In hindsight, Raze figured that it might have been a stupid question to ask. After all, he felt like news about the Dark Faction Founder would be something that was taught to most. If there were statues of him in Kron's place, then surely it should have been common knowledge.
With quick thinking on his feet, Raze did come up with an answer though.
"I am a nobody," Raze stated. "And I only recently got involved in the world of Pagna. Before that, I was just an ordinary citizen. The academy doesn't seem to teach about the Dark Faction's Founders."
Seeing all of the old scrolls in the room and how old some of them appeared to be, Raze thought this might be his chance, a chance for him to learn about the founder and gather information that couldn't typically be found.
Immediately, Jiyo waved his hand in response as if it was a useless question to ask.
"As you said, the Dark Faction Founder, learning about him is basic information. You don't need to waste a request like this. Just go pick up a book and ask your headband teacher for info on the Dark Faction Founder."
Raze could have just let the old man go there, but he felt there was something about him. The reaction he had when Raze asked the question surprised him beyond a typical response or if he was to ask a normal question.
There had to be a reason behind it. Maybe Raze felt like because he was an older man and a master, he had lived in Pagna and in the Dark Faction for a long time. Who knew he might have even been there when the whole thing had started.
"Please," Raze stopped him once more. "I'm asking, is there something that you might know, that might not be the typical information that the others know? Even if it's a rumor of some sort."
Although this line of questioning might have put him in the old man's suspicious books, this was just too good of an opportunity to let up.
"Do you think I would know something just because I'm old? I can tell what you're thinking, and I should beat your backside for even just thinking of such a thing," the old man tutted.
"The Dark Faction Founder, you don't even know the basics yet you are looking into him, what are kids wasting time on these days," Jiyo complained, but he went on anyway. "The Faction leader was a legend among the Dark Clans.
"You see, the Dark Clans existed before anyway, but they weren't exactly one entire unit or a faction like they are today. The clans shared a similarity in the fact that they used Dark Qi energy to cultivate.
"Who came up with this method is the more interesting thing, but that is something that remains a mystery. Regardless, the clans did not work together, and each of them acted for selfish gain.
"Another reason why they were called Dark Clans even if they didn't cultivate Dark energy was because of their nature. Dark Clans had no issues with throwing sand in their opponent's eyes before striking.
"Cursing in the middle of matches or stealing from the dead. They had fewer morals and grew up differently compared to those from the Light Faction, and that is still true to this day, that was until the leader, Bofan Kilikola had entered the scene."
Just from hearing the name of the Dark Faction Founder, Raze still had no clue about this person. He had never heard about a mage that went by this name, but it simply could have been a name change when he had entered this world. Especially if he knew otherworlders would be here.
"Bofan did something that no person was ever able to do before. He defeated every clan master of the Dark Clans, and in doing so, he had pulled them in as his followers. People say he had a strange magnetic pull, a charm that could draw people in after defeating them.
"It must have been true because a hundred years later and the Dark Faction is still a thing today."
Now Raze had a timeframe to work with, a hundred years wasn't a long time for a faction to exist, but the Dark Clans did exist before that. One thing, though, was that it was a mage that was before his time, before he was even born.
"He protected the Clan members from the troubles of the other Factions, and the loyalty to him grew, or so he thought. He started to claim that he was betrayed by one of the clans. There wasn't much said after that as he soon had pretty much disappeared.
"There was no recorded death, but it was assumed that this betrayer had killed him. The thing is, no one knows which clan had betrayed him. All of the clans that exist now are still under the Dark Faction banner, other than his own clan he had created, the Noctis Clan."
Gathering from everything that Jiyo said, Raze gathered that this was basic information, something that he could have just gotten from anyone, but he was happy to have it.
The next time he went back to Altieran, he could at least give the others a name if they weren't doing so well in their search.
"And there is nothing else that you know, something that isn't known to the public? If it was a hundred years ago. Wouldn't you have still been alive?"
Raze assumed this man was a master, and Pagan warriors, when reaching the divine level, were practically immortal; it was one of the reasons it was called the Divine stage in the first place. The old man might have not been at the Divine level, but he was clearly a middle-stage warrior.
"I have already told you more than the public knows," Jiyo stated. "That is, instead of the skill book as you requested. But if you want to know more, then you will need to be in a position where you can force the information from me, because it's classified from students like you."
Raze nearly jolted forward at the revelation that there was more information. He was right to suspect the old man.
"What position, what position would I have to be to learn more about the Dark Faction Founder?" Raze asked.
The old man started to break out into laughter as he walked away. "You would have to become the Dark Faction leader, become the principal of this school." The man continued to laugh as he opened the door to the library, allowing Raze to let himself out.
