Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 163: Brinescorch Basin

Sein took an airship from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring to the Jewel Bay. From Jewel Bay, a magic carriage transported him from the Malgheria Kingdom to the Gypson Dukedom.

In the Malgheria Kingdom or Gypson Dukedom, the mastery of magic and alchemy surpassed that of places like the Lysian Alliance.

The convenience of transportation, at the very least, was noteworthy.

Sein wasted no time reaching Gypson Dukedom, and thanks to the efficient transportation, the journey took only ten days.

Upon arrival, he found himself in the Brinescorch Basin, a vital metal-producing area in Gypson Dukedom.

Beyond ordinary metals, rumors suggested the presence of rare magic metal deposits.

This basin also marked the location of Sein’s quest objective—a quasi-ranked magic beast exhibiting signs of going berserk.

“According to the information from the quest hall, Gypson Dukedom has already offered a bounty through the mercenary guilds as well as mage councils and order of the knights. If I don't act swiftly, I might miss out,” Sein reflected.

“That’s why the divine tower’s request focuses on investigating the frenzied magic beast rather than immediate extermination. It’s just a quasi-ranked magic beast, and there might already be skilled knights and mages attempting to deal with it,” he mused.

Considering the possibility that the magic beast had been slain, Sein would need to negotiate with the victor to obtain the necessary blood and tissue samples before returning to the divine tower to complete his quest.

On the other hand, if the target remained alive, Sein saw it as an opportunity to test his skills against a quasi-ranked magic beast.

Sev served not only as Sein’s familiar, but also as a dear friend.

Under normal circumstances, Sein could not possibly use Sev as a mere tool his magic experiments.

Brinescorch Basin sprawled across a vast area, with Gypson Dukedom troops stationed at its entrance.

These troops, aside from defending against magic beast attacks, played a crucial role in safeguarding the mines within the basin and protecting the dukedom’s assets from external threats.

Gypson Dukedom’s military focus was not primarily directed at neighboring human nations; rather, it stemmed from the threat posed by demihumans dwelling in the underground mines of the Brinescorch Basin.

Upon arriving in Gypson Dukedom, Sein discovered that the magic beast he was investigating also originated from the underground world.

“Underworld, huh? How nostalgic,” Sein exclaimed.

With the token and badge of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein effortlessly cleared the checkpoint guarded by the Gypson Dukedom’s stationed army.

The squadron leader of the Gypson Dukedom even graciously dispatched ten soldiers to escort Sein, the Quasi Mage from the divine tower, to the specified mine.

Due to its proximity to the divine tower, Gypson Dukedom generally held a respectful attitude toward the mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

From the soldiers, Sein learned that the frenzied quasi-ranked magic beast had not yet been slain.

However, three formidable mercenary groups had taken up the task. It was only a matter of time before the underground mine was purged of it.

Sein eventually arrived at a heavily guarded medium-sized mine.

Despite Gypson Dukedom being a relatively small nation, only one-fifth the size of the Lysian Alliance, it boasted a formidable army, thanks to its prosperous alchemy industry.

Observing the soldiers, particularly those above the rank of squad leader, Sein noticed magic engravings on their weapons.

In the barracks of the mining area, giant crossbows with aero magic arrays engraved on them and a peculiar black iron cylinder, resembling a magic cannon, caught Sein’s eye.

However, Sein doubted it was a magic cannon capable of threatening Rank One or Two creatures. Otherwise, there would be no need for bounty quests.

He speculated it might be a weakened version similar to his simplified magic cannon.

Sein noticed that the ammunition used in this magic cannon were not the typical magic crystal cannonballs, but rather stone cannonballs formed from solidified black powder.

There was no way to assess its true power for now.

Under the escort of the soldiers, Sein reached the main tent in the center of the mine.

It appeared that a heated argument was taking place inside.

“If you insist on proceeding with this mine-clearing plan, then we, Scarlet Scales Mercs, will withdraw from this bounty quest!” A resolute and gruff female voice echoed from within the confines of the tent.

As Sein entered the tent, he found the two parties arguing—a female knight in red scale armor, and a general who was clearly a noble from Gypson Dukedom.

The arrival of Sein brought a momentary halt to the argument.

Upon noticing the gesture that the soldier conveyed to himself, as well as the verdant green badge pinned on Sein’s chest, the noble from Gypson Dukedom reacted the faster than the female.

The middle-aged nobleman with a mustache said, “This is a master from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, and this quest to clear the mines is also under the attention of the esteemed Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.”

“Instead of wasting time arguing, why don’t we let this master from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring make the decision?” the nobleman suggested.

The mention of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring somewhat quelled the agitation within the tent.

The red-armored female knight, who was arguing with the earl, was one of three representatives involved in the dispute.

The dispute revolved around the upcoming cleansing plan for Brinescorch Basin.

Earl with mustache represented the interests of Gypson Dukedom, advocating that, given the substantial payment and high hiring fees, the three mercenary groups led by the knight in red armor should spearhead the effort to eliminate threats from all facets of the underground world.

However, the three mercenary groups were unwilling to be perceived as mere cannon fodder for Gypson Dukedom. The target of the bounty quest they undertook was only the frenzied mutated quasi-ranked magic beast.

Gypson Dukedom, on the other hand, sought their assistance in eliminating the increasingly rampant underground creatures in the mining area.

Aside from the inherent dangers, as the female knight put it, “These nobles from Gypson Dukedom want to achieve two goals for the price of one.”

After discerning the situation, Sein faced the crowd inside the tent.

With a stoic expression, he said, “I have no intention of wasting time on pointless arguments. If Earl Krue believes there’s a connection between the appearance of mutated magic beasts and the underground creatures, then we should follow his plan and promptly clear the entire mining area. This includes hunting down and exterminating the quasi-ranked magic beast as soon as its location is determined.”

Sein’s words proved more effective than those of the earl.

It was only after he concluded his statement that the tall female knight shot a glare at him.