Fransel House, the council chamber.
This is a huge hall located at the top central part of the building.
The layout of the hall is simple, yet the decor is quite luxurious. The furniture and carpets placed within are high-end, costly items. Especially notable is the round table in the center, which is exquisitely made and of outstanding quality. The tabletop, akin to mahogany, is so transparent that it reflects images as clearly as a mirror, adding greatly to its aesthetic appeal.
"My apologies."
"My, my apologies."
The polite voice of Mitis and the timorous voice of Isu rang out simultaneously outside the door, then the door was pushed open by two knights standing outside, allowing the two to enter from outside.
Upon entering, Isu, who had been keeping his head down all along, regardless, was the first to spot the people sitting around the round table.
There were three n of varying ages.
Among them, two were seated, and one stood, clearly delineating their respective ranks.
Mitis’s gaze primarily rested on the two n who were sitting.
The one on the left was a noble young man about 20 years of age who had dazzling blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Though handso, he looked rather frivolous, always glancing around and unable to sit still.
He was Mitis’s brother, the eldest son of the Fransel family—Safaz Fransel.
Sitting next to Safaz and occupying the main seat at the round table was a man with blonde hair that showed his blood relation to Safaz. He was over 40, middle-aged, yet one could still discern his youthful elegance beneath his unlined face and immaculate clothes.
He was Mitis’s father, the current elder of the Fransel family and the forr head of the family—Eredman Fransel.
"Father, Brother, I pay my respects."
Mitis looked at the two of them, her eyelids drooping as if to hide the emotions in her eyes, and bowed solemnly.
"Fa-Father, Brother, I pay my respects."
Isu reacted only then, hurrying to bow alongside his sister.
"Mitis, Isu, is it?"
Eredman spoke indifferently.
"Hey, little brother, little sister, how have you been?"
Safaz greeted them warmly, as though he hadn’t seen Mitis and Isu for quite so ti.
In fact, it had indeed been a long ti since Safaz had returned.
He often did not return ho at night, preferring to stay at friends’ hos, making his whereabouts quite suspicious.
He once claid that he was out on business and didn’t co ho because it was inconvenient, but Mitis knew he was lying; otherwise, she wouldn’t have passed by his carriage on the street the last ti she went out.
At that ti, the direction of Safaz’s carriage seed to be towards the city gates.
Later, Mitis discovered that her brother would leave Wendiny every two or three days, heading to unknown places.
Of course, these were things Mitis didn’t plan to ntion.
"We are doing quite well," Mitis replied politely. "Isu is very obedient. Everything at ho is also very peaceful, thanks to the concern of my brother."
"That’s good to hear."
Safaz seed very pleased, nodding continuously, but Mitis, skilled at reading others, could see his insincerity and perfunctory attitude.
Clearly, Safaz’s enthusiasm was feigned, and his concern was non-existent.
The man seed to wear a mask on his face, making Mitis wary of trusting anything he said or did.
Compared to her brother, her father, Eredman, always had a stern face, imposing even without anger.
"Where is Yuri?" Eredman said coldly. "To summon us back in that manner, yet she herself is not present. It seems she truly has grown capable since becoming the head of the family, completely disregarding my presence."
No sooner had these words fallen than a voice ca from outside the door.
"I am here now."
As the voice erged, the doors to the council chamber were opened again.
Yuri arrived fashionably late, accompanied by Marilyn, walking into the hall together.
"Sister."
"Sister!"
Mitis felt a relief in her heart and hurriedly bowed to Yuri, while Isu, as if finding his pillar of strength, exclaid joyously.
"Mitis, Isu, you’re already here?"
Yuri, without glancing at Eredman or Safaz, only looked at Mitis and Isu, a gentle smile finally appearing on her delicate face.
At that mont, Yuri seed truly back ho, seeing her own family.
Mitis and Isu, seeing their most admired sister, could not conceal their joy either.
In contrast, Eredman and Safaz seed like outsiders, excluded to the side.
The relationships among the Franzel family mbers speak volus about who stands well with whom and who does not.
Eredman simply watched the scene unfold and said, "Since you have arrived, please, take your seats."
