NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Sister's Punishment
The air in the study was thick. Celestria's violet eyes pinned him in place.
He felt like Kenji again. A scared boy, facing a power he couldn't comprehend.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Her voice was a controlled roar that echoed off the walls. It was the sound of a predator, and he was her prey.
He froze, words dying in his throat.
"Answer me, Azrael," she hissed. "I moved mountains to get a weakling like you into the Royal Academy."
"I paid an unimaginable price. And what do you do? You vanish for a week."
She took a slow step towards him. "The headmaster himself contacted me."
"He said you were absent without notice. Do you know how that makes our family look?"
"Even the prince is not exempt from the academy's rules. So tell me, what mess were you making?"
He remained silent, his mind racing. What could he say?
She moved closer, her face a mask of cold fury. She raised her right hand sharply.
'A slap,' he thought, closing his eyes.
SLAP!
The sound was sharp and loud. But he felt nothing.
He opened his eyes slowly. The blow hadn't landed on him. It had landed on Elvara.
She had stepped in front of him, taking the full force of the slap. A bright red mark was already forming on her cheek.
Celestria looked down at Elvara with disgust.
"I gave you one task. Watch over him. And you failed."
"You were a burden to your family, and now you are a burden to mine. You are pathetic."
"But my lady," Elvara said, her voice trembling but firm, "he was not well. He was…"
She didn't get to finish. Celestria's hand moved again, another sharp slap cutting her off.
"No pathetic excuses. Do you really think I believe he was unwell?"
Her arm rose for a third time. But as it came down, a hand shot out and caught her wrist.
It was his hand. He was holding his sister's arm, stopping her attack.
The room went completely still. Elvara stared, her eyes wide with shock and curiosity.
Celestria's gaze moved from his hand to his face. Her fury intensified into a raging inferno.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice dangerously calm. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Leave her alone, sister," he said, his voice steady. "That's enough."
"It has been too long since your last punishment," she said, trying to yank her arm free. His grip was surprisingly strong.
"You can punish me however you want," he said, looking her in the eye. "But leave her out of this. It was my choice."
Celestria stared at him, a flicker of disbelief in her cold eyes.
"What is this? Are you defending her now?"
"And why didn't you show up at the academy?"
"I was training," he said.
Celestria let out a short, sharp laugh. "Training? Who are you fooling? I know you better than anyone."
"Stop your lies and prepare for your punishment."
"Think whatever you want," he said, his voice gaining strength. "But I will not remain your pathetic brother anymore. I am going to change."
Her smile faded. She looked at his face, at the unwavering determination in his eyes. He wasn't lying.
"Fine," she said after a long moment, a cruel smirk on her lips. "Show me how much you have grown."
"If I see even a little change, I will forgive this incident. For both of you."
"Go on," he said, releasing her wrist.
"I will test you in a battle," she declared. "I am quite worked up, so I will let someone else have the pleasure."
She turned her head slightly. "Sebastian."
The stern butler from before stepped out of the shadows.
"You will be his opponent. Show me my brother's growth. Show me he can overcome my wrath."
As she spoke, a new window popped up in his vision. The text glowed a brilliant gold.
[! SIDE QUEST !]
[Task: Win the battle against the butler, Sebastian.]
[Reward: 100,000 P]
His eyes fixated on the reward. 100,000 points. It was enough to buy an affinity, enough to change everything.
But then he looked at Sebastian. The system was playing a cruel joke on him.
He knew Sebastian was no ordinary butler. He was a retired warrior, one of the top ten strongest fighters on the continent.
His family had served the Ashveils for generations. He was fiercely loyal and terrifyingly powerful.
Defeating him now was impossible. At level one, it was a death sentence.