Lost Bar Boy
The disappearance of the Old Gods buried all history in the dust.
The dynasties shifted, and the once-eternal empires crumbled to dust. The fabric of order unraveled in just a few centuries, and the Eight Kings vied fiercely for dominance.
Now, it seems civilization is on the brink of a new brilliance.
Some say this is the beginning of a glorious era,
while others argue it's merely history repeating itself.
Mid-October, Novaeris, Iskanor.
The sky over Novaeris, whether at dawn or dusk, is always draped in a layer of violet-red, and at this moment, the thick clouds seem almost immovable.
On the northern continent, the heat fades as quickly as it comes. In October, Iskanor has already begun to cool down, and the thick clouds, suggesting imminent rain, cast a deep purple hue over the streets.
For Iskanor, or indeed all of Novaeris, this deep violet-red, known locally as "Carmine Violet," is a familiar sight.
Due to the cooling weather and the sun hidden behind clouds, only a few scattered vagrants and beggars can be seen on the streets. Even the latest craze, the Ruel Mechanics' four-wheeled vehicles, have become a rare sight.
At this hour, only some bars are still in business.
"Mr. Aed, don't you think he's being extremely unfair?"
Dressed in a black camisole with two white, drooping ears partially covered by her black hair, a girl of the rabbit folk was speaking, tears threatening to fall.
She tightly held a slender, well-defined hand, her face buried in it as tears slipped through the fingers, dripping onto the leg of the young man keeping her company.
The table in front of her was littered with empty bottles, suggesting she had recently suffered a heartbreak. The young man, hearing her words, turned his head to look into her tearful eyes and nodded, his other hand gently gripping hers.
"Yes, my princess, how could he do that to you? Even if you are a modern independent strong woman, he should still consider your feelings! How could he just leave you like that?"
"And with such a stunning beauty as yourself, my princess, it's unimaginable that he would choose to part ways with you."
The woman blinked, slowly raising her head to meet the young man's intense gaze as if she saw stars in his eyes. Her previously drooping ears perked up.
"Mister, if only my boyfriend were like you."
Seeing her dazed, the young man continued to add fuel to the fire, lightly brushing a few stray hairs behind her ear.
The woman's hand traced its way up the young man's arm, her shoulder subtly leaning against his chest.
"No, no, my princess, you are far too noble. How could someone like me, without even a home, ever be worthy of you?"
With that, the young man showed a lonely profile, gazing wistfully into the distance.
"My father? He left us when I was still young."
"My mother? I've never known who she was since I was a child…"
"Other family…? I have a sister who grew up with me in the orphanage, she's still in school…"
"How could I possibly be worthy of someone as noble as you, Your Highness?"
"This place? I've just started working here, so I'm not too familiar yet, but I heard that the Eymur Champagne is quite good."
"You want to give it to me? No, that won't be necessary. I only hope that you, Your Highness, can always be happy. Thank you for your company today."
After this well-practiced routine, the woman was now tightly pressed against Aderia, her eyes seductive, her hand gently caressing Aderia's face.
"Aed~ I've already ordered the Eymur Champagne for you. But you know, it's getting colder, and the heating in my room is broken. I'm really afraid of the cold."
As she spoke, the woman traced circles on Aderia's chest, as if engaged in some meaningful activity.
"How could this be, Your Highness? I will personally contact the repair shop next door for you and guarantee that all your expenses will be on me."
Aderia offered a professional smile.
The woman, now slightly tipsy, softly punched Aderia's chest, her breath, heavy with the scent of alcohol, wafting onto his face.
"Don't you think the moon is beautiful tonight? You mentioned you like Dolu, right? The Dolu at my place can do backflips. Don't you want to come and see?"
"Of course, but I have some business later tonight. How about this—we'll have our top performer serve you instead. Kris! Kris!"
The blond bartender, who was cleaning the counter not far behind Aderia, straightened up and bowed slightly to the woman when he heard Aderia's call.
"Aed~ I already bought you the Eymur~ The pipes at my place seem to be leaking a lot of water today. Can't you come and take a look?"
Kris walked over from the bar, stood beside the woman, and bowed slightly again.
"Miss, I also have some repair skills. If you order another bottle of 192-year-old Eymur, I'll take care of everything for you tonight."
The woman's face was flushed, completely ignoring Kris's words as her hand slowly slid from Aderia's chest towards his abs.
"Your Highness, we're a proper bar."
"Mr. Aed, I know that. Your waist is so slim, and you have such a great shoulder-to-waist ratio~"
"Your Highness, I just turned 17 last month."
"Wow, Aed is just 17 and already has an eight-pack!"
The woman's gaze was dreamy, as if she couldn't understand the meaning behind Aderia's words. Clearly, emboldened by alcohol, she was fearless. Her hand slowly counted down Aderia's abs, inching towards his belt.
Help! This woman is serious!
A home run isn't part of the standard package! And this is happening in public!
Aderia tilted his head back, signaling to Kris with a wink, asking for help.
Kris shrugged, completely ignoring Aderia, seemingly busy serving other customers.
What's with these girls! I'm just here to keep them company and earn some hard-earned cash, why do they all want to sleep with me? That's an extra charge! Even though my dream is to become a charming scoundrel, I've never even had a girlfriend yet!
Realizing that Kris was no help, Aderia desperately looked around for someone to save him.
Hey! Don't undo my belt!
