Chương 54: A Proper Lesson

No, no, no. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. An intense sense of dread settled over Ayla as she looked up at Levi from where she was kneeling on the ground. Her vision was blurry from the pain – or was that the concussion? – and she swayed slightly, nearly keeling over, but even then, she could see the expression on Levi's face. Levi was smiling. His voice was calm, reassuring even. But his eyes… She swallowed.

He had a dangerous look in his grey eyes, something dark and murky that barely concealed the smoldering rage beneath. There was a grim certainty to his gaze, an absolute self-assurance that said let the heavens help anyone who dared step in his path. Though Ayla had never seen Levi look like this before, she somehow knew without a doubt what he was about to do. He had hinted toward it before, but she never thought he'd actually do it. Levi was going to stand up to their father. It felt as though she was dreaming.

In fact, for a moment she wondered if the pain was making her hallucinate. It wouldn't have been the first time. She clenched her right fist, so tightly her nails drew blood. Despite the sharp pain that shot through her palm, the scene in front of her didn't change. Okay. This was actually happening. Once, Ayla had hoped for this day to come. Back when she'd first replaced Levi as heiress and learned exactly what 'heiress lessons' entailed.

The beginning had been extraordinarily rough; their father had been even harsher on her than him since she was behind. Every night, as Ayla dragged her broken and bleeding body back to her room, she'd silently hoped that Levi would step in and save her. That he'd do something to convince their father to make him the heir again, so she no longer had to suffer through the brutal training. That never happened, of course, and as the months passed by, her hope slowly died out, replaced by anger and resentment.

She knew it wasn't Levi's fault; he truly was too weak to do anything. But still, she couldn't help but hate him for his weakness and incompetency. And then things changed. A month ago, after the Institute of Ascension sent the letter about the cheating attempt, Levi had done a complete one-eighty in his personality. It was like he became a completely different person. Ayla had to cast a surreptitious [Institute Registry] in the hallways to confirm that he wasn't some imposter.

She had been suspicious at first that he had intentionally acted weak to get disinherited on purpose, but no, he was still level 14. There was no way to fake that. The strangest thing was, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. She had nearly forgotten since it'd been so long, but… Levi hadn't always been a failure. When they were kids, he'd been average for his age, even a little above average. Everything changed when he turned thirteen, however.

She had only been seven years old at the time, but she still remembered vividly how he'd come down to breakfast one day with an incredibly weary, almost terrified look in his eyes. She'd asked him what happened, but he told her it was just a nightmare. At the time, she'd believed him, but… Ever since that day, he'd stopped progressing. His leveling slowed down until he reached level 14, and then he stopped leveling up altogether.

His performance began dropping, he began distancing himself from his friends, and he'd even stopped talking to her as much. Just like last month, it was as though he'd become an entirely different person… Ayla shook her head, clearing those thoughts from her head. His sudden personality shifts didn't matter right now.

What was important was stopping Levi before he could do something stupid and impulsive—"Don't tell me you interrupted our lesson just to ramble on like some inane fool," Lord Ironwood said from the side.

"'Your big brother is finally here?' What are you going on about?" He snorted derisively.

"Are we in some sort of stage play?"

"Oh do shut up," Levi said mildly, not even deigning to glance in his direction.

"I'll deal with you later." Ayla's eyes widened and Lord Ironwood reared back in shock. Oh Goddess, she was too late. The sheer audacity of Levi's words seemed to stun Lord Ironwood into silence for several seconds; he didn't even look angry, merely confused, as though he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Levi didn't pay him any heed. His focus was on Ayla. Before she could react, he reached out and flicked her on her forehead.

Immediately, a comforting warmth bloomed at the point of contact, spreading across her entire body. Sparks of magic danced across the surface of her skin like a swarm of fireflies, repairing every injury it came across. Within just a few seconds, she was fully healed. A soft exhale escaped her and she unconsciously relaxed as the pain finally disappeared.

"Does anything still hurt?" Levi asked, and despite the barely-restrained fury still in his eyes, she could hear the genuine concern in his voice. Concern for her. It was a foreign feeling. Nobody had cared for her in a long time. She knew she shouldn't expect anyone to care. They lived in a cruel, unforgiving world, after all. So having Levi treat her like this… It felt nice.

"N-No," she whispered.

"I'm okay now." Levi smiled.

"I'm glad."

"But what about you–?"" Levi Ironwood." Lord Ironwood had finally recovered enough to speak, his shock having fully transformed into anger. He glared at Levi, his jaw clenched tightly and his tendons pulsing in his neck.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me." Their father's face surpassed red and turned purple from fury.

"Unbelievable," he said, his voice trembling with rage.

"Have I been too lax in my duties as your father? I must have been, because there's no other reason why you've somehow arrived at the conclusion that you're permitted to talk to me like this." He gave a single nod.

