Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 432: Mechanical Hornet

Steel City struck Sein with profound awe.

It represented a unique civilization distinctly separate from the rest of the Magus World.

Over the past two years, Sein had journeyed through the southern coast and numerous territories within the Marmett Union Alliance. Yet, this was his first time visiting the heart of a leading major force in the Magus World.[1]

Steel City was considered a sacred city by the mechanics, holding an influence comparable to that of Sky City among the mages in the Magus World.

The city’s advancements in magitech were unparalleled. Upon approaching the outskirts of Steel City, Sein repeatedly observed a variety of flying machines—each different in shape and function—soaring and hovering throughout the area.

He also encountered numerous behemoths, rivaling the size of prism forts and space fortresses, cruising at low altitudes across the cityscape.

Fortunately, Sein had wisely decided against purchasing any gadgets like the one-seater flight pods available in the other cities within Steel City’s territory.

The truly exceptional stuff was concentrated in the heart of Steel City, where most mechanics in the Magus World were gathered and its magitech civilization had reached its zenith.

In the towering cityscape of Steel City, Sein also observed numerous giant metal towers, soaring thousands to tens of thousands of meters into the sky.

Unlike other metal structures, these towers carried a hint of familiarity for Sein.

Upon further inquiry, he discovered that these imposing structures were indeed constructed by mechanics of Rank Four or higher.

Steel City was also home to divine towers and magic academies.

These divine towers were known collectively as “mechanical divine towers”, and the various magic academies primarily focused on training the future mechanics.

Steel City stood out for its adherence to a single magic system.

In contrast, places like the Marmett Union Alliance, the southern coast, and the areas in the Viridescent Land continued to foster a diverse range of magic practices and a multitude of development paths.

Yet, Steel City was not alone in its focused development path.

The Dragon Warlock Clan on the western coast, the witches of the northlands, and the Eastern Stargazing Heights also predominantly nurtured specialists such as bloodline warlocks, witches, and astrologers, respectively.

This specialization was largely influenced by each region’s geographical location, historical roots, and the inherent limitations of the professions they cultivated.

Above all, elementalists remained the most dominant among the spellcaster professions in the Magus World! They constituted the largest and most powerful group of spellcasters.

Even the majority of the soul overmages, who stood at the pinnacle of the Magus World, were elementalists.

This prevalence likely attested to elementalism being the most advanced and potent knowledge system among the various spellcasters in the Magus World.

In the middle and outer areas of Steel City, Sein purchased the latest model of a one-seater aircraft from a chain store owned by the Norton Chamber of Commerce.

This aircraft, a product of mechanical alchemy known as Mechanical Hornet, was no more than five meters tall and two meters wide.

Though designed for individual use, the Mechanical Hornet’s loading capacity could accommodate the weight of a few more passengers.

It boasted an array of functions including combat, transport, communication, and detection capabilities. Remarkably, it could also adjust its size and appearance based on the user’s needs, compressing to as small as two cubic meters.

Certified by Steel City officials, the Mechanical Hornet was durable enough to operate in a variety of extreme environments, including the deep sea, molten lava, and the starry sky.

Such versatility made it a favorite among the scout mages in the Magus World, many of whom Sein had encountered on the battlefields of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

The Mechanical Hornet, equipped with a myriad of sophisticated features, came with a hefty price tag.

Sein had invested nearly 1,200 magicoins in this purchase, making it the most costly item he had acquired during his travels.

The aircraft’s high cost was justified by its capabilities, making it undoubtedly worth the price.

Had Sein possessed this Mechanical Hornet during his encounter with the Rank Two black mage in the Boundless South Sea, even without the aid of the Tourmaline, his odds of escaping would have been as high as fifty percent.

Moreover, the one-seater aircraft was expected to be significantly useful in future interplanar wars.

It was definitely a good purchase, no matter how Sein looked at it.

Additionally, the Norton Chamber of Commerce had made an attractive promise—for the next three hundred years, they would contract to repair any damage to the Mechanical Hornet at a reasonable price.

The Norton Chamber of Commerce was no minor local entity.

It was a major player in Steel City, notable for its extensive operations not only within Steel City’s territory but across various regions and powers within the Magus World.

In essence, it was a prominent chamber of commerce throughout the entire Magus World.

Sein had previously traveled on an alchemy ship operated by the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce on the southern coast, but they could hardly compare to the Norton Chamber of Commerce.

The Guilleman Chamber of Commerce’s influence was limited to a few divine towers in the southeastern part of the Marmett Union Alliance, whereas the Norton Chamber of Commerce conducted business across the entire Magus World.

When the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce lost an alchemy ship during an attack by a black mage, Sein heard nothing of them taking any action.

In contrast, should the Norton Chamber of Commerce have suffered such a significant loss, they would have promptly deployed specialized mercenary knights and mages to address the grievous incident.

They would also have leveraged their considerable influence within the Magus World to exert pressure on the black mages in Blackhaven.

In essence, had it been a ship owned by the Norton Chamber of Commerce traveling those waters, Van Basten, a seasoned Rank Two black mage, would likely have refrained from taking any action upon recognizing the insignia on the vessel.

As a seasoned Rank Two black mage, Van Basten would surely know whom to avoid provoking.

Provoking well-known forces or organizations could lead to dire consequences without any direct confrontation.

It was likely that some even more senior and powerful black mages from Blackhaven would be the first to strangle him to death.

Despite its location in the northern part of the Western Archipelago—a region seemingly forgotten or ostracized within the Magus World—Blackhaven was deeply entwined with the forces and influential figures across other regions.

As a peak civilization, the still waters run deep in every corner of the Magus World.

This included Blackhaven, where more than one overmages existed.

Thus, it remained an integral force that the Magus World could not afford to relinquish.

1. Author’s Note: Although Sein had previously traversed the Marmett Union Alliance, he had never reached its headquarters in Zamme, nor had he explored the numerous soul towers and the grand orders scattered throughout the alliance.

The primary reason was that the waterways Sein and Tourmaline traveled through did not pass through those areas. Furthermore, given Sein’s current level of strength and perception, he likely would not have gained much from visiting such locations. ☜