He read the letter over once to check for mistakes.

Satisfied, he set the pen down. The message was sent.

Now, all he could do was wait and hope that Danica trusted him enough to provide valuable information.

After doing so, Seth laid back on the couch, propping his feet up.

He grabbed the thick stack of papers Matilda had prepared and silently sighed.

The vastness of the information that Matilda had written down was quite detailed...

'Even in a new supernatural world, the thought of studying gives me a headache...'

The papers provided a general course on the nation of Nesphil, the country which Matamisan was located in, and its complex, three-part power structure.

Seth read carefully, piecing together how the country was run.

The first power outlined was the National Council of Public Order.

This was the official government body responsible for maintaining public peace and enforcing the law.

In essence, it functioned as the administrative and judicial backbone of Nesphil, handling justice, security, and national stability.

Its duties were broad and practical.

The Council managed street-level crime, settled commercial disputes, enforced trade regulations, and oversaw public services such as sanitation and infrastructure maintenance.

As Seth continued reading, Matilda's notes explained that the Council operated the entire judiciary system— courts, legal proceedings, criminal investigations, and the drafting of national legislation.

However, what distinguished it from a purely mundane government was its structured cooperation with supernatural authorities.

Crimes involving witchcraft or other paranormal elements were not handled by conventional police.

For these, a specialized division existed called the Arcane Oversight Department.

This department was tasked with monitoring supernatural activity, containing magical outbreaks, and managing any phenomena that threatened the established balance of power.

Mundane crimes like theft or fraud fell to local branches known as Public Order Offices.

Despite this wide mandate, the Council's power was broad but shallow, especially among the elite.

Its influence in regions like Evado and Matamisan was particularly limited, as Matilda noted that the National Council itself was a relatively recent institution, only established in the past century.

Her notes further indicated the Council was frequently underfunded and susceptible to corruption.

Lower-level officers could be bribed, and its authority grew ineffective when confronting matters that involved powerful wealthy interests or significant supernatural forces.

Its reach was akin to a net that caught minor offenders but allowed major, dangerous entities to pass through untouched.

The second, and arguably more powerful, sphere of influence consisted of royalty, nobility, and ancient families.

The primary royal house was the Alektos Dynasty.

The name translated from an ancient southern language as "The Unceasing," which often made people praise the family's name.

The Alektos maintained a monarchical system of governance over Nesphil and held significant diplomatic and economic influence in several other nations.

Their family structure was not centralized.

There were multiple cadet branches, some operating under different names in foreign territories, but intelligence suggested they maintained coordinated economic and political strategies with the core dynasty.

Below the royal family were the ancient families such as the Calixides, Veridius, and Telchines family.

These were not nobility in the standard sense but institutions whose authority was derived from specialized, hereditary roles established centuries ago.

They operated on a national scale, and none had their primary seat of power within Matamisan.

The Calixides family held a religious and ceremonial monopoly.

Their legitimacy was based on the claim of being the ordained guardians of a major state religious relic.

This granted them non-political authority in matters of state ritual, coronations, and treaty sanctification, giving them soft power over legitimacy itself.

The Veridius family controlled jurisprudence and record-keeping for the elite.

They functioned as the supreme arbiters and historians for inter-noble and royal disputes.

Their power came from maintaining the sole, authoritative archive of legal precedents, land grants, and historical treaties.

Their rulings were based on this controlled access to information, making them indispensable to the legal framework of the ruling class.

The Telchines family held a monopoly on advanced material production.

They were the hereditary holders of technical knowledge for metallurgy, architecture, and engineering that exceeded common capability.

They were the sole suppliers of high-grade armaments, fortified structures, and critical infrastructure for the state and military, giving them direct control over material security and technological advancement.

Of course, there were other ancient families scattered across the globe but Matilda had no knowledge of them.

In the local context of Matamisan and the regional hub of Evado City, power was held by regional noble families.

Their influence was based on contemporary economic assets, land ownership, and local political control, distinct from the ancient families' historical mandates.

These noble families included the Caeliviri, Amoret, and Philides family.

The Caeliviri family's power base was logistics and transportation.

They controlled shipping lanes, warehousing, courier networks, and key trade routes.

They profited from and could constrict the movement of goods and information.

The Amoret family's power was dual-faceted: agrarian and social.

They controlled significant agricultural land and food production, giving them leverage over resource security.

Simultaneously, they exerted cultural influence through patronage of media, arts, or social institutions, allowing them to shape public opinion and facilitate alliances.

The Philides family's power was based on extractive industries and physical security.

They controlled mining rights for key resources and major construction and real estate development.

The "keepers of secret" notation suggested a secondary enterprise in intelligence gathering and private security.

The third power was the one that interested Seth the most: the covens.

Within this section, Matilda's notes took a cautious turn.

Her handwriting seemed more careful, almost nervous.

She had written:

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I do not dare to write too much information about the covens. As you know, it is considered blasphemy to pry into their history and inner dealings. Although I have engaged in lowly acts, I would still prefer if a witch were to help me ascend to heaven by redeeming me of my sins one day. However, I can provide the names of other covens I have heard of."

"I will handover a second list of information once I have confirmed what is blasphemous and what is not in terms of information about the Covens..."

Seth understood her fear.

For an ordinary person, provoking a coven was an invitation for a fate worse than death.

The information she did provide was a simple list.

Aside from the Coven of Solace and the Coven of Abomination, which were both present in Matamisan, she knew of several others by reputation: the Coven of Obscurity, the Coven of Fervor, and the Coven of Profligacy.

She also mentioned less common names such as the Coven of Imprecation, the Coven of Tenebrosity, the Coven of Atrophy, and the Coven of Acceptance.

It was a bare list, devoid of details about their beliefs, strengths, or territories.

But at the very least, it was information

'My head fucking aches...'

Seth could not help but curse after the intense reading session that required heavy memorization.

Thinking of how there was still a second set of information from Matilda next week, Seth sighed deeply.

For some reason, he felt incredibly tired.

With nothing left to read, he gradually fell into slumber.

...

In the middle of the night, Seth's eyes suddenly awoke.

He stood up as he could not help but frown and look towards the room where Phoebe and her family were sleeping in.

'Something's wrong...'

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