Chương 53: Familial Disagreements

Levi missed his personal chauffeur. It felt somewhat wrong to admit that. He'd never had a reason to hire a chauffeur in his past life, nor would he have trusted one to begin with, considering just how many enemies he had out there. But after waking up in this new world, Levi had gotten used to having his own personal carriage always waiting for him on standby. He ended up just hiring a street carriage to take him back to the Ironwood Manor.

The driver waited impatiently as Levi performed a comprehensive security sweep. He checked the underside of the carriage to see if there were any mundane or magical explosives attached, scanned the entire exterior with his True Sight to see if there were any uninvited magical curses, and channeled his magic to his nose to enhance his sense of smell.

It left him slightly nauseous afterward – there was a tavern located just a block away from the Adventurer's Guild (and more relevantly, there were two convenient alleyways on either side from which the stench of vomit and other unsavory bodily fluids drifted forth) – but he didn't detect any poison or venom. Satisfied, he finally entered the carriage. It took around twenty minutes to reach the Ironwood Manor.

The porter at the gates tried to stop them at first, but waved them through once he saw Levi inside the carriage. Levi tossed the driver a gold coin from his pocket and told him to keep the change before entering the manor. As always, the grand entrance hall loomed intimidatingly above him. It was clear that whoever designed this manor had wanted any guest to immediately feel the might of the Ironwood name. Levi headed straight for the kitchens. He needed food – actually no, fuck that.

After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, much less the past day? He deserved a nice cup of tea. As usual, he came across several servants while walking through the halls. Though strangely, while they still bowed to him like before as he strolled past, the way they looked at him had changed. Their expressions still remained polite and deferential, but he could see in their eyes traces of trepidation and… anger? Huh. That was odd.

Levi reached the kitchens and asked the chefs to whip up something quick. Then, he went to wait in the dining room nearby. He sat alone at a long polished table that could seat twelve, the candles in the chandelier overhead casting a warm glow over the room. Before long, another servant brought out the food and drink to where Levi was sitting. Like the other servants, this one too looked at him like he'd done something wrong.

Levi frowned as he dug into the meal – a bone-in cut of steak from the loin with its interior a healthy shade of pink, a side of freshly-baked bread, and roasted asparagus. As he scarfed down the meal, he mentally reran all the potential reasons. Had his actions at the Institute of Ascension somehow been leaked? Had they discovered how he'd educated the other students? No, that would explain the trepidation but not the anger. Levi couldn't really think of a reason why… Oh.

Shit, he'd forgotten about it due to everything that had happened, but… He'd skipped the graduation ceremony at the Institute of Ascension, hadn't he? Which, according to Ayla, was an insult of the highest order, guaranteed to piss off everyone even tangentially involved, including… As if on cue, another servant entered the room.

"Young Master," he bowed.

"Lord Ironwood has been notified of your return. He's summoning you to meet with him immediately." Yeah. Including his father.

"Of course," Levi said.

"Give me a moment to finish up my meal first, then I'll–""My apologies, Young Master," the servant interrupted.

"I do quite believe I said 'immediately.'" Levi paused, considering the servant for a moment. He was a balding man with thinning hair, his well-groomed mustache quivering nervously as he awaited Levi's response. Well. He was just the messenger.

"Alright, then," Levi said, standing up.

"Is he in his office?"

"No," the servant replied.

"He's waiting for you in the training chamber – he was in the middle of heiress lessons with the Young Mistress when news of your return reached him." Levi narrowed his eyes. Hmm. Heiress lessons with Ayla?

"Okay," Levi said.

"I'll be right there."

"I find myself in the curious position of being amazed, astonished, even utterly astounded – none of which I mean in a positive sense. Are you intentionally doing this to antagonize me? Is that it? Or do you just lack the necessary mental faculties to behave like a proper human being? There must be some deficiency, some fundamental innate error, that's causing you to act this way."

If Lord Ironwood had been furious before when he found that Levi had tried cheating the Ascension Trials, now he was positively incandescent. They were inside the training chamber – a massive circular room located in the middle of the manor. The walls were reinforced by magical enchantments and the floors were made of polished rosewood.

Ayla was standing off to the side, still breathing heavily from whatever training she'd been going through before Levi arrived, and she gazed upon the ensuing scene with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

"I gave you a second chance," Lord Ironwood continued, his furious glare drilling into Levi.

