Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 497: Detached Family

Sein and Leena moved quickly, though not as swiftly as the knights.

Following closely behind, the second wave of trialists entered the manor in this subspace, which was surprisingly larger than one might expect.

Outside, the manor was protected by extremely formidable prohibition arrays. Once inside, Sein quickly detected signs of spatial magic at work.

This manipulation of spatial forces allowed the interior to expand far beyond the dimensions apparent from the outside.

After stepping through the vermilion wooden door, Sein and the others ventured deeper into the manor.

The structure seemed to stretch endlessly, with numerous corridors and pathways branching off to each side.

A large lake appeared within the grounds, surrounded by a faint, white glow of prohibition arrays, hinting at potential treasures hidden beneath its serene waters.

Due to the manor’s immense size, the knights and mages soon split up, each group following different paths to explore.

There was no need for everyone to stick together as each person had their own opportunities to seize.

At this point, Sein had little interest in following the main route, which was crowded with many others who presumably believed the greatest treasures lay in that direction.

With his considerable wealth, Sein felt no pressing need to vie for basic resources.

Instead, he was more keen on acquiring knowledge and investigating rare phenomena.

As Sein ventured deeper into the manor, he spotted a small, accessible path to the west.

By this time, the other trialists had either pressed further toward the manor’s center or had long since branched off to explore other areas.

Sein glanced at the path several times.

In this vast secret realm, every spot was worth exploring and Sein preferred to do so in less crowded areas.

“How about we explore deeper from here?” he suggested.

Leena was naturally ready to follow his lead without question.

Sein’s question was primarily directed at Angreas, who was nearby. After all, they had just agreed to work together.

At that moment, Angreas was still standing on the main path. The knights and mages ahead had apparently run into some obstruction or unique challenge.

The sounds of metallic clashes and magical bombardments filled the air.

Unlike Sein, who enjoyed financial independence, Angreas felt compelled to continue along the main path.

Angreas’ need for training resources was quite pressing.

Despite being part of the large House Farrell, he was but one of many heirs.

His family’s decision to allow him to participate in the Knight Continent’s trial indicated that future resource allocation might favor other heirs in similar positions.

House Farrell was a bloodline warlock clan that adhered to principles of fairness, though their approach was tinged with a sense of detachment.

Unless Angreas could ascend to Rank Four or higher, he would never receive the family’s unconditional support.

House Farrell’s approach was actually deemed most appropriate for an ancient family steeped in heritage.

Currently, the resources Angreas received were justified by his demonstrated talent.

The family had no surplus to squander on mediocrity; if Angreas’ potential plateaued, House Farrell’s focus on him would inevitably wane.

In such a scenario, Angreas would find his support diminished while his obligations to House Farrell increased.

This model exemplified a family-centric development approach, a concept not exclusive to House Farrell but prevalent among many bloodline warlock clans and knight houses within the Magus World.

These clans generally maintained their strength through such practices, further validating the effectiveness of this development strategy.

Conversely, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring adopted a different approach, prioritizing the self-interest of its mages. Indeed, without substantial benefits, many mages would likely have deserted long ago.

House Grantt, in stark contrast to House Farrell, was a relatively weak clan founded by a few Rank One beings and a Rank Two being.

The resources, hard-earned by these beings, were typically reinvested in them.

Unlike the meticulous resource distribution seen in House Farrell, House Grantt’s approach was less structured and precise.

While overly regimented resource allocation within a family could provide a sense of security, it could also foster a detached family environment.

Beyond immediate family and close relatives, other members, despite sharing a surname, were as distant as strangers—and in the throes of resource distribution and conflicting interests, it was not unthinkable for them to become enemies.

Sein was unaware of the exact situation within House Farrell and was thus unaware of the Rank One warlock’s internal struggle.

Eventually, Angreas consented to Sein’s plan.

His agreement was not born out of blind trust in Sein but from a realization that, despite potential gains along the main path, he might achieve little without the support of Sein and Leena.

Alone, he would struggle to compete against the knights and mages who had already banded together.

From the moment Angreas formed an alliance with Sein and Leena, he had tied his fortunes to theirs.

More often than not, it was Sein who determined their next course of action—after all, Sein and Leena were a formidable pair, each as powerful as Angreas himself.

Together, the three took to the path Sein had found.

As expected, this secluded route was overlooked by other trialists, leaving only Sein’s group to explore it.

The path was initially narrow and quiet, but as they ventured further, the landscape began to unfold before them.

They encountered a small pool surrounded by unusual trees and flowers, all enveloped by the glow of prohibition arrays.

It was obvious that if Sein and his companions wanted to explore the water’s depths or gather those unique plants, they would first need to overcome these prohibition arrays.

“The architectural style and overall layout here are unlike anything typical of the Magus World. Perhaps the ancient creator of this subspace realm drew inspiration from the various civilizations and worlds they had visited on their travels,” Sein remarked thoughtfully.