"And that's the end of the literature lesson for today." - Erno said.

After lunch, we studied as usual under Erno.

"Mog, you come with me to the side. I will teach you some common knowledge to fill the gaps. Cispia, Livia, continue self-studying." - He added.

I was a bit surprised, but I still nodded, "Yes, sir Erno."

Going with Erno to the corner of the library. Erno looked me over and commented, "You seem better."

"Yeah, I guess so. I try and think more positively." - I said a half-truth.

I'm not going to tell him about my new secret, of course.

"Good, good. It's good to have a positive outlook on life. Now then, tell me, Mog, what do you know about the eight great families of Lamaria?"

"The eight great families? I know that they are the great nobles of the empire, and each family holds great strength and power. Oh, and they all wear red, like the military. My father also told me that they are the pillars of the empire, and without them, the empire would collapse and that the emperor is usually selected from one of them every 100 years. Did I get it right?" - I asked.

Erno nodded, "Yes, you got it right. Although you missed some details, it is mostly accurate."

"Now, do you know their names, crests, and their specialties?" - Erno asked.

"Er... My father never taught me about this, so I don't know. I only know that I belong to the Fidelis family now and that their crest is a flame. Legatus Bultatus Volgio Fidelis is the current patriarch and commander of the second legion. The Fidelis family is against racial equality in the empire. Oh, and they have good mages!" - I said what I knew.

"Mog, I asked about their specialties, not their backgrounds. Now, what is the Fidelis family's specialty?" - Erno asked again.

"Erm... Mages and military?" - I guessed from what I knew about them.

"Technically correct, but not accurate enough. The Fidelis family is the fire of the empire, the beacon in the dark, the warden of the north. We produce mages, particularly fire mages, to guard the northern borders of the empire against barbarian threats, monster hordes, and dark god worshippers alike."

"The current patriarch of the family, Legatus Bultatus Volgio Fidelis, a seventh circle magician, is currently leading the second legion at the northern borders, keeping the threats at bay. He is also the main supplier of war slaves to the empire, providing miners to mine the ores needed for our weaponry."

"Does he ever come back?" - I asked.

"Rarely. Usually, he is stationed in the northern border fort-city of Ignis et glacies. His wives come to visit him sometimes, however, usually bringing back another heir. This is also why the mistress is in such dire straights, as she lacks the support of her father, and she has many competitors, her half-siblings. Seven of them are even comparable to young master Aulus in talent, and they are smarter and more cunning than him. The only reason he stays afloat is that the young mistress is supporting him and that his mother is the main wife."

"Father once told me that family feuds are bloody, with many dying. Is it true?"

Erno gravely nodded, "Yes. It's true. There are many schemes and even assassinations in the family feuds. It can sometimes escalate to the destruction of a family if left unchecked. On the other hand, it is also a tool to determine who is the best heir for the family. After all, only the most cunning, well-liked, and talented of the heirs will be left, right? That is why the elders seldom intervene in the family feuds unless they have an excuse or the family's foundation is at stake." - Erno said.

As I heard him, my thoughts couldn't help but wander off.

"Am I in danger? Will anyone try to kill me to get at the mistress?" - I asked hesitantly.

Erno raised an eyebrow and decisively shook his head.

"No, at least, not yet. In their eyes, you are just a petty little slave and a child at that. You are not worth anyone's attention. Killing you will just make the mistress go into an unproductive tantrum, which the family doesn't want to see. Besides, you are property of the Fidelis family. If, gods forbid, something were to happen to the young mistress, you will be handed over to another member of the family. What happens then, however, is a whole other story."

"I see..." - I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

"Now then, let us resume our lesson. On to the second family, the Crotilo family. Their insignia is a sword and shield. They are the sturdy shield that protects the empire's borders from the powerful Naclux League to the east. They specialize in producing strong warriors, and they profit mainly from border taxes from merchants as well as skirmishes."

