Sovereign of the Ashes

Inside the laboratory, Sein continued cleaning up the mess Tourmaline had caused.

Beatrice’s condition was relatively stable. Sein took out recovery potions after healing potions, each with different properties, and even retrieved the scalpel he often used during experiments.

Perhaps because of his extensive experience vivisecting and dissecting specimens, Sein did not rely solely on potions to treat Beatrice’s injuries.

Wherever flesh and skin had been severely damaged, he simply excised the damaged tissue directly with the scalpel.

Beatrice proved remarkably tough. Despite the massive blood loss and the chunks of damaged flesh removed after being corroded by foreign laws, she clenched her teeth and endured. Aside from a couple of muffled grunts at the beginning, she made little sound.

After finishing the treatment, Sein turned his attention to the metallic spear lying nearby.

He recalled that Beatrice’s mother also wielded a spear-type divine artifact.

The one in Sein’s hand had decent attributes. If sold through the Magus Alliance market, it would easily fetch sixty to seventy thousand magicoins.

At an auction house, the price could go even higher. Depending on demand, it might even reach a million magicoins. After all, it had belonged to a peak Rank Four being.

That was the nature of war spoils.

As for the spear’s original owner—the peak Rank Four Aquarian creature that Sein had severely wounded—there were reports that it did not survive its escape from Marvelous Plane.

Perfect. He could sell both the weapon and its former owner through the Magus Alliance trading channels.

During wartime, neither Sein nor most of the Magus Civilization’s high-ranking figures handled such transactions personally.

Divine artifacts and materials from Rank Four and above creatures that they had no use for were typically sold through the Magus Alliance instead.

The alliance’s pricing was generally fair.

At the very least, Sein had always preferred this efficient, trouble-free way of dealing with his war gains.

“That pretty much concludes your treatment. What you need most now is rest. Remember to take the potions I left for you on time,” Sein instructed.

“I’ll go check on your mother,” he said.

Beatrice nodded from the experimental table. As she watched Sein tidy up his tools and prepare to leave, she called after him softly.

“Thank you, Sein.”

Sein smiled at her. “There’s no need to thank me. This is a transaction. You helped me once, and the Magus Civilization genuinely needs Marvelous Plane as an ally.”

Given how severely this war had reduced Marvelous Plane’s strength, Sein saw no reason to put on an act and spoke frankly with Beatrice.

Was the Magus Civilization truly some peace-loving, benevolent force that existed solely to help the weak?

Any Rank Four being with even a shred of rationality should be able to judge that for themselves.

Sein’s honesty caused a subtle shift in Beatrice’s expression.

Although there was no mention of lofty words like “friendship” or “love of peace”, his bluntness made her feel unexpectedly reassured, especially when he mentioned that she had once helped him. It showed that Sein was the type who remembered both favors and debts.

Perhaps that was the real reason he had pushed his elite legions to hurry forward, using space-jumps to arrive at Marvelous Plane battlefield in time.

“Sein... my homeplane has suffered tremendous losses after this war. Does the Magus Civilization still require our service?” Beatrice asked hesitantly.

Sein paused and looked back at her.

“Of course,” he assured with a smile.

Leaving Beatrice behind, Sein walked to the adjacent partition.

Because Sein had not deliberately erected an elemental barrier, Hippolyta knew her daughter was on the other side of the partition and had overheard most of their conversation.

Before Sein returned to the Ashen Fortress, the mother and daughter had already exchanged messages through special means.

The Amazon warriors of Marvelous Plane did not follow the path of faith.

Instead, Hippolyta and Beatrice communicated through a unique cultivation technique native to Marvelous Plane that was similar to mental focus transmission.

Hippolyta’s condition was actually far more severe than Beatrice’s.

However, her Rank Five life level granted her much greater resilience. After confirming that Hippolyta was not in immediate danger, Sein had chosen to treat Beatrice first.

This decision likely aligned with Hippolyta’s own wishes.

Unlike Beatrice, who lay on the experimental table looking somewhat shy, Hippolyta remained remarkably composed and at ease throughout.

After all, she had experienced much of the world and was no stranger to the touch of the opposite sex.

With just a glance from Sein, or the slightest movement of his hand, Hippolyta knew exactly which wound he intended to treat and instinctively raised the corresponding limb.

This saved Sein a great deal of effort!

He remembered the moment her leather armor had been reduced to nothing, leaving her completely naked. Even then, Hippolyta had remained calm and unflustered.

That alone showed that this Rank Five powerhouse was far more composed and mature than her own daughter.

As Sein treated Hippolyta’s injuries on the experimental table, she lay still beneath his hands, not uttering a single word.

An unspoken understanding settled between them, and neither felt the need to break the silence.

It was not until several days later, after Sein had dealt with most of her serious wounds, that Hippolyta finally spoke.

“Marvelous Plane and I wish to join the Magus Alliance.”

Sein was wiping her flat abdomen with a piece of cloth, where several incisions had been made earlier.

The powerful regenerative ability of a Rank Five being, combined with various magic potions, made her appear fully recovered—at least on the surface.

In response to her declaration, Sein simply replied, “Oh.”

Hippolyta’s gaze lingered on his face. Without the Faceless Mask, she could clearly see the features of this powerful Rank Five mage from Magus World.

To be honest, Sein’s appearance did not quite match the aesthetic preferences of the Amazon women.

He was too fair and too refined for their tastes. The Amazons valued the beauty of health, strength, and vitality.

Even with body tempering, Sein’s temperament and manner of speaking clearly marked him as a mage.

Hippolyta herself had changed greatly over the years.

In her youth, she had loved combat and hunting. She had roamed freely across neighboring star domains and planes.

Back then, her sun-kissed skin and agile build left no doubt that she was a true Amazon warrior.

In recent years, however, her skin had grown much paler—so pale that she scarcely resembled a proud warrior of the Amazon Rainforest anymore.

While other Amazons still raced through the jungle clad in light, agile armor, Hippolyta now spent most of her days draped in long gowns within the royal palace.

Perhaps it was this very change that had led to the decline in her strength.

At the very least, she felt that her performance on the planar battlefield had been lacking.

She had failed to protect her people and the other beings of Marvelous Plane, falling short of her duties as a queen.

Fortunately, the arrival of the Magus Civilization had preserved the civilization of Marvelous Plane.