"Come on, bring more wine for Young Master Lev. Today, the young master will treat all of you to celebrate his coming of age."
"Yeayy!"
Noisy voices flooded Lev's ears.
'Where am I?'
Lev slowly opened his eyes. He realized he was sitting on a chair, but his back couldn't straighten no matter how hard he tried. His cheek was pressed against the table. His vision was blurry, and his consciousness wasn't fully under his control.
Although his head was spinning and the world seemed to sway before his eyes, the excruciating pain in his stomach, chest, and head that had tormented him earlier was now completely gone.
'Did I really go back in time? But where is this? A... bar?'
He managed to figure out that he was inside a bar after straining to glance around. The sounds of the bar patrons' revelry confirmed his guess. They were all drinking and getting drunk.
The excitement grew when the person sitting across from him—at the same table—announced that their drinks were on the house. They raised their glasses filled with alcohol and cheered in unison.
Strangely, the person sitting at the same table as Lev kept ordering more wine. When the maid brought a bottle of wine, the person poured it into a smaller glass and forced Lev to drink it.
Even though Lev couldn't lift his head, the person grabbed his shoulder and suddenly forced him to sit up and drink the wine.
Slowly, the person brought the glass of wine to Lev's lips. The strong, intoxicating scent of the wine filled his nostrils, making him feel even more nauseous. Just as the glass touched his lips, his body and mind felt a jolt, as if he had been electrocuted.
[Time reversal process successful.]
[You have successfully returned to the past!]
"Ugh!"
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head. However, thanks to the pain, he regained a bit of clarity and control over his body.
He pretended to hold his head with both hands, but his real intention was to slap the glass away. The glass of wine he was about to drink fell to the floor, spilling its contents everywhere. The previously lively atmosphere suddenly turned silent.
"Young Master, are you alright?"
The person who had been forcing him to drink looked genuinely worried.
'That face...' Lev squinted to get a better look at the person. He remembered—this was the face of his private servant from the past.
Drunk, his private servant, a bar, and... His eyes widened as everything clicked into place.
Lev raised his hand, signaling to his servant that he was fine.
"Is my Coming of Age Ceremony tomorrow?"
"That's correct, Young Master."
"Pfftt~ Hahaha... Haaa~."
A strange laugh escaped Lev's lips. But he quickly covered his mouth to stop himself and regain his composure, ending with a deep sigh.
While he was still grappling with his thoughts, his servant shook his shoulder.
Lev didn't respond.
His servant probably thought he was drunk and laughing like a madman.
"Everyone. I'll take the young master to the carriage and bring him home."
After saying that, his servant casually told everyone in the bar to keep drinking.
Then, his servant helped him stand and guided him out.
As he opened the door and stepped outside, he saw that it was snowing. The night sky was covered in clouds, and the moon seemed too shy to show itself.
Woosh!
A strong, cold wind blew, forcing everyone to stay indoors. The snow-covered streets were eerily quiet.
"Who am I?"
"What do you mean, Young Master?"
"Just answer my question."
"I'm not sure what you mean. But you are the prominent son of a noble family in this land."
His servant explained further...
Lev was the son of Duke Razanov.
Duke Razanov was a prominent noble in the Kingdom of Dragomirov, which was the largest kingdom in the northern part of the Avalon continent.
His servant explained in great detail. Although he exaggerated some parts, when it came to Lev's background, he didn't dare lie.
Lev was a well-known noble child. He was exceptionally skilled with a sword. His mental development was also remarkable—he could speak faster than other children his age.
In swordsmanship, he could defeat every boy in the kingdom, provided they were the same age as him. Because of this, his parents adored him. He lived in what people called perfection.
Lev's excellence in various fields made him the ideal successor to his father's noble title.
But all of that ended when he failed his Coming of Age Ceremony. He failed to create a mana pool, and as a result, he was labeled a failure.
Both parents, who initially loved him very much, immediately changed 180 degrees. They insulted and berated him, calling him a useless child who had wasted their efforts in raising him.
Since Lev was still in front of the bar, he could hear the voices of the people drinking inside.
"Hahaha. Isn't he such a fool?"
"Yeah, even though he's the Duke's son, he still got drunk here and paid for all our expensive drinks."
They seemed to be mocking him.
"Hey, keep your voice down. If he hears you, you'll be killed. Don't you know how hot-tempered he is?"
"I know. He's famous for his sky-high arrogance. I heard he didn't hesitate to kill his own servants when they spoke ill of his family. But I saw how drunk he was earlier. Don't worry, he won't hear us."
"Do you know why he came here? Tomorrow is his Coming of Age Ceremony."
"I don't know. Normally, we'd be preparing for the ceremony. But I guess that doesn't apply to the Duke's son."
Their chatter continued.
The place they were drinking wasn't an ordinary bar. If you imagined it as a rundown bar on the side of the road, you'd be wrong.
The interior of the bar was luxurious. The maids attending to the patrons were also neatly dressed.
Lev glanced up.
Above the entrance was a sign that read: Heaven Bar.
This bar catered exclusively to nobles. The people Lev was said to have treated were all nobles. Though their ranks were low, they were still nobles.
While waiting for the horse-drawn carriage driver to arrive from the parking area, Lev asked his servant:
"How much money do you have on you?"
"What do you mean, Young Master?"
"I don't recall saying I'd treat them. So, go back inside and pay with your own money."
"Y-You must be kidding, Young Master!"
"No. I'm serious."
"That would cost several Aurum gold coins, Young Master. How could I possibly have that much money?"
"If you can't pay, then tell them they'll have to pay for themselves."
"Aren't you afraid they'll insult you, Young Master?"
"I don't care. This was your mistake from the start. You're the one who brought me here and casually announced that I'd treat them. So, I'll only make them blame you."
With wide eyes, and an expressionless face, Lev patted his private servant on the shoulder.
[You have received your first quest.]
[Quest: Foil your sibling's plan.
Reward: Black Magic Authority.
Description: Evil deeds should not succeed. Your sibling plans to make you fail your Coming of Age Ceremony. Foil their plan and claim the reward you deserve.]