The Hero's System: Return of an Extra Villain - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Chapter 13 – Coming of Age Ceremony
As Lev walked down the hallway earlier, he glanced out the window and noticed the sun was already high in the sky. On the road leading to the mansion, many carriages were neatly lined up, indicating that a large number of guests had already arrived.

And sure enough, inside the banquet hall, people had already gathered.

The banquet hall had a high, arched ceiling with a large crystal chandelier hanging in the center, adorned with war paintings. Massive marble pillars lined the sides of the hall, while shields and swords were displayed on the walls as if Andrei wanted to tell everyone that the Razanov family was strong and honorable.

‘As if this family is truly powerful.’

In terms of the number of soldiers and private knights, it was indeed impressive. However, in terms of history and heritage, the Razanov family didn’t live up to the image portrayed by the banquet hall’s decorations. Especially when it came to inherited spells and swordsmanship, all of that had vanished without a trace under Andrei’s leadership.

‘At least, that’s what the common people think. There are still some secret legacies I need to obtain later.’

For now, Lev was more focused on completing the Coming of Age Ceremony.

Some guests stood in small groups, speaking in low voices while holding sparkling glasses of wine.

In the corners of the hall, servants dressed in elegant uniforms moved quickly, carrying trays of food and drinks. Daria, seeing the busy servants, immediately joined in to help.

Perhaps because they were so busy, no one made any mocking remarks toward Daria.

The first thing Daria did was eat a piece of cake before being pulled away by another servant to help.

Unintentionally, Lev smiled slightly at Daria’s silly behavior. But his attention was soon drawn to two people approaching him.

“You’ve arrived.” The first person to greet Lev and Andrei was a middle-aged woman adorned with jeweled accessories covering her neck, arms, and fingers. This overly extravagant woman was Lev’s mother, Irini Razanov.

Although Irini said “you” in her greeting, she didn’t even glance at Lev. That had always been her way—ignoring Lev as if he didn’t exist.

Truthfully, Lev didn’t care much about Irini. He was more focused on the person standing beside her, who made him frown.

From the moment he stepped into the banquet hall, he had felt a sharp gaze. While most of the nobles present also glanced at him, they tended to look away quickly and return to their conversations with their wine-drinking companions, not like this one person who kept staring at him, making Lev feel as if he were being hit by a laser.

That person was Boris. He had an average face—neither handsome nor ugly—but his clothes were incredibly shiny. It was understandable, given the excessive pampering he received from Irini.

When Lev returned Boris’s gaze, Boris quickly looked away. Although he seemed too timid to meet Lev’s eyes, a mocking smile remained on his face.

Considering Lev had instructed Madam Fleur to report that their plan was half-successful—meaning Boris had successfully delivered the Letharis Pill—Boris likely assumed that Lev would definitely fail to create a Mana Pool during today’s Coming of Age Ceremony.

In response to Boris’s mocking smile, Lev smiled back. Lev patted Boris’s shoulder as he walked past him, “You look happy.”

“Of course. Isn’t this a happy day for you, big brother? I’m naturally happy too.” Boris replied confidently. However, for some reason, when he saw Lev’s half-smiling eyes, Boris trembled slightly.

The tremor in Boris’s body was clearly felt through Lev’s hand. Only when he released Boris’s shoulder did the trembling stop.

After exchanging glances with Boris and Irini, Lev was forced by Andrei to exchange pleasantries with a few other nobles. But he refused and insisted on proceeding with the Coming of Age Ceremony immediately.

Exchanging compliments, constantly fake-smiling, and maintaining proper posture—it was all exhausting.

‘As I expected, I hate places like this.’

Lev had been trained from a young age on how to behave like a true noble, and he used to enjoy it, but not anymore.

His innocent self from the past would have been delighted if nobles praised him. However, now that he had seen people’s true faces, he couldn’t bear being forced to engage in such meaningless exchanges.

‘Besides, I haven’t had breakfast yet because I spent too long soaking in the bathing pool. I want this to end quickly.’

Lev walked to the center of the banquet hall, led by Andrei.

The floor in the center of the banquet hall was elevated higher than the main floor. This area was often used for official announcements, coronations, and as the stage for family members undergoing the Coming of Age Ceremony, like Lev today.

Andrei gave a brief speech that Lev couldn’t be bothered to listen to.

After a while, the person who would guide Lev through the Coming of Age Ceremony was called. This person emerged from behind the crowd.

Just by looking at the robe draped over the person’s body, anyone could tell that this person was affiliated with the Holy Church. The stole hanging from his shoulders indicated his rank and position. Seeing the white color of the stole, meant this person was a High Priest—the second-highest position in the Holy Church.

“High Priest Elias, I apologize for troubling you. Please guide my son.”

“There’s no need to be so formal, Duke Razanov. I will certainly do my best.”

The first to greet was Andrei, who was met with a bright, preacher-like smile from High Priest Elias.

After the pleasantries, Andrei stepped down and joined the crowd of people gathered around.

Now, in the center of the banquet hall, only Lev and Elias remained.

The first thing Lev noticed about Elias’s appearance wasn’t the grandeur of the Holy Church’s emblem—a sun with a circle in the middle—displayed on Elias’s robe, but the strange gleam in Elias’s mouth. ‘It seems he really likes showing off his bright teeth,’ Lev thought.

“Can you stop showing off your teeth?”

“Hehe, are you captivated by my teeth, Young Master?”

Hearing a High Priest boast about his teeth, Lev could only give a look of disgust.

“Let’s formally introduce ourselves, Young Master. My name is Elias. A High Priest of the Holy Church.”

Elias slightly bowed his head as he introduced himself, while Lev almost extended his hand, following the Earth’s custom of handshakes. He quickly pulled his hand back, remembering that such formalities weren’t necessary in this world.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Elias. I thought you would introduce yourself not as a High Priest…”

“What do you mean, Young Master?” Every time Elias spoke, he flashed a bright smile, showcasing his gleaming teeth. However, there was a slight glint in his eyes when Lev brought up his other identity.

“Never mind. Let’s continue.”

High Priest Elias placed his hand on Lev’s stomach. “Close your eyes. I will begin channeling my Mana into you. Follow my guidance carefully.”

As Elias’s right hand touched Lev’s stomach, his left hand lifted a small statue. It was a statue of Deus Neto. Elias’s lips moved softly, as if praying, bestowing a blessing upon Lev.

Just as Lev was about to close his eyes, they shut on their own. Not only did his eyes close, but his consciousness also began to fade. His legs felt weak, and his body collapsed to the floor. The last thing he saw was the golden light from the statue in Elias’s hand, mixed with the black light emanating from his own chest.

[Holy Power detected.]

[… Beginning to reveal hidden messages.]