

He had already built a decent rapport with Darian and Orric, and he genuinely believed their civilizations held strategic value.

So he continued, “My grandmaster is currently here in Sanok World. She’s a formidable Rank Six mage. I will speak with her soon about admitting the Shadowbat Civilization, Aquaria, and several other planes into the Magus Alliance. I‘ll also ask her to review the requests you brought forward.”

“Master Fathis is not the only voice within the Magus Civilization’s leadership. If we secure my grandmaster’s support, the alliance backing you’re hoping for may still be within reach,” Sein said.

Darian and Orric exchange a look. At last, Darian said, “Then we’ll leave it to you, Mage Sein.”

No rumor could compare to what they had witnessed with their own eyes.

After seeing the Sanok Star Domain front firsthand, they had confirmed the Magus Civilization’s overwhelming superiority.

And combined with the earlier intelligence—that the Magus Civilization had nearly destroyed the Gallant Federation’s vanguard fleet, leaving the main force trapped in the Netherworldstar domain—Darian Wraith should now clearly understand where his allegiance ought to lie.

To this, Sein simply responded with a quiet hum.