The Destined Mother-Son Meeting (2)

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"That's great to hear, dear. And speaking of which, I want to discuss the matter of finding a fiancee, or even multiple ones, again. Remember, this is also a crucial factor your father and his in-house family advisors will consider when determining the next heir. Securing a valuable fiancee will significantly boost your chances of being chosen as the next patriarch.",

"Your two older brothers have already found their respective partners years ago, and even though you're younger, it's important to act sooner rather than later. I can recommend several suitable young ladies to you, and I'd be more than happy to make arrangements on your behalf... However, their families probably won't consider you until you demonstrate progress in your personality, strength, and standing in the family... So you're right to prioritize those aspects first, but it's important to keep this matter in mind as well...", Ravenna suddenly advised him.

"I know Mother, I will consider this issue in the near future too...", Elysar said after some thought. He really did forget to consider this matter before, and it is good he was reminded. The previous owner wasn't leaving his room, not to mention going to large gatherings and social events. He believed his bad luck could lead to unexpected accidents or misunderstandings.

Here, Matrimony was a really important concept. It was a concept where the institution of marriage, amongst nobles, was seen as just a way to secure alliances and strengthen noble families. The family structure and relationships of this world were considerably different from Elysar's last life. Marriages among nobles are often arranged for political alliances, the acquisition of wealth, or the consolidation of power.

Love and personal compatibility were secondary concerns in these unions. Female noble heirs were often exempt from the deadly competition for succession, however, they were instead used as valuable bargaining chips in the form of arranged marriages. These marriages could help strengthen family alliances, secure valuable resources, or forge new connections with other powerful noble houses.

Noble men were however allowed to have multiple wives, concubines, and bed-warming maids. Elysar's current father had only three wives of the highest status and no other companions. The head of the noble family was usually called the patriarch, who holds ultimate authority over the family's wealth, resources, and decision-making. His word is then law within the family.

However, when calling something the "Noble House", generally other ministers, and in-house advisors, coming from families with hundreds of years long histories of serving the specific main noble family, are often also included. Especially for the Valthoren family, which has to manage all the disputes inside the noble world. Therefore they have hundreds of different advisors living inside their main estate. Though, they are more like workers for them, without any rights of ever replacing their main family which has a long-standing genetic magical bloodline.

Meanwhile, commoners usually married for love or practical reasons, such as pooling resources or gaining social stability. They were allowed to have only one spouse, and extramarital relationships are frowned upon.

The head of a commoner family was typically the breadwinner, who provides for the family's needs and makes important decisions. This role often fell to the husband, but in some cases, a wife or other family member may take on this responsibility.

For the highest-ranking noble families like the House Valthoren, which had a Dream Plant monopolized, their female children are mostly married down to their vassal families to keep them closer. Additionally, they never undertook the "Essence Ascension" ceremony, and the genetic components of their dream powers were carefully extracted by the clan patriarch before they were sent to marriage into a different house for power consolidation reasons.

Children of commoner families usually receive basic education and were taught practical skills that would allow them to earn a living and support their families. These skills included farming, craftsmanship, and trade. Family relationships among commoners were generally less complex than those of noble families, with fewer political entanglements and a stronger focus on familial loyalty and support. Commoner families often formed close-knit communities with their neighbors, relying on one another for mutual assistance and support during difficult times.

Whereas the children of noble families received a high-quality education and were groomed for leadership positions or advantageous marriages. They were often taught the art of diplomacy, combat, magic, and other skills necessary for their future roles. Noble families were also known for their intricate relationships with other noble families, often involving political intrigue, secret alliances, and rivalries. Their children were often taught to be Machiavellian since birth as the world of noble successions, rivalries, and battles for resources, was cruel.

"Then, there's the matter of the Mage Academy. Now that you've changed, you should definitely consider that option as well. It begins in just a few months. I know that for a noble son like you, attending the Royal Mage or the Knight Academy may seem unnecessary, but people like you don't go there for knowledge in the first place, although even you could learn something useful there. High-ranking noble heirs attend for the purpose of establishing connections, developing social skills, and networking with their peers. Not to mention the aspect of patronage, where they can identify the most promising commoners to sponsor and later recruit them into their houses...", Ravenna suddenly remembered and mentioned to him.

"The Royal Mage Academy in our territory, here in the capital city? I almost forgot about that. The original owner of this body never even considered it, it was barely in the back of his mind. But I'm obviously different. To me, why does it seem like a bunch of those Sons of Luck should be there waiting? Those arrogant nobles and talented commoners in the same place, just seem like the perfect spot for them to appear, only to be initially looked down upon. It's as if fate is honing and testing them, and then they rise up, slap a villain like me in the face, destroy my family, steal my fiance, and so on... Darn, I can't wait for those few months to pass. I could probably gain a lot of luck points there by stealing them from those guys," Elysar suddenly got lost in thought, his excitement growing. His plans already being altered.

The education system in this world was quite different depending on your social class. There was a civilian education system unrelated to magic for most of the commoners' and merchants' children. Local schools and apprenticeships provided a solid foundation.

