Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 865: Reina’s Depression

Decades had passed, and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had undergone profound transformations.

The increasing number of initiates signaled the rising strength and reputation of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

Over the years, the number of full-fledged mages had also grown significantly, with more than two hundred joining.

Some were hedge mages who joined of their own accord, but the vast majority were talents cultivated by the divine tower itself.

In the Magus World, full-fledged mages were considered highly valuable assets.

Even the major knightly orders sought to recruit mages for their ranks, and the divine towers were no different.

The number of hedge mages in any given region was limited. In Viridescent Land, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had spent the past century steadily recruiting them.

Many of the newly joined mages had traveled from distant regions. It was fairly common for traveling mages in the Magus World to grow and gain life experience by temporarily affiliating with different divine towers.

Sein, now preparing to embark on another journey, might also find himself temporarily joining another divine tower.

Doing so did not mean he was betraying the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring. The tower remained his home; he was simply seeking broader horizons and new experiences.

Compared to traveling hedge mages, who often possessed too much freedom and too many options, nearly every divine tower preferred to develop its own initiates into full-fledged mages.

Decades of learning within their academies ensured that these newly promoted full-fledged mages possessed a stronger sense of loyalty and belonging to their respective divine tower.

Furthermore, every initiate nurtured by a divine tower was bound by contracts that typically lasted anywhere from several decades to one or two centuries.

In the competitive environment of the Magus World, nurturing one’s own talents was essential.

Even during financially challenging times, Lorianne had prioritized funding the divine tower academy, demonstrating how highly Rank Four and above creatures valued cultivating talent.

In recent years, the frequency of initiates advancing to full-fledged mages had steadily increased, and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was also advancing rapidly in terms of faculty expertise and overall depth.

It was believed that in another hundred to two hundred years, the success rate of initiates advancing to full-fledged mages would rise to an even higher level.

A divine tower could only be considered truly successful when the demands of war and the emergence rate of full-fledged mages reached a sustainable balance.

As Sein passed through the increasingly bustling outer district of the divine tower, his gaze fell on the floating port.

Currently, about thirty airships were docked there.

Lorianne’s extensive network had quickly come into play following the completion of the floating port.

Some of the airships docked there belonged to Grandmaster Feylis and Master Gregory’s divine towers, while others hailed from the East Coast and West Coast regions.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had also forged alliances and established trade channels with several other divine towers and knightly orders.

Although still a relatively small-scale floating port, its activity was notable, with some airships docked in the offshore area below due to limited space.

The creation of the floating port, combined with increasing economic prosperity, had turned the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring into one of the shiniest pearls in the Viridescent Land.

While it could not yet rival the older divine towers, such as the Divine Tower of Land Academy or the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder, it had already surpassed the Divine Tower of Cipher, Divine Tower of Shadow, and the Order of the Steel Fist in visible prosperity.

With its current trajectory, the future of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was destined to grow even brighter.

***

After returning to the top floor of the Divine Tower, Sein quickly immersed himself in the production of the dragon blood potion.

The strength of a mage was inseparable from diligence. Just as Sein finished his current task and prepared to dive into body tempering experiment and pyro elemental magic research, the magic doorbell outside his laboratory rang at the most perfect timing.

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Sein was an extremely punctual mage, and those who had lived or worked closely with him could easily predict his routine, even down to the small breaks between experiments.

Unless Sein was determined to find an answer, he would not continue pouring his energy into a failing experiment. Instead, he would set it aside and redirect his focus to something else.

This method developed over his years of research proved to be more efficient and better suited to his unique working style.

The person who rang the doorbell at this precise moment was most likely Azelia, the fox maiden, who knew Sein’s routine better than anyone, even more than Selina or Yuri, who often assisted him with body tempering experiments.

But when Sein opened the door, it was not Azelia, Selina, or Yuri standing there.

Instead, it was Reina, who rarely sought Sein out.

Most of the time, it was Sein who approached Reina, requesting her help in completing certain experiments.

Reina appeared visibly nervous—an unusual sight for the rough-and-tumble woman who exuded confidence on the battlefield—likely because she either owed Sein a significant favor or was about to request one.

In truth, Reina did owe him a favor.

Advancing to a higher life level was never easy or guaranteed.

Not every genius could reach their potential without setbacks.

Accidents, a lack of preparation, or insufficient qualifications could all lead to failure during breakthroughs.

For Reina, who many believed was destined to achieve promotion to Sky Knight, failure had become her reality.

Seventeen years ago, she returned to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring after a failed breakthrough. The setback plunged her into seven years of depression before she eventually managed to overcome it.

The Body-Tempering Stalactite Liquid that Sein had originally reserved for Natalya was, at her suggestion, passed on to Reina, who needed it more.

Perhaps due to lingering doubts stemming from her failed breakthrough, Reina did not immediately use the Body-Tempering Stalactite Liquid.

She felt she had not yet reached her limit, and using it prematurely would only be a waste.

Her decision earned Sein’s respect, as it demonstrated Reina’s clear understanding of her own physical condition.

Of course, it was also possible that Reina had simply lost confidence in herself.

In the Order of the Steel Fist, no one would believe that Reina—the rough, violent, and imposing knight—could ever lack confidence.

But that perception came from those who did not truly know Reina.

Through the numerous body-tempering experiments Sein conducted with her, during which Reina had to remove her armor, her psychological defenses had also gradually dropped around him.

In the dim confines of Sein’s laboratory, Reina sometimes found herself confiding in him about matters she would not share with her parents, or even Natalya.

It was, in fact, Sein’s encouragement that helped her overcome her seven-year depression.

To Reina, Sein seemed like a fearless and unrelenting machine.

He could take even the most horrific failures and reduce them to simple, logical explanations.

“You’re already attempting to break through into the Sky Knight realm at just a few hundred years old. Failure due to insufficient preparation is common. While your strength rivals that of a Sky Knight, the leap in life level isn’t solely dependent on strength.”

Though Sein’s words were delivered with icy rationality, they had an unexpected effect on Reina.

She felt comforted. Assured, even.

No one would have imagined that Sein—a slender mage often clad in his magic robe—could provide a sense of security to someone like Reina, a woman of immense size and formidable power.

The world was truly full of marvels.