Once they were alone again, Lucian turned to Aurora and said, "Today we gather information. We will likely head to the family library. I never got much time to read when I was here, so you're going to tell me everything about this world, starting with the most simple terms. You will read everything to me, okay?"
Aurora looked at him for some time before saying, "Okay, sure. Now let's go get breakfast."
Lucian finished dressing and made his way out of his room to the dining hall with Aurora beside him. Even though he hadn't been here in years, the memories were like visual images of how things were. It seemed things at the manor never really changed, so he just followed the steps from his room until they got to the dining hall where he could already smell his mother and sister sitting at the table. It seemed they haven't started eating, probably waiting for the food to arrive.
She looked at him but didn't say anything, nor did his mother. The food arrived and they all had their breakfast, with Aurora being the one to feed him. Not that he couldn't do it himself, but he would make a mess. Even if he knew the direction of the food, visualizing where everything was placed would be a problem. It was best Aurora fed him, so he let her.
During the meal, Lucian decided to probe for information. "Mother, how have things changed in the empire during my absence? Have there been any significant political shifts I should know about?
Seraphina paused before answering the question about local politics. "Lord Carrington's family has gained favor with the regional governor. They're pushing for higher taxation on smaller baronies like ours. Your father had been countering their influence before his..." she trailed off slightly. "Your aunt Rowena has been representing our interests at court in his absence. She's expected to return from the capital within the fortnight, actually. News of your return will certainly bring her home sooner."
Lucian nodded but didn't say anything more, then just focused on his food.
After breakfast, they all went their separate ways. His mother probably went to handle baron-related issues, and knowing his sister, she went to train. Aurora had already scanned the whole manor, so she knew every direction of the places in the manor. She led the way to the library, where he could smell the old shelves, and it seemed no one came here much. Then Aurora took the first book, which talked about the world.
"Alright," Aurora said, opening the ancient tome. "This first book is called 'Eldarix: The World and Its Powers.' Let me read you the important parts."
She cleared her throat before beginning, "The world we inhabit is called Eldarix. It exists alongside the Angel Realm and the Demon Realm, though interactions between the worlds are rare and often cataclysmic. Eldarix itself is home to humans and various other powerful races."
Lucian nodded, absorbing the information. "Tell me about the human lands first."
"We're currently in the Empire of Virelia," Aurora continued. "It's one of the three great human empires that dominate Eldarix. Virelia is governed by regions, with powerful governors overseeing each territory. The Marcellus family is a barony within the Eastern region, known for its lush forests and strong connection to natural energies."
She turned a page before continuing, "The emperor of Virelia is said to be one of the strongest beings in the world, though not the absolute strongest. The dragons hold that distinction—they're considered the apex predators of Eldarix, though they rarely interfere in worldly affairs unless their interests are directly threatened."
"What other races exist?" Lucian asked.
"There are many," Aurora replied. "There are the elves who dwell primarily in ancient forests. The centaurs have established a powerful council that rivals even imperial strength—they control vast plains and grasslands. There are also orcs, dwarves, and various beastkin tribes scattered throughout the world."
She paused, flipping through more pages. "This book doesn't contain much reliable information about the Angel and Demon Realms. Details are scarce and likely inaccurate. Interactions with those realms are limited to rare summoning rituals or occasional breaches between the worlds."
Lucian paused for a moment while thinking, 'Just as I guessed, there's not much info about other realms as Sarah mentioned earlier. A simple baron family won't know much, but I'm sure my aunt would know.' So he turned his gaze to Aurora.
Lucian leaned forward with interest. "And what of power in this world? How is it measured and attained?"
Aurora found another section of the book. "Here's something about the magical system," she said. "There are different types of magic users. Augmenters channel mana through their bodies to enhance physical traits like strength and speed. Conjurers manipulate external mana to cast spells and control elements. Both your mother and sister are Conjurers, though your mother is significantly more advanced."
She reached for another book. "This one details the awakening power system more specifically." She opened it and began to read:
"The stages of power for awakened humans are: Manamancer with nine stages, then Spellweaver with six stages, followed by Arcanist with Early, Mid, and High or Peak levels. After that comes Ether Sage with Gas Core, Liquid Core, and Solid Core phases. Then Aether Lord and Mythweaver with similar core phases."
"According to what I've gathered from conversations," Aurora said, "your mother is a mid-stage Arcanist, which is quite powerful, especially for a baroness. Your sister has just broken through to Spellweaver Stage 1. And you..." she paused, "you're about to undergo your awakening, which would put you at the beginning of the Manamancer path."
She found another section that compared human power scales to those of magical beasts. "Magical beasts have their own parallel system: Mana Sprout, Spellmaw, Arcane Fang, and so on, with similar subdivisions."
After reading for several hours, Aurora closed the final tome. "That's the basic overview of this world's structure and power systems, at least as far as these books know. The information about realms beyond Eldarix is particularly limited."
Lucian didn't ask her to tell him what she know's about other realm or the structure of demon realm, because he know's she know's all of this he would find everything himself.
Lucian sat in contemplative silence, processing everything he had learned. The structure of this world was complex but comprehensible. Most importantly, he now understood the path of power ahead of him—beginning with his awakening ritual.
"This is a good start," he said finally. "Knowledge is the foundation of all power. Now we know what's possible and what's expected."
"We continue as discussed," Lucian replied. "I want everything to appear natural, so I'll emulate my father's mannerisms to unsettle my mother. When she confronts me about it, that's when the first phase begins."
Aurora made a humming sound before saying, "I was going to ask you this earlier. Let me lay out the possibilities. What do you gain by controlling them?"
Lucian turned his gaze to her before answering.
"Resources, obviously," Lucian replied. "Access to the family's wealth, their connections within the local nobility... information about the druidic circles in Silverwood. Control over the manor itself as a base of operations."
"All practical," Aurora noted. "Anything else?"
Lucian paused, considering this. "Protection. My aunt, Rowena Vale, is a powerful druid. Having her on my side would be invaluable, especially in the face of whatever is coming."
Aurora nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she told him more about the world he was transmigrated to. He hadn't spoken to the voice in a long time; it hadn't asked or told him anything, so they both just stayed in silence.
As they delved deeper into the library's collection, Lucian couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Two months until his awakening—seemingly a short time, but he would make every day count.
—————-
Like that, a week went by quickly, with Lucian mostly spending time in the library with Aurora, who read books about the dynamics of this world. By now, he already had enough understanding of how this world worked and about other empires. He learned more about Conjurers and Augmenters; it was said one person couldn't be both and could only choose one path after reaching Spellweaver stage, because that's when you awaken your elemental affinity.
He found out from his mother that his sister could use both ice and wind elements, just like his father, while his mother used only wind. Having a double element was very, very rare, so his sister having a double element and being in the Spellweaver stage already considered her a prodigy.
His mother sometimes came to the library to explain the awakening process. He found out not everyone could go through an awakening, especially when moving from one stage to another. Some passed the age of 13 without awakening, making them officially mortals. Yet it seemed all nobles were awakened, without a single one being a mortal. The main reason for this, his mother explained, was probably due to bloodlines—if your family members were all awakened, it was easier for you to awaken without much difficulty compared to someone from a mortal family. The most painful aspect was for those who went through the awakening process while having a disability; it gave them double the trouble. Any failed awakening aged a person faster than those who didn't try at all, which was why most preferred to give up rather than try.