After sampling the high-quality tea, which was even slightly better than what he could drink in his own clan, Chen, feeling much more comfortable, thanks to the tea, began to explain.
"Yes, regarding the noble clans, they are just below the Xiao clan and are characterized by having Master-level members among their ranks, along with a great heritage and resources, which gives them a voice and vote in faction decisions. These include the Rong clan, the Yuan clan, the Hua clan, the Long clan, the Xin clan, and the He clan."
"So few? Are Master-levels that rare?"
Somewhat intrigued, Erik asked after biting into a cookie, to which Chen nodded with an ironic smile. After all, this was common knowledge, and considering how absurdly good Erik was in classes, Chen couldn't understand how he didn't know this.
"Quite rare. Noble clans barely have one or two active Master-levels among their ranks, and the Xiao family has the most, with four."
"How many Master-levels are there in the entire galaxy?" Erik asked, a bit surprised. Chen responded somewhat uncertainly.
"It's not exactly known, as many are not active and remain in seclusion, but there are known to be just over 100 active Master-levels across the galaxy."
"I'm luckier than I thought, then," Erik couldn't help but comment in a strange tone under his breath, something Chen seemed not to notice as he quickly replied.
"You have no idea how much. Master Eldurdóttir is on a different level from the other Master-levels. Although she may not be the most powerful, she is undoubtedly the most talented, and along with Master Silverwood, they are the most likely to ascend to the legendary level."
"Because they're young?" Erik asked curiously. Chen nodded, satisfied, before replying.
"Exactly. Do you know what the youngest record for reaching the Master level was before Master Silverwood?"
"No idea... 6,000 years?"
While pulling out a couple more cookies and sharing them with the wolves, who wagged their tails softly, Erik gave a random answer, causing Chen to laugh heartily. However, he quickly calmed down and continued while wiping the moisture that had accumulated in his eyes from laughing.
"Hahaha, it was 9,000 years, and before that, it was 27,000, but do you know what's the funniest part of the whole thing?"
"That all the records were set in the Arcane Order?" Erik asked, guessing while stroking Kaiser's silky fur.
"So you knew." Chen gave Erik a skeptical look, but Erik responded indifferently as he began to pet Tiberius, who was touching his leg with a paw, evidently jealous.
"No, I just guessed. After all, I recently discovered that a certain master from the Order managed to reach the Master level at 9,000 years old."
Chen nodded in understanding at Erik's response, then commented in a serious tone, though a certain light full of ambition could be seen in his eyes, something the star-haired boy quickly noticed. After all, he had met many young entrepreneurs full of ambition in his long life as a businessman, and Chen now looked very similar.
"That's what makes the Arcane faction terrifying. It's full of talent, and they keep breaking their own records that were once thought impossible, which has led to serious internal disagreements in the other factions, as several powers within them have proposed implementing the same methods as the Order, something many, especially the old ones, are reluctant to do."
"Well, it's a natural and inevitable conflict. Young people generally lack fear of consequences, so they yearn for change, while the old are usually terrified of the unknown and seek to maintain the status quo that they know and control. But what was that about the 18 generals?"
Erik asked while jotting something down in his notebook. What Chen was telling him was worth noting; it not only represented a risk but also an opportunity Erik could potentially exploit depending on the situation.
"Well, the 18 general clans are those directly under the noble clans, characterized by having Arcane levels among their ranks. They have a voice but no vote in faction decisions, although they are free to impose their own rules within the clan, and among them is my Ming clan. Also, it's not uncommon for a general clan to be subordinated to a noble clan," Chen explained in a calm tone, leading Erik to ask with a bit of curiosity.
"Is your family subordinated to another?"
"Well, technically, we are subordinated to the He Family, but it's something that hasn't been enforced for a long time, so we're only their subordinates formally, and in reality, we've been on our own for quite some time." Chen explained while refilling his cup from the teapot, to which Erik asked.
"And is the He family one of those wanting change?"
"Not really, and that's caused a few problems, but since we have more Arcane-levels than they do, and they only have one Master who is in seclusion, there's not much they can do about it," Chen explained with a somewhat confident and proud tone, which made Erik nod and take a few more notes in his notebook before asking.
"And do you know how things work in the other factions?"
"Yes, but don't you think I should get something for giving you all this information?" Chen asked jokingly, without giving it much importance.
"What do you want?" Erik studied Chen a bit while asking, to which the young man casually responded.
"Not much; just help me with the geometric interpretation of runes. I really can't handle it."
"Were you serious?" Erik opened his eyes a little in surprise, which caused a small chuckle from Chen, who then responded.
"Hehe, yes, I'm really bad at it, and you're the best in class. Besides, I need to keep up appearances."
"Okay, I'll help you with that then. Now finish telling me about the other factions." After studying Chen for a moment, Erik agreed, so Chen began to explain with a bit more energy.
