Isekai Adventure in the Dimensional Cube

Aredman Fransel was a Magician.

In the entire Fransel family, only he and Yuri possessed the talent to become Magicians.

His Magic Power was immense, so immense that becoming a Tactical Level Magician would not have been a problem; it was only because none of his Magic aptitudes reached a fifth rank that he had not become a Tactical Level Magician.

Even so, it was undeniable that Aredman possessed Magic Power comparable to that of a Tactical Level Magician.

Therefore, when Aredman became angry and his Magic Power surged out with his emotions, the entire council hall began to shake, startling the Knights outside.

Unfortunately, Aredman chose the wrong occasion to become enraged.

Magic Power comparable to a Tactical Level Magician?

In front of a true, Strategic Level Magician, that level of power was incredibly fragile.

"Buzz!"

As the atmosphere itself began to tremble, a surge of Magic Power far more immense and vast than Aredman's erupted, instantly overwhelming Aredman's Magic Power.

Aredman's Magic Power was suppressed in an instant, shrinking back around him, unable to extend any further.

Yuri, on the other hand, was different.

The girl standing with her back to Aredman emitted Magic Power like the pressure deep in the sea, filling the entire council hall. The hall did not shake again, but the atmosphere in the space twisted.

Before this distortion, Mistis could hardly breathe, Isu's eyes rolled back, and even Safaz no longer looked casual, his eyes full of gravity while looking at his sister.

Luckily, the pressure came quickly and left just as quickly.

Perhaps considering the presence of Mistis and Isu, Yuri quickly retracted her Magic Power, restoring calm.

"———"

Silence immediately spread throughout the council hall.

Only then did Yuri turn back to face her father, whose complexion was sickly.

"Explain."

Yuri's voice was as cold as the winter snow.

This was an ultimatum.

Understanding this, Aredman, although looking extremely unsightly, dared not put on airs any longer.

"...what exactly is your dissatisfaction?" Aredman gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice, "Basolo territory borders Fransel territory, and both are Marquis families. If we can finalize this well-matched marriage, both territories can share resources and cooperate. Eventually, our Fransel family would become more prosperous and powerful. Is that not good?"

At these words, Yuri laughed.

She laughed out of anger.

"Good, that does sound very good." Yuri seemed to squeeze the words from her throat, "But you did not obtain my consent."

"I am your father!" Aredman slammed the table and said loudly, "If not me, then who else would decide your marriage?"

This was indeed Aredman's thinking.

In this world similar to medieval Europe, within the society of nobility, it was completely normal for parents to decide their children's marriages.

Aredman saw nothing wrong with his approach.

But—

"It is precisely because you think this way that you disappointed Mother, disappointed her so much that she couldn't bear to look at you anymore."

Yuri's icy words caused Aredman's expression to freeze.

Two years ago, Aredman's wife had officially left, returning to her maternal home, tired of Aredman's way.

At that time, Aredman was planning to marry off his eldest daughter, Yuri's sister, as a concubine to a Duke's household.

This would not normally be a matter of concern. Being a concubine in a Duke's household was equivalent to directly entering the royal family. This would be considered fortunate for anyone who could marry in, even just as a concubine.

However, the problem was that the person Aredman wanted his eldest daughter to marry was not some young Duke, but a nearly 70-year-old Duke who was preparing to retire and enjoy his later years.

And his reason was the same: to make the Fransel family more prosperous and powerful.

Thus, Aredman's wife, Yuri's mother, took her then 17-year-old daughter and left, returned to her maternal home and never came back.

This dashed Aredman's hopes of connecting with the Duke's family.

Because of this, Aredman took a deep breath, and instead, he calmed down.

"Have you forgotten?" Eredman said to Yuri, word by word, "Restoring the former glory of the Fransel family is a mandate from our ancestors, a legacy left by generations of the Fransel family."

His words rendered everyone present silent.

"Restoring the former glory of the Fransel family" — this is the first and most important sentence recorded in the ancestral teachings of the Fransel family.

Once, the Fransel family was an exceedingly prosperous clan, its legacy spanning nearly two hundred years to this day.

The first head of the Fransel family, the original ancestor, like Yuri, was also a Strategist-level Magician.

As the strategic-level military weapon and treasure of the Kingdom of Ginas at that time, he made many contributions to the kingdom, becoming a renowned hero within the kingdom and leading the Fransel family to its most flourishing and prosperous period.

