Chapter 9: Estrea

Lucien's response didn't seem to satisfy all those present, but no one dared show any dissatisfaction. The meeting continued smoothly with Lucien learning more about the hidden world and its factions. From what he was able to gather, the Hermits were part of the Rogues.

The Rogues were what the 'official' organization called the unaffiliated mages. Basically, people that stumbled upon magic one way or another, in a situation somewhat similar to him, or mages that were exiled from the Council, or one of the main families.

Some mages that preferred not to be tied down to any organization, were also referred to as Rogues. Then there was the Council, the headquarters of the magic world. They had branches all over the continent. They were somewhat of a law-enforcement group, that nurtured promising mages, and maintained the order and secrecy of the hidden world.

And then were the main families, or legacies, as some people liked to call them. These were the clans and families that had a history dating back hundreds of years. They preferred to call themselves the nobles, and according to the few conversations he heard from the Hermits, it was safe to say that they hated the Rogues, and disdained the Council.

Four main families withstood the testimony of the years and strived. The Goldhearts, The Yorks, The Sunkissed, and the Dragonborn. Each family had a large number of descendants and magical inheritance, that allowed them to survive when others did not. Their power was unquestionable, and although they still fell behind the Council a bit, they were not to be underestimated.

Lucien committed their names to memory, while inwardly criticizing their naming sense. Another pleasant surprise was the fact that other races existed! When he heard the Hermit group's members talking about the sighting of a rogue vampire, he almost couldn't believe his ears.

The Council classified the non-humans into different categories. The ones that looked humanoid, were intelligent and could be reasoned with: The Elves, the druids, the fairies, the vampires, and the werewolves. Some of them worked with the council, others were recruited by the four families.

Then some formed their own clans, with power that almost rivaled that of the four families. Lucien still didn't know what those clans were called.

The non-humanoid races, that were chaotic, or evil, were placed in another category. The flow of the conversation didn't lean much toward this subject, so Lucien was still unfamiliar with them.

Then there were the Dragons. They held a category of their own, and were above the Council and families. Luckily, however, they lived in seclusion, and nobody knew where they were at. A member of today's gathering mentioned some rumors about the alleged location of an ancient dragon, but the people present simply scoffed at the rumor and called it ridiculous.

After a while, Lucien had the chance to ask a question. Everyone turned toward him with shining eyes, as they waited for him to speak. Their gazes made him feel a little bit uncomfortable, but he tried not to show it on his face.

Lucien tried to think of something to ask but quickly found his mind turning blank. He was still not as experienced as some of the people here but for some reason, they seemed to think of him otherwise. It was hard not to notice when everyone stared at him with eyes full of respect and fear.

Even Estrea the hostess of today's meeting was careful with her words around him. Lucien had no intention of correcting their misunderstanding, he just hoped not to embarrass himself in front of everyone, hence why when they asked if he had a question, he simply shook his head with a smile.

Besides, it was not like he was lying. The ancient book seemed to hold everything he needs. When he compared the two spells he learned with those that the Hermits were discussing, he was surprised to find that his were much stronger and far more complex.

*****

Estrea watched as the young man shook his head. She half expected it, after all, with the power he showcased, the spells and magical formations they were discussing were probably like child's play in front of him. It was a lie to say that she was not disappointed, but she was quite excited to have a high-ranking mage attend the meeting.

Perhaps she could ask him for help with that ancient spell. He did seem interested in her after all. Estrea did not find it strange at all and was quite flattered. A lot of men pursued her, but few had succeeded. She was more interested in the study of magic, after all.

'Looks like It will be embarrassing to ask him to join the Hermits. Still, it's good to maintain a good relationship with a high-rank mage.' She inwardly noted, and decisively decided to drop the speech she had prepared earlier, Estrea doubted it would work anyways.

*****

When the clock reached 9:45, the group began to engage in idle chatter, discussing the local news and politics. Lucien listened in deep interest, as he absorbed as much information as possible. By the time it reached 10, the meeting drew to an end.

Estrea the hostess, stood up and thanked everyone for coming before reminding them that the next meeting will be held a week from now, the same day, same time, same place. Everyone then stood up and began to leave; not before they said their goodbyes to both Lucien and Estrea.

Layla was even bold enough to ask him if it was okay for her to reach out to him, under the pretext of discussing magic and experimenting with spells together. Lucien didn't mind, the girl was pretty and very respectful, besides, it didn't hurt to have more friends.

By the time everyone took their leave, only he and Estrea were left behind. He smiled at her and was about to leave as well when she stopped him.

"Would like to have a cup of tea before leaving?" She asked with a mysterious smile.

Lucien who was a bit tired was about to refuse but decided otherwise. 'It has nothing to do with the fact that she's my type. Definitely, nothing to do with it.' He repeated in his mind.

She guided him to the third floor, and into a luxuriously decorated modern room. A queen-sized bed was placed by the large windows and a chic sofa with a classy table in front of it was situated on the other side of the room.

"Please. Don't be shy." She smiled sweetly and guided him to the sofa. Lucien complied and sat down.

"Now if you'll give me a minute to bring the tea. Any preferences?"

"Ah, not really. I'll just take what you will be having." He answered with a smile. Estrea nodded and left the room, leaving him behind.

Once he was sure that he was alone, Lucien carefully scanned the room for any signs of danger. He followed the flow of mana to see if there was anything strange, yet he found nothing. With his mind finally, at ease, Lucien leaned back on the comfortable sofa.