"Alright, let's move on to the Boreal League, which works very similarly to our Jade Lotus Union. They also have a ruling family known as the Sigvald House, with their legendary sorceress, Eirnara Sigvaldottir, at the head, and they have eight noble families.
These are: the Bjornsson Family, the Thormund House, the Jarnhjarta House, the Hrafnsson Lineage, the Ulfgar Family, the Skaldheim House, the Falkenrath Lineage, and the Drakengard Family. Also, just like in our Jade Lotus Union, they are the ones with Master-levels among their ranks, with about 15 active ones publicly."
"And do they have anything like the general clans?" Erik nodded at the explanation before asking. Chen shook his head.
"No, that's something exclusive to our Jade Lotus Union. The others don't have the voice-but-no-vote system, as they consider it useless, something I disagree with, but oh well."
"And is it the same in the Meridian faction?"
"It's actually a bit more complex in that faction, since there are two ruling families."
"Do they have two legends among their ranks?" Erik asked, surprised, as he hadn't heard of such a thing, although, to be fair, he hadn't inquired much about it either.
"Actually, no. Like the others, they only have one, but the problem is that in the galaxy, there are five legendary levels, and the fifth comes from the Solaris House. Although, publicly, he's said he has nothing to do with the family, he also hasn't formed any faction and spends his time experimenting on his planet.
Because of that, no one wants to get on the wrong side of a legendary's family, so they have similar respect to the Fulgur dynasty, which is the empire of the current ruler of the Meridian faction and its only legendary level, Aelric Fulgur, making the power struggles in that faction a real mess."
With Chen's explanation, Erik quickly took even more notes in his notebook, realizing that things in the galaxy were much more interesting than he had imagined. Then again, his mind had been filled with magic, alchemy, and artificery, so he hadn't been genuinely interested in the topic. But now that he knew, it was better to study the subject a bit, as it could be useful for his future plans.
After a few more questions from Erik, which Chen answered as best as he could, the star-haired boy quickly wanted to fulfill his end of the deal, so he started an impromptu lesson on the geometric interpretation of runes. Although he didn't consider himself a good teacher, Chen finally seemed to grasp the topic, so Erik considered it a good result.
...
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...
In an opulent meeting room in a beautiful castle that seemed to have been carved from a giant piece of obsidian, adorned with beautiful gardens and lush forests, there were three mature men who appeared to be in their forties. All gathered around a thick, imposing round table made of black wood, beautifully decorated with intricate details.
In the largest chair, which resembled a throne, sat a man with blond hair and crimson-red eyes, exuding a serious and imposing presence. He had a sleek and elegant physique, dressed in a tailored suit in khaki tones, adorned with patches and emblems over a high-collared shirt and a narrow tie. His belt had a striking buckle that appeared to be a magical circle.
To his right stood a man with black hair, dark eyes, and Asian features, with a slim and agile body. He had a serious and mysterious aura, dressed in a navy-blue Tang jacket adorned with intricate dragon embroidery, paired with straight black trousers that seemed designed for elegance without sacrificing ease of movement.
Lastly, on the left, there was a bald man with blue eyes and a thick, golden beard, giving him a barbaric and powerful appearance. His broad, muscular body was clad in a long, sturdy wool tunic in earthy tones, decorated with runic details and rustic embroidery, making him look elegant yet ready for battle.
"Ragnar, it's been 10 years, and your daughter still hasn't deigned to present herself to my son to formalize the engagement." The man in the center spoke with a powerful voice full of authority, staring directly into the bearded man's eyes.
"I know, and I've already ordered her to present herself immediately, but she's the height of disloyalty. She won't even face me, and since she took on that disciple of hers, her behavior has only gotten worse." Ragnar responded angrily, slamming the table, clearly indignant.
"Hehehe, Ragnar, what a father you are, having such an unfilial daughter." The Asian man commented mockingly as he looked at Ragnar with condescension, which made Ragnar want to start a fight on the spot. However, this was quickly stopped by the blond man, who spoke in a commanding voice.
"We're not here to play games. This is a grave matter. I've kept the new status of my eldest daughter a secret for too long to give you both the opportunity to become leaders in this new faction and strengthen our alliance through marriage. This can't continue."
"Don't drag me into this, William. My daughters have already presented themselves and are willing to marry." The Asian man responded in a serious tone while looking at William in the center, causing Ragnar to snort irritably before commenting.
"Hmph, how can a mere pair of Arcane and Sage compare to my daughter, the greatest genius in the galaxy and the youngest Master-level in history, Li Wei?"
"Precisely why it was decided she would be the official wife, Ragnar, and why we're still stuck in this stalemate after all this time, unable to move forward." William, the blond man, remarked with displeasure as he stared at Ragnar with a piercing gaze.