(XXIII) It Begins

Leon stared at his older brother Franc with a mixture of anger and fear. Franc was taller, with long black hair pulled into a high ponytail and a bang framing the left of his face.

"Well... well... well..." His golden eyes fiercely gazed at Leon, and he spoke mockingly, "If it isn't my little brother! What is a good-for-nothing lout like you doing here?"

Leon gritted his teeth, knowing that his brother had always looked down on him, as an arrow flew past his head, grazing his cheek as it returned to its owner.

"I had heard you awoke from the Mana Poisoning, but I didn't believe it." Franc said, grinning as he noticed the small trail of blood trickling down the young man's cheek.

He manipulated the spirit arrow, launching it at Leon once more as the young man rapidly drew his sword. Slashing the projectile, he destroyed it in an explosion of sparkles.

"You would attack your own brother?" Leon asked, glaring back at him, "Have you no shame?"

"Attack? Shame?" Franc asked in return, shaking his head as he raised his arms, conjuring a hundred arrows above him, "No, if I were to seriously attack you... you would know."

Leon narrowed his eyes as he glared at his brother, twirling his sword as he raised it beside his head, pointing it at him, entering a defensive stance, "You play too much, brother!"

"Maybe." Franc replied, shrugging as he smirked, throwing his hands down, "But let's see how you handle this!"

The volley of spirit arrows launched toward Leon in a blinding flash. He backstepped, thrusting his sword forward and destroying one projectile, spinning as he swung, taking out three more in a shower of sparkles.

Then, he activated [Spirit Weaponsmaster], conjuring a spear, axe, and mace. He manipulated all three weapons as if it were second nature while swinging his sword in a flurry of rapid attacks, methodically destroying the remaining arrows.

"H-how..?" Franc muttered, his eyes widening in shock at the appearance of their family's signature ability, "You shouldn't know this!"

He raised his hands in the air, conjuring more spirit arrows as he spun around, stepping forward and throwing his arms forward. The projectiles flowed through the air as they followed his hand movements.

Leon's eyes widened as he dispelled the three spirit weapons, replacing them with a massive shield, moving it before him, blocking the onslaught of arrows.

"I-Impossible!" Franc shouted, his eyes bloodshot as he watched his younger brother stand, pointing his sword toward him, "When did you learn that skill?"

"A few moments ago," Leon replied, narrowing his gaze, "Father just gave me the skillbook to learn it."

"Liar!" Franc yelled, unable to believe his younger brother had instantly mastered the skill that had taken him years to grasp the basics. He gritted his teeth and raised his hand as it contorted, and more spirit arrows appeared above him.

"Enough, Lord Franc!!" A hooded figure shouted, appearing beside him, and placed his hand on his shoulder. He leaned down, whispering in his ear as the projectiles vanished.

"Consider yourself lucky." Franc snorted, standing as he turned and walked away. The hooded figure bowed toward Leon before walking after his older brother.

"He's more deranged than I anticipated…" Leon muttered, shaking his head as he sheathed his sword with a sigh. However, his thoughts were darker as he realized he had been ambushed yet again, and there was no information regarding these events, 'Is this because I should be dead..?'

After the ordeal, he returned home with James. The following day was uneventful, with the hungover vassals bedridden for most of it. The following day, Leon awoke, ready for the Ascension Ceremony and to finally receive his class.

For the last year, he had been preparing for this moment. Receiving his class would allow him to finally level up and grow stronger. His Daily Quests had helped him build his foundation, so his attributes were equal to those of NPCs dozens of levels above him.

He exited the manor for the Count of Othniel in the Restricted District with his vassals and Bella, entering the carriage hired to drive them to the location of the ceremony.

The air was thick with anticipation as a sea of people, numbering in the thousands, gathered outside the massive sarsen stone circle. The towering stones, each one a monument to the ancient world, were arranged in a gigantic ring with enormous gaps between them.

As the crowd waited patiently, their eyes were drawn to the center of the circle, where a series of giant stone slabs stood at descending heights, leading to an altar. It was a sight to behold, with intricate carvings etched into the hard surface of the slabs, telling stories of a bygone era.

At the heart of the altar, a sword protruded from the top, glinting in the sunlight. Behind the altar, King George and the pope stood, ready to preside over the ceremony that was about to unfold. And behind them, hundreds of noble families stood, their presence a testament to the importance of the event.

Leon exited the carriage wearing ceremonial garbs, and Bella rested on his shoulders, wearing a similarly colored collar and bow. His vassals walked behind him, each wearing a matching ceremonial guard's uniform as they walked down the giant staircase.

The crowd remained silent as everyone turned to face them, but their thoughts were as loud as the colosseum's roar. Maria grabbed Bella off his shoulders as they reached the stairs leading up to the altar and stood to the side with the rest of his group.

Despite her protests, Leon told her it was all right and he would be fine. He rose the steps as he approached the sword sticking out of the altar and knelt before it.

"Greetings, esteemed families, and lucky members of the audience!" The pope said loudly, his voice being amplified by magic. He raised his arms out and spun his hips as he looked out over the crowd, "We are gathered here today for the Ascension Ceremony of the third son of King George, head of the Astrahart family, the prestigious clan that unified the once tumultuous lands of Gran Terra!"