Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 460: I’ll Consider It

Martin had spent his early years living with his mentor in a black tower.

The black towers in Blackhaven differed significantly from the divine towers found in the rest of the Magus World.

In Blackhaven, neither black magic initiates nor black mages enjoyed much freedom.

While the mages were allowed to leave the tower for brief periods to carry out missions, the initiates were strictly confined.

Any attempt or even the mere thought of leaving was met with severe suppression or outright elimination by the black towers.

Human rights were non-existent in Blackhaven.

Leena first came to Mordoron Island in search of Sein when she was a peak Quasi Mage, likely just after completing the Death Trial.

Her second visit occurred shortly after she had achieved Rank One.

Defying the stringent rules of the Black Towers to handle personal matters signified her exceptional status and importance within the Black Tower of Cinderbones.

If Leena had been merely an ordinary initiate, the executives of the Black Towers would not have tolerated her actions.

She would have been reduced to a specimen on an experimental table—a fate common to all initiates in Blackhaven.

When Sein heard of Leena’s victory in the Death Trial, he could hardly contain his joy for her.

Although Sein was unsure what Leena had gone through over the years, he was relieved to learn she was still alive and well.

He immediately questioned Martin about the Black Tower of Cinderbones and its whereabouts.

Knowing what Sein was thinking, Martin replied with a knowing grin, “The Black Tower of Cinderbones lies further north beyond this area, in the outer reaches and deep into central Blackhaven.”

“That place isn’t easy to navigate, even for Rank One black mages. Furthermore, no ordinary black mages can simply join the Black Tower of Cinderbones,” he warned.

“I’m not exactly sure how Fareena managed to get Leena enrolled into the Black Tower of Cinderbones. It’s nearly impossible for a Rank One black mage to join that tower without forking out ten Grade One energy crystals or hundreds of magicoins. And within the Black Towers, one must always be wary of their surroundings.” Martin chuckled and shook his head.

The circumstances in Blackhaven were truly a stark contrast to those on the Magus Continent.

On the Magus Continent, the divine towers generally paid salaries to the full-fledged mages who joined them.

They even had to offer competitive packages to attract the more powerful mages.

It was surprising that joining a Black Tower in Blackhaven required payment.

Nevertheless, the situation in Blackhaven was somewhat understandable.

The black towers of Blackhaven were not charitable organizations, and those malicious black mages could not rely on funding from the Magus Alliance.

Rank One black mages seeking membership in the Black Towers often did so hoping to leverage the organization as a platform to access more resources or even secure direct protection.

Some desperate Rank One black mages invested most of their savings to join the black towers just to escape their enemies, viewing it as the most rational choice under the circumstances.

However, the reality within the black towers was not as dire as Martin portrayed.

Contrarily, it was one of the safer refuges in Blackhaven. The esteemed Rank Three and Rank Four mages were generally diligent in fulfilling their duties once compensated.

After all, the black mages also typically adhered to the principle of equivalent exchange.

While some of the information Martin shared with Sein held some truth, other parts were clearly exaggerated.

Sein only partially believed Martin’s words, aware that the dean had his own motives.

It was obvious that Martin did not want Sein to reach Leena. He preferred that Sein remained with his organized group on Mordoron Island.

If Sein wished to reunite with Leena, he would need to stick with Martin, which could ultimately provide Martin with an opportunity to engage with the Black Tower of Cinderbones.

If rumors were true and Leena was favored by the Black Tower Master of Cinderbones, possibly even to apprenticed to her, Martin would be foolish to let Sein slip out of his grasp.

Interacting with a Rank Three black mage like Martin required caution.

During their discussions, Martin repeatedly proposed forming a magical contract that seemed to benefit Sein.

He promised to supply Sein with abundant resources annually, which was a fair offer in Blackhaven, especially considering Sein’s skills as an alchemist.

However, the catch was that Sein must commit to a long-term magical contract, the shortest of which would last thirty years.

Sein, of course, did not accept Martin’s proposal right away. Instead of outright refusal, he responded vaguely, “I’ll consider it.”

Despite being a black mage, Martin maintained a relatively humble demeanor, likely hesitant to antagonize Leena by pressuring Sein too hard.

In his dealings with Sein, Martin tried to preserve as much goodwill as possible.

If Sein were truly a black mage without anyone to rely on, he might have easily fallen into Martin’s schemes.

“At least in the outskirts of Blackhaven, no one will offer a better deal than I can. I’m only extending this offer because you’re one of us from the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City. You should also keep the terms we’ve discussed confidential as it could upset certain people if disclosed.”—This was Martin’s message to Sein.

Despite Martin’s persuasive tactics, Sein never agreed to form a magic contract with him.

He merely said, “I’ll consider it.”

Martin’s expression faltered momentarily before he quickly shifted the topic.

“I’m sorry to hear about your mentor’s murder by Daelis. It’s a problem the black mages from Mystralora City need to address together.”

“Don’t worry about Gandra; I’ll handle him. But resolving this issue might take some time,” he added.

“Why is that so?” Sein inquired, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Because certain secret realms in the southern Knight Continent are about to open, the attention of the Western Archipelago—no, the entire Magus World—will shift there. As black mages, we might not be able to delve into the secret realms ourselves, but we can find a way to acquire or trade for unique resources found only within those realms,” Martin explained.

“The items from there are invaluable; I’ve only witnessed such events twice in my life,” he added with a reflective sigh.