The mansion where Lev resided was located in the eastern part of Frostgard City. While the city center was the hub of economic activity, the eastern part was predominantly occupied by the mansions of nobles.
The carriage Lev was in slowly approached a massive iron gate with the family crest carved into it, the image of a white wolf—that was the crest of the Razanov family.
With the heavy sound of shifting metal, the gate opened, revealing a pathway that cut through a vast garden filled with tall trees and a fountain at its center. After the horse-drawn carriage had ridden far enough, it finally stopped where it was supposed to stop.
Lev stepped out of the carriage.
Before him stood a grand mansion with elegant white stone walls. Stained glass windows reflected the light of magical lamps from within, while arched balconies added a touch of grace.
The large wooden door was already open, and someone stood at the entrance, seemingly waiting for his arrival. Of course, that person was not one of his family members.
It was an elderly woman. Her hair was brown, though much of it had turned white, likely due to her advanced age. Even the way she stood was no longer upright; she hunched over, leaning on a cane to keep from falling.
"Nanny Greda?"
When Lev called her name, the old woman immediately turned and tried to approach him.
"Ah~ Young Master!"
Lev, unable to bear seeing his nanny struggle to walk, chose to approach her instead.
Nanny Greda had raised him since he was a baby. She had taken care of his clothes, fed him, and looked after him. Although Lev was a talented child, it was common knowledge that he was disliked by his family members. Even for now.
A genuine smile spread across Lev's face.
In the past, he had always ignored Nanny Greda, considering his useless and an eyesore—typical of a proud noble child who placed too much importance on his status, believing that only fellow nobles were worthy of conversation.
At the end of the day, Lev realized that Nanny Greda was the only one who truly cared for him.
Even when he was treated like trash by everyone in the Razanov family, only Nanny Greda continued to show kindness to him. She reminded him to eat, and bathe, and often urged him to pay more attention to others.
However, because Lev, at the time, couldn't accept his fate—still clinging to his childish nature—he acted out and wailed at his father when he was exiled from the Razanov family.
Nanny Greda, who had defended Lev, was killed by his father. Only then did Lev obediently leave—terrified. 'Back then, I couldn't stand up for the unjust death you suffered. But now it's different. I won't let you die miserably while defending someone as worthless as me.'
Until this day, he regretted not having the courage to stand in front of his nanny's corpse and confront his family.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere, Young Master. Did you forget that today is an important day for you? Your Coming of Age Ceremony is this evening, but the party will start soon."
"You're still as naggy as ever, huh."
"I-I'm sorry, Young Master."
Perhaps because Nanny Greda was used to hearing sharp retorts from Lev, she seemed intimidated. But when she noticed that Lev's tone was unusually gentle, her wrinkled eyelids opened slightly wider.
"Let's go inside."
It seemed his nanny had been waiting at the door for quite some time. Her hands felt icy cold when Lev held them.
"By the way, where's Gino? Weren't you with him?"
'Is Gino the name of my private servant whom I killed?'
"That person won't be appearing anymore. Don't worry, I've brought someone else to replace my private servant."
From behind Lev, Daria emerged and introduced herself to Nanny Greda.
Lev instructed Nanny Greda to take Daria around to familiarize her with the various areas of the Razanov family mansion. This was to ensure Daria didn't accidentally enter important or restricted areas, such as the private quarters of the main family members.
For some reason, Nanny Greda smiled mysteriously when she saw Daria.
The old woman took Daria's hand and led her out of the mansion. Nanny Greda seemed intent on taking Daria to the servants' quarters.
Within the private grounds of the Razanov family mansion, aside from the main building, there were several smaller structures, including the dedicated building where the servants lived.
Lev entered the mansion. His footsteps echoed through the cold marble hallway. The air inside still carried a familiar scent—the aroma of luxury he hadn't enjoyed in a long time.
Expensive paintings lined the walls. Ornate vases with intricate carvings guided him as he ascended to the upper floor. His destination was his private bathroom.
As soon as he entered the bathroom, he let out a tired sigh. The bathroom was spacious—resembling a hot spring bath on Earth, where steam rose slowly, heated by a magical core at the bottom of the bathing pool.
Lev had already removed the thick robe he was wearing earlier before entering the bathroom. He only needed to take off his shirt and underpants to be completely naked. The underpants here were similar to shorts, only thinner. As he finished removing his shirt, he noticed that the bathroom door was slightly ajar.
Daria's head peeked out from behind the door—for the second time.
Blood dripped from her nose… Moments later, Nanny Greda could be heard dragging her away from the mansion.
The entire incident happened so quickly that Lev didn't have time to react.
Lev closed and locked the bathroom door, then finished removing his shirt and underpants.
Since the bathroom had a full-body mirror, Lev stood and examined his body. He looked at his reflection.
His face looked much younger than the last time he had seen it. His once long, messy white hair was now short, straight, and glossy.
He felt a pang of sadness seeing the muscles he had developed over twelve years gone, but he was happy to see his skin clean and unmarked. There were no more marks of skin tears, sword cuts, and arrow wounds.
As he focused on his facial features and body, a notification appeared.
[Special feature of the Hero's System unlocked.]
[You have acquired a Special Skill: Observation.]
"Observation?"
[Status Window:
- General Status:
Name: Lev Razanov
Race: Human
Job: None
Affiliation: Kingdom of Dragomirov
Title: The Successor of the Dukedom Razanov
- Main Attributes:
Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 10
Dexterity: 6
Mana: 0
Dark Mana: 0
- Skill Status:
Swordsmanship (Lv. 2)
Black Magic Authority (?)
- Kill Points: 2
- Heroic Points: 1.]
A status window appeared before his eyes.
He saw that he had acquired Black Magic Authority.
Black Magic Authority was an ability that allowed Lev to use various forms of Black Magic. Summoning, Mind Reading, Necromancy, Soul Binding… He had been able to use all of these back on Earth. However, when he tried to use those skills again, he failed to do anything.
"Summon…"
"Curse…"
"Mind…"
He tried everything, but nothing worked. He struck embarrassing poses, only to end up looking like a chuunibyou.
He felt a bit embarrassed by it.
[You do not have Dark Mana.]
As if the Hero's System wanted to remind him, a mocking notification appeared before his eyes.
"Then, how do I fill my Dark Mana?"
He wondered about this.
Back on Earth, he had used Black Magic Authority as naturally as using his own hands and feet.
[You will consume your life energy if you force the use of Black Magic Authority without Dark Mana.]
"???"
That was when he realized why his body had died from using Black Magic Authority back on Earth.