Sovereign of the Ashes

As Sein lay on the stretcher, being escorted to the spatial gate, he saw Natalya, who was still recovering from her injuries, and Sia, his mother-in-law.

The intensity of the war in Verdant Leaf World left Gould and the others unable to see Sein off.

Only Anna, who recently returned to the central fortress for rest, and Luna, the Rank Two centaur preparing to return to Centaurworld to muster more troops, had made time to see Sein off.

Sein's injuries were not as severe as they appeared. Yet Anna, whom Sein had not considered particularly close, unexpectedly shed a few tears.

This was Anna's first involvement in an interplanar conflict. She was a magic initiate from the same cohort as Sein, though she had only been promoted to Rank One after Daniel.

In this brutal conflict, Anna likely faced the loss of dear friends and witnessed countless deaths—common trials for any mage in their first interplanar war.

Lying on the stretcher, Sein could only offer her a few words of consolation.

Natalya did not need to disguise herself like Sein, and her injuries were less severe than his, leaving her with few bandages on her body.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, she was set to resume simpler combat missions by next week.

As Sein's wife, Natalya was naturally the most important person at this send-off.

Sein's mother-in-law, Sia, maintained her distance from him throughout the event though.

Whenever Sein looked her way, she avoided eye contact.

This unreliable mother-in-law of his had nearly killed him.

Although Sia had ultimately managed to evacuate him and Natalya to safety, Sein was still rather upset with her.

Back then, he had expressed concerns about the risks of continuing the mission in his condition, yet Sia had insisted he fight on.

Sein could have filed a complaint against Sia with the divine tower, despite her higher rank, but he chose to let the matter slide since she was now family.

However, he resolved to minimize future interactions with his mother-in-law.

His relationship with Natalya had improved recently and he could only hope she would not be influenced by her mother again.

Aware that she had nearly caused a huge trouble, Sia felt rather awkward around Sein.

With a final glance at Sia, Sein entered the spatial gate.

***

After exiting the spatial gate, Sein arrived at the demiplane beyond Verdant Leaf World.

Selina was already there as she was one of the few mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring stationed in this demiplane.

Sein's mentor, Lorianne, was also present in her true form.

The master and disciple had previously discussed involving Tourmaline in the Verdant Leaf World War.

"I'm heading back to Magus World, but I'll return soon. My injuries aren't that serious, so don't worry," he assured Selina warmly, gently stroking her hair as she rested her head on his body.

Alongside Sein, Luna, the Rank Two centaur, also entered the spatial gate but she was bound for Centaurworld.

She was expected to bring back another one hundred thousand centaurs and two hundred thousand minotaurlings as critical reinforcements for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Consequently, Lorianne had redistributed the war gain points previously allocated to the Maya Tribe.

"I'll see you later then!" Luna called out, waving a silver totem scepter in her hand.

***

Using the demiplane as a transit, Sein's journey back to the Magus World took about two months.

The side effects from the power of time and space visibly paled the face of the mage whose body was still wrapped in elemental bandages.

This time, Sein was not putting on an act; traveling through the spatial passage in his condition had truly taken a severe toll on his body.

Without pausing to rest, Sein hurried to the Jewel Sea region, where Tourmaline resided.

The stretcher he was lying on was capable of flight and could be considered an intermediate or advanced magic item.

Sein's appearance and his call via mental focus stirred up the previously tranquil sea.

The small island in the distance, home to many rare plants, suddenly rose hundreds of meters above sea level.

It was actually a part of Tourmaline's turtle shell that remained above the water.

"Huh? What's up, Sein?" Tourmaline's head emerged, still looking drowsy and not fully awake.

However, she snapped to alertness upon noticing Sein's weakened and injured state.

Sein felt a pang of guilt for deceiving the young turtle, but considering the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring's situation and the importance of conquering the Verdant Leaf World, he stuck to his script.

He cleared his throat and explained, "A demigod-level plant from Verdant Leaf World has injured me and inflicted significant casualties on the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring."

"Has the war already started? How dare they hurt my friend! I shall settle the score with it!" Tourmaline exclaimed, her fleshy right paw fiercely slapping the water.

A fleeting fluctuation of the power of law passed by, conjuring a monstrous wave over a thousand meters high that surged past Sein.

As an inland sea, the Jewel Sea had never before seen such gigantic waves, and neither had Sein witnessed anything close to this scale.

Sein looked up in stunned silence at the towering wave.

Tourmaline, typically not prone to angry outbursts, had clearly shown her anger through this action.

The wave surged with relentless force toward the distant horizon, poised to devastate the surrounding area of the Jewel Sea.

Realizing her overreaction, Tourmaline quickly swung her tail downward, creating another energy ripple that instantly subdued the towering wave, restoring calm to the sea.

For the ordinary creatures of the Jewel Sea, the sudden vanishing of a giant tsunami was baffling and could only be described as a miracle.

In front of Tourmaline, Sein let out a sigh of relief while still lying on the stretcher.

He suddenly realized that with such a formidable ally, the Verdant Leaf World War might not be a concern after all.

"Let's go to Verdant Leaf World! We have a score to settle!" Tourmaline urged.

Moments later, she tilted her head and asked, "Uh, where's Verdant Leaf World again?"