Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 610: Protected

Talman was a demigod-level knight from the Order of the Steel Fist, overseeing the nearby war zone.

While Sein and his group typically reported to the nearby Rank Three Sky Knights, they sometimes received direct orders from Talman.

Over the past decade since his arrival in Thunderfall World, Sein had encountered the demigod-level knight three times.

On one occasion, Talman even engaged in a rare, personal conversation with him, likely because he learned of Sein’s identity as the Tower Master of Verdant Spring’s apprentice.

The shouts of the two knights caught the attention of those nearby, including Natalya.

Upon hearing the word “arrest”, the surrounding knights initially froze, then erupted in indignant curses.

Gould was particularly incensed. Spitting on the ground, he bellowed, “Since when does the Order of the Dark Sword have the right to meddle in our affairs? Accusing Sein of colluding with black mages? I’d like to crack open their skulls and see what’s in them!”

Although crude, Gould’s words captured the sentiment of the knights around him perfectly.

In Magus World, the camaraderie among knights was very strong, especially during the war. However, the relationships between the different knight orders often remained tense.

Unlike the knights, mages from the major divine towers of Magus World typically exchanged academic knowledge and showed respect for those more learned than themselves.

But as for the knights? Fighting among them was not uncommon. After all, these skirmishes could be considered sparring matches!

Located deep within the Ylli Knight Alliance, the Order of the Dark Sword practically had nothing to do with the Order of the Steel Fist.

In fact, this was the first time these knights had even heard of the Order of the Dark Sword.

Hence, their fury was understandable—how could the Order of the Dark Sword come to arrest one of their members so indiscriminately? Did they think the Order of the Steel Fist would allow this without doing anything?

Moreover, Sein did not even resemble a black mage—and even assuming he was, with solid evidence to support it—there was nothing these law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword could do as long as the Order of the Steel Fist chose to stand by him, unless the grand master from the Order of the Dark Sword personally intervened.

But then again, was such a confrontation necessary?

Sein’s rank was not high enough to warrant the personal attention of a grand master of a knightly order.

Moreover, most knights were unaware that the Grand Master of Dark Sword was a formidable Rank Six knight.

This status endowed the Order of the Dark Sword with considerable power within the Ylli Knight Alliance.

Aside from the grand orders and those established by Rank Six knights, which were not to be trifled with, it was not surprising for the law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword to arrest a Rank One or Two knight or mage from any other knight order within the Ylli Knight Alliance’s territory.

However, the Order of the Steel Fist was unaffiliated with the Ylli Knight Alliance and situated beyond its sphere of influence.

Consequently, the knights of the Steel Fist neither recognized nor interacted with the Order of the Dark Sword, giving them little reason to respect its authority.

The two knights who had approached Sein to escort him to the command center were considered allies and unlikely to harm him.

Had there been any real intention to surrender him, it would have been the law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword coming here rather than these two knights.

Since the Order of the Dark Sword had the audacity to come and arrest Sein, they must have done their homework and come well-prepared, possibly with several Rank Two or even Rank Three knights leading the charge.

Claiming Sein as a “black mage” was a grave accusation.

The surrounding knights, including Natalya, bristled with indignation. Reina, satisfied with her meal, also quietly hoisted her octagonal hammer onto her shoulder.

Despite the tension, Sein remained composed.

His expression was serene as if he was not the accused, yet occasional flickers in his eyes betrayed his alertness, indicating that he was actively assessing the situation.

Sein suspected these accusations stemmed from unresolved issues in the Western Archipelago.

Although he had been with Leena during that time, he had carefully concealed his presence and covered his face with a mask. Yet, it was impossible to be certain what minor detail might have inadvertently exposed him.

Perhaps the Verdant Flame Eye Mask was his greatest oversight. He remembered wearing it when he first entered the Knight Continent’s trial zone and engaged with knights from the Ylli Knight Alliance in an attempt to rescue Leena.

Raising his hand, Sein silenced the restless knights around him.

“To the command center, yes? Lead the way,” Sein responded calmly.

The two messengers visibly relaxed.

One of them even assured, “Don’t worry, the Order of the Steel Fist will never hand over one of our own. According to our brothers in the command center, those law enforcement knights have already been redirected to Thunder Pool in the southeast.”

This was the clear benefit of Sein’s nearly ten years of strategic networking within the Order of the Steel Fist.

His remarkable ability to complete quests and his generosity meant that no knight in their right mind would mistake Sein for a nefarious black mage.

Of course, the real reason for Sein’s exoneration was the presence of someone in the upper echelons of the Order of the Steel Fist who was determined to protect him.

Otherwise, they would not have diverted those dozen or so law enforcement knights from the Order of the Dark Sword to the southern battlefield at the Thunder Pool.

While the ordinary Rank One or Rank Two knights were unfamiliar with the Order of the Dark Sword, those of Rank Three and above within the Order of the Steel Fist were certainly aware of it.

After all, that was an order founded by a Rank Six knight who held a significant position within the Ylli Knight Alliance.

Crossing swords with such an order was generally ill-advised.

Since the Order of the Steel Fist was willing to protect Sein, it signified that in the eyes of its top management, Sein was more valuable than those law enforcement knights.

After offering a few words of reassurance to Gould and the others, Sein took off with the two knights toward the command center.

Shortly after, Natalya also departed. “I’m going to snoop around,” she said.

By snooping around, she meant going to get information from her parents.

With the influence of House Ernst, she had access to classified information within the Order of the Steel Fist to a certain extent.

Her action clearly reflected her concern for Sein.

“If you need help, just give me a holler through the badge!” Gould called after Natalya.

Reina, who had already raised her octagonal hammer, raised an eyebrow and then set the heavy weapon back down on the ground again.

Although she was a woman of a few words, she actually trusted Sein more than Natalya.

If Sein said it was fine, then it likely was.

Her trust in Sein might also stem from the various body tempering experiments they had conducted together in recent years.

Only very few knew that Reina had grown significantly stronger over the past few years.

Her rate of growth had exceeded her previous expectations, all thanks to Sein’s rigorous body tempering experiments and the programs he had designed for her.