"The third family is the Linus family. Their insignia is a water symbol. They serve as the defenders of the sea to the south, and they specialize in producing strong naval admirals and water mages. Their main income comes from trading and fishing through the ocean."

"The fourth family is the Glycia family. Their insignia is the bow. They are the best archers in the empire, and they guard against the Shutia kingdom to the west, the kingdom that lay between us and the Sa'anite desert. Just like the Crotilo family, they mainly profit from border taxes and skirmishes."

"The Fifth family is the Prisca family. Their insignia is a helmet with a crossed sword and an ax behind it. They are the duelists of the empire, providing champions to armies to duel the enemy champions, as well as expert bodyguards for important people. They run the best gladiatorial schools, and they have the highest winning rate as arena champions, many of which are their family members. Many of them also become adventurers."

"The sixth family is the Nerva family. Their insignia is a hammer. Unlike the other families, their family is an artisan family specializing in both blacksmithing and infrastructure. In the empire, they are considered the best blacksmiths and battle engineers, providing the best weapons, armor, and war machines on a large scale. Naturally, this is also their source of profits."

"The seventh family is the Cinna family. Their insignia is the herald's wand¹Caduceus. They are the expert negotiators of the empire, and many a time are priests of Veona, Damaq, or Nyengorath. Their main profits come from agriculture and trade outside the empire's borders."

"The eighth and last of the families is the Senecio family. Their insignia is an eye. They are the eyes and ears of the empire, producing the best spies, and many a time are advisors of a ruling emperor. They are the ones who run the adventurer guilds of the empire, and they take a cut of the share. Originally, they were the weakest of the families, but after Amulius Pompilius Senecio, a man who is weaker than a day worker, was adopted and became the patriarch, they have experienced an inexplicable meteoric rise in strength and power. Now, they are only second to the emperor himself."

After saying so much, Erno paused and asked, "Now then, any questions?"

"Yes, to what family does the current emperor belong?" - I asked.

"The current emperor, Taidus Hecatus Caesar, does not belong to any of the great families. He is a citizen and adventurer of the empire who rose to demigodhood by his efforts and the blessings of Khemdarr, the god of light and sun, and then contributed greatly to the safety of the empire by slaying a powerful demon king, a demigod who fell to dark god corruption fifty years ago, ending the dark invasion that plagued our continent. After the last emperor's reign ended, and after a long debate that lasted over three months, the senate decided to not pick the next emperor from the eight families and decided unanimously to grant Taidus the emperor seat for a hundred years." - Erno answered.

"Now then, any more questions?" - He asked.

"Hm... No, thank you." - I couldn't think about any more questions for the time being.²Or me.

"Very good. This will be enough for today. We will continue doing some gap closers every few days from now on." - Erno said.

"Thank you, sir Erno." - I nodded in thanks.

After that, I went back to the girls and read until dinner.

"How are you eating so much?" - Livia asked beside me.

"Yeah! Do you have a bottomless pit or something? Is this an after-effect of that potion at work?" - Cispia said in astonishment.

"Nom* Nom* Gulp*. I don't know, I'm just that hungry." - I answered.

During the time we were reading, about three sausages worth of energy were consumed, leaving me with only 7 sausages worth. Now, I was eating as much as I can within the realm of normalcy. A side effect that I discovered from devouring was that I become hungry when I use it, so I wasn't lying to her.

"Still, just be careful that you don't get fat." - Livia warned.

"I will be careful, don't worry." - I didn't care about that. All the food I ate was turned into energy. The amount that stayed in my stomach after dinner was normal.

After this dinner, I reached around 15 sausages worth of energy, because I ate a bit less than during lunch.

Something worth mentioning was that the rabbit-kin kid from yesterday never came back. I could only offer him a silent prayer for a better afterlife.

After finishing dinner, taking a bath, and washing my teeth, I lay on my bed and started checking my status again.

bignt

Creating lore and worldbuilding is hard.