Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1544: Duality

In the tower master’s private lounge...

After a few breaths of soft gasps and low moans, Eileen finally went limp in Sein’s arms.

The joy of reuniting after so long was a balm for the soul.

Though Sein had occasionally done it with Yuri over the years, being with Eileen and Selina was an entirely different experience.

Each of his partners was unique, each independent in her own way, and Sein cherished them all deeply.

“Are we no longer useful?” Eileen asked weakly, resting against Sein’s chest.

This truly had been one of Sein’s shortest sessions in recent memory.

When it came to things like this, it was never about how long it lasted—it was about the connection between their emotions and souls.

In any case, Sein was pretty happy.

If he had wanted a longer session, he would have gone to Reina first.

Now that she had ascended to Rank Four as a knight, Reina could absolutely keep up with him in bed.

“No, you two did quite well,” Sein said, running his fingers through Eileen’s long hair.

Selina, meanwhile, was in an even worse state. She was already out cold.

Sein had his own hierarchy of affection among his women.

Selina mattered more to him than Eileen and received more of his attention. That was why she ended up enduring Sein’s passion for a longer time.

“I know our progress is falling further and further behind yours. So you’ve already advanced to Rank Five, huh? If you released even your normal elemental aura around us now, Selina and I would probably be in danger,” Eileen said softly, her finger idly tracing circles across Sein’s chest.

“You don’t have to sugarcoat anything just to comfort us. We want to hear what you really think,” she added.

Eileen had never been the most favored, but she had always been the boldest and never hesitated to speak to Sein frankly.

When she needed potions or magic ingredients, she never bothered beating around the bush. She knew he could spare them.

Eileen’s question made Sein briefly recall his days as a magic initiate, back when he had first joined the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

He remembered attending Eileen’s lectures then—she had been teaching the “Advanced Pyro Element Course”. During one class, he had even fought with one of her family’s direct descendants.

Those moments had become some of Sein’s most treasured memories.

After ascending to Rank Five, Sein realized that climbing higher in life level was not the only purpose of existence in the Astral Realm.

Sometimes, pausing to look back and savor the memories that mattered most was a joy in itself.

“If that were really what I thought, I would not be here with the two of you,” Sein said.

“Reina and Sia just advanced to Rank Four. I’m quite interested in their physical condition, and some of my experimental data needs to be updated as well.” Sein was never good with sweet words—facts and logic were his default.

Fortunately, both Selina and Eileen were mages. They understood what he meant immediately.

If Sein truly felt tired of them, he would have gone to Reina or the others instead of setting aside time for the two of them.

Sein continued, “The Ashen Flame I wield isn’t suited to your paths. It’s not just Rank Four mages; even demigod-level mages need to find their own unique path in the pursuit of truth. Reina, Sia, Marie... they all managed to do that, which is why they have broken through.

“You two should not pressure yourselves too much. Among hundreds of thousands of full-fledged mages, it’s normal for not even a single Rank Four powerhouse to emerge. As long as you live happily and find your own meaning in the pursuit of truth, then that’s already a perfect life.”

“Ever since you ascended to Rank Four, you have gotten more and more philosophical,” Eileen muttered.

Sein gave a faint smile, choosing not to respond. Leaving behind two potion vials, he said, “Rest for a while. These potions were refined from the Rank Six Snowball Flower King’s essence. They will improve your skin, boost cellular activity, and extend your lifespan.”

Eileen’s eyes brightened immediately as she reached for one of the vials.

“Alright, I need to step out for a bit. Remember what I said—do not pressure yourselves. Selina, especially you. You’re already doing wonderfully.” Sein turned to say this before walking away.

Selina had woken up, but she was still dazed. On the bed, she shrank back slightly at his words.

Only after Sein left did she begin to tremble faintly, tears soaking into the sheets.

“I knew he wouldn’t abandon us. Don’t worry. Sein is advancing so fast. Maybe one day he can help us break through to Rank Four,” Eileen said softly, comforting her. “For now, let’s just focus on steady growth. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.”

“But I want to help Sein, just like Reina does,” Selina whispered tearfully.

Eileen patted her shoulder and only let out a quiet sigh.

***

After leaving the two women, Sein did not head straight for another, nor did he immediately begin researching Reina and Sia’s constitutions.

Instead, he flew directly out of the space fortress, intent on visiting Grandmaster Feylis.

The Verdant Flame Fortress was far greater in scale and grandeur than Sein’s own Ashen Fortress!

Back during his first campaign in the Viridian Venom Flame World War, Sein had already noticed how vastly superior his master’s fortress was compared to those of her apprentices.

Now, with far broader experience, Sein had to admit that across the entire Magus Alliance, his grandmaster’s space fortress was undoubtedly among the very best.

In terms of value, Grandmaster Feylis’ fortress was comparable to a world-class secret treasure.

How truly fitting for a famed Rank Six Magus World powerhouse and the founder of the Verdant Flame faction.

Sein’s own achievements in Ashen Flame and body tempering were only possible because of Grandmaster Feylis.

When Feylis received Sein’s request for a visit, she immediately paused her experiments and welcomed her most outstanding grand apprentice on the top floor of her fortress.

For once, Grandmaster Feylis was not wearing her magic robe today. Instead, she had changed into a casual light green outfit, which gave her a more approachable air.

Despite living for over a hundred thousand years, Feylis looked remarkably youthful.

Standing next to Lorianne, she could easily pass for an elder sister, certainly not a mentor or mother.

But unlike Lorianne, Feylis carried a deep, unshakable composure. She was always calm, always measured. Sein had never once seen her show a strong emotional reaction.

Yet this Rank Six mage—known for her gentleness, rationality, and calm demeanor—was the very creator of Verdant Flame magic and the body-tempering art, two of the most extreme truths in the entire Magus Civilization.

Within the Verdant Flame Faction, aside from Lorianne, nearly every apprentice behaved like a battle maniac...

Leaving Gregory aside, even Bernice and Aelid were wild on the battlefield.

Because all of them practiced body tempering, the Verdant Flame powerhouses were essentially “melee mages”!

Sein himself was no exception. His demonic lawful body and Ashen Demon form had terrified countless weak extraplanar creatures. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Yet, almost no one ever witnessed that frenzied, terrifying side of him.

Such was the duality of human nature, perhaps.

Perhaps this grandmaster of his was not the eternally calm, gentle, rational Rank Six mage that Sein had always believed her to be.

“Sein, have you spent enough time with your mentor? What brings you here?” Feylis asked with a faint smile.

“I came to discuss something with you, Grandmaster,” Sein replied, bowing respectfully to her.