"Andre and I once had an agreement," Ron slowly expressed:
"The Ralph Clan will form a marriage alliance with the Royal Family to solidify the relationship between the two houses. Specifically, it is the offspring of my eldest brother who will marry Andre’s descendant."
This news exploded in the hall like a bombshell.
Edmund, the eldest brother, was filled with disbelief, while Father became instantly agitated, almost jumping from his seat.
"Marrying... marrying into the Royal Family?"
The Count’s voice trembled, a gleam of ecstatic light in his eyes:
"This is an honor our family hasn’t dared dream of in hundreds of years!"
"Ron... is this true?" Edmund also couldn’t hide his excitement: "Did Prince Andre really agree to such an alliance?"
Ron nodded:
"Not only did he agree, but we have already established this agreement through a formal contract. The contract is effective for a thousand years, enough to span countless generations."
"A thousand years..." the Count murmured, his eyes filled with awe:
"This is almost a perpetual alliance."
"A thousand years is the longest duration I can set in a superhuman contract at present."
Ron explained, with a hint of contemplation in his voice:
"For a mortal dynasty, it indeed seems like an extraordinarily long time."
He recalled the complex expression on Andre’s face when they initially signed the contract.
"A thousand years is unimaginable even for our Farouk Royal Family,"
Andre had lamented at the time: "The longest-lived dynasty in history lasted only five hundred years; whether our Royal Family will endure until the contract’s end is truly uncertain."
At the time, Ron had merely smiled slightly:
"No matter how the Royal Family changes, as long as Farouk blood exists, the contract will be valid. Besides, for some entities, a thousand years is merely the blink of an eye."
As the recollection ended, Ron noted that his father and eldest brother remained immersed in shock and joy.
"My child to marry into the Royal Family..."
Edmund still seemed unable to believe it: "This means that our Ralph Clan will become kin to the Kingdom."
"Precisely," Ron added:
"Andre has promised that once he becomes King, the Ralph Clan will be ennobled as the hereditary Duke, becoming the Kingdom’s premier nobility."
This news once again made the old Count and Edmund’s eyes widen, with Edmund accidentally knocking over his wine glass.
Red wine soaked into the tablecloth, like a blooming rose.
"Hereditary Duke..."
The Count’s voice was nearly choked, tears glistening in his eyes:
"Ron, my child, the honor you have brought to the family far surpasses the efforts of our ancestors over hundreds of years."
Ron looked at his father’s slightly trembling face due to excitement, feeling an indescribable emotion in his heart.
He couldn’t help but remember the family from his past life—that ordinary and warm household, where his parents worked diligently just to provide a better life for him.
Now, with his own power in this world, he had brought honor and security to his new family.
Though different in form, perhaps the essence was the same.
"These are merely things within my ability,"
Ron said softly, with a hint of warmth in his eyes:
"The family nurtured me, gave me my initial identity and status, so naturally, I should repay the family within my capabilities."
Hearing these words, Edmund’s eyes showed a touch of emotion.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally summoned the courage to ask:
"Ron... I’ve always been curious, what does it feel like to become an Official Wizard? Is that power really as magical as the legends say?"
Ron was silent for a moment, as if pondering how to explain such an extraordinary experience to a mortal.
"You can imagine, big brother." He finally spoke softly:
"You have lived your whole life in a world of only black and white, and suddenly one day, your eyes can see all colors. That shock and transformation are what it feels like to become an Official Wizard."
He paused for a moment and continued:
"It’s not just an enhancement of power, but a re-understanding of the world’s essence. I can sense the flow of energy undetectable to ordinary people and comprehend some laws that transcend common sense. This experience... is hard to accurately describe with words."
Father and elder brother were engrossed, their eyes filled with reverence and longing.
"Then... your lifespan..."
The Count hesitantly posed this sensitive question: "Will it significantly extend as the legends say?"
Ron nodded slightly:
"The natural lifespan of an Official Wizard indeed far exceeds that of ordinary people. A Morning Star Level Wizard can live about five hundred years, a Moon Level six to seven hundred years, and a Dark Sun Level can reach over eight hundred. And the lifespan of a Great Wizard is even longer, often spanning thousands of years."
The Count and Edmund fell into silence, a trace of barely perceptible sorrow flashing in their eyes.
This meant that compared to Ron, their lifespan was like a fleeting candle flame.
Ron saw through their thoughts and gently comforted:
"But this does not mean our bond will diminish. Regardless of how time flows, the bloodline ties always exist. Even hundreds of years later, the Ralph Clan will still have my attention."
These words rekindled a glimmer of hope in the eyes of his father and eldest brother.
Though the life of a mortal is short, the lineage of the family can continue indefinitely.
And with the protection of such a powerful presence as Ron, the family’s future would undoubtedly be brighter.
"Speaking of time."
Ron’s gaze grew distant, as if traversing through endless time:
"Hundreds of years from now, I don’t know where I will be or what kind of existence I will become. The journey is long, and every step is filled with the unknown."