NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Severing the Chains
A dull, throbbing ache was the first thing to greet him. It was a deep, pervasive pain that seemed to have settled into his very bones.
Azrael's eyelids fluttered open, the light of the room a hazy, unwelcome glare.
A memory, fragmented and dreamlike, surfaced in his mind. The crunch of bone. The coppery taste of blood. A single, dark red drop falling onto green grass.
'I… won?' The thought was a faint whisper in the fog of his consciousness.
"My lord, you are awake!"
He turned his head, the simple movement sending a fresh wave of pain through his neck and shoulder. Elvara was sitting in a chair by his bedside.
Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. The look she gave him was not one of hatred or fear. It was something else entirely.
Several maids stood behind her, their expressions a mixture of relief and awe.
"The royal healer said you were fortunate," Elvara said, her voice soft. "Your collarbone was shattered, and you had severe internal bruising."
"He said he'd never seen someone push their body to such a limit."
He ignored her, his mind already elsewhere. The pain was a secondary concern. He needed to know if the sacrifice had been worth it.
'System,' he thought, his focus turning inward.
The crystalline blue screen materialized in his vision. He scanned it eagerly, looking for a new skill, a reward for his desperate mimicry of a master swordsman.
[◈ STATUS MANIFEST ◈]
[Name: Azrael Ashveil]
[Title: The Unwanted Heir]
[Level: 1]
[Rank: Beginner]
[Condition: Injured, Fatigued]
[◈ CORE ATTRIBUTES ◈]
[STR (Strength): 9 / 100]
[AGI (Agility): 9 / 100]
[END (Endurance): 8 / 100 (+1)]
[INT (Intelligence): 10 / 100]
[AET (Aether): 9 / 100]
[LCK (Luck): 5 / 100]
[CHA (Charisma): 8 / 100]
[◈ AFFINITY ◈]
[Primary Slot: Empty]
[(Only one Primary Affinity can be held)]
[◈ UNIQUE SKILL ◈ Limitless Comprehension]
[(Type: Passive / Growth)]
[Effect: Instantly grasps the fundamental principles of any observed ability, object, or concept. Learning speed is amplified by 300%.]
[Special: Acquired knowledge and skills evolve uniquely under the host's direct will and interpretation.]
His eyes scanned the screen again. His Endurance had gone up by one point, a pitiful reward for a near-death experience.
But there was nothing else. No new sword skill. No [Flowing Steel Style]. Nothing.
'It didn't copy it,' he realized with a surge of disappointment. 'The skill… it only lets me understand. It doesn't just steal abilities.'
The system was not going to give him any easy shortcuts. Every bit of power would have to be earned through his own blood and effort.
He pushed the blankets aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. A sharp, dizzying pain shot through him, and he let out a sharp hiss.
"My lord, you mustn't!" Elvara cried, rushing to his side. "The healer said you need to rest for at least a week!"
He pushed her hand away, not with anger, but with a detached resolve. He used the bedpost to pull himself to his feet, his legs shaking.
He ignored the pain. He ignored the pleas of the maids. He had a promise to collect.
He walked out of the room, his movements stiff and unsteady. He made his way through the silent, opulent hallways, each step an exercise in pure willpower.
He went straight to his sister's study. He didn't bother knocking. He pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside.
Celestria was at her desk, reviewing a stack of documents. Sebastian stood near the window, his back ramrod straight.
A dark, ugly bruise and a neat bandage covered the bridge of his nose. They both looked up as he entered, their eyes widening in surprise.
"Sister," he said, his voice raspy but firm. "I won. Now, about our deal."
Celestria placed her pen down, her violet eyes studying him intently. She saw the pain he was in, but also the unshakeable determination holding him upright.
"You were unconscious for two days," she said, her tone neutral. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't wake up to claim your prize."
"I'm here now," he said, taking another painful step into the room.
"So you are," she mused. "And you still wish to go through with it? To annul the marriage?"
"To throw away a political alliance that strengthens our family and secures your position?"
"It was never my position," he countered. "It was a cage. And I am breaking it."
At that moment, Elvara appeared in the doorway behind him, breathless from trying to keep up. She stopped, her eyes darting between the three figures in the room.
Celestria's gaze flickered to Elvara, then back to him. A long silence stretched, thick with tension.
"Very well," Celestria said, a decision solidifying in her eyes. "A bet is a bet. I will honor it."
"I will send word to the House of Elara. The marriage contract will be annulled."
Elvara gasped, her hand covering her mouth. It was real. This was actually happening.
Azrael turned his body slowly, the effort making him grimace. He faced Elvara, his expression serious.
"Your family may disown you for this," he said, his voice blunt. "They will see this as your failure."
"But I want you to remember something. You don't need them. You are your own person."
He took a shaky step towards her. "You are talented. You are powerful. Do not ever forget that."
He knew this from the novel. Elvara was not some damsel in distress. She possessed a rare and powerful light-based magic. She was a heroine for a reason.
He reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a small, heavy bag. Clink. The sound of gold coins echoed in the quiet study.
"What is this?" she whispered, staring at the bag.
"Enroll in the academy," he said. "This will be enough to pay the fees and cover your needs."
"The new academic year begins in two weeks. I will be a second-year, and you can enroll as a first-year. The academy will provide for you."
He pushed the bag into her trembling hands. "And if you need any help, you can come to me."
Elvara looked from the bag of gold to his face. The confusion, the fear, the shock—it all swirled in her green eyes.
"Why?" she asked, the single word full of a thousand questions. "After everything… why are you helping me?"
"Because no one deserves to be a pawn in someone else's game," he said simply. "Now go. Be free."
She clutched the bag to her chest, gave him one last, long, unreadable look, and then turned and fled from the room.
Now, he was alone with his sister and her loyal butler.
"That was a foolishly generous move," Celestria commented, her tone analytical. "You have broken a valuable alliance and armed a potential enemy. Why?"
"She's not my enemy," he said, turning back to face her. "And the alliance was a chain holding me to a fate I refuse to accept."
"To change my future, I have to cut the old strings."
"And what is this new future you envision?" she asked, genuinely curious. "One where you get beaten half to death for a sliver of pride?"
"One where I stand on my own two feet," he replied. "One where the name Ashveil is respected because of my strength, not just my father's legacy."
Celestria leaned back in her chair, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across her face. It was not the mocking smirk of before.
It was the smile of a predator who had just seen a cub take its first kill.
"Good," she said. "That is the best answer you have ever given me. But be warned, little brother. The path you have chosen is a lonely and a painful one."
She gestured to Sebastian. "You fought with will, but you have no skill. For the next two weeks, Sebastian will train you. Properly this time."
Sebastian stepped forward and bowed. "It will be my honor, my lord."
Azrael looked at the man who had nearly killed him, then back at his sister. He saw not a punishment, but an opportunity. A real chance.
He nodded. "I understand."
"Now get out of my study," Celestria ordered, her tone shifting back to its usual commanding chill. "And go back to bed. You are of no use to me broken."