Sovereign of the Ashes
Chapter 1172: Auctioned Slave

Chapter 1172: Auctioned Slave

Lady Bev, the peak Rank Seven soul overmage, did not linger in her thoughts for long.

Since the council had just finished discussing the Titanfangs of Nexon, it was only natural for everyone present to be reminded of another trap set by the Magus Civilization.

To be honest, that trap was a major gamble.

When dealing with that particular world civilization, even the top brass of Magus World could not fully guarantee loyalty on the other side.

If things went south, it could become one of the greatest failures in the alliance’s history.

Not only would the Magus Civilization be forced into a passive position, but the consequences could ripple across the future civilization war, shifting the balance in unexpected ways.

Thinking along the same lines, Hudson, a steady and dependable Rank Seven knight from the Byrne Empire, turned to Bev and asked, “Can we really trust the Netherworld creatures? Don’t forget... we fought a major war with them in the past. On top of that, the Magus Civilization is kind of responsible for the deaths of their leader’s two older brothers.”

Hudson’s concern echoed the unspoken thoughts of most powerhouses in the room.

In truth, the only reason that risky plan had advanced at all was because a small group of Magus World leaders, led by Bev, had pushed it forward.

It was clear that Bev and her group placed a great deal of trust in Naeverynk’s loyalty.

In response to Hudson’s concern, Bev smiled and assured, “There’s no need to doubt Netherworld’s loyalty. After all, my father had personally raised Naeverynk to an overlord before he left.”

“As for his two brothers, they fell to the Brain Eater Civilization, not us. My father already avenged them. And in recent years, the Magus Civilization has treated the Netherworld fairly. I believe Naeverynk will make the right choice,” she said.

Her words drew quiet nods from the gathered knights and mages.

It was not her words that convinced them, it was the mention of her father.

After all, the current ruler of Netherworld had been handpicked and raised by the Supreme Knight Overlord himself. No one in the room dared question that man’s judgment.

With the matter settled, the council moved on to the next item on the agenda.

Many key policy decisions for the upcoming Magus Alliance Conference would be decided right here, by the strongest powerhouses in Magus World.

***

After leaving the Knight Continent’s trial zone, Sein parted ways with Grimm and Angreas after traveling together for a while.

Angreas was headed back to the Kermoine Serpent Warlock Clan on the West Coast. After everything he gained from the Knight Continent, he was ready to begin his advancement toward becoming a demigod-level Bloodline Warlock.

Grimm, too, was returning to the Divine Tower of Crimson Blaze. From what Sein had gathered, ever since Grimm’s mentor passed away, he had taken on the responsibility of looking after a few younger apprentices the old man had accepted late in life.

The Divine Tower of Crimson Blaze had not joined any of the top forces in Magus World.

Instead, it was affiliated with a mid-sized organization located in central Magus Continent—one founded by a Rank Six powerhouse, much like the Elemental Gate established by Sein’s own grandmaster.

In Magus World, many newly established divine towers or knightly orders usually opted to align with a medium-sized or smaller organization.

Now that the Knight Continent’s trial was over, it was only natural for him to return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Before that, he needed to bring Leena back to Blackhaven.

Tourmaline had gone off somewhere in recent years, and to Sein’s surprise, he had not been able to get in touch with her at all.

Still, with no one else around, he and Leena were content to take things slow and spend some quiet time together.

After saying goodbye to Grimm and Angreas, Sein and Leena began their journey north at a relaxed pace.

Western Archipelago was a place Sein had wandered through many times over the years.

From those early days of being unfamiliar with it, he had slowly grown to know the region well.

He and Leena had left their footprints in more than a few places here.

One day, while passing through a coastal settlement, they joined a large auction hosted by a local knightly order.

Official auctions like these often featured a surprising number of rare items.

Since most were local specialties, their prices tended to be slightly lower than what one might find at the Magus Alliance’s markets.

Their decision to attend had been completely spontaneous.

In truth, as they drew closer to Blackhaven, both Sein and Leena were starting to feel emotional.

Maybe that was why they were making the most of their remaining time together, trying to make a few more memories before they had to part.

Sein entered the auction hall, still wearing the Faceless Mask.

The mask did a flawless job concealing his aura, and no one in the knightly order hosting the event even realized that he was a Rank Three mage.

In Magus World, Sein could wear the Faceless Mask without worry.

Aside from overlords and overmages, most would not be able to recognize its true nature, and those who were above that level were unlikely to covet something worn by a younger mage.

That said, many veteran powerhouses in Magus World did recognize the significance of the Faceless Mask.

Sein himself, however, had no idea that simply wearing it would shift how others perceived his identity and status.

Leena, on the other hand, was not wearing the Demon Eye Mask he had given her.

Her mask, embedded with a Rank Four creature’s heart core of exceptional quality, was more conspicuous than the Faceless Mask on Sein’s face.

Both Sein and Leena preferred to remain low profile; drawing attention was the last thing they wanted.

Still, the arrival of two Rank Three grand mages was enough to earn them the highest courtesy from the knights running the auction.

In Magus World, mages were often wealthier than knights of the same rank.

So, given Sein and Leena’s rank, their purchasing power might be strong enough to turn heads.

They were soon escorted to a private booth on the top floor of the auction house.

“The atmosphere’s not quite the same as that auction I once attended at a starport,” Sein commented, scanning the room, “but considering this is being hosted by a knightly order, they’ve done a good job.”

He glanced over at Leena, who was smiling faintly, then added, “Next time I go to one, I’ll bring you along.”

“Alright,” Leena said, resting her head on his shoulder.

By now, the auction was already halfway through, but they had not missed much.

Most of the earlier items were geared toward Rank One and Rank Two beings. They might have been interesting once, but at this point, they were no longer of much use to Sein.

On the contrary, it was the items slated for the final rounds of the auction that truly interested a Rank Three grand mage like him.

Looking around, he noticed that most of the private booths on the top floor were already filled. Quite a few Rank Three knights and mages had come to this auction. Most of them were likely affiliated with the knightly order hosting the event.

“Looks like this knightly order just finished conquering a low-level plane. Many of these listings seem to come from war spoils taken from that world,” Sein commented, flipping through a crystal catalog of auction items.

Leena nodded and hummed in response.

Sein was about to say more when his hand paused mid-motion as he turned a page. His gaze locked onto something in the catalog.

“What is it?” Leena asked, glancing at him curiously.

Following the direction of Sein’s eyes beneath his mask, she looked down at the page and saw the picture of a female centaur slave, priced and up for sale.