Chapter 375: Storm City
Reunions, however sweet, were often fleeting.
The time had come for Sein and Marie to say their farewells once more.
Master Medich, the peak Rank Two mage, personally escorted Sein to the outskirts of the Divine Tower of Dawn.
While they were on their way there, Medich shared with Sein some additional information regarding the “Black Extermination Mission” that took place in Gloomhaven under the Divine Tower of Dawn’s leadership.
Although Master Medich could not divulge every detail of that mission, he provided a concise report.
From this, Sein learned about the fates of various black mages, including Martin, Jeanne, Master Dedaelon, and Daelis.
Dedaelon, the Rank Two black mage who once imprisoned Sein within the dungeons of the Black Magic Academy, had perished on the southern coast.
In his attempt to escape after leaving Gloomhaven, he was captured and executed through the collaborative efforts between the Divine Tower of Dawn and the ranked knights of the surrounding territory.
The report did not specify who exactly was responsible for Dedaelon’s death, likely a deliberate omission by the Divine Tower to protect the identities of the involved mages and knights.
The report also confirmed the death of a Rank One black mage named Collance, whose presence left a deep impression on Sein during his anatomy classes.
Collance’s contributions to the study of anatomy, necromantic alterations, and the creation of synthesized undead chimera beasts were unparalleled.
If one could look beyond his status as a black mage and his macabre penchant for performing body modification on initiates, Collance stood out as one of the most academically advanced among Rank One mages.
In the report, Sein also found details about Daelis the Rank One black mage, the perpetrator behind his mentor’s death.
Daelis was indeed fortunate. Master Morsidor had likely inflicted severe injury upon her by sacrificing his magic artifacts, yet she managed to evade the ensuing siege by the Divine Tower of Dawn.
Accompanying Daelis in the escape were Jeanne the Rank Two black mage and Martin the Rank Three black mage.
In the report, Sein found no traces of Leena’s mentor, Fareena.
Medich explained that the black mages listed were those wanted by the major divine towers and the orders of the knights in the Magus World.
The black mages from the Western Archipelago, having either committed no crimes in the Magus World or evaded capture, were not recorded in the report.
After expressing his gratitude to Master Medich, Sein offered a parting wave toward the entrance of the Divine Tower of Dawn Academy before making his way to the stone hall where the teleportation array was located.
Marie remained at the entrance, waving back to Sein with her left hand. She kept her gaze fixed in the direction of the stone hall long even after Sein had disappeared from her sight.
Beside her stood Angie, pouting in displeasure.
She could not believe that the man had stolen her senior sister away from her while she was distracted by the owl the evening before.
Angie could tell that Marie’s heart, which had once been wholly hers, had already been stolen by that man!
Determined to remind Marie of her presence, she tugged the hem of Marie’s blouse.
It was only then Marie snapped back to her senses and took Angie’s hand.
“Let’s head back. It’s high time I started preparing for my promotion to a Rank One mage,” Marie declared.
***
Upon departing from the Divine Tower of Dawn, Sein decided against going to Mousse City, which lay on the western edge of the Divine Tower of Dawn's influence.
Instead, his chosen destination was Storm City, situated to the south of the Divine Tower of Dawn.
Situated in the southernmost part of the Divine Tower of Dawn’s territory, Storm City stood not only as one of its wealthiest cities but also as the tower’s most significant port.
The city was a hub of commerce, with airships setting sail for not only western destinations like the Marmett Union Alliance and Steel City but also maintaining steady trade routes eastward to major forces in the Magus World, including the Byrne Empire and the Jehannah Kingdom.
It was rumored that the Divine Tower of Dawn had long maintained favorable relations with the aquatic races of the Magus World.
Moreover, Storm City also had connections to many Sea King Palaces in the depths of the Boundless South Sea.
***
As soon as Sein emerged from the stone hall, he was greeted by a gust of warm, salty sea breeze.
Storm City was established far out in the Boundless South Sea. Apart from the main island where the city was, it was surrounded by a cluster of a dozen islands, all considered the periphery of Storm City.
It was in Storm City that Sein realized the influence of the southern coast was not limited to only the area along the shores of the Magus Continent.
Near Storm City and further south lay numerous islands, some as large as Storm City itself, while others dwarfed it significantly.
These so-called “islands” were vast enough to be deemed continents in a medium or small-sized plane!
They were homes to millions of humans from the Magus World and various human nations.
The orders of the knights established at the Boundless South Sea commanded significant influence and territory on those islands.
This explained the subtle presence of these knightly orders along the southern coast. It was not a matter of them having less power than the divine towers; rather, it was a strategic shift in their focus.
The number of islands in the ocean and their riches were beyond the imagination of land-dwellers.
Given that this region fell under the sphere of influence of various knightly orders, the regulations here might not be as strict as those enforced within the territories of the divine towers.
Consequently, due to the complex interplay and influence of multiple forces, the prevalence of black markets in this area significantly surpassed that found in other parts of the southern coast.
Sein’s visit to Storm City was an informed decision rather than a spontaneous one—he had learned from Marie the existence of a significant black market nearby.
The rules established by the divine towers and the orders of the knights prevailed in the ocean further south of the Magus Continent’s shores. However, the presence of aquatic races and a web of complex interests introduced numerous gray areas, more so than found elsewhere.
Despite the Divine Tower of Dawn’s substantial efforts against the operations of black mages on the southern coast over the years, its reach was limited in the ocean’s depths.
Not all the black markets in Magus World were exclusive to beings of Rank One and above. Though such markets existed, Sein was looking for something different.
Most of the black markets catered to all levels of society, particularly focusing on magic initiates and squires who constituted the largest customer base.
Indeed, the revenue generated by these inclusive markets likely exceeded that of those markets catering exclusively to clients of Rank One and above.
Due to the relatively lower life levels of magic initiates and squires, they had not fully grasped the importance of adhering to the strict rules set by the divine towers and the orders of the knights.
Furthermore, these rules were often lenient toward the “seedlings” of the Magus World.
As a result, this contributed to the complex landscape observed in the depths of the South Sea.