Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 459: Black Tower of Cinderbones

It was unclear whether it was Zorro’s influence or Sein’s emergence as a newly Rank One black mage that piqued Martin’s interest.

Upon receiving Zorro’s message through his crystal ball, Martin promptly agreed to meet and directed Zorro to an island, north of Mordoron Island.

Dalanar, one of the four islands Martin controlled in Blackhaven, boasted richer resources and a denser population than Mordoron Island.

Sein met the renowned Rank Three black mage in an ancient castle at the heart of Dalanar Island.

He had actually seen Martin once before, just before his departure for the Yellow Sand World.

This time, Martin exuded a less mysterious and powerful aura, appearing more approachable.

He seemed like a sincere and easygoing Rank Three black mage.

Dressed in a white robe, Martin’s bald head gleamed under the elemental lights of the old castle.

As Sein discreetly sized up Martin, the mage returned the scrutiny, evaluating the newly minted black mage before him.

Sein was meeting Martin as a black mage who had recently returned to Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago.

His affiliation with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring and his identity as a divine tower mage were secrets still confined to only his seniors.

After all, revealing his divine mage status in a place like Blackhaven was unwise.

Although the local black mages held no grudges against the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, merely being a divine tower mage could greatly strain their relations.

Therefore, it was prudent for Sein to conceal his true origins from everyone except those closest to him.

By assuming the identity of Morsidor’s apprentice, Sein could quickly assimilate into the group of black mages led by Martin.

Sein’s identity could withstand scrutiny, bolstered by Zorro’s vouching for him and corroborations from the survivors of the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City.

Only thirty years had passed, and it was likely that some black mages still remembered Sein.

Martin stared at Sein for a long moment before bursting into laughter.

“I remember you, Morsidor’s little apprentice. Back then, he handed you a coordinate generator outside the space rift to the Yellow Sand World, didn’t he?”

Sein had not expected the Rank Three black mage before him to recall a “nobody” like him from those days.

A flicker of surprise crossed Sein’s face before he bowed respectfully and replied, “Yes, he did, Dean Martin.”

Martin’s expression softened significantly upon hearing Sein’s answer.

He waved his hand dismissively and said, “You don’t have to address me like that, I’m not a dean anymore. The Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City has long been destroyed.”

“I have to admit, though, the academy did gather a significant amount of talent and brought together quite a few like-minded black mages. I wish the Black Magic Academy hadn’t been destroyed; things were better then.” Martin sighed.

Martin’s sigh resonated with both Sein and Zorro.

Zorro found himself reminiscing about the times he and his mentor worked on alchemy experiments together, while Sein thought of Leena.

The title "Dean" was once exclusively used for Martin by the group of black mages who fled Gloomhaven and returned to Blackhaven.

Today, only a select few referred to him as “Dean,” and those who did were all under his influence.

While Martin himself was not particularly attached to this title, he knew his late mentor cherished being called “Dean”.

Martin’s decision to establish the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City was motivated not only by the need for initiates to aid in exploring the Yellow Sand World but also to honor the wishes of his venerable demigod-level mentor.

It appeared that Martin’s mentor had considerable experience running a magic academy.

Although the Mystralora City Black Magic Academy was short-lived, it proved to be a crucible of talent.

A significant number of black magic initiates from the academy, including Sein and Zorro, had ascended to Rank One within the last thirty years.

In terms of the conversion rate from magic initiates to full-fledged mages, it rivaled even the prestigious divine tower academies.

Such a success rate was nothing short of remarkable!

Moreover, among these magic initiates was one particularly extraordinary individual.

“Actually, even if Zorro hadn’t brought you here, I would still have wanted to meet you,” Martin said with a smile.

Sein had braced himself for Martin to mention his recent killing of a Rank One mage.

However, to his surprise, Martin seemed unconcerned about Bhabaluka’s death.

Instead, he shifted the conversation, asking, “I heard you and Leena are quite close, is she your girlfriend?”

Martin’s question caught Sein off guard.

After a momentary pause, Sein nodded and replied, "Yes, she is."

Martin clapped and laughed heartily. "That’s fantastic! Both of you have become full-fledged mages; you truly are role models for our Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City!”

Sein was quite puzzled by Martin’s response.

Noticing the confusion on Sein and Zorro’s faces, Martin patiently explained, “You two might not be aware, but Leena joined the Black Tower of Cinderbones in Blackhaven over twenty years ago, and she even won first place in the Death Trial.”

“I heard that several deans from the Black Tower of Cinderbones Academy were highly impressed by Leena’s performance during the Death Trial. It wouldn’t surprise me if she has caught the attention of the Black Tower Master of Cinderbones,” Martin exclaimed.

Securing first place in the Death Trial organized by the black towers in Blackhaven was no less prestigious than Sein’s top ranking in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

However, the regional academy wars, organized by several divine towers, were controlled trials for the initiates, with each participant receiving a life-saving device to ensure they could escape the trial space in time.

In contrast, the Death Trial within the Blackhaven’s territory was a literal fight for survival.

After all, the weak were not deemed worthy of life.

The mere mention of the “Death Trial” alone conjured images of danger and the scent of blood.

For Leena to stand out among tens of thousands of black magic initiates in the Black Tower of Cinderbones, earning the respect of both the academy’s deans and the tower master, was no small feat.

Thus, it was understandable that even a Rank Three black mage like Martin would be impressed by her.

What Martin valued was not merely Leena’s strength, but her potential and the connections she represented through the black mages who regarded her highly.

The Black Tower of Cinderbones was far from ordinary, at least in the periphery of south-central Blackhaven.

Even Martin’s deceased mentor, Jemal, had only been part of a black tower that was slightly less influential than the Black Tower of Cinderbones.