Sovereign of the Ashes

The Fairy Dragon model and the latest generation of standard space fortresses from the Capiche Business Alliance each had their strengths and weaknesses.

The Capiche Business Alliance's new-generation standard fortress might have a slight advantage in main cannon firepower, but the Byrne Empire's Fairy Dragon model boasted longer endurance and stronger defense.

On top of that, when it came to defense and outer armor, it incorporated plenty of special elemental arcane.

In Peyton's opinion, its overall performance was slightly superior to the Capiche Business Alliance's standard model.

More importantly, if Sein had the connections to buy the Fairy Dragon model from the Byrne Empire, he would end up spending less.

That was because the Byrne Empire's Fairy Dragon model was designed for Rank Four and above knights and mages in the military, so its price was about thirty percent lower than the new standard fortresses sold by the Capiche Business Alliance.

Old Peyton knew Sein had only recently established his divine tower, so he was trying to help him save money.

After listening to the old man's analysis, Sein could only shake his head with a bit of regret.

If he really were a Rank Four mage who had just set up his divine tower and was a little tight on funds, the Fairy Dragon model would indeed have been the best choice.

And it was not like he had no connections—he had built up ties with the Byrne Empire's military.

He even knew that the Byrne Empire had sealed two major space fortress deals with Blackhaven's black mages over the past few centuries.

If he asked, the Byrne Empire would surely sell it to him too.

"The price of the Fairy Dragon model is thirty percent lower than the standard model from the Capiche Business Alliance, so it can go for as little as ten million magicoins, maybe even less. But my budget this time is between twenty and thirty million magicoins. Just recommend me a space fortress in that price range, old man." Sein said.

In the Magus Civilization, higher prices often meant better quality.

Since everything operated on the principle of equivalent exchange, deceit in transactions was rare in the Magus World.

Sein's generous budget made Peyton pause and give him a long look.

"How are you always this rich? Are you sure you're not the descendant of some overlord?" Peyton asked, clearly joking but still a little curious.

Since he had known Sein for a long time and the boy had once worked under him, Old Peyton spoke to him far more casually than he would to most esteemed Rank Four tower masters.

"This is all the cash I can come up with. If I were really the descendant of an overlord, I would just buy a custom-made space fortress." Sein smiled wryly.

He recalled the space fortress Mayne had used for his diplomatic mission to the Eternal Sand World.

According to the Rank Four knight, it had been custom‑made, which was why it held such significance for him.

Old Peyton took a few long drags on his cigar before pulling out a crystal ball. After browsing it for a while, he finally offered a good suggestion to Sein.

"I suggest you go for the Azure Starbane, a special model manufactured by the Capiche Business Alliance thirty thousand years ago. The going price now should be about nineteen million. You could try to haggle a bit and get it for less."

"Although it's a special model, it was produced thirty thousand years ago... isn't that too outdated?" Sein asked, genuinely curious.

Anyone would prefer to buy the latest space fortress. Why would someone choose an old model?

Peyton chuckled at the question and countered, "If it was really an outdated product that had been phased out, why is it still more expensive than the latest standard space fortress?"

"The development of our Magus Civilization's space fortresses has been stagnant for quite a while. I used to work on prism forts and war airship weapon systems, but after I hit Rank Three, I moved on to space fortress weapon design, so I know a bit more about this," he assured.

"The special models from thirty thousand years ago are not inferior to today's standard fortresses. In fact, they surpass them in many ways—combat power, defensive strength, spatial jump range, and capacity...

"After buying the Azure Starbane from the Capiche Business Alliance, I suggest sending it to Steel City for modifications. The mechanics there have made breakthroughs in outer‑armor alloys and energy‑regeneration systems. Spend a few million more, and they should be able to push the fortress' performance up another notch.

"You'll end up spending over twenty million magicoins, but for that price, the value you get will be comparable to a special‑model fortress that originally cost forty million," Peyton concluded.

"Of course, compared to the latest standard space fortress model, the Azure Starbane does have one pretty obvious drawback. Its energy consumption is quite high. That's why I suggested you head to Steel City for modifications and have them install an energy regeneration system. But, heh, knowing you, I doubt you'll have much trouble keeping up with the energy needs of a space fortress, right?" Peyton chuckled.

Energy cost was indeed not much of a concern for Sein.

For one, the White Sand World under his control had pretty decent energy crystal reserves. Even with sustainable development, that should be enough to keep a space fortress running.

On top of that, Lorianne already had good connections in the Amethyst Crystal World.

Sein could easily buy a batch of energy crystals at a good price for his space fortress.

"Alright, I'll do that!" Sein nodded and sincerely thanked Old Peyton again.

Everyone had their own strengths.

Though Peyton was only a Rank Three mage, Sein knew he could not match him when it came to space fortresses and machinery.

Peyton could not help but smile with pride at the Rank Four mage's approval.

But before he could enjoy the moment for long, Sein followed up with an even more surprising question.

"Since I still have some funds left over, could you also suggest suitable models for prism forts, war airships, and other fortress tools I should consider?"

Old Peyton's eyes narrowed at once.

Luckily, Sein was not the type to take advantage of others. Catching the shift in the old man's expression, he quickly added, "Of course, I'll pay you for the consultation."

That immediately softened Old Peyton's expression.

Equipping a space fortress, from modifications and adjustments to picking the right Rank One war machines, was a huge and exhausting task.

Even if Peyton was only offering guidance, it was no small ask.

Fortunately, Sein had no intention of letting him work for nothing.