And this gentleman in the deep red suit is none other than our beloved father.
Count Ottophili Motefei.
As mentioned before, the so-called ‘Count’ is actually a rank for magicians.
So the ranking of official magicians is: Knight, Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke, Prince, Crown Prince, King/Queen.
According to the International Magician Association’s statistics, there are currently over 130,000 Knights, 1,315 Barons, 185 Viscounts, 35 Counts, 10 Marquises, 5 Dukes, and 3 Princes.
In the magician hierarchy, a Count already belongs to a high-ranking and powerful stratum, symbolizing considerable strength, prestige, and responsibility.
However, this is not the top of the pyramid, but rather a delicate middle position that connects the upper and lower levels.
This means that although he has joined the ranks of the strong, there is still a long and arduous journey ahead before he reaches the realm that truly represents the mysteries and pinnacle of magic.
Unfortunately, Count Motefei has no hope of advancement.
His talent is mediocre at best; he has neither extraordinary insight nor any unexpected fortune that could change his destiny.
In the days to come, all he can do is to do his utmost to hold on to his current title and family estate, and to maintain the family’s magical inheritance—that is his only goal now.
Fortunately, his wives have given him very outstanding offspring.
Revitalizing the family!
It’s just around the corner!
So this man’s character setting is that of a fanatic obsessed with reviving the family.
The underlying logic and sole driving force behind all his actions are the inheritance of the family and magic.
To achieve this ultimate goal, he can ruthlessly abandon everything, including familial bonds and even moral principles.
But we are the hope of his family revival, so his care for us is meticulous and thorough.
Not only does he do his best to satisfy us materially, but he also pours all his efforts into shaping our spirit and character.
He always holds us to strict standards while giving us the warmest love and support.
So, even though he is a paranoid man, he is also an undeniably good father.
“Children, come here.”
Count Ottophili Motefei called out softly.
This made the three unruly sisters reluctantly walk to the table, each still looking nonchalant and sloppy.
“Children, let me introduce you. This is Laige Lingxiang Motefei.”
Count Ottophili Motefei introduced.
“She will be your younger sister from now on.”
“Father, I have a question.”
Laige Caicai raised her hand.
“Caicai, what is your question?”
Count Ottophili Motefei lifted his hand lightly.
“I’ve wanted to ask since I was born: why are my younger sisters’ names so elegant and nice, while only my name is so ‘caicai’ (vegetable)?”
Laige Caicai asked with a firm expression.
“Your name was given by your grandfather, child.”
Count Ottophili Motefei explained helplessly.
Laige Caicai was speechless for a moment.
Grandfather had already passed away.
It seemed she could only go to his grave and try to ask a question that was doomed to remain unanswered.
“Children, it’s time for serious business. From a young age, you’ve been trying day after day to sense, guide, and condense the magic power hidden inside you, all to build a solid foundation. From today onward, you officially step into the hall of magic, comprehend spells, and make magic power truly serve you.”
Count Ottophili Motefei said.
“Father, I have a question.”
Laige Yulian raised her hand, pointed at the fourth sister beside her, but asked without waiting for permission.
“Has this poor girl also been condensing magic power since childhood?”
“Only the descendants of our magician family have the talent and knowledge to condense magic power from childhood. Unfortunately, Lingxiang was not by my side when she was young, and could not access or master the magic knowledge learning system passed down through our family for generations.”
Count Ottophili Motefei explained.
“Isn’t she a waste?”
Laige Caicai echoed her second sister’s words, ridiculing the heroine together with her.
“Children, don’t say that. We are a family.”
Count Ottophili Motefei said with a bitter smile.
“Who is ‘family’ with her?”
Laige Yulian said calmly.
“Don’t think we didn’t hear Mother crying last night. We can still tell right from wrong, Father.”
Laige Caicai snorted coldly.
The eldest and second sisters spoke one after another, making the atmosphere in the study gradually stiff.
“…”
Laige Lingxiang stood nearby, her heart full of torment and unease.
Even her breathing became cautious.
She pursed her lips tightly, afraid to make any extra sound.
“Father apologizes to you. It’s all my fault, but I did it for the sake of the family’s future.”
Count Ottophili Motefei bowed slightly and apologized to his daughters.
After speaking, he took out a key, opened the secure book cabinet, and retrieved four ancient grimoires.
He laid them flat on the desk.
“These are four unique magics passed down through our Motefei family for generations. Each one contains deep history and power. Now that the four of you are gathered here, you can each choose one magic that suits your talent and disposition to cultivate.”
Count Ottophili Motefei introduced softly.
But when they looked closely, the parchment covers of the four ancient grimoires bore not a single word.
They lay there quietly, like four silent riddles.
This made everyone troubled.
How could they choose the one suitable for themselves among them?
Incidentally, the biggest difference between modern magicians and otherworld magicians is that here we generally focus on specializing in only one magic and cultivating it to the end.
Learning a second type of magic, or changing specialties midway, is a pure waste of time, energy, and magic power—the behavior of a half-baked amateur.
Therefore, choosing one’s starting spell is an extremely important moment for a modern magician.
However, the three sisters showed no emotional fluctuation, because they all knew which magic they would end up with.
“Sometimes, magic requires a bit of luck.”
Count Ottophili Motefei smiled.
The next moment, the three sisters casually grabbed a grimoire from the desk, then retreated to where they had been before.
Mystified, they opened the books to take a look.
Well, they looked up and exchanged knowing glances.
Sure enough, this scene hadn’t changed from the original plot at all.
Laige Caicai looked at the grimoire she had obtained and sighed helplessly in her heart.
The magic she got was called: 【Air Slash】.
It was a fast-attack spell that compressed air into a blade, extremely aggressive.
But unfortunately, this magic was only strong in the early stages.
In the later stages, when the main characters’ magic had all been cultivated, it became extremely weak.
As a result, the eldest villainess’s strength completely fell behind the version updates and was stomped on like a roadside worm by the protagonist who had mastered his powers.
If nothing unexpected happened, this was unchanged from the original plot.