Kyle's perceptive, and Septimus can't help the faint smile. His father would have liked Kyle, definitely, and there's just enough independence that there's a strong possibility Sextus might have wanted him for Cursor, or at least high enough commander to have that independence. He lets the smile grow a little.
"More or less accurate," he admits, "though whether or not they like it, the Legion captains often have to play a little politics at some level. Not by choice, as they're career Legion, but--our Legions are the sword and shield of the Realm, and answer directly to the High Lords, sometimes the Senate and the Crown."
He pauses, pressing his lips together as he reviews standard promotion trends. "And given our reliance on that talent, promotion due to rank is somewhat less common, and it is far easier for Citizens of middle of lower rank--even sometimes less furycrafting, if they are capable enough--to rise to that kind of command. On rare occasions, some freemen, though they generally end up being granted Citizenship at some point and likely before being made officer."
And he is well aware he's dumped a lot of information into that: that there's a lower class, but that even the class above them has enough convoluted social structures that even most of those are not upper class or even aristocracy; that there is legitimate room for rising based on merit, but it doesn't always happen; that sometimes less merit remains higher due to social stuff; and that somehow, the magic power plays into it and probably gets easier access to higher classes. It's a lot, of course, to pick up at once. But it's there.
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"More or less accurate," he admits, "though whether or not they like it, the Legion captains often have to play a little politics at some level. Not by choice, as they're career Legion, but--our Legions are the sword and shield of the Realm, and answer directly to the High Lords, sometimes the Senate and the Crown."
He pauses, pressing his lips together as he reviews standard promotion trends. "And given our reliance on that talent, promotion due to rank is somewhat less common, and it is far easier for Citizens of middle of lower rank--even sometimes less furycrafting, if they are capable enough--to rise to that kind of command. On rare occasions, some freemen, though they generally end up being granted Citizenship at some point and likely before being made officer."
And he is well aware he's dumped a lot of information into that: that there's a lower class, but that even the class above them has enough convoluted social structures that even most of those are not upper class or even aristocracy; that there is legitimate room for rising based on merit, but it doesn't always happen; that sometimes less merit remains higher due to social stuff; and that somehow, the magic power plays into it and probably gets easier access to higher classes. It's a lot, of course, to pick up at once. But it's there.