Time flew by, and Ethan sat on his mother's lap as she began to read about various myths, legendary adventures, and tried to help Ethan speak and walk.
Although the myths and adventures were thrilling, as they were real and interessting, Ethan's main focus was learning how to speak and walk! After much of hard work, Ethan is able to speak, not forming full sentences, but he is slowly improving. His walking also became better, as he didn't fall as easily anymore as he did in his younger days.
One this day, his mother became overly excited and smiled continuously, as if she were anticipating something that would make her happy.
As they were doing their daily routine in the garden, drinking tea on a bench, Ethan realized how good the tea in this world tasted over time and began to drink tea every day.
As Ethan reached for his tea cup, the garden door opened. However, Ethan didn't pay much attention to it, and shortly after the door opened, his mother grabbed him and ran towards it with him in her arms.
Ethan became a little concerned. "Mom?" But his mother ignored him, so Ethan just accepted that he was oblivious to what was happening.
After his mother ran for a few seconds, it seemed they had crossed a few hundred meters. Ethan began to looked towards the door, there he saw an unfamiliar man that he hadn't seen before. The man has dark black hair and dark black eyes, and his face was covered with a wound that looked like it was made from a sword or knife. He wasn't dressed in a fancy or normal t-shirt, instead, he wore black armor that covered his entire body.
As Ethan began to examine the man's face and eyes, he noticed a resemblance to himself, particularly in the dark eyes, although the man's weren't as dark as his own.
The man then turned his gaze towards Ethan and then to his mother, speaking with a cheerful tone and a smile, "Snow, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Upon hearing the man's voice, Snow started to cry slightly, tears streaming down her face as she responded angrily, "Yes, it has been a while. So why didn't you come earlier to meet your son? Did you forget you have one?"
Hearing this, Ethan immediately recognized the man as the clan head of the White Family, James White, or simply, Ethan's father.
James, saddened by his wife's accusation, replied, "You know I couldn't do anything about it. You know how it is in war."
Snow clicked her tongue in disapproval before continuing, "Anyway, this is your son, James. Ethan. Since you weren't around when he was born, I named him as I wished."
James smiled warmly and remarked, "A nice name. I'm lucky you chose it."
He then turned to Ethan, his expression softening into a warm smile, "Hello, Ethan. Let me introduce myself. I'm your father, James."
And thus, it was Ethan's first encounter with his father.
- - - -
Slowly, days passed, then months, and finally, years.
Ethan had now reached the age of four, and much had happened. First and foremost, he began to delve deeper into the world of magic, exploring the intricacies of the other families' rankings, the world itself, and his own family history.
In his study of magic, Ethan learned that there exist seven ranks. Firstly, there is the Awakening rank, where one must form a mana body. Next is the Beginner rank, where you awaken your magical element. Then comes the Intermediate rank, where you strengthen your element. Advancing further, there's the Advanced Rank, where your element becomes more potent. Following that is the Expert Rank, where your element is even further strengthened. The Master Rank is attained when one awakens a broken Domain, accompanied by significant enhancement of body and mana strength. Finally, there's the Grandmaster rank, where the broken domain evolves into an incomplete Domain, and one's mana, element, and body experience considerable augmentation.
As Ethan became more curious about domains, Ethan turned to his father, James, who himself was a Grandmaster Rank. James explained that a broken domain encompasses an area of around 10 meters from the one who activates it, exerting pressure on those within its radius and diminishing their mana, thereby reducing their firepower.
As for the Grandmaster incomplete Domain, James said that it was much more stronger, extending beyond 50 meters and, at an advanced stage, capable of entirely blocking the use of mana, a feat unachievable with a broken domain.
Regarding the family rankings, Ethan learned about the Rank of a king-ranked family. Simply put, family rankings correspond to nobility, with the ranks ranging from baron to king. A family attains the rank of baron with one member at the Advanced rank, viscount with three Advanced ranks, Count with one Expert, marquis with three Experts, duke with one Master, archduke with one Grandmaster, and king with three Grandmasters.
And within this Family Ranking system, there exists an individual ranking system where families are assessed based on various factors such as the duration before a family can advance to the next rank, their status as powerhouses, their wealth, and their political influence. The White Family, being a King-ranked family, holds the second position in the individual ranking, trailing behind the Flamesworth Family, which holds the first position due to its greater wealth and political sway. However, the White Family possesses greater power, boasting one additional Grandmaster compared to the Flamesworth Family.
Despite the White Family's lesser wealth, it does not lag far behind, considering its stronger power. The family's stature is steadily rising, fueled by its compact size and the success of its current business ventures, which are poised to challenge the Flamesworth Family's dominance in the coming years.
Apart from the Flamesworth and White families, there are eight other families trailing behind, albeit significantly distant from either of the top two families.
That's all he learned, besides learning how to write and read, learning about plants and beasts, and how to survive in the wild—all of it purely theoretical, as he is still too young to venture into the wild. He acquired this knowledge from a tutor provided by the family.
However, today marks a significant change. Today, in addition to his studies, he will commence his training!
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-LazyRedMoon