Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1309: Delusional

Most of Sein’s speech had already been predetermined, and he had even submitted a copy of it to the Magus Alliance in advance.

Mayne had told him he was free to speak within a “limited” scope.

Exactly how limited was something Sein would have to find out for himself.

He chose to address the demihuman issue mainly because, for tens of thousands of years, the status of demihumans in Magus World had never been secure.

Even the sea races had their own mermaid overlord to speak for them, yet the demihumans remained third-class citizens.

But Sein went further, speaking on the divisions within the demihuman race itself.

“Nowadays, there are more and more demihumans in our Magus Alliance, and some clearly carry the bloodlines of our Magus World. Yet, simply because they were born in other worlds, they are not recognized by our Magus Civilization. It is my hope that this assembly will recalibrate the definitions regarding demihumans and ensure proper rights for all creatures of Magus World blood.”

His words sent two separate waves of uproar rippling through the venue.

The first issue, concerning demihumans’ rights within Magus World, was fairly acceptable. It drew attention mainly from native Magus World creatures, while the foreign delegates watched on with mild curiosity.

But his second point touched upon the interests of many allied planes, especially those led by humanoid races.

Take Beastmen World, for example. Many half-beastmen carried Magus World human bloodlines. If Sein’s proposal passed, would that not trigger a sudden influx of half-beastmen becoming citizens of the Magus World?

That would be so crazy!

The two waves of clamor that swept through the crowd left Feylis, seated in a corner of the venue, glancing at her apprentice in surprise.

Lorianne was equally baffled, blinking at her mentor’s questioning look.

Across the conference venue, hundreds of Rank Four and above demihumans from Magus World were feeling equally conflicted.

These native demihumans were thrilled by Sein’s first proposal and could hardly wait to thank this Rank Four mage who had spoken on their behalf.

But when it came to Sein’s second proposal, most of them resisted it outright.

There was also a so-called “chain of contempt” within the Magus Civilization.[1]

Magus World’s native knights and mages often looked down on demihumans, who in turn looked down on otherworldly humanoids within the Magus Alliance, who then looked down on their own “tainted” counterparts.

The awkward status of half-beastmen in Beastmen World was a perfect example of this hierarchy.

Of course, not all half-beastmen were the result of Magus World creatures who could not keep it in their pants.

Magus World only bore a small share of the blame.

The Magus Alliance Conference was not a marketplace, and there was no way such noises would be allowed to continue unchecked.

After a brief chaotic moment, Lady Bev raised her magic rod, and sure enough, silence returned to the venue.

“Let us proceed with the vote,” she declared.

The passage of any transformative proposal was difficult, often requiring long debates and painful compromises.

Faced with Sein’s two proposals, the first—granting certain privileges to native demihumans of Magus World—passed with 41.37%, while the second was rejected outright, garnering only 11.72% support.

The one fighting for demihuman privileges within the Magus Alliance was Klopp, the knight overlord of the Western Archipelago.

However, the near-unanimous rejection showed just how much resistance it faced.

Nevertheless, Sein’s speech on behalf of the demihumans drew a lot of attention.

Demihumans of Rank Four and above from the Magus World, along with foreign ones carrying Magus World bloodlines, were already planning to pay Sein a personal visit after the conference.

Normally, Sein’s turn at the podium should have ended there.

For a Rank Four mage to be allowed to speak at the Magus Alliance Conference at all was already an honor. Even Rank Six mages like Grandmaster Feylis did not always have such an opportunity.

But Lady Bev seemed very interested in him.

After Sein’s speech ended and even the voting session had concluded, she unexpectedly asked, “Master Sein, is there anything else you would like to say?”

In all previous speaking sessions, Lady Bev had never once asked such a question.

Sein froze for a moment, startled by this unexpected turn of events.

Even as he stood there thinking, he knew from the last vote’s outcome that not every passionate speech could sway minds at this conference.

With traditional perceptions and entrenched interests at play, there were many things even overlord-level beings of the Magus Civilization could not simply will into existence.

The Magus Civilization was not a dictatorship!

But it was Lady Bev’s unexpected follow-up question, and Sein’s status as a relatively young Rank Four mage with energy and drive that many older knights and mages lacked, that pushed him to speak again.

“Black mages of Magus World have long been discriminated against and suppressed by the major divine towers and knightly orders. But I would like to tell everyone that not all black mages and black knights are inherently evil. Many were forced down that dark path because of circumstance, not choice.”

“I propose that the black mages and black knights of Magus World be given a chance to reform!” Sein said, lifting his head toward Lady Bev at the center of the venue.

The uproar that followed was even louder than when he had spoken about demihumans earlier!

Black mages? Every magic initiate was taught from day one to be wary of them and strongly oppose them.

They were the dark forces of Magus World; tumors in the eyes of the righteous.

The inability to completely eradicate black mages and black knights already irritated many in Magus World, and now someone was actually standing up for them?

Sein’s words would undoubtedly brand him as “delusional” or even “an ally to the dark forces” from this day forward.

His speech might win him favor with demihumans and a handful of black mages and black knights, but most of the righteous and conservative powerhouses of the Magus Civilization would keep their distance.

Sein had gained something today, but he had lost something as well.

There were some things better left unsaid at the Magus Alliance Conference.

But Sein did not care.

Before Lady Bev could even move the motion to a vote, a Rank Five knight leapt to his feet. He pointed a finger at Sein and yelled, “RIDICULOUS!”

This knight, clad in black armor, was a member of the Ylli Knight Alliance and the staunchest anti-black mage powerhouse in Magus World.

His outburst immediately drew the attention of many present to a silent knight in the front row—an incredibly powerful being!

In fact, within this entire conference venue, only a handful could rival him.

This silent knight was the supreme leader of the Ylli Knight Alliance.

If Sein’s advocacy for demihumans echoed the voice of the Western Archipelago’s knight overlord, then this Rank Five Knight, practically shouting in Sein’s face, was clearly speaking for that silent overlord.

“Interesting,” a knight overlord from the Byrne Empire camp mumbled, folding his arms as he watched the confrontation with interest.

1. Translator’s Note: Chain of contempt refers to a social phenomenon, particularly in online communities, where individuals rank themselves and others based on perceived social status, leading to a hierarchy of disdain or contempt. This concept, originating from Chinese social media, describes how people place themselves and others within a hierarchy based on various factors, including taste, wealth, and perceived social standing, resulting in a “chain” where each level looks down on those below. ☜