Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 168: Dominate

Sein discreetly pocketed the black stone into his space ring and simply responded with a “No.”

Scarlet’s lips pouted slightly at his action, but she quickly moved on to more pressing matters.

“We’ve got a problem. The explosion of that beast scattered toxic and highly corrosive blood and flesh. Several of my men are affected. Can you do anything about it?” she asked.

Sein’s knowledge in detoxification and his evident strength had significantly impressed the mercenary knights.

His capabilities had earned their trust to such an extent that Scarlet now habitually turned to him for solutions to various challenges, as if he were a versatile problem-solver for any situation.

Sein shot her a look and replied, “I’m not an expert apothecary, and my skills in antidote crafting are limited.”

“Not an expert, but you know something, right? Give it a try,” Scarlet pressed.

Sein rolled his eyes at her and said, “Don’t blame me if I end up killing them!”

“It’ll be fine. I trust you!” Scarlet said, slapping Sein on the back with a hearty gesture.

The impact, though light-hearted, was strong enough to make Sein stagger slightly.

Compared to a senior squire, a mage like him was considerably frail.

Sein pondered the possibility of a technique that could bridge this physical gap for mages, though such a solution eluded him for now.

Their camaraderie had grown through their shared battles, evolving into a rapport where they could comfortably joke around each other.

Scarlet’s slap on the back, delivered in good humor, was also a subtle act of playful revenge directed at Sein.

In a playful response to Scarlet’s teasing, Sein conjured a weak Fiery Hand spell and playfully swatted her rear.

The sound of the impact caused Scarlet’s cheeks to flush—a reaction that could have been due to embarrassment, the heat from the pyro magic spell, or perhaps something else.

Fortunately, their interaction went unnoticed by those around them.

After Sein walked away, Scarlet forcefully stomped her foot on the ground out of humiliation.

* * *

Although Sein had the rights to the spoils of the quasi-ranked magic beast, there was not much left for him in reality.

The beast’s valuable magic crystal was nowhere to be found after extensive searching. It was likely destroyed during the Leoarachnid’s self-destruction.

From the remains, Sein gathered only a few spider legs, some scales, and flesh and blood samples.

All of them would be used for submission to the divine tower as part of his quest.

Essentially, Sein did not gain any significant harvest from the creature.

“Are you interested in this beast’s remains? It seemed to be an umbra-lumen type,” Sein asked Sev, who was just beside him.

Magic beasts could undergo evolution by devouring high-quality flesh and blood, but Seven was clearly not interested in the remains of the Leoarachnid.

“No, the flesh is too corrosive, toxin-laden for me to consume. It won’t be beneficial for me,” Sev responded.

Sein sighed, realizing the mission’s yield was less than anticipated.

He hoped the divine tower would provide adequate compensation upon his return.

For the injured mercenaries and soldiers from Gypson Dukedom, Sein applied the basic apothecary knowledge he gained in the divine tower.

Surprisingly, he seemed to have a knack for this area.

Although his success rate in crafting basic antidotes had only been around ten to twenty percent in the academy, it remarkably improved under the pressure of real-world needs, reaching about thirty percent.

These basic antidotes were adequate for treating minor chemical burns, yet they proved inadequate for treating more severe cases or instances where toxins had penetrated to the bone marrow.

Nevertheless, the overall personnel loss was tolerable for Scarlet, the other mercenary leaders, and the Gypson Dukedom, represented by Earl Krue.

Notably, Sein had funded many of the basic ingredients for the antidotes, earning gratitude from those involved.

To him, those materials were insignificant compared to his magic ingredients and materials he usually used for his alchemy practices.

For the ordinary mercenaries and soldiers, even basic antidotes were valuable alchemy potions that they could rarely afford.

After emerging from the underground, Scarlet slapped Sein’s back and playfully offered, “Thanks for the potions. How about I keep you company for the night as a thank-you?”

Her playful proposition drew amused looks from the surrounding mercenaries and soldiers.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Sein, who typically maintained a reserved and aloof demeanor, paused to consider the proposition.

He rested his hand on his chin in contemplation and then simply responded, “Fine.”

***

This was Sein’s first experience with a female knight.

The contrast in physical strength between knights and mages was starkly evident.

Scarlet, with her defined and almost sculpted facial features, was far from the conventional standard of beauty.

Even between the sheets, Sein did not sense the typical delicacy often associated with women. Instead, Scarlet even tried to dominate him.

“You should move less, your wrists are already scalded,” Sein commented dryly in the midst of their encounter, addressing the formidable “tigress” before him.

Realizing that matching Scarlet’s physical strength would be futile, Sein relied on the power of elements and intelligence, which were the strengths of a mage.

He bound her wrists with pyro chains to restrict her movements.

Of course, he had gotten her consent before taking such a measure.

Instead of heeding Sein’s advice, Scarlet’s defiance seemed only to intensify.

In response, Sein quickened his pace and strengthened the pyro chains.

The soft glow of a familiar fiery hand emerged again in the room filled with a peculiar scent.

Smack!

The weakened version of Fiery Hand spell left a faint red mark on Scarlet’s rear, eliciting a surprisingly girlish sound from the stoic female knight.

“Ahn~”

In that moment, Scarlet, who had been trying to dominate Sein in bed, finally relented.