<h4>Chapter 467: Setting Out</h4>


    As summer gave way to fall, with fallen leaves dancing in the wind and the sound of cicadas fading, it was time for Sein to head south.


    “Can’t I go with you?” Faye asked, reluctance clear in her eyes.


    “You’re still too weak, and this is a time for you to concentrate on meditation to improve your mana and mental focus levels. I would rather you reach Rank One by the time I return, instead of seeking temporary gains by traveling south with me,” Sein replied.


    “If you attain Rank One, we’ll have plenty of time together in the future,” he added.


    He spoke bluntly because rity and rationalization were necessary with Faye.


    In front of others, Faye maintained her facade as a smart and level-headed ck mage. However, around Sein, she often reverted to acting like a spoiled child—a behavior that highlighted their closeness but also revealed a certain immaturity.


    In the end, Faye remained at the magic tower instead of apanying Sein to the Knight Continent in the heart of the Western Archipgo.


    She epted his advice, understanding that her presence could onlyplicate Sein’s journey.


    Faye watched Sein until his figure disappeared into the sky, then silently returned to her magic tower.


    She was determined to follow the personalized study and training n Sein had prepared for her.


    Perhaps motivated by his departure, Faye found that her abilities were improving much faster than before.


    Just as Sein had hoped, Faye was eager to surprise him with her progress.


    ***


    After departing Mordoron Ind, Sein did not travel south alone but was apanied by Zorro, along with several ck mages from the nearby area of Mordoron Ind.


    Upon reuniting with Zorro, Sein encountered two familiar faces. One was Lady Jeanne, a Rank Two ck mage who was Zorro’s primary patron.


    She had yed a crucial role in helping Zorro and Faye establish themselves in ckhaven.


    Lady Jeanne had extended far greater favors to Zorropared to Martin, who had offered protection to Zorro and others solely out of self-interest. In contrast, Lady Jeanne’s extensive support was motivated by a request and favor from Morsidor.


    Thanks to that, Zorro was able to live morefortably on Mordoron Ind.


    Back when Zorro was trying to gather the resources Faye needed for another attempt at breaking through to Rank One, many of Zorro’s clients seeking custom magic items, especially those from the eastern coast, were referrals from Jeanne.


    Sein could see that Zorro was profoundly grateful to Lady Jeanne.


    Besides Lady Jeanne, the second familiar face Sein encountered was her apprentice, Liliana.


    Once known for her distinctive style of leather pants and boots during her days as a magic initiate, she was now also a full-fledged mage.


    Now, appearing before Sein, Liliana’s attire was strikingly different. Gone were her leather pants and boots, reced by a long, pitch-ck magic robe.


    While the robe did not conceal her tall stature and good figure, she appeared far less imposing than before.


    People could change, and Liliana was no exception.


    During her time at the ck Magic Academy in Mystralora City, Liliana was a top initiate and the academy’s pride. With her mentor, Lady Jeanne, being the vice dean, she rarely acknowledged most of her peers.


    However, their return to ckhaven of the Western Archipgo proved challenging, even for someone as esteemed as Martin, a Rank Three ck mage, let alone for a recently promoted Rank One ck mage like Liliana.


    Her current situation and the harsh realities of the world had erased Liliana’s former arrogance.


    Upon seeing Sein, who was also d in a ck robe, she greeted him warmly, “Long time no see, Sein.”


    “Long time no see,” Sein replied, his gaze lingering on Liliana’s face for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment.


    The ck mages from ckhaven utilized a unique travel route to the southern outskirts of the Knight Continent.


    This passage was specifically established by the divine towers and orders of the knights in the Western Archipgo to amodate these formidable ck mages, ensuring they would not disrupt the activities of other mages from different parts of the Magus World.


    After all, some from the ckhaven were also eligible to explore the Knight Continent.


    The group traveling with Sein was sizeable, consisting of twenty or thirty ck mages, primarily from around Mordoron Ind, and could be considered as directly under Martin’s influence.


    Sein did not encounter Martin; presumably, the Rank Three mage had either dyed his arrival or headed to a different location.


    Hierarchy had always been prevalent in the Magus World, or rather the entire Astral Realm.


    The differences between each life level signified vast disparities in status, vision, and influence.


    Rank Three mages typically formed their own circles, as did Rank Two mages. Likewise, Rank One mages like Sein most frequently interacted with peers of the same rank.


    Among the twenty to thirty people apanying him, there were two other Rank Two ck mages besides Lady Jeanne.


    However, these mages seemed to hold less trust from Martinpared to Jeanne, and their strength was also notably inferior, making their presence in the group rtively subdued.


    They did not greet Sein but merely offered a smile to Zorro, who stood by Sein’s side.


    Zorro had built a reputation around Mordoron Ind over thest decade with his alchemy skills, making him a potential resource for these Rank Two ck mages.


    This trip contrasted sharply with Sein’s previous journey to the Viridian Venom me World, where mages from the same faction or the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were more interactive.


    Although all the ck mages present were from around Mordoron Ind and under Martin’s influence, there was little camaraderie among them.


    Beyond some initial exchanges with Lady Jeanne, each mage soon kept to themselves.


    The ck mages even maintained a considerable distance from each other during their flight, reinforcing the notion that ck mages were indeed solitary creatures.