"It seems I need to rectify this situation immediately. It's been about a year since we had our last lesson. We'll have to make up for lost time."

"Lesson?" Levi repeated quietly.

"You mean the same lesson you just gave Ayla? The one where you were teaching her by beating her senseless?" His grey eyes flashed and his lips curled in rage, his composure slipping for a moment.

"I could sense it all, you know. My magic told me exactly what injuries she had. Four broken ribs, a sprained ankle, strained tendons, gashes in her side, multiple hematomas, bruised kidneys, a concussion, gods knows how many bruises… Have you no shame as a father?" Oh. Ayla blinked. That… was a long list. Had her injuries really been that extensive? Admittedly, the pain had all kind of blurred together after a certain point, but…

"It was necessary for her training," Lord Ironwood said coldly.

"Don't take credit, by the way, we both know you didn't heal her on your own. Did Ravenbane gift you some healing magical artifact–?"

"Necessary?" Levi interrupted, his voice a hiss.

"I understand the necessity of harsh training, but what you were doing goes far beyond that. You were just brutalizing her because you were angered by my actions. It's quite pathetic, really." He shook his head.

"I confess, I'm not very familiar with what it means to be an older brother yet. I've clearly failed her in the past, and even now I'm still rather inexperienced. But the one thing I do know," his eyes hardened with resolve, "is that it's my duty to protect my little sister." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ayla felt an odd warmth bloom to life within her at his words, even as fear gripped her heart.

She wanted to tell him to stop talking, to just apologize and beg for forgiveness, but… it was a little too late for that, wasn't it. All she could do was watch the disaster unfold in front of her. When she was younger, she'd once looked up to Levi. She'd laughed and played with him. She remembered him braiding her hair and reading bedtime stories to her and telling her all about the Heroes of old and how he wanted to be just like them. Once, she'd thought he was the coolest big brother in the world.

And that was precisely why she was so terrified right now. Because regardless of whatever change occurred within him… As a marquis, Lord Ironwood was responsible for defending the entire southern border. He was the country's first line of defense, and he had the power to back it up. There was no way Levi could ever defeat him. He was just going to get himself horribly injured. And it'd all be her fault. She didn't want to see him get hurt because of her.

"Ha!" Lord Ironwood laughed.

"Protect her? You? You're a disgrace to this family, an incompetent reprobate for whom I had to pull strings just to ensure you'd be able to graduate. What level are you right now? Do you even have a class yet?"

"I'm level 14–" Lord Ironwood sneered.

"Still? And you call me pathetic. You think you can protect Ayla? Don't make me laugh." He shook his head.

"I've wasted enough time talking to you. Let's just get this farce over with." An incredible pressure exploded out from him, filling the training chamber. Ayla tensed up, her eyes dilating with fear as it suddenly became a struggle to breathe. This was no longer their father standing before them; this was Marquis Archibald Ironwood, the seasoned war veteran who'd been in charge of defending the entire southern border of Luminarche, said to be on the level of a Mythmaker.

Her heart pounded furiously against her chest, and her legs nearly gave out beneath her. Levi simply raised an eyebrow. He stood there, relaxed, seemingly completely unaffected.

"I wasn't finished answering yet," he said.

"I may only be level 14, but I do have a class. Technically, at least." What? Even through her fear, Ayla felt confusion flicker through her. The System only offered Class selection at level 25. Was Levi just bluffing?

"Oh?" Lord Ironwood said skeptically.

"And what class is that?"

"[Archmage]." Lord Ironwood laughed.

"[Archmage?] Have you gone mad–?" That was when they felt it. Ayla and Lord Ironwood both froze as a terrible, incomprehensibly vast pressure of Levi's own exploded outward from him, so great that it completely dwarfed Lord Ironwood's aura. If their father's magical presence was like an inferno, then Levi's presence blazed like the sun itself; the magic was so unbelievably dense and potent that for a second Ayla thought she would spontaneously combust from the sheer proximity.

The walls around them shuddered and cracked, and the air became charged with a formidable energy.

"What?" Lord Ironwood breathed. For the very first time, Ayla saw a hint of fear appear in his eyes.

"How are you… Impossible." For once, Ayla was in total agreement. This couldn't be explained by a magical artifact, or even a divine sponsorship. This was… Ayla didn't even have the words to describe it. She struggled to breathe, the pressure overwhelming. Then, inexplicably, the presence shifted. It suddenly became softer, soothing, like the sun's warm and gentle rays. Ayla blinked as the weight on her was lifted. Their father didn't seem to feel it. Only she did.

"Ayla," Levi suddenly said, his grey eyes piercing into hers. The same color as her own.

"Forget everything. Forget your duty, forget the consequences. Just answer me this. What do you really want?" What? Forget her duty? Forget the potential consequences to this? She was the heiress to House Ironwood. How was she supposed to do that? And yet… Almost subconsciously, the words rose to her lips, unbidden. They emerged from deep within herself, having been buried and suppressed for far too long, but now, drawn by the sunlight they finally surfaced. Before she could stop herself, she spoke.

