Chapter 9
Shing—
The elegant longsword resonated with Levy’s mana.
Instead of landing in her hand…
It flew directly toward the cage.
The razor-sharp blade slipped perfectly between the narrow iron bars without leaving so much as a scratch on the cage itself.
A strike so precise that even accomplished swordsmen would struggle to reproduce it while holding a sword with both hands…
Levy achieved it simply by moving her fingertips.
Screech!
The blade pierced the lesser demon squarely through the center of its body.
With a final shrill cry…
The creature collapsed.
“…?!”
The entire classroom froze in stunned silence.
What…?
She didn’t even hold the sword… How did she guide it through such a tiny gap?
What’s going on? Wasn’t Levy Heron supposed to be seriously ill?
One realization carved itself deeply into everyone’s minds.
Even if House Heron’s only heir had been born frail…
Even if she’d spent years being mocked as her family’s defective child…
House Heron was still House Heron.
From the very beginning, their bloodline had been different from that of ordinary knightly families.
They inherited the power of a sacred predator.
Treating the heir to such a family as nothing more than a weak invalid…
Had been a tremendous mistake.
Especially after witnessing her summon such an enormous longsword in the blink of an eye—
And control it with flawless precision.
“Wow…”
Someone let out an awestruck sigh.
Then applause erupted from every direction.
Hearing it…
Levy forgot everything else for a moment and smiled.
More than the satisfaction of knowing her performance had succeeded…
She was simply happy that the countless hours she’d spent training with House Heron’s knights—sacrificing sleep for an entire week—had finally been acknowledged.
“Thank you.”
As her clear pink eyes curved into gentle crescents…
Several of the male students found themselves unconsciously holding their breath.
…Why did my heart suddenly skip a beat?
Was Lady Heron always this beautiful?
Until now…
Everything they’d ever heard about Levy Heron had been the same.
She’s too weak to attend social gatherings.
She’ll never become a proper knight.
What a pitiful girl.
Because of those rumors…
No one had ever truly looked at her.
Now that they did…
They realized she possessed a beauty capable of capturing everyone’s attention in an instant.
Her flowing platinum-blonde hair shimmered like silk, soft enough to imagine it carrying the sweet scent of honeyed milk tea.
Her crystal-clear pink eyes seemed capable of drawing people in if they stared too long.
And imagining her pale skin flushed with warmth…
Made her appear almost dangerously enchanting.
So this is why Count Heron kept his only daughter hidden away inside the estate…
Her poor health had undoubtedly been the primary reason.
Still…
Perhaps he had also wanted to keep foolish young men away from his beautiful daughter.
“…Well done.”
“As expected…”
“House Heron truly lives up to its name.”
Noticing the subtle change in the students’ attitudes toward Levy…
Gillian quickly ended the demonstration before continuing his lecture.
“As you all know…”
“Demons can only be subdued through holy power, the Founder’s Blessing inherited by House Heron…”
“…or mana that has reached an exceptionally high level.”
He lifted the cage containing the unconscious demon.
“However…”
“To destroy a demon completely…”
“It must be submerged in the sacred pond within the Grand Temple.”
“That is why you often see Holy Knights throughout the capital carrying cages like this one.”
Gillian briefly mentioned that it had been Prince Fried who modernized the Empire’s demon transportation system, making it far more efficient.
Normally…
Damian would have silently sighed at yet another excuse to praise Fried.
But today…
He didn’t react at all.
Like many of the other young men in the classroom…
He simply couldn’t take his eyes off Levy.
After Demonology Class
As soon as class ended…
Ayla, now comfortable enough to call her by name with permission, finally burst out with the admiration she’d been holding back.
“Levy!”
“You were amazing!”
After spending the past week constantly together…
Ayla knew better than anyone how exhausted Levy had become from training.
Every day…
Levy practiced at the Heron estate.
Managed the family’s affairs as acting head.
Then still attended every Academy lecture despite her fragile health.
Watching all of that…
Ayla had gradually developed a deep admiration for her.
When Levy’s hard work finally paid off in front of everyone…
Ayla had instinctively clenched her fists in celebration.
At the very least…
None of the students who had witnessed today’s class would ever again dare call her House Heron’s defective heir.
That fact made Ayla as happy as if it had happened to herself.
“I can’t wait until we’re second-years.”
“Then I’ll finally be able to learn some simple magic.”
Listening to her modest wish…
Levy smiled inwardly.
Simple magic?
You’re literally the future reincarnation of the Goddess who’ll eventually be capable of obliterating the entire capital with a single spell.
In the original story…
Ayla only began awakening her hidden potential a year later during Magic Studies.
But Levy already knew how to accelerate that process.
“Then…”
“Would you like to train with me?”
“I’m planning to start practicing at the Academy training grounds beginning today.”
“The Academy training grounds?”
“Mm.”
“What do you think, Ayla?”
“…”
Ayla blinked slowly as she considered the invitation.
Simply watching Levy train from afar would have been enough to make her happy.
