Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 1782: Truth

After Norton and Kigard had roughly finalized the terms of his entry into the Magus Civilization’s ranks, Sein’s visitation time with Leena also came to an end. He was escorted back to the central hall of Atlan Interstellar Prison.

According to prison regulations, he could visit her again in three months for one hundred sandglasses.

Three months... That was barely enough time for a round-trip back to Magus World.

In the end, Sein chose to stay near the Atlan Interstellar Prison.

Visitors like him were not uncommon.

Magus World had its share of knights and mages who had committed offenses. Unwilling to fall into the ranks of black knights or black mages, some chose to serve time in the Atlan Interstellar Prison voluntarily.

During wartime, the Magus Civilization did not treat such powerhouses too harshly.

In most cases, they were confined for a period before being released and sent back to the frontlines. There, they were expected to fight bravely in the civilizational war and use their military achievements to atone for their crimes.

During his visits to Leena, Sein became acquainted with a demigod-level female mage named Gina.

She was waiting for her big brother’s release.

Gina’s brother, a Rank Four knight, had clashed with another Rank Four knight on the frontlines over the distribution of spoils. The confrontation ended with the other knight injured.

Based on the severity of the injuries and the written forgiveness later submitted by the victim, the Magus Civilization reduced his sentence from the original two hundred years to fifty.

For decades, Gina had remained near the Atlan Interstellar Prison, waiting. By schedule, her brother would be released in two more years.

Every three months, she visited him without fail.

The depth of her devotion to her brother moved Sein more than he expected.

In their pursuit of truth and power, mages should not lose sight of such precious emotions.

“Don’t worry, Master Sein. Miss Leena will definitely be released safely,” Gina said earnestly.

Because of her limited life level, Gina could not tell that Sein was a Rank Five mage. From a few subtle clues, she merely assumed that he, like her brother, was a powerful Rank Four.

“I hope so,” Sein replied with a quiet sigh.

Unlike Gina’s brother, Leena faced a far more complicated situation.

She was a black mage.

Under the Magus Alliance’s regulations, her assault on a comrade constituted a serious offense.

Worse still, she had not obtained the forgiveness of the peak Rank Four mage named Jerry.

That made securing her release through legitimate channels significantly more difficult.

During these prison visits, Sein gradually pieced together what had truly happened.

At the root of it all was Leena’s mentor, Mikaeli!

At the time, Mikaeli had suffered devastating losses deep within the Gallant Federation’s star domain. Surrounded and hunted by multiple federal war fleets, she had been on the brink of death.

It was Leena who, through a combination of luck and calm judgment, managed to rescue her mentor at the critical moment.

Yet after being saved, Mikaeli showed neither regard for their bond nor gratitude.

Instead, she triggered the hidden contingencies she had long woven into the Cinderbone Flame and attempted to devour Leena’s soul and take over her body.

Fortunately, Leena had never fully let her guard down around her mentor. Combined with the fact that Mikaeli’s soul was already severely damaged, the attempt ultimately failed.

What remained was their current predicament—one body shared by two souls.

As for the incident involving the peak Rank Four mage, Jerry, and his legion, responsibility could not be placed entirely on Leena and Mikaeli.

At the time, Leena was fighting for control of her own body, and that inner struggle drove her into a frenzied, uncontrollable state.

While Mikaeli’s intrusion brought countless dangers and complications, it also came with undeniable benefits.

Leena’s strength increased dramatically!

She also had access to her mentor’s memories and spellcasting insights.

On top of that, Mikaeli had poured most of the remaining elemental essence within her Rank Five body into Leena.

Clearly, Mikaeli had no intention of becoming a newly promoted Rank Four black mage again.

According to the balance inherent in soul magic, no matter how successful Mikaeli’s possession attempt might have been, her soul essence would inevitably suffer severe depletion.

A drastically shortened lifespan would be unavoidable.

If she wished to live longer, she would eventually need to break through to Rank Six.

As for the severe injuries suffered by the peak Rank Four mage Jerry, there was another possibility—one suggested by both Leena and Mikaeli.

Jerry had apparently discovered Leena’s dual-soul condition on the frontlines... and succumbed to greed.

The world was not filled with saints. Most lived only for themselves.

Jerry seemed to be one such individual. He was a geomancer who had dabbled in soul magic.

A Rank Five soul forced into the body of a Rank Four black mage, existing in a fragile balance with the original Rank Four soul?

Were there other such rare cases in the Astral Realm?

Perhaps. But Jerry had never encountered one before, and he doubted he ever would again.

Looking at the berserk black mage—one who had already inflicted losses on his divine tower legion—Jerry had even more reason to act!

He had been confident he could easily subdue this unstable Rank Four black mage.

Once Leena was killed or crippled, she would become another specimen in his laboratory.

What he did not expect was that these Blackhaven mages would prove anything but easy prey!

Even while locked in a struggle with her mentor for control of her own body, Leena continued to resist Jerry fiercely.

Of course, Mikaeli played her part in that as well.

She sneered coldly. “If I had not stepped in and crippled that boy, who knows what would have become of your little sweetheart? I doubt you would’ve wanted her turned into a human specimen in that mage’s laboratory.”

Her words cut into Sein like a blade.

For a fleeting moment, his fury surged dangerously close to overwhelming him, and he nearly gave in to the urge to kill Mikaeli.

To Lorianne and the others, Sein seemed gentle, refined, and composed. Yet deep within him lurked a far more unhinged side.

He usually kept it suppressed. It surfaced only rarely—most often within the privacy of his laboratory.

Fortunately, he regained control after taking a deep breath.

“I’ll find a way to get both of you out. And if that mage named Jerry truly harbors ill intent toward Leena, I won’t let him walk away unscathed,” he said.

“But hear me clearly—once Leena is safe, the very first thing I’ll do is find a way to erase your existence,” Sein said coldly, his voice sharp as ice as he addressed Mikaeli within Leena.

It was unclear what Mikaeli said in response—perhaps she was cursing Sein, or perhaps she was quietly calculating her next move.

In the face of Sein’s threat, she ultimately withdrew her aura and offered no further reply.

Whenever Mikaeli receded, Leena would feel slightly dizzy.

Fortunately, Sein remained vigilant outside the barrier and had deliberately built a friendly rapport with Byron, the knight stationed at the prison.

For the time being, Leena was not subjected to undue hardship within the Atlan Interstellar Prison.