Psychic Overlord

"There’s no need," Kaizer said almost immediately, shaking his head.

Dean Rochester was still solemn. "Are you sure? I will not conceal anything at all."

"I trust you, Dean," Kaizer said with a nod.

Dean Rochester understood. It was not that Kaizer trusted him, but that the young man was choosing to trust him because he believed that their connection was not so shallow as to make him gamble with Kaizer’s life.

Dean Rochester sighed deeply. "I will not let you down, Kaizer."

Kaizer did not say anything, and the Dean did not mind. He was not the type of basic instructor who demanded that his wards show him utter deference as if he were a military instructor.

After years of nurturing countless batches of students, and even raising a troublemaker into a pillar of society, the Dean had fundamentally understood that the responsibility between instructor and instructee was equivalent.

The same amount of respect you demanded from your pupil should be reciprocated, the same amount of openness, honesty, and sincerity you expected from them should also be given them.

That being said, he was definitely furious with those blasted clans and how they had almost formed a rift between him and his student. It was just his luck that Kaizer was more mature for his age and could analyze things with a calmer and rational mind, allowing him to make the right choice.

"Can you tell me about those esper clans and why they have so much power?" Kaizer requested straightforwardly.

Dean Rochester calmed his fury and nodded. "Of course, knowledge is power. Know thyself and thy enemies, and you can win a hundred battles. On top of that, you can definitely be sure that after those attacks, the esper clans are your enemies. Well, at least most of them are."

Dean Rochester tapped his cane against the floor, collecting his thoughts before speaking.

"The esper clans, Kaizer, have been the backbone of our world for centuries, shaping history from the shadows. They are divided into three categories that are widely accepted: the Ancient Clans, the Business Clans, and the Newcomer Clans. Each has its own role, its own power, and its own way of influencing the world we live in."

Kaizer listened intently, absorbing the information in silence.

Dean Rochester continued. "The Ancient Clans have been around for generations, their bloodlines stable and potent. Each generation, at least one esper from the main or side branches inherits the clan’s defining ability. They are tradition-bound, powerful, and deeply involved in the esper world’s politics. You already know the Seltzer Clan, but they are one of the few with a decent reputation."

The Dean paused, then continued.

"The Seltzer Clan is one you’re familiar with. They specialize in elemental control, with most of their members inheriting a single elemental affinity. But their true bloodline ability is complete elemental mastery, something only the matriarch Sylvia Seltzer and their youngest S-Class, Eleanor Seltzer, possess. They’re one of the few clans with a clean reputation."

Kaizer nodded. Eleanor’s strength was there as an S-class, and Madam Sylvia was someone even Rina deeply respected.

Dean Rochester couldn’t resist in the end and began taking out a tea set. "The Vasquez Clan are espers capable of flight and supersonic speed, being some of the fastest and most destructive combat espers in existence. They have always been warriors, taking part in countless hidden wars and have spawned countless legends."

Kaizer raised an eyebrow. "As fast as The Flash?"

The Dean chuckled. "Some are about as fast, most are slower, and the best among them are faster. They don’t present a fatal threat to you with telesthesia though."

He then continued on. "The Hoshigaki Clan is another powerful one, but their ability is more... subtle. They specialize in precognition. They don’t fight battles in the way that the rest of us do; they prefer manipulating things from the background. No major event in the esper world happens without at least one of them foreseeing it a year or two ahead of time."

Kaizer frowned. "Then why didn’t they stop the train attack?"

The Dean smiled coldly. "Who’s to say they didn’t? Sometimes, foresight isn’t about preventing disasters, Kaizer, but rather about letting the right ones happen."

Kaizer closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and nodded, committing this name in particular to memory.

The Dean went on. "The Vólkov Clan are able to perform beast transformation. They’re known for awakening monstrous traits that boost their strength, speed, and durability. Their main branch rarely gets involved in esper politics, but when they do, it’s never subtle."

"And finally, the Azmadi Clan who are typically gravity manipulators. They can control weight, pressure, and force with startling precision. In a battle, an Azmadi Clan esper can make you too heavy to move or too light to control your own balance."

Kaizer furrowed his brows. "What about Davion’s clan?"