Yet…
Instead of using the perfectly maintained training grounds at House Heron’s estate…
Levy had deliberately chosen the abandoned practice hall inside the Academy.
…Did she choose it because of me?
According to Academy regulations…
Students living in the dormitories required permission whenever they wished to leave campus.
Obtaining permission to visit House Heron wouldn’t have been difficult.
The problem was that the dorm supervisor would notify Ayla’s registered guardian.
Which meant her uncle would inevitably question her afterward.
Training inside the Academy…
Avoided that problem entirely.
Warmth spread through Ayla’s chest.
“Okay.”
“I’d love to.”
“If you’re teaching me…”
“I’ll learn anything.”
…Anything?
Levy couldn’t help thinking Ayla’s answer sounded a little too unquestioning.
Nevertheless…
The two of them headed toward the Academy’s abandoned training grounds.
Most noble estates already possessed private training facilities.
As a result…
Almost no one ever used the Academy’s.
Still…
It looks like someone at least keeps it minimally clean.
Am I really the only person who trains here?
More importantly…
This was the ideal place to dramatically improve her stamina before the main story truly began.
It was also…
The perfect place for Ayla to awaken her holy power.
“Go grab one of the wooden practice swords over there, Ayla.”
“I’ll teach you how to hold it first.”
“Okay!”
While Ayla happily examined the rack of wooden swords…
Levy walked toward the center of the training hall.
The floor appeared to be made from polished marble.
Yet…
Stepping on it felt nothing like stone.
It was strangely soft.
Almost like walking across a thick carpet.
Ahem…
So this is the floor where that perverted First Prince spent thirty entire pages doing… those kinds of things.
Levy coughed awkwardly to herself while lightly tapping the floor with her foot.
The material beneath her feet had been quarried from Mount Nims by the First Emperor himself.
Much later…
It would be discovered that Mount Nims was the sacred birthplace of the Goddess.
The entire mountain was saturated with divine energy.
In other words…
Training here was practically the same as training atop a carpet woven from holy power.
One hour spent exercising in this hall…
Was more effective than an entire month training elsewhere.
Of course…
In the original story, this place was mostly used by that depraved First Prince.
Damian—
Who had been born with almost no holy power—
Accidentally discovered the secret of these stones after his rebellion.
Then…
He repeatedly brought Ayla here.
Using her overwhelming holy power…
He restored his own weakened body.
Though “restored” is probably just a polite way of saying he indulged his lust.
Tsk.
What a shameless man.
Clicking her tongue inwardly…
Levy summoned a wooden practice sword.
In the original novel…
Ayla had pitied Damian’s tragic circumstances while desperately pushing him away because she loved Fried.
Now…
She simply stood before Levy, gripping a wooden sword with eager determination.
“I’m in your care, Levy.”
“Of course.”
“It’s our first day.”
“So let’s take it easy.”
Levy smiled warmly as she walked toward her.
Already…
She could feel the immense holy power sleeping inside Ayla resonating with the divine energy hidden beneath the floor.
The exhaustion she’d accumulated over the past week began fading almost instantly.
Feeling her aching body rapidly recover…
She gently adjusted Ayla’s grip on the sword.
That Evening
Long after sunset…
Douglas was beginning to worry.
His master had remained motionless inside the Academy’s Royal Tea House for hours.
“Your Highness.”
“Shouldn’t we return soon?”
Dozens of books were stacked across Damian’s desk.
He never missed a single day of studying.
Maintaining the image of the perfect prince required relentless effort behind the scenes.
Yet today…
His mind refused to settle.
…Why do I keep thinking about her?
“Thank you.”
Levy Heron’s radiant smile after completing her demonstration kept resurfacing in his thoughts.
No matter how hard he tried…
He couldn’t concentrate on his books.
To summon a sword that large…
And control it with such precision…
Requires an enormous amount of mana.
Most people would have simply concluded—
As expected of House Heron.
But Damian was a master swordsman whose understanding of mana bordered on perfection.
He had seen the truth.
Levy hadn’t merely used the mana she currently possessed.
She had exhausted every reserve she’d painstakingly accumulated—
Even borrowing the mana her body would need over the coming days.
Did she push herself that far…
Just to escape the label of House Heron’s defective heir?
She had exploited everyone’s ignorance of her true abilities.
Turned their prejudice against them.
Changed public opinion.
Forced people to reevaluate House Heron’s standing.
…That’s actually a remarkably clever strategy.
Concluding that his persistent thoughts had nothing to do with Levy herself—
Only admiration for her intelligence—
Damian finally stretched before rising from his chair.
“Douglas.”
“Let’s spar.”
The Imperial Palace had its own training grounds.
But practicing there meant attracting the attention of the Empress’s followers.
Damian greatly preferred the Academy’s abandoned practice hall.
It was practically deserted.
Which made it far more comfortable.
Besides…
For some reason…
Training there always seemed strangely more effective.
This time, however…
Douglas gave an unexpected answer.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
“Someone else is already using it today.”
