Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 641: Political Engagement

After sending a congratulatory message to Marie on her promotion to Rank One, Sein returned to his routine of daily experiments.

The Verdant Wave Canal truly eased the communication between the Viridescent Land and the South Coast.

Since Marie mentioned that she could not visit the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring anytime soon, Sein could not help but wonder if it was because the Divine Tower of Dawn was on the brink of waging an interplanar war.

Given Marie’s role as an apothecary, she could indeed prove more crucial than some seasoned mages in the upcoming conflict.

Sein’s thoughts turned to interplanar wars, specifically the one Master Lorianne was soon to wage.

It would be the first offensive led and initiated by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring since its establishment.

This war, irrespective of its scale, was a significant milestone.

Lorianne had been preoccupied with the preparations lately, making it difficult for even her apprentice to meet with her.

The last time they met was at the world laboratory atop the divine tower.

Although Lorianne appeared weary, the laboratory was thriving, lush with exotic plants that took root in every corner.

Lorianne mentioned she was busy harvesting “seeds” similar to the Viridescent Seeds that Sein had.

Financial constraints had prevented her from purchasing a large army of elite enslaved creatures.

Consequently, the enslaved creatures at her disposal were largely inexpensive, expendable forces, acquired at minimal cost.

To minimize casualties among the registered mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Lorianne was compelled to explore alternative strategies.

The efficacy of the Viridescent Seeds had already been proven during the Viridian Venom Flame World war when Lorianne had led nearly three hundred thousand plant warriors—the culmination of years of research in her world laboratory.

For the impending war, she planned to rely on these plant creatures once more.

Moreover, the target worlds, being dendro elemental planes, allowed her to wield her specialized magic and expertise to their maximum potential.

The recent insights shared by Lorianne, along with the strategic shifts within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, led Sein to surmise that Lorianne’s intended target was the low-level dendro elemental plane.

While the challenge of conquering such a realm was greater than overtaking a microplane, the potential rewards were substantially higher.

The mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were generally supportive of the impending interplanar conflict.

The brief five-year war in Thunderfall World had left many feeling unfulfilled, craving more profit.

Apart from solid public support, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring also had decent backing.

Though not yet openly discussed, the other members of the Verdant Flame Faction were unlikely to remain passive once the conflict began.

When Gregory’s Divine Tower of Whispering Flame and Bernice’s Divine Tower of Floating Flame embarked on their first interplanar wars, they received substantial assistance from their mentor, Feylis.

It was anticipated that Lorianne, the favored one, would also receive significant backing.

Therefore, Lorianne’s decision to target a low-level plane as her first conquest was not overly ambitious.

***

Seven years later...

Sein returned to the Lysian Alliance for an engagement ceremony with Sev and Selina.

Although it was just an engagement banquet, the scale of the event and the number of guests surpassed that of a wedding ceremony for a Rank One knight.

Nearly three hundred ranked knights from the Order of the Steel Fist came to the Lysian Alliance with their families for the occasion.

Initially, there was a suggestion to host the engagement ceremony in the more affluent Ohrque Empire, but Sein declined.

He preferred to keep the event simple and low-profile, as it was not a formal wedding.

Furthermore, he had not announced it within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, so none of his mage friends were attending.

To Sein, he already had his first wedding. It was a simple, heartfelt ceremony with just him and Leena, surrounded by white flowers.

The knights who came to the engagement ceremony were Sein’s allies from his days in Thunderfall World, along with members of House Ernst and their close associates.

With this number of attendees for the engagement banquet, the actual wedding was expected to draw thousands of ranked knights, given the formidable legacy of House Ernst.

By that time, it was likely that half of the knights from the Order of the Steel Fist would need to attend the wedding to honor House Ernst.

The wealth that such a marriage could generate was enough to sustain a Rank Two mage for three centuries.

Sein had reviewed the extensive list of gifts but opted not to manage them himself, instead delegating this responsibility to House Grantt.

On the day of the engagement, Natalya swapped her usual red armor for a flowing, bright red rose dress.

It was the first time Sein had seen Natalya in such feminine attire, and likely her first time wearing one as she looked rather stiff.

“Darling, I see a hint of loneliness in your eyes, do you dislike me?” Natalya whispered to Sein during the ceremony.

Sein was taken aback by the term Natalya used to address him, a phrase she seemed to have picked up somewhere, sending a shiver down his spine.

Natalya’s attempt to adopt a demure demeanor did not suit her; she was much more natural when cool and energetic.

The simple leather armor she typically wore suited her far better than the tight, constrictive rose dress.

Sein had to suppress his urge to rip her rose dress so she could move more freely. He suspected Natalya had similar thoughts in mind throughout the ceremony as well.

However, she would never act on such an impulse, knowing her mother, Sia, would definitely reprimand her severely.

Her father, Wilson, had rarely been stern with her; it was Sia who had shaped Natalya’s upbringing.

Despite Natalya’s tough personality, she had a sensitive side that detected the subtle sadness buried deep within Sein.

Seeing her concern, Sein felt a pang of guilt.

No one was to be blamed for his inner turmoil—except himself.

Natalya was the biggest victim here. Sein had already given his heart to Leena, leaving him with nothing more to offer Natalya than superficial care.

“It’s nothing. I just remembered something my mentor mentioned not too long ago. You’re fine; don’t worry,” Sein said.

“Is it about her upcoming conquest of a low-level plane? My parents mentioned this to me before. I heard that the Order of the Steel Fist couldn’t start another war against a low-level plane for now given their current situation,” Natalya replied, frowning.

Seemingly sensing Sein’s dejected mood and demeanor, Natalya continued, “Don’t worry so much. Even if the Order of the Steel Fist doesn’t participate in the war, House Ernst and I will definitely stand with you!”

“Oh, and we can call Reina too! House Boulter has a lot of influence among the order!” Natalya added, her eyes lighting up.

Sein felt increasingly guilty about how much Natalya was offering him.

He masked his unhappiness and mustered a smile.

Just as Sein was about to respond, his gaze landed on a young female knight with red hair in the corner of the banquet.

A flicker of recognition crossed his face, and as he finally got a clear view, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Natalya noticed the shift change in Sein’s expression and followed his gaze.

“Who is that? One of your guests?” Sein asked, feigning nonchalance.

“Hehe, that’s my grandniece. Don’t we look alike? That girl reached Rank One not long ago. Before that, she’d been traveling the Magus World and even led her own mercenary group,” Natalya replied.

“My mother is quite fond of her too,” she added, smiling proudly.

Sein took another look at the young female knight. He was certain she was Scarlet, whom he had met during his initiate years.

Her uneasy demeanor suggested that she recognized Sein too, and it appeared she had deliberately chosen the secluded corner of the banquet as her refuge.

“Oh? So, her last name is Ernst as well?” Sein asked.