Ruger was genuinely taken aback. It was an answer he had never expected.
Whether judged by common sense or strength, it was hard to imagine. Even a family had to consider power, and from what Varin had said, her younger sister clearly lacked her talent. Even if luck had allowed her to become a One-Ring Wizard first, it was still incredible that a One-Ring Wizard could become the family head.
Wizard families really were strange places.
Ruger made that wry observation to himself.
At its core, a wizard family was another wizard faction, though its unusual structure set it apart from other factions and from a Wizard Academy. Sometimes, when something made no sense, one could try viewing it purely as a wizard faction. If that still failed to explain things, one could look at it as a family power instead.
Ruger looked at Varin in surprise, her words after becoming a Wizard still ringing in his ears.
"Your family... was destroyed?" he asked.
Earlier, Varin had felt heartfelt delight at causing trouble for that cold-hearted family and making those old monsters, who had lived for who knew how long, pay a price. Now, however, there was a subtle change in her expression.
Although a wizard family could be viewed as a family, its composition differed from that of an ordinary noble house. Even ordinary people in the family could give birth to children with wizard talent. During those children's training, a single unusual experiment or a period spent recovering from an injury could last so long that, by the time it ended, their aging parents had already passed away. This made its composition very different from an ordinary noble family's.
Ruger raised his eyes and was about to speak, then paused again. He saw his teacher smiling before she