Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 927: Bousse The New Joiner

Upon his return to the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, Sein quickly became a celebrated figure—perhaps even a hero—within the entire tower.

Rescuing Harris, Jenny and other mages, defeating dozens of Rank One and Rank Two Divine Tower of Astral Sun mages, and holding his ground against Rank Three grand mages...

Though these feats were not intentionally publicized, word of them spread rapidly throughout the divine tower.

Even the most uninformed initiates began to look up to their dean with admiration and awe.

While Sein’s decisive actions did not yield any immediate, tangible benefits for the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, the surge in morale was undeniable.

Sometimes, a boost in spirit could be far more invigorating than any material rewards.

***

“I didn’t expect you to reach Rank Three so quickly. Considering that you have yet to stabilize your newfound power, this outing didn’t affect you negatively, did it?” Keith asked as he poured a cup of tea for Sein in the dean’s office, located in the central building of the divine tower academy.

The tea was brewed from Swirling Verdure—premium tea leaves sourced from a low-level dendro elemental plane. Sein had only ever seen them at Keith’s office.

Its production in that plane was likely limited, and one of its remarkable effects was its ability to permanently increase the focus of initiates with less than 100 points by 10 to 20 points upon their first consumption.

For people like Sein and Keith, the tea no longer offered such permanent enhancements, but it still served as a revitalizing drink.

While Sein preferred the fruit juices and potions he concocted himself to invigorate his mind during grueling experiments, Dean Keith was clearly a tea connoisseur.

Some mages, however, favored coffee instead. These preferences varied widely among spellcasters of the Magus World.

Taking a sip of the tea, Sein smiled and replied, “Nothing major. On the contrary, I gained a great deal from this battle.”

His first impression of the tea was its refreshing taste, but as he drank more, a lingering bitterness began to creep across his palate.

Sein did not particularly enjoy the bitterness at first, but as he continued drinking, it mellowed and transformed into an indescribable flavor—subtle yet oddly addictive.

“That’s good to hear. A lot happened while you were in seclusion, but thanks to the reputation you’ve earned in the Petrified Forest, we’ve been able to breathe a little easier lately,” Keith said.

“Those other divine towers can’t very well send demigod-level mages after us. Honestly, if it came to that, I’d call on the tower master to deal with them,” he added indignantly.

Despite his usual calm demeanor, Keith had been growing increasingly frustrated by the persistent pressure from the other divine towers.

Of course, the blame lay with the Tower Master of Dark Flame. After all, he was the one who had instructed the deans to provoke the surrounding towers in the first place.

There was little they could do, bound as they were by their roles as the tower master’s subordinates.

Composing himself, Keith added, “I suggest you focus on stabilizing your newfound power for now. I’ll handle the matters here at the divine tower academy as best as possible.”

“That sounds great. I’ll take your advice and leave things in your capable hands,” Sein replied, taking another sip of his tea.

***

Returning to his laboratory, Sein immediately immersed himself in the study of Ashen Flame, his newfound ability after advancing to Rank Three.

This highly versatile flame was set to become his signature power for years to come.

Despite its potential, Sein had yet to incorporate Ashen Flame in his body tempering experiments.

Its intensity was far too overwhelming; even with Sein’s formidable constitution, he could not endure its scorching heat.

Both the Pale Flame and Dark Flame, the Ashen Flame’s components, possessed exceptionally unique properties that also rendered them unsuitable for body tempering at Sein’s current stage.

For now, Sein continued to rely on the Verdant Flame, the flame he understood most thoroughly, for his body tempering routine.

With his recent advancement to Rank Three, he could also resume work on the mixed poison and radiation body tempering techniques he had previously researched.

The former, in particular, involved extensive knowledge of plant-based toxins.

Fortunately, Sein had received a comprehensive set of notes painstakingly compiled by his mentor, Lorianne.

Her detailed summaries saved him immense time and resources. He merely had to follow the specified ratios and gather the necessary plant ingredients to integrate them into his experiments.

Once Sein completed his analysis of Ashen Flame’s potential for body tempering, he shifted his focus to its applications in alchemy and apothecary.

However, his work was interrupted by an urgent message from the north.

Unbeknownst to him, two and a half years had passed since that battle in the Petrified Forest.

Time, as always, seemed to slip by unnoticed when Sein was working in his laboratory.

This message came from Bousse, who was far away in the Alveroth Empire.

It was rare for Sein’s experiments to be interrupted, and such messages usually signaled a dire situation.

After nearly ten years, Bousse’s secretive initiate smuggling operation—disguised under the facade of the second-best public magic academy in Francina City—had finally been exposed.

In this world, no secret could remain hidden forever.

Perhaps Bousse’s success had drawn the jealousy of a rival with ulterior motives. Or perhaps someone had deliberately targeted him.

On the surface, everything seemed leakproof, yet the Alveroth Empire’s law enforcement still arrested him nonetheless.

Bousse’s message reached the Divine Tower of Dark Flame shortly after his capture by the authorities of the Alveroth Empire.

When Sein received the news and began considering how to handle the situation, another update arrived: Bousse had been released but was also dismissed from the second-best public magic academy in Francina City.

The Magus World operated under principles of fairness and order. Likewise, the Alveroth Empire was also governed by a strict set of laws.

Since the empire found no concrete evidence of Bousse violating its laws or the regulations of the divine towers, he was acquitted after three days of detention.

However, his dismissal from the academy was justified on the grounds that he “might jeopardize the reputation and interests of the institution”.

Before his expulsion, Bousse was required to pay a staggering compensation of nearly one thousand magicoins to the academy.

Although Bousse could have refused to pay by filing a lawsuit or seeking arbitration from the empire’s relevant authorities, he chose not to.

For reasons known only to him, he paid the sum willingly.

How a Rank One academy mage, who had only held his position for a few decades, managed to amass such a fortune remained a mystery.

His ability to pay only fueled speculation that Bousse had indeed compromised the academy’s interests while lining his own pockets.

Bousse’s expulsion had a ripple effect—the Divine Tower of Dark Flame Academy now faced a significant shortfall in its initiate recruitment.

Although many mages in the Alveroth Empire maintained covert ties with the Divine Tower of Dark Flame Academy, Bousse’s exposed dealings scared them.

For at least the next two years, these academy mages would tread carefully, avoiding any further shady activities until the storm subsided.

After leaving the Alveroth Empire, Bousse accepted Sein’s offer and joined the Divine Tower of Dark Flame Academy.

When Sein saw him again, the plump man appeared to have gained even more weight.

Patting Bousse on the shoulder, Sein said, “From now on, you’ll be in charge of overseeing our academy’s initiate recruitment in the north.”

“You’re familiar with all the academy mages in that region who collaborate with us. Let them know they have nothing to worry about. The Divine Tower of Dark Flame will ensure their efforts are well-rewarded.”

Sein gave a reassuring smile before continuing, “Even with the current scrutiny, I need you to secure another batch of initiates—enough to meet the academy’s regular teaching needs.”

His tone then hardened. “One more thing: now that you’re part of the Divine Tower of Dark Flame, don’t try anything funny. I don’t care if your target is the other divine towers, but if you turn against us...”

Sein’s hand clamped down heavily on Bousse’s shoulder. “Even if I don’t deal with you, the Tower Master will—and he’s not someone you want to cross.”

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Bousse wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and nodded quickly.

“Understood. I’ve heard all about the Tower Master of Dark Flame,” he said.