Upon hearing her father’s words, Mistis wanted to remind him that the seat he was occupying was the one that her sister should now occupy.
As the family head, her sister was the one who should sit at the head of the table and permit everyone else to sit down, not the father.
Unfortunately, Mistis knew all too well that even if she said this, it would be pointless.
Many who knew the inner workings of the Franzel family were aware that although Eredman had passed the position of head of the family to Yuri, he had never actually relinquished all the powers of the head, still firmly holding the reins of power within the Franzel family.
Leaving the capital Yeluf aside, in the Franzel territory, Eredman could be said to have a tight grip on power, exercising the rights of a lord.
No one thought this was abnormal.
The reason was simple: when Yuri beca the head, she was only 12 years old and not even an adult.
She beca a Tactical Level Magician at the age of 12, was summoned by the King, and took over the position of head from Eredman before the family’s nobility was divided, ultimately not branching out on her own.
At that ti, the Franzel family, being a declining noble family, was only a minor baron, and their land was gradually being reclaid by the kingdom, leaving only Wendini as part of the Franzel baron’s territory.
When Yuri took over as head, given her status as a Tactical Level Magician, the King considered her already being the head and elevated the Franzel family’s noble rank to Viscount.
Only three years later, when Yuri was 15 and beca a Strategic Level Magician, she beca famous overnight, causing a sensation throughout the kingdom and the entire continent of Akasha, and was regarded as a prodigy by the world. Only then did the Franzel family rise significantly in status, skipping the rank of Earl to beco a Marquis.
Although Yuri was seen as the foremost talented woman in the Kingdom of Ginas, her age was still young, and after being appointed Chief Court Magician, she needed to often stay in the capital to handle affairs, leaving the affairs within the territory to others.
Under this belief, people thought that Eredman, as a father, took over the proxy right of the lord for his still young daughter, but only people like Mistis who knew the inside story understood that this man never really was granted the proxy right of a lord, but had never handed over the lord’s rights, always tightly controlling the power over the territory.
Everyone thought that the head of the Franzel family was Yuri Franzel, but they didn’t know that the Franzel territory had, behind the scenes, always been controlled by Eredman, and never really passed into the hands of the current head.
In other words, in the Franzel territory, within the main Franzel family, the real person in charge was still Eredman, not Yuri.
This hidden fact was unknown even to Reiger, and Yuri had never ntioned it.
She seed indifferent to this fact as if it did not concern her at all, and she did not heed Eredman’s command to sit down upon his request.
"I need an explanation."
The slight smile Yuri had when facing Mistis and Isu disappeared without a trace, and when she turned to address Eredman, her face was expressionless.
And with Yuri’s statent, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly dropped to freezing.
Mistis stopped speaking.
Isu didn’t even dare to breathe heavily.
Marilyn and the man standing next to Eredman, like her, silently watched.
Safaz also wore a nonchalant expression as if it was none of his concern; if not for the inappropriate atmosphere, he might have even begun to lounge comfortably.
Only Eredman and Yuri remained, one with a stern face, the other expressionless, confronting each other.
"I haven’t even asked you for an explanation, and you’re asking for one?" Eredman said coldly, "Look at the ss you’ve created in the capital. Now the relations between the Basolo family and the Franzel family have completely deteriorated, do you realize that?"
Yuri ignored him, only looking at Eredman, repeating her statent.
"I need an explanation."
This statent was even calr than before.
But behind this calmness was a terrifying, oppressive feeling.
"...Is this the tone you use to speak to your own father?"
Eredman’s stern face was beginning to look displeased.
However, Yuri repeated the sa line.
"Explanation."
Yuri’s expressionless words made everyone in the room feel a chill.
"Mind your status, Yuri Franzel!"
Eredman’s forehead bulged with veins, clearly angry.
In response, Yuri did not say a word more; she turned and walked away.
Seeing this, everyone intuitively realized sothing.
That was, once Yuri walked out that door, things would definitely beco irreparable.
This woman was absolutely capable of causing a huge incident over the smallest conflicts.
Ironically, her status as a Strategic Level Magician gave her this right.
"Co back!"
Eredman couldn’t sit still, suddenly stood up, and an astonishing magic power burst from him.
Suddenly, the entire hall shook.
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