**Guin IV POV**
"Now then, Stefan let me hear your report on the incident that ended the dinner of my youngest with the Nibulgs." Stefan, the right hand of both the current Emperor and Previous one gave a bow. His face had the wrinkles of wisdom and his whole body showed signs of age, though his muscles likely showed that he would be able to move well for a few years more. "I will start by giving a summary of what transpired. Prince Loki, Yuves Nibulg, Faina Nibulg, and Zaina Nibulg were having dinner together with no signs of discretion until Yuves had made a scene, even going to the point of slamming a hand against the table. Then after the main Chef was brought out he attempted to stab Prince Loki through the heart. According to the Servants and Yuves, he managed to cast a light ball blinding the Chef before throwing himself to the ground as the knife had been lodged against the back of the chair he had been in a moment prior."
Nobody present had made a claim thar refuted this and their faces were strained. Patricide, should it succeed was allowed for seizing the throne, you shouldn't however use a superior position alone to kill a seedling. The seedlings would need to temper the other seeds after all, in order to ensure each generation can carry greater strength. This was why the youngest and currently weakest Imperial child being targeted was such a dishonorable thing.
"Now that we all are on the same page for what happened, I shall report on what our investigations have managed to find out so far. Prince Loki's food had been cursed with the Curse of Clogging. It had a delayed activation where it would trigger in the middle of the night clogging up his veins. In the best case it might have ruined his future as a mage, due to mana flowing alongside blood.The most likely case should the curse have made its way into Prince Loki's body would have been either suffocation or brain death in the middle of the night." Stefan took a pause in his report as the people present took some time to digest everything they just heard.
(What a vicious scheme, even if it had been found out immediately after his potential might have been ruined to a degree. The fact that they had a seasoned chef within my Palace means whoever is involved can't be minor. How dare they involve themselves this way in the succession disputes of my Empire! We will need to keep am eye on the Nibulg family ... though how did Yuves figure out something was wrong? He shouldn't have that type of experience?)
The Emperor mentally shelved that topic in his mind for now, since if they wanted Loki to die or have his potential ruined this was a near perfect chance if they were to lay low after this to keep as much silent blame off of them as possible. That or acting out more strictly for the sake of the Empire and less for the interests of their family.
"Don't loosen up on the investigations! We must find who casted the curse before they can be silenced! This one has less priority, but ask the Nibulg Family if they have any items that can detect curses. If they do offer them compensation if they will have it sent in to be studied." The Emperor made sure to lock eyes with each person in the room gazing deep at them trying to figure out if one of them had connections to the attempt itself. Eventually he settled back into the throne.
"Court is adjourned, Everyone is dismissed. Loki's hunt will still take place in two days as originally planned. Vice-Captain Mekkla will be leading the 1st Imperial division in protecting Loki." Some of the nobles were surprised with the hunt not being rescheduled though eventually they nodded as the first level was of vital importance, something that everyone who had learnt about the history of the status system.
**Loki POV**
Scyren Tores, the court tutor for the Zoval Empire was the one currently lecturing Loki. The Tores family is one of the three great families within the Zoval Empire. The Nibulg Family focused on all matters naval both for military and trade. The Gyrant family is a family with roots in the creation of excelling arms, armor, and instructing elite soldiers, that is they excelled in smithing and the leading of high end squads. The Tores family served as the pen of the Empire, being the leading family in research and most specifically medicine. For almost all of the Empire's history Court Physicians have always come from the Tores line as the ancestor of the Tores family had been the sworn brother of the first Emperor.
"Prince Loki, the world was not always under the favor of the Status System. In fact, it is something that is rather recent in terms of the world at large having been introduced near the end of the Age of Gods. It originally came in three different systems granted by the higher beings for their mortal followers." Scyren had fallen silent looking at Loki with a face full of expectation, as Loki was the one he considered to be his best pupil among the Imperial Children.
"We had the Gods for us of Mankind, The Abyssal beings for Demonkind, and the Great Spirits that supported Demi-Humans, right?" Scyren's face at that moment had erupted in joy at seeing this pupil not falter where his other siblings had usually forgotten about the involvement of the Great Spirits. "Correct, More specifically though it was before the final clash of Deities that Status had been split in three systems. Those were Divine Grace, Abyssal Influence, and Spiritual Dominance. These influences allowed for us mortals to gain strength from those we kill, known now as experience. Levels are an indicator of how many times our strength has been drawn out by these systems. Now then Prince Loki, would you like to make a guess on why these systems were made?"
(Why those systems were made? Why would Deities need to give mortals such boons? I doubt that old Scyren wants me to say something like 'It is as the Gods willed' and then leave it there. Actually didn't we start getting more demigods after the Age of the Gods? Could those be connected?)
"We saw more people ascend to divinity after the Age of Gods, but could that be due to the Status Systems?" Loki would be thrumming a finger against the desk he was sat at as he tried to think about more and then after a minute of thought looked towards Scyren for the answer.
"Well done, Indeed it is assumed to be the main cause for such cases though at that point the three systems had merged after the world was left without balance due to the clashes of the divine. The world stabilized a few years after though when the world erected a film preventing direct intervention from Deities outside of mortal limits. Ever since then more people have succeed in leaving the mortal realms for the divine. Granted if one does such a thing they can never return to the mortal realms in a true body." Scyren had stopped his explanation there since any more and it wouldn't be within the expected frame for even a young teenager.
"I believe this will be a good point to stop for today, Your Higness. Knowledge in excess is believed to not stick after all. I wish you good luck in both your studies and your hunt. Please do remember that until you get your first level up, to allow your guards to leave any prey on the verge of death. Even the weakest monster is level one after all and inherently different from a mortal without a level." Scyren began to pack away his teaching materials as Loki fell into thought on that recommendation, not even noticing that as Scyren left he had an especially vibrant smile on his face.
(Right monsters are natural in this world ever since the protective film was put up. What even truly is that film which even some of the finest scholars can't agree on? Furthermore, I won't gain any stats until I reach level one. At least the guards, the Dawnbringers and the Nibulg Family men will know that aside from my protection, that is their main job.)
A determined expression on his face despite his recent brush with death Prince Loki was seen heading to the training grounds for some last minute practice before his first hunt. Soon enough two days had passed, the day that would signal the start of this hunt had arrived. The Palace was in a flurry as Prince Loki was escorted by some of the most elite soldiers within the Empire for the Caestinn woods, a forest frequented by low level kobolds, goblins, and orcs. The woods themselves would be cleared out and barred for any other member of mankind. Anyone found intruding would be put to death no questions asked.