"You should've been expelled from the Institute and disowned from this family – but instead, I called in favors and spent far more time than I should've ensuring that you'd be able to graduate. I gave you the opportunity to become an adventurer on a silver platter. And you repay me by spitting in my face?" He shook his head.

"Imagine my mortification when I arrived at the Institute of Ascension's graduation ceremony – an honored event where some of the most powerful people in the country gather – and you were nowhere to be seen. Have you any idea the sheer amount of embarrassment the Ironwood name suffered that day? When I was repeatedly asked about your whereabouts, and all I could say was that I had no idea where my wayward son had disappeared off to?

Having to stand there and smile as your name was called, even as everyone looked over with mocking pity in their eyes? This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"But you know what? I could accept that. It's not as though I had any higher expectations for you – and in fact, perhaps you being absent was actually better, since there was no risk of you making a fool of yourself. If you decided to ditch the graduation ceremony in favor of frolicking around somewhere, so be it. However, what I can't accept is…" Here his tone became almost despairing.

"You just had to choose to frolic around with Liliya Volkov? Out of everyone you could've decided to pair up with, you just had to choose her? The one person in the entire Institute that everyone knows is off limits?" Levi blinked.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Lord Ironwood looked at Levi incredulously.

"What, did you think that she wasn't, just because I somehow managed to convince Marquis Volkov to pair you up with her for the Ascension Trials? Even that act had been exceedingly risky, and I only judged it acceptable because it was a temporary affair. But you just had to go ahead and form a party with her afterward, didn't you. Do you want House Montague to declare a blood feud with House Ironwood?" Ah. So that was what this was all about.

Lord Ironwood didn't necessarily care all that much about Levi skipping the graduation itself. It was Levi choosing to party up with Liliya, and thus drawing the full force of Montague's wrath, that was the real issue.

"I see," Levi said.

"That was not my intention, no."

"Incredible," Lord Ironwood said.

"Simply incredible." He shook his head.

"You're lucky that I was able to talk things out with Montague and Volkov." Here, Levi tensed.

"What?" Lord Ironwood nodded.

"Volkov and I agreed to help Montague apply pressure on the Adventurer's Guild. It took some time, but we were able to force Liliya Volkov's disbarment on the grounds that she should've been disqualified from her Ascension Trials. In return, Montague agreed to not take any overt actions against us. I was even able to prevent them from disqualifying you as well – you're welcome for that." He paused.

"What's that hideous expression on your face?" Levi's eyes were narrowed as he gazed at Lord Ironwood. His own father had helped cause Liliya's disbarment? Well. Levi had known from the start that the ruling by the Adventurer's Guild was corrupt – otherwise, he would've been disqualified as well – but this now confirmed it. Off to the side, Ayla looked shocked by the news.

"You helped ruin Liliya's career," Levi said quietly. Lord Ironwood scoffed.

"What career? She was going to be sold off to Montague either way. There was no way she would've ever been allowed to have a career as an adventurer. This just expedited the process; the same end result would've occurred either way. You can glare at me all you want, but that doesn't change the fact of the matter. Speaking of, how did you even manage to convince Mythmaker Ravenbane to make you his apprentice? Did he just pity you?"

"Something along those lines…"

"Right. I'm glad you managed to con someone into helping you out," Lord Ironwood gave a disgusted sigh.

"I thought about punishing you, but… to be honest, I don't care anymore. You're a full adventurer now. You're a legal independent body in the eyes of the state. I have finished my job as a father. Failed it, really; indeed I find myself overcome with a sense of disgust knowing that you are a part of my bloodline, but… Such is life. You're no longer my responsibility, and you were never worth my time or effort," He waved a hand.

"You're dismissed. I have to finish up my lesson with your sister. At least she still has some value…" Levi stood there for several long seconds, absorbing everything he'd just learned. His magic swirled within him agitatedly. Should he…? No. He was furious with Lord Ironwood for what he did to Liliya, but it was already over. There would be no point in Levi retaliating now. Besides, there was a more important matter at hand. Levi shifted his gaze over to Ayla.

