Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 11: Banquet

Master Morsidor’s residence was a huge three-story building with about seven to eight rooms on each floor.

The serene surroundings provided the perfect atmosphere for mages and initiates to immerse themselves in knowledge.

The side room Master Morsidor had directed Sein to was especially intriguing. Upon entering, Sein discovered that he seemed to be able to gather his mental focus quicker there, likely due to the presence of a concealed magic array.

The training of a mage and their pursuit of the true meaning of magic might seem boring to others. However, for Sein, who was engrossed in the acquisition of knowledge that would empower him, it was anything but dull.

“Basics of Alchemy” and “Fundamental Knowledge on the Pyro Element” were classes Sein had taken in the past. Yet, with the handwritten notes provided by Master Morsidor in the two parchment books, he managed to discover many unexplored facets of knowledge he had previously overlooked.

Reading through the two sets of magic notes in a single day was an impossible feat. By the end of the day when Sein’s stomach was already growling, he had only managed to briefly go through five pages of “Basics of Alchemy” and thoroughly understood just two pages of its contents. There was more than enough material in these two books to keep Sein occupied for a month or two.

Master Morsidor had most likely given these magic notes to him with the expectation that Sein would read through them during his recovery period.

Sein had not even started delving into the elementary meditation technique yet. He was planning to take things one step at a time. Besides, he sensed that Master Morsidor seemed to hold the two parchment books in higher regard than the meditation technique.

After all, the meditation technique was just a skill passed down in Master Morsidor’s faction, likely originating from his predecessors.

On the other hand, the two magic notes were entirely Master Morsidor’s creations, a record of his wisdom and knowledge.

Spellcasters in the Magus World typically placed great emphasis on the transfer of knowledge. Although Master Morsidor was a black mage in Gloomhaven, a black mage was still a type of spellcaster.

As the day progressed, Sein’s hunger and the rhythmic ticking of the magic quartz clock in the room reminded him that evening had arrived.

Just as Sein contemplated whether he should bid his mentor farewell, the door to his room swung open gently.

Before him stood a peculiar metallic figure resembling the shape of a human. A faint red light emitted from its head as it spoke in a mechanical tone, “Master Morsidor requests your presence for dinner on the second floor. Please follow me."

The inanimate metallic figure piqued Sein’s curiosity. Master Morsidor’s formidable power and unconventional ideas as a full-fledged black mage were fascinating to Sein.

He believed that he would be unraveling many more of such advanced magic and magical phenomena during his apprenticeship under Master Morsidor.

Following the metallic figure to the second floor, Sein found that Master Morsidor was already seated at the head of the dining table. Alongside him were two other individuals, seated next to him.

To his left sat a man in a yellow robe, a stark contrast to the usual black robes worn by initiates at the Black Magic Academy. His robe, with its almost golden hue, was undoubtedly a rare exception.

To his right sat a woman who appeared slightly younger than Sein but was older in age nonetheless. Her figure was pretty much concealed under the black robe she wore, but the fair complexion of her face left a deep impression on Sein.

“Hoho, here he is.” Master Morsidor, who usually wore a sinister expression, sported a rare smile.

After acknowledging Sein’s arrival with a nod, he proceeded to introduce Sein to his other two apprentices.

“Meet my newest apprentice. You may consider him your fifth junior. If he encounters any magical or elemental concepts he doesn’t comprehend, I expect both of you to provide timely guidance,” Master Morsidor instructed.

“Yes, master,” the two apprentices responded respectfully.

Zorro was Master Morsidor’s first and oldest apprentice. Despite his unassuming demeanor, Sein sensed a palpable air of authority about him. It was an aura that surpassed that of ordinary senior initiates.

While Sein could not be certain if Zorro was as powerful as a full-fledged black mage, he suspected Zorro might rival an academy overseer in strength.

The woman was Faye, Master Morsidor’s third apprentice. Through her self-introduction, Sein learned that she was a senior initiate. He could also see that she was more approachable and enthusiastic when it came to interacting with him.

On the other hand, Zorro merely gave a subtle nod of approval in response to Sein’s presence

Given their strength and knowledge, there was no doubt they were more than capable of providing effective guidance to Sein, a junior initiate.

Given Master Morsidor’s numerous magic research and experiments, as well as frequent alchemy requests from other black mages, it was no surprise that he would have no time to personally mentor Sein. As such, Sein would need to rely on his own initiative for progress.

Until Sein fully grasped the contents of the two magic notes and became an intermediate initiate, the personal guidance he could receive from Master Morsidor would probably be little to none.

The meal served to the four in the dining room was a variety of sumptuous dishes with enticing aromas, along with a few curious-looking desserts.

Sein was uncertain if such extravagance was due to it being his first dinner at Master Morsidor’s residence or if this was just how Master Morsidor usually dined with his apprentices.

Among the delectable dishes on the table, one of them was the Black Scaled Draconic Fish that Sein had planned to enjoy with Leena two days ago.

The remaining dishes all looked similar to the Black Scaled Draconic Fish. They were all prepared using magic creatures or beasts as main ingredients.

During the meal, Sein learned from Faye that the metallic figure he had seen earlier was an alchemy puppet created by Master Morsidor.

While it was still in a semi-finished state and looked more like a shelf than a puppet, it could serve as a helpful daily-life assistant rather than an ally in combat.

It also occasionally assisted Master Morsidor in his experiments, making it more capable than ordinary initiates.

Throughout the meal, Sein mostly conversed with Faye. Zorro, on the other hand, exchanged quiet words with Master Morsidor.

Given his strength and knowledge, Zorro seemed to be the most qualified among Master Morsidor’s apprentices to discuss advanced magic research.

Sein overheard them discussing something called a “Pyro Element Fission Generator”, but being relatively inexperienced, the topic remained a perplexing mystery to him.

As he engaged in light conversation with Faye, Sein could not resist casting glances at the delicious dishes before him.

This was a culinary experience like no other for Sein. It was his first time tasting so many magic creatures.

Faye even shared with him that the dish positioned at the center of the table was made from the hind legs of a Frost Lion Rabbit, a magic beast known to be even stronger than the Giant Saltwater Crocodile.

When Sein sampled a piece of the meat, he was immediately taken aback by an intense coldness on his tongue.

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