Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 872: Marylou

The bone-chilling coldness of Snow Spirit World forced beings from the Magus World to don thick cotton coats or cast magic shields on themselves to endure the harsh environment.

Knights and mages alike were dressed warmly upon arriving in this world.

The witch approaching Sein and Reina was no exception. The dark blue robe she wore was extremely thick.

In contrast, Sein and Reina stuck out like sore thumbs among the Magus World travelers in Snow Spirit World.

Reina, insulated by her impressive layer of body fat, remained bare-armed despite the frigid air.

She disliked wearing tight or heavy clothing outside of battle. Even during combat, she wore only the lightweight shoulder armor gifted to her by Sein long ago.

Although Sein was not bare-armed, his magic robe was visibly thin.

The Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique had granted him a constitution robust enough to withstand the icy environment without relying on pyro elemental spells for warmth.

The pair’s unconventional attire drew curious glances from other traveling knights and mages as they traversed the snowy plane.

However, they were not the only ones who could withstand the Snow Spirit World’s harsh environment—some Rank Two knights with special bloodlines, Rank Two mages adept in cryo elemental magic, and Rank Three powerhouses were similarly unfazed by the cold.

The blue-robed witch approaching them spoke up.

“Although I’ve only spoken briefly with you, lady knight, I’ve noticed your remarkable passive evolutionary traits. I wonder if I could invite you to participate in some experimental tests? Of course, I’d be happy to offer compensation for your time.”

At that moment, Reina was still gnawing on a steaming roasted drumstick. The icy air around her caused the meat to emit dense white steam, but the witch’s request froze her mid-bite.

Though tightly wrapped in her robes, the witch’s pale face and vivid aquamarine eyes remained exposed.

There was an intense fervor in her gaze—excited, almost obsessive—that stirred unwelcome memories for Reina. It reminded her too much of Sein’s gaze back then.

Turning her head away to avoid the witch’s unnerving stare, Reina’s appetite evaporated. The drumstick in her hand instantly lost its appeal.

Her silence spoke volumes, clearly indicating her refusal.

However, the witch was not one to give up easily. She redirected her attention to Sein, who was next to Reina in his dark robe.

The thin black magic robe did little to contain the latent pyro element particles radiating from Sein.

The witch easily identified Sein as a Pyromancer, just as Sein discerned her expertise in cryo elemental magic.

Instead of addressing the witch’s earlier inquiry, Sein shifted the conversation to another topic.

“Reina mentioned to me that the Rank Six knight who conquered this world wasn’t killed but was instead sealed away. What’s the story behind that?” he asked curiously.

“Snow Spirit creatures are naturally attuned to sealing powers. By harnessing the power of the Snow Spirit World, it’s not a challenge for them to forcibly seal a Rank Six creature during a crisis,” the blue-robed witch said.

“Being sealed, however, isn’t the same as death. In fact, Magus World hasn’t entirely given up on rescuing that knight. The ancient Snow Spirit creatures that were hunted to extinction were interred within this world’s highest snowy peak to neutralize the lingering effects of the Ice Seal. The Magus Civilization has also been working to prevent Snow Spirit World from degrading into a low-level plane as part of their efforts to protect that knight,” she explained.

“All of this information is gathered from my divine tower’s library. Incidentally, my divine tower also had a role in conquering Snow Spirit World back then,” the witch added.

Sein’s curiosity deepened. “So, there are divine towers in the northern witches’ territory as well?”

The witch regarded him with a hint of surprise before replying, “Of course. Rank Four and above witches are permitted to establish divine towers. In fact, the northern witches have one of the largest concentrations of divine towers, ranking among the top three in the Magus World.”

“Oh, I assumed the northern witches’ organizational structure differed from the rest of Magus World,” Sein said, nodding thoughtfully. He was indeed quite uninformed about the northern witches.

“There’s another theory in our divine tower records. Some believe that the Rank Six knight broke free of the seal long ago. Allegedly, he chose to remain sealed, seeking to comprehend some sort of unique power through the eternal snow and ice of this world,” the witch continued.

Her words instantly captured Sein’s attention.

Snow Spirit World’s greatest snowy mountain range was a prime destination for knights and mages traveling through the plane—not because of the rumored Rank Six Knight, but due to its unparalleled concentration of cryo elemental energy.

Many knights and mages who wielded cryo elemental energy trained on these snowy peaks, hoping to gain new insights.

Additionally, the region was abundant in rare resources and unique specimens.

The witch seemed to pick up on Sein’s intrigue and quickly shifted her approach.

“If you can persuade this lady knight to assist me in some minor physical tests, I’d be happy to guide you both to the greatest snowy mountain range of this world,” she offered.

“I’m also a traveler and I’ve stayed in this world for over thirteen years,” the blue-robed witch added.

Sein raised an eyebrow at her proposal.

He then glanced over at Reina, who visibly stiffened under his gaze.

***

The blue-robed woman named Marylou was a formidable Rank Two witch.

The fact that Sein described her as “formidable” indicated she was far from an ordinary Rank Two mage.

After becoming acquainted with Sein and Reina, Marylou pulled down her hood, revealing her smooth, lustrous aquamarine hair that matched her striking aquamarine eyes.

From her appearance and hair color, one might assume Marylou to be a cold and aloof witch.

However, the reality was quite the opposite—this witch from the northlands was very approachable.

Her ability to secure a research subject as rare as Reina simply through casual conversation was impressive in itself.

As they interacted further, Sein was surprised to discover the reason behind Marylou’s interest in Reina’s unique constitution.

Marylou had been conducting a highly uncommon line of research—Ice Body Tempering.

The study of body-tempering techniques was by no means exclusive to Grandmaster Feylis or her faction within the Magus World.

Perhaps Feylis herself had also drawn inspiration from the research of her predecessors.

Although the Rank Two witch named Marylou had not undergone body tempering experiments herself, she had adeptly applied its principles to her elemental summons.

As Sein observed the massive cryo elemental giants rising from the frozen landscape, each standing over ten meters tall, his eyes gleamed with unmistakable curiosity and desire for research.

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These summoned elemental giants were visibly tougher and more powerful than standard elemental summons.

These cryo elemental giants were even comparable to the geo elemental creatures from the Amethyst World that Sein had encountered on the battlefield of Wild Gorilla World.

“It’s the special environment and the power of law unique to this world that make my cryo elemental summons exceptionally strong. If I were in another plane, especially a pyro elemental plane that conflicts with Snow Spirit World’s laws, the effectiveness of my summoning magic would be significantly diminished,” Marylou explained humbly.