Sovereign of the Ashes

After leaving the Magic Empire with a hint of regret, Sein set off toward the Capiche Business Alliance.

This was not his first time visiting the Capiche Business Alliance. As he watched the countless space fortresses and airships flying in the sky, Sein could not help but feel a touch of envy.

Given his current financial situation, purchasing a space fortress remained a dream.

Besides, it would have to comeafterthe construction of his divine tower.

Without enough full-fledged mages to operate one, a space fortress would be nothing more than a "metal box toy".

The Capiche Business Alliance remained a picture of extreme prosperity.

But unlike the Alveroth Empire, this kind of prosperity was rooted purely in economic power, not magic.

Magus World might control the economic lifeline of the Magus Alliance, but it was the Capiche Business Alliance that steered the broader course of Magus World's economic development.

Many major forces in the Magus World had some influence over the civilization's economy, but none could compare to the Capiche Business Alliance's reach.

It was said that the original magicoin system was first proposed by mages from here.

To this day, Capiche Business Alliance remained the largest manufacturer of magicoins in the entire Magus Civilization.

It was also the biggest trading and export hub for large-scale constructs like space fortresses, prism forts, and airships.

In recent years, another top-tier force—Steel City—had also started gaining prominence.

While it had taken a notable chunk of Capiche Business Alliance's business, it had not shaken Capiche's status too much.

Most of the Rank Four or above mages working on Steel City's fortresses and prism forts were newly risen powerhouses.

Steel City's major appeal lay in its affordable, durable exports.

Meanwhile, the Capiche Business Alliance continued to aim for the mid-to-high-end market.

Thanks to long-standing partnerships with many of Sky City's top heavy industry laboratories, the space fortresses Capiche Business Alliance produced were always the most cutting-edge in the Magus Civilization.

"I heard a lot of outdated space fortresses have been resold at high prices to Magus Alliance members. Capiche and Steel City must both have major trading hubs operating in other regions too," Sein remarked thoughtfully.

Shortly after arriving at the Capiche Business Alliance, Sein located a trading post that specialized in the bulk recycling of magic ingredients.

The people he interacted with during his last visit were all his mentor's connections. Sein himself did not know anyone here.

Still, that did not really matter.

Magus World was a magic civilization built on the principle of equivalent exchange.

Even if he did have connections in the Capiche Business Alliance, the most they could offer would be advice on policies or a few tips for selecting a space fortress.

Adjusting transaction prices based on personal connections was out of the question.

A mage's assets were protected by the laws of the Magus Civilization.

Now that Sein had reached Rank Four, the perks of his status were becoming more obvious.

He had already experienced this in the Sky City and the Magic Empire, and it was no different here in the Capiche Business Alliance.

When Sein released just a trace of Rank Four aura, a Rank Three grand mage at the trading post immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"May I assist you in any way?" the middle-aged-looking mage asked respectfully.

"I would like to sell some resources. Could you help me evaluate their worth?" Sein replied.

"Please come with me," the mage said, leading Sein toward a large building behind the trading post.

Complex magic arrays were etched into every corner of the structure.

But what truly caught Sein's attention were the countless golden scales formed entirely of elemental energy inside the warehouse-like building.

Clearly, he was not the only mage conducting transactions here.

The Rank Three mage led Sein to an area with larger golden scales.

"Master, it appears this is your first time visiting us," Todd said.

"The Scales of Conservation are one of the most treasured assets of the Capiche Business Alliance. What you're seeing now is just their illusory form, projected through law power. But thanks to our large-scale magic arrays, even these illusions can channel a portion of the real scales' power," he explained.

"So please rest assured—the valuation process remains accurate. Any resource or material that has ever circulated within the Magus Civilization will be appraised here at the fairest price possible. And my name is Todd. It's a pleasure to serve you," he added with a polite nod.

"I see... the Scales of Conservation are also a world-class secret treasure," Sein remarked.

The higher he climbed, the more clearly he could sense the immense depth of the Magus Civilization's power.

Even if these elemental projections only displayed a fraction of the real thing's power, he could still faintly perceive the profound laws of this world-class treasure.

"I wish I could see the real thing... or maybe get a chance to take it apart and study it," he mumbled, his alchemist instincts kicking in.

Not wanting to keep Todd waiting, Sein floated directly above the elemental scales and began unloading resources.

The space conch nestled in his arm, no larger than a palm, seemed to contain a near-infinite amount of materials.

In just a few moments, it had already filled one-third of the scale plate.

And from the looks of it, Sein's space conch was nowhere near empty.

A small hill of various materials and rare ingredients formed before Todd's stunned eyes.

A sheen of sweat had already appeared on the Rank Three mage's face. He had never seen anyone unload so much at once.

Around them, other mages and staff stopped what they were doing, clearly shocked by the sheer volume spilling out from Sein's space conch.

Todd quickly realized that the Rank Four mage in front of him was no ordinary client.

He immediately conjured an elemental barrier around the scales with the help of his crystal ball, shielding the transaction from prying eyes.

"I truly apologize for the oversight," Todd said, wiping his brow and bowing toward Sein, who still hovered in midair.

Protecting a client's privacy was one of the most basic principles of the Capiche Business Alliance.

In truth, several layers of privacy shield arrays were already in place, but Todd had not expected Sein to unload so much all at once, well beyond the typical coverage range.

"Did this Rank Four mage plunder an entire low-level plane and store all its resources inside his artifact?" Todd secretly wondered.

He was completely baffled by the capacity of the space conch.

As a Rank Three mage, he had never seen a storage device with such astonishing volume.