Aderia's eyes widened, the first time he had encountered a woman who would go this far in the bar. He immediately regretted whether his words had been too ambiguous, causing the woman to become so bold.
Bang!
A sharp sound rang out from behind the woman.
She collapsed softly against Aderia, who immediately checked her breathing, relieved to find she had just fainted.
"Heh heh, Miss Luna! You're just in time!"
Two black ears twitched atop her head, the Catwoman holding an empty bottle, looking down at Aderia expressionlessly.
"Aderia, I leave for a few hours and you're at it again. This is already the fourth person this month."
Dressed in a violet-red short dress, with black mid-length hair framing her face, and a few red highlights hanging near her ears, Luna's amber slit-pupils gleamed brilliantly as she looked down.
"This lady just got drunk! I'm sure this wouldn't have happened under normal circumstances!"
"Our bar is a proper establishment. No entertaining clients, and no messing around with romantic entanglements."
"Miss Luna, don't be so harsh. This isn't messing around—it's just comforting a heartbroken lady and having a drink with her. This is a full set of Eymur Champagne! Besides, this lady seems like a repeat offender. She's claiming heartbreak but is here in a bar, trying to seduce an innocent, newly-adult boy."
Aderia slightly smirked, waving a stack of cash in front of Luna's face.
"You call yourself an innocent boy? Your sweet talk is borderline fraud. Report that to the Watchers, and they'll string you up for it."
Luna scoffed, yanking Aderia off the sofa and giving him a kick, pointedly clapping her hands to show her distaste.
"This isn't a fraud. Under Miss Luna's wise leadership, we're just patching up our future with the nobles' money. The Watchers would be moved if they heard about it!"
"Hmph! Slick talker. But you do have a point. Those nobles' money is ours once it's taken."
"Miss Luna, you're the best!"
Rolling her eyes, Luna waved him off.
"Hurry and clean up. I'll have someone send this Rabbit-girl back home."
It was late at night, and the crowd in the bar had dwindled. Luna was in the back, counting inventory, while Kris was at the bar, mixing drinks. Aderia, having narrowly avoided a tricky situation earlier, was now focused on tidying up. By 1 AM, the bar was nearly empty, with only a few scattered patrons remaining. For a quiet bar like this, a sparse crowd in the early hours was normal.
The bar was quiet, with only the faint sound of conversations among the few remaining customers. The gentle clinking of ice being chipped into a perfect sphere filled the air as Kris, with a contented smile, meticulously prepared a drink. Aderia, resting her head on her arms, was reading a book but occasionally glanced up to watch Kris work.
The lighting in the bar shifted from purple to red, casting shadows across Kris's face. His sharp nose and gentle, almond-shaped eyes made him stand out, drawing the occasional whisper from patrons about the handsome young bartender.
"Kris, don't you ever get tired of chipping ice every day? You seem to enjoy it," Aderia remarked.
"It's not so bad. Bartending is actually quite fascinating. You get to see the combination of sugar, alcohol, and spices. The possibilities are endless. Don't you think so?"
"Well, I only mix drinks because it's part of the job. If it weren't for the situation in Kriya, I'd probably be a famous actor or singer by now, making money hand over fist. Imagine being the most sought-after singer or actor in Kriya—doesn't that sound appealing?"
Kriya, a nation that lost a significant battle on the continent of Novares thirty years ago, had not been destroyed but was burdened with heavy reparations and an oppressive aristocratic system. Life was tough for its people, and Aderia had only recently managed to secure a place at Iskandar Academy, allowing him to barely scrape by in Kriya's harsh society.
Kris glanced at the book in Aderia's hand and then returned to his work, carefully placing a mint leaf on the rim of a glass. "What kind of strange dream is that? You seem to have a knack for swordsmanship. Maybe you should consider becoming a knight."
Aderia shook his head, thinking about how messed up Kriya's society was now. He held up the book, Knights, Swords, and the Human Body, then set it back down. "This? Terry has been teaching me swordsmanship, but the real skills of knighthood are all in the hands of the royal family. Someone like me would never get a shot at them. Besides, what's the point of all that clanging and banging with swords every day?"
Historically, countries like Kriya, which oppressed the lower classes, were ripe for rebellion. However, in Kriya, all high-end military power was tightly controlled by the nobility. They possessed a superhuman ability known as "Rhythmic Force," and it wasn't unusual for those with Rhythmic Force to be able to take on a hundred opponents at once.
Aderia considered himself naturally talented with weapons, including swords, but what was the point if the nobles hoarded the secrets to becoming a superhuman? He stretched, trying to shake off the fatigue, and slumped back into his chair.
Suddenly, Aderia sat up straight, realizing he had crushed something beneath him. He reached back and pulled up a silver-patterned chain with a crystal attached to it—a necklace he always carried with him. The small accident earlier had caused it to slip behind him.
Holding the crystal between his thumb and forefinger, Aderia squinted and examined it under the dim bar light. It was a crimson crystal, intricately cut into a diamond shape, with a faintly glowing amethyst encased in its center. The crystal was marred by eight thin cracks radiating from its core.
The crystal, about the size of a thumb, was a keepsake from his mother, whom he barely remembered. His runaway father had once told him it was a family heirloom from his mother's side. And now, another crack had appeared.
Aderia had carried this necklace for many years. Every so often, a new crack would appear. He had once worried that this family heirloom might be a cheap trinket, but even after dropping it from the bell tower, the crystal remained unscathed.