Vocational schools and guilds frequently collaborated with local businesses and industries, ensuring that their graduates possess the skills necessary to meet the demands of the workforce. They were the best kind of educational institution located in smaller towns. In larger cities, there were even more specialized academies or institutes for fields like civilian and engineering, or even magical theory research as well as different programs for different technological industries.

High-level civilian education was primarily located in the capital cities of various Duke-level noble houses. These noble houses, including the Valthoren family – the most powerful Duke family, often referred to as the "royal family", – fund and employ their own scholars. This was how many of the technologies within the Valthoren estate were developed in the first place. They sponsored a variety of higher education institutions and research centers, focusing on specialized fields such as alchemy, mana material metallurgy, and mana research in general.

Only the most talented and privileged commoners were able to attend these institutions, with aspirations of climbing the social ladder. Consequently, intelligence was highly valued for those pursuing scholarly fields, while mana amount and talent were crucial for those aiming to excel in Knight or Mage combat roles. Despite their ambitions, commoners' prospects for social advancement still ultimately depended on the support and patronage of the noble houses.

And that's only if they managed to save enough money to actually send their children physically to those large cities and cover their living expenses there, especially for something like the Mage and Knight academies located in the capital city, within Valthoren family territory – the most expensive city in the world – until they found a wealthy noble patronage sponsor.

That's why many commoner parents often go bankrupt while taking out various loans from merchants, which highlights yet another function merchants serve. As a result, some of these commoner children would do anything to find a noble sponsor, some of the female students, even selling their bodies to noble heirs present at those academies.

However, most of the time, both the commoner children and their parents would still do anything to acquire magic and take even a single step closer to the lives that the superior bloodline-wielding nobles enjoy. Even if it meant learning just the basic, universal elemental magical spells at the Mage Academy, or some basic mana enchantment abilities at the Knight Academy.

In contrast to commoners, serfs, for example, who primarily resided in rural agricultural areas, isolated mining regions, or villages, had limited educational opportunities that focus mainly on practical skills necessary for survival and subsistence.

Most serfs lacked even the basic primary civilian education that commoners receive, and unlike wealthier commoners, they could not even dream of sending their children to higher education institutions in various Duke-level capital cities, nor to Mage and Knight academies, including the most prestigious one, that nearly everyone attends nowadays from commoners to nobles, located in the Valthoren family's Astralhold.

Serfs were taught skills such as farming, animal husbandry, and basic craftwork, learning to cultivate crops, tend to livestock, and perform other tasks essential for survival in rural settings. This education was typically passed down through generations, with parents and family members imparting these skills to their children. In addition to practical skills, some serfs, if they were lucky, may receive some religious education. Local clergy members might offer basic instruction in scripture and religious practices, as well as teach rudimentary literacy and numeracy skills. Slaves, however, have even fewer opportunities for education.

Occasionally, serfs could rise through another method: potential testing. In a society governed by powerful magical noble families, mana and potential testing were used to identify individuals with the potential to become skilled mages, knights, or warriors. These tests were typically conducted on children, especially those born into serf families, to pinpoint those with extraordinary abilities.

Potential testing not only focused on mana capabilities but also on physical abilities, aiming to identify those with the potential to excel as skilled knights or warriors. These assessments involved measuring a child's strength, agility, and endurance through physical tests such as lifting weights, running, and sparring. Children who demonstrated exceptional physical prowess may be recognized as potential knights and offered the opportunity to train at academies under specific noble jurisdictions.

The primary reason noble families accepted or allowed some serfs and commoners to possess mana-enhanced abilities is to utilize them against other noble families as a deterrent or even an employed fighting force. By identifying and training these individuals, noble families aimed to enhance their power and influence in their ongoing quest for dominance against rival noble factions.

Meanwhile, Elysar's choice of education, the world's largest educational institution for mages known as the "Dreamroot School of Magic," didn't even require of him to take a test upon application. From the moment of his birth, the amount of mana in his body set him apart from the commoner population, even though he was considered less talented than his brothers or some other noble children thus far. Not to mention his social status as an added advantage.

This prestigious school also accepted exceptionally talented commoners or even serfs, in the event of some miraculous occurrence. However, the tuition was set so high that most of them couldn't afford it without finding a noble patron and signing a contract of servitude upon graduation.

The entire system is rigged against individuals like them. Wealthy merchant heirs were the only exceptions Elysar could think of for this rule. They often had sufficient funds to pay for their education and then they returned to serve in their parents' companies as formidable protectors.

The "Dreamroot School of Magic" and the "Dreamroot School of Chivalry" operated independently from all the noble houses in the world and were under the protection of the joint covenant and the royal family.

This autonomy allowed them to maintain a neutral stance in the political landscape, ensuring that all students receive equal treatment and opportunities, regardless of their noble affiliations. However, it was common for noble houses to have representatives among the staff, vying for influence and seeking to secure the best opportunities for their respective houses.

The success of these two specific educational facilities could be attributed to their neutrality and democratic principles. The Valthoren family has benefited the most from this arrangement. The academies accepted students at the age of 15, and the training programs lasted for five years until they reach the age of 20. During this time, students were rigorously trained and educated.