"Help me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Almost like a child's quiet, earnest plea. And Levi smiled.

"Okay," he said.

"I will." In a flash, Levi's magic coalesced into dozens of grey blades surrounding Lord Ironwood on all sides. Then, they shot forward faster than Ayla's eyes could perceive. Their father barely managed to summon his spear to his hands to deflect them – and even then, he wasn't able to block them all. Several of them cut into him, leaving behind angry red gashes. Simultaneously, a golden magical shield formed around Ayla. Lord Ironwood immediately counterattacked, rearing back his spear and – Ayla's eyes widened.

She recognized the red sparks crackling around the spear's tip. This was Lord Ironwood's [Adamant Pierce], one of his most powerful attacks. Their father wasn't holding back here; this was an attack meant to kill. Then, Lord Ironwood thrust forward, and a red light of condensed mana blasted forward from the tip of the spear, so fast it was like a line had been instantly drawn across the canvas of reality. This was a skill capable of punching a hole through adamantine itself, its speed many times faster than sound.

Levi had already reacted, though. Before Lord Ironwood even finished his thrust, Levi was already slashing his hand across the air, a loud CRACK echoing outward as the motion broke the sound barrier. Ayla's eyes widened as a rippling arc of magic burst forth before the red light shot forward; the red light barely made it a meter or two before Levi's attack sliced into it and cleanly bisected it in half. The red line split into two and harmlessly slammed into the wall behind Levi on either side.

Their father choked on his spit, his eyes practically bulging in disbelief at what'd just happened. Somehow, Levi had predicted the trajectory of his [Adamant Pierce] and calculated the optimal angle to intercept it before the attack had even been unleashed. It was a level of battle intuition that bordered the realm of Clairvoyance itself. The grey blades from earlier that pierced the floor hadn't dissipated yet. Lord Ironwood had been too distracted to pay attention to them, which proved to be a fatal mistake.

Without any warning, the grey blades released interconnected streams of magic, forming a magical field around their father. Inside the magical field, the air seemingly solidified around Lord Ironwood – no, not the air. If Ayla wasn't mistaken, it was as though all momentum itself was being negated within the field. Lord Ironwood struggled to move, but it was all for naught. Before him, Levi let out a resounding yell, and a wall of pure force blasted forward, slamming into Lord Ironwood like a dragon's roar.

It was only their father's Concept of Resolve that prevented every bone in his body from shattering like glass; the divine magic automatically reinforced his entire body, absorbing much of the attack's power. Even then, Lord Ironwood was sent hurtling through the air, the momentum-negation field breaking as the grey blades scattered. He crashed into the wall of the training chamber behind him, the wood underneath splintering from the impact. He'd managed to keep grip of his spear.

The entire fight had lasted less than four seconds. Ayla gaped at the scene in front of her. So this was what a fight between two high-level opponents looked like? It was nothing like the lengthy school spars she was accustomed to. And… Was this really Levi? Since when had he grown so strong? For the first time in a long time, she felt something stir within her. It might've been hope.

The wall shuddered and groaned as Levi languidly walked forward, his every stride smooth and purposeful yet carrying a certain lethality. The wall of force continued to bear down on Lord Ironwood, the crater behind him expanding and deepening as Levi got closer, the pressure increasing with proximity.

"So," Levi said, stopping in front of Lord Ironwood. It was a testament to the training chamber's special construction and myriad of enchantments that the wall hadn't collapsed yet.

"You–" With a roar, Lord Ironwood managed to thrust his spear at Levi as a last-ditch strike, temporarily overcoming the wall of force. Levi's eyes widened, clearly not expecting it, and he barely managed to tilt his head to avoid the thrust. His fingers twitched a moment later, and the spear was ripped from their father's hands, clattering to the ground. Lord Ironwood grunted as the wall of force pressed down upon him with renewed power, his arm slamming back to the wall and bending at an awkward angle.

"Huh," Levi said.

"Not bad." He recomposed himself, smoothing out his outfit before tilting his head.

"Say… I'm curious. Have you ever seen your spleen before?"

"What… sort of question is that?" Lord Ironwood managed to ground out through gritted teeth. His muscles visibly strained as he tried to move, but it was as though the ocean itself was pressing down on him.

"I… have not."

"I see," Levi said.

"Perhaps that ought to be your first lesson then." He smiled, though there was not a hint of humor in his eyes.

"Now you have." Lord Ironwood glared at him.

"What are you–" He fell silent. Slowly, he looked down at the gaping hole now in his abdomen. A low, disbelieving groan of pain escaped him.

"You seem to have enjoyed knocking around my little sister during the past week or so," Levi said.

"Don't worry, I won't let you bleed out. This lesson's just getting started."