Back then, he fathered four children and took in seven disciples, among whom were two Strategist-level Magicians and eight Tactical-level Magicians; the eleventh, realizing he could not advance further in magic, boldly switched to swordsmanship and eventually became a Sword Saint.

Four children, seven disciples, a total of eleven people, yet there was one Sword Saint, two Strategist-level Magicians, and eight Tactical-level Magicians; not a single mediocrity among them, astonishing countless people and shocking many nations at the time.

Thanks to this, the Fransel family's reputation and power reached their zenith at the time; not just ducal families but even the royal family and countries across the continent dared not underestimate them.

People even called the Fransel family of that time the number one noble family on the continent, considering them the most powerful nobles in the Kingdom of Ginas.

Yet, that was ultimately a momentary glory, a fleeting splendor.

After the demise of the first head, as those eleven gradually left this world, the Fransel family never saw another Strategist-level Magician, nor even another Tactical-level Magician.

Becoming a Tactical-level or Strategist-level Magician depends on individual talent and capabilities, not something determined by lineage or inheritance.

That the descendants of Magicians lack the talent to become Magicians themselves is not uncommon; the first head's four children and seven disciples achieving such greatness could only be attributed to sheer luck, all having incredible talent and capability, and all having met him by chance.

Therefore, once these individuals passed away, the new generation no longer had such luck—each person was just an ordinary mortal.

Thus, the Fransel family began its decline.

But how could the ancestors who had seen what glory, prosperity, and prestige the Fransel family once held contentedly watch their family fall into decline?

Therefore, they regarded that period of glory as something the Fransel family must reclaim, writing it into the family teachings, admonishing generation after generation, telling their descendants that they must prioritize the family's prosperity and reclaim its former glory at all costs.

Such obsession, such stubborn beliefs, have continued to this day.

Eredman Fransel was indeed a faithful executor of this obsession and beliefs.

He did not disregard his children; if possible, he too hoped his children could find happiness.

Yet this thought, in the face of family beliefs and the grand cause, was insignificant.

Otherwise, Eredman would not have initially surrendered the headship to Yuri.

Yuri was not the eldest child, furthermore a daughter; according to the typical noble mindset, the position of family head should never have passed to her.

But because Yuri possessed the talent to become a Tactical-level Magician, even a potential Strategist-level Magician, Eredman, without a second thought, directly handed over the headship to her.

As long as Yuri assumed the headship, the Fransel family would rise to be a great noble because of her. For this reason, Eredman handed over the position to Yuri, who was only 12 years old at the time, regardless of anything.

The reason why Eredman kept the major authority of the Fransel domain in his hands wasn't because he coveted the power he held but because Yuri truly couldn't manage both the affairs of the capital and the Fransel domain, and because Yuri acted too rashly and was not adept at managing a domain's affairs, to avoid letting the Fransel domain decline under her control, Eredman dared not delegate authority.

If Yuri could manage everything perfectly, leading the family to rise step by step, restoring the family's former glory, then Eredman would not mind relinquishing his power.

This man had eyes only for the family cause; everything else was negligible and could be forsaken for this primary mission.

But precisely because of this, no one in the family liked him.

"The Fransel family is now a Marquisate; it doesn't need to climb any higher in riches and relationships," Yuri said to Eredman.

"No, it's still not enough," Eredman replied without a second thought. "At its most powerful, the Fransel domain occupied a tenth of the entire kingdom's territory. Now, it's not even one-fiftieth, far from what it once was."

"Then you might as well seize the throne," Yuri said sarcastically. "Just take over the King's position, and the whole country is yours. Go on."

"Shut up!" Eredman snapped, "Do you really think you have come of age now and can say whatever you want?"

"That's still better than you, who only talks, only dreams, and dreams these impractical dreams," Yuri retorted coldly. "I don't care what you want to do, whether it's wanting more territory or desiring the family to prosper, or even if you want this headship back—I can return it to you anytime. But if I find out you've made such a matrimonial promise without my consent again, I'm going to my mother, and I will not bother with this broken family anymore!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Watch me!"

The father and daughter faced off in the council hall, unreservedly hurling rebukes or anger at each other without giving an inch.

In the end, Eredman was clearly truly angry.

"If so, let's settle it with the family tradition of a 'War Offering' to decide who obeys whom!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone present changed.