Her breathing had recovered by now, and outwardly there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her, but Levi was experienced enough to know when someone was hiding their own injuries. It was the way she favored her weight on one foot, how she only took shallow breaths in fear of worsening a broken bone, the slight strain to her expression as though she was enduring an immense amount of pain.. The memory of her past bruises flashed across his mind.

"About the lesson," Levi began.

"I think we need to talk–" Ayla caught his eye, her eyes wide, and she shook her head frantically behind Lord Ironwood.

"Talk about what?" Lord Ironwood asked.

"Out with it." Levi held her gaze for a moment, but just like before, she seemed adamant about him not interfering. Last time, he'd decided to respect her decision. It was hers to make, and he didn't feel like he had the right to overrule it. Now, though…

"Never mind," Levi said.

"I'll leave you two to it." Ayla relaxed at that, looking grateful, while Lord Ironwood let out a small scoff. With that, Levi turned and left the training chamber, the door shutting behind him. Once outside in the hallway, he made an immediate beeline for the nearest servant. It didn't take him too long to find one. A maid was polishing one of the windows with a rag.

"Hey," Levi said. She whirled around to him in surprise.

"Young Master!" she bowed.

"How may I be of assistance?"

"You guys are angry at me," Levi said bluntly.

"The servants, I mean." She froze, looking like a deer caught in the light of a fireball.

"Why?"

"I don't know what you're–""No, you do," Levi said.

"It's okay, I won't get mad. This is important, though. Why are you all angry at me?" The maid hesitated.

"You really won't get mad?"

"You have my word." The maid was silent for a long moment, her brown eyes assessing his own. She must've seen the sincerity in them, because she relented.

"We're not mad at you, exactly. It's just that… Ever since you missed the graduation ceremony and Lord Ironwood found out you joined a party with Mythmaker Ravenbane and Lady Volkov, he's been having nightly heiress lessons for the past few weeks with Lady Ironwood." She hesitated, her voice dropping to below a whisper.

"Forgive me for my impudence, but… The lessons have become harsher, to the point where some of the other servants are getting worried for Lady Ironwood's health. This only happened because you angered our Lord with your actions." Levi's expression could've been carved from granite.

"I see." So he'd been right. Lord Ironwood had been taking his anger and frustration out on Ayla under the guise of training. He'd suspected it, but he'd wanted confirmation first.

"Thank you," Levi said.

"You're free to return to your duties."

"You're welcome… But why do you ask–? Hey, where are you going?" Levi ignored her as he turned around and began making his way back to the training chamber. If this had occurred just yesterday, Levi probably would've respected Ayla's wishes. He wouldn't have been happy about it, but he wouldn't have interfered. He wouldn't have thought he had the right to interfere. Now, though, after his talk with Anastasia, his mindset had finally changed. Or rather, it had returned to what it once was.

Sometimes, even if a person was suffering, they might not want to be saved, or they might not even know they needed saving. Being a hero meant saving them anyway. The doors to the training chamber slammed open and in strode Levi Ironwood. If he'd had any doubts before, they were all instantly dissipated by what he saw upon entering the room. Lord Ironwood was in the middle of 'sparring' with Ayla. Technically. Realistically, it was more a one-sided brutal beatdown.

As Levi watched, Lord Ironwood's fist broke through Ayla's hasty guard and landed square in her ribcage. An awful crack sounded out. Ayla didn't cry out. She barely made a sound even as she dropped to the ground, doubling over while clutching her side. That, alone, made Levi's vision nearly go red with rage. After all, he knew intimately well just how much pain one had to experience to barely even react to such a strike. Ayla had suffered, hadn't she?

Silently for the past year, ever since she'd been forced to assume the position of heiress. All this time, all the injuries she'd sustained, all the cries she'd had to swallow and suppress… Lord Ironwood turned to him.

"You're back," he said dispassionately. He didn't seem ashamed or even worried at all that Levi had just witnessed that – but then again, Levi's counterpart had undergone the same training, hadn't he?

"Did you need something else?" Levi ignored him as he walked forward toward them. Lord Ironwood stepped to the side, a mild curiosity entering his gaze as Levi knelt down in front of Ayla. Ayla looked at him.

"Levi? What are you doing…" She must've seen something in his expression, because a sudden trepidation filled her eyes.

"Wait, don't–""Hey," Levi said.

"Sorry I'm late." And he smiled.

"Your big brother is finally here."