The Dean sighed as he knew Kaizer would ask this. "The clans I am mentioning are those stationed in Alpha City or have a majority stake in Alpha City. Davion’s clan are based in Epsilon City, called the Plastine Family. They are mostly a business clan that turns animals and various non-living things to puppets for sale, but it seems that things have changed while I looked away for a few years."

Dean Rochester hesitated, wanting to say more but deciding to save it for later.

Instead, he opted to continue his exposition. "Speaking of them, there are the Business Clans. They typically don’t engage in esper conflicts openly and opt to peddle various special wares instead."

The Dean gestured to the box that Kaizer had long placed on the table when he entered the room. "The Nao Clan you’ve already encountered. Their Daoming Corporation produces talismans, and they employ auxiliary espers to create esper-related tools of exceptional quality."

"The Armitage Clan runs Genovance Industries, the leading biotech firm for esper medicine and enhancement drugs. Any high-level esper who needs medical treatment inevitably ends up using their products. And they produced the pellets in your box as well."

Kaizer raised an eyebrow. "So they basically own the esper healthcare system here?"

"More or less," Dean Rochester pondered for a bit before saying this.

"The Muller Family manufacture special weapons and armor through Aegis Heavy Industries. Government agencies, mercenaries, even factions like the Supreme Force rely on them for equipment, and your combat suit during the mission was designed by them."

Dean Rochester smiled. "The Duval Familia controls Veritas Bank, one of the largest financial powers in the world. They fund everything, from small esper groups to large factions. If you’re an esper with influence, you’ve probably borrowed money from them at least once."

"Of course, given your father’s special nature, you are yet to fall into their hands, haha," the Dean remarked with a chuckle.

"And the Kurosawa Clan?" Kaizer prompted, as these were one of the few he knew himself after being at the academy for over a month.

"They control the media in terms of news, intelligence networks, public relations. If something happens in the esper world, they know about it before anyone else," the Dean said simply, his smile fading slightly.

Kaizer summarized his insights. "So these guys don’t fight, but they basically decide how the part of the esper world here works."

"Exactly, Kaizer. Smart as you are, you should know that power isn’t just about raw strength. Having real control over information, money, and technology can be just as deadly as an S-Class esper in battle," the Dean advised seriously.

Kaizer ran a hand through his hair, agreeing with this internally. "And the Newcomer Clans?"

The Dean’s lips curled slightly. "They’re the ambitious ones. Either first-generation espers who rose to power or families that have only three generations of espers so far. They’re still carving out their place in the world."

"The Dais Family are ones you already know thanks to your friend, Hector. His father is an A-Class esper, the first in his lineage, while Hector himself is B-Class. They’re trying to establish themselves, but it takes time," the Dean stated.

"The Xiao Clan specializes in shadow manipulation. Their abilities make them natural assassins and spies, and they’ve quickly earned a reputation as one of the deadliest up-and-coming clans since they have completed a huge number of assassination orders from the commission last year."

Kaizer frowned. "Shadow manipulation? That’s rare."

"It is, and quite dangerous to be on the other side of," the Dean agreed. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Going on, there are those Dreyfus fellows who are within your field, consisting of pure telekinetics. Their abilities are above average, but they haven’t been around long enough to command the same respect as the older clans," Dean Rochester stated, and Kaizer perked up slightly.

Before Kaizer could ask, the Dean continued quickly.

"The Osman Clan is another merchant clan, but unlike the Business Clans, they deal specifically in special artifacts and relics. They specialize in rare and valuable esper-related goods." The Dean said as he gestured to some special items on his desk that faintly glowed with a strange light.

"And finally, the up-and-coming Ravencroft Family, whose bloodline ability is energy absorption. They can nullify and redirect energy attacks, while also protecting against physical attacks to some extent."

Kaizer absorbed the names and abilities, his mind clicking. "So the Ancient Clans represent foundation, the Business Clans represent wealth, and the Newcomer Clans represent ambition."

The Dean nodded approvingly. "Exactly. And after what happened with the train attack where you stopped time? Every single one of them is paying attention to you now, taking your rise as